The Sun's Julie Scharper this weekend chronicled the life and crimes of Thomas Leggs Jr., the Eastern Shore man indicted last week in the killing of an 11-year-old girl. Leggs has a long history of allegations of sex abuse, but for various reasons escaped serious penalties. His case has raised questions about the effectiveness of laws regarding sex offenders and spurred talk of reform in Annapolis this session:

Leggs' link to the Foxwell case has prompted scrutiny in Annapolis, with some lawmakers questioning why emergency legislation in 2006 that called for extended supervision of certain sex offenders and for the creation of a Sexual Offenders Advisory Board to assess the state's handling of such offenders both failed to get off the ground.

The O'Malley administration, which contends that the advisory board was not adequately set up and that other sex offender provisions are unworkable or unconstitutional, has responded by announcing that the board will be reactivated and strengthened, with former Attorney General J. Joseph Curran Jr. as chairman.

Though arguing that Gov. Martin O'Malley had improved sex offender supervision without the advisory board, the administration also unveiled 2010 legislative initiatives that they say go beyond what was envisioned in 2006.

The House of Delegates is slated to hear a host of sex offender bills, including the governor's, on Feb. 23. A Senate hearing has not been scheduled.

Advocates welcome the measures, but many say they don't go far enough. And while the sex offender registry can be a helpful tool for vigilant parents, it's merely an address registry. An offender can be furtively molesting children but be listed as compliant on the registry because his address is up-to-date.

"If we don't convict child molesters, it doesn't matter how strong the penalties are or how well the registry is enforced," said Lisae C. Jordan, a lawyer with the Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault. "People think, 'If I just check the sex offender registry, my children will be safe,' and that couldn't be further from the truth."