A proposal in Virginia to track sex offenders by e-mail addresses and Internet screen names could come to Maryland.
Members of both legislative committees that craft laws governing sex-offense crimes praised the idea as another tool to prevent such crimes, especially child sex-abuse offenses. If passed the popular MySpace.com accounts could be a target for investigators checking up on sex offenders.
“I think it?s a great idea,” said Del. Jill Carter, D-Baltimore City, who sits on the House Judiciary Committee. “Oftentimes because they move around a lot, there?s an issue of being able to register a home if they don?t have a permanent home or they?re homeless. … We can still track them with e-mail addresses.”
Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell has called for a law requiring all sex offenders to register their e-mail addresses and instant messaging screen names with the state the same way they register their home addresses.
If enacted, Virginia would become the first state to have such a requirement.
Maryland lawmakers said tracking sex offenders by their Internet use has not been part of previous bills.
Del. Bobby Zirkin, D-Baltimore County, said much of the Maryland Legislature?s efforts during the last session were spent bringing the state?s sex-offender registry requirements up to par with other states, but he said he would support a movement to include online identities.
“I think there would be legal challenges, but from my standpoint I don?t see any additional privacy concerns that wouldn?t be there in dealing with just registering your home address,” said Zirkin, who won election to the state Senate.
Carter, who is also a criminal defense attorney, said the proposal could be improved by narrowing the online identity registration requirement to convicted sex offenders of children.
“I don?t know that every single person that has a sex-offense conviction is reallya predator,” she said. “And [child sex-abuse offenders] is the area where we need to crack down hardest anyway.”
Sen. Nancy Jacobs, R-Harford, said she liked the idea of registering e-mail addresses, but said she worried about how long the information would be accurate.
“Of course they?ll change it immediately,” said Jacobs, who sits on the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee. “They say there?s no honor among criminals. But I think it?s another tool we need to look at. I?d support anything to get those people.
