Legislation from Majority Leader Shamp to Crack Down on Pedophiles Signed into Law
- Arizona Senate Republicans
- 21 minutes ago
- 2 min read
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, April 21, 2025
Legislation from Majority Leader Shamp to Crack Down
on Pedophiles Signed into Law
PHOENIX, ARIZONA— Senate Majority Leader Janae Shamp is delivering on promises to hold child sexual predators accountable with legislation just signed into law this past Friday evening.
SB 1585 modifies the definition of a dangerous crime against children (DCAC) to specifically include acts committed against a person posing as a minor, if the defendant knew, or had reason to know, the purported minor was under the age of 15.
This legislation was drafted in response to two undercover sting operations over a four-week period conducted by the Pinal County Sheriff's Office earlier this year, resulting in the arrest of 20 adults who were caught luring children for sex acts. According to Pinal County Attorney Brad Miller, some of these cases couldn't be charged under DCAC statutes due to a court of appeals opinion on how the current law is to be interpreted. SB 1585 provides clarity in statute to ensure child sexual predators are brought to justice.
"If a pervert is caught trying solicit sex from a child by an undercover police officer, the offender deserves to be thrown behind bars, regardless of whether or not an actual child was present. Thank God we have our law enforcement agencies conducting sting operations to catch these monsters before they can carry out their heinous acts and rob our children of their innocence," said Majority Leader Shamp. "County attorneys should have every tool at their disposal to prosecute these pedophiles under the full force of the law, and I'm grateful County Attorney Miller brought this issue to my attention so that we could close a loophole currently allowing offenders to avoid incarceration for their crimes. I'm pleased SB 1585 received unanimous support in the Legislature. Together, we are sending a firm message that Arizona has zero tolerance for this evil against our kids."
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For more information, contact:
Kim Quintero
Director of Communications | Arizona State Senate Republican Caucus