Crackdown On Sex Predators Starts Moving In Florida Capitol

January 14, 2014

A Florida Senate panel on Monday unanimously passed three bills dealing with sexually violent predators and sexual crimes against children — the first in a series of measures expected to unfold across four committees and both legislative chambers this week.

After a highly critical newspaper series and a fatal attack on a Jacksonville girl, both last summer, legislative leaders vowed to crack down on sexual predators, and that effort was evident in the Senate Criminal Justice Committee.

“We want to send a message that if you do something to our children, you will spend time in jail — and it’s not going to be a short time,” said committee Chairman Greg Evers, R-Baker and the sponsor of one of the bills.

Lawmakers have been focused on the issue since August, when the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported that nearly 600 sexually violent predators had been released only to be convicted of new sex offenses — including more than 460 child molestations, 121 rapes and 14 murders.

What’s more, lawmakers have a cautionary tale in the June murder of 8-year-old Cherish Perrywinkle in Jacksonville. Recently-released sex offender Donald Smith, 57, was accused of abducting, raping and strangling the child. He faces trial in May on charges of first-degree murder, kidnapping and sexual battery; prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

The shadow of Smith fell on Monday’s discussion as lawmakers sought to plug loopholes that allowed him to be released.

Suzonne Kline, the former administrator of Florida’s Sexually Violent Predator Program, urged the panel to consider the use of a risk assessment tool to determine which offenders are among the 10 percent she said were most likely to re-offend.

Before Perrywinkle’s death, Smith had been arrested for a series of crimes against children, including impersonating an employee of the Florida Department of Children and Families in a failed attempt to kidnap a girl.

Kline said she had performed a risk assessment on Smith — only on paper, she said, noting that she never interviewed him in person — and that his score was “very high.”

“And had the judge had that information available, I firmly believe that he would not have agreed to allow (prosecutors) to plea down to the lesser sentence, nor would he have given (Smith) a jail term as opposed to incarceration,” Kline said.

The first bill, SB 494 by Majority Leader Lizbeth Benacquisto, R-Fort Myers, would eliminate a three-year statute of limitations on prosecuting lewd or lascivious offenses involving children younger than 16.

“The bill has a simple intention,” Benacquisto said. “It is to provide a voice for children who are older than 11 who have been victimized in some form, to allow them to have the time to make that claim.”

The second bill, SB 526 by Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island and chairman of the Senate Civil and Criminal Justice Appropriations Subcommittee, would strengthen penalties against sex offenders. It would increase the length of sentences for certain adult-on-minor sexual offenses formerly classified as lewd and lascivious, ban prison gain-time for people who commit certain sexual offenses and require courts to order community supervision after release from prison for those convicted of certain offenses.

The third bill, Evers’ SB 528, would increase the amount of personal information that registered sexual predators and offenders must provide. It would require them to report their vehicle information, Internet identifiers, palm prints, passports, professional licenses, immigration status and volunteer work at higher-education institutions.

Evers said his bill needed more work in collaboration with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement on the question of tracking all vehicles in households with sexually violent predators. He also said prosecutors wanted some clarifications.

Senate Minority Leader Chris Smith, D-Fort Lauderdale, expressed some doubts about what he called “a slippery slope” in pursuit of tougher sanctions against sex predators.

“I do have pause with the direction we’re going by getting rid of gain time, ” he said. “Rehabilitation — that’s not a word in our vocabulary anymore.”

But in the end, Smith voted with the others.

On Tuesday, the Senate Children, Families and Elder Affairs Committee will take up two more measures dealing with sexually violent predators.

One of the bills, SB 522 by Sen. Denise Grimsley, R-Sebring, would make a series of changes such as adding a state attorney, a law enforcement officer and a victim’s advocate as advisory members to each multidisciplinary team that evaluates offenders considered for civil confinement.

The other Senate measure, SB 524 by committee Chairwoman Eleanor Sobel, D-Hollywood, would require that offenders be defined as sexually violent predators and be subject to civil confinement after a finding by two or more members of a multidisciplinary team.

Also Tuesday, the House Healthy Families Subcommittee will take the first House vote on a measure dealing with sexually violent predators. And on Thursday, the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee will take up five proposed committee bills on the subject.

by Margie Menzel, The News Service of Florida

Comments

7 Responses to “Crackdown On Sex Predators Starts Moving In Florida Capitol”

  1. DJSheffield on January 14th, 2014 12:43 pm

    First and foremost I was once a victim, but now a SURVIVOR. My father is doing a two life term for his actions. I do have a relationship with him that most don’t understand, nor will they ever unless they’ve experienced it themselves. But with that being said, he knows how I feel and that I will do everything in my power if Florida ever brought back the parole board. He is where he belongs, period. I have no sympathy in his actions towards me, but I have found FORGIVENESS to move forward in my life.

    @momof2…I couldn’t agree with you more! So many forgot about the victims who don’t get proper counseling and treatment after the abuse. I am here to tell you without my husband I would’ve NEVER been able to move forward. He is the only one who stood up for me against all other family members. It took me most of my life to face the challenges of a daily struggle with bipolar disordr, BPD, and depression.

    I am here to also tell you that a victim will go through many, many counselors. Parents, family, and friends PLEASE don’t take this personal. The victim has to be COMPLETELY TRUSTING of this person, and if they are not don’t give up on them, keep trying. It’s a process for us that takes time, a great deal of time depending on the extent of the abuse. My advice to you would be to do a background check on the persons professional education and experience. Don’t be afraid to ask him/her questions before getting deep into counseling. Personally, I found my shelter of hope at Santa Rosa Counseling Center with Dr. Karen Willis & Brian Willis.

  2. Valerie Parkhurst on January 14th, 2014 9:33 am

    This is a great day for Florida and as long as we stay on course to make this state the most unfriendly State to commit these types of crimes then we should see a reduction and a decreased influx of every offender who moves into the state for no other reason than they like the beaches better. Florida needs a moritorium on offenders freely allowed to come into this state as it is painfully obvious more are coming in than going out. Congrats to all involved.

  3. David Huie Green on January 14th, 2014 8:43 am

    “Rehabilitation” would be more common in our vocabulary if the reality were more common.
    Folks chose to prey on others in the first place and strongly tend to prey on others after release.
    If you could reasonably expect predators to repent and “sin no more” most would be thrilled.

    David for good thrills

  4. My 2¢ on January 14th, 2014 7:20 am

    I agree with “One Response”….Death is the only cure. As far as Senate Majority Leader Chris Smith being concerned about taking away their gain time and being concerned about a “slippery slope” with these people….yeah, stick with that opinion and let me know how it works out for you come election time. The the more slippery that slope is, the better. These people cannot be rehabilitated. They should not get gain time or any other benefit.

  5. momof2 on January 14th, 2014 6:20 am

    I’m with you perdido fisherman. Seems people are more worried about the offenders than the victims. I am tired of it.

  6. 429SCJ on January 14th, 2014 5:39 am

    Good work Mr Evers.

    If you legislators do not have the stomach to put these monsters under the knife, then at least put them under the ground.

  7. perdido fisherman on January 14th, 2014 2:35 am

    Death is the only cure for molesters and those who rape. you cannot fix those people and we the tax payer dont deserve being forced to house and feed these monsters.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News