NOW BACK TO OUR TOP STORY. STORY.ITS ALL TO PROTECT YOUR KIDS... SOUTH CAROLINA JOINS GEORGIA IN LIMITING WHERE SEX OFFENDERS CAN LIVE. LIVE. NEWS 12S GENE PETRIELLO HAS REACTION ON WHETHER THIS NEW LAW IS GOING FAR ENOUGH. ENOUGH. EVERY PARENT WANTS TO PROTECT THEIR KIDS... ESPECIALLY WHEN THEYRE NOT AROUND. SO SOUTH CAROLINA IS GETTING ON YOUR SIDE... SO YOUR KIDS CAN HAVE FUN AND KEEP SAFE AT THE SAME TIME. NATS OF THE KIDS PLAYING... PLAYING... WITH A FLICK OF THE WRIST... 9 YEAR OLD TJ TAKES ADVANTAGE OF THIS BEAUTIFUL DAY WITH HIS DAD. DAD. I GET VERY EXCITED. I LIKE TO COME OUT HERE AND RUN AROUND. AROUND. RUN AROUND TO MAKE THE PERFECT CATCH..ND AT THE SAME TIME.. KEEPING SAFE. SAFE. MY SAFETY IS VERY IMPORTANT AND MY DAD DOESNT WANT NOTHING TO HAPPEN TO ME. ME. AND SOUTH CAROLINA ISNT MONKEYING AROUND WHEN TJ COMES OUT TO THROWHE FRISBEE WI HIS DAD. A NEW SEX OFFENDER LAW SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR ALL TO PROTECT YOUR KIDS. KIDS. KIDS THEYRE NOT AROUND US 24/7 AND THEY CAN BE OUT HERE IN THE PARK BY THEMSELVES, SO IS VERY IMPORTANT WE KEEP THESE PREDATORS AWAY. AWAY. THE NEW LAW WILL KEEP OFFENDERS A THOUSAND FEET AWAY FROM PARKS, PUBLIC PLAYGROUNDS, REC AND DAYCARE CENTER. AND SCHOOLS. SCHOOLS. I SPEND A LOT OF TIME WITH MY KIDS AND OUT HERE WITH MY SON PLAYING FRISBEE, MY SON AND DAUGHTERS ON THE TENNIS COURT. SO, I THINK ITS IMPORTANT WE HAVE LAWS TO PROTECT ALL OUR KIDS. KIDS. BUT SOME OFFENDERS ARE GETTING A BREAK BY BEING GRANDFATHERED IN. THEY WONT HAVE TO MOVE EVEN IF THEY LIVE WITH THE THOUSAND FEET LAW IF THEY LIVE THERE RIGHT NOW... SOMETHING TRONIE THINKS THE STATE IS SHUFFLING ITS FEET ON. ON. THEYRE TOUCHING KIDS JUST AS MUCH AS PEOPLE THAT ARE MOVING AWAY. THEY SHOULD HAVE TO MOVE OUT TOO. WRONG IS WRONG TO ME. ME. BUT AT LEAST HERE... TRONIE AND TJ KNOW THEY CAN STRETCH FOR THE BIG CATCH.. WITHOUT HAVING THE SHADOW OF A SEX OFFENDER LIVING NEAR THEM. JUST LAST MONTH NEWS 12 TOLD YOU ABOUT SEX OFFENDERS GOING TO A HIGH SCHOOL IN AIKEN COUNTY. WERE TOLD IT WOULD BE UNCONSITUTIONAL TO NOT ALLOW KIDS IN THE SCHOOL. SCHOOL. WHAT ABOUT A SEX OFFENDER WHO LIVES WHERE ONE OF THOSE RESTRICTED PLACES OPENS UP? UP? WHILE SOUTH CAROLINAS NEW LAW GOES INTO EFFECT 90 DAYS AFTER THEY BUILD A NEW STATE DATABASE... GEORGIA HAS ITS OWN SEX OFFENDER LAWS IN EFFECTRIGHT NOW. SEX OFFENDERS IN GEORGIA CAN NOT LIVE, WORK, VOLUNTEER OR LOITER WITHIN A THOUSAND FEET OF A CHILD CARE FACILITY... CHURCH, SCHOOL... OR AREA WHERE MINORS COME TOGETHER. THEY ALSO HAVE THE GRANDFATHERING AS PART OF THE LAW. BREAKING NEWS WE HAVE BEENFOLLOWING THIS AFTERNOON. A SERIOUS FIRE IS NOW JUST ABOUT OUT ON FORT GORDON.

If you can read this message, you need to upgrade your Flash player in order to view this video. Click Here to download it for free.

AIRDATE: 06-17-2008
TRANSCRIPT: now back to our top story. story.its all to protect your kids... south carolina joins georgia in limiting where sex offenders can live. live. news 12s gene petriello has reaction on whether this new law is going far enough. enough. every parent wants to protect their kids... especially when theyre not around. so south carolina is getting on your side... so your kids can have fun and keep safe at the same time. nats of the kids playing... playing... with a flick of the wrist... 9 year old tj takes advantage of this beautiful day with his dad. dad. i get very excited. i like to come out here and run around. around. run around to make the perfect catch..nd at the same time.. keeping safe. safe. my safety is very important and my dad doesnt want nothing to happen to me. me. and south carolina isnt monkeying around when tj comes out to throwhe frisbee wi his dad. a new sex offender law signed by the governor all to protect your kids. kids. kids theyre not around us 24/7 and they can be out here in the park by themselves, so is very important we keep these predators away. away. the new law will keep offenders a thousand feet away from parks, public playgrounds, rec and daycare center. and schools. schools. i spend a lot of time with my kids and out here with my son playing frisbee, my son and daughters on the tennis court. so, i think its important we have laws to protect all our kids. kids. but some offenders are getting a break by being grandfathered in. they wont have to move even if they live with the thousand feet law if they live there right now... something tronie thinks the state is shuffling its feet on. on. theyre touching kids just as much as people that are moving away. they should have to move out too. wrong is wrong to me. me. but at least here... tronie and tj know they can stretch for the big catch.. without having the shadow of a sex offender living near them. just last month news 12 told you about sex offenders going to a high school in aiken county. were told it would be unconsitutional to not allow kids in the school. school. what about a sex offender who lives where one of those restricted places opens up? up? while south carolinas new law goes into effect 90 days after they build a new state database... georgia has its own sex offender laws in effectright now. sex offenders in georgia can not live, work, volunteer or loiter within a thousand feet of a child care facility... church, school... or area where minors come together. they also have the grandfathering as part of the law. breaking news we have beenfollowing this afternoon. a serious fire is now just about out on fort gordon.