California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has signed legislation granting judges the discretion to decide whether to immediately place a man who has anal or oral sex with a minor aged 14-17 years old on a sex offenders register, the Hill reports. The SB 145 bill expands on an existing law that already grants judges the discretion to decide whether a man who has vaginal intercourse with a minor aged 14-17 years old should be immediately placed on a sex offenders list.
The legislation does not apply when a minor is under 14 years of age, when the age gap between the minor and the offender is greater than 10 years, or when either party denies consent. Sex crimes against a minor under the age of 14 are punished under a separate code section, as “lewd and lascivious acts with a minor under the age of 14.â€...
