No Predator Zone: Senator Murphy's landmark legislation to protect victims passes Senate

ALBANY, NY – In 2011, a level 3 offender, whose victims were eight and nine-years-old at the time of his offense, was allowed to live next door to one of his victims. As a father of three children, Senator Terrence Murphy is well aware of the dangers posed by sexual predators being allowed to hunt and threaten our children. He sponsored legislation (S968) which would prohibit a level 2 or 3 sex offender from residing within 1500 feet of their victim’s home. Today, the Senate wholeheartedly threw its support behind Senator Murphy’s compassionate bill, passing it by a 59-1 margin.

“I have heard numerous accounts of sexual predators being released from prison and seeping into unsuspecting communities where they are allowed to live in the vicinity of their victims,” Senator Murphy said. “This is unacceptable. Victims should not have to tolerate the emotional distress of coming into contact with their abuser.”

Since 2008, even before Senator Murphy was a councilman, he has been a statewide leader and advocate for children, sponsoring legislation to protect children and keep them from becoming victims.

Recent heinous acts directed against children have prompted Senator Murphy to seek further legislative protection for young potential targets. The arrest on March 28th of a level 2 sex offender in Ossining for possession of child pornography marked the second consecutive week a dangerous sex offender had been apprehended for trolling the internet to prey on new victims. The week before, a level 3 offender living in Katonah had been arrested for allegedly convincing a 14-year-old North Carolina girl to send him sexually explicit videos and photos.

As part of his ongoing mission to make the Hudson Valley a safer place to live, Senator Murphy hosted a roundtable discussion at Yorktown Town Hall with elected officials, advocacy groups and law enforcement representatives to discuss updating Megan’s Law and other legislation to protect children. Passing the Victims Safety Zone legislation was an agreed upon priority of the group.

The legislation, which is sponsored by Assemblyman Braunstein, was delivered to the Assembly where it awaits approval.