Sexual Predator Prosecution
Sexual Predator Prosecution
Gregory S. Maggard
CRJ 306
Professor Douglas Haas
21 Feb 2011
Many states have adopted sexual predator statutes which provide for incarceration, institutionalization, treatment, and registration for individuals convicted of specific sex crimes (Roberson and Wallace, 2008). The need for convicting sexual predators has become a top priority for lawmakers across the nation as society has determined that sexually related offenses are deviant behavior and simply will not be tolerated. Sexually related offenses such as rape, child molestation, and pedophilia are considered to be especially heinous offenses and tend to bring about disgust and rage from within our society. In response to such offenses, lawmakers across the nation, along with the assistance of law enforcement and its citizens, have made life very uncomfortable for sexual predators. Specifically, lawmakers have created new laws which restrict the freedoms of sexual predators and that inflict harsher punishments for those convicted of sex crimes. The state of Ohio’s revised code provides specific information in regard to individual classification as a sexual predator, sex offender, or violent sexual predator. Title 29, Crimes and Procedure, chapter 2950 provides detailed definitions of sexual predators, habitual sex offenders and sexually oriented offenders. As such, Sex offender is defined as a person who is convicted of, pleads guilty to, has been convicted of, has pleaded guilty to, is adjudicated a delinquent child for committing, or has been adjudicated a delinquent child for committing any sexually oriented offense. A sexually violent predator is defined as a person who, on or after January 1, 1997, commits a sexually violent offense and is likely to engage in the future in one or more sexually violent offenses. Sexually violent offenses are classified as any homicide, assault, or kidnapping offense in which the offender commits
Gregory S. Maggard
CRJ 306
Professor Douglas Haas
21 Feb 2011
Many states have adopted sexual predator statutes which provide for incarceration, institutionalization, treatment, and registration for individuals convicted of specific sex crimes (Roberson and Wallace, 2008). The need for convicting sexual predators has become a top priority for lawmakers across the nation as society has determined that sexually related offenses are deviant behavior and simply will not be tolerated. Sexually related offenses such as rape, child molestation, and pedophilia are considered to be especially heinous offenses and tend to bring about disgust and rage from within our society. In response to such offenses, lawmakers across the nation, along with the assistance of law enforcement and its citizens, have made life very uncomfortable for sexual predators. Specifically, lawmakers have created new laws which restrict the freedoms of sexual predators and that inflict harsher punishments for those convicted of sex crimes. The state of Ohio’s revised code provides specific information in regard to individual classification as a sexual predator, sex offender, or violent sexual predator. Title 29, Crimes and Procedure, chapter 2950 provides detailed definitions of sexual predators, habitual sex offenders and sexually oriented offenders. As such, Sex offender is defined as a person who is convicted of, pleads guilty to, has been convicted of, has pleaded guilty to, is adjudicated a delinquent child for committing, or has been adjudicated a delinquent child for committing any sexually oriented offense. A sexually violent predator is defined as a person who, on or after January 1, 1997, commits a sexually violent offense and is likely to engage in the future in one or more sexually violent offenses. Sexually violent offenses are classified as any homicide, assault, or kidnapping offense in which the offender commits
References: CSOM.org. (2009). Myths and facts about sex offenders. Retrieved September 5, 2010 from http://www.csom.org/pubs/mythsfacts.html Ohio Revised Code (1996), Title 29, Crimes and Procedure; chapter 2950 (sexual predators, habitual sex offenders, and sexually oriented offenders). Roberson, C. & Wallace, H. (2008). Principles of Criminal Law (4th Ed.). Boston: Pearson Education Inc.