Senator Flanagan Joins With Parents For Megan's Law For Sexual Abuse Prevention Seminar In Stony Brook

To help parents protect their children from sexual abuse, Senator John J. Flanagan (2nd Senate District) is joining with Parents for Megan’s Law to host a sexual abuse prevention seminar in Stony Brook at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 5. This important seminar will be held at the R.C. Murphy Junior High located at 351 Oxhead Road.

The "Apple of My Eye" program was developed by Parents for Megan’s Law and is based on the work of Executive Director Laura Ahearn. During the seminar, parents will be able to learn safety rules children should be taught, the red flags to look for to detect inappropriate behavior, the various traps sexual predators use to access children and the physical and behavioral signs of sexual abuse.

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. The group provides education, advocacy, counseling, policy and legislative support services.

They were instrumental in working with Senator Flanagan to gain passage of lifetime registration for sexual predators. In an agreement announced in January, offenders who are ranked as level two or level three offenders will now be required to register on the Megan’s Law registry for life. Level one offenders will be required to register for twenty years.

This change was necessary due to the fact that previous law required only a ten year registration period. Without this amendment, over 3,500 offenders would have dropped off the registry by the end of the current year.

"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," said Executive Director Ahearn. "Senator Flanagan’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."

"Parents need all the tools they can get to protect their children. By learning what steps they can take to protect their children and the warning signs to look for, parents will be better equipped to stop sexual predators. Parents for Megan's Law has been at the forefront of this fight for the past decade and I urge all concerned parents to join them for this important discussion," stated Senator Flanagan.

To learn more about Parents for Megan’s Law and prevention tips or to get directions to R.C. Murphy Junior High School, please click here.