"Granted, these crimes ARE heinous, BUT, there are a high percentage of "sex offenders" who are perfectly innocent. Usually they are the victims of {false} accusations from wives etc.."
I hear ya on this point and it's a valid one no doubt. My friend is an example you mention. However we need to sort out the 'fakes' and go after the REAL proven child sex vermin offenders. Obviously the status-quo is not an acceptable solution, is it? Too many murdered children's blood scream at us and we must respond more forcefully.
Caught between a rock & a hard place, how to protect children while not heaping scorn (and worse) upon those who deserve our sympathy. Certainly the first place to start is with prosecutors who do not seek justice, but lust for a perfect conviction rate to further their political ambitions, a la Janet Reno.
I suspect DNA evidence from a rape-kit sample should be sufficient to sort out the guilty-as-sin from the merely not-so-very-bright. Kill the former for sure. It won't eliminate the whole problem, but it should sure tone it down, some.