MySpace.com has found and removed more than 29,000 sex offenders with profiles on the popular social networking site, according to state officials on Tuesday.
The newly released figure was a huge jump from 7,000 profiles of sex offenders just two months ago on a site with about 180 million profiles. Roy Cooper, North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper along with several others had demanded data on the number of registered sex offenders using the social networking site, owned by News Corp.
"I'm absolutely astonished and appalled because the number has grown so exponentially over so short of time with no explanation," said Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, according to The Associated Press.
Increasing complaints and concerns over numerous criminal incidents of sexual predators on MySpace had pushed the popular online hangout to develop a database containing names, physical descriptions and other identifiable details on sex offenders in the United States. The new development was announced last December and is in partnership with Sentinel Tech Holding Corp.
That database had initially helped remove about 7,000 profiles of sex offenders. MySpace declined to comment on the latest increased figure, according to AP.
Instead, MySpace chief security officer Hemanshu Nigam said in a released statement, "We're pleased that we've successfully identified and removed registered sex offenders from our site and hope that other social networking sites follow our lead."
Attorney General Cooper is currently pushing for a state law that would require children to receive parental permission before creating social networking profiles. He is also working with law enforcement officials in other states in pressuring MySpace to use age and identify verification methods voluntarily.
"Children use the Internet to make friends, to have conversation, to have romances, to live these fantasies. And there are people out there, unfortunately, that wish to do children wrong," said Brian Lewis, executive director for Covenant with North Carolina's Children, which supports Cooper's bill, according to The Charlotte Observer.
The MySpace sex offenders figure was released as pornography is flooding the American culture. According to comScore Media Metrix, more than a third of the U.S. Internet audience visited sites that fit into the online "adult" category. And 44 percent of males ages 18-34 say viewing pornographic material is morally acceptable, a 2006 Morality in Media study found.
Religious groups have created more alternative social networking sites such as Xianz.com, GodTube.com and MyChurch.org to provide online communities for Christians and the general public without the uncomfortable advertisements or member profiles.
Comments
This is nothing more than another infringment on our rights and privlages by our government. Everyone begs for protection, then complains when there are more laws, rules and regulations. Does anyone understand that SEX OFFENDER and PREDATOR are two totally different categories ? Is there a similar list for Drug Dealers ? Shouldn't people convicted of DUI's be on a list somewhere ? Alcohol is a factor in more crimes than sex offenders... and MANY, MANY more deaths... why is alcohol not illegal ? What kind of parent doesn't monitor his / her childs online behavior as well to ensure they are safe, and allows their children to go meet strangers in parking lots? Has anyone heard of a "private" profile ? Why don't we have a public "Alcholics list" to check before we drive past our neighbors house ? Don't laugh... it's coming soon! So is the "cheaters" list, and the "theif" list and the "liars" list and so on. Which one will you be on, and how soon will your rights and freedoms be gone for one bad choice. Are you going to buy into this silly attempt to make us feel safe! Wake up people! If you want to protect your family from MySpace predators... why not start by checking in on your childrens profiles to see what they are doing and who they are adding as friends in the first place! Common sense, really! MySpace has plenty of steps already in place to prevent your child from being victimized but it only works if your child has the common sense to use it. And by the way... you've been watching too much Dateline if you are more worried about a registered sex offender than you are the other guy next door that hasn't got caught yet! Fact is your child is in more danger of being assaulted by a family member, relative or general aquaintence than he or she does a total stranger, let alone a registered sex offender... but you won't hear that on Dateline because there's no SHOCK and AWE in that is there! WIth everything on TV and in the movies and the way we are dressing our children and allowing them to behave... there will be more sex offenders than non-sex offenders in the World soon enough!
So now all those sex offenders will create new logins that'll be harder to link to their real identities, making their behavior harder to monitor. Great. Who decided this was a good idea?
Also, does the name GodTube sound like a euphemism for the male anatomy to anyone else?