There is no crime more horrific than a crime against a child. It's every parents most terrifying nightmare. Megan's Law was created by the gallant effort of parents who experienced the ultimate tragedy at the hand of a predator.

Megan's Law is named after a seven year old Megan Kanka who was murdered by a repeat offender in 1994. Unbeknownst to her parents, Megan's killer was living across the street with two other pedophiles he had met in prison when the murder occurred.

The outrage of the circumstances surrounding Megan's murder inspired the community and Megan's parents, Maureen and Richard Kanka, to take immediate action and demand the right to be made aware of predators. Within 89 days, New Jersey's Megan's Law was enacted.

The Kankas continued their efforts lobbying for a federal version of Megan's Law. They were joined by activists John Walsh, Marc Klaas, and Patty Wetterling and in 1996 President Clinton signed the federal version of Megan's Law requiring all states to register the location of offenders.

It's very important for parents to understand that the law that was passed only requires the release of information. You will not be notified by a law enforcement agency if a predator moves in next door.

In order to know the risks in your neighborhood, you must obtain the information yourself. (The links below will take to you to the Megan's Law sites for your area.)

Other important information parents need to know:

• Most predators know their victims.
• 95% of predators are males.
• The average victim is an 11 year old girl that has contact with a predator within 1/4 mile of the home.
• 74% of children that are abducted children and murdered are dead within the first three hours.
• 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 10 boys is assaulted before reaching adulthood and less than 35% of the crimes are reported.
• 1 in 5 children are solicited online.
• 24% of offenders are not in compliance with the registration requirements of Megan's Law.

While Megan's Law was a significant gain, there is still much work to be done to ensure that the rights of our children take precedence over the rights of offenders. Let Maureen and Richard Kanka inspire us all to be vigilant and take action in making those changes.

Related Links:

Parents for Megan's Law - state links

Klaaskids- state links

FamilyMatters.tv's - Child Safety Tips

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children