Albany, NY - August 1, 2014 - Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today signed legislation to ensure stronger penalties against individuals who repeatedly commit sex crimes during a ten-year period.
“Persistent sexual abuse is a crime that should be met with the strongest of penalties,” Governor Cuomo said. “This new law makes this New York safer and stronger for all by ensuring that repeat sexual offenders are met with the appropriate punishments. I thank the law’s sponsors for their work on this important issue.”
The crime of "persistent sexual abuse" is intended to impose harsher penalties on criminals who commit certain sex crimes on multiple occasions during a ten-year period. However, prior to the law signed today by Governor Cuomo, that ten-year period could have included time during which the offender is incarcerated, and thus removed from general society and unable to commit the sex crimes in question against other individuals.
The law signed by the Governor today excludes time spent in prison from the ten-year period so that individuals who commit persistent sexual abuse are held fully responsible for their actions.
This law passed both houses of the legislature as S612 and A2711, respectively.
Senator Michael Gianaris said, “I thank Governor Cuomo for signing this bill into law and making New York a safer place. Assemblywoman Simotas and I have fought for years to get tough on criminals who repeatedly sexually abuse others, and it is a relief to know that we closed a loophole and ensured those miscreants get the justice they deserve. It is incumbent upon all of us in public service to do whatever is necessary to protect our communities. This law achieves that goal by cracking down on persistent sexual predators.”
Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas said, “The law must provide protection for the most vulnerable among us, not a shield for predators. This legislation is an important step towards ensuring that individuals who commit persistent sexual abuse face the full consequences of their crimes.”