Florida’s sex offenders set to be tagged for life

SPURRED by the kidnapping and murder of a nine-year-old girl, Florida Governor Jeb Bush signed legislation yesterday that will see child molesters who do not get life in jail wear satellite tracking devices for the rest of their lives.

The Jessica Lunsford Act sets a mandatory sentence of 25 years to life in prison for people convicted of molesting children under 12. If offenders serve less than life, they would be required to wear a global positioning system device on release.

The bill was quickly drafted after Jessica's body was discovered on March 19 near her home. The proposal sped through the legislative process, pushed by politicians outraged that the man accused of killing her was a registered sex offender. It passed both the State Senate and House of Representatives unanimously.