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Lawmaker Concerned Over "Holes" in Illinois Sex Offender Registry
Illinois' sex offender registry has some holes in it, law enforcement officials say. For one, offenders whose crimes happened before 1996 don't have to sign up. That's how a Springfield-area man was able to run a day care center despite a record of having sex with kids.

The Sangamon County circuit clerk, Tony Libri, says one of his employees brought this to his attention. Stacy Loyd had taken her two girls to an unlicensed day care run by a couple everyone knew as "Grandma and Grandpa." Loyd followed up on rumors she heard about "Grandpa" and found he was not on the registry, though his crimes are public record.

Libri and Loyd joined State Rep. Raymond Poe (R-Springfield) and State Sen. Larry Bomke (R-Springfield) at a Capitol news conference to call for a tightening of the rules. They want the Illinois Sex Offender Act expanded to require all sex offenders to register.

Poe says there should be no constitutional concerns, saying the Illinois Supreme Court has deemed the sex offender registry to be "regulatory" and not "punitive." Libri adds his intent is not to "re-punish" offenders, just to make it easier for parents to do their homework.

(Source: Illinois Radio Network)
09 06 08 by Newsroom
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