From Missouri Digital News: https://mdn.org
MDN Menu

MDN Home

Journalist's Creed

Print

MDN Help

 MDN.ORG: Missouri Digital News
MDN Menu

MDN Home

Journalist's Creed

Print

MDN Help

 MDN.ORG Mo. Digital News Missouri Digital News MDN.ORG: Mo. Digital News MDN.ORG: Missouri Digital News
Help  


Sex Predator Legislation Passed

April 7, 1998
By: Caroline Noel
State Capital Bureau Legislation intent on keeping habitual sex offenders permanently off the streets is nearing final passage. Caroline Noel reports from the Capital.

Speaker of the House Steve Gaw's bill would provide for the indefinite institutionalizion of certain sex offenders...even after their prison terms have expired. P>His bill targets those who seem likely to offend again, and also builds upon previous legislation allowing for community notification of those who are released.

Under an amendment added by Southeast Missouri Representative Kelly Parker the beefed up legislation will include Internet postings of sex offenders:

Actuality:My amendment was to make all this information available on the Internet through the Department of Public Safety website, including names, addresses and most importantly photographs.
RunTime: 12:2
OutCue:
Contents: Parker says the Internet will provide easy access for people to find out if a sex offender resides in their community.

From the Capital this is Caroline Noel.

Under a bill set for final passage in the House, Missouri's sex offenders who are released from prison would have their names and pictures posted on an Internet site. Caroline Noel reports from Jefferson City.

Southeast Missouri Representative Kelley Parker's amendment would mandate the Department of Public Safety to post a list of Missouri's released sex offenders, including names, addresses and photographs.

The proposal seeks to remedy a problem with the current community notification policy: the risk of misidentificaiton.

As Columbia Representative Vicky Riback Wilson pointed out, it can happen.

Actuality:Last year we had a number of names published in our newspaper of college students, they were not sex offenders, they had not been living there long, and they were misidentified...
RunTime:
OutCue: :16:5
Contents: Parker says the posting of photographs accompanying names on the Internet will ensure that citizens are mistaken for sex offenders. Caroline Noel, Jefferson City.

From the Capital this is Caroline Noel.