SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Parents may be placing their children in the laps of convicted sex offenders and not even know it.
Activists in Sacramento rallied for what they call the "bad Santa" law.
Convicted criminals can disguise themselves in Santa Claus costumes and work at local malls without having to disclose their status as registered sex offenders.
Under a new bill that's already passed the state Assembly unanimously.
"Would you want your child to be held in the lap of a person convicted of sexual battery or molestation? Think of what you would feel years later, looking at a photo album and seeing those photographs, knowing that your child was molested while sitting on Santa's lap," said Assembly Member Rebecca Cohn.
The bill would require registered sex offenders to reveal their status to employers if they're likely to be working with children -- even while other adults are nearby.
This article is copyrighted. Regular checks for plagarism and unauthorized use are maintained through Copyscape. Violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of United States and International law. Use of this article on any other website or offline publication can be arranged through The Merry Network.
