Critical Information That Needs Updating NOW!

Pennsylvania Attorney General candidate John Rafferty released the following statement pledging to work with local authorities in order to perform increased audits of the Megan’s Law website and his efforts to prioritize protecting children from predators.

“The Megan’s Law site is a critically important tool in helping to protect our state’s most vulnerable citizens, our children, from sexually violent predators who seek to steal the innocence of our youth,” Rafferty said. “Too often, despite best efforts to ensure these predators are registered with accurate information, people are in the system with old addresses. We will work with local prosecutors, state and local police, sheriffs and other local officials to organize and perform increased audits of the Megan’s Law database to ensure we have accurate contact information for dangerous predators. If predators are not found at the address they have listed, we will find them. The Office of Attorney General must serve as a leader in helping to ensure this information is correct.

“Pennsylvania’s schools, colleges and universities and families count on this information to be correct. If your family lives next door to someone who has committed one of these despicable crimes, we want you to know that important information.”

The prevention and prosecution of child abuse will be a top priority in a Rafferty administration. In the State Senate, John Rafferty has supported strengthening Megan’s Law to ensure that the public knows when registered sex offenders move into your neighborhoods. John Rafferty also played a critical role in the passage of Jessica’s Law that increases penalties for those who sexually abuse our children. As Attorney General, Rafferty will work to ensure that the Pennsylvania State Police’s Megan’s Law website has up-to-date information so we know where every predator is currently living.

Additionally, John Rafferty has advocated for the elimination of Pennsylvania’s current statute of limitations regarding child abuse, which would allow all victims to have their voices heard. The Office of Attorney General must be a leader on this issue and serve as a clearinghouse to work with Pennsylvania State Police to refer cases to local prosecutors, provide technical assistance with the investigations, assist with use of grand jury or handle the cases directly when they are referred.