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House passes 'Jessica' bill
The bill would set a mandatory sentence of 25 years to life in prison for people convicted of molesting children under 12 years old.
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published April 19, 2005
TALLAHASSEE -- With the abduction and murder of yet another child fresh in their minds, members of the House unanimously passed a bill Tuesday to give certain sex criminals either life sentences or lifetime satellite tracking after they get out of prison.
Named the Jessica Lunsford Act after a 9-year-old Homosassa girl who was abducted and killed - allegedly by a sex offender - the measure still needs approval from the Senate, which is considering similar legislation.
House passed the bill two days after another sex offender was charged in the abduction and murder of 13-year-old Sarah Lunde of Ruskin.
The bill (HB 1877) would set a mandatory sentence of 25 years to life in prison for people convicted of molesting children under 12 years old. If the person serves less than life, their prison time would be followed by monitoring by global positioning system for the rest of their life.
Jessica Lunsford's father Mark, who also helped look for Sarah Lunde while she was missing, was at the Capitol as lawmakers took up the bill named for his daughter. He was pushing for that legislation and another bill that would get tough on probation violators.
[Last modified April 19, 2005, 17:58:55]
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