Grant aimed at tracking offenders

By Staff
Gov. Bob Riley has awarded a $30,725 grant to keep Alabama’s communities safe from sexual offenders.
The grant to the Alabama Department of Public Safety will fund an existing program that tracks criminal sex offenders and enables communities and neighbors to know of their whereabouts.
In 2006, the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act passed making it a federal requirement that convicted child molesters be listed on a national internet database. Failing to update their whereabouts will result in a felony charge for the offender. Making the registry available in all 50 states will also help prevent offenders from evading detection by moving to other states.
A federal DNA database will be utilized for convicted molesters. Global positioning devices will be used for tracking convicted pedophiles. Victims of child abuse will be able to sue their offenders. The act also imposes mandatory minimum sentencing for crimes against children and raises the civil monetary penalties for child pornography.