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Sonia Acevedo speaks at a press conference today at Tampa Police Headquarters. Cliff McBride/Tribune
By VALERIE KALFRIN
The Tampa Tribune
TAMPA - Gov. Jeb Bush today will sign into law a bill inspired by a Tampa girl that punishes anyone who tries to lure or entice a child into a car or building.
In August, Sonia Acevedo, then 11, was riding her bicycle home from a neighborhood grocery when a man in a purple truck waved a wad of money at her and tried to coax her to come with him. The man followed Sonia to her home on East Adalee Street, where her mother called police.
Officers stopped the man, who was from Dade City, but could not charge him criminally at the time because current statutes applied only to those 18 and older who had been convicted of rape or committing a lewd or lascivious act on a child. Anyone with that history who lured or enticed a child committed a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison.
The new legislation makes luring or enticing a child under 12 into a car or building a first-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in prison. Written by Tampa police Maj. Sophia Teague, the bill had the support of Mayor Pam Iorio and the local nonprofit Child Protection Education of America Inc.
Sounds like good common sense to me. Why do we always have to wait until there is a victim to stop what we can prove is behavior that leads to crime. Especially with our children, we should remove the threat before the crime is committed. Good move!!
love the new law! It should have happened sooner… it would have helped samantha runioun in California..maybe? All states should have this!!!!!!!!!!!! Adults don’t need to ask kids for any advice or anything.
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Posted by robert m young, tennessee on 06/27 at 01:44 AM
when the message get,s out that we will not stand for this. That us parents have had are fill the law makers will see that something has to be changed. I lived in Tampa for 41 years and this is why I moved. Yes born in Tampa. Tampa has gone to h-- in a handbasket. I hope it will change, WITH GODS HELP!!!!!