For Child Sex Predators—Two States, Two Different Approaches

Two very different paths are emerging in State capitals this winter, as Washington State moves to ease penalties for some child sex offense cases arising from undercover stings, and Alabama lawmakers prepare to expand the death penalty for sex crimes against children.

In Washington, four Democratic State Senators have filed Senate Bill 5312, a measure that would reduce registration time and supervision for first-time offenders convicted after law enforcement sting operations where no real child was harmed. Under the proposal filed by Sens. Lisa Wellman, Noel Frame, T’wina Nobles, and Claire Wilson, qualifying cases would see sex offender registration end after five years, down from the current 10-year requirement for many Class C felony convictions, and post-release supervision reduced from lifetime to three years.

Proponents and supporters of the Washington proposal argue that offenders caught in online decoys—where a detective poses as a minor—have lower rates of reoffending than those who target actual children, and that the sentencing guidelines should reflect that distinction. The Washington Sex Offender Policy Board has pointed to data suggesting individuals convicted solely through such stings “reoffend at rates approximately 80 percent lower than those who targeted real minors.”

Critics in Washington worry that reducing penalties could weaken deterrence and send the wrong message about the seriousness of attempts to engage in sexual conduct with minors, even in decoy scenarios. Some Republican lawmakers and victims’ rights advocates have voiced concern about public safety and the perception of accountability.

Meanwhile in Alabama, Republican lawmakers have taken a much tougher stance on child sexual abuse. Representative Matt Simpson (R-Daphne) and Senator April Weaver (R-Brierfield) have pre-filed the “Child Predator Death Penalty Act” for the 2026 legislative session. If enacted, it would amend State law to make those convicted of first-degree rape or sodomy against children under 12 eligible for the death penalty, with a minimum of 30 years served before parole eligibility.

In a joint Statement, Simpson and Weaver emphasized urgency and priority for the measure, asserting that the legislation would ensure “predators who abuse the most innocent among us will be eligible to receive the punishment they deserve—execution in Holman prison.”

Supporters in Alabama point to recent controversies and criminal cases involving child abuse as justification for stronger penalties. Some States—including Florida, Tennessee, Idaho, Oklahoma, and Mississippi—have passed similar laws pushing the envelope on capital punishment in child sex cases, challenging the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2008 decision in Kennedy v. Louisiana, which ruled that executing child rapists where no death occurs is “unusual punishment.”

The Washington and Alabama proposals illustrate a stark contrast in policy approach: one focused on reducing sentences for specific sting-related offenses, and the other aimed at broadening the most severe criminal penalties for offenders who harm children.

As both measures advance in their respective States, lawmakers, advocates, and citizens are preparing for intense discussions over public safety, justice, and how best to protect children—and the difference between these two States couldn’t be any greater.