Leach Bill Cracks Down on Sexual Offenders Voyeurism

Voyeurism widely considered gateway offense to other sexual crimes By State Rep. Jeff Leach Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas  I am proud that the Texas House has come together and unanimously supported my House Bill 207 a substantive step forward aimed at addressing a crime that is so often overlooked yet so detrimental to the safety of our neighborhoods said State Rep. Jeff Leach after the House unanimously passed his bill to crack down on and providing stricter penalties for repeat offenders of the offense of voyeurism.    Under current law the offense of voyeurism is treated as a form of Disorderly Conduct and is classified as a Class C Misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed $500. Voyeurism is widely considered by law enforcement to be one of the most common gateway offenses to other sexual crimes including violent sex crimes and reports have shown that most voyeurism offenses are committed by repeat offenders. These offenses are generally not well documented and are not effectively shared by local law enforcement agencies across the state thus compromising the process of tracking repeat offenders. Further as the law reads now there is little incentive for voyeur offenders to end this type of behavior because it is not clearly identified on the offenders record and the penalty is the lowest form of misdemeanor offenses. House Bill 207 seeks to address both concerns by creating the offense of Voyeurism" in the TEXAS PENAL CODE while increasing the current penalty on the third offense.

• House Bill 207 is supported by the Texas Municipal Police Association and the Childrens Advocacy Center of Collin County.

Dan Powers Sr. Vice President and Clinical Director of the Childrens Advocacy Center of Collin County stated

We applaud and appreciate Representative Leachs commitment to the safety and well-being of our community. Rep. Leachs House Bill 207 enhances the protection of children and families by identifying potential sex offenders in our community that in the past have slipped through the cracks."

State Representative Jeff Leach serves House District 67 covering portions of Plano Allen Richardson & Dallas in Collin County. Leach serves on the House Government Transparency & Operation Committee and the House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee.