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Sex offender e-mail gets scrutiny
Taking aim at sex offenders' e-mail.
By CHELYEN DAVIS
Date published: 12/12/2006
RICHMOND--Sex offenders will have to register their e-mail addresses and instant-messaging handles with the state, under a bill proposed by Attorney General Bob McDonnell that aims to stop sex offenders from preying on children online.
The bill--which is still being drafted--would add e-mail and IM handles to the list of things (like street address, work address) that sex offenders must register with the state. It's a recommendation from McDonnell's Youth Internet Safety Task Force.
The intent is to compile those e-mail addresses into a database that could then be used by investigators to track whether sex offenders are approaching children online.
The state plans to work with Myspace.com--a popular social networking site that attracts millions of teenagers--to use the database to keep sex offenders from registering on Myspace.
Myspace is already working to develop a national database of sex offenders, with the idea that it could cross-reference the e-mail addresses of those who attempt to register or log in to the site with the database.
In a statement released through McDonnell's office, Myspace.com's chief security officer, Hemanshu Nigam, said the proposed Virginia law would be a "landmark moment in the history of Internet safety."
Virginia is the first state to propose requiring sex offenders to register their e-mail addresses.
"It's a logical extension here in the cyber age of what they [already] report," McDonnell said. "We think it's a great step forward."
McDonnell said he realizes that sex offenders could easily register one e-mail address and then get another, secret one to use on such Web sites.
"That's the biggest challenge," he said.
But he hopes that increased enforcement of sex offender registration requirements, along with added penalties for offenders caught using unregistered e-mail addresses, will help cut down the number of offenders preying on children online.
"The bottom line is this--if we can keep sexual predators off of a Web site that has got 125 million users, primarily young boys and girls, it is going to be a major step forward in assuring parents and young people that this site is safe for them and that they are not going to have convicted child molesters on these sites," McDonnell said yesterday.
| 'It's a logical extension here in the cyber age of what they [already] report.'
Bob McDonnell Virginia attorney general |
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Date published: 12/12/2006
Most recent reader comments:
This is ridiculous!
(posted by
acecon
, Sep. 25, 2007 2:41 pm)
McDonnell is doing this is because he can't handle any other crime so he goes for the easy group. Bills like this should be targeted to repeat ofenders and not everyone. They are passing unconstitutional laws. We are all entitled to civil liberties. I understand there are sick people out there but, dont take it out on the offenders who are trying to turn thier life around. They need to focus on the murders, drug dealers, DUIs and the crimes that are really affecting the Community, Kids and State.
i have no interest in such sites i just want PEACE THE PROOF WILL BE IF I AM WATCHED IT IS JUST
(posted by
, Sep. 25, 2007 2:41 pm)
i am a sex offender i have done every thing required by law i can not chan ge the past what i have done i use computer i have no interes t of IM user i dont seek children i would like a normal life i feel like i am in a box the past never goes away i have no interes t in seeking web sites like that i have no interes at all i would like a normal life iam a adult and i act like one with no porn or ill magizines in my life but i am stamped with a x i have no interest on preying on a child
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