I n the featured article appearing in this volume, Dr. Rind noted that the harshness in legal treatment of persons committing sex offenses with minors has increased dramatically over the last thirty some years, but that no systematic study has tracked these changes. He did, however, mention a number of trends, including life sentences, the death penalty, civil commitment up to life, lifetime registration, and onerous zoning restrictions regarding living arrangements. He argued that these trends reflect a popular sentiment that has evolved into what historian Philip Jenkins (1998) has referred to as a “moral panic.” Though his article did not elaborate further, it is important to consider contemporary legal changes more thoroughly in order to evaluate this “moral panic” and to better understand its nature and direction.