Criminal Justice
Florida Ups Ante on Child Sex Crimes
Posted Oct 1, 2007, 01:18 pm CST
By Martha Neil
As a new statute takes effect that will triple some penalties and criminalize behavior that isn't criminal elsewhere, Florida's laws against committing sex crimes involving children have become some of the toughest in the nation.
In Florida, for example, it is now a crime to take a trip with the purpose of meeting a child for sex, even if the meeting never occurs, reports the Associated Press. Offenders will also be required to register their e-mail addresses, which will be shared with social networking sites.
Child pornography is "beyond anything you can possibly imagine, and they're not pictures. They're actually people," says Maureen Horkan, who heads the state attorney general's cybercrime unit. "They're small children being damaged and wounded and miserably taken advantage of, and individuals are sitting in their chairs and enjoying looking at those horrific images."
Under the new law, the maximum penalty for possession of child pornography reportedly triples, increasing from five years to 15 years.