Alabama lawmaker wants to castrate child sex offenders: "Punishment should fit the crime"

ALABAMA -- An Alabama state lawmaker wants to permanently and physically punish those convicted of sexual offenses against children ages 12 and younger.

"They have marked this child for life and the punishment should fit the crime," Alabama State House Rep. Steve Hurst said.

Rep. Hurst said this isn't the first time he's introduced this bill.

"I had people call me in the past when I introduced it, and people have called me and said 'don't you think this is inhumane?' I asked them 'what's more inhumane than when you take a little infant child and you sexually molest that infant child when the child cannot defend themselves or get away and they have to go through all the things they have to go through, if you want to talk about inhumane, that's inhumane,'" Hurst said.

Hurst is hoping the bill would make sex offenders think twice.

"If we do something of this nature, it would deter something like this happening again in Alabama and maybe reduce the numbers," Hurst said.

Alabama residents have had mixed reaction to the bill.

"Somebody that wants to mess with a little girl or little boy that age should be castrated and they should not be able to mess with any other kids," Keith Dison said.

"I understand prison and going to prison for a long time for some kind of crime like that but to physical mutilate someone that's a little out there its crazy," Jessica George said.

The bill must pass the Judiciary Committee before it can be heard by the Alabama House and Senate.