Child molesters convicted in Pennsylvania courts may face "chemical castration" treatments under legislation being drafted by Westmoreland Republican Sen. Bob Regola.

The freshman state senator said last week he is writing legislation that will treat certain sex offenders with Depo-Provera, a weekly injection that inhibits production of sex hormones.

"This legislation will require that, for some offenses, judges order [convicts] to undergo medically safe treatments to reduce sex drive, sexual fantasies, or both," Sen. Regola, R-Hempfield, said.

The treatment would be mandatory for certain first offenses and discretionary for other crimes on second or subsequent offense, he said. The legislation also sets penalties for those who fail to comply with the court-ordered treatment.

"Chemical treatment of sex offenders is an accepted and useful tool in the effort to protect our children from sexual predators," Sen. Regola said. "A number of other states currently have such laws on the books, and I thought it's about time we did something here."

In 1996 California became the first state to pass a chemical castration law. Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Montana have since passed similar measures; proposals in Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Michigan, Mississippi and Missouri were never enacted or lost challenges to their constitutional integrity.

Sen. Regola said he's rounding up legislative support for the bill and will likely introduce it in January.

Research says the chemical works for certain types of pedophiles, but it's not a cure-all for the disorder, said Dr. Fred Berlin, of Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions.

"The notion we can give someone a shot, once a week, and walk away from them and feel comfortable, I think is a very naive point of view," Berlin said.