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Megan Kanka
The mother of the girl for whom Megan's Law is named says prosecutors shouldn't treat teens who take nude pictures of themselves the same as they do adults.
Maureen Kanka said a 14-year-old North Jersey girl facing juvenile complaints for posting naked photos of herself on MySpace needs help, not prosecution.
“This shouldn’t fall under Megan’s Law in any way, shape or form,” Kanka said. "The only person she exploited was herself.”
If deemed "delinquent" by a judge, the girl would have to register with the state as a sex offender, under Megan's Law. (See my story from earlier today: Do 14-year-old's naked pics make her a Megan's offender?)
New Jersey's measure has varying degrees, but its basis requires convicted sex offenders to notify authorities where they live.
When the most dangerous sex offenders move to a neighborhood, police go door to door to personally notify citizens and past victims. Those considered to have a lower risk of re-offending are listed on an Internet registry available to the public. The lowest risk offenders must register but aren't subject to notification laws.
Lawmakers adopted the measure in large part due to Maureen Kanka's diligence, following the 1994 rape and murder of her 7-year-old daughter by a twice-convicted sex offender who'd moved into the family's neighborhood. Several other states then followed suit.
Since then, however, technology and overly proactive local governments have created problems that couldn't have been foreseen.
In just the past four years, 118 towns in New Jersey have OK'd ordinances limiting where sex offenders can live. Most of them have put a 2,500-foot perimeter around schools, parks and libraries.
A state appeals court nullified the measures in December, ruling that state authorities -- and not town fathers and mothers -- should be drawing the red lines. The state Supreme Court is now deciding what should be done. (See my story: Sex offenders are people, too.)
Branded sex offenders end up quietly moving in with friends or relatives, taking work (if they can get it) that pays under the table, and generally committing other minor violations or petty crimes.
This includes not only those who might reoffend but also those trying to get their lives on track.
In fact, one of the cases were brought on behalf of a college freshman who couldn't live in a dorm because he was branded a sex offender for an incident that happened when he was barely into high school.
Now comes the Clifton girl who posted nude photos of herself in an album for her boyfriend. Thus far prosecutors are treating her like a delinquent -- which means Family Court hearings, legal expenses for her mother, and the possibility she could be entering the prime years of her life carrying a tremendous burden for what looks like a foolish mistake.
Similar cases are being reported nationwide. It's such an exploding topic that a plotine of tonight's "Private Practice" dealt with a 12-year-old girl who'd sent her boyfriend a nude photo of herself.
The worst many of these real-life youngsters have done is decide poorly, Kanka said.
“These kids aren’t sex offenders,” she said.
On top of all that, a report released earlier this year by the National Institute of Justice says Megan's Laws nationwide haven't reduced either the number of child victims or the likelihood that tagged predators will strike again.
Based on hard data and not anecdotes, the report suggests that the costs of these programs nationwide "may not be justifiable" any longer.
For that story, go to: Of course Megan's Law doesn't work (by itself)
Comments
I have a 14 year old son. It's a war out there. I hope there is a happy solution. Tragic.
I agree that these teens should not be put in the same category as sex predators. There are teens our there being charged and convicted for having consensual sex as well - even though they are only 2 or 3 years apart in age. The entire law needs to be changed. We are supposed to protect our children.
sexoffenderissues . blogspot . com/2007/12/child-sex-offenders . html
No I do not think young kids doing this, nor those experimenting with sex and just being kids, should be labeled a sex offender and potentially their lives ruined before they start. But, if they are able to be charged with a sex crime and labeled a child molester, then why not for producing and distributing child porn? Maybe when a lot of kids are caught up in this mess, then the legislature will see the mess they have created! Just look at the tons of articles at the link provided, and remove the spaces.
What a hypocrite Maureen Kanka is. "Ooo, I want this law put in place, I want it put in place, do it do it do it!" Then after the law is enforced she starts complaining, "Nooo!!! Stop enforcing this law I lobbied so hard for! Why would you do that? Stop it!"
The witch-hunt must end.
www(.)oncefallen(.)com/CriminalizingTeenSex.html -- Welcome to the hell you helped create, Maureen! People like Maureen helped create the hysteria that creates these laws, which in turn, gets people on registries for the pettiest behavior. Maybe if people like Ms. Kanka would have taught the TRUTH about sex crimes and offenders we wouldn't have these nasty side effects.
And what about the fact that Mark Lunsford had child porn on his machine when Jessica went missing? Did you know that?
And his son, Joshua was charged with molesting a child, and gets 10 days in jail and not on the registry. Guess it's all in who you know, or how much money you have.
And his other son, Gerald, has a criminal rap sheet as well.
Apparently Maureen Kanka thinks she gets to choose who is, and who is not a sex offender. According to Federal law, and that of all states, that girl IS a sex offender. Why is it we label others who possess child porn as sex offenders but are appalled when that person is a 14-year-old girl, who possessed images of herself? The law needs to be applied to everyone, or no one.
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