By Drew Dixon
Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed two measures designed to increase protections for children.
At a ceremony in Tampa, DeSantis signed a House bill known as “Missy’s Law” (HB 445) and another measure (HB 1159) designed to set increased mandatory penalties for child sexual offenders.
“Missy’s Law,” sponsored by St. Augustine Republican Rep. Sam Greco, is named after a 5-year-old girl, Melissa “Missy” Mogle, who was killed in May in Tallahassee. Her stepfather, Daniel Spencer, was already convicted of traveling to meet a minor and was on bond awaiting a prison sentence. Between his conviction and his sentencing date, investigators say he abused Missy, who died by asphyxiation.
“An individual would not be eligible for post-conviction release. That’s the period of time in between conviction and sentencing,” Greco said in an interview with Florida Politics, explaining the purpose of the legislation.
The death of the girl “was totally preventable,” DeSantis said, adding the case was “a miscarriage of justice.”
Spencer was also investigated for abusing Missy as early as 2024. Missy’s mother, Chloe Spencer, was also arrested on charges connected to the death.
The other bill (HB 1159) DeSantis signed Tuesday will put child predators behind bars for substantially more time.
The measure, sponsored by Seminole Republican Rep. Berny Jacques, covers offenders who possess pornographic images of children under 12 years old and involve “sadomasochistic abuse” of a child, “sexual battery” or “sexual bestiality” involving a child, or any film, video or computer-generated images involving children.
Anyone convicted of those crimes, classified as a first-degree felony, would serve a minimum of 15 years in prison. If it’s a second-degree felony, that would draw a minimum of five years in prison.
Repeat offenders will also face increased penalties. The measure also calls for mandatory sentences for sexual activity with animals.
Attorney General James Uthmeier was also at the signing ceremony and said the legislation was welcomed.
“There’s no state that’s doing more to go after predators who go after children … than our leaders in Florida,” Uthmeier said. “We will come after you in Florida with everything we got.”
Uthmeier has overseen dozens of arrests of child predators since he took over the Attorney General’s Office in the past year.
Disclaimer
Artificial Intelligence Disclosure & Legal Disclaimer
AI Content Policy.
To provide our readers with timely and comprehensive coverage, South Florida Reporter uses artificial intelligence (AI) to assist in producing certain articles and visual content.
Articles: AI may be used to assist in research, structural drafting, or data analysis. All AI-assisted text is reviewed and edited by our team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our editorial standards.
Images: Any imagery generated or significantly altered by AI is clearly marked with a disclaimer or watermark to distinguish it from traditional photography or editorial illustrations.
General Disclaimer
The information contained in South Florida Reporter is for general information purposes only.
South Florida Reporter assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions in the contents of the Service. In no event shall South Florida Reporter be liable for any special, direct, indirect, consequential, or incidental damages or any damages whatsoever, whether in an action of contract, negligence or other tort, arising out of or in connection with the use of the Service or the contents of the Service.
The Company reserves the right to make additions, deletions, or modifications to the contents of the Service at any time without prior notice. The Company does not warrant that the Service is free of viruses or other harmful components.
