The father of slain Poway High School senior Chelsea King and an ex-assemblyman are scheduled to announce today an effort to spread components of Chelsea’s Law to Illinois and Texas.
Chelsea King
Brent King, the father of Chelsea King, and Nathan Fletcher want to take the heart of the law, imprisoning for life those who commit certain violent sexual crimes against children, to states that don’t have such stiff punishment, a spokeswoman told City News Service.
She said the law would be tailored to each state.
Read: State Assembly passes Chelsea’s Law.
King has formed a nonprofit, Chelsea’s Shield, to lead the legislative effort.
Legislation has been introduced in both states, and hearings are expected within a few months.
Chelsea King, 17, was murdered in 2010 by a convicted sex offender, who later admitted to killing a second girl, Amber Dubois of Escondido, one year earlier.
“There are over 700,000 registered sex offenders in the United States today, with a shockingly large percentage of them focused on targeting children — our children, your children, children who have no voice but who look to us to keep them safe,” Brent King said. “I want to protect every child in every state, I understand the enormity of what we are going, but I also know how important it is for us to be successful.”
According to Chelsea’s Shield, most people convicted of raping children in the U.S. are imprisoned for between three and seven years.
Brent King, who now lives with his wife and son in Illinois, is in San Diego for the annual Finish Chelsea’s Run 5K, scheduled for Saturday morning along the streets and neighborhoods on the west side of Balboa Park.
Fletcher authored Chelsea’s Law while in the Legislature and now works for Qualcomm.
They are also expected to release a report on the impact of Chelsea’s Law.
The study found that, between September 2011 and August 2012, 22 defendants were charged under provisions of Chelsea’s Law in San Diego County.
The eight cases that have been resolved resulted in longer prison sentences than there would be have been before the law was enacted, the report said.
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