New Internet Sex Crimes Bill

A bill has been introduced that would allow Wisconsin law enforcement to have more resources to fight internet sex crimes against children. The bill is called Alicia’s Law, named after a survivor of an abduction and sexual assault, Alicia Kozakiewicz, and is authored by Rep. Joel Kleefisch, R-Oconomowoc, and Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, and Attorney General Brad Schimel.

Kozakiewicz was abducted when was 13 and is now a popular advocate for internet safety and missing persons.

The bill will do two things: provide a dedicated source of funding for the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Internet Crimes Against Children task force and allow the state Attorney General to subpoena internet providers.

Funding

If the bill is passed anyone convicted of a crime in Wisconsin will be required to pay an internet crimes against children surcharge. The charge will be $20 for misdemeanors and $40 for felonies. It is estimated that these surcharges will create $2.2 million in funding.

While the bill has support on both sides of the aisle, some have voiced concerns that this kind of surcharge is an unreliable source of income.

Subpoena

Under this bill the state Attorney General will have the power to issue an administrative subpoena to get information from internet providers. This kind of leverage will allow police to use IP addresses to track down people committing internet sex crimes against children. With information like this law enforcement can quickly decide who has the proper jurisdiction to take the case.

Lawmakers are expected to act swiftly on this bill and send it to the governor’s desk as soon as possible.