Illinois Says Sex Offenders Can't Use Social Networks

from the ok,-but... dept

Thu, Aug 13th 2009 11:23pm — Mike Masnick

Mark alerts us to the news that Illinois has approved a new law that bans registered sex offenders from social networking sites. Now, I have no sympathy for anyone who uses a social networking site to approach kids for such nefarious purposes, but this seems like a rather broad brush for a variety of reasons. First, considering how many sites have added "social networking" features lately, this could block out a rather large portion of the internet. Hell, just recently Google announced new social features for its iGoogle homepage. Second, the vast majority of registered sex offenders weren't convicted of trying to entice a kid via a social network. Completely blocking all of those people from social networks seems rather pointless. Finally, the whole idea that social networks are some sort of breeding ground for predators is a moral panic made up by the press. Studies have shown that the common story of a predator getting online, pretending to be a kid, and befriending "targets" and "grooming" them is mostly a myth. That's not to say it hasn't happened, but it's quite rare, and the best way to deal with it is simply to educate kids on how to deal with strangers. Most are smart enough to deal with the issue on their own. But, of course, that doesn't make for good headlines for politicians who want to make sure everyone knows they're "protecting the children."

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Filed Under: bans, illinois, sex offenders, social networks

66 Comments

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Shawn, 14 Aug 2009 @ 12:45am

Good.
Sex offenders losing rights is not something you'll get a lot of sympathy for, many of us think they should lose more than "rights" I personally think they should all be castrated in public.
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- Anonymous Coward, 14 Aug 2009 @ 12:50am
  
  Re: Good.
  Castrated for getting caught peeing on a wall in some back alley? Castrated for being 17 years old and having sex with your (also 17 year old) girlfriend? WOW!
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- JackSombra (profile), 14 Aug 2009 @ 4:45am
  
  Re: Good.
  And Shawn, that is exactly what the politicians are hoping for, what people hearing about this are as ignorant about the sex offenders register as you are.
  
  Currently there are over half a million people in the US on the registries, put on there for things ranging from serial rapists, violent kidnap and sexual molestation on children, parents abusing their children, men caught with prostitutes, 16 year olds having oral sex with their 15 year old BF/GF, people caught urinating in public, even flashers/strekers at public events and in many/most states once you are on that list you are on it for life
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Richard Ahlquist (profile), 14 Aug 2009 @ 5:41am
  
  Re: Good.
  Then perhaps its time we redefine the term. When I was in high school 70% of the campus were "undiscovered" sex offenders. Current statistics put that at 77%.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Anthony (profile), 14 Aug 2009 @ 5:43am
  
  Re: Good.
  Don't know about in the US but in Australia there have been several cases were 15 year olds have been charged with production, distribution and possession of child pornography for taking photos of themselves. Those 15 year olds get charged as adults and therefore get placed on the child sex offenders registry for life. Not every sex offender is a child molester.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Designerfx (profile), 14 Aug 2009 @ 6:10am
  
  Re: not good.
  Actually, this is the problem. If people can make everyone go "won't someone think of the children", then they can get *ANYTHING* passed. Remember about the "Corn farmers will lose their jobs net neutrality?" well lots of companies use arguments like that, where people absolve logic to support an idea. How about we use abortion, or kids having sex, or terrorism, or any of the others that are pure grandstanding.
  
  Usually it's called neocon republicans as opposed to fiscal conservatives, the former being the ones that shoot these views and southern IL where this law being made is exactly that.
  
  would you like someone who has been falsely accused of being a sex offender to be castrated in public? What about someone who never did anything to a child, but maybe was out drunk/naked at night and arrested? Them too? Would you let yourself get castrated to equal out the injustice you're creating?
  
