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How Some People Use MySpace as a Way to Spot Sex Offenders in their Neighborhood | Web Savvy

Jun 14 2008

How Some People Use MySpace as a Way to Spot Sex Offenders in their Neighborhood

Published by Author at 1:52 am under MySpace

While MySpace started as a social networking sites for young people it has fast become a place where sex offenders look for victims. It is important for all young people to be aware that criminals can easily pretend to be likeminded young people in order to gain the trust of a member at MySpace.com and from there will perpetuate a crime against them. Consider the most recent shocking cases. In Albuquerque, New Mexico a 24-year-old man who pretended to be an 18-year-old man met a 15-year-old girl at MySpace.com for the purpose of meeting up with her for sex. In Connecticut a 22-year-old man sexually assaulted two 12-year-old females but was arrested and later charged with the crimes. He met both of the young girls by way of MySpace.

According to the police the problem with online victimization cannot be blamed on MySpace but rather on how it is utilized by people. There are sex offenders looking for innocent victims over the Internet just as they do in the real world and for that reason individuals choosing to use any social networking site must be careful about the type of information that they choose to disclose over the Internet. Never give out any pertinent personal information that can lead a sexual predator to your doorstep.

The officials at MySpace.com work closely with the local police all across the United States to help ensure the safety of their members. Many people think that because they are typing words on a screen that they are insulated from the evils of the real world but unfortunately this is not the case. Crimes perpetuated by way of the Internet are becoming more and more widespread.

With more then 70 million members worldwide and growing all of the time it is not an easy task to monitor a popular site like MySpace however the authorities do try their very best. They also encourage members to follow basic safety guidelines for their own good such as a person must be at least 14 years of age (and preferably older) in order to register for an account at MySpace.com and to not give out information such as your home address, your telephone number, your social security number, your banking information, the name of the school you attend, IM screen name, names and birth dates of your family members and friends and so on. The administrators at MySpace routinely check the profiles of their members to determine whether or not they are complying with the rules of the website.

In order to guard against young people connecting with a sex offender on MySpace, parents should set specific rules about the use of the website at home. Do not place the computer in the child’s bedroom where he or she can do whatever they want without your knowledge but instead place it in a common area of the home such as the living room or family room where there is always someone around to observe what the child is looking at. Make sure your child understands that what they post on MySpace is public and can be viewed by anyone who chooses to visit the website and not just other members. Also let your child know that safety concerns are important not just at social networking websites such as MySpace but also when it comes to sending e-mail to friends, talking in chat rooms and instant messaging.

As a parent, you have every right to read what your child posts in his or her profile and if it is not appropriate or you feel it is a cause for alarm, ask them to kindly remove it promptly. Tell your children never to post anything too personal or anything that could serve to embarrass them in the future. As well tell them to be honest about their age but be aware that many sex offenders pretend to be young people when they are really much older.

Tags: MySpace Sex Offenders