TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — On Tuesday, Gov. DeSantis signed four bills into law that are aimed at strengthening protections for children against sexual crimes and protecting victims against deep fakes.
Gov. DeSantis signed HB 777, HB 1351 and HB 1455 into law. The new bills allow for stricter penalties for offenses involving children and strengthen Florida laws against luring or enticing children by expanding the age range to any child under 14.
The laws also placed tougher penalties and restrictions on sexual offenders. Sexual offenders must not only be registered, but also report in-state travel within 48 hours and require law enforcement to verify the addresses of offenders once a calendar year. The law also states that any convicted sexual offender must serve a minimum sentence if convicted of the same crime again.
“Florida has zero tolerance for criminals who exploit children,” said Gov. Ron DeSantis. “Throughout my time in office, we've worked with the legislature to strengthen penalties for child abuse, hold predators accountable, and ensure that Florida remains a safe place to raise a family.”
The governor also signed HB 1161, also known as "Brooke's Law," into law. The bill deals with the use of AI-generated explicit imagery and aims to protect victims of digital sexual abuse by providing a way for them to remove deep fake materials from online platforms.
Brooke's Law says it will hold platforms accountable and require them to remove materials within 48 hours.
Pasco County woman trying to rebuild mobile home after hurricanes
"I cried, of course, because I've worked very hard getting it nice, which has been difficult for me since I lost my husband and being alone,” Kelly Welty said.
Welty's mobile home lost its roof during Hurricane Milton. She said it was the only one in the Buena Vista community to get totaled by a tornado.
