The Associated Press
July 29, 2005

While the state's new sex offender law is not retroactive, the high-tech ankle monitors it mandates could be hooked to currently imprisoned child molesters who are paroled and those on probation, Attorney General Troy King said Thursday.

King's comment came after an Alabama Sentencing Commission analysis found fewer than half of those convicted of child sex abuse would have to wear the global tracking devices and questions were raised about when any might be required.

The law takes effect Oct. 1, requiring the most serious child sex offenders -- Class A felons whose crimes involved children younger than 12 -- to serve a minimum of 20 years and then be required to wear the tracking devices for another period of years.

That means the first child sex offenders convicted under the law would not be wearing the GPS ankle devices until 2025.

However, the attorney general's office said current child sex offenders could be ordered to wear the advanced tracking devices as a condition of parole, or a judge could require it for one on probation.

Under the law, the Criminal Justice Information Center will administer the GPS tracking device program. Cynthia Dillard, a spokeswoman for the state parole board, said an increase in staff and funding will be needed by the board to use the new technology.

"We're going to be the ones doing the monitoring," she said. "When there's a problem, one of our officers is going to have to deal with it."

State prison officials said about 140 prisoners are serving time for sex offenses involving children younger than 17, but the corrections agency could not determine how many of those committed crimes involved children younger than 12.

The Birmingham News reported Thursday that the Alabama Sentencing Commission found 43 percent of child sex abusers were Class A offenders with convictions involving children younger than 12.

The commission estimated that 25 offenders a year are convicted of Class A crimes against children, and 16 are convicted of Class B felonies, which involve soliciting a child by computer, first-degree sex abuse or possession of child pornography. Under the new law, the mandatory sentence for Class B felons was increased from two to 10 years, but it does not require the offenders to wear a tracking device when released.

Back to News