Bill would up sex offender registry to 30 years

A state assemblyman wants to change the way convicted sex offenders come off the state's registry when their punishment has been served with a new bill proposed in Albany Tuesday. Assemblyman Dean

News 12 Staff

Apr 13, 2016, 6:00 AM

Updated 3,199 days ago

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A state assemblyman wants to change the way convicted sex offenders come off the state's registry when their punishment has been served with a new bill proposed in Albany Tuesday.
Assemblyman Dean Murray (R-East Patchogue) says around 1,300 Level 1 sex offenders were removed from the registry within the last three to four months.
As it stands, Level 1 sex offenders are required to register on a database for 20 years. Murray wants to extend that to 30 years.
Level 1 sex offenses include public indecency or lewdness, sexual contact without consent and possessing child pornography. Those could include teens sexting or someone urinating in a park.
But other Level 1 offenses are more serious, like first-degree rape and sodomy.
That means, after coming off the list, those people could coach children's sports, volunteer around children or even dress up as the mall Santa Claus or Easter Bunny, according to activists.
Some Long Islanders say the disparity between the crimes means the punishments should be different.
"I have a 4-year-old and a 6-year-old," says Francine Sufley, of Hicksville. "I definitely want to know who's in my neighborhood. Even after 50 years." 
The bill is being considered by the state Assembly Corrections Committee.