COLUMBUS, Ohio – A central Ohio lawmaker says someone who deliberately exposes themselves to children deserves to be punished more sternly than currently allowed by state law.
State Sen. Tim Schaffer (R–Lancaster) has introduced a bill requiring public indecency offenders who target minors to register on the state’s Sex Offender Registration and Notification system.
The measure was in response to an incident in Baltimore, in Fairfield County, when police saw a man exposing himself to passing schools busses. The man had an extensive record of performing the same type of act., according to a release from Schaffer’s office
Such offenders are not currently required to register as sex offenders.
Schaffer’s bill would require those convicted of committing public indecency “purposely” aimed deliberately at children to register annually.
Schafffer says the measure specifically applies to those to commit the offense with the intent of being viewed by minors to “prevent a person who commits an accidental offense from being forced to register.”