SCHUMER ANNOUNCES PASSAGE OF HIS LEGISLATION TO CRACK DOWN ON UPSTATE NY CHILD PREDATORS ON THE INTERNET
U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that both Houses of Congress have passed his legislation cracking down on Upstate New York sexual predators using social networking websites such as MySpace and Facebook. The “Keeping the Internet Devoid of Sexual-Predators Act of 2007,” known as the KIDS Act (S. 431), will require registered sex offenders to submit e-mail addresses, instant message addresses or other identifying Internet information to law enforcement to be placed on the National Sex Offender Registry.
(Media-Newswire.com) - U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that both Houses of Congress have passed his legislation cracking down on Upstate New York sexual predators using social networking websites such as MySpace and Facebook. The “Keeping the Internet Devoid of Sexual-Predators Act of 2007,” known as the KIDS Act ( S. 431 ), will require registered sex offenders to submit e-mail addresses, instant message addresses or other identifying Internet information to law enforcement to be placed on the National Sex Offender Registry.
The legislation will also for the first time require the Attorney General to set up a secure system that will allow qualifying social networking websites to cross-check users' information against the registry to protect users from sexual predators. Without such a checking system, social networking websites have struggled to police their own precincts for sexual predators.
“Millions of teenagers log on to websites like MySpace and they, and their parents, shouldn't have to worry about running in to these predators online,” Schumer said. “Sex offenders have no business joining social networking communities - especially those with teenage users - and our legislation will help keep them out. We know that many predators are using the Internet to find victims. This legislation will take a big step toward keeping sexual predators out of the online neighborhoods our kids frequent.”
The legislation passed the House without objection on Saturday, and then cleared the Senate by unanimous consent late Tuesday. It will now go to the President for signature or veto. If signed, the legislation will require sex offenders to register their online identifiers, such as email and instant messaging addresses, with the National Sex Offender Registry. This information will be released only to participating websites in a secure and protected form so that website operators can monitor their services and expel sex offenders from their pool of users if they choose. Failure to register or update registration of email information, like other required information, will subject violators to up to ten years’ imprisonment.
The KIDS Act has been endorsed by many children’s advocacy groups and social networking websites including the American Family Association, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, MySpace, and Facebook.
In addition, Schumer and Senator Joseph Biden’s legislation to crack down on child pornographers that transmit images or solicit children on the Internet was unanimously approved by the U.S. Senate last week. It will now go to the president’s desk. The Securing Adolescents From Exploitation Online Act ( SAFE Act ) would clarify and enhance the current system for electronic service providers ( ESPs ) to report online child pornography, making an ESP’s failure to report known child pornography a federal crime.
Under current law, Internet service providers are obligated to report child pornography to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children ( NCMEC ). NCMEC, in turn, provides a report to law enforcement authorities for investigation and prosecution. With the Schumer-Biden legislation, these companies would receive protection from prosecution for transmitting images of apparent child pornography to NCMEC to ensure that companies do not underreport child pornography for fear of prosecution.
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