Families Fight for Tougher Laws Against Sex Offenders

By Amanda Raus

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Families Fight for Tougher Laws Against Sex Offenders

By Lindsay Liepman

Parents and lawmakers are banding together to make our streets safer for children. "Prior to June 27th no one thought Molly faced any peril here working as a lifeguard, if left alone only for a short period of time. We know know that's not true," said John Bish, father of 16-year-old Molly Bish who was abducted from Comins Pond in Warren six years ago. Today, the Bish family came back to the spot where Molly disappeared. They joined local lawmakers to fight to make sure this doesn't happen to someone else's child. "We think it is a powerful reminder to everyone that we need to concern ourselves with the safety of our children, we need to concern ourselves with legislative measures," said Bish. Those legislative measures include harsher laws for sex offenders, ways that the predators won't be able to hide from law enforcement. New proposed laws include requiring the posting of Level 2 sex offenders on the internet, mandating the classification of imprisoned sex offenders before their release back into society, and instituting a mandatory sentence for offenders who rape a child. "On the internet, readily available to every mom, every dad, and every family so that they can take protective measures not only against the Level 3's we have already, but Level 2's," saidReed Hillman, who is running for Lieutenant Governor. The Bish's say they learned all too well that parents can't afford to be uninformed or naïve when it comes to predators. And they wish they knew the dangers Molly faced before she came to Comins Pond that summer day. "I vow this is enough, and I put those boxing gloves on this morning and said no more tears, we have to fight the fight. I can no longer put Molly to bed, but I can count how many times her tears have put me to bed," said Magi Bish, Molly's mother. They hope these laws might prevent another family from going through the pain they have.

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