Lawmaker Runs Bill to Bring Electronic Enticing of Minors Up-to-Date

Feb 04, 2008 by Elizabeth Ziegler

Adds Text Messaging to List of Crimes

(KCPW News) The increasing use of text messaging by sexual predators prompted Representative Kerry Gibson to run a bill to give law enforcement another tool to protect children. Gibson's bill makes it a crime to entice a minor with text messages to engage in unlawful sexual acts.

"It's become more and more of a problem as text messaging has become the way that our young people communicate nowadays," Gibson says.

A law already exists to prosecute adults who contact children over the Internet for sexual purposes. Gibson says his bill brings the law up-to-date with current technology.

"Technology is changing. It's rapidly changing," Gibson says. "And we need the ability to prosecute criminals who target our young people."

It took only 5 minutes for the House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee to consider Gibson's bill before voting unanimously in favor of passing it forward to the full House. Click here for a link to the bill.

Email to a friendPosted in KCPW Newsroom. Copyright 2008 KCPW