Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry has signed new legislation making child grooming a crime.
The bill was authored by Sen. Pat Connick, creating stiff penalties for child grooming and to prevent child sex abuse.
“This bill shows Louisiana how much we care about our kids,” Gov. Landry said. “We want to protect our kids. Anyone who would use the trust they have in children to then abuse those children should go to jail.”
Connick says penalties could be as stiff as 25 years.
“SB 58 signed by Governor Landry today. This is not just a policy change; it’s a promise to every parent and guardian in Louisiana that we will not tolerate the manipulation of our most vulnerable,” said Connick. “This is for the victims who are preyed on. It’s got to stop. This will be a tool to stop it. We have to protect children. This is a big step forward that is going to do that. I’m happy to be the author of this. I want to thank the governor and the DAs. It’s model legislation for the nation.”
Aubry Killion, a WDSU investigator, shared the emotional story of Tim Gioe, who was groomed and molested as a child in the 1990s.
“What inspired me is seeing the harm and the pain suffered by abuse victims,” Connick said. “A person who is going to prey on children before they harm that child — we will be able to go after them and prosecute them for what they are trying to do. This is the whole intent of that bill, to stop them before they act.”
Tim Gioe issued the following statement after the bill was signed:
“Grooming is how predators operate — and for too long, the law hasn’t caught up. Proud of my father-in-law, Senator Patrick Connick, for leading the charge to finally make grooming a crime in Louisiana. And proud of my wife, Sarah Connick Gioe, whose strength and determination continue to push this fight forward. This law is needed — not just in Louisiana, but everywhere. The bill will provide stiffer penalties for those accused of grooming children.”
“It could be a game changer for our kids in terms of getting sucked into manipulative criminal behavior,” Kathryn Robb, the national director of the Children’s Justice Campaign Enough Abuse, said.
READ MORE:Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry signs legislation making child grooming a crime
