Cuomo Bill Goes After Sex Offenders Seeking Kids On Internet
BY JOHN TOSCANO

According to the announcement by Cuomo, the bill would establish vital protection against sexual predators so that users of the Internet- especially children- can more safely surf the Web.

A bill described by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo as the nation's most comprehensive legislation to dramatically enhance protections for New Yorkers, especially children, from sexual predators on the Internet has been introduced in Albany.

Cuomo was joined in announcing the legislation by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, assuring bipartisan support for the measure.

According to the announcement by Cuomo, the bill would establish vital protection against sexual predators so that users of the Internet- especially children- can more safely surf the Web.

The legislation would restrict certain sex offenders' use of the Internet and update Megan's Law for the Internet Age, Cuomo said.

He added that in the hands of a predator, "the Internet can pose a clear and present danger to New York's most vulnerable".

Cuomo continued, "With the Internet, sexual predators have found an ideal tool to prey on the innocent with anonymity. While government has enacted dramatic protections from sex offenders in recent years, existing laws have not kept pace with the rapid advances in technology.

"But under the proposed Electronic Security and Targeting of Online Predators Act, he explained, New York would be able to combat the increasing misuse of the Internet."

The bill would require sex offenders to register their e-mail addresses, instant message screen names and any other online identifiers, and would give access to that information to online social networking companies.

"Those sites would then be able to prescreen and block access by convicted sex offenders," Cuomo added.

The need for the new law was urgent, the attorney general said, because current laws are not enough to protect children and keep sexual predators from misusing the Internet.

The reality of the situation is that recent investigations have found tens of thousands of sex offenders had signed onto at least one of the most popular social networking sites, Cuomo added.

Far too often, Cuomo said, sexual predators use the Internet to commit crimes against children.

Welcoming the new law, Bruno (R) said the social networking sites had become "the playground of choice for many young people and for sexual predators". He said the proposed law would help parents and law enforcement officials to better police the Internet.

Silver (D- Manhattan) said, "Imposing reasonable and appropriate Internet restrictions on all convicted sex offenders required to register under Megan's Law will help make the Internet safer for everyone."

Coming out in support of the bill, Assemblymember Margaret Markey (D- Maspeth) stated: "The Internet can be a wonderful tool for learning and communication, but the appropriate safeguards must be in place to keep it safe for children and others."

Assemblymember Ellen Young (D- Flushing) commented, "Restricting sex offenders from certain Internet sites, especially social networking sites like Myspace, and Facebook, will keep these depraved individuals from using conventional methods to spy on our children in inappropriate ways."