MySpace Finds 29,000 Sex Offenders

[canihavu]

MySpace Finds 29,000 Sex Offenders
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Jul 25, 4:32 AM (ET)

By GARY D. ROBERTSON

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - MySpace.com has found more than 29,000 registered sex offenders with profiles on the popular social networking Web site - more than four times the number cited by the company two months ago, officials in two states Tuesday.

North Carolina's Roy Cooper is one of several attorneys general who recently demanded the News Corp. (NWS)-owned Web site provide data on how many registered sex offenders were using the popular social networking site, along with information about where they live.

After initially withholding the information, citing federal privacy laws, MySpace began sharing the information in May after the states filed formal legal requests.

At the time, MySpace said it had already used a database it helped create to remove about 7,000 profiles of sex offenders, out of a total of about 180 million profiles on the site.

Cooper's office said Tuesday, however, that now the figure has risen past 29,000.

"I'm absolutely astonished and appalled because the number has grown so exponentially over so short of time with no explanation," said Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who also had pressed the company earlier for sex offender data.

MySpace declined to comment on the figure, focusing instead on its efforts to clean up its profile rolls.

"We're pleased that we've successfully identified and removed registered sex offenders from our site and hope that other social networking sites follow our lead," MySpace chief security officer Hemanshu Nigam said in a prepared statement.

Cooper is pushing for a state law that would require children to receive parental permission before creating social networking profiles, and require the Web sites to verify the parents' identity and age. For example, social networking sites would have to compare information provided by a parent with commercial databases. Sites could also force parents to submit credit cards or printed forms.

Cooper is working with law enforcement officials in other states in pressuring MySpace to use age and identity verification methods voluntarily. Based on media reports, Cooper's office found more than 100 criminal incidents this year of adults using MySpace to prey or attempt to prey on children.

Most recently, a Virginia man pleaded guilty Monday to kidnapping and soliciting a 14-year old girl he met on MySpace.

"All we're doing is giving parents the right to make a choice whether their children can go online," Cooper told a state House committee considering the bill on parental involvement and verification. He said the measure would lead to "fewer children at risk, because there will be fewer children on those Web sites."

Advocates for Internet companies and privacy issues testified against the proposed restrictions, saying the broad parental verification standards would be found unconstitutional because they prohibit free speech or impede interstate commerce. The experts who testified also said Cooper's idea isn't foolproof, because children could fabricate their parents' information and purported consent.

The parental verification requirement "makes promises to consumers that cannot be kept. It is dangerous language," said Emily Hackett, executive director of the Washington-based Internet Alliance, whose clients include Time Warner Inc. (TWX)'s AOL, Yahoo Inc. (YHOO) and VeriSign Inc. "There is no way to eyeball a user."

The bill has already passed the North Carolina Senate. Now it goes to a House subcommittee for more consideration.

State Sen. Walter Dalton, a Democrat who is a primary sponsor of the bill, acknowledged that it won't stop all sexual predators from getting on social networking sites. But he said it addresses a problem that shouldn't be ignored, Dalton said.

"There is obviously a compelling state interest to protect our children from sexual predators," he said.

[canihavu]

Damn shame

[Vicki Richter]

You know, not all sex offenders are baby rapers. In fact, everyone who has committed any sex crime has to register as a sex offender. There are a very small number of people I would call sexual predators. Guys convicted of date rape or a indescent exposure or some even more ambiguous sex crimes. It's retarded. There should be a seperate system that covers child predators and the hardcore rapist type sex criminals.

[youcancallmeclaire]

You know, not all sex offenders are baby rapers. In fact, everyone who has committed any sex crime has to register as a sex offender. There are a very small number of people I would call sexual predators. Guys convicted of date rape or a indescent exposure or some even more ambiguous sex crimes. It's retarded. There should be a seperate system that covers child predators and the hardcore rapist type sex criminals.

You don't think date-rape is as bad as other forms of rape?

Is there some invisible line of rape legitimacy that I can't see?

Laser-eyes are cool.

[whatislove]

Vicky probably trying to say things like statutory rape, where both parties are consenting one just happens to be 16 goes on a Sex Offender list.


But I'm against date rape, too totally.

[Vicki Richter]

I think date rape is more questionable. Lets take the Mike Tyson thing for example. Some girl goes back to his hotel room at 2AM and she doesn't expect to fuck? Now he's a lifetime registered sex offender. I think date rape isn't even close to as bad and I think, like the Kobe Bryant case, it is highly questionable.

If a girl gets drunk and loses her morales she may turn around and say it was rape. The DNA supports there was sex. The guy has a big dick so she might have a tear or two (which isn't all that uncommon). I mean how many of these cases do we have where it is one person's word against anothers? Who is the better actor in the courtroom?

