BOISE, ID – Idaho Governor Brad Little issued a statement on Tuesday on his recent signing of House Bill 380, allowing the death penalty for pedophiles charged with aggravated lewd conduct with children 12 and younger and strengthening punishments for other convicted pedophiles.
“Just like capital murder destroys lives, aggravated sexual abuse of a young child devastates victims and families for generations. The sexual abuse of children is sickening and evil, and perpetrators convicted of these crimes deserve the ultimate punishment. Idaho also just became the ONLY state to make death by firing squad the primary method of execution. I commend my partners in the Legislature for strengthening Idaho’s already powerful ‘tough on crime’ reputation among the states,” Governor Little said.
House Bill 380, cosponsored by Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa, allows the death penalty if a suspect is convicted on a new criminal charge – aggravated lewd conduct with children age 12 and younger.
The new law also adds mandatory minimum prison sentences for cases of aggravated lewd conduct with minors — which would only apply to abuse of children age 16 and below — that don’t meet the bill’s proposed criteria for death penalty eligibility.
