A House measure designed to increase prison sentences for child sex offenders has received unanimous approval from yet another panel.

Members of the House Judiciary Committee threw their support behind the bill (HB 1159) sponsored by Rep. Berny Jacques, a Seminole Republican. The measure increases mandatory sentences for those committing crimes against children.

Repeat offenders will see minimum sentences increased from 10 years in prison to 15. Sentences for sexual performance with a child would jump from 20 years in prison to 30. And those convicted of buying or selling children would see minimum sentences increased from 20 years to 30.

The Committee also approved an amendment to the bill proposed by Rep. Jessica Baker, a Jacksonville Republican. That amendment “replaces references of child pornography with the accurate term to sexual abuse material,” Baker said.

Jacques added an amendment to that amendment, which says possessing “childlike sex dolls” would count as a violation of the state’s childlike sex dolls act of 2021. That law prohibits sale and distribution of dolls resembling children. The amendment to the amendment was also approved.

The main measure also covers offenders who possess pornographic images of children under 12 years old involving “sadomasochistic abuse” of a child, “sexual battery” or “sexual bestiality” involving a child, or any film, video or computer-generated images involving children.

Anyone convicted of those crimes, classified as a first-degree felony, would serve a minimum of 15 years in prison. If it’s a second-degree felony, that would draw a minimum of five years in prison.

Rep. Michelle Salzman, a Cantonment Republican, supported the bill. But she had reservations about some people who might be arrested for looking at questionable material and get lumped in with the worst offenders.

“We have to be mindful because sometimes there are instances where people aren’t actual child sex offenders,” Salzman said. “Once they’re labeled as that, it’s forever.”

The bill was already approved by two other Committees and now heads to the House floor.

A similar Senate bill (SB 1750) still needs to be reviewed by the Fiscal Policy Committee. The Criminal Justice Committee and Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice have already OK’d the Senate version.

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