New Louisiana Law to Identify Sex Offenders on Facebook

[rbrown1205]

This seems interesting news in view of the Oakland CA lawsuit. It does not directly apply, being in another state, and I don't know if sex offenders are going to be required to keep a facebook/social media page. If they are not required, the application may be unequal - and would a priest or pastor be required to have a page? What do you think?

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http://articles.cnn.com/2012-06-20/tech/tech_louisiana-sex-offenders-social-media_1_social-networking-offender-registration-facebook-and-myspace?_s=PM:TECH

New La. law: Sex offenders must list status on Facebook, other social media

SOCIAL MEDIA

June 20, 2012|By Michael Martinez, CNN

Louisiana state rep. Jeff Thompson sponsored a new law requiring sex offenders to list their status on social media sites.

A new Louisiana law requires sex offenders and child predators to state their criminal status on their Facebook or other social networking page, with the law's author saying the bill is the first of its kind in the nation.

State Rep. Jeff Thompson, a Republican from Bossier City, Louisiana, says his new law, effective August 1, will stand up to constitutional challenge because it expands sex offender registration requirements, common in many states, to include a disclosure on the convicted criminal's social networking sites as well.

Thompson, an attorney and a father of a 13-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son, said he hopes other states will follow Louisiana.

Social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace have been removing sex offenders from their web pages for years, but Thompson said the law is designed to cover any possible lapses by social networking sites.

"I don't want to leave in the hands of social network or Facebook administrators, 'Gee, I hope someone is telling the truth,'" Thompson said Tuesday. "This is another tool for prosecutors."

[Hallett 82]

If a proven predator is forced to have a page with status displayed . .that is just wierd.

If one chooses not be be a Facebook flunky . .a search by others might conclude there is something to hide if I cannot be found.

This shows how useless manmade laws are. Laws to cover every breath we take do nothing to stop crime and offense in society . .it just lists them in catagories. No law in a book stops the burglar banging me on the head . . or committing a sex crime . . or robbing a bank . . the laws only confuse the public and give a false sense of security because people think that a new law will protect them . . it is only a tool for lawyers to hike prices up to deal with everything we do in courts.

Folly of man.

[trottigy]

This seems interesting news in view of the Oakland CA lawsuit. It does not directly apply, being in another state, and I don't know if sex offenders are going to be required to keep a facebook/social media page. If they are not required, the application may be unequal - and would a priest or pastor be required to have a page? What do you think?

I wonder if there were reporting requirements back in the 1990s when this person was convicted. I wonder if this law in that state will be "retro-active" and how this will be policed.

[Bro.David Drake DeLaurento]

Reporting status was made into law back in the late 1990s with the Jimmy Ryce Case in Florida. That's when the reporting laws changed nationwide.