A call to punish sex offenders using social Web sites

By WILLIAM MURPHY
May 26, 2009

A Nassau County legislator plans to propose legislation Wednesday that would send sexual predators back to prison if they are caught going on social networking Web sites.

Facebook and MySpace have already agreed to block some 25,000 registered sex offenders listed on a state database, according to state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who drafted the law passed last May that created the database.

"State law puts the onus on the site operators, this puts the onus on the probation department and the probationer," Legis. David Mejias (D-Farmingdale) said Tuesday.

Mejias said he would be joined at a news conference Wednesday by supporters of his proposal, including Nassau County police and probation officials and Laura Ahearn, executive director of Parents for Megan's Law.

"My bill would make it a violation of probation if they are caught going on these sites," Mejias said. He said violators would be sent back to prison to complete their original prison sentence.

By BY WILLIAM MURPHY
Posted Monday, June 22, 2009

 E-mail this page
 Printer-friendly page