Sex Offenders May Have to Register E-Mail, IM

RICHMOND, Va. - Virginia is looking to keep kids from chatting online with sexual predators by requiring convicted sex offenders to register their e-mail addresses and Instant Messaging identities with the state's Sex Offender Registry.

Attorney General Bob McDonnell wants the Commonwealth to be the first to team up with MySpace.com. The social networking site is creating a software system that would identify a sex offender should they try to log on to the site.

McDonnell will propose state legislation requiring Virginia's 13,500 sex offenders to register. The e-mail addresses would then be verified by state troopers. Troopers already verify other information offenders provide, such as work and home addresses.

"None of these systems are 100 percent fool-proof, but if you have physical checks plus the threat of conviction of a new crime if you give false information, that's a pretty good start," McDonnell told WTOP. "We're still working on the details of the legislation."

McDonnell says MySpace.com is developing and purchasing the software and is optimistic it can be "up and running pretty promptly."

"By requiring offenders to register any e-mail address, IM screen name, or chat handle, and aggregating that information in a database, Web sites that choose to block sex offenders can do so," said Hemanshu Nigam, chief security officer of MySpace.com, in a news release. "And law enforcement will have new tools to employ against predators who attempt to misuse the Internet to find potential victims.

"This legislation combined with our announcement last week of plans to build the first real-time searchable national sex offender database will make the Internet a far safer place for all," Nigam added.

McDonnell, who anticipates other states will follow suit, said he wants to see other social networking sites implement similar software to prevent sex offenders from preying on children.

His proposal is part of an overall package of legislation and educational programs that his Youth Internet Safety Task Force plans to announce Dec. 20.

(Copyright 2006 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)