  As the answer is no, thats why you must look at this logically.
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  - minijedimaster (profile), 14 Aug 2009 @ 7:51am
    
    Re: Re: not good.
    Usually it's called neocon republicans as opposed to fiscal conservatives, the former being the ones that shoot these views and southern IL where this law being made is exactly that.
    Although I'm in agreement with the majority of your post I must take exception to your being blinded by your hatred of the republican party.
    Last I checked the democrats controlled the IL house by a count of 70 to 48. Also, the IL senate is controlled by the democrats by a count of 37 to 22. And I obviously have no need to mention the governor of the state is a democrat and has been for some time.
    So the point is, it's not about democrat or republican when it comes to passing STUPID f'n laws like this, it's about politicians in general trying to drum up votes.
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- JD, 20 Mar 2010 @ 7:42pm
  
  Re: Good.
  You think someone should be castrated in pubic for urinating in the bushes?
  Wow, you are really weird! I suppose you think urinating has something to do with sex? You must be an Oklahoma lawmaker.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
jmproffitt (profile), 14 Aug 2009 @ 1:05am

Moral panic made up by the press
I'm not sure I agree, broadly, with the notion that sex offender topics/issues are ginned up to the level of moral panic by the press. Politicians routinely use sexual matters to incite unrealistic fears. Yes, the press simply telegraphs the wacky statements, and that's a kind of crime of its own, but I guess I'd rather lay blame at the feet of the instigating politicians first, the press second.

Unless we're talking about the producers of Dateline -- the Popes of moral panic.
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Riggs109, 14 Aug 2009 @ 1:06am

The state that I live in AOC is 17 or If the two people are within two years of each other. As for actual sex offenders, I agree with them being castrated.
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Anonymous Coward, 14 Aug 2009 @ 1:36am

Re: Good
Shawn, you are a moron.

No. You are so far BEYOND a moron, other morons look to you as a GOD.

Most 'sex offenders' are innocent people who are caught up in an overzealous law/ I heard of one case a man who was branded a 'sex offender' for grabbing a fifteen ear old girl's arm in order to pull her away from a car that was about to hit her.

And other stories of KINDERGARDNERS beign branded sex offenders for HUGGING their classmmates. And of mothers being forced to register because they BREASTFED their children.

I repeat again, Shawn. You are a moron.
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- res2 (profile), 14 Aug 2009 @ 5:33am
  
  Re: Re: Good
  Links or you are making shit up.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Damien, 14 Aug 2009 @ 9:27am
    
    Re: Re: Re: Good
    It's called Google buddy, it took me les than 5 minutes to find this info:
    
    - Fitzroy Barnaby, convicted of "unlawful restraint of a minor" and put on the sex offenders list for pulling a girl out of the way of a car and then lecturing her: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,190586,00.html
    - Jacqueline Mercado, life destroyed over family photos: http://www.dallasobserver.com/2003-04-17/news/1-hour-arrest/
    - Child sex offenders, http://plancksconstant.org/blog1/2006/12/ota_young_children_c.html
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- res2 (profile), 14 Aug 2009 @ 5:34am
  
  Re: Re: Good
  Links or it didn't happen.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 14 Aug 2009 @ 1:40am

Even in states with a relative age of consent, anyone under 18 taking pictures of their own naked body is technically a sex offender, as is anyone who willingly possesses said picture. Just because some 17-year-old makes the (admittedly idiotic) mistake of 'sexting' doesn't mean that this person should be banned from so much of the web. I could see a provision being granted in specific cases where the individual involved actually used social networks to draw in kids, but even that could be considered constitutionally questionable.
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Richard, 14 Aug 2009 @ 2:29am

"Sex offenders losing rights is not something you'll get a lot of sympathy for, many of us think they should lose more than "rights" I personally think they should all be castrated in public."

Which would of course make all those involved in the castration and all the onlookers into sex offenders themselves.

They would then also have to be castrated and the process would continue until only those who disagreed with this stupidity would be able to breed......

Darwin Rules!
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- Digital Protector (profile), 14 Aug 2009 @ 3:13am
  
  Re:
  Sounds like the French Revolution to me! Everybody, get some masquerade masks, this is gonna be the party of the century!
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 14 Aug 2009 @ 3:12am

"... the best way to deal with it is simply to educate kids on how to deal with strangers."

Yet another topic on which Masnick claims expertise - but probably it's just opinion created in an instant, and regardless of the fact that stranger encounters are part of what make social networks compelling...

