AL- New laws tougher on sex offenders

7-21-2009 Alabama:

Alabama has two new laws that will make it harder for sex offenders to skirt the law.

Earlier this month Gov. Bob Riley signed two laws that give local law enforcement and state police more tools to apprehend criminals without having their investigative techniques thrown out on a technicality.

“Both of these new laws will help make our families and communities safer,” Riley said. “I commend the sponsors and legislators for taking action to give our law enforcement officers stronger tools to fight sex offenders.”

Online sting operations

The first law ensures that adults can be prosecuted for using computers to solicit children for sex, even if the person they solicit is not an actual child, but a law enforcement officer posing as a child as part of a sanctioned sting operation.

State officials said the need for the law became clear after police in Gulf Shores, Ala., arrested 23 suspects who they found using the Internet to arrange meetings with people they thought were children.

Some of the cases were difficult to prosecute under previous state law because they were actually communicating with other adults.


The bill was sponsored by Rep. Steve McMillan, D-Bay Minette, and Sen. Myron Penn, D-Union Springs.

Phenix City Police Capt. Phyllis Pendleton said the law would not change the practices of the police department at this time.

“We are not doing that kind of sting operation, and I don’t foresee us doing it,” she said, adding there have been discussions about those types of operations.

Verifying street addresses

The second law requires local law enforcement agencies to verify the street address where adult criminal sex offenders say they intend to reside when they are released from prison.

Without a proper address, the law prohibits sex offenders from being released early.

“The prison notifies us 30 days prior to their release and we go by and verify that it is a valid address and that the person living there knows the person has used the address and is willing to allow them to live there,” Pendleton said.

According to the Alabama Sentencing Commission, 18 adult sex offenders were sent back to prison for not providing their addresses before their release between fiscal years 2005-07.

Rep. Blaine Galliher, R-Gadsden, and Penn, who represents Russell County, sponsored the bill in the Legislature. ..Source.. by Kirsten J. Barnes - Special to the Ledger-Enquirer