OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma House of Representatives passed House Bill 2422 — which would require child sex offenders to be chemically castrated before they would be eligible for parole.
The bill is a promise from Representative Scott Fetgatter to the victims' families in the 2023 Henryetta mass murder suicide, where Jesse McFadden killed his wife, three stepchildren, and two neighborhood teenagers.
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Fetgatter also helped passed Knight's Law last year, which ensures anyone convicted of a child sex crime spends the entirety of their sentence behind bars. McFadden served 7 years of his 20-year prison sentence.
Fetgatter said HB2422 would make chemical castration an option for child sex offenders who are seeking parole or they would be required to serve their whole sentence.
Chemical castration is a medical procedure that uses medications to suppress the production of sex hormones, primarily testosterone. It is typically used to reduce sexual desire and aggression in individuals with certain medical or legal conditions.
"A known sex offender in my district was let out of prison even after he was accused of committing additional sex crimes while incarcerated," Fetgatter said. "He murdered his wife, her children, and several of the children's friends before he could be tried on those new crimes. This should never have been allowed."
The bill would be applied to those over 21 years old who committed a crime involving physical touch against a minor under the age of 13 that requires registration as a sex offender and who has received a mental health evaluation determining the likelihood they would commit subsequent offenses if released on parole.
"I have promised the families of these victims that as long as I'm in this building, I will fight for stricter laws against such offenders to better protect our kids," he said. "While I know this bill doesn't fix all issues dealing with sexual predators, it's a step in the right direction."
According to the fiscal analysis of the bill, over the past five years, the Oklahoma Department of Correction received anywhere from seven to 299 offenders per year that would qualify.
The cost of administering chemical castrations will vary on the patient's dosage, length of therapy, and number of qualifying patients. The medication typically costs around $0.11 per pill or $21.34 per injection.
HB2422 now moves to the Senate where it is authored by Sen. Todd Gollihare, R-Kellyville.
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