Dec 27, 2007 6:33 am US/Eastern
N.J. Law Limits Sex Offenders' Internet Use
Codey To Sign Law Limiting Parolees' Access To Web
Includes Social Networking Sites Facebook And MySpace
TRENTON, N.J. (CBS/AP) ―
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Acting New Jersey Gov. Richard Codey is signing a bill to limit convicted sex offenders' use of the Internet. (File)
CBS
New Jersey is about to ban some sex offenders from using the Internet. Acting Gov. Richard J. Codey is scheduled on Thursday to sign into law a bill he sponsored that restricts paroled sex offenders from surfing the Web.
Codey, who is filling in as governor while Gov. Jon S. Corzine is vacationing in the Caribbean, was to sign the bill at state police headquarters in Ewing.
"Every day we see reports on television of sick people taking advantage of the Internet to prey on our children," Codey said when the Legislature was considering the measure. "The time has come to pull the plug on these criminals."
The bill restricts Internet use for anyone who used a computer to help commit their original sex crime. It also may be applied to those under lifetime supervision, but exempts computer work done as part of a job or search for employment.
Parole Board spokesman Neal Buccino said it's unknown how many offenders the new law will effect.
However, Buccino said 4,400 convicted sex offenders will be subject to new Internet restrictions approved by the Parole Board last month.
Those rules ban sex offenders from using Internet social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace.
The Parole Board imposed the new restrictions after state officials discovered, after subpoenaing several sites, hundreds of profiles registered to convicted sex offenders.
While states like Florida and Nevada can limit sex offenders' Internet use as parole conditions, no federal law imposes similar restrictions.
Under the law to be signed in New Jersey, sex offenders would have to let the Parole Board know about their access to computers.
Convicted sex offenders would have to submit to periodic, unannounced examinations of their computer equipment and install equipment on their computer so its use can be monitored.
Those caught using the Internet would face 18 months in jail and a $10,000 fine.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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