Local Lawmakers Testify on Sex Offender Legislation

Local lawmakers and Wakefield’s chief of police were among those calling for changes to the state’s sex offender laws during a Tuesday hearing at the State House.

State Senator Katherine Clark, who represents Wakefield, chaired the Joint Committee on the Judiciary hearing, focused on a bill she and Rep. Paul Brodeur are sponsoring. The legislation aims to address weaknesses in the sex offender registry system that were brought to light by the John Burbine child sex abuse case.

Rep. Brad Jones, the House Republican Leader who also represents Lynnfield, has introduced his own bill, saying in a statement that it's the only one of the current pending bills that would bring the state into compliance with the federal Adam Walsh Act.

"The legislation I filed takes a targeted and aggressive approach towards reforming the state’s sex offender legislation. Lawmakers must come together in a bipartisan fashion and address the failings in our current methods of dealing with sex offenders," said Jones in a statement.

The full text of Jones' legislation can be read at this link.

Soon after the arrest of John Burbine, Wakefield Patch spoke with a local mother who had also unsuccessfully tried to look into the alleged child molester’s background after her child became a client of the former Waterfall Education Center.  It was reported in regional media outlets soon after his arrest that Burbine, facing more than 100 total counts involving child molestation, had been a Level 1 sex offender since 1989.

“This legislation will strengthen our laws, provide more information to parents and caregivers, and require information sharing among law enforcement and the agencies we depend on to keep our kids safe,” said Clark.

In a statement, the lawmakers noted that their bill, An Act to Protect our Communities, has 27 co-sponsors and strong support from Middlesex County DA Marian Ryan.

“It will improve existing laws, improve agency practices and keep our children safe,” added Brodeur.

The lawmakers reported that the legislation would do the following:

• Allow limited public access to Level 1 offender information, currently unavailable to the public. This change would enable police departments to share information when presented with a specific request by a parent or caregiver.
• Create a rebuttable presumption that an offender convicted of a crime involving a child should be classified as at least a Level 2 offender.
• Provide for direct access to Sex Offender Registry Board (SORB) information by agencies responsible for ensuring child safety.
• Grant SORB the authority to reclassify offenders on its own initiative or upon written request by a District Attorney or police department.  
• Require the creation of a structured system of communication among the District Attorneys, police, SORB, and other state agencies to facilitate the sharing of all information that may have bearing on the reclassification of a sex offender.
• Establish a commission to determine the best methods of classifying sex offenders.
• Clarify registration requirements and information to be reported.
• Require the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) to publish licensing information on its website.

The full text of the bill is available at: http://www.malegislature.gov/Bills/188/Senate/S656.

For all Wakefield Patch coverage of this issue, please visit our Wakefield Man Accused of Child Sex Crimes topic page