But then we know the Masnicks are always right.
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- Anonymous Coward, 14 Aug 2009 @ 3:40am
  
  Re:
  "Yet another topic on which Masnick claims expertise"
  
  Can you backup your comment with facts? Please elaborate or at least provide a link to where he writes that he is claiming to be an expert in the field.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Anonymous Coward, 14 Aug 2009 @ 5:02am
    
    Re: Re:
    Your could read the article where Masnick claims sufficient expertise to pronounce Illinois' actions "rather pointless", and then proceeds to describe the "best way".
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
    - Anonymous Coward, 14 Aug 2009 @ 8:13am
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      YOu do know that this is an opinion site, right? Using logic to back up one's opinion is not a claim to expertise.
      [ link to this | view in chronology ]
      - Anonymous Coward, 14 Aug 2009 @ 10:17am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re:
        Are you basing your opinion on ignorance or just stupidity ?
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Michael Whitetail, 14 Aug 2009 @ 3:41am
  
  Re:
  If you believe that parents are unable to protect their kids by educating them about potential dangers, then you also claim that the "Just say No," "look both ways before crossing," and the "don't talk to strangers" programs are failures designed by Masniks to jeopardize our childrens safety.
  
  In other words, your an idiot who is likely to never have had children.
  
  My wife and I have educated both of our children on things like who to not talk to both online and in real life. Its your job as a parent to educate and perpare your children for adulthood, which should include information on keeping safe.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Anonymous Coward, 14 Aug 2009 @ 4:10am
    
    Re: Re:
    So you are saying that just what you tell your children is enough? There shouldn't be any restrictions on child predators when they come out of jail? They shouldn't be banned from playgrounds, from working at schools or other places where they might end up alone with children, etc?
    
    It's like most things - there isn't a simple solution. If keeping them off of social networks (like stopping them from coaching little league) keeps one more kid safe, the effort is worth it. We aren't talking data accuracy or value of DRM here, it's the value of a child.
    
    I have to agree with the other poster, Mike is posting like an expert in the field, when it really just is an opinion, mostly a play to get SEO juice to his site.
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
    - Sergio, 14 Aug 2009 @ 5:09am
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      OK, by that logic, why don't they go ahead and ban convicted shoplifters from ever entering a store again. Burglars from ever entering homes (anyone's home, their mother's, brother's, or even their own). Car thieves from getting near cars.
      
      It's absurd that our society has become so reactive instead of preventative. The real sex offenders show very clear signs at early ages, but the parents of these kids ignore them with their "my kid is perfect" attitude. As we grow up, we're told that those types of acts are evil and wrong, but no options are ever offered to people who might have a compulsion to do it. There is no anonymous hotline where they can get help or counseling.
      
      As a society, we turn our backs on these people and make them feel like outcasts until they actually act on their (wrong) urges. Then we lock 'em up and brand them for the rest of their lives.
      
      If we block them from social networking sites, isn't that going to make them even more into outcasts? Isn't this how terrorist groups get started? People being singled out by society, getting treated poorly, a lot of them for actions that some states consider to be perfectly legal, but you're 18 and your partner is 17 and you're all filled up with hormones. UGH it makes me sick to think that's a crime, one that will stick with you for the rest of your life!
      [ link to this | view in chronology ]
      - Anonymous Coward, 14 Aug 2009 @ 5:37am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re:
        Sergio, what you do not understand is that all those things you just described are priviledges not rights except maybe housing, but then again that was a slippery slope fallacy so whatever. The constitution only protects basic human rights not their preceived priviledges.
        
        Also, it is society's fault that a sex offends exist? So really no is to blame for any of their crimes because our society did it to them. If you believe that crap I know some liberals who are selling a great public insurance plan right now you might want to support.
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
        
        Dark Helmet (profile), 14 Aug 2009 @ 10:03am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        Boss, if you don't understand that the sexualization, which is unarguably a component of sexual "deviance" that results in these types of people, is a societal thing....well then you're just stupid.
        
        It ain't all society, but it ain't all the perp either. We all have a role to play.
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
      - Anonymous Coward, 14 Aug 2009 @ 5:38am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re:
        It's not the murder's fault, it's SOCIETY's fault.
        
        RIGHT!
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
      - Phillip Vector (profile), 15 Aug 2009 @ 8:46am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re:
        "OK, by that logic, why don't they go ahead and ban convicted shoplifters from ever entering a store again. Burglars from ever entering homes (anyone's home, their mother's, brother's, or even their own). Car thieves from getting near cars."
        
        When I got run over by a bus, I was arrested. Part of my being let out on bail was that I do not "approach within 100 yards of the victim" (The bus company buses or their stops).
        
