Scott Signs Series Of Bills Getting Tough On Sexually Violent Predators

April 2, 2014

After a disturbing newspaper investigation and the murder of a Jacksonville girl, Florida legislative leaders vowed to get tough this year on sexually violent predators.

And Tuesday, Gov. Rick Scott moved quickly to sign a package of bills aimed at keeping sexually violent predators locked up so they can’t attack again.

“Florida’s going to be scorched earth for these monsters,” said Sen. Rob Bradley, a Fleming Island Republican who worked on the bills.

Scott signed the package (SB 522, SB 524, SB 526 and SB 528) during a ceremony in the Capitol’s Cabinet meeting room that included sheriffs, prosecutors, lawmakers, sexual-assault victims and victims’ family members. Scott and other speakers said the bills will make Florida’s children safer.

“The safety of Florida’s families, especially our children is of paramount importance and I am proud to sign this legislation that adds protections for vulnerable Floridians during Sexual Assault Awareness Month. As a father of two girls and a grandfather of three boys, I think about how the legislation I am signing today will affect Florida’s families. It will make Florida’s children safer and adds protections for our communities, especially for our children. These measures will make a positive difference for generations to come,” Scott said.

The bills signed by Scott included SB 528 by Sen. Greg Evers, R-Baker, who represents the North Escambia area. The bill requires registered offenders to report vehicle information, Internet identifiers, palm prints, passports, professional licenses, immigration status, volunteer work at higher education institutions and other information.
Supporters hope the bills will prevent a repeat of incidents such as the kidnapping, rape and murder last year of 8-year-old Cherish Perrywinkle in Jacksonville, a case that drew widespread attention. A registered sex offender, Donald Smith, has been arrested in the case.

More broadly, supporters hope the legislation will address problems raised in an investigative report by the South Florida Sun Sentinel. The newspaper reported that the commitment of sexually violent predators under the state’s Jimmy Ryce Act had slowed to a crawl. Also, it found that since 1999, nearly 600 sexual predators had been released only to be convicted of new sex offenses — including more than 460 child molestations, 121 rapes and 14 murders.

House Criminal Justice Chairman Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, said the bills will mean Florida will not be a “catch and release state” for sexual predators.

The bills make numerous changes to the state’s criminal and civil-commitment laws. As an example, SB 526, which was spearheaded by Bradley and Gaetz, would lead to mandatory minimum sentences of 50 years in prison for what are known as dangerous sexual felony offenders.

Taking part in the bill-signing ceremony was Lauren Book, a sexual-abuse survivor who has founded a group called Lauren’s Kids. Also taking part was Diena Thompson, whose 7-year-old daughter Somer disappeared in Clay County in 2009 while walking home from school. The child’s body was later found in a South Georgia landfill.

Bradley, who lives in Clay County, pointed to the Thompson and Perrywinkle cases and said the sexual-predator issue is “personal and raw” to people in Northeast Florida.

Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida, contributed to this report.

Pictured top: Gov. Rick Scott signs a series of bills Tuesday in Tallahassee. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Comments

5 Responses to “Scott Signs Series Of Bills Getting Tough On Sexually Violent Predators”

  1. David Huie Green on April 2nd, 2014 9:57 pm

    There is a difference between an offender and a predator.
    Predators should not be protected to prey more to protect the lesser offenders. Yes, people lie. That does not mean those who claim they were lied to are never the ones lying.

    Let’s keep it simple, the ones who say the nine-year-old “wanted it” or said they lied about their age do not get the presumption of us being idiots.

    David for safe children

  2. No Excuses on April 2nd, 2014 8:34 pm

    @ Lisa

    I don’t think that this bill is targeting that type of “sex offender”. I think it is targeting those who are violent and repeat offenders. I agree with you – a girl who lies about her age and is believably that age by her looks should have some accountability if she gets tangled up with an older guy because of lying about her age. Guys, you should know better! Make sure she’s not jailbait!

  3. No Excuses on April 2nd, 2014 2:58 pm

    We do need to get tough on these predators! And I agree with David on this one. The Bible tells us that it would be better to be dropped into the ocean with a millstone tied around one’s neck than to harm a child.

  4. Lisa gray on April 2nd, 2014 9:33 am

    I don’t think everybody that is a “sex offender” should be treated the same. It seems so common now to get that label because of children dating and girls lying about their age. What are we doing against that? I think it’s bs that a girl who lies about her age to a 19 or 20 year old when she is really 16 or 17 gets them in trouble and they are labeled for the rest of their lives and she gets away with it. I don’t see them as the victim. I see the person labeled as a sex offender as the victim in cases like this,

  5. David Huie Green on April 2nd, 2014 7:49 am

    Mercy for predators means no mercy for their future prey.
    Send them to the Lord for whatever mercy He sees fit.

    David for justice for all

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News