WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley today introduced "Jetseta’s Bill," legislation to guarantee punishment for criminals who commit violent crimes against children. "Jetseta’s Bill" simply would enhance criminal penalties and mandatory minimum sentence for child sex predators prosecuted in federal courts.
Grassley has been concerned with the high number of sexual assault cases on children across the nation. He said the bill was named after Jetseta Gage, a young girl from Iowa who was abducted, raped, and murdered by a repeat sex offender.
"These crimes are some of the worst offenses possible, and there are far too many of them to sit idly by," Grassley said. "It’s time for Congress to take aggressive action to keep our children and grandchildren safe from child predators."
Grassley said the bill gives the federal judiciary the necessary tools to ensure that kids grow up in safe communities. "We can’t change what happened to Jetseta or thousands of other young children who have been sexually assaulted, but we can try to deter sexual predators from repeating their crimes."
A Justice Department study showed that 5.3 percent of sex offenders are repeat offenders. And, compared to non-sex offenders released from state prisons, released sex offenders were four times more likely to be rearrested for sex crimes.
"Jetseta’s Bill" has three main components.
Mandatory Minimums
The bill would guarantee punishment for criminals who commit violent crimes against children by establishing stiff mandatory minimums. The bill establishes the following mandatory minimums for violent crimes against children:
if the crime of violence results in death of a child under 15 years - death or life in prison;
if the crime of violence is kidnapping, sexual assault, or maiming or results in serious bodily injury - 30 years to life;
if the crime of violence results in bodily injury of a child under 12 years - 15 years to life;
if a dangerous weapon is used - 10 years to life;
in any other case - 2 years to life
Increased Penalties
The bill would increase the penalties for sexual offenses against children. The bill increases penalties for the following nine federal crimes:
Aggravated sexual abuse of children
Abusive sexual contact with children
Sexual abuse of children resulting in death
Sexual exploitation of children
Activities relating to material involving the sexual exploitation of children
Activities relating to material constituting or containing child pornography
Using misleading domain names to direct children to harmful material on the internet
Production of sexually explicit depictions of children
Conduct relating to child prostitution
Federal Collateral Review
The bill would ensure fair and expeditious federal collateral review of convictions for killing a child. It would do this by reforming the habeas corpus system for this crime, as follows:
In district court, parties will be required to move for an evidentiary hearing within 90 days of the completion of briefing, the court must act on the motion within 30 days, and the hearing must begin 60 days later with completion within 150 days.
District-court review must be completed within 15 months of the completion of briefing.
Appellate review must be completed within 120 days of the completion of briefing.
Limits federal review on cases to those claims that present meaningful evidence that the defendant did not commit the crime.
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