Senate Deputy Majority Leader Dean G. Skelos (R-Rockville Centre) held a press conference at the Rockville Centre Police Department last Sunday to announce that the Senate would pass legislation the following day preventing 168 convicted sex offenders from escaping Megan's Law on Jan. 21.
Megan's Law requires convicted sex offenders to add their name to a central registry list. The law was named after Megan Kanka, a young girl who was brutally raped and murdered by a convicted sex offender.
Under the current law, most Level One and Two sex offenders are automatically removed from the Sex Offender Registry upon expiration of their 10-year term. On Jan. 21, the 10th anniversary of the registry's creation, the first 168 sex offenders would be removed from it. Level Three offenders who registered before March 11, 2002, and are not designated as heightened risks under federal law may petition the sentencing court for removal from the registry after 13 years.
Sponsored by Skelos, the new legislation would update the law and require lifetime registration for all sex offenders, while allowing most Level One offenders to petition the sentencing court for removal from the Sex Offender Registry after 20 years. Unlike the current law, however, removal from the registry would not be automatic.
Skelos was joined at the press conference by Rockville Centre Police Commissioner John P. McKeon and members of the village police department, state Assemblyman Bob Barra, Superintendent of Schools Dr. William Johnson, representatives from the local PTA and Mayor Eugene Murray. "As the author of Megan's Law, releasing 168 dangerous sex offenders into the shadows of society is no way to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Sex Offender Registry's creation," said Skelos. "Parents have the right to know if a dangerous sex offender is living in their neighborhood."
According to Skelos, an overwhelming bipartisan majority of senators have repeatedly voted to require the lifetime registration of all convicted sex offenders. However, the Assembly's leadership has refused to allow a vote on the issue. Instead, the leadership has proposed a one-year moratorium on the removal of convicted sex offenders from the registry and deferred any additional state action while Congress weighs national legislation.
"Megan's Law is our first defense against career sexual predators," said McKeon. "I join with Senator Skelos on behalf of our children and parents, announcing our support for lifetime registration under Megan's Law. I want to thank Senator Skelos for his vision 10 years ago when he wrote and passed Megan's Law, and I thank him today for his continued commitment for the safety of our children."
According to McKeon, there are currently three registered sex offenders living in Rockville Centre, two Level One and one Level Three.
"Megan's Law is an outstanding state law that empowers parents with vital knowledge to help protect our children," said Barbara Schoen, co-president of the Rockville Centre PTA. "... [Co-President] Susan Coren and I want to voice our support of Megan's Law and Senator Skelos's efforts to make the registration of convicted pedophiles a lifetime registration."
Without an extension of the Sex Offender Registry's 10-year registration period, 226 sex offenders will be automatically removed from the registry by Jan. 31, with 3,579 scheduled to be removed by the end of the year.Skelos called for the state Assembly to join the Senate to adopt stronger registration requirements now.
