WASHINGTON, DC - In an effort to protect children from sexual predators, the U.S. Senate last night unanimously passed legislation to strengthen federal registration requirements for convicted offenders.  Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) stated, Too often we see stories in the news about the children who fall victim to sexual predators and the devastating consequences for them and their families.  No one should have to go through that kind of pain and suffering. This legislation is vitally important part of keeping our children safe from sexual predators. Registration has been a key tool in tracking these offenders and keeping them away from areas in which children gather. This bill will strengthen the ability of the federal government to keep track of child predators and keep our young people safe.The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 creates a National Sex Offender Registry and the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website which will be available to the public to search for sex offender information by geographic radius and zip code.Under the measure, convicted sex offenders are required to register prior to their release from prison or within three days of sentencing if there is no term of imprisonment.  Offenders are then required to register in person at regular intervals depending on the severity of their crime. An offender who fails to register could face up to ten years in prison.In addition to strengthening registration requirements, the legislation also creates a number of tougher penalties for sex offenses and violent crimes against children.The bill also strengthens recordkeeping and labeling requirements on certain types of pornography to help stop exploitation of children and teenagers and creates tough new penalties for child exploitation via the Internet.Tougher penalties for child predators are long overdue. It is essential that parents have the tools to protect their children from harm. This legislation will help parents make informed decisions about how best to protect these children, even when they cant be with them.The bill must now be passed by the House of Representatives and signed into law by the President.