Should the Prison Term For Stalking a Minor be Increased by 5 Years? (H.R. 4203)
Do you support or oppose this bill?
What is H.R. 4203?
(Updated December 14, 2018)
This bill — the Combat Online Predators Act — would increase the maximum prison sentence for stalking minors by 5 years. It would also require the Attorney General to produce an annual report evaluating the enforcement of stalking laws at all level of government and identify best practices.
Argument in favor
Stalking a minor is one of the most egregious crimes a person can commit. Prison terms for those convicted of it should be five years longer.
Argument opposed
The current punishment for stalking a minor is sufficient, the prison term doesn’t need to be increased by five years.
Impact
People convicted of stalking minors; prisons; and the Attorney General.
Cost of H.R. 4203
The CBO estimates that enacting this bill would cost less than $500,000.
Additional Info
In-Depth: Sponsoring Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) introduced this bill to increase penalties related to the stalking of minors after a case in his district where a teenage girl was stalked by a friend’s father, who was arrested on two occasions and sentenced to between 18 months and 7 years in prison:
“Sitting with the Zezzo family, I saw the pain in their eyes. After hearing the disturbing story of cyberstalking endured by this young girl and her family for years, I knew something needed to be done. We must do everything we can to forcefully respond to egregious instances of stalking and cyberstalking, especially when committed against minors — the most vulnerable among us. The Combat Online Predators Act ensures that not only are we increasing penalties for these crimes, but also requiring federal law enforcement officials to constantly evaluate and update practices to combat this digital harassment. There is still ”
This legislation passed the House Judiciary Committee on a voice vote and has the support of five bipartisan cosponsors, including four Republicans and one Democrat.
Media:
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Sponsoring Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) Press Release
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House Judiciary Committee Press Release
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CBO Cost Estimate
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Bucks Local News
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Sunshine State News
Summary by Eric Revell
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