GOV: LOCK UP PERVS AND LOSE THE KEY

A convicted rapist likely serves less than 3 years in prison.  A convicted sexual abuser spends about a year and a half in prison and a sexual offender convicted of a lesser felony likely sees less than 6 months in prison.  Under new proposals from Gov. George Pataki, the time served as a result of plea bargains and other factors would change.  Sentences would

increase to as much as 25 years to life and life in prison without the chance of parole.  The minimum sentence for conviction of a sex crimes against a child would be 25 years.  Pataki expressed disgust at the current average that the most horrendous child molesters face is just 3.4 years behind bars.  That is disgraceful, that is wrong, and we have to change that, said Pataki, who wants to raise the threshold for the most serious sex crimes against kids to include those attacked under age 13.  The cutoff is now 11.  

Pataki would also raise the penalties against those who rape or sodomize kids to a minimum of 25 years and a maximum of life.  And repeat offenders would get 25 years to life, they now average 6.1 years in prison.

We have to have penalties that come close to the magnitude of the crime, Pataki said yesterday in releasing his package of sex crimes bills led by the proposed Jessica's Law.  The law is named for 9 year old Jessica Lunsford of Florida, who was snatched from her bed, raped and killed last year by a convicted sex offender who , despite public sex offender registries, was living 150 yards from her home without her family's knowledge.  

(New York)