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| New law lets authorities notify public of juvenile sex offenders |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 05/09/2005 |
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Law enforcement officials can notify the public about juvenile sex offenders they believe pose a danger to the public under legislation the governor signed last Monday. Previously, law enforcement could disclose information only about adults registered as sex offenders because juvenile records were sealed. "It's a good, important change that will give people in our communities more information to protect their children," Gov. Jim Doyle said. The bill, nicknamed Amie's Law, was inspired by the story of Amie Zyla of Sussex, who was sexually assaulted when she was 8. Her attacker, Joshua Wade, was 14 at the time. He was found delinquent in the assault, did time at the state's Ethan Allen School for Boys and registered as a sex offender. But police could not warn anyone about Wade because he was a juvenile when he assaulted Zyla. Wade was charged last January at age 23 with secretly videotaping children taking showers at his Waukesha apartment and sexually assaulting some of them. He was accused of posing as a mentor to the children and luring them to his apartment. Wade pleaded not guilty to four felony counts in March. The case spurred Amie and her family to lobby for the legislation. She testified before an Assembly committee earlier this year that she felt what happened to her didn't count, because no one could act to protect others. "It'll help plenty of kids in the future and hopefully make them strong and come forward," Amie, now 17, said last Monday. State Rep. Mark Gundrum, who helped push for the legislation, said it was important for the community to have as much information as possible about sex predators in their neighborhoods. |
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