To prevent sex offenders from prowling on cyberspace for young victims, a group of bipartisan lawmakers introduced a legislation awhile back. This proposal required sex offenders to register their e-mail addresses and make them available to social networking sites. It also made it a crime for adults to lie about their age in pursuit of sex with a minor.
On May 20, 2008, this proposal became a bill, and was passed in the Senate by unanimous consent. It was also passed in the House of Representatives without objection.
The bill is called Keeping the Internet Devoid of Sexual Predators Act. It is a follow-up on the legislation that requires sex offenders released from prison to register their home addresses with authorities.
“Just as we protect kids in their neighborhoods, we have to protect them in online communities,” said Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), who was one of the sponsors. Senator John McCaine (R-Ariz.) was also a sponsor of this proposal along with two other lawmakers.
This new act was named in memory of Adam Walsh, the son of “America’s Most Wanted” host John Walsh. It is also in memory of other victims whose families are suffering from the crimes of these predators.
Backers of this relatively new bill feel that it will receive a great deal of support, although some show concern over an individual’s privacy.
MySpace.com, the most visited social networking site, endorsed the legislation and already is using data from existing registry to try to identify sexual predators.
Facebook.com, another popular social networking site, also backs the bill.
The bill requires convicted sex offenders to register any e-mail address or instant messaging with the National Sex Offender Registry. Failure to comply would result in a maximum 10-year prison term and constitute a parole violation that would send any released felon on supervised release back to prison.
If internet users misrepresent their age in order to engage in sexual activity with a minor, it would be a federal crime and there would be a maximum of a 20-year prison sentence.
Sponsors admit that convicted sex offenders could create a new e-mail address, but they hope the stiff penalties would lead many to comply to the rules.
As a grandmother of an 11 year old granddaughter, I worry how effective this bill can be if the perpetrator is so “sick” that nothing can stop him/her. It will be interesting to follow up on this new rule, and see how effective it has been. If any reader is as concerned as I am, you can check on the internet and look up the bill, Keeping the Internet Devoid of Sexual Predators Act.
One of the lawmakers admitted that maybe you can’t force any of them off the internet or change their ways, but he felt if you increase the penalties and increase the way you track their movements, it can help some child from being a victim.
Source: Harriet Steinberg who has been following up on this information.
