Iowans who are victims of incest may soon get more time to take their case to court. Under present law, you have three years from the time the incest happens to tell authorities. Representative Scott Raecker of Urbandale says that’s not fair to kids and teenagers who suffer at the hands of a parent.A bill approved by the House Judiciary Committee would let incest victims bring charges ’til the victim reaches the age of 28. The bill now goes before the full House. Also today, a House Committee approved a bill that closes a loophole in Iowa’s sexual predator law. Once a “sexual predator” has served his or her prison sentence, Iowa law lets officials lock ’em up indefinitely for medical treatment if there’s fear they’ll commit another sex crime. There’s a problem, though, if they escape to another state. The bill makes a sexual predator’s escape a crime as there’s presently no penalty on the books for sexual predators who escape from treatment. Anne Sheeley of the Attorney General’s office says over a year ago, a man ran after a court hearing committed him to treatment.Sheeley says the man ran in Council Bluffs, and had he gotten to Omaha, he would have been free. But he was caught in Iowa and charged with violating a court order. Sixteen sexual predators who’ve served their prison sentences remain locked up in Oakdale.
