29,000 Sex Offenders Have MySpace Profiles

Social-Networking Site Reported Just 7,000 Offenders Two Months Ago

(CBS/AP)  MySpace.com has found more than 29,000 registered sex offenders with profiles on the popular social networking Web site, more than four times the number cited by the company two months ago, North Carolina officials said Tuesday.

North Carolina's Roy Cooper is one of several attorneys general who recently demanded the News Corp.-owned Web site provide data on how many registered sex offenders were using the popular social networking site, along with information about where they live.

After initially withholding the information, citing federal privacy laws, MySpace began sharing the information in May after the states filed formal legal requests.

At the time, MySpace said it had already used a database it helped create to remove about 7,000 profiles of sex offenders, out of a total of about 180 million profiles on the site.

Cooper's office said Tuesday, however, that now the figure has risen past 29,000.

Two MySpace spokeswomen did not immediately return calls seeking comment.

Cooper is pushing for a state law that would require children to receive parental permission before creating social networking profiles, and require the Web sites to verify the parents' identity and age. For example, social networking sites would have to compare information provided by a parent with commercial databases. Sites could also force parents to submit credit cards or printed forms.

Cooper is working with law enforcement officials in other states in pressuring MySpace to use age and identity verification methods voluntarily. Based on media reports, Cooper's office found more than 100 criminal incidents this year of adults using MySpace to prey or attempt to prey on children.

A Virginia man pleaded guilty Monday to kidnapping and soliciting a 14-year old girl he met on MySpace.

"All we're doing is giving parents the right to make a choice whether their children can go online," Cooper told a state House committee considering the bill on parental involvement and verification. He said the measure would lead to "fewer children at risk, because there will be fewer children on those Web sites."

A number of states, including Texas, have moved aggressively to round up suspected sex offenders known to be using the networking site, reports CBS News correspondent Bob Orr.

MySpace will not confirm any numbers, Orr adds, but says it's has already successfully identified and removed sex offenders from its site.

Advocates for Internet companies and privacy issues testified against the proposed restrictions, saying the broad parental verification standards would be found unconstitutional because they prohibit free speech or impede interstate commerce. The experts who testified also said Cooper's idea isn't foolproof, because children could fabricate their parents' information and purported consent.

The parental verification requirement "makes promises to consumers that cannot be kept. It is dangerous language," said Emily Hackett, executive director of the Washington-based Internet Alliance, whose clients include Time Warner Inc.'s AOL, Yahoo Inc. and VeriSign Inc. "There is no way to eyeball a user."

The bill has already passed the North Carolina Senate. Now it goes to a House subcommittee for more consideration.

State Sen. Walter Dalton, a Democrat who is a primary sponsor of the bill, acknowledged that it won't stop all sexual predators from getting on social networking sites. But he said it addresses a problem that shouldn't be ignored, Dalton said.

"There is obviously a compelling state interest to protect our children from sexual predators," he said.

[Syndicate]

Children have no buisness socializing online. There is software that will record everything your kid or spouse types on the computer.

[sofi2hot]

if parents would pay more attention to what thier children are doing there would be no worry for this. *** offenders are everywhere.. you have to be smart enough to educate your children to be discreet and not answer to people they dont know.

[clew37]

"restricting interstate commerce"

Are these the new buzzwords for rape? Like how they now call sexual slavery "trafficking", like the kids are just any other piece of produce or cattle...?

[phil-in-fin]

29,000!

Wow!

"Business" must be good in MySpace ... as a father of four, this makes me sick to my stomach ...

[nyckate]

I know parents who have taken down their kids myspace page and these same teens have skuck around to friends or even the library to put up new ones ...

In some ways kids have even less freedom that we did - we could always go places without having parents forced to take us to our friends or even to high school games and things - now kids have to be 'scheduled' to go everywhere - and yet they have the freedom of the internet and they aren't mature enough to handle it - and also we have the problem of hoards of animals trying to take advantage of them.

It's a scary world out there today that's for sure. Parents are going to have to restrict their kids access to internet - yes- parents - its an inconvenience and you wish you didn't have to do it - tough - do it.

