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TEXAS SIGNS OFF ON STRICT CHILD PREDATION BILL
July 16, 2007: Gov. Rick Perry Monday signed a bill to increase punishment for sexual predators whose victims are under the age of 14. Texas House Bill 8, also known as Jessica's Law, makes repeat offenders eligible for the death penalty and tracks sexual predators using global positioning devices, among other provisions.
The most important provisions of the bill were those calling for GPS tracking and a minimum punishment of 25 years to life in prison without parole for aggravated sexual assault of a child under the age of 6 for continuous sexual abuse of any young child.
The tracking process takes time. Florida, where the 1st Jessica's Law passed, is still working on finding all registered sex offenders two years after the law took effect.
The most controversial aspect of the bill is the possibility that 2-time offenders could be sentenced to death
House Bill 8 becomes effective Sept. 1 and applies only to crimes committed on or after that date. (Sources: The Daily Texan, 16/07/2007)
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