Child molesters can now be marched in front of firing squads in Idaho

A month after making firing squads the Gem State’s primary method of execution, Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R) passed a law last week granting judges and juries the ability to sentence convicted pedophiles to the death penalty.

Republican Gov. Brad Little said upon ratifying the legislation making child rape a death penalty offense, “Just like capital murder destroys lives, aggravated sexual abuse of a young child devastates victims and families for generations. The sexual abuse of children is sickening and evil, and perpetrators convicted of these crimes deserve the ultimate punishment.”

Idaho House Bill 380, sponsored by Republican state Reps. Bruce Skaug and Josh Tanner, sets a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 25 years, with the possibility of life in prison, for the molestation of a minor ages 13-16 by an adult if two of 14 aggravating factors are present.

Aggravating factors include whether:

• the victim was kidnapped;
• the pedophile cause great bodily harm to the victim;
• the pedophile was engaged in human trafficking;
• the pedophile was already a registered sex offender;
• the pedophile was in a position of trust, had a supervisory or disciplinary power over the victim, or at the time of the offense had parental/custodial authority over the child;
• the victim used coercion; and/or
• the victim was choked during the commission of the lewd conduct.

Alternatively, an adult pedophile found guilty of engaging in aggravated lewd conduct with a child 12 or under shall now be punished by life in prison or by death if a pair of similar factors are present. The list of aggravating factors in such cases also includes any form of penile penetration as well as repeat incidents involving the same victim.

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