[nsbradley]

I know there are those who do not believe in the death penalty but it really is way past time to cull the human herd - child molesters, rapists, etc. cannot be cured - CANNOT BE CURED! The internet will continue to provide them cover and new victims regardless of what precautions parents and the internet try to enact. How many missing and then found killed females does it take, how many missing and raped young people does it take before all of you idealistic non common sense or logical refuse to face the truth and finally realize enough is more than enough and get rid of the human pollutants who refuse to be productive and positive contributors to our society. We cannot continue to waste money building prisons, tax dollars spent on feeding, guarding, providing free attorneys for the most vile of our citizens. Every time a rapist rapes and a child killer kills and a child molester molests those of you who refuse to take the required action to stop the brutality are participants in the gore. Some people are pure evil! Polly Klaus was kidnapped from her own house from her own bedroom and brutalized, raped and killed - just how much more innocent could she have been! The piece of stank vicious violent sub human trash that took her life had a long prison record - Polly did not even have a long life - she was a mere 13 years old! All the victims cry out for justice - lend your voice in contempt of those who cause victims!

[rharrin1]

Must be the whole bush administration is signing up.

[sharncedar]

The media culture promotes s$xual conduct becuase a person in their reproductive age spends the most money and asks the least questions. Thus children are forced into s$xual activity at a young age and old people who should be valued for their wisdom are treated as worthless if they are no longer s$xual. This culture treats people like trash, and so the sick perverted molestors act out the messages the get from the culture. S$x is all that matters, and people are discardable trash. That is pretty horrible when combined, but it is exactly the meaning of most Hollywood movies. When you look at a molestor, you all is looking in the mirror.

29,000 is too many to be explained by human abberation, this is clearly an activity or perversion that is encouraged by something in our society, and it seems obvious it is the media and advertising culture.

So for the person advocating the death penalty, I agree, let's start with Hollywood.

[keithle1]

I'm shocked. Stunned. How could this happen? Why would they wanna hang out where kids hang out?
It makes no sense. SOMEONE PROTECT OUT KIDS!!!!

[hedonist3]

nsbradley for President!

rharrin1 - What a childish retort on such a serious matter.

[nsbradley]

Yes, the human race is actually animal but please do not insult the 4 legged animals by referring to the evil people in Mankind's society as animals - please refer to these low life humans as 2-legged animals because 4 legged animals do not rape and molest humans. Granted they sometimes kill but only when the human happens to be in the space the 4 legged animal is occupying. 4 legged animals though they have abilities that humans do not possess such as unusually great hearing, unusually great sense of smell, etc. they do not go on My Space to find victims. Everytime we degrade an innocent animal by giving it negative human traits we demean ourselves and show our level of ignorance.

[donnie900]

Download keystroke software. You can get it now so that it runs transparently on anybody's computer. And monitors everything. Keystrokes? Conversations? Websites? Everything. You don't even have to be there. It'll email all the info to ya.

[republic1776]

29,000 Out of a profile membership of 180 million. That's over half of the United States population. .016 are perverts. That number might be lower that our streets of America.
I say use common sense and educate the young.
For instance I learned at a young age that one does not ware $500 watches and $300.00 sneakers and take a leisurely walk at midnight in North Philadelphia. (VICTUM)
I question the Governments true intentions, anytime I hear a plea %u201Cit%u2019s for the children%u201D
I here the ringing; that sweet sound of new tax revenues!
%u201CFor the children%u201D
We would loose total anonymity and have to give all of our person information including a credit card. (ching)
What would be next? Traveling papers like Russia?
No thanks!

[donnie900]

The American Parent has to pull a Cheney on their kids.

[gmond]

I agree with everything republic1776 wrote, I just wish I could have listened to his thoughts instead of reading them.

[nothappyatall]

"used a database it helped create to remove about 7,000 profiles of *** offenders,"

WOW, whoop-te-do they removed the PROFILES, like these people can't simply create a new account in 2 minutes and start again LOL

I doubt the number 29,000 is even valid, for one thing most people have more than one account on places like these, why not? the accounts are totally FREE. You forgot your password or want a second, third or fourth 'personna'?, just create a new account.

Personally I think the whole idea of closing these accounts is a total waste of time given the above, it's time for the PARENTS to monitor your own kid's on- line as that's the ONLY thing that will work.

www.evilbible.com

[nyckate]

republic1776 - your comparison is extremely stupid.

Fact is peodophiles attack as many as they can get near - they aren't like someone who accidently hit someone with their car - they strike as often as they can - they abuse as often as they can. Peodophiles would attack 10 children a day if they could.

We are a republic - and we have OBLIGATIONS and laws and rules to live by - some are moral and others are written into the US COnstitution. You seem to want the internet (and probably the entire US) to live by rules of the Wild Wild West where whoever wanted to could arm themselves and if one got dead cause some fing moron with a gun mistook you for someone else then oh well on to the next town.

We as a nation have an OBLIGATION to protect the yound and the defenseless.

[phydeux1]

I'm SO GLAD to see people posting here with common sense like Republic and Newster. Articles like this are just fear-mongering to stir the populace into a froth and frenzy over a bogeyman that largely keeps to the shadows (or churches).

