By Alex Christodoulides
The e-STOP (Electronic Security and Targeting of Online Predators) legislation would make sex offenders on probation or parole register their e-mail addresses, instant messenger screen names and other identifiers used for social networking sites like MySpace or Facebook with the Division of Criminal Justice Services, Cuomo said. The bill was introduced last week in the state Legislature and passed in the Senate Tuesday.Such offenders would be banned from accessing social networking sites, accessing pornographic materials and communicating, in most circumstances, with anyone under the age of 18. Any new identifiers must be registered by the sex offender with the state within 10 days of their creation, Cuomo said.”The legislation proposed by the attorney general offers a smart, simple and direct way to further protect our children,” said Queens District Attorney Richard Brown. “It curtails use of the Internet by convicted sex offenders – and it provides practical ways for online providers to better screen and monitor their sites. It makes a lot of sense and it has my wholehearted support.”The legislation takes the 1996 federal law known as Megan's Law, which requires states to notify the public when convicted sex offenders are released into their community, one step further to create a registry of Internet identifiers that networking sites can use to prescreen or remove predators from using their services. Megan's Law was inspired by the case of Megan Kanka, a 7-year-old New Jersey girl who was raped and killed by a known sex offender who moved across the street from her family.”The way we know where they live geographically, we want to know where they live on the Internet,” Cuomo said. “We want to be part of the solution.”According to the state Department of Criminal Justice Services, there are more than 25,000 registered sex offenders in New York state, more than 15,000 of whom are considered moderate to high risks to commit another sex crime and threats to public safety. Within the five boroughs, 1,070 registered sex offenders live in Queens, 1,160 in New York County, 1,790 in Brooklyn, 1,441 in Bronx County and 249 in Staten Island.Reach reporter Alex Christodoulides by e-mail at achristodoulides@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 155.
