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Fate of girl jolts Senate, House

Both are considering legislation that would toughen punishment for sex crimes and heighten tracking of offenders.

By ABBIE VANSICKLE
Published March 29, 2005

TALLAHASSEE - A plea for closer monitoring of sex offenders after the Jessica Lunsford killing has evolved into a broad-based legislative effort including stronger sentences, better notification of residents living near convicted offenders and harsher punishment for people who harbor them.

The discovery of 9-year-old Jessica's remains in a neighbor's yard March 19 led her father and others to push for changes in sex offender legislation, particularly closer tracking through use of Global Positioning System devices.

By the end of the day Monday, discussions had moved well beyond monitoring.

In an afternoon meeting with Senate President Tom Lee, Citrus County Sheriff Jeff Dawsy and Sen. Nancy Argenziano, R-Dunnellon, discussed five possible changes, Lee said:

--Tougher sentences for first-time offenders.

--Classifying anyone convicted of a sex crime against a child as a sexual predator, even upon first offenses.

--Using Global Positioning System technology to track sex offenders.

--Requiring local law enforcement to notify residents when a sex offender moves in.

--Making it a crime for people to harbor sex offenders without notifying law enforcement.

"We don't want to knee-jerk and react ... but we didn't want to waste any time responding," Lee said Monday evening.

Dawsy agreed that a broad approach was best at this point.

"I really think these issues are all-inclusive. ... You don't give these people a second chance," he said.

Jessica vanished from her bed Feb. 23 or early Feb. 24. In the days that followed, hundreds of volunteers scoured the area near her family's home on Sonata Avenue in Homosassa. Law enforcement received thousands of tips from across the country.

A break in the case came when investigators checked on the whereabouts of registered sex offenders and predators in Citrus County and found one man, John Evander Couey, had moved from his registered address to a home just yards from Jessica's.

Authorities arrested Couey, 46, in Georgia. They say he later confessed to killing Jessica. He is set to appear before a judge today on an unrelated charge.

Lee, who has a young daughter, called Jessica's father, Mark Lunsford, to offer his condolences after the discovery of the body.

Upon learning of the father's crusade to toughen sex offender laws, Lee told Lunsford to expect a "warm reception" from the Senate.

As Lee and his staff look into sexual offender guidelines, a similar effort is under way in the state House of Representatives.

Rep. Everett Rice, R-Treasure Island, the former Pinellas County sheriff, and Rep. Charles Dean, R-Inverness, the former Citrus County sheriff, joined together to write a bill proposing changes in sex offender legislation, Dean said.

Dean said he expected the bill to be filed today. "This bill is about enhancement of the system because this sexual offender fell through the cracks," he said.

Authorities say Couey slipped away from law enforcement's gaze by moving in with his half-sister, Dorothy Dixon, 47, who did not report his whereabouts, officials have said.

Dawsy and Argenziano said they were troubled by Couey's ability to move into a neighborhood without neighbors' knowing of his sex offender status, and his housemates' failure to tell officials of his whereabouts.

But they also emphasized that legislative change should be methodical.

"We want something good to come out of this," Dawsy said. "I think we want to be very systematic."

Argenziano said she had difficulty reining in her desire to "take out "Old Sparky,"' referring to Florida's electric chair, a form of capital punishment no longer in use in the state. But she added that this is a time for careful consideration.

"We really do want to send a message," she said. "We're going to tighten up how we track you, even if we let you out."

-- Abbie VanSickle can be reached at 352 860-7312 or vansickle@sptimes.com

[Last modified March 29, 2005, 01:30:12]