On August 1st, a new law in Louisiana goes into effect that will require sex offenders to list their criminal status on their social networking pages, such as Facebook and My Space. The new law is the first of its kind.
Currently, offenders are required to register with local and county law enforcement agencies and to notify their immediate neighbors and school districts of their criminal status and location of their residency. The new law serves as an expansion of the of legal registration requirements of Pedophiles and Sex Offenders.
Many of the large social networking sites, such as Facebook and my Space, have been removing and banning sex offenders for years. Facebook has strict policies forbidding child predators from utilizing their social networking site. However, it is not possible for such sites to catch and remove every sexual predator, unfortunately, there are just too many.
“The new law states that sex offenders and child predators “shall include in his/her profile for the networking website an indication that he/she is a sex offender or child predator and shall include notice of the crime for which he/she was convicted, the jurisdiction of conviction, a description of his/her physical characteristics… and his/her residential address.” (CNN)
Violators of the new law could face imprisonment with hard labor for a term between two and 10 years without parole and a fine up to $1,000. A second conviction carries a maximum penalty of imprisonment with hard labor for a term between five and 20 years without parole and a fine up to $3,000.
Articles:
In Louisiana, A new Facebook Status: Sex Offender
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