        I informed the police officer that I would love to sign that, but as soon as I do, I'm in violation of it because of the bus stop right outside.
        
        He didn't like that.
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Anonymous Coward, 14 Aug 2009 @ 5:07am
    
    Re: Re:
    Most parents are a generationolder than their offspring, and there were no modern social networks when todays parents were kids. The assumption that parents know as much about social networks and how to use them as their kids do is absurd, and it's even more rediculaous that you can give the all the apropriate advice - you'd do better to let your kids explain social networking to you.
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
    - Chronno S. Trigger (profile), 14 Aug 2009 @ 5:41am
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      Why the bloody hell do the parents need to know everything about social networks to teach their children not to give out personal information? It's just like real life. A parent doesn't need to know everything about every person in town to teach their children to be safe.
      [ link to this | view in chronology ]
      - Anonymous Coward, 14 Aug 2009 @ 6:07am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re:
        If the parents do their part, and the rest of society, the court system, the legal system, and all that does their part, perhaps a few less kids will suffer.
        
        Here is a way to look at it. You are in an airplane that is about to crash. The pilot comes on the intercom and says "Well, we might crash. There is this system I can turn on that will make it 10% less likely we will crash, but I am not going to use it because my flight instructor taught me well". Wouldn't you want him to flip the switch and make it 10% more likely you don't crash?
        
        Laws like this are exactly that - they won't fix everything, but if they help in any way, then it is worthwhile. Oh yeah, the parents still have to do their part.
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
      - Anonymous Coward, 14 Aug 2009 @ 6:53am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re:
        If you try to use a social network you would discover that they generaly depend on some element of being social; you need to share some info usually including interests and friends etc. And you don't have all the body language, visual or auditory clues you tend to have in real life so that compared to real life a sex offender (with only rudimentary social skill) can get relativly close before being spotted. So while your own efforts may result in being shunned at first contact it would be a mistake to assume this happens to all sex offenders.
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
    - Josh - To common a name. This is me. (profile), 14 Aug 2009 @ 8:42am
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      Um. I'm guessing you don't understand the phrase "generation older." By definition all parents are a generation older than their offspring AND they are probably not going to be "hip" on the latest and greatest social networking site/place/location/item etc. that their children will be involved in. And I call bullshit on the fact that todays parents don't know about social networking. Most of todays parents, with teenage children, are in their mid 30's to early 40's. This means that they grew up with early chat rooms, AOL, Yahoo, MSN, and do undestand social networking.
      
      Even their parents understand social networking. Only they didn't do it online. They did it at school dances, malt shops, drive in movie theaters, etc. And they had just as many problems there as my generation (mid 30's) did in the early chat days and as their grandchildren (my children) will have in social networking websites.
      
      So to say that they [parents] don't know what is going on is a blatent lie. Most parents choose to not look at what is going in. As Mike said, if I choose to not educate my children on who they should not talk to, regardless of the situation (web or real life) then I have no one to blame but myself. How dare I rely on the government or schools to teach them something so important? Most of the teachers and politicians are older than I am. So they, according to you, know even less about social networking than I do.
      
      Stupidity at its highest.
      [ link to this | view in chronology ]
      - Anonymous Coward, 14 Aug 2009 @ 8:56am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re:
        The government has the DUTY to protect the children from these people. They can't trust you to protect your own children because parents have shown themselves to be complete morons. Usually the more moronic they are, the louder they are at saying that the government has no right to tell them how to raise their kids. So yes, the government NEEDS to protect the children.
        
        I get the impression that a lot of child molesters read this site.
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
        
        Josh - To common a name. This is me. (profile), 14 Aug 2009 @ 9:08am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        Oh I see. So you subscribe to the Fahrenheit 451 type of government.
        
        No one is allowed to think for themselves and only the great and wonderful government knows what is right for me and mine.
        
        How could I have been so wrong. I humbly submit to your greater wisdom and beseech your forgivness.
        
