Two States Propose to Tighten Sex Offender Oversight

Government officials in two U.S. states have proposed unconventional plans to crack down on the monitoring of convicted sex offenders: The attorney general in Virginia wants offenders to register their online IDs and e-mail addresses, and New York officials want to implement the use of lie detector tests.

According to New York’s Division of Parole spokesman Scott Steinhardt, the computer-based polygraph tests would ask questions about the whereabouts of the sex offender to justify electronic supervision, restrict travel, or prohibit the use of the Internet.

While it has been approved by the lawyer at the division and more than a dozen officers have been trained to use the equipment, the proposal has yet to be reviewed by the attorney general.

Registering Internet IDs in VA

Virginia’s Attorney General Bob McDonnell is currently proposing laws that would force all convicted sex offenders in the state to register their Internet identities to block access to social networking sites like MySpace.com.

Furthermore, Senators Charles Schumer and John McCain have announced their own plans to seek similar federal laws, but they claim it would only apply to sex offenders on parole or probation.

Law enforcement officials, parents, and teachers are growing more and more concerned that their children and teens are facing serious risks on social networking sites that offer tools for creating personal profiles, sharing photos, and messaging.

“This legislation is important recognition that the Internet has become a community as real as any other neighborhood and is in need of similar safeguards,” said MySpace’s chief security officer Hemanshu Nigam, who applauded the announcement in Virginia.

Of the 550,000 registered sex offenders in the U.S., the state of Virginia has 13,000 of them.

“We require all sex offenders to register their physical and mailing addresses in Virginia, but in the 21st century it is just as critical that they register any e-mail addresses or IM screen names,” said McDonnell.

Have you been charged or convicted of a sex crime? Please contact us today to speak with a qualified criminal law lawyer who can ensure your legal rights and interests are fully protected.