Posted: Tuesday, 27 July 2010 5:00PM

International Megan's Law Clears House, Heads For US Senate

Tom Mongelli Reporting

A federal measure that would strip the anonymity of global travel from convicted sexual predators who target children wins overwhelming approval in the House of Representatives after more than three years of deliberation.

New Jersey Representative Chris Smith (R-4) authored the International Megan's Law to address the lack of accountability that sexual deviants enjoy when traveling from nation to nation.

Smith says his bill goes a long way to rip away "the secrecy around which so many of these pedophiles operate under." He adds that the cooperation of other countries is crucial to its success. "You know, being able to hop on a plane and nobody knows from anything when you're in Rio De Janeiro, or Bucharest, or London. We're going to be notifying the countries so that they can deny you entry."

The bill would create an international registry system to which convicted predators would be required to enlist - or face a return to prison. Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents would be among the staffers who would determine the risk factor of each registrant, and would notify each country of destination.

"We notify the country of destination," says Smith, "and then they're free to say, 'You can't travel here, no visa,' or 'If you come here we're going to be watching you very, very closely so that you don't abuse children'."

Smith's International Megan's Law would also coordinate information-sharing among global law enforcement agencies, and seek cooperation from as many countries as possible.

"We are trying to encourage the establishment of Megan's Law all over the world," Smith points out. "Just like we did 10 years ago when I was the prime sponsor of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act."

Smith says the measure endured many of the same objections as the trafficking protection act that eventually became law during the Clinton administration, and he expects that International Megan's Law will travel the same route and achieve the same success.

The measure has yet to undergo Senate consideration.

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