Who is policing sex offenders online?
Fort Meyers CBS Affiliate WINK News just ran a story asking who is policing sex offenders online and setting forth some pretty scary suggestions.
“The Internet, it’s a worry obviously,” Lee County Sgt. James Richard said. “People use that to either con children, make first contact. Stuff of a criminal nature, it’s easier to be behind the screen and commit crimes, then it is to do that in person.”
But Sgt. Richard, don’t people use the internet to do completely lawful things, like work, correspond with family and friends?
Also, how many online sex offenses are being committed by registered individuals vs. someone not on the registry?
When you get the answer to the above, wouldn’t it make more sense to police the internet generally, instead of focusing on a narrow group who, you will discover, are not the ones committing online offenses?
At the end of the article came a very scary foreshadowing of what’s to come. A quote from a parent of a 17 year old who said, “These people need to be identified, and blocked from all internet access, not merely social media,”
Maybe that parent should be made aware that their son has a better chance of becoming a sex offender as a result of his online activities than being harmed by one.
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It is just a matter of time that anyone who is registered will have no constitutional rights to fall back on. The day is coming that anyone who is a RSO will have to have a monitoring device put on their computer and all and any computer use will be monitored and reported as if we are criminals for life. The first amendment will not apply to any RSO.
I have to disagree. The time will come where these crap laws are challenged in court. The worse the laws get, the better our chances of success.
…And thank you, STINK News for demonstrating how the law can be abused.
I agree with Bobby Riley, and will add another point. Florida has so many people on the registry, that should not be on it because they did NOt, repeat did Not, Assaualt anyone much less a child that they can Not track the real offenders properly for that reason too many people pooled into a group unfairly so. And defeats the purpose of having a Registry.
It’s amazing how crazy people are and to what extremes their willing to go to all in the name of “security.” And a false sense of security at that. Amazing. We’re surrounded by idiots.
“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”
-Benjamin Franklin
I saw this story and typed a comment on their site that was basically an “FU” to the writer/ “investigator” but thought better of it and deleted it.
I wouldn’t call this garbage anything but an ignorant, inflammatory piece of shock journalism. On what basis does this “journalist” think it’s his/her place to suggest a manner in which to manage what a registered citizen does or does not do? It was glaringly obvious that the writer simply decided premeditatively to create a “shocking” story, hunt for “evidence” supporting their point (read: make up something) and put law enforcement on the spot to publish their embarrassing response.
Shame on WINK “news” for this fairytale BS.
You know, come to think of it…my last comment is pretty good. I’ll go back and post that to their junk website…be right back!
Don’t be afraid to comment as a registrant. We must stand up and be heard. Refrain from foul language and using peoples names and it will be cool.
JV- Oh I’m not afraid. I’m all over comment sections of many, many sites. What gave me pause was telling them to f*ck off.
More interestingly, Derek oncefallen.com had a comment there and I have attempted FOUR times to post my comment (my earlier one here) and it is still not showing up.
I think WINK is suppressing comments on the story.
I’m emailing the woman who wrote this garbage
Can FAC respond to Wink News?
I’m so P.O. about this sh*t. It is always STINK (WINK) News that does stories like this, news must be slow. What about all the killings in Dunbar now that’s real news.
Just another uninformed parent who thinks that taking everything away from a RSO is going to end sexual abuse. Majority of new sexual abuse is commited by someone not on the registry. When are people going to stop listening to the pandering and research topics releating to sex abuse and other topics instead of believing everything they are told.