Child sex abuse: Child protection laws balance public’s right to know and offender’s right to anonymity

NAMED after a young boy who was abducted from a shopping mall then murdered, the Adam Walsh (Child Protection and Safety) Act 2006 divides sex offences into three categories and lays down registration and notification requirements for each.

It also provides for the civil commitment of dangerous sex criminals. Despite the fact that states that don’t increase their registration and community notification restrictions in accordance with the law, face losing federal law enforcement grant money, many have not complied, citing concerns the law will not benefit public safety.

Jessica’s Law is another restriction, with several states using the law to prohibit registered sex offenders from being a designated distance — usually 150m to 750m of a school or playground. Because legislation can’t be retroactive, those who offended before 2006 are excluded from this law.