Out of all the sentencing conventions in the US, I think the typical 5-10 years for pedophilia is the most obviously wrong. There's nothing to be gained from releasing pedos from jail, but everything to lose. The recidivism rate is so high that we need a special class of felon (the sexual offender registry) to try to provide at least some protection to children from further predation. In that light, is a life sentence cruel and unusual punishment as a consequence for child molestation? I don't think so.
The most enraging thing about child serial killers is that almost every one of them has a rap sheet for CSA and rape, but were set free by the legal system, sometimes multiple times, until their cravings got strong enough to kill their victims. The worst case I ever read was a guy that skipped bail for a pedo charge, then went on to kill an entire family, kidnap the youngest kids, and kill one of them before his last victim was rescued.
I don't know who decided that pedophiles should have the privilege of leaving prison, but let's say it wouldn't be surprising if there were a lot of conflicting interests involved.
You know that old saying about cutting down every law in the land to get to the devil? That's why.
You are only thinking about its use in the most perfect, just world. In reality that would just give carte blanche freedom to the Government to "find" CP on your computer and then throw you away forever with no questions asked for daring to annoy them.
Not only that, but it would make sure that everyone who makes a "mistake" has no reason to hold back any further. Because most of the time these things start as a spur of the moment crime of opportunity, a "mistake," that then progresses from there. This isn't to downplay what they did, only how it works in their mind.
If they know that there are fucked either way with no recourse, then there is no reason for them to not just go all the way at that point. That child serial killer won't have a rap sheet for CSA first, he will just jump right to it because that can't give him two life sentences. He is already maxed out so why not give it his all.