South Carolina puts sex offenders who prey on children in jail up to 15 years and charges them with a felony crime -- unless that sexual predator is related to his victim. Then he gets probation, therapy, or maybe one year in jail.

A sexual predator is a sexual predator, regardless of who he chooses to molest. Family members who attack other family members should not get off so easy. This law needs to be changed.

SECTION 16-15-20. Incest. (from the South Carolina Legislature website)

“Any persons who shall have carnal intercourse with each other within the following degrees of relationship, to wit:

(1) A man with his mother, grandmother, daughter, granddaughter, stepmother, sister, grandfather's wife, son's wife, grandson's wife, wife's mother, wife's grandmother, wife's daughter, wife's granddaughter, brother's daughter, sister's daughter, father's sister or mother's sister; or

(2) A woman with her father, grandfather, son, grandson, stepfather, brother, grandmother's husband, daughter's husband, granddaughter's husband, husband's father, husband's grandfather, husband's son, husband's grandson, brother's son, sister's son, father's brother or mother's brother;

Shall be guilty of incest and shall be punished by a fine of not less than five hundred dollars or imprisonment not less than one year in the Penitentiary, or both such fine and imprisonment.”

SECTION 16-15-140. Committing or attempting lewd act upon child under sixteen. (from the SC website)

“It is unlawful for a person over the age of fourteen years to wilfully and lewdly commit or attempt a lewd or lascivious act upon or with the body, or its parts, of a child under the age of sixteen years, with the intent of arousing, appealing to, or gratifying the lust or passions or sexual desires of the person or of the child.

A person violating the provisions of this section is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be fined in the discretion of the court or imprisoned not more than fifteen years, or both.”

What can you do?

Contact SC legislators to express your disapproval of this law, no matter where you are from. You can contact them through:

* The SC House of Representatives list of members
* The SC State Senate list of members or contact Glenn McConnell at senator@glennmcconnell.com

And you can:

* Leave a post here expressing your opinion
* Write a letter to a SC newspaper or TV news station
* Forward this information to friends