Sex Crimes

I reacted in horror when I discovered that the crime of public intoxication was not considered a sexually motivated offense under 692A.126 of the Iowa Code requiring a person convicted of it to register as a sex offender thereby warning the public of the person's proclivities to think about sex. It appears that the Iowa legislature enacted 692A.126 in 2009 adding 23 crimes for which a person is required to register as a sex offender. These crimes specifically require the person convicted, if having any sexual thoughts while committing them, to register as a sex offender. These 23 crimes are in addition to the 89 crimes for which a convicted person must register as a sex offender whether he or she was having sexual thoughts or not. They simply are presumed. Public intoxication must have been an oversight when the Iowa legislature was considering what crimes to include in 692A.126. the major reason, if not the only reason, to become intoxicated is to think about sex. It is a scientifically proven, well-known fact that intoxication causes a person to lose his or her inhibitions, i.e. to think about, to act upon, and to engage in sex if possible. When one is drinking heavily at a social function one is eyeing lecherously the married woman or man standing nearby or with which one is engaged in conversation. It can't be helped. Normally if one appears in public in an intoxicated state, one has been thinking about sex, engaging in sex, or wishing, at that moment, he or she was having sex. This is why it is difficult to understand how the legislature could have missed such an obvious crime to include in the list of convictions for which one must register as a sex offender. I believe it is imperative that any of us who care about the safety of our children should contact those running for the legislature now, before the election to determine where the candidates stand on this issue. We must voice our concern and obtain a positive response from those who intend to represent us in the next legislative session.