For Release: May 21, 2007
Contact: J. Tucker Martin or David Clementson
Email: tucker.martin@oag.state.va.us or dclementson@oag.state.va.us
Phone: 804-786-2071
McDonnell Announces MySpace to Provide Names of Sex Offenders on Site
Richmond - Attorney General Bob McDonnell announced today that MySpace.com has identified thousands of convicted sex offenders on the site, and will share the information with the nation’s Attorneys General.
Combined with the recent passage of Virginia’s first in the nation legislation to require the registration of all online identities of convicted sexual predators, this will give Virginia a comprehensive database of information regarding sexual predators online identities.
Speaking about the announcement Attorney General McDonnell noted, “This is another positive step in the effort to keep children safer online. There is not a perfect solution in this effort, but there are important steps that can be taken, and this is one. I appreciate MySpace.com using its own resources to find and identify sexual predators on the site, and getting this information to state law enforcement.”
McDonnell continued remarking “Internet safety efforts will not succeed without strong partnerships between the public and private sectors. This is why our Attorney General’s Youth Internet Safety Task Force included representatives not only from law enforcement, education, and government, but also from technology companies, like AOL, Yahoo and MySpace. The Internet is the new frontier for criminals, and we must continue to find ways to keep children safer online, and ensure the continued utility and security of this critical information medium.”
Hemanshu Nigam, Chief Security Officer of MySpace, remarked, "We are continuing to work with Attorney General McDonnell because he is a leader in this area, in our likeminded partnership to keep the Internet safe from predators."
Attorney General McDonnell will share the information about registered sex offenders with law enforcement. The data can be used to look for potential parole violations by offenders who may be barred from using a computer or contacting minors.
MySpace contracted with Sentinel Tech Holdings to conduct the search of the site. This search identified thousands of registered sex offenders nationally. MySpace has deleted these users from its site but has preserved information about them to provide to the attorneys general from each state. In addition, MySpace will continue to search its site for registered sex offenders, and will give the states information about all offenders found on its site including their email and IP addresses.
During the past session of the General Assembly, Virginia became the first state in the nation to require registration of online identities, including email addresses, for all convicted sex offenders in the Commonwealth. This legislation, part of Attorney General Bob McDonnell’s legislative package, creates a database of email addresses and IM names, and allows social networking sites such as MySpace.com to access that information. When MySpace.com, or any other social networking site, comes across the email address or IM name of a registered sex offender they will now have the ability to both delete and/or block these individuals from accessing their site. Failure to provide accurate information will be treated by law enforcement the same as failure to provide other required information, such as physical address and place of employment, subjecting the individual to potential sentence revocation and other penalties. Finally, the Virginia State Police has added 45 troopers to focus on ensuring accurate reporting to the Virginia Sex Offender Registry.
Attorney General McDonnell’s 2007 legislative package contained additional measures to promote Internet safety. These included tougher sentencing for online sexual predators, new tools for law enforcement to use in the investigation of online crimes, and the creation of a public education campaign designed to inform parents, teachers and children about online safety.
Click here to learn more about Attorney General McDonnell and online safety.
Attorney General McDonnell also expresses his appreciation to Attorney General Roy Cooper of North Carolina and Attorney General Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut for their ongoing leadership with the National Association of Attorneys General in helping to make the Internet safer for children.