        /sarcasm
        
        Now give me $100 million so I can raise my children the way you see fit.
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
        
        Anonymous Coward, 14 Aug 2009 @ 9:29am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        Nah, I was just in a trolling mood today. Thanks for feeding me. Nom-nom-nom.
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
      - Anonymous Coward, 14 Aug 2009 @ 10:24am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re:
        "....Only they didn't do it online...."
        If you think the online version resembles closely what you did when you were a kid you're obvioulsy too old to have tried the new version.
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Just Joe, 14 Aug 2009 @ 4:49am

Verbiage of the Law
Whoa people. Seems some of you need to slow down on the coffee.

It sounds like the verbiage of the law is at fault here. One thing made very clear in these posts is the wide variety of "sex offenders". Raping a little girl or boy vs. a kid or even young adult texting naked pics to a teen at the edge of AOC; are two very different offenses. Both sexual in nature, but one is a poor choice with minimal if any consequences, while the other deserves a mandatory prison sentence.

So it seems the sex offenders should be divided up into misdemeanor and felony groups, like other crimes. Or maybe we should just call a thief a thief and start cutting off hands.
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Danny, 14 Aug 2009 @ 5:44am

Ummm....
These people do realize that sex offenders were targetting children before social networking sites became popular right? And in fact aren't the vast majority of sex offences still carried out completely offline? All they are doing is cutting of a branch and hoping the entire tree will die.

I think the Sex Offender Registry list in and of itself is not an accurate or fair way to determine this. Instead of going by the list why not go by the offense itself? Well I'm sure the answer to that is actually looking at each person's rap sheet would be "too costly and time consuming" and as said sooner blanket targetting the entire Registry makes for some nice soundbytes and political brownie points...
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Michial Thompson, 14 Aug 2009 @ 6:38am

Reciprication rates over 85%
With repeat offenders in the Sex Offender Category being over 85% castration is probably the least of what should be done with these guys.

The BULLSHIT posts above about breastfeeding and 17+17 yr old offenders is just that BULLSHIT. Yes there are some off the wall cases where ppl are on the list, but 80-90% are there for LEGITIMATE reasons.

As for them being restricted from Social Networking. It's obvious that Mikee doesn't have kids either. The first time he found the neighborhood offender on his daughters myspace masterbating over her in a T-Shirt and shorts he would want more than to just ban them from social networking.

I personally applaud IL for this step, but still feel it falls far short of what should be done.
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- Anonymous Coward, 14 Aug 2009 @ 6:48am
  
  Re: Reciprication rates over 85%
  Damn right! Let's just slowly kill them all in the most torturous manner possible, from baby rapist to wall pee-er! That will solve the problem!
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Dark Helmet (profile), 14 Aug 2009 @ 6:54am
  
  Re: Reciprication rates over 85%
  "Yes there are some off the wall cases where ppl are on the list, but 80-90% are there for LEGITIMATE reasons."
  
  ....back that up, please.
  
  "The first time he found the neighborhood offender on his daughters myspace masterbating over her in a T-Shirt and shorts he would want more than to just ban them from social networking."
  
  My, what rational, realistic arguments you make. You should work for the press, as you seem to have their ability to use inflammatory language and rare occurences in the place of, oh I don't know....FACTS!
  
  "I personally applaud IL for this step, but still feel it falls far short of what should be done."
  
  It is abundantly clear that you do not live here. Cite a source once in a while for your bullshit figures. The courts everywhere are making a determined effort to specifically control our sexual habits, and it's a joke.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Anonymous Coward, 14 Aug 2009 @ 7:22am
    
    Re: Re: Reciprication rates over 85%
    You damned wall pee-er. You should be castrated with a dull spoon.
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
    - Dark Helmet (profile), 14 Aug 2009 @ 8:36am
      
      Re: Re: Re: Reciprication rates over 85%
      "You damned wall pee-er. You should be castrated with a dull spoon."
      
      I'm clearly biased, being as how I've gotten the public urination ticket (those Red Line trains to Wrigley from Wicker Park are sooooooo long when you're brownbagging on the train). Thankfully, the friendly copper that wasted everyone's time by ticketing me wasn't crazy enough to try to put a sexual implication onto the situation.
      [ link to this | view in chronology ]
      - Anonymous Coward, 14 Aug 2009 @ 8:42am
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Reciprication rates over 85%
        Then you should be in the sex-offender registry. Since this site has comments you should probably leave. I could be a delicious 9 year old for all you know. I do not want your dirty wall pee-er hands exploring your own body thinking about me.
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Danny, 14 Aug 2009 @ 6:55am
  
  Re: Reciprication rates over 85%
  Yeah forget checking to make sure those 10-20% aren't caught up in this nonsense just kill them all right?
  
