Representative Bill Daughtridge Co-Sponsors the Jessica Lunsford Act for NC
Raleigh - Representative Bill Daughtridge (R-Nash County) has co-sponsored House Bill 933, the "Jessica Lunsford Act for NC", along with other bill sponsors. If approved, the bill provides that certain criminal offenses of rape or first degree sexual offense committed against a child are punishable by either life imprisonment without parole or a mandatory active sentence of 25 years and life-time satellite based monitoring. The bill increases the criminal penalties for sexual exploitation of a minor and promoting prostitution of a minor. The bill amends the sex offender registration requirements to be more stringent, to require community notification regarding the presence of a sexually violent predator or repeat sex offender in the area. The bill amends the law regarding bail for violations of probation and post-release supervision. There would be a new criminal offense that makes it unlawful for a sex offender to be on certain premises including those where a reasonable person would know children regularly congregate, and to require criminal background checks of contractual personnel before allowing them to go on school grounds, have direct contact with students or have access to school funds.
Daughtridge said, "We need to further protect the residents of North Carolina from sexual offenders, and this bill greatly strengthens our current laws. The bill establishes a lifetime registration requirement for persons convicted of certain offenses against minors or sexually violent offenses. A person who does not register will be guilty of a Class F felony. It also calls upon law enforcement agencies to inform members of the community and the public of the presence of any person required to register. A violent sex offender will be prohibited from working or volunteering at any place where children regularly congregate."
Daughtridge further said, "This bill will take sex offenders who exploit children off our streets."
