Georgia Sex Offenders Must Hand Over Internet Passwords

[Sister Iroz]

ATLANTA — A law is set to take effect in Georgia Thursday that requires sex offenders to hand over Internet passwords, screen names and e-mail addresses.

Georgia joins a small band of states complying with guidelines in a 2006 federal law requiring authorities to track Internet addresses of sex offenders. But the state is among the first to take the extra step of forcing its 16,000 offenders to turn in their passwords as well.

A federal judge ruled in September that a similar law in Utah violated the privacy rights of an offender who challenged it. That ruling applied to only one offender who had a military conviction on sex offenses but was never in Utah's court or prison system.

No one in Georgia has challenged the law yet. But critics say it threatens the privacy of sex offenders and places an additional burden on law enforcement officials.

State Sen. Cecil Staton, who wrote the bill, says the measure is designed to keep the Internet safe for children. Authorities could use the passwords and other information to make sure offenders aren't stalking children online or chatting with them about off-limits topics.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,474285,00.html

[petrina]

yikes. i tend to agree that this does more civil liberty and beaurocratic harm than good.

yes, i want to stop sex crimes but... this seems overreaching and downright ineffective of them.

most of you KNOW how easy it is to stay hidden online. there is nothing stopping sex offenders from making more screen names in more places.

and passwords? what would stop the offender from saying "i didnt write that - it wasnt me - you have my password so you must have done it or it leaked from your password place"

and really what would stop a bad person from accessing these passwords and using them to contact new victims online and letting someone else take the rap?

now if you could monitor IP addresses and guarantee that they would be stagnant... hell i am not sure that would even work

it just seems full of holes - pardon

[Rockin Ma]

I agree Petrina.

CT I know asks for the email addresses. Not sure if they ask for passwords.

I'm wondering though, why are sex offenders usually forbidden from using computers? I thought because of child porn, but even the mild offenders that have no connection to child abuse have those restrictions. I've never heard it, but is possession porn - magazines or computer considered a trigger for deviant behavior? Anyone know?

[Peeperann]

Ok, ok, I know i'm going to get smacked around for my opinion, but, I think it's a great idea! Do I think it will actually work? No. I could care less about pedophiles civil rights, in my opinion they gave them up the first time they raped or touched a child.

As far as it working? Those pieces of shit are crafty little monsters and will find a way around it anyway. It's just too easy to make so many multiple accounts. LE will not be able to keep up. Not enough money or manpower to enforce it.

But I do think any little thing that can be done should be done..............

[Rockin Ma]

Ok, ok, I know i'm going to get smacked around for my opinion, but, I think it's a great idea! Do I think it will actually work? No. I could care less about pedophiles civil rights, in my opinion they gave them up the first time they raped or touched a child.

As far as it working? Those pieces of shit are crafty little monsters and will find a way around it anyway. It's just too easy to make so many multiple accounts. LE will not be able to keep up. Not enough money or manpower to enforce it.

But I do think any little thing that can be done should be done..............

The idea may be nice, but I do not think overworked probation and parole officers will have a chance to monitor anything anyway. They don't even keep good track of the ones on GPS around here.

[Athena]

Ok, ok, I know i'm going to get smacked around for my opinion, but, I think it's a great idea! Do I think it will actually work? No. I could care less about pedophiles civil rights, in my opinion they gave them up the first time they raped or touched a child.

As far as it working? Those pieces of shit are crafty little monsters and will find a way around it anyway. It's just too easy to make so many multiple accounts. LE will not be able to keep up. Not enough money or manpower to enforce it.

But I do think any little thing that can be done should be done..............

Are you re-reading yourself? "I know it won't work, but hey, let's waste the resources anyway!"

The "little things" do NOTHING to protect you and your children. Hell, there's no evidence that registries work, much less this incredibly cockamamie plan. You should be down right insulted by these politicians' attempts to cheat you.

The question we should all be asking is, "If we can't trust these people to walk among us, WHY ARE THEY FREE?!?"

[Peeperann]

The question we should all be asking is, "If we can't trust these people to walk among us, WHY ARE THEY FREE?!?"

Ah Athena I was waiting for you to get ahold of this one!! I agree they shouldn't be walking around free, but they do let them go, and I for one have no problem paying a little more in taxes if it helps save one child!

[Athena]

Ah Athena I was waiting for you to get ahold of this one!! I agree they shouldn't be walking around free, but they do let them go, and I for one have no problem paying a little more in taxes if it helps save one child!

lol, Get ahold of yourself, woman! You're such a pushover! You should be pissed that they're letting them go and horrified that, not only are they letting them go, they're duping you into believing taking their IDs and passwords will help, and they're spending money that could be used on the REAL cure, incarceration, to do it!

You should be screaming, "What kind of fool do these assholes take me for?!?"

We should be spending a little more in taxes to help save THOUSANDS of children. Only incarceration can do that. Petition your representatives, people.

[Peeperann]

You should be screaming, "What kind of fool do these assholes take me for?!?"

I scream it all the time Athena, but no one listens no matter how loud I get!

[Athena]

Well, then - I'm afraid you're just going to have to start kick shins. :wink:

[Sister Iroz]

"if we can't trust these people to walk among us, why are they free?!?"

exactly!