The Iowa Senate

State of Iowa

Eighty-First General Assembly

STATEHOUSE

Des Moines, Iowa 50319

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monday December 19, 2005

Lamberti and McKibben call for

Tougher Sentences for Sexual Predators

DES MOINES -- Iowa Senate co-President Jeff Lamberti (R-Ankeny) and Senator Larry McKibben (R-Marshalltown) today called for a zero tolerance policy for sexual predators. “Up until now, Iowa’s approach has been to require tougher sentences only for those individuals who repeatedly prey upon young children,” stated Lamberti. “Iowa needs a zero tolerance policy against these sexual predators. It’s time for one strike against the children of Iowa, and you are out.”

Lamberti and McKibben are proposing that anyone convicted of lascivious acts with a child, sexual exploitation of a minor, or sexual abuse second degree be required to serve a minimum of 25 years to life in prison, without the possibility of parole. The proposal is modeled after Florida’s “Jessica Lunsford Act.” Florida adopted a twenty-five year minimum sentence for sexual predators in May of this year after several heinous crimes were committed in that state against children.

The proposal by Lamberti and McKibben covers any crime in which a person age eighteen or older solicits or commits a sexual act against a child twelve or younger. It would significantly lengthen the current sentences for these crimes. A lascivious act with a child currently carries a maximum sentence of ten years. Sexual exploitation of a minor currently has a maximum sentence of ten years, and sexual abuse in the second degree carries a maximum sentence of twenty-five years.

“Both Jeff and I and believe we need to have the death penalty for those sexual predators who murder a child,” said McKibben, who is co-chairing a special committee of legislators that is looking at Iowa’s sentencing requirements for sexual predators. “But we shouldn’t stop there--we also need tougher sentences for those who prey on our children.”

“There has been a lot of discussion about Iowa’s law requiring sexual predators to live 2,000 feet away from schools and day care centers,” said Lamberti. “By putting more of these predators behind bars for a long time, we won’t have to worry about where they live.”

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