Internet Safety Updates in 3 States
Thought I’d share some good news on behalf of three US States and their progress on keeping the Internet safe for their kids.
- In Massachusetts, the House passed reforms to the current Sex Offender Laws that will better protect children from sex offenders through the enforcement of tougher sentences and enhanced tracking of online predators.
- In Pennsylvania, the House has introduced legislation that would place tighter controls on Internet usage by certain convicted child predators.
- And, finally, in Illinois the Internet Safety Education Curriculum Bill requires school districts to incorporate curriculum on Internet safety to students in third through 12th grade beginning in the 2009-10 school year. Very similar to Virginia’s recently passed law. The bill has passed the legislature and is awaiting the Governor signature.
The full articles are below; soak ‘em in. But remember that no matter how tough the laws are, they only work when someone is caught – and even then they have flaws. The best protection starts in the home with the parents. Use tools like PC Pandora monitoring software to make sure your kids aren’t chatting with strangers. Remember, kids are kids – they won’t tell you everything. Knowing for sure what they are doing online can save their lives – and you a lot of headaches. Be a powerful 21st century parent with PC Pandora.
MASSACHUSETTS
House passes sex offender law reforms
BOSTON — State Rep. Patrick M. Natale, D-Woburn, has announced that the House of Representative passed reforms to the current Sex Offender Laws which will better protect children from sex offenders through the enforcement of tougher sentences and enhanced tracking of online predators.
“These new reforms strengthen the current laws in protecting the children of the Commonwealth” said Natale. “The House displayed strong support passing this legislation because there is no higher priority than the protection of our children.”
“Here in the city of Woburn we know all to well the devastating impact these predatory sex offenders can cause,” he added. “In January 2004, a Level 3 sex offender raped and murdered a Woburn mother, Joanne Presti, age 34, and murdered her daughter, Alyssa Presti age 12.”
The legislation provides a number of minimum mandatory sentences for child predators, creates three new criminal charges for child rape and broadens the aggravating factors for the new crimes to include the use of a weapon, providing drugs or alcohol to the victim and cases where the offender holds a position of trust and authority over the victim such as teacher, coaches and clergy.
The legislation amends current law to help prosecutors to better track online predators as well as offenders of other crimes, by allowing the use of administrative subpoenas to Internet service providers to obtain basic subscriber information.
The bill also expands criminal laws regarding subsequent offenses, allowing prosecutors to charge a subsequent offense for those who had previously been convicted of crimes such as indecent assault and battery on a child or attempted rape of a child.
The bill also instructs the Chief Justice for Administration and Management of the Massachusetts Trial Court to establish and implement an annual reporting system to provide the Joint Committee on the Judiciary with information regarding the prosecution and disposition of sex offender cases as of December 31, 2008.
The legislation now proceeds to the Senate for its consideration.
PENNSYLVANIA
UPPER DARBY — State Attorney General Tom Corbett and members of the state House of Representatives joined state Rep. Mario Civera, R-164, of Upper Darby, at Drexel Hill Middle School Friday morning to introduce legislation that would place tighter controls on Internet usage by certain convicted child predators.
“We are here today because the Internet has become part of how we live in a very fundamental way,” said Civera from between a podium and a backdrop of Internet predator mug shots in the school’s library.
He extolled the enrichment opportunities provided by the Net, but also noted youngsters, in particular, are vulnerable to its dark underbelly.
“It has created opportunities for criminals to come into our lives in dangerous ways,” said Civera, surrounded by supporters such as Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood and a gaggle of fellow representatives, including House Speaker John Perzel, R-172, of Philadelphia, and Thomas Killion, R-168, of Middletown.
“Predators will always be drawn to locations that give them the greatest access to the largest number of potential victims,” said Corbett. “Thirty years ago, 25 years ago, they went to the playgrounds. Today, they don’t have to. They can sit at the computer and they’re in a virtual playground.”
Hence House Bill 2590, which Civera developed with Corbett’s help and has garnered 52 co-sponsors from both sides of the aisle.
Corbett’s office already has an Internet education component for parents and schools called Operation Safe Surf. He said his office’s Child Predator Unit has captured 146 Internet predators, all male, since its inception in 2005.
Under HB 2590, registered Internet sex offenders could access the Web only for very specific reasons, such as job searches, educational purposes and for “other purposes for which good cause is shown” in the judgment of the entity authorizing access, such as the Pennsylvania State Police.
The offender would also be required to submit to unannounced inspections of all computers and electronic telecommunications devices — as well as information contained therein — to which he or she has access.
Corbett said the Internet predator comes from all walks of life and every profession imaginable, from professors to ministers to police officers.
“However, these men all have one thing in common: They used the Internet as the means to commit their crime,” he said. “That is why this bill is so important. It provides an additional safety net for children throughout Pennsylvania by prohibiting registered sex offenders who used the Internet to commit their crime from using computers to commit additional crimes.”
The bill is currently pending in the House Committee on the Judiciary.
ILLINOIS
Bill requires Internet safety in schools
By BRIDGET KENNEDY
Should a recently passed Illinois Senate bill be signed into law, students in Oak Park and River Forest could be taking time out of during their classes to learn about Internet safety next year.
The Internet Safety Education Curriculum Bill, introduced by State Sen. Terry Link, D-30th, of Vernon Hills, would require school districts to incorporate curriculum on Internet safety to students in third through 12th grade beginning in the 2009-10 school year. Curriculum will be age appropriate and include topics about safe online communications, privacy protection and viewing inappropriate material online.
State Sen. Don Harmon, D-39th, of Oak Park, voted to approve the bill.
“Students today use the Internet like we used encyclopedias growing up,” Harmon said, “but encyclopedias couldn’t bite you. It’s important we alert children to the dangers while they’re enjoying the benefits of it.”
Phil Prale, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction at Oak Park-River Forest High School, said student safety always comes first, but stopped short of calling the bill a good idea.
“It’s entirely appropriate for the state to act in a way that’s in the best interest of the students,” Prale said, but added it is one more thing the school with have to work into the curriculum.
“We’ll follow through,” he said.
Link said the bill is revenue neutral and for that reason alone, there shouldn’t be any complaints.
“We can always find time for a team that wins a championship,” Link said. “We can allocate times for things of that nature, which I’m not belittling, but I think if we can find time for that, we can find time for the importance of Internet safety.”
The Illinois State Board of Education will develop the curriculum and provide materials for parents regarding online safety. There is no set amount of classroom time required by the bill.
The bill passed both chambers May 31 and is awaiting the governor’s signature.
