A law seeks to protect children from sex offenders − 20 years later, the jury is still out

Mark Lunsford appears at a July 2005 rally in support of the Children's Safety Act on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Before his sentencing in March 2025, a convicted child rapist asked for a judgment that would have set him free in 2027. The Kansas resident received 25 years with no chance of parole.

The reason? Jessica’s Law, which Kansas lawmakers passed in 2006.