NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — Ahead of the legislative session, a Tennessee lawmaker wants to expand the current death penalty law for child rapists.
It adds the following aggravating factors as a way to give prosecutors more tools to be successful in the rapist getting the death penalty:
- Aggravated rape of a child under four years old
- Defendant holds a position of trust over a victim
- Defendant is a registered sex offender at the time of the offense
- Defendant knows a victim was mentally or physically defective or helpless
- Incest
- Previous felony or misdemeanor conviction for an offense involving sexual contact with a minor
- Especially aggravated kidnapping
- Filming or recording video or photographs of the offense
- Sedating victims with intoxicants, controlled substances
- Use of a deadly weapon in the commission of the offense
- Especially heinous, atrocious or cruel actions or torturing a victim
- Remuneration to a victim or another person for access to or to silence a victim
- An additional conviction for rape of a child, aggravated rape of a child, aggravated sexual battery, or continuous sexual abuse of a child.
FOX 17 News will speak to Rep. Greg Martin on his House Bill 1454 Friday afternoon. We also reached out to the DA’s office to find out if this proposal would be helpful to their prosecution. We are also reaching out to those opposed to the death penalty and the sexual assault center…