(JUNEAU) - The Alaska House of Representatives passed House Bill 52 unanimously by a vote of 37 to zero today. Sponsored by Rep. Lesil McGuire (R-Anchorage), House Bill 52 allows the state to seize equipment used for child pornography or another sexual offense. The equipment, such as computers and photography equipment, can then be used by law enforcement to continue investigative work.

"This bill is another message to send child predators that Alaska is not a place to come and prey upon our children," McGuire said. "If you commit a crime against a child using a computer or video camera, the state can seize that property from you as an additional punitive measure."

McGuire said HB 52 also helps law enforcement keep up with the demand for more advanced computer and surveillance hardware. Any hardware criminally used to send pictures or sound can be seized. Law enforcement agencies can also use the seized computer hardware to study the methods of criminals who prey upon children.

"As technology increases, law enforcement has found it more difficult to keep pace with criminals who are luring children into chat rooms and preying upon them through the computer," McGuire said. "Law enforcement can search the seized hard drives to track where those criminals have been and how they’re luring children in."

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03-05-03: Rep. Lesil McGuire (R-Anchorage) explains why Alaska should seize computers, photography equipment, and other hardware used by sexual offenders in the crime of child pornography and other sex crimes.

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Lesil McGuire 47 K

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