  And even if Mike doesn't have kids I'm sure he is just as worried about the kids getting approached on MySpace as the ones that do the old fashioned things and grab them from the playground or walking home from school.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Anonymous Coward, 14 Aug 2009 @ 7:23am
    
    Re: Re: Reciprication rates over 85%
    "Yeah forget checking to make sure those 10-20% aren't caught up in this nonsense just kill them all right?"
    
    Yes. They probably did something else wrong anyway.
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
    - Tracey Thomas, 7 Mar 2010 @ 10:34pm
      
      Re: Re: Re: Reciprication rates over 85%
      And so did you, hypocrite. You people are so retarded to judge others before judging yourself. Incidently, the federal government stated that only 5% of sex offenders actually recidivate after release from prison. God hatin bastards like yourself are the reason why lying prosecutors get away with manipulating people (including children) into believing that a person is guilty of sexually offending while withholding material exculpatory evidence that refutes the charge(s). Howabout the fact that these parents who are guilty of neglecting their children run to congress asking that the blame for some hapless psycho snatched there kid up, raping and murdering them, be placed on a falsely convicted innocent. (Who by the way must fight all legal obstacles to overcome the deliberate hypcrite who is the prosecutor that plays hide and seek with evidence that negates a person guilt. Yes, you people definately have no integrity. Moreover, the majority of your kind are white racists. Meaning the majority of the prison population is so called "black" yet this ethnic group roughly makes up 13% of the nations population. What you are saying is the vast majority of sex offenders are "black" while "whites" are lesser in number. Meaning whites are more likely not to commit such heinous crimes. Want to talk about criminal history? Lets talk of the despicable acts of inhumanity committed against "blacks" during the 6 hundred years of slavery. No, don't want to? How about the fact that all the real psycho-sicko sex offenders are caucasian males in their middle 30's to late 50's. Oh, excuse me I've turned this into a race issue, sorry. Any how, you people are real life God-haters. The law was intended to reveal that you need God. Without God, you people will die in your sins. You are real life hypocrites who don't believe in true justice, which is with mercy. No wonder your kids are killing you and themselves at record levels. You want to castrate the person who has sexual relations with your kids but don't think you should be castrated for bad parenting. It is you people who allow your children to watch sex and violence on prime-time television,and that unmonitored. Entertainment such as the WWE, or Three Men. Lastly, reciprication rates of over 85% are not related to sex crimes manipulators. It's crimes in general. For the wages of sin is death, and you all will die the second death because you refuse to ask for forgiveness, boasting yourselves to good, when only God and his Christ is good.
      [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- john, 1 Dec 2013 @ 7:34pm
  
  Re: Reciprication rates over 85%
  you might be the biggest idiot on here! the reoffending rate u speak of is less than 5% nationwide. these men and women on the registries should not be shamed by society nor looked down upon for one mistake on thier life. hell there is no registry for murders, drug dealers, thieves, etc so why do these ppl get singled out????
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WammerJammer (profile), 14 Aug 2009 @ 6:48am

Illinois Says Sex Offenders Can't Use Social Networks
Same thing that happened in Australia. They get a broad law concerning the internet and with the pretense of helping children. Then you lock up the internet to only allow "Good sites" (you know the ones Spyware Doctor say are OK, but that's another abuse! Speaking of Copyright Infringement).
As I stated it is simply a ploy to make more laws about the internet to allow them to monitor us and what we do.
To enforce this this law you will have to snoop on everyone in order to snoop on the bad guy. It ought to be interesting when this law goes to the Supreme Court and is contested.
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Anonymous Coward, 14 Aug 2009 @ 7:18am

Prison on the cheap?
If these sex offenders are so un-rehabilitatable and dangerous, that they can't be allowd in the internet, or live with miles of a school, or go to the grocery store if there's someone under 18 in it (ok, I'm taking this to it's logical, if absurd conclusion), why are these people not in a prison? Is it just that it's cheaper to leave them out in some far corner of "society"?
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- Anonymous Coward, 14 Aug 2009 @ 7:25am
  
  Re: Prison on the cheap?
  "why are these people not in a prison?"
  
