Governor signs sex-predator bill (Jessica Lunsford Law Fl)

As the parents of two murdered girls looked on, Gov. Jeb Bush signed the Jessica Lunsford Act into law today to provide longer and harsher sentences for sex offenders, including the death sentence for some and lifetime electronic satellite monitoring for others on probation.

The act was passed by the Legislature at the time the grisly details of 9-year-old Jessica's death were made public, and about the same time that 13-year-old Sarah Lunde was killed. Both girls lived in the greater Tampa Bay area and were killed by sex offenders in unrelated cases.

''Their daughters did not deserve the incredible treatment they received. Their deaths, however, weren't in vain,'' Bush said.

''Florida has some of the toughest laws in the country as it relates to sexual predators and sexual offenders. And this bill will make our laws even tougher, and I think it is right and just that that is the case,'' Bush said.

Mark Lunsford, Jessica's father, said he hoped the act would protect more children.

''Jessie won't be the only child to live on. There's Sarah too. We all paid a price,'' Lunsford said. Wearing a tie checked with a photo of his smiling little girl, Lunsford said: ``That's my hug. I'm still minus my kiss, but I've got my hug.''

According to the report: "The act won't immediately affect many of the 30,000 sex offenders registered in Florida because it applies only to offenses committed after this coming Sept. 1.

The Jessica Lunsford Act will:

• Increase the penalty for lewd and lascivious molestation of a child to life in prison or a split sentence of a mandatory minimum 25-year prison term.

• Increase to 30 years, from the current 20, the period of time before a sexual predator is allowed to petition to have the sexual predator designation removed.

• Increase sexual predator/offender registration and reporting requirements.

• Make the failure to re-register as a sexual offender/predator or harboring or assisting a sexual predator/offender a third-degree felony.

• Require those already convicted of sex crimes to have electronic monitoring for the remainder of their probation.

• Require all county misdemeanor probation officials to search the sexual offender registry when a new offender is assigned to them.

• Provide more than $11 million in added funding for technology, prison beds and law-enforcement data sharing."

PHIL COALE/AP

Gov. Jeb Bush, seated, signs into law the Jessica Lunsford Act during ceremonies Monday in Tallahassee. Family members of Sarah Lunde and Jessica Lunsford, who were victims of sexual predators, were present. From left to right standing: Kelly May, Sarah Lunde's mother; Rep. Charlie Dean, R-Inverness; Sen. Nancy Argenziano, R-Crystal River; Rebekah Lunde, Sarah Lunde's sister; and Mark Lunsford, father of Jussica Lunsford.

HOORAY! This might not be the perfect fix for this problem, but it certainly is a step in the right direction. Standing applause for Jessica's father, Mark Lunsford, whose determination and courage through his tears and loss of his daughter made this possible.

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