Gov. DeSantis cracks down on child predators with new legislation

Author: Josh Doyle Writer: Nicholas Karsen
Published: Updated:
DeSantis
FILE – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at the Heritage Foundation 50th Anniversary Celebration leadership summit, Friday, April 21, 2023, in Oxon Hill, Md. DeSantis’ oversight board of Disney World has voted to claw back authority over the company’s theme park properties. The vote Wednesday, April 26, 2023, by the governor’s appointees voids a last-minute deal that placed control of theme park design and construction decisions Disney’s hands. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed five bills into law enhancing criminal penalties for child-related sexual offenses.

It happened at a press conference in St. Petersburg, Wednesday morning.

Let’s break them all down.

  • House Bill 1545: Prohibits an adult from engaging in a pattern of communication with a minor that includes explicit and detailed verbal descriptions of sexual activity.
  • House Bill 1131: Establishes a grant program within the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to create online sting operations to target sexual predators.
  • House Bill 1235: Creates stricter guidelines for sex offender registration.
  • Senate Bill 1224: Strengthens the role of the Statewide Guardian Office and implements new training requirements to ensure law enforcement properly assesses a domestic violence situation.
  • House Bill 305: Expands the evidence that can be presented to a jury in sex abuse cases where the victim is a minor and increases penalties on those who take part in the trafficking of minors.

“Today’s anti-grooming legislation punishes those who seek to prey on children and rob them of their innocence,” said Desantis during the press conference. “Florida will continue to be the best state in the country to raise a family.”

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.