On August 22, 2005, Sheriff Kathy Witt, along with Lieutenant Governor Steve Pence, guided a group of more than 50 law enforcement motorcyclists on a stage tour to promote more stringent sex offender laws in Kentucky.

"This is an issue that affects every family in the Commonwealth. We must send a clear message that sex offenders are not welcome and will be dealt with harshly in Kentucky," said Lieutenant Governor Pence. "We need to consider lifetime supervision, mandatory minimum sentencing, and elimination of parole for sex offenders."

The motorcycle tour kicked off with a ceremony at the state capitol in which Sheriff Witt encouraged the enactment of not­ification laws that tell communities when pre­dators are coming to live in their neigh­borhoods. "Cit­izens of the Com­mon­wealth have said that they want to know who living among them may be the most dangerous. Maureen Kanka said it in the mid-90's when her precious daughter, Megan was killed by a sexual predator living across the street from her. Megan and her family and neighbors had no idea that this predator lived among them, nor that he was living with two other convicted pedophiles. Local law enforcement knew but weren't allowed to share the information because of restrictions in laws at the time. And so this predator, living anonymously in the neighborhood, was able to lure Megan into his home on the promise of showing her his new puppy. Her lifeless body was later found in a garbage bag in a nearby park. Her parents have since been on a crusade across the country encouraging states to adopt notification laws."

Sheriff Witt and Lieutenant Governor Pence were accompanied by Mark Lunsford, father of Jessica Lunsford who, in February of this year, was abducted from her bedroom by a repeat sex offender. Her body was found nearly three weeks later, less than 150 yards from her home. The case prompted Florida legislators to enact a bill that requires life sentences or lifetime monitoring for sex offenders who prey on children.

"No child should have her life cut short by violence the way Jessica did," stated Lieutenant Gov­ernor Pence. Sheriff Witt went further, by saying that the Commonwealth needs our version of the Jessica Lunsford Act, a law that will put sexual predators behind bars for a minimum of 25 years to life. A law that will give this Commonwealth an all-felon DNA statute, mandating the collection of DNA from all convicted felons. A law that will hold those persons accountable who still choose to harbor sexual predators.

The motorcycle tour proceeded from the state capitol in Frankfort to a rally in Florence, Kentucky. Following that stop, the motorcyclists rode to Louisville's Waterfront Park for another press conference, where the tour concluded.

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