Protecting children from would-be sexual predators was the hot-button topic of the evening during a bustling, well-attended town hall meeting hosted by California State Assemblyman Cameron Smyth (R) Santa Clarita, on August 8 in Santa Clarita's city council chambers.

"We want to fill in the loopholes," Smyth said of his urgent proposed surrogate stalker legislation, which he plans to introduce to the State Legislature when the session reconvenes at the end of August. He is hopeful that the bill will be signed into law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger before the end of the year.

The issue at hand involves the high-profile questionable behavior of self-proclaimed pedophile, Jack McClellan, juxtaposed against the freedom of speech clause of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution - a freedom that McCellan has been able to use to his advantage.

With cameras rolling from a press corps of Los Angeles news affiliates, Smyth, a father of two young sons, addressed the concerns of his hometown constituents in response to the recent turn of events involving McCellan.

Earlier this month, McClellan was issued a temporary restraining order that will prevent him from coming within 30 feet of any minor in the state of California, making it nearly impossible for him to continue to live in Los Angeles - or any other city in California, including the tight-knit community of Santa Clarita.

"If you come here, we're going to be ready for you," Smyth asserted. "The issuance of the temporary restraining order was a great victory, however, it is extremely important we use this momentum and bring the community together to make sure we prevent another Jack McClellan situation from happening again," the freshman assemblyman added.

Audience members applauded Smyth's words while later taking their turn at the microphone, echoing their concerns during a question and answer session regarding the safety of the valley's children in light of recent developments.

"The protection of our children is the first order of business," said Santa Clarita lawyer Anthony Zinnanti, who with the help of local attorney Richard Patterson, convinced Chatsworth Superior Court Judge Melvin D. Sandvig to serve a temporary restraining order against McClellan. Zinnanti explained that the TRO is just the first step in the process of getting a permanent injunction against McClellan. The lawyers are scheduled to return to Sandvig's court Aug. 24 to argue for a preliminary injunction for the state of California.

Also addressing the issue were SCV Sheriff's Captain Anthony La Berge, city of Santa Clarita Park's director Rick Gould, along with Stacy Miller, vice president of external relations with the Child Care Resource Center (CCRC) who also serves as board president of the SCV Youth Project. Representatives from LA County District Attorney Steve Cooley's office and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's department were also among the speakers.

Leaders and community members alike expressed concerns over McClellan's now shut down pedophilia-promoting Web sites that once displayed photos of children he had seen in public places, reportedly including venues in Santa Clarita.

Officials spoke of the legal challenges they face in attempting to press charges against McClellan, in regard to freedom of speech provisions as outlined in the First Amendment.

Despite the hurdles, parents and community members alike - including a rugged yet affable cadre of representatives from the Bikers Against Child Abuse (BACA) - sounded off in a show of unity, vowing to take a proactive stance in protecting children everywhere.

With gratitude toward her husband for his work in Sacramento, Lena Smyth, a co-founder of Mothers Against Sexual Predators along with fellow co-founder Jane Thomson, encouraged moms and parents to help promote child safety education and to make an effort to effectively lobby for changes in laws as a means of protecting children from sexual predators.

La Berge and L.A. County Sheriff's Captain Joe Gutierrez of the Sheriff's Special Victims Bureau, encouraged parents to report any suspicious behavior by calling the sheriff's department at (661) 255-1121 or the sheriff's department's Special Victims Bureau at (562) 946-7901.