State Question 805 has been described as criminal justice reform. However, this state question will allow predators, like those targeting our children with computers/ cell phones will be given a second chance to get out of prison. This state question would limit accountability for violators who try to entice, seduce, and exploit children for sex using a computer/cellular phones by eliminating sentence enhancements designed to increase the range of punishment based on the number of prior convictions an offender has. SQ805 would forever limit the penalty to that of a first-time offender, whether it was a child predator’s first felony conviction or their twentieth. It would also mean predators currently in prison for these crimes would have a constitutional right for a reduction of their sentences to the penalty range for a first time offender, undoing the sentences handed out by judges and juries.

I have been working Internet Crimes Against Children cases since 2011. I work cases ranging from child pornography to predators who comb the internet and social media looking for children to sexually abuse. These cases occur far too often. In fact, I have arrested more than 300 offenders in less than 10 years. The internet, computers, and cellular phones provided a direct line to our children. A predator’s intent is to target your children so they can exploit them, groom them for sexual activity, and then try to meet them for sex and take them from you. We work countless hours using undercover accounts on the internet to arrest child predators in an effort to keep Oklahoma’s children safe and hold these predators accountable.

State Question 805 makes me immediately think of real life cases I have worked that would be impacted. It would reduce the sentence of the predator who sent lewd videos of him pleasuring himself to who he thought was a an underage female. It would apply to the predator, who after months of exchanging lewd text messages, photographs and description of sexual acts with a juvenile female, driving tractor trailer rig and trying to pick her up at a truck stop. Predators like these stand to benefit from SQ805, whether the victim was an actual child or an undercover agent posing as a child.

When I give presentations on internet crimes against children, the questions I get asked most often from concerned citizens are: why are predators not in jail for life? Why do they have a bond to get out of jail? And, Why are they not in prison longer? I believe most citizens want to see child predators held more accountable based on these questions and social media posts. I have seen movements such as #savethechildren who want more accountability and harsher punishments for child predators. If that is what you believe, the only answer to SQ805 is a solid no, keep predators in prison, so our children can be safe.