The safety of children is the responsibility of the parents. PERIOD! Government can legislate crosswalks and child seats in cars. But regulating who uses public services like the internet is wrong.

Lets stop using *** offenders (A WIDELY ABUSED TERM!) as a scapegoat for all our anger and focus on real issues like parental irresponsibility, child abuse, and child neglect. There's far more of that going around, but it doesn't get the press-time a couple of rare pedophiles do.

[tnt1954]

you need a ten thousand dollar licensing
fee on the internet to operate on it so
there can be an internet rapid response
police and cyber swat team.

[cooljcrg]

Republic1776... Irrespective of the values of your position, you numerous spelling and grammar errors make it hard for people like me to take you too seriously...

[tnt1954]

scientists have proven beyond the shadow
of a reasonable doubt that the land of make-believe is 100% fact and real. so many
people are way gone into fantasyland
at disneyland they will never return.
as predicted by sexologists that had
phds. from university of calipornia
at santa barbara back in 1969 when
i left there, cause it was getting
way too far out. and then in the fall
it was riot time. they were insane
the inventors of the internet.

[rthemidget]

There is a child molester right there in Rutherford County, NC. His name is Jimmy Coffey.

[nskduke]

MySpace is for losers.

[lastdance2]

RE:
rthemidget

If your going to reveal names - Give it some - "Class"
Start down at your own - "Federal Building"

rthemidget - This is just for you ! ! ! !

Even : "J. Edgar Hoover" (FBI Director)
Often enjoyed : A romp in bed with : "Young Boys"

Video tapped - Statements : From former FBI agents :
Describing how - They delivered Young Boys - For S*e*x*
Is evidence to that ! ! ! !

"Solicitation - Prostitution - Pimps"
The FBI - (Uncovered) - In one of it's more Finest Moments
_________
Research :
The Secret Life of J Edgar Hoover
copy and paste (Google)
_________

If those Young Boys, came from juvenile detention centers.
Then - They may - "Not" - of had any - Choice in the matter
That activity - Now turns into a : S*e*x* - Slave trafficking operation.
of Young Boys

rthemidget - If you going to do something - Do It Right - The First Time

Lastdance

[warboxmusic]

This exposes the underlying problem. As a parent you should focus more on parenting than creating a friendship with your children. They may talk back to you and even say they hate you. But I tell you hearing %u201CI hate you%u201D is better than trying to talk to a head stone. We are only human and I realize that no parent is perfect, but common sense should dictate if a child or young adult wants to do something that will cause them harm, or great suffering, that we as a parent should give intervention no second thought. Your child will get over it. I promise!

[rulesrmade2b]

Al.Goraphobia shouldn't have "created" the internet. LOL

Seriously though...this is not a laughing matter.

[grazinggoat]

Officials: *** Offenders Swarming MySpace
Social-Networking Site Has 29,000 Offenders, More Than 4 Times The Total Cited In May

-Seems that Foley-like GOPs, once unmasked by fellow Americans, are looking for new victims... MySpace and other affiliated virtual facilities are easy accessed and full of young easy victims...

[alady2262]

I can understand why they have so many *** offenders because they allow just about anything on there. My 18yr old granddaughter had a boyfriend and when they broke up he put something like if you are looking for a good time contact so and so and also a few other not very clean things and when she reported it they said that they would not suspend because it was ok for him to say those things. She has ask him several times to please remove it and he will not.

[tiki58]

The woman (while being interviewed) said we can help out,,how to contact the program?I tried going to the site "wiresaftey" and there was nothing about helping out, just advertisement.
Thank you.
Tiki58

[radiob-2009]

Parents a old fashioned method but effective, do not let your children go anywhere without your full knowledge of the place and the people that are there. Never allow your child to date or meet someone that you have not met, if your instincts tell you something about the individual do not allow your child to associate with the individual.Teach your children at a very young age to be wary of strangers and to never go with a stranger anywhere, anyplace, anytime. If your child is young never allow your child out of your immediate sight. Talk to your children but remind them that you are in charge of their well being not them. Pay attention to what your child reads,watches on TV or surfs the net on. Restrict access to certain sites and remind them the computer is a learning tool not a place to meet people.In other words be a parent and do not be afraid that you will tick your child off if you do tick your child off in the act of protecting them well good for you.

[rushlimpdrug]

Why are *** offenders allowed on myspace?
I don't know about myspace, but could the courts require the *** offenders to make it clear they are *** offenders on their profiles?
The could check a *** offender/child molester/rapist box.

