Fla. Takes Tough Stance Against Sex Crimes

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October 2nd, 2007

"Penalties for Sex Crimes Triple"

A tough new law tripling the maximum penalties for certain sex crimes in Florida took effect on Monday. Soliciting sex from a minor and possessing child pornography will now carry up to a 15-year sentence, whereas before those crimes carried a sentence of only 5-years.

The state attorney general has made sex crimes involving children a priority, and he has been a force behind the new legislation, which was signed by the governor in June.

Crimes Reclassified

Under the new law, possession of child pornography has been reclassified as a second-degree felony, and those who promote or distribute it will face first-degree felony charges.

Other crimes that will carry increased penalties include pretending to be a youth to win a child's trust and possession of particularly heinous child pornography images, the distribution of which is punishable with a jail sentence of up to 30 years.

Email Registration

Convicted sex offenders will also be required to register any email or instant messaging accounts with authorities so the information can be shared with MySpace.com and similar social networking sites.

(Source: Associated Press)

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