Texas proposes harsh bill for repeat sex crime offenders

Posted By Law Offices of Jeffrey C. Grass || 1-Apr-2013

Texas lawmakers have proposed a bill that would change the penalties for offenders convicted of a second sexually violent crime against a child. House Bill 2809 proposes that second-time offenders receive a life sentence without the opportunity for parole.

The "Safeguards for Generations Act" would not only send offenders to prison for life but it also increases the number of sex offenses that would be subject to this punishment. The proposed bill would add the crimes of sex trafficking, indecency with a child, sexual assault, sexual performance by a child, aggravated kidnapping with sexual intent and prohibited sexual conduct to the list of offenses that would receive a prison sentence without parole for second-time offenders.

Under the proposed bill, offenders convicted of any of those crimes would end up staying in prison for 25.5 years instead of the current average of only three years.

Lawmakers proposed the bill to increase the penalties for repeat sex crime offenders in Texas and said that these offenders need to be in prison for longer than just a few years for the crimes they are convicted of.

If the proposed bill is passed, individuals arrested and charged with their second sex crime could face much harsher consequences if they are convicted. People charged with sexual offenses should contact a criminal defense attorney to protect their rights and their freedom. Individuals convicted of sex crimes not only face the penalties associated with the crime but there are additional consequences for offenders. This could now include longer prison sentences without parole as well as registering or facing harsher sex offender registration requirements in Texas.

Source: The Villager, "Bill requires no parole for repeat child sex offenders," Howard Roden, March 30, 2013