Sex Offender Registration

What Is Megan's Law & What Does It Mean for You?

Megan's Law was enacted on May 17th, 1996. Megan's Law mandates that a county be notified of child sex offenders residing there and residents have access to that information.

On Friday July 29, 1994, seven year old Megan Nicole Kanka disappeared. With the promise of a puppy, her neighbor lured her into his home where he raped, strangled and suffocated her. Her body was stuffed into a plastic toy chest and dumped in a nearby park. Megan had been killed by a twice convicted child sex offender who lived across the street from the Kanka home and was sharing his house with two other convicted sex offenders he met in prison.

Effect

This brutal attack is what prompted the first local-state legislation and what is attributed for the federal involvement in creating the law now referred to as Megan's Law. This legislation was a landmark event and was a great move forward toward securing the protection of our children.

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