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	Beshear Signs Measure to Crack down on Sex Abuse By Joe Biesk Ledger Independent April 15, 2008 http://www.maysville-online.com/articles/2008/04/15/local_news/1403sexabuse.txt FRANKFORT -- Gov. Steve Beshear signed into law Monday a bill aimed at toughening penalties for teachers and other authority figures who sexually abuse youngsters, and giving victims more time to report. The measure would stiffen penalties for people in positions of authority over children if they have sexual conduct with youngsters under 18 years old. It also increases the statute of limitations on criminal charges for an abuse case from one to five years and increases the penalty for people who don't report abuse to authorities. "All too often, we see people in positions of power over their victims using that authority to steal their childhood," said state Rep. Jim Wayne, D-Louisville, who sponsored the measure that cleared both chambers of the General Assembly without a single vote of opposition. The measure, which takes effect this summer, has had widespread support, including endorsements by the state's Catholic bishops and by Kentucky Youth Advocates. Wayne said authorities in the state received 3,315 reports of sexual abuse in 2006, of which more than 1,000 were substantiated. He said many other cases likely went unreported. In Kentucky, education officials handled nearly 100 sexual misconduct allegations against teachers from 2001 through 2005. The allegations ranged from minor violations like using sexual language to more serious, criminal acts such as inappropriate touching, sodomy and rape. Similar allegations led states across the country to take action against the teaching licenses of 2,570 educators over the five-year period, according to a seven-month Associated Press investigation. Young people were the victims in at least 1,801 of the cases, and more than 80 percent of those were students. John C. Scott, age 63, said he was abused by a Catholic priest in Louisville when he was 12 years old. Scott said the new law's passage has personally helped him "a great deal" and believes it will serve as a deterrent to sexual abusers in the future. "You can't predict what a predator will do, but I hope they think twice before they harm a child," Scott said. Ed Monahan, executive director of the Catholic Conference of Kentucky, thanked lawmakers for the new legislation and said it would protect children better and hold perpetrators more accountable for their actions. "We continue to express our deep, deep sorrow and apologies to the victims of sexual abuse at the hands of Catholic leaders in our commonwealth," Monahan said. Under the measure, authorities can bring felony charges against alleged offenders for incidents that involve youngsters up to age 16, instead of the current age 12. Victims' up to age 18 are protected in cases that involve authority figures, under the measure. "Too often in the past, we as adults have failed our children," Beshear said. "Today with this legislation, hopefully, we begin earning back their trust." The legislation is House Bill 211.
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