  Exactly my point. Jails are overcrowded and expensive. Let's just kill them and get it over with.
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  - skiet, 22 Sep 2010 @ 12:01am
    
    Re: Re: Prison on the cheap?
    dats not a solution to kill them der our bradas nd sistas
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Dark Helmet (profile), 14 Aug 2009 @ 10:00am

Re: Beijing Universale Import & Export Wholesale Trade Co.LTD
Dear Business Robert Jar:

First of all, you have a fucked up name and I suggest suing the shit out of your Mom's uterus for pushing you into the world.

Secondly, why can't any of you crazy spammalots hire someone to speak English? You'd probably dupe a lot more people that way if, oh I don't know, PEOPLE COULD UNDERSTAND WHAT THE FUCK YOU'RE SAYING.

Dark Helmet out....
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Mark, 14 Aug 2009 @ 10:16am

HEre are some more exampls:

14 year old post nude pics of self - Charged with possesion and distribution of child porn- http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29912729/ - Even the the mother of Megan Kanka (who megan's law is named for), feels that this is wrong.

"This shouldn't fall under Megan's Law in any way, shape or form. She should have an intervention and counseling, because the only person she exploited was herself."

And then there is this article - http://www.newsweek.com/id/208518/page/3 - Which shows a 'think of the children' law, like this one, is ineffective and may actually make the problem worse.

I'm not arguing for sex offenders. The ones that do stuff to/towards Children, deserve everything they get (and more)t. the problem, that many people with the 'Sex Offenders' label are given it for the wrong reason.

then you end up with laws that are meant to look good/tough, but actually make the problem worse, since it pushes people further underground. More light needs to put on these people that do stuff to/towards children, not try and hide them.

Whether you like it or not, they are around. I would rather know where they are, then assume they are not there (when you know damn well that they are) and the worse happens.
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- Anonymous Coward, 14 Aug 2009 @ 11:13am
  
  Re:
  "I'm not arguing for sex offenders."
  
  Yes you are. Anything that lightens up for ANY sex offender is awful. Would you want me to stay away from your children if I peed on your leg? Thought so.
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  - Dark Helmet (profile), 14 Aug 2009 @ 11:28am
    
    Re: Re:
    " Anything that lightens up for ANY sex offender is awful. Would you want me to stay away from your children if I peed on your leg? Thought so."
    
    I'm always surprised at the level of pure vitriole directed at sex offenders, regardless of any qualifiers.
    
    I mean, it's not like they're Republicans or anything....
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    - Anonymous Coward, 14 Aug 2009 @ 11:34am
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      If you weren't already a sex offender, I'd say that you should understand. Since you (admittedly!) like to flash your junk in public you'll never understand how much it disgusts us to think that you might have any interactions with our children.
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      - Dark Helmet (profile), 14 Aug 2009 @ 1:36pm
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re:
        Oh man, you should have seen me in the fraternity days. It was truly a sight to behold...
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    - aguywhoneedstenbucks (profile), 14 Aug 2009 @ 12:26pm
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      And there is no e in the word vitriol.
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- 4Real Tracey, 7 Mar 2010 @ 11:14pm
  
  Re: Mark
  Meagan's mother should have been prosecuted for child neglect. Every time these bad parents have something happen to their kids they run to the lying hypocrites in congress to create another law pretending to have the God-like capability to protect children and society. The law cannot protect anyone from someone who intends to violate the moral law of love. It can only give reason to react. Sadly, it was not the psycho-sicko who violated meagan's trust in humanity, but her parents' neglect in their duty to watch her until she could watch herself. Now they want to boo hoo to the public and sling snot. Moreover, there is more evidence of racism in this. THese registry law were created in the aftermath of a "white" child's assault and demise. Yet there are no such laws after "black" children have met their untimely and often violent demise. While your laws are steady accumulating so is the crime rates. If this were not so, then there would be no reason to create more laws. THis is also evidence of a loveless society, steeped in hypocrisy. All you people do is minimize your own short-commings, and blatantly deny any wrongdoig. GOD HELP YOU.
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Eric, 14 Aug 2009 @ 2:01pm

Levity
To put some actual professional perspective on this I shall comment. I actually WORK for a probation department. And yes, the probationers are trying to make underage friends on the social networks and grooming them. And yes as other people have said there are people labeled as "Sex Offenders" when they have pretty much done nothing wrong.

