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UK Propose Registering Screen Names with Police

Posted by samzenpus on from the in-england-you-only-get-one-online-name dept.

Oxygen99 writes "In a series of kneejerk suggestions following this online rape plot, the UK Home Secretary, Dr John Reid has suggested that offenders on the Sex Offenders Register should register their online identities with the police. According to a home office spokesman this means that offenders, 'online identities would be treated in exactly the same way as their real name'. So, just how misguided is this and who's going to be the first to tell him?"

4 of 282 comments (clear)

  1. good idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

    Having kids, I don't think this is misguided...

  2. UK... China... ? by Secret+Rabbit · · Score: 1, Troll

    Is anyone else starting to confuse the UK and China? B/c there "legal" systems are starting to look awfully similar.

  3. Failure of Justice by paladinwannabe2 · · Score: 0, Troll

    What really bugs me is that of the three men they arrested, one of them, David Beavan, was a vigilante trying to stop child abuse who told the police about the plot. This man was also sentanced to 8 years for conspiracy to commit rape. I have no problem with them arresting him for some other charge- what he was doing was questionable, and I'm sure violates laws about entrapment, child porn distribution, etc. I think it's pretty clear, though, that he wasn't going to rape little girls like the others were planning to.

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  4. Knee Jerk Reaction from both sides by cOdEgUru · · Score: 0, Troll

    Well, this is not that much of a bad idea.

    Infact, Virginia will pass a legislation (or has passed already) that will do the same thing and the state SOR will need to be updated so that "Email / IM and other Communication Names" will need to be registered with law enforcement and specifically through SOR.

    What this enables law enforcement to do is if they do come across a perp using another scree name, email whatever that is not registered with law enforcement, they have all the reason to charge him, for violation. And believe me, they wont have much of a leg to stand on, owing to how easy it will be to inform law enforcement on a change of IM/email ids.

    I am ok with scum like these enjoying a subset of our rights as a result of this. And I am sure a lot of people are, as well.

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