Ally Dowds Editor In Chief

Stricter Consequences For Sex Offenders

by Ally Dowds

On Jan. 30, a 9-year-old-girl was startled awake, ripped out of her bed, and raped and sodomized in her own home in Norfolk, Va.

From 2001-2003, a 12-year-old girl was repeatedly raped and psychologically threatened by the same man in Allentown, Pa.

And most recently, on Feb. 23 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford was kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and buried alive in Tampa, Fla.

What each of these children have in common besides the brutal, inhumane assaults they endured was that all of their perpetrators were known repeated sex offenders. In two of is three cases, the alleged rapists failed to register as a sex offender in their area.

There was no chance for these young, vibrant and trusting children who had their entire lives ahead of them. Instead, disturbed and vile rapists took from them their most precious treasure –their innocence. Sadly, in Jessica Lunsford’s case it was her life.

What is even more disturbing is that these are not three isolated events, but a reoccurring new trend in our very own communities. One quickly begs the questions: How? Why?

Why is it in the hands of the rapists to register themselves on the sex offender list each time they change states? It should be a forced requirement by law enforcement; there should be no exceptions or delays because innocent lives are put at stake.

How can a man like the alleged rapist and murderer of Jessica Lunsford have access to a free life … a man who had acquired a 30-year criminal history?

Yes, doctors and psychiatrists can argue that not all sex offenders will strike again; that many are rehabilitated completely. Yes, the law states that once criminals serve their time in prison, they are free to walk the streets and live their lives. But should there not be mandatory counseling or at least mandatory monitoring of these pedophiles?

An individual who is classified as a level three sex offender –those considered most likely to commit the same crimes again –should not be permitted to roam the streets unsupervised and unrestricted to commit more sexually based crimes.

In Illinois the Sex Offender Registry Act was enacted in 1996. The act requires sex offenders to report to their local authorities and a database contains their address and other information, which is made available to the public.

A known repeated sex offender should be tracked, should be registered, and the offender’s town should be notified and alerted. Everyone should be allowed to demand the right to protection, security and knowledge of the whereabouts of a rapist living among them.

I do believe there are sexual offenders who can be rehabilitated, but there are also individuals who undeniably cannot control their perverted states of mind.

Wouldn’t you want to know if a convicted murderer was living right in your backyard? I would think that most would answer and astounding, YES!