Pedophiles to live in South Dakota....

well, at least not die...

The skinny:

House committee rejects death penalty for pedophiles

PIERRE, S.D. - With little discussion, a South Dakota House committee rejected a plan that would have allowed the death penalty for those convicted of a second sex offense against children.

The Judiciary Committee voted unanimously Wednesday to kill the measure.

The bill's main sponsor, Rep. Stan Adelstein, R-Rapid City, said he proposed the death penalty because evidence indicates that people convicted of criminal pedophilia are likely to attack children again if they are released from prison.

"I want the person eliminated from society after the second time," Adelstein said.

But committee members pointed out that someone convicted a second time for criminal pedophilia automatically gets a life sentence without parole.

Criminal pedophilia is defined as sexual penetration of a victim younger than 13 by someone 26 or older. It does not include incest.

Adelstein said some people have argued that the death penalty should be used only for particularly violent crimes, but he believes nothing is more violent than criminal pedophilia.