Woman: "I said no"
Man: "No she didn't"
Proof: Cum DNA in her mouth and ass.

Throw him in the clink. Everytime I think sex offender, I think about the Tyson thing and it pisses me off so much. There are tens of thousands of people who aren't predatory rapists who are sex offenders.

Oh, and there are literally thousands of sex offenders who were teens having sex with teens. Or early 20's having sex with teens. My sister used to date guys in their 20's and 30's when she was a senior in high school. It was very common. It's been the theme in movies - high school girl dating college boy.

I think, like all things, there are morale judgements and limitations. Like I wouldn't want to hear about a 21 year old with a 13 or 14 year old. But a 16 or 17 year old having consensual sex with a 22 or 23 year old... big fucking deal. Those guys aren't sex offenders and there are a lot of them who our society say are. Should we be worried as a society that they have myspace profiles? Um. No.

[Vicki Richter]

Oh and another thing. How come murderers don't have to be registered murderers? How about violent felons who have beat people within an inch of their life. I would want to know if my neighbor was a murderer too right?

The legal and prison system doesn't help rehabilitation. It fucks people for life in mainstream society and makes them almost have to be a life criminal.

Oh you were a passenger in a car that did an armed robbery when you were 18 years old? Oh... For that youthful stupidity what do you get? A lifetime of punishment!!!

Oh you got busted selling a little too much cocaine at the frat house while working your way through college... What is his prize Johnny? Never a good job!!!! Woohoo! 20 years ago? Too bad!

I don't condone underage sex at all. I think all true child rapists should have lifetime incarceration or death. I just think that Meghans Law is about all sex crimes, but everyone perceives it is about child rape. It's a huge misconception and a societal witch hunt.

[youcancallmeclaire]

I think date rape is more questionable. Lets take the Mike Tyson thing for example. Some girl goes back to his hotel room at 2AM and she doesn't expect to fuck? Now he's a lifetime registered sex offender. I think date rape isn't even close to as bad and I think, like the Kobe Bryant case, it is highly questionable.

If a girl gets drunk and loses her morales she may turn around and say it was rape. The DNA supports there was sex. The guy has a big dick so she might have a tear or two (which isn't all that uncommon). I mean how many of these cases do we have where it is one person's word against anothers? Who is the better actor in the courtroom?

Woman: "I said no"
Man: "No she didn't"
Proof: Cum DNA in her mouth and ass.

Throw him in the clink. Everytime I think sex offender, I think about the Tyson thing and it pisses me off so much. There are tens of thousands of people who aren't predatory rapists who are sex offenders.

Oh, and there are literally thousands of sex offenders who were teens having sex with teens. Or early 20's having sex with teens. My sister used to date guys in their 20's and 30's when she was a senior in high school. It was very common. It's been the theme in movies - high school girl dating college boy.

I think, like all things, there are morale judgements and limitations. Like I wouldn't want to hear about a 21 year old with a 13 or 14 year old. But a 16 or 17 year old having consensual sex with a 22 or 23 year old... big fucking deal. Those guys aren't sex offenders and there are a lot of them who our society say are. Should we be worried as a society that they have myspace profiles? Um. No.

Well, of course you will run into issues trying to determine guilt, especially in high-profile cases like that. But I'm sure there are people who get "date raped" in a situation of total innocence and victimization, and then ontop of all their pain and suffering, get shafted by the system which is used to sue-happy individuals trying to take advantage of someone else's fame.
The sad thing is, there's nothing that can be done to sort the legitimate cases from the crap ones.

And I totally agree about the statutory thing. I have dated people 6 years younger than me and 15 years older, and I was only 22 if that says anything. (this was before I ever thought about doing sex work... in "normal" life.)
And... there were definitely times when I feared basically for my life because of the laws in place against that type of thing. I have consensual sex with the girl I love... who also happens to be a bigger and more seductively manipulative nympho than even me, and then I get thrown in jail? WTF.

Ontop of that, it'd probably end up being a men's jail where I actually ~would~ get raped? And my girlfriend would be utterly broken by losing me, and she'd be perpetually psychologically fucked as well.

I mean... WTF x 2.

We still live in a savage society.

[hondarobot]

Oh and another thing. How come murderers don't have to be registered murderers? How about violent felons who have beat people within an inch of their life. I would want to know if my neighbor was a murderer too right?

The legal and prison system doesn't help rehabilitation. It fucks people for life in mainstream society and makes them almost have to be a life criminal.

Oh you were a passenger in a car that did an armed robbery when you were 18 years old? Oh... For that youthful stupidity what do you get? A lifetime of punishment!!!

Oh you got busted selling a little too much cocaine at the frat house while working your way through college... What is his prize Johnny? Never a good job!!!! Woohoo! 20 years ago? Too bad!

