By Heather McKee
It''s been 10 years since the brutal rape and murder of a seven-year-old New Jersey girl, but she has left a legacy that seeks to protect future victims.
On July 29,1994, Megan Nicole Kanka was persuaded into a neighbor''s house who, unknown to the family, had prior convictions for sex offenses against children. Kanka was then raped and strangled. Her parents, Richard and Maureen Kanka, were upset that they were not aware of the dangerous situation that their family was in. They immediately went to work on an addendum to the Jacob Wetterling Act that required sex offenders to register nationwide.
President Clinton signed Megan''s Law in 1996 and the impact in the 10 years since her death has been monumental.
'It serves a tremendous good in our community,' said Donna Kelley, Utah County prosecuting attorney. 'Parents can be proactive and be aware that there is a risk to their children.'
Megan''s Law has two components: sex offender registration and community notification.
As part of the Wetterling Act, all convicted sex offenders are required to register, and in Utah they are kept on the registry for 10 years after fully completing their sentence. Utah currently has 7,400 people on its registry. An offender can be charged with a Class A misdemeanor, a completely new sentence, if they fail to register.
Megan''s Law gives states the ability to make private and public information about sex offenders available to the public. Everything from their past convictions and their age, to their address and the model of their car is available. States have the right to release the information in whatever way they choose.
'Some people are confused because they think a cop will just come knocking on their door if a sex offender moves into their neighborhood,' said Laura Aheim, executive director of Parent''s for Megan''s Law. 'That''s not the case at all.'
Aheim said one of the faults with Megan''s Law is it does not require the states to distribute the information in a particular way. Each state releases the sex offender registry differently, which sometimes makes it difficult for people to find the information.
Aheim said one of the goals the foundation has set for themselves is to insure uniformity within all 50 states.
'We want to get to the point where you can move from one state to another and be informed in the same way,' Aheim said.
The responsibility to register is placed on the inmate immediately following their release from prison. Donna Kelley said most sex offenders comply with the law and register immediately after their release from prison.
'Most of them do register and keep up with their registration requirements,' Kelley said.
But Department of Correction Spokesman Jack Ford said nearly every person that registers does not want to.
'They don''t like it and more importantly, their families don''t like it,' Ford said.
He said oftentimes families get penalized for the actions they did not commit. Ford said he has heard of people who won''t let their children play with other children because a family member is on the registry.
Ford also said he fears people gain a false sense of security from having access to sex offender information.
'They think if you are not on the registry you are not a predator,' Ford said.
Megan''s Law puts responsibility on the convict, but it also places responsibility on members of the community.
'I think any mother that has children they are concerned about should check the registry,' Ford said.
Kelley said the registry is a chance for citizens to take action.
'It''s the one opportunity that we have to be proactive and prevent crimes from actually happening,' she said.