One year after Chelsea's Law was enacted, the Chelsea's Light Foundation has released statistics showing how many sex offenders have been prosecuted under the new law.
Since the act was signed into law on Sept. 9, 2010, the foundation reports 19 individuals have been charged under Chelsea's Law. The victims range in age from toddler to teenager, the reports says.
One of the individuals prosecuted under the law is David Lascelles who allegedly raped and kidnapped his son's 15-year-old female friend December 2010.
According to police, Lascelles told the girl they were going Christmas shopping. Instead, Lascelles allegedly drove the 15 year-old victim from the El Cajon Wal-Mart to Fiesta Island where detectives say he threatened her with a gun and raped her. Lascelles is also a suspect in another similar case, but the victim was over 18-years of age.
Lascelles is charged under the Chelsea's law "one-strike" provision. The new law enhanced criminal sentencing for violent sexual offenders who commit crimes against children. If convicted, he will serve life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The new law also provides for mandated lifetime parole and GPS monitoring and the creation of "Safe Zones" which prohibits registered sex offenders from going places where children are known to congregate.
Chelsea's Law was created by the family of Poway teenager Chelsea King with support from Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher. King was attacked and killed in March 2010, while she was running near Lake Hodges by convicted sex offender John Gardner.
Fletcher says he is pleased the law has been able to protect California's children.
“It is comforting to see that the actions of an amazing family and committed community that came together to pass Chelsea's Law are being put to use by our law enforcement community to protect children," Fletcher said. "Out of this terrible tragedy came something good--a reformed public safety system that based on this report, can show quantifiable progress towards making our community safer."
