Every 2 minutes someone in the USA is assaulted. 44% percent of the time it's someone under the age of 18, and 80% of the time it's someone under the age of 30. The numbers are higher because some victims never come forward. 

Some teens commit suicide because no-one does anything to their attacker, and they are blamed for what happens to them.

There has been case after case of children being raped, and murdered by repeat offenders who only served a short sentence for their first offense.

If someone molested you or your child you would hope that the person who did it would be jailed for a long time, and you would hope that they wouldn’t do it to someone else.

Sex offenders are essentially getting away with one of the worst things you can do to a child. They're taking advantage of their innocence and causing them long term emotional damage. The child will be traumatized for the rest of their life while their attacker will only serve a short sentence. Most sex offenders only receive probation or less than 10 years in prison, and then when they're released they usually repeat their previous offense, and ruin another child's life. Releasing a sex offender after 5 years is a slap on the wrist, and it teaches kids that the law isn't on their side. This petition calls for a minimum sentence of 25 years in prison for sex offender crimes and mandatory counseling behind bars. Sex offenders don't end the child's life physically, but they do destroy the child’s life emotionally and mentally. Sign this petition to protect our kids. No child should ever be in fear of their life or have their innocence taken away from them. Children expect adults to protect them not hurt them.

8 year old Cherish Perrywinkle was found dead. The person who murdered her was a registered sex offender, Donald James Smith. If Donald had received a longer sentence for his previous offense he would have been in prison and this crime would not have occurred.  http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2013-06-22/news/os-amber-alert-charish-perriwinkle-20130622_1_deputies-child-abuse-felony-charges

Therefore longer sentences will protect children from repeat offenders.  Also, longer, tougher sentences have been proven to reduce crime rates. Sign this petition to help keep offenders behind bars.