Congressman Pete King

Child Predators

Throughout my time in Congress, I have established a long-standing record of supporting legislation and initiatives to combat child predators. Protecting our children from dangerous criminals, whether online or on our neighborhood streets, has always been a top priority. I am an active member of the Congressional Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus and have introduced and supported legislation that protects our children from harm. I have listed below some of my work this Congress.

Sponsored Bills:

Convicted Child Sex Offender DNA Index System Support Act (H.R. 2462):

The FBI is faced with a severe DNA backlog and when these cases go unprocessed, criminals cannot be convicted and are able to commit repeated crimes. As you may know, child sex offenders have one of the highest rates of recidivism, and if they’re not convicted immediately, they are free to repeat the crime. This backlog must be eliminated, and that is why I introduced this legislation which authorizes $25 million for the next three years to establish a grant program specifically for eliminating the DNA backlog of child sex offender cases.

Camera Phone Predator Alert Act (H.R. 414):

Child predators have more options today in the ways to victimize and exploit our children, thanks to constant advancements in technology. Since the introduction of camera phones, reported incidents of public voyeurism seem more common as predators use their phones to photograph children in changing rooms or to quietly snap photos of unsuspecting adolescent girls in shopping malls. In order to stay one step ahead of child predators, I have introduced the Camera Phone Predator Alert Act, which would require mobile phones containing digital cameras to make a sound when a photograph is taken. The sound would alarm the child or nearby parent of the predator’s actions, as well as serve as a deterrent to predators.

Sex Offender Registration Tips Program (SORT) Authorization (H.R. 2612):

This bill authorizes funding for the Sex Offender Registration Tips (SORT) Program, a program that would seek to reduce sexual victimization by providing accurate sex offender registry information to law enforcement agencies and identifying sex offenders who fail to register. This program is run by the Long Island-based nonprofit Parents for Megan’s Law, Inc.

Parents for Megan’s Law, Inc. a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit corporation headquartered in Stony Brook, NY has since 1998 educated and supported the community, law enforcement, criminal justice and government agencies on issues related to sex offender registration, notification, responsible use of information, sexual abuse prevention and crime victim support. For more information, I encourage you to visit www.parentsformeganslaw.org.

Other Initiatives:

Adam Walsh Act:
As a strong supporter of the Adam Walsh Act, I supported the Act being fully funded in Fiscal Year 2010 at the authorized amount of $262 million, and I am again calling for full funding in FY2011. The Adam Walsh Act became law on July 27, 2006 and mandates the registration and constant monitoring of sex offenders.

Parents for Megan’s Law:
I secured $300,000 for FY2010 for Parents For Megan’s Law, a Long Island-based nonprofit dedicated to combating child predators in our communities. Funds will be used to create a sex offender tip line and grant access to information that will allow Parents for Megan’s Law to help law enforcement agencies track convicted sex offenders.

International Megan’s Law (H.R. 1623):
I am a cosponsor of the International Megan’s Law, which requires reporting of convicted sex traffickers and sex offenders against minors intending to engage in international travel and prevents the entry of foreign sex offenders into the United States.