Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006

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The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 (HR4472) is a law aimed at tightening the control of sex offenders in the United States . The law was passed by the US Senate on July 20, 2006 and put into effect on July 27, 2006 by US President George W. Bush . Adam Walsh , the namesake of the law, was kidnapped and murdered in 1981 at the age of six.

The law provides for the registration of DNA samples from sex offenders. According to US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, a national database of sex offenders ( National Sex Offender Registry ) will be built with the collected DNA data . Information about sex offenders who previously escaped the authorities' access through frequent moves to other states can now be obtained by the authorities of all states. In order to give citizens an opportunity to find out about sex offenders living in their vicinity, the information should also be available on the Internet.

HR4472 introduced tougher minimum sentences for crimes against children and higher penalties for child trafficking and child prostitution . States can now receive funding to house repeat sex offenders who are about to be released.

In order to make contact between pedophiles and children via the Internet more difficult, regional special units ( Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force - ICAC) were created to provide local authorities with financial and advisory support in combating the sexual exploitation of minors via the Internet.

The introduction of a new database for cases of child abuse ( Child Abuse Registry ) and mandatory reviews of foster parents in adoptive cases have improved the protection of children.

See also

PROTECT Act , Operation Predator , Project Safe Childhood

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