A bill cracking down on child sexual predators is being considered by the Arizona House after its near unanimous passage in the Senate.
Senate Bill 1585, which has bipartisan support and closes a loophole in prosecuting and sentencing offenders, was approved Wednesday unanimously by the nine-member House Judiciary Committee. It passed March 4 in the Senate with 27 votes in favor and three abstentions.
The legislation changes the definition of “dangerous crime against children” to include acts where the defendant knew or had reason to know the minor was under age 15. The bill is designed to protect boys and girls from pedophiles.
Previously, offenders have ended up with nothing more than probation if they were arrested during a sting operation in which undercover law enforcement played the potential victim, said Senate Majority Leader Janae Shamp, the bill’s sponsor.
“This bill is the product of a collaboration between myself and Pinal County Attorney Brad Miller. He brought this to my attention,” Shamp said.
Miller told Shamp that two undercover sting operations by the Pinal County Sheriff's Office over four weeks resulted in the arrest of 20 adults who were caught luring children for sex acts. Miller said some of the defendants couldn't be charged under dangerous crimes against children laws because of a court of appeals' interpretation of the current statutes.