[chrissymac8]

to tiki 58 -- the website that they mentioned was: http://www.wiredsafety.org/

[ralan40]

...and those are the ones that have been caught, tried, found guilty "beyond a reasonable doubt" Think of all the "pervs in the making" or the ones not yet caught that are out there.

[aconcrnd_mom]

Im sure that some or alot of the pctures posted from these *** offenders as them are not them. so you found 29,000 and there are more out there. So my question is...Can we post the real pictures that identify them up against the pictures they used so the children can see who they thought they were talking to up against who they were really talking to?? No matter what you tell your kids these days they always think they are invinsible. However, if we do this it mght open thier innocent eyes to reality and show them that it can happen to them if it already hasnt. Exposure of the *** offenders can also protect all of us out here.

[infidel_us]

That's 29,000 warrents that need to be issued. America is breeding entirely too many nutcases.....time to thin out the herd.

[navyretired2]

"Republic1776... Irrespective of the values of your position, you numerous spelling and grammar errors make it hard for people like me to take you too seriously..."

LOL!

"you numerous spelling and grammar errors"

Pot......kettle........

[navyretired2]

I personally don't for ONE SECOND worry about se.x offenders/predators on the internet with regards to my kids (17 and 13). Not saying I support them being there, I just don't fear them for my family.

My wife is the internet gestapo at our house. She is all over it. My oldest has a MySpace site, where he basically shares his music ideas and talks about artists/albums with others of the same likes. No reference is made to age, se.x, location...his mom would bust his grape if he did.

It's on the parents. Period.

[mediabrat60]

Posted by NavyRetired2 at 10:20 AM : Jul 25, 2007

That's the facts!
Parents need to be RESPONSIBLE!!!
If your kids are doing stuff that is dangerous to them, then how'd they get there?

My son has a myspace but it is PRIVATE, not just anyone can talk to him, you need an invite to enter, most of the kids on there are his local friends and friends from his old nieghborhood AND his youth group from church.

Parents who don't have a clue what is going on shouldn't be parents!

[shafteriffic]

I hope they make it possible for kids to need they're parents permission. If not I would like to see them ban myspace and any similiar sites from the internet completely. No one needs to post anything about themselves and no one needs to read or see anything about anyone else. If you want to share with family and friends use e-mail. As for the "PRIVATE" option, that doesn't help. My daughter has hers set to private and it took me all of 5 min. to get into it. There is absolutely no safe way to be on these sites - PERIOD!

[jdubs63]

radiobob and WARBOXMUSIC... exactly, thanks

[tucano2]

The best estimate available indicate that of the 29,000 *** offenders some 27,000 are current Catholic priests, most of whom work for Roger (phoney-baloney) Mahoney in L.A.

[phydeux1]

More than 85% of those convicted of a *** offense NEVER re-offends in a ***-related crime! But that doesn't sell newspapers or get you to tune into Dateline, so you never hear about it. They give you statistics about how registered *** offenders (RSO's) reoffend like 93% of the time, but what they DON'T tell you is that includes parking tickets and other minor infractions that have nothing whatsoever to do with being an RSO. And here's a few things most people tend to overlook: *** offenders ARE NOT ALL MEN, just men get punished harder. More than 90% of *** offenses are committed by family or friends close to the victim, not a random stranger. Its just that the media likes to hype stranger assaults more because they're so hard to understand. But the most important thing many of you seem to forget is NOT ALL *** OFFENDERS TARGET CHILDREN!!!! So out of that 29,000 on MySpace there's probably only about 3,000 that actively target children, the rest may have been picked up for indecent exposure, rape against an adult, date rape, or any number of other offenses. Its just that the media has you CONDITIONED to think "*** offender = pedophile" which is wrong. But chains_db and others have all stated the solution.... PARENTS, WATCH OVER WHAT YOUR KIDS ARE DOING AND THEY WON'T GET HURT. I help keep my girlfriend's daughters safe online and we both pay attention to where they go and who they talk to. And somehow they manage to go on MySpace without getting harassed.

[lastdance2]

Even : "J. Edgar Hoover" (FBI Director)
Often enjoyed : A romp in bed with : "Young Boys"

Video tapped - Statements : From former - "FBI" - Agents :
Describing how - They Delivered Young Boys - For S*e*x*
Is evidence to that ! ! ! !"
Solicitation - Prostitution - Pimps" The FBI - (Exposed -Uncovered)
In one of it's Most - "Genuine - Honest - Moments"
_________
Research :The Secret Life of J Edgar Hoover
copy and paste (Google)
_________

If those Young Boys - Came from : Juvenile Detention Centers.
They may - "Not" - of had any - Choice in the matter
That activity - Now turns into a : S*e*x* - Slave Trafficking Operation.
of Young Boys.

