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Nashville- Tennessee Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III is among a bipartisan coalition of 36 Attorneys General urging the American Law Institute (ALI) to reject proposed changes to Section 213 of the Model Penal Code (MPC) that would weaken the ability of States to prosecute sexual assault, abuse, exploitation, and trafficking crimes; jeopardize the safety of victims of these crimes; and restrict the ability of law enforcement to protect the general public from recidivist behavior.
“These proposed changes, which would exclude criminal liability for those who knowingly participate in sex trafficking and eliminate public access to sex offender registry information, are dangerous and need to be rejected,” said General Slatery.
In the letter, the coalition writes, “The revisions contemplated fail to treat sex predators appropriately and would provide them more freedom to commit these heinous crimes, putting the citizens we represent at greater risk of becoming victims.”
Among the changes under consideration by the ALI:
Sex Trafficking
Sex Offender Registries
Offenses of sexual assault by physical force or sexual assault of an incapacitated person are not registrable – offenders are required to register only if the offender was previously convicted of a felony sexual offense.
Registration for sexual assault of a minor is limited to crimes where the victim is less than 12 years old and the offender is 21 years old or older.
Registration for incestuous sexual assault of a minor is limited to crimes where the victim is under the age of 16 years old.
Renders failure to register a misdemeanor.
Removes the following offenses that require registration:
Would permit only government law enforcement agencies to access registry information – there would be no public access and no access by non-profit organizations for prospective employees/applicants.
Removes key identifiers from registry requirements, including:
The letter was signed by the Attorneys General of Mississippi, Hawaii, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Virginia, and West Virginia.
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