Sex offenders required to register online screen names

ALBANY - The 25,000 sex offenders registered in New York now will have to report their online identities to the state, in a new effort to safeguard children using social networking sites.

A law signed Wednesday by Gov. David A. Paterson targets sexual predators using the Internet, by including their online personas in information they are required to report.

"The Internet has become a playground for sexual predators," said Sen. Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre), the author of Megan's Law, the state's first sex offender registry law enacted in 1995. He called the new law "an important step that will help prevent dangerous sex offenders from hiding behind a veil of anonymity and preying upon our children online."

According to Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's office, MySpace and Facebook have already agreed to use the database and block registered offenders.

Hemanshu Nigam, chief security officer for MySpace, called the measure "a landmark step in making the Internet safer for everyone and should serve as a model for other states to follow."

Facebook officials also applauded the legislation.

With the Electronic Security and Targeting of Online Predators Act, or e-STOP, the Department of Criminal Justice will send letters to the 25,000 registered sex offenders, requiring them to register any Internet and e-mail accounts used for online messaging or social networking sites, including the popular MySpace and Facebook. Failure to comply, and update the information would result in felony charges.

The legislation also allows the social networking sites to access that part of the sex offender database -- including screen names and e-mail addresses -- that is not available to the public.

By MELISSA MANSFIELD
Posted Sunday, June 8, 2008

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