Golden: Sexual Offenders Who Fail To Comply With Sex Offender Registry Act Deserve Greater Punishment

Brooklyn- State Senator Martin J. Golden (R-C-I, 22nd District) today is announcing that earlier this week he voted in support of legislation before the Senate Codes Committee, S. 483, which seeks to hold sex offenders more accountable for their actions and which is designed to keep communities better informed as to the sex offenders who reside within their neighborhood.

This bill, introduced by Senator Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre) would amend the correction law and increase the penalty for failing to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registry Act from a class A misdemeanor to a Class D felony. The legislation was approved by the Senate Codes Committee and is expected to be approved by the full body of the State Senate next month.

Senator Marty Golden, a former New York City Police Officer stated, "As we continue to learn of the very real dangers of some sexual offenders, it is important that we increase penalties for those who fail to register with the State Sex Offender Registry. When a sexual offender fails to register, they are endangering all children and families in a community. Greater penalties will deter offenders from avoiding the registration requirements and will offer parents greater opportunities to ensure the safety of their families."

Senator Golden continued, "In recent conversations with law enforcement officials, there have been numerous complaints and fears that sex offenders are failing to register or update their registration. This legislation directly addresses those concerns and will help the general public to know the whereabouts of sex offenders in their area."

Assemblyman Harvey Weisenberg (D-Long Island) is the Assembly sponsor.