New Jersey Bars Sex Offenders From the Internet

eldavojohn writes "New Jersey just passed legislation making it illegal for sex offenders to use the internet. NJ congresswoman Linda D. Greenstein said, 'When Megan's Law was enacted, few could envision a day when a sex offender hiding behind a fake screen name would be a mouse-click away from new and unwitting victims. Sex offenders cannot be given an opportunity to abuse the anonymity the Internet can provide as a means of opening a door to countless new potential victims.' While they still can search for jobs, this is a major expansion over the prior legislation which barred them from social networking sites like facebook or myspace."

Comments

Coming Soon!

[Spad]

People convicted of drug offences banned from the internet, because they might use the internet to buy drugs
People convicted of fraud banned from the internet, because they might use the internet to defraud someone
People convicted of disturbing the peace banned from the internet, because they might use the internet to disturb people
And so forth.

Yeah, this'll be overturned soon

[Kierthos]

1) Sex offender applies for job which requires internet access/use.
2) Sex offender doesn't get job because of this law. (and also possibly because they're a sex offender)
3) Sex offender sues NJ for silly-ass law.

And what about those sex offenders in NJ who already have jobs that require Internet access/use?

Re:Yeah, this'll be overturned soon

[Stanislav_J]

Sex offenders have no rights -- didn't you know that? "Paying one's debt to society" has no meaning here -- once you're branded a sex offender, you're a pariah for life. We will make you leave your home if it's too close to a school, a playground, or a school bus stop (that probably didn't even exist before they found out you lived there). We will make it almost impossible for you to hold a steady, decent job. We will make sure that your name and photo are splashed all over the Internet and signs and posters so everyone will know to avoid you. We'll make you homeless, jobless, and an utter outcast. And, somehow, this is supposed to make us all safer.

Why are these dangerous people roaming the streets

[Anonymous Coward]

If these sex offenders are all so heinously dangerous that they need to be stripped of things like using the internet, moving to a neighborhood without angry mobs with pitchforks driving them out, etc. -- why are they out on the streets? Shouldn't dangerous people be locked up or executed? Make up your damn minds - either lock 'em up (or execute them), or set them free. You can have your cake and eat it.

IMO

[Duncan Blackthorne]

I have no sympathy for sex offenders, but at this rate why not just put sex offenders to death and be done with it? If you crowd an animal into smaller and smaller cages, starving it and/or torturing it, eventually the meekest, most mild-tempered and balanced animal is going to develop neuroses and sooner or later it'll either lash out viciously, or just lose it's will to live. Keep them in prison permanently, or put them to death, or find a way to "cure" them so they're safe to be living out in the world, but don't continually punish them once they're released from prison. It's just senseless violence and abuse in a different form.

Oh and by the way would someone define "sex offender" in the context of this article? If you use a broad definition of "sex offender" then someone who was arrested and prosecuted for streaking in their college days or for public urination may meet the criteria as a "sex offender".

Re:WTF?

[PopeRatzo]

Could they be any more ridiculous?

No, I'm not sure they could be any more ridiculous.

This is like forbidding alcoholics from taking public transportation because they might take a bus to a liquor store.

Or, it's like forbidding a horse thief from wearing shoes because they might use those shoes to walk to a stable and steal a horse.

"Protecting the Children" is completely out of hand. It's nothing but politicians pandering to parents who feel guilty that they're so busy working they're not taking care of their kids, who they drop off at day-care or leave with the nanny every day.