Law Adds Video Voyeurs to Sex Offender Registry

5-26-2010 Wisconsin:

A new state law now lets judges put video voyeurs on the sex offender registry.

Video voyeurism is classified as a felony. It's when someone records another person in the nude without their consent, makes copies of the recording, or distributes them.

The law says if a person is convicted of video voyeurism, a court can order them to register with the Department of Corrections as a sex offender.

Advocates of this new law say it'll serve as a deterrent and will protect potential victims.

They point to its relevance considering several video voyeurism cases from our area -- including Francis Lee of Green Bay, who allegedly placed hidden cameras in his tanning salon to watch people undress, and Cecil Lewis in Outagamie County, who's accused of secretly taping women and having dozens of tapes.

Representative Ted Zigmunt, who authored the original bill, says the law will protect people because no one wants to see their name on the sex offender registry.

"Hopefully for the persons with cell phones and all these things, persons thinking of taking an inappropriate picture and putting it on the Internet, that maybe they'll think twice," Zigmunt said.

The Francis Creek Democrat authored the original bill. He said offenders shouldn't be able to fly under the radar.

Brown County sheriff's captain Jeff Sanborn says offenses like this are all too common.

"We have two detectives now just dedicated to computer crimes, and a lot of that comes into play with video voyeurism," Captain Sanborn said.

Sanborn says if the law prevents even a small number of offenders from committing a crime, it's served its purpose.

"It might take a little time, but as soon as you start seeing persons' pictures out there on the sex offender registry it's going to hit home for a lot of people," Sanborn said.

Under this law, if a person under the age of 21 commits video voyeurism but serves their sentence, a judge can decide they don't have to register as a sex offender. ..Source..