The so-called crackdown on sex criminals is escalating at the State Capitol. This time, some legislators want to stop sex offenders from wearing disguises and even suggest castrating some of them.

"It reduces the chance of another child being molested or sexually assaulted," says Sen. Nick Gautreaux of Abbeville. Gautreaux says Louisiana already has the toughest sex offender laws in the nation, but he still wants to add more. One of his bills deals with sex offenders dressing in costume. "This is what sex offenders do. They'll go and get a job as a Santa Clause and they're put kid on their lap and what people don't understand, they get off on that person sitting on their lap," he says.

The main purpose of the bill is to prevent sex offenders from disguising their identity around children, especially for times like Mardi Gras, when almost everyone wears a mask. "Christmas, Mardi Gras, other events that people wear masks and stuff like Easter, the Easter Bunny rabbit. Kids see a bunny rabbit and at first, people think it's a joke." says Gautreaux. Senator Gautreaux says he is so serious about stopping sex offenders that he even has another bill calling for their voluntary physical castration.

"You know what, we're going to put these people away to where they can't molest anybody else," Gautreaux says. "Why would a person voluntarily do this, especially if they're going to jail anyway?" asks Sen. Ann Duplessis of New Orleans. "The innocence of a child has been taken by a sex offender and that innocence can never come back, so if someone has to do without a few rights for the rest of their life, they'll have to deal with the person never getting their innocence back," says Gautreaux.

Senator Gautreaux says offenders may choose physical castration over taking an acid to kill their sex drive, because the acid may have more side-effects. Both of Gautreaux's bills next go to the Senate floor for a full vote.

Source: WAFB, Caroline Moses