Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Tuesday signed two bills aimed at increasing penalties for sex crimes involving children and strengthening pretrial detention rules for certain dangerous crimes.
House Bill 445 and House Bill 1159, known as “Missy’s Law,” were approved for the 2026 legislative session and focus on expanding criminal penalties, limiting release options for certain offenders, and addressing new forms of child exploitation.
House Bill 445 would amend Florida’s pretrial detention system by requiring individuals convicted of or pleading guilty to certain dangerous crimes to be held without bail while awaiting sentencing. The law also expands the list of crimes considered “dangerous” to include certain computer pornography and child exploitation crimes, which could affect whether a defendant is eligible for release at their first court appearance.
State officials said the bill was proposed in response to the 2025 murder of 5-year-old Missy Mogul. Florida Attorney General James Usmeyer said the law aims to curtail judicial discretion in cases involving individuals convicted of serious crimes, requiring them to be held in custody after conviction rather than allowing them to be released on bail.
House Bill 1159 expands criminal penalties related to child sexual abuse and related crimes. The law increases penalties for using children for sexual performances and for possessing, distributing, or producing such materials. It also mandates minimum prison sentences for certain crimes committed by adults, and creates life-long felonies for aggravated exploitation of children under 12.
Additionally, the law addresses new forms of exploitation by criminalizing the production and distribution of computer-generated sexual abuse material involving minors.
State officials said the move builds on previous efforts to strengthen penalties for child exploitation, strengthen monitoring requirements for sex offenders and support law enforcement efforts targeting online offenders.
Both laws come into effect as part of Florida’s broader effort to expand criminal penalties and enforcement measures related to crimes against children.