Feel Betrayed ? ? ? : Ask those (once) "Young Boys" - How they felt
Being - S*e*x* u*a*l*l*y - Used and - S*e*x* u*a*l*l*y Abused by :
Members of the - "The Justice Department"

Who Said the : "FBI" Is - "Not" - A Criminal Organization ! ! ! !

Lastdance

[sharncedar]

One of the phoniest parts of this is that certain common and non-serious crimes such as minor spousal abuse (a loud argument for example)have been classified as "s$x crimes". I think even some hate speech or consensual s$x type situations with say a 19-year-old with a 17-year-old are classified as "s$x crimes" by the current system. This makes it hard to deal with and protect ourselves from the far fewer but more dangerous child abusers or rapists.

If the government and our leaders (such as the male-hating academic and judicial systems) started being a little more honest then we all would be able to help and protect each other better. But it is more important for liberals to score political points than it is to protect innocent women and children. They would rather have draconian inappropriate penalties applied to slightly abusive husbands, even if that means we end up with so many "s$x offenders" on the official rolls that we can't keep track of the real predators.

good luck any of that changing with hillary getting in office; they will probably start adding 10-year-olds who use the word "b-itch" to the s$x offender category with her hate-filled apporach to government. The net result is real creeps slip through in the chaos and hyperbole.

[mercyme884]

This place never , ever amazes me more than today. I can't believe there that adult humans would praise these perverts and talk about how they are so misunderstood.And no one understands how they are treated because they had *** with a ten year old child. They didn't want to kill them afterward but poor things were afraid the child would tell, so they put the kid in a garbage bag and bury them alive.Poor,poor things maybe they should be done like that.You parents best watch over your kids the perverted slimeballs are out there just looking for some unprotected child.

[lrosen9999]

Unbelievable! The moral panic screamers just won't give up and face the facts.

In June 2007 MySpace had over 70 MILLION unique visitors. OK, so they removed 29 THOUSAND *** offender profiles. That is 4/100ths of a percent!!! In addition, from my studies of well over 2500 MySpacers, nearly all told me that when faced with a "solicitation" they act appropriately and block the person or report him to Tom. When asked if these episodes are upsetting the vast majority say it does not upset them at all.

I am appalled that people keep focusing on MySpace as a hotbed of sexual predators soliciting teens. It is not. It is all an issue of good parenting. Please visit my website at www.csudh.edu/psych/lrosen.htm for my research and information on my upcoming book Me, MySpace and I: Parenting the Net Generation.

Thank you for allowing me to post this comment.

LR

[michellem99-2009]

Parents need to put children's computer in the areas where They can watch their children's on line usage..Parents can't be that dumb to not know what is going on. Parents there are books you can buy books to teach you the basics. I am 52.there are people scared of computers. I know of some. Parents step upto the plate on this as they are your boys and girls.Do your duties as care takers. Be nosey.Keep them safe.Get in their face.Parents. I was abused as a foster child by a foster father who would not keep hands off me.Everyone turnt a blind mind to it and this was pre computer.He knew I could not see his face. I truly dislike preditors as they should not be on the streets.

[norshatakaha]

Why shouldnt s@x offenders be allowed on My Space? Get the kids off my space not make the adults suffer for being adults.

Registered S@x offenders have paid for their crimes. Police the kids and leave the offenders alone. It is already enough shame for them to have to register.

Did you know if you get caught flashing your hooters on mardi gra, you have to register as a s@x offender?

Its a huge shame that moral america wants everyone registered no matter the crime. They dilute the true offender list with playful shinanigans.

[jetranger7]

I left my Space many Many months ago, Why ???? Because there was way too many Teenage Girls on their, advertising for Video-*** Chat, to the point it was Ridlicious !!! What was supposed to be a good thing, has turned into a Total Joke ! Not to mention there was also Sick Perverts on there, along with the young Teenage Video Girls, who were advertising, to come on line with them, then they're was also the Hackers who'd hack your computer and install viruses and trojans on your computer thru file sharing,, site just became too Ridlicious and Pathetic ! I deleted my account many many months ago, and am glad I did, the site just plain Sucks !!!

[hissteps4u]

Norsha may your children be contacted by one of these Molesters and may you then learn why they have to register in the first place even though it does not good they still offend and cant wait to do it again they are sick and MY Space needs to shut them down Imeadiately.

Your a liberal wimp and your words are worthless and you lack even the basic understanding of decency