US Senators (Schumer & McCain) propose to track sex offenders online

[UrbScotty]

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=technologyNews&storyID=2006-12-07T200947Z_01_N07269514_RTRUKOC_0_US-MYSPACE-SEXOFFENDERS.xml&WTmodLoc=NewsHome-C3-technologyNews-3

Two U.S. senators said on Thursday they would introduce legislation that would potentially protect users of popular social networking sites like News Corp's MySpace from registered sex offenders.

New York Democrat Charles E. Schumer and Arizona Republican John McCain, in a press release, said they planned to introduce a bill at the beginning of the 110th Congress in January that would require registered sex offenders to submit their active email addresses to law enforcement.

The legislation would enable social networking sites like MySpace to cross-check new members against a database of registered sex offenders and ensure that predators are unable to sign up for the service.

Under the proposed legislation, any sex offender who submits a fraudulent email could face prison.

<snip>

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

1. I don't see that working.

I've got about 10 email addresses, and it takes about 5 minutes to get another one. The "fraudulent" email provision wouldn't help much, as one could easily prove they do, in fact, use that email address.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

2. It sounds like the beginning of federal regulation of the internet.

I've never really trusted Schumer and really don't trust McCain.

MKJ

[OneBlueSky]

3. I still don't get it . . . once offenders -- sex or otherwise -- serve their sentences . . .

they should be given a chance to re-enter society as productive citizens . . . these days, however, communities won't let them live anywhere, they have to disclose their convictions to potential employers (thus killing any job prospects), in some states they can be held even after completing their sentences if someone or other thinks they might re-offend, and there's a move afoot to track them 24/7 using GPS technology . . . just what in the hell are these people supposed to do with their lives? . . .

I find this particularly disturbing because of all of the offenses that are lumped into the category "sex offense" . . . some, to be sure, are egregious offenses, but many are offenses that people probably should never have been prosecuted for (e.g. being spotted by a kid while urinating in the woods, an 18-year-old who had consensual sex with his 16-year-old girlfriend, etc.) . . . regardless of the seriousness of the offense, all of these individuals face a lifetime of monitoring, rejection, and ostracism that makes it virtually impossible for them to have any kind of lives . . .

we don't impose these kinds of restrictions on murderers, but apparently this country considers sexual offenses worse than murder . . . this completely violates the American traditions of perspective, fair play, second chances, and helping people who have been in trouble rebuild their lives . . . and it's just downright unfair . . .

[sarcasmo]

4. I agree, our society has made this crime far worse than killing someone.

[smirkymonkey]

17. For some of the victims, it is a crime far worse than killing some-

one.

[Nutmegger]

13. I logged in just to say that I agree with you 100%.

Sadly this issue does grant political points and provides people with a sense of false security.

A town in my fair state (Connecticut (sorry for Lieberman!)) passed an ordinance that would ban offenders from public parks and such. It will be challenged and I hope this gets overturned.

What's next? Banning convicted murders and thieves from shopping malls?

It's all crap.

[stillcool]

5. they can do a test-run

with their fellow Congress-critters, and other government officials caught in flagrante delicto.

[UTUSN]

6. Correcto-mundo, won't CATCHING them deplete the Rethug voting pool? n/t

[SquireJons]

7. But, won't that clog the tubes?

God, these people are dumb.

[SoCalDem]

8. but but but.. when the tubes are all jammed up with pedophiles

they can call "rort-router" and flush em all out..round em up..git 'er done :)

[brer cat]

9. And this is brought to us by the folks who couldn't keep

track of Foley and he was in the same building?

[SquireJons]

12. Would you?

With Foley masturbating in his office... they didn't want to keep track of him. How'd you like to walk in on that?

Unless you had a camera or a reporter with you.

[brer cat]

15. lol

[The Count]

10. Their sense of priorities is astounding! War? Impeachment? Stolen elections?

Not that I am surprised - I mean even fron Chucky - he was bragging to Bill Maher how he bravely asked the SCOTUS right wingers he pushed through what was their favorite movie....
McCain can't dirty his karma any further after worsening the torture act.

[Alexander]

11. You can be charged as a "sex offender" by pissing outside or tanning topless.

I remember I was with these girls during a camping trip one summer, and they decided to tan sans bikini.

The ranger pulled up, caught them, and said they could be charged with a "sex crime", as indecent exposure. Never mind that NO ONE ELSE saw them, except the people who were camping with them and obviously didn't care (like me).

Also, if you're staggering around drunk and need to take a leak in the middle of the night, responding to nature's call outside can also get you an indecent exposure "sex offender" charge, FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.

The definitions, and laws, need to be changed.

[superconnected]

14. actually if you go through the online records of wa state

sex offenders, nobody is on it for anything under the level of child molestation.

http://www.nsopr.gov

click, I agree on the page(in the big white section), type in the code you see on the screen.

And, please tell us if you see anyone who's been peeing on the street on there.

(sorry everyone else. Whenever my work used to have sex harassment training classes, it was the guys who would leer at womens breasts who protested the most and acted like being able to claim sex harassment was really bad becaues of all the innocent people accused..)

----
Pulled some of my post, it was a bit out of order, but still... ya gotta wonder aobut people who pull crap out of their ass like that. My experience says they're the ones to watch..

[mongo]

16. Wow.

So, anyone that disagrees with you is a sex offender. Nice, well reasoned argument.

The laws are different in every state. In Michigan, Maine and New York you can get on the offender list for public urination - some other states as well, but I don't have a list handy.

Plaistow Deputy Chief Kathleen Jones said there is an average of five or six registered sex offenders in Plaistow at any time. She said the only problem the department has had with sex offenders in the 20 years she has been on the force is failure to register, which some sex offenders may not realize they have to do annually because laws change from state to state.

Jones also said that not every person on the sex offender list has necessarily committed an egregious crime such as rape or molestation because a conviction of indecent exposure, even in cases such as public urination, can land someone on the list.

http://www.seacoastonline.com/2005news/rock/04012005/news/73224.htm

"Public urination is one of the negatives of tailgating at MSU," she said. "Students in south campus have been complaining for years about stepping outside their dorms on game days to see someone urinating. An ordinance like (this) will be a step towards correcting the urination problem."

She said in places where there already are public urination ordinances, people don't have to face the harsh penalty of being placed on the sex offenders list after repeated offenses.

http://www.statenews.com/article.phtml?pk=28103

Looks to me like you are the person who pulled crap out of your ass.

[robcon]

18. This has been a very successful program in my community

The County DA has caught numerous pervs - mostly child porn and child molesters. It's a good idea.

[mongo]

19. And where exactly are you -- and what does the "program" require?

So, a sex offender has to register their address with the sheriff?

How exactly does that catch child molesters?

Do you have any examples or links?