By PAT NEWMAN
pnewman@thecitizennews.com

Obscene phone calls made to children would be a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature under a bill sponsored by Peachtree City's Rep. Kathy Cox and recently passed by the Georgia Legislature.

“This bill changes the law to create the offense of obscene telephone contact with a child under the age of four,” Cox said. “In the age of the Internet and latch-key kids, we want to protect our children from sexual predators at the earliest possible point, before physical contact is initiated by a molester.”

The bill closes a loophole in Georgia law that previously allowed only a harassing phone call to be levied against an individual, which did not fully disclose the true nature of their crime, said Cox. Any subsequent convictions would be felonies punishable by three to five years in prison.

Cox and the Georgia Council on Child Abuse hope that this proactive measure will curb the escalation of child molestation in the state.

Other sponsors of the bill include Reps. Lynn Smith, Randy Sauder, Sharon Cooper, Larry Walker and Calvin Smyre.

The bill passed the House March 8 and was approved by the Senate March 16. It now goes to the governor's office for his signature.