Senator Fuschillo And Parents For Megan's Law Hold Parent Forum On Child Sex Abuse

Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. (8th Senate District), in conjunction with Parents For Megan’s Law, recently hosted a community meeting to help parents learn how to better protect their children from sex offenders. The meeting, entitled "Protecting Our Children: A Forum on Preventing Childhood Sexual Abuse", was held at Farmingdale High School.

"As parents, our number one priority is protecting our children, but we can’t be with our kids all of the time. Therefore, it is important for us to learn how to spot the signs of trouble and teach our children how to be safe. This program is a great resource for parents, because it showed them how to do this," said Senator Fuschillo. "It also helped them understand the recent improvements to Megan’s Law and how that will better enable them to keep their kids safe."

Representatives from Parents for Megan’s Law showed parents in attendance how to protect their children from sexual abuse by outlining safety rules they should teach their children, "red flags" that can help detect inappropriate behavior, tricks that predators use to lure children, and the physical and behavioral signs of sexual abuse.

Parents also learned about changes made by the State Legislature to strengthen Megan’s Law. Megan’s Law now requires lifetime registration for level three offenders, the registry’s highest and most dangerous category. Level two offenders must also register for life, but are allowed to petition for removal from the registry after a minimum of thirty years. Level one offenders, the registry’s lowest classification level, are required to register for twenty years.

Parents For Megan's Law is a not-for-profit, national community and victim's rights organization dedicated to the prevention and treatment of childhood sexual abuse through the provision of education, advocacy, counseling, policy and legislative support services.

The group also operates a help line, 1-888-ASK-PFML (275-7365), which advises callers about accessing valuable information on convicted sex offenders, responsible use of information, and childhood sexual abuse prevention.

"Preventing child sexual abuse requires that we take a comprehensive approach that includes enacting strong laws and educating parents and children about what they can do to protect themselves from sexual predators," stated Laura Ahearn, Executive Director of Parents For Megan’s Law. "Senator Fuschillo’s commitment to child protection is demonstrated not only by his legislative successes but also by the proactive role he takes by coordinating safety forums such as these."

Senator Fuschillo’s office also has information available about child safety. Residents who would like to obtain copies of these free brochures can call Senator Fuschillo’s office at 516-546-4100 or by CLICKING HERE.

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