I was in court one time and was told that even if you asked for ID on a person.. and they SHOWED you that ID.. and it said they were over 18.. that it DIDN'T matter. They were STILL underage and you would be charged with Sex with a Minor. Mostly a lot of laws get put in place so that the prosecution can bring more charges, so that it will get plead down to what they wanted in the first place.

Just like Texas and several other states have drug Stamps for illegal drugs. You're supposed to buy a stamp for how many ever pounds of pot you've bought. It's just another charge to hit you with. (btw, those stamps have also been taken off the books in other states a double jeopardy)
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Greg Swinbank, 15 Sep 2009 @ 1:27am

Reply
You might not see this current thing as history repeating itself but its screaming loud and clear while Sex Offenders may not be these other groups history is starting to follow down a very similar path and most people are oblivious to where they came from. Remember it was a crime to be a Christian at one point in time, remember it was ok to Kill cripples, elderly, and people of Jewish faith in Germany during WW2, It was ok to enslave anyone of black skin color as well as to kill them, remember the Salem Witch Hunt they were out to kill your children and steal your men and do evil witchcraft to hurt you, remember back in the 1970’s if you were gay and caught you were charged with Sodemy and considered a Sex Offender and the Gay Rights movement still exists today. What has been at the forefront of each one of these train wrecks in world history and US History, an ignorant Politician playing to the fears of the public who did not have a real clue behind the facts? You want to truly protect your children and all children then look at what’s really going on around you and do your research you might learn something along the way.
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wowwhatabunchofcrap, 12 Sep 2010 @ 6:20pm

people coming out of prison
When you are released from prison on a sex crime or any other crime you are placed on parole. You have things and places you can't do or go to. So there are already laws in place to regulate offenders. A Sex offender on probation or parole most often cannot use the computer if that is part of his or her conditions of release. also they cannot have un supervised contact with minors. They have to say it just like that as they are everywhere. But some can't have any contact. They have to go to the store at midnight when they are sure there won't be any minors around. They can't go to McDonalds or any place children are and this goes on for years. So how much more do you think you need to do? After they have served their time and proven after five or ten years of being tracked by their PO that they are not a problem let them be.The myth that 85 percent re offend is just that. the true figures are three to five percent over a five year period and that rate goes down over the next five to ten years. So if 95 percent never re offend where does the 85 percent come from? One would think its possibly the worst of the worst they are talking about that three percent of the whole. However these people most often never get released from probation or parole before they re offend. So what's the answer? Hate mongers say mutilate them and we are not just talking about men there are women sex offenders also. What would you have them do to the women in the town square?
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Vince, 12 Mar 2012 @ 8:42pm

S.O.
Social networking is almost everywhere on the internet now so are we just going to ban sex offenders from the internet completely? Most relationships and jobs are found online now so are we trying to make sure these people are jobless, homeless and miserable for the rest of their lives?! Some of these people have only misdemeanor convictions, do they deserve to be treated like the rapists or the internet predators? I know someone on the list for skinny dipping in their own backyard pool, does this person deserve to be lumped in with the hardcore offenders? I find it appauling that on an episode of According To Jim that his wife gets arrested for public urination and wasn't put on the offender list on the show, but when in reality any man would placed on that list. We need to majorly overhaul this system. We need to create tiers to these offences and only publicize the worst ones, ie.(internet registry list). These people will have a hard enough time piecing their lives' back together after being found guilty. This is besides the fact that our prison system is meant to punish and then let these criminals who served their sentence re-enter society. How can they re-enter society and change for the good when they are not even given a chance?! How do you think you would feel if you messed up one time in you life (no matter how trivial) and that was the only thing people though of when they looked at or talked to you? These people have no chance of expungement or sealing of their records and therefore will never be able to get out from under their black cloud, isn't that bad enough? Worst of all, most of the jobs that they could even apply for are mostly held by law breaking illegal immigrants who we seem so ready to legalize and accept. Why do we punish one law breaker so heavily and others who are breaking the law who don't even belong here are almost praised. This country REALLY needs to get it's priorities in order.
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