A state bill would toughen penalties for sex crimes.

The state House already passed a version of the Jessica Lunsford Act for North Carolina, named for a 9-year-old Florida girl who was kidnapped, raped and killed by a neighbor who was a convicted sex offender in 2005.

A Senate version of the bill made it out of a Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday night and now heads to the Appropriations committee.

If the bill passes, people who commit rape or sexual offenses against children younger than 13 would receive minimum 25-year prison sentences with the possibility of serving a lifetime behind bars. Currently, the minimum is 12 years.

"I'm not saying they don't need a program or some type of psychiatric care, but we can't have people like this out," said Mark A. Palmer of Charlotte, an advocate for the bill.

Sex offenders would also receive GPS monitoring by satellite when they get out. The bill is estimated to cost an additional $6.58 million over five years. (N&O)