Rape and murder of child led to Megan’s Law

MEGAN’S Law was first launched in the US following the death of seven-year-old Megan Kanka, who was raped and killed by a convicted paedophile in New Jersey in 1994.

Her murderer, Jesse Timmendequas, had two previous convictions for sexual offences against children — crimes which his neighbours, including Megan’s family, knew nothing about.

The huge public outcry that followed her death spawned a raft of legislation, signed by President Bill Clinton, and adopted across 50 states.

The law allows public access to some information on the history and whereabouts of high risk offenders, which supporters say has been a valuable deterrent and an important tool for curbing their activities.

But critics say it encourages vigilantism, doesn’t allow re-integration into society and could drive offenders underground.

Under Megan’s Law, the amount of information about paedophiles and who can access it varies from state to state.

A number of states list offenders’ details on the internet, allowing parents to enter their own details to check if anyone on the register lives nearby.

In Louisiana, one company offers email alerts warning residents if a paedophile is about to move in, while in Washington police can call at homes in any given neighbourhood, informing residents of the arrival of an offender.

In other states, sex offenders must display a sign in their windows with details of previous crimes.

In Britain, the News of the World newspaper has run a lengthy campaign to introduce similar legislation — dubbed “Sarah’s Law” following the murder of eight-year-old Sarah Payne in 2000.

Sarah was abducted and killed by convicted paedophile Roy Whiting as she played with her brothers and sister near their grandparents home in Kingston Gorse, West Sussex.

It emerged authorities had warned Whiting was a “dangerous paedophile” who had sexually assaulted a nine-year-old girl in 1995.