I don't condone underage sex at all. I think all true child rapists should have lifetime incarceration or death. I just think that Meghans Law is about all sex crimes, but everyone perceives it is about child rape. It's a huge misconception and a societal witch hunt.

All good points. I think having registered murderers is a bit much though. I'm fairly certain convicted murderers end up spending life in prison. It could make for some amusing dialog when meeting a new neighbor, though:

"How ya doing, buddy? Welcome to the neighborhood. Oh, saaaaay, I noticed online that you had a, well, you use to do some murdering back in the day. That's not going to be a problem is it? Mind if I check the garage for axes?"

But yes, the current system definately would benefit from change, regarding "sex offenders" and such.

[Legend]

I think date rape is more questionable. Lets take the Mike Tyson thing for example. Some girl goes back to his hotel room at 2AM and she doesn't expect to fuck? Now he's a lifetime registered sex offender. I think date rape isn't even close to as bad and I think, like the Kobe Bryant case, it is highly questionable.

If a girl gets drunk and loses her morales she may turn around and say it was rape. The DNA supports there was sex. The guy has a big dick so she might have a tear or two (which isn't all that uncommon). I mean how many of these cases do we have where it is one person's word against anothers? Who is the better actor in the courtroom?

Woman: "I said no"
Man: "No she didn't"
Proof: Cum DNA in her mouth and ass.

Throw him in the clink. Everytime I think sex offender, I think about the Tyson thing and it pisses me off so much. There are tens of thousands of people who aren't predatory rapists who are sex offenders.

Oh, and there are literally thousands of sex offenders who were teens having sex with teens. Or early 20's having sex with teens. My sister used to date guys in their 20's and 30's when she was a senior in high school. It was very common. It's been the theme in movies - high school girl dating college boy.

I think, like all things, there are morale judgements and limitations. Like I wouldn't want to hear about a 21 year old with a 13 or 14 year old. But a 16 or 17 year old having consensual sex with a 22 or 23 year old... big fucking deal. Those guys aren't sex offenders and there are a lot of them who our society say are. Should we be worried as a society that they have myspace profiles? Um. No.

Like totally that's pretty sick of you vicki to take the side of rapist after all you supposely went through you should be tougher on those sick bastards,if the law states they are offenders they are offenders no matter how morally you think they aren't.Should we as a society be worried they have myspace pages like yeah totally because that's how all predator's find their victims children or young teens so if it means going through some crappy network like myspace then so be it.

In vicki's bizzaro world you might think that sort of thing is normal but rape is rape no matter the age difference or consensual if the law states it's rape it's fucking rape."big fucking deal" yeah maybe for you because you profit of that sick shit try being a worried parent and you will realize it is a fucking big deal.

BTW do you beleive everything you see in the movies,this isn't the first time you used that in your analogy,so killing is the theme for many movies so it must be common :roll: Movies are fucking fantasy.

[justatransgirl]

I'm sorry, I have to agree with Vikki. Her points are generally quite valid.

As are Claires regarding the statuatory thing.

And please don't misread my comments. I'm NOT sticking up for the small minority of predatory sex offenders who prey on children or commit rape etc. But the vast majority of sex offenders are for minor things. Indecent exposure (for peeing in public). Indecent exposure (for whacking off in a XXX theater). Sex in public (when they and their SO got caught under a blanket in the park). Whatever.

In some states men and women convicted of soliciting are required to register. Like it's a big crime to have consensual sex between adults.

I remember in college we had a beach party and two of our friends were getting it on on top of a blanket off in the dark down the beach and got arrested. I forgot what they were charged with but it was a big deal because they both had to register after that.

I've had my own sexual experiences with older men dating back to when I was 13. I never felt he took undue advantage of me. But if we'd gotten caught he'd probably still be in the slammer.

When I was 17-19 I had a 14-16 year old GF - and we are still good friends today! She has a family and happens to be a cop in another state. Her Mom loved me. (My Mom hated her...) We probably would have married if I hadn't been dealing with my TG issues. But I can't imagine what would have happened if I'd been jailed when I was 18 for having sex with my GF who was only 2 1/2 years younger. Jesus...

My current partner is 23 and I'm... well I'm older than she is. :-) But if we were each 10 years younger I'd be considered a criminal. Now obviously there's a big difference between a relationship with a young adult who's nearly 24, a military veteran with a college degree, and a child. One has the maturity to make an informed decision, the other doesn't.

An adult preying on a child is wrong (or whatever strounger word you wish to subsititute). But there is a serious lack of common sense and overreacting in this country. Especially when it comes to "sex offenses" and sex between consensual adults.

I think MySpace was wrong to do this. And I won't be surprised to see us all be next. Godforbid they have PORN on the internet or even worse that someone should actually LOOK at it.

Sigh,
TS Jamie