Va. Targets Adults Who French Kiss Kids

Sat Mar 8, 2008 9:36 PM EST

RICHMOND — State legislators passed a law Saturday that would require adults who French kiss a child younger than 13 to register as a sex offender.

Those convicted of tongue-kissing a child would be guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail and a $2,500 fine. The House of Delegates passed the legislation 96-1 and the Senate 39-0.

The bill now heads to Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, who said he supports the legislation.

Delagate Riley Ingram, R-Hopewell, introduced the bill on behalf of a woman whose 10-year-old daughter was French-kissed by the 62-year-old husband of her babysitter.

The only crime prosecutors could charge the man with was contributing to the delinquency of a minor, which did not require that he register as a sex offender.

Ingram and other members of the House fought to make the crime a felony, but in the final day of the 2008 General Assembly session gave in to senators who thought that classifying it as a felony was too harsh.

Delegate Phillip Hamilton, R-Newport News, cast the lone nay vote, refusing to back down from his belief that the crime should be a felony.

"I think that type of behavior is so egregious it warrants a felony," Hamilton said.

Ingram said he was satisfied that a conviction would land someone on the sex offender registry.

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Dena Potter's Column, All of Newsvine
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{"commentId":1557522,"authorDomain":"BlueDog"}

BlueDogFL

Isn't this another slippery slope of unintended circumstances as legislatures knee jerk over a single incident to avoid being seen as unresponive? Grant it I agree that a 62 year-old kissing a 10 year old is messed up, if it occurred exactly as inferred in the article. But what about the 19-year-old, who falls for the over-dveloped and under-dressed 12 year old, is he then destined for a life as a sex-offender? If we deem "french-kissing" a sex-offense here, where else will this notion apply as legal issues are interpreted later? Is it less of a sex offense, or no offense at all, for a 62 year old man to wait one more day until she is 13 and "french kiss" her all he wants? A 62 year old man tounge kissing a 13 , 14, or 15 year old girl is just as egregious. This activity needs professional help, but where is the sexual offense? And, what will be the next minor offense added to the registry list? Such things will dillute the registry until it finally means nothing at all.

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#1 - Sun Mar 9, 2008 8:37 AM EDT

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Va. Targets Adults Who French Kiss Kids

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