Protecting our families from sexual predators

Preventing child abductions

To improve the Amber Alert Plan, Gunther supported legislation that would allow information about a missing child to be transmitted through e-mail, electronic organizers or mobile phones (A.11532, awaits the governor’s signature). Gunther also supported legislation criminalizing the act of luring a child under 14 for the purposes of committing a violent or sexual felony (A.11521, passed Assembly).

Targeting sexual predators

The Assembly passed numerous measures to help safeguard our children and families from sexual predators. First and foremost, these bills are designed to prevent offenders from repeating their horrible crimes. That’s why Gunther:

• Sponsored legislation mandating a life sentence without parole for an individual who, in the course of a sex crime, murders a child under the age of 14 (A.11557, awaits the governor’ssignature)
• Supported legislation authorizing the court to assess a sex offender’s risk level if absent from court (A.11589, passed Assembly)
• Supported legislation penalizing sex offenders who fail to meet registration requirements (A.11522, passed Assembly)

Protecting our community

To strengthen the Sex Offender Registration Act, which requires convicted sex offenders to register with local law enforcement, Gunther voted for legislation that:

• Provides a toll-free telephone number for the sex offender registry and allows youth service organizations to perform background checks on up to 20 people per call (A.11590, awaits the governor’s signature)
• Requires New York and other states to inform each other’s proper officals when a sex offender moves, ensuring the offender registers in the new state of residence (A.11599, awaits the governor’s signature)
• Requires notice on the Sex Offender Registry Web site of a toll-free number the public may call for additional information concerning registered sex offenders (A.11658, passed Assembly)

Available information about sex offenders

• Anyone over the age of 18 can call to inquire whether a person is listed in the Sex Offender Registry free of charge at 1-800-262-3257
• To learn the status of an individual, a caller must have the individual’s name and at least one of the following identifiers: the individual’s street address and apartment number, driver’s license number, social security number or birth date
• Local law enforcement agencies are notified whenever a sex offender moves into their jurisdiction. That agency may notify schools and other entities with vulnerable populations about the presence of a Level 2 or Level 3 offender if the offender poses a threat to public safety
• Information about Level 3 Sex Offenders is distributed to law enforcement agencies throughout the state. Anyone can review that information at local law enforcement agencies or via the Internet at http://criminaljustice.state.ny.us/nsor/search_index.htm