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State Senate today adopted a series of legislative measures that State Senator Mike Nozzolio supported and fought to enact  to prevent convicted sexual predators from obtaining access to potential victims and help law enforcement keep track of their whereabouts. The legislation will help increase the amount of information available about convicted sex offenders and seeks to prevent them from obtaining access to vulnerable individuals.

“Sexual predators prey on the innocent and are among the most dangerous criminals in our society because of their tendency to commit repeated acts of violence," said Nozzolio. "As Chairman of the Senate Crime Victims, Crime and Corrections Committee, I have fought strenuously for increased penalties for sex offenders and improved services and support for crime victims. The legislation adopted by my Senate colleagues and I represents the next step in our efforts to keep our children and communities safe and increase public awareness when these individuals are released from prison.”

The legislation that was enacted by the State Senate today includes measures to:

• Prevent individuals from being able to legally change their names in order to evade legal process or obligation;
• Make it a felony for certain sex offenders who fail to register or report a change of address;
• Require sex offenders to disclose whether their residence is within ½ mile to an elementary or secondary school;
• Prohibit sex offenders from obtaining licenses and certification to become real estate appraisers, to prevent a scenario where convicted offenders would be alone in an empty house or building with someone vulnerable to attack;
• Increase penalties for sex offenders who fail to register, as well as for those who violate the prohibition against working on ice cream trucks, where they would be in close proximity to children;
• Make the same identifying information pertaining to Level 2 sex offenders that is available to the general public through the state’s sex offender registry website available to law enforcement for community notification purposes;
• Increase public awareness of sex offenders who prey on children by designating anyone convicted of committing or attempting to commit sex offenses against children aged ten years or less a 'level three' offender; and
• Require sex offenders who violate probation by committing another sex offense to serve the sentence imposed for the probation violation consecutively, not concurrently -- ensuring that repeat sex offenders receive the maximum amount of time in jail and off the streets.

Nozzolio was instrumental in the efforts to enact Megan’s Law, which created the New York State Sex Offender Registry and has successfully fought to strengthen these registration requirements.

“There is nothing more important than ensuring the health and safety of New York's children and families. That's why I will continue fighting to get dangerous sexual predators off our streets, and why I am hopeful that the State Assembly will work to approve these important measures without delay,” said Nozzolio.

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