Illinois vs. Sexual Predators on Social Networks
House Bill 1348 passed in the Illinois legislature that makes it a class 4 felony for registered sex predators to be on social networks and helps to expedite law enforcement’s ability to obtain recorded phone conversations between predators and their child victims…
Of course, parents need to do their part at home when it comes to internet safety. They need to know who their kids are talking to, especially if they are on a social network. Parents can do so very easily, but they refuse… which is just pure stupidity in today’s world. PC Pandora monitoring software is available to help parents, but sadly, they choose to glorify this fake notion of a child’s “right” to privacy over keeping them safe…
May 23, 2009
Senger’s sexual predator bill approved
From Staff Reports, Napperville SunA bill introduced by state Rep. Darlene Senger (R-Naperville) to make it easier for police departments to catch sexual predators targeting children has been approved in the House and Senate and now heads to the governor’s office for approval.
When House Bill 1348 is signed into law, police departments will be able to secure recorded phone conversations of child sexual predators easier and faster than they can today. Currently, Illinois law enforcement officials must wait up to two weeks to obtain a signed overhear order from a judge.
“As a parent, I believe providing law enforcement with every possible tool to track down sexual predator before they reach our children is so important,” Senger said in a press release. “I am confident that when this bill is signed into law, many more children will be saved from potential tragedies.”
Senger worked with Rich Wistocki of the Naperville Police Department Computer Crimes Unit to craft the legislation. Wistocki, who works on the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce, deals with hundreds of child exploitation cases and said Illinois is one of 12 states that ties the hands of law enforcement on these cases due to its two-party consent statute.
According to Wistocki, sexual predators often seek children out through social networking Web sites like MySpace and Facebook where they can hide or fake their identity. Then, the predator seeks to call the child on a cell phone in order to arrange a meeting.
“This movement toward protecting children will be huge for Internet investigators and advocacy centers who are involved in conducting child exploitation cases throughout the state,” Wistocki said in the release.
Senger also co-sponsored House Bill 1314 which makes it a Class 4 felony for a registered sex offender to access social networking Web sites.
This legislation was also approved by the Legislature and is awaiting the governor’s signature.
“We cannot allow the Internet to be a playground for sexual predators,” Senger said. “In today’s day and age, it’s crucial that we continue to adopt laws to keep up with emerging technology.”
