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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has officially signed two bills aimed at preventing crimes against children, with one referencing the use of artificial intelligence-generated content.
House Bill 445, also known as ‘Missy’s Law’, will tighten pretrial detention requirements to ensure that registered sex offenders remain in jail while awaiting trial and sentencing. The second bill, HB 1159, “modernizes” Florida child exploitation laws.
“Justice demands that those who victimize innocent people face swift and meaningful consequences,” DeSantis wrote on X.
Justice demands that those who victimize innocent people face swift and meaningful consequences. Today, I signed two important bills to strengthen law and order in Florida by holding dangerous criminals and sex offenders accountable for their crimes.
Missy’s Law (HB 445)… pic.twitter.com/jAWvZtZlwG
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) March 31, 2026
As of December 2025, the estimated count of registered sex offenders in Florida is believed to exceed 32,000. Although some of the details in the bills are extremely graphic to be included here, they aim to increase the punishments for those convicted of these offenses.
“In Florida, we will always fight to protect our children and deliver justice for victims of crimes,” DeSantis said.
Missy’s Law is named after a child who tragically died in Tallahassee, Fla., last May. The mother and stepfather faced several charges, including failure to report child abuse. The stepfather was out on bail while awaiting sentencing following a conviction for multiple crimes involving children, including traveling to meet a minor.
DeSantis has demanded that the Florida House of Representatives impeach Judge Tiffani Baker-Carper, who refused to revoke the bail. “This was an outrage,” DeSantis said on Monday. “This was such an easy call to make sure that this guy was put behind bars and this judge refused to do it, knowing the risks and the result has obviously been a tragedy.”
JUST IN: @GovRonDeSantis signs “Missy’s Law,” ending the release of convicted sex offenders pending sentencing
“WE DON’T WANT TO SEE EXAMPLES”
DeSantis slammed the Leon County judge who allowed a predator to remain on bail before he murdered his stepdaughter: “Totally… pic.twitter.com/itPMKCJaBT
— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) March 31, 2026
“I’m just thankful that justice is being served right now for my granddaughter, Melissa,” Pepper Mogle, the girl’s grandmother, said. “She did not deserve it.”
April also marks the 20-year anniversary of a sting in Fort Myers, Fla., involving the local sheriff’s office and ‘Perverted-Justice‘, an online watchdog group that operated in online chatrooms and posed as underage children. Police arrested 24 men, all of whom arrived at a house seeking a child under the age of consent, over a three-day span.
The sting was depicted on NBC’s popular “To Catch a Predator” later that year. NBC and ‘Perverted-Justice‘ returned to Florida later that year for a second sting in Flagler Beach — a small town roughly 75 miles northwest of Orlando. That operation resulted in the arrests of 21 men.
Chris Hansen, the host of “To Catch a Predator,” has recently featured similar Florida-based stings on his “Takedown” show. Those operations typically involve the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, which covers the region roughly 60 miles south of Orlando.
