Jessica's Law on its way to Utah

Marc Giauque reporting Jessica's Law may be on its way to Utah. Lawmakers will consider a bill that would enhance penalties for certain child sex crimes.

For Rep. Carl Wimmer, it's personal. "This was the motivating reason for my running for office," he said.

He wants to enhance penalties for some crimes. "Over the years of being a law enforcement officer, I had become frustrated with some of the things that I had seen and some of the lighter sentences for child sex offenders, some really brutal child sex offenses," Wimmer said.

Wimmer says unlike laws in other states, this bill does not include minimum mandatory sentences, but it does increase penalties, even in plea bargains. It also proposes prison terms of 25 years to life for some of the most serious offenses.

Supporters say the bill will have an added benefit of encouraging more cases in which the victim does not have to testify in court.

The Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice endorsed the bill today.

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