AGs Seek Sex Offender Data from MySpace

The article “AGs Seek Sex Offender Data from MySpace”  by Associated Press writer Samuel Spies, discussed recent events where law enforcement officials have taken measures to obtain names of registered sex offenders who are members of  the website MySpace.com.

According to the article, attorney generals from eight states which include: Ohio, Mississippi,  North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Idaho, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Georgia have requested that MySpace, which is used for social networking give them information on the number of registered sex offenders using MySpace and where those offenders reside.

The attorney generals have also asked MySpace to inform them on the measures they have taken to remove sex offenders from their site and what they have done to caution MySpace members about sex offenders.  Some of the attorney generals feel that Myspace is the biggest networking site, thus MySpace should identify offenders who use their networking site to prey on children.

The article also discussed how MySpace has partnered with Sentinel Tech Holding Corp. to create a database of sex offenders, which has found that a large number of sex offenders are Myspace members.  MySpace has also begun using software that identifies and removes sex offenders from their site.

MySpace officials also stated that; MySpace will send any identified sex offender’s information to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, who would then forward the information to law enforcement.  There have been numerous MySpace related crimes committed against children; therefore the attorney general of North Carolina wants to pass legislation, which makes it a felony for sex offenders to register on social networking sites.

At the moment it is unknown whether MySpace is going to cooperate with the requests of the attorney generals.

 Reference

Spies, S. (May 14, 2007). AGs Seek Sex Offender Data from MySpace. Retrieved May 21,

2007, from http://abcnews.go.com/US/WireStory?id=3174533&page=1.