A statewide press conference held in Albany was the scene where Assemblyman Tom Alfano, Assemblymembers and Laura Ahearn, founder and executive director of Parents for Megan's Law, called for strong new laws to combat sex offenders and computer luring. The press conference was attended by over 40 assemblymembers statewide along with child advocates and law enforcement officials.

"The Internet presents us with a legal loophole that we need to close to protect children," said Assemblyman Tom Alfano adding, "predators lurk in chat rooms for the sole purpose of luring minors into sexual encounters."

Alfano explained that law enforcement undertakes sting operations in which agents pose as minors to lure predators out into the open. The loophole is if a predator is caught by this method, they can only be charged with an attempted crime because the intended victim in not actually a minor because they are police officers. "It's an outrage. The pedophile is going to commit a crime and they use a loophole saying 'well the person was a cop not a kid,' that's a disgrace. The legislation I want enacted changes the current law that will let police officers in undercover investigations be labeled a 'minor' when they are working on cases that revolve around children and sex offenders."

During the press conference, Alfano also held up a front page newspaper article from the 21st district that outlined incidents where a man allegedly coerced minors into taking nude photos and posting them on his computer in one community and a sex offender living near a school in another. "The computer and the Internet are becoming ground zero for pedophiles and deviants. We need to give law enforcement the tools they need now," Alfano said. As part of the legislative package Alfano is backing, the crime of "Attempting to Lure or Entice a Minor" would become a class D felony. Currently this is only a class A misdemeanor.

"If there has ever been a truly nonpartisan issue, it is that of sexual violence against anyone - especially children," said Laura Ahearn, Executive director of Parent's for Megan's Law. "This task force has provided ideas that will lead to real solutions for a problem that could potentially affect any family. I encourage the passage of this legislation."

Civil confinement, a measure also strongly supported by Alfano, would send the most dangerous sexual predators to secure mental facilities after their prison terms if a judge and jury finds them to still pose a threat to society. The measure has been ruled constitutional by the US Supreme Court, and is already law in 16 other states and the District of Columbia.

"We need stronger laws to protect our children from computer luring and pedophiles lurking on the Internet," said Alfano. "Popular teen websites with special homepages are an open invitation to pedophiles and deviants that prey upon our children. That's why we need civil confinement, longer sentences for sex offenders and proactive education programs that teach our children about the dangers surrounding the Internet and sex offenders. Without these measures, we're not protecting our communities."

* Clarify the role of law enforcement posing as children in sting operations

* Limit plea bargaining for sex offenders

* Eliminate the statute of limitations for the most violent sex crimes

* Increase penalties for public lewdness

* Increase penalties for sex offenders who fail to register

* Prohibit sex offenders from working with children

* Prohibit sex offenders from living near schools/day care facilities

* Expand the scope of DCJS registration

* Require the dissemination of information about Level 2 and 3 offenders to vulnerable populations

* Double the prison sentences for offenses committed near school grounds

* Create the crime of "Attempting to Lure a Minor"

* Allow the prosecutorial appeal of low bail and sentencing determinations

* Revoke youthful offender status upon a second sex offense conviction within five years