Felony: Sex Offenders Using Social Networks

[blackened144]

While I think they need to re-work the way this system labels certain people as "sex offenders", I think for certain types of people this would be beneficial. Yes, some "sex offenders" are labeled as such because at 16 years old, they had sex with their 14 year old gf and it turns into statutory rape. I dont think thats right. But that being said, there are some people on that list that have done some seriously disturbing things. And even if they finished serving their sentence, the state can no longer keep them in prison, but if they think they could still re-offend they can put them on this list. Being on this list means that they can not hang outside elementary schools or public parks where kids gather, etc. I dont see them not being able to go on MySpace as anything different than that. And there are some way to make it more effective. If each registered offender was required to report their computers IP address then there was be a way to determine if they tried to access these sites. Obviously there are ways around that but thats all besides the point.

 

[grieve]

This is my personal favorite:
If you are 17 and posses a nude pic of your 17 yr old GF = child porn = sex offender.
But when you both turn 18.. it's all good, your 1 day older.

 

[dextermat]

They should trick these guys to go on the neutered network

 

[Guest]

The bad thing is that in this country once you have paid your debt to society you are supposed to be able to carry on a normal life again. This is true for drug offenders, thieves and murderers but not true for sex offenders.
Take a look at the definition of 'sex offender'. There are many non-crimes in such a definition that kids get caught under. With the current laws they are now published and monitored forever. What lunacy.

 

[Clintonio]

I support this, providing that "sex offender" really only means "dangerous, potentially violent people who shouldn't even be allowed their freedom anyway" and not "someone who made a single mistake".

 

[blackbeastofaaaaagh]

Remember Gnarlow Wilson? The kid who was sentenced to 10 years for having concentual oral sex with a 16 yr old minor, less than 2 yrs younger than himself. His buddies, who shared in the group sex binge, "got off easy" by plea bargaining to being registered sex offenders for the next ten years.
Remember the 11 yr old kid who slapped the bottom of a female class mate (in retaliation for her hitting him). The prosecutor tried to get him registered as a sex offender however the national outrage generated enough donations so that the (middle class) family could cover some of the $50k spent hiring a good lawyer who got the kid off with an written apology to the girl (not to mention an empty college funding account).

This whole sex-offender thing has gotten way out of hand in much the same way as the "war on drugs".

 

[jalek]

Myspace is all about kiddies anyway, I always wonder why adults even would want to frequent it. Facebook at least tried to position itself a bit past that.

Statistically, kids are safer than when I was a kid roaming around past dark all over town, but people are more paranoid with the 24/7 news coverage mining the worst stories they can find. On the other hand, I think the level 3 category should buy a person institutionalization. It MEANS likely to reoffend. What's the purpose of prison if not to protect society from people known to pose a threat?

 

[Zingam]

Sex offenders use public transportation too!!!

 

[Guest]

I am on MySpace and have been for four years now. I continue to use MySpace regularly. I am a five year combat veteran and a Marine for life. I unfortunately cannot converse with family (blood and Marine) as they are all over the country and world and will continue to use MySpace as the name states just that, It is MY SPACE! I have a Misdeameanor Sex Offense (No minor involvement)for essentially kissing a woman from the State of California that was EXPUNGED within three years of adjudication. I must register as a sex offender for life. I WILL NOT CEASE CONTACT WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS BECAUSE A BUNCH OF HYPOCRITICAL POLITICIANS AND FEAR MONGERS DEAM IT IS NECESSARY! I am a voting American with just as many rights as any one person reading this article and I think the way this country is heading is a horribly scary one if laws like this one continue to pass. All it is doing is forcing the truly depraved offenders and predators into hiding or disguising their activities. What's next barring sex-offenders from shopping at Wal-Mart, going to church, or even gardening in the privacy of their own yards as society will deam them as having an alterior motive for, God forbid, being in their yard...

 

[compulsionnra]

Too bad they aren't executing the bastards.

 

[Guest]

i think sex offenders should be banned from using the social networks but then again you gotta think kids should not be puting the pictures they do on there!! some sex offenders aren't really sex offenders either. think of how many 16yr olds date 19 yrs from school is tht still a sex offender?