Police have arrested a convicted sex offender in the kidnapping of a 15-year-old Florida girl he met on MySpace. (Authorities say 46-year-old William Joe Mitchell had convinced the girl he was in his 20s.)
Here’s the AP story, which mentions a tough new law in Florida (ironically, it took effect on Monday, the day the girl ran away to meet Mitchell) that requires sex offenders to register e-mail and instant messaging handles with authorities, who will share the info with social networking sites. Do you think this would have stopped someone like Mitchell?
Maureen
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Maureen
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Re: MySpace Sex Offender Arrested
Oct 10, 2007 10:12 AM
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Thanks for your input, woodstock. I too am very thankful that society is more open to talking about sexual abuse and abusers. Though I guess the flip side to that openness is some people think abuse happens more frequently now. I don’t think the world has spawned more abusers – I just think we hear about them a whole lot more. All the best, Maureen Kochan ConnectSafely forum manager
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woodstock
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Re: MySpace Sex Offender Arrested
Oct 10, 2007 3:32 AM
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I read your newspaper article. And I hate to say that the law for the registering of sex offensers e-mails, and myspace accounts is going to work about as good as them coming up and telling you, "hi, I'm a registered sex offender, can I play with your children?" Let's all get honest here the ones who know the system just enough are going to be able to get through anyway they possible can. Heck they can go to a library, or a internet coffee shop with the right idea and talk to anyone they want to. So, there are a lot of holes in that law. We have got to learn to protect our children a lot harder! Not that we shouldn't put laws like that in force, but we have got to get a lot harder on the SEX OFFENDERS! We have got to stop letting them off with just a couple of years in jail! Make them wear ankle braclets at all times after they get out so we know where they're at, at ALL times. Or, some other kind of eletronic monitoring device at least. I really don't believe these people can suddenly beat the urges they have! I lived back when you didn't tell when these things happened and people just didn't talk about it, so it's good kids can be protected now!
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Maureen
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MySpace Sex Offender Arrested
Oct 7, 2007 12:45 PM
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Police have arrested a convicted sex offender in the kidnapping of a 15-year-old Florida girl he met on MySpace. (Authorities say 46-year-old William Joe Mitchell had convinced the girl he was in his 20s.)
Here’s the AP story, which mentions a tough new law in Florida (ironically, it took effect on Monday, the day the girl ran away to meet Mitchell) that requires sex offenders to register e-mail and instant messaging handles with authorities, who will share the info with social networking sites. Do you think this would have stopped someone like Mitchell?
Maureen
ConnectSafely forum manager
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