02/21/2000 01:19 PM House JUD

HB 354 - SEXUAL INDUCEMENT OF A MINOR/PORNOGRAPHY                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN KOTT announced that the final order of business before the                                                             
committee is HOUSE BILL NO. 354, "An Act relating to criminal                                                                   
sexual inducement of a minor, to distribution of pornography to                                                                 
minors, and to sex offenses."  Acknowledging the late hour, he told                                                             
members he would open testimony on the bill.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Number 1174                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
GAYLE GARRIGUES, Staff to Representative Brice, testified on behalf                                                             
of the sponsor, Representative Brice.  She informed the committee                                                               
that HB 354 is intended to address two different concerns, both of                                                              
which involve children on the Internet.  Although the Internet is                                                               
a great tool for communication and information, it can also be a                                                                
monster because it invites a stranger into the home.  Via the                                                                   
Internet this stranger can influence children in their own homes.                                                               
Sometimes adults use access to the Internet in order to gain access                                                             
and take advantage of children.  Therefore, HB 354 intends to                                                                   
criminalize that sort of behavior.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MS. GARRIGUES explained that the statute says it is a "course of                                                                
conduct," a phrase already used in the criminal code under the                                                                  
stalking statutes.  "Course of conduct" means multiple contacts,                                                                
all of which do not have to be over the Internet.  Ms. Garrigues                                                                
mentioned that there have been a couple of cases in Fairbanks in                                                                
which people found young teenagers over the Internet and later met                                                              
and convinced these young teenagers to engage in inappropriate                                                                  
sexual relations.  That is addressed in the first section of HB
.                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MS. GARRIGUES turned attention to the second section of HB 354,                                                                 
which addresses some of the behaviors that are easier to do because                                                             
of the Internet.  One of those behaviors is called "grooming,"                                                                  
which is a way to prepare children to do inappropriate behaviors.                                                               
She noted that one way "grooming" takes place is by providing                                                                   
materials, either written or visual, that describe or demonstrate                                                               
activities the person would like to have the child engage in.  It                                                               
is much easier for these materials to be spread to children because                                                             
of the Internet.  Therefore, the second section of HB 354 is an                                                                 
effort to stop people from "grooming" children through the use of                                                               
these materials.  Ms. Garrigues told members the third section of                                                               
HB 354 simply adds these two crimes to the sex offender registry.                                                               
                                                                                                                                
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CHAIRMAN KOTT announced that HB 354 would be held over to the next                                                              
meeting on Wednesday, February 23.