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Campaign Updates>
Penry Sexual Predator Law Signed into Law
May 30, 2006
For Immediate Release:
May 30, 2006
Contact:
970.216.8039
PENRY SEXUAL PREDATOR BILL SIGNED INTO LAW
-Governor Owens Signs Legislation That Would Close
Loopholes in Laws that Protect Communities from Sexually
Violent Predators-
A bill sponsored by Representative Josh Penry that would
close alarming loopholes in the laws that protect Colorado
communities and children from sexually violent predators
was signed into law by Governor Bill Owens this morning.
Said Penry,"The sad truth is, there are vile people in
every community who want to exploit our children. As long
as this despicable element exists, the legislature and law
enforcement need to be aggressive and proactive in
combatting the threat.
"My legislation is guided by the premise that parents have
a right to know if a sexually violent predator lives down
the street, near a school, or across from a park. Parents
have a right to know, not some of the time, not most of
the time, but every single time," he said.
Representative Penry's bill expands the registration and
notification requirements that currently apply to sexually
violent predators. Under the new law, sexually violent
predators who move into Colorado from out of state will be
required to register in Colorado, or punished with prison
time.
Currently, out of state sex offenders are not required to
register. A number of violent offenders slipped through
this gap in the old law. The new law also strips away
discretion from judges as to whether or not to notify a
community when a sexually violent predator moves in.
Currently, judges are allowed to waive the community notice
and registration requirements if they so choose. This bill
requires community notice in all cases. The bill also
mandates tough new prison sentences for sexually violent
predators who do not register with law enforcement. Under
the old law, predators could easily evade the registration
requirements and often were not punished.
Government watchdog groups and the media uncovered these
enormous loopholes in the State's sexual predator laws last
summer. These groups found that a number of predators had
manipulated these loopholes and were released into
communities across Colorado without notice or registration.
In the wake of these reports, Governor Owens and Attorney
General John Suthers pulled together a team of law
enforcement officials to craft tough new policies to
fix the broken laws. Penry worked with the Task Force on
the measure, and then carried the bill in the Legislature
along with Senator Ken Kester (R-Las Animas).
Penry said his bill is just the first step in getting tough
on sexual predators. He plans to introduce a bill next
year that would strengthen sentencing requirements for
convicted child sex offenders. He co-sponsored a
similar bill this year, but it was defeated in a House
Committee.
"Colorado needs to pass Jessica's law, so that child sex
offenders go to jail for a very, very long time on the
first offense. Today a sex offender can walk out of jail
in as little as two years. That's a joke for a crime of
this magnitude and the law needs to change," concluded
Penry.
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