MEDIA RELEASE FROM IPSWICH COUNCILLOR PAUL TULLY
MAJOR LEGAL LOOPHOLE EXPOSED IN QUEENSLAND BLUE CARD LAW
CALL FOR SEX OFFENDERS TO BE BANNED FROM OPERATING ICE CREAM VANS IN QUEENSLAND
A major loophole in Queensland's Blue Card law has been exposed which allows convicted pedophiles to legally come into contact with young children by operating as mobile ice cream vendors.The loophole was discovered by Ipswich Councillor Paul Tully after a parent complained that she believed a sex offender was running a mobile business in southeast Queensland selling ice cream.
Cr Tully has called for Queensland's Blue card system to be extended to include itinerant ice cream vendors.
He said many U.S. state and local legislatures were rushing through laws to ban convicted pedophiles from operating ice cream trucks and other vehicles for the purpose of attracting children.
On June 12, the Governor of Tennessee Phil Bredesen signed a new sex offender bill into law banning convicted pedophiles operating mobile ice cream vans.
Investigators had discovered several sex offenders operating ice cream trucks in the state of Tennessee.
In one case, an ice cream vendor had been arrested three times for rape of a child, sexual exploitation and exposing himself to a person under the age of thirteen.
Under the new Tennessee law, sex offenders are also banned from dressing like or impersonating real or fictional characters for the purpose of preying on children.
Other US states considering bans on sex offenders driving ice cream trucks include California, South Dakota and Massachusetts.
Queensland's Blue Card law has been operating since May 2001.Cr Tully said innocent children could be attracted to ice cream vans with limited parental supervision.
"The law should be changed immediately to ban convicted pedophiles from operating ice cream vans across Queensland.
"We should not wait until a tragedy occurs.
"Inquisitive young children could easily be attracted into an ice cream truck by a conniving sexual predator.
"At the moment, there are no checks on such drivers or owner operators, giving them free rein to attract young vulnerable children into their vans," Cr Tully said.
RELATED LINKS:
CLICK HERE: Eyewitness News Memphis, Tennessee covering the new ice cream vendor legislation on 12 June 2008.
CLICK HERE: USA TODAY 12 May 2008 - "Push on to inspect ice cream vendors' pasts".
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