A bipartisan proposal cracking down on Internet child predators was approved nearly unanimously today by the Senate. The bill passed after being derailed early in the session by partisan one-upmanship.
House Bill 1326, by Senators Steve Johnson, R-Fort Collins, and Paula Sandoval, D-Denver, and Representatives Spencer Swalm, R-Centennial, and Andy Kerr, D-Lakewood, requires registered sex offenders hand over to the state all Internet and e-mail account names or face felony charges for failing to do so.
|
Sen. Steve Johnson |
“This bill gives the Attorney General another tool to prosecute people who are luring kids on the Internet,” said Johnson. “It protects kids by getting re-offenders off the streets, and that’s the primary strategy.”
Overall, there are about 60,000 sexual predators on the Internet at any given time, Johnson added.
“HB 1326 will allow offenders to be locked up for a longer period of time when they’re caught again,” he said. “It’s important that we get tough on this issue and protect our children.”
The same proposal had been introduced earlier in the year by Swalm, a Republican who represents a swing district and is targeted for defeat by Democrat operatives.
The original bill was killed in committee by majority-party Democrats. That action led Swalm to re-introduce the bill with Democrat Kerr listed as a lead sponsor, and the bill then passed the same committee on a unanimous vote, despite being virtually identical to the original bill.
HB 1326 now heads back to the House for consideration of Senate amendments.