AG: 2,100 N.C. sex offenders on MySpace

Raleigh, N.C. — More than 2,100 registered North Carolina sex offenders were found on the MySpace social networking site, Attorney General Roy Cooper said Tuesday.

Almost two years ago, Cooper subpoenaed MySpace to get data on sex offenders using the Web site. MySpace later turned over the names and e-mail addresses of 2,116 convicted North Carolina sex offenders found on its site.

Cooper has requested similar information from MySpace competitor Facebook.

“It’s no secret that child predators are on these Web sites,” Cooper said in a statement. “Turning over information about these predators to law enforcement helps, but MySpace, Facebook and other social networks need to do much more to protect kids online.”

At the urging of Cooper and other state attorneys general, MySpace last year developed technology to find and remove sex offenders from its site. Cooper said he is pushing Facebook and other social networking Web sites to take similar steps.

MySpace officials said they have removed all of the identified sex offenders from the site. People who have been charged with but not convicted of sex offenses, offenders who aren't registered with authorities and registered offenders using aliases might still be using MySpace, officials said.

Cooper said he remains concerned about sex offenders on the site who might be lying about who they are, and he has asked MySpace to do more to protect children on its site.

The General Assembly last year beefed up sanctions for online predators, including banning convicted sex offenders from social networking sites where children are members. Those who authorities believe violated the law can be charged with a felony.

Prosecutors in Cooper's office have shared the MySpace information with state probation officials to identify possible violations by probationers who may be barred from using a computer or contacting minors.

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Also check the article on here about the woman in Parkton who is charged with child neglect of ALL her kids!!

This is what is happening to our kids while our AG worries about MySpace and Facebook!!!

Diabetes, obesity, easy access to handguns, lack of sidewalks on busy roads, etc. These things endanger our children ALOT more than some loser trolling on the web!!

roncorey1
March 11, 2009 12:27 p.m.

Child abuse of the non-sexual kind; beating, neglect, emotional abuse; always gets overshadowed by sensationalist political garbage ilke this!!

Instead of Cooper worrying about trivial matters like these he should worry about illegal aliens kidnapping and raping twelve year olds (see article on this site)and all the children who are beaten and neglected in this state.

roncorey1
March 11, 2009 12:17 p.m.

"I think all 2100 names should be released to the public!" - sayitoutloud

We have sex offender registries for that. I've looked up neighbors, my boyfriend (after our first date), coworkers, and other peopel I am acquainted with.

NCworkingwoman
March 10, 2009 4:59 p.m.

2,100? So what? MySpace isn't a website targeted to children.

This is like saying there were 210 sex offenders at the Hurricanes game last week. There's nothing to correlate in the data.

dougdeep
March 10, 2009 4:42 p.m.

Why should MySpace (or Facebook or whoever) have to protect YOUR children? Is that the job of the parents? Parents need to be aware of what their kids do online and educate their children about the dangers of the internet. Tell your kids you want their password so you can monitor their activity...if they refuse to give it, password protect the whole computer so they can't use it - period!

PS...you all are aware that you can make your MySpace private right? So only the people you (or your kids) accept as friends can view your/their page? Simply switching from public to private does wonders for cutting down on strangers contacting you or your kids. You can also set it to where people have to know your first and last name in order to add you. Same goes for Facebook...take advantage of the privacy options, people!!!