LONDON - Britain plans a modest trial run of a pedophile notification system with information limited to a small group of people.
The pilot program is to be launched in Somerset, The News of the World reported Tuesday.
British police and some children's advocacy groups have opposed laws modeled on the "Megan's laws" adopted by most U.S. states. They fear that sex offenders, who are now required to register but whose identities are kept confidential, would stop cooperating.
In Britain, the proposal is named "Sarah's law." Like Megan Kanka, killed by a neighbor in a Trenton, N.J., suburb, Sarah Payne was killed by a convicted pedophile.
The details that have emerged so far of Home Secretary John Reid's proposal show that it would provide little more information to the public than is available now, the Telegraph said. Under current law, police can notify parents if they think their children are being targeted and school principals. They can also release the names of offenders who refuse to register.
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