Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

MySpace Sex Offender Number Soars

Site offers no explanation for 2-month increase

By Heather McPherson, Newser User

Posted Jul 25, 2007 9:40 AM CDT

(Newser) – The number of registered sex offenders identified as having profiles on MySpace has ballooned from 7,000 to over 29,000 in the last 2 months, and the site has removed them. Under pressure from several state attorneys general, the company agreed to release predators' information to prosecutors in May. Connecticut's AG said yesterday he's "astonished and appalled" by the new figure.

MySpace declined to comment, the AP reports, but released a statement urging other social networking sites to track down sex offenders and take down their profiles. Lawmakers and law enforcement officials across the country are battling to rein in the sites, but they're meeting resistance from advocates of free-speech laws and unfettered interstate commerce.

Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood announces Monday, May 21, 2007, at his office in Jackson, Miss., that MySpace.com will provide a number of state attorneys general, including him, with data on registered... (Associated Press)

MySpace CEO Tom Anderson 2007 Sundance Portrait Session (Getty Images (by Event))

Lennihan) (Associated Press)

MRT's X1 Recording Control Flatlining Stream Ripping on MySpace and Apple's iTunes. (PRNewsFoto/Media Rights Technologies) (Associated Press)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

MySpace Axes Profile of Sex Murder Suspect

Man charged in teen's death listed as 'Jason Stud'

(NEWSER) - Turns out a MySpace user with a sexy profile is a registered sex offender who has been charged with the rape and murder of California teenager Chelsea King. MySpace has now removed the profile of John Albert Gardner, who used a fake name, email and hometown to register his account. The profile lists his name as "Jason Stud" and "Energizer Bunny," names the Playboy Mansion as his hometown, and lists CSI and Bones among his favorite TV shows, AP notes. More»

NY Boots Sex Offenders Off Facebook, MySpace

Thousands of accounts disabled in social networking sweep

(NEWSER) - Thousands of sex offenders in New York have had their Facebook and MySpace accounts disabled in the first big sweep under a state law targeting online predators. Some 3,500 registered offenders have been kicked off the sites in recent weeks, sources tell the New York Daily News. Their names have been sent to authorities who will determine whether they violated parole conditions by using the sites. More»

Girl Faces Kid Porn Charges for Posting Self Nudes

14-year-old may have to register as sex offender

(NEWSER) - A 14-year-old New Jersey girl has been charged with possessing and distributing child porn for posting nude photos of herself on her MySpace web pages, reports WPIX-TV. If convicted, the girl may have to register as a sex offender. The case highlights increasing problems with children posting or texting racy images of themselves. "This is a wake-up call for parents," said an official. "The girl posted the photos because she wanted her boyfriend to see them." More»

Sex Offenders Kicked Off MySpace Land on Facebook

Company analyzing data for MySpace says of 90K booted, minimum 8K back online

(NEWSER) - MySpace grabbed headlines today when it announced that it had kicked 90,000 registered sex offenders off the site over the past 2 years. Where did they all go? Many went to Facebook, says Sentinel, the security firm that roots out such offenders for MySpace. “We found over 8,000 offenders on their site without much effort,” the CEO told TechCrunch. More»

Parents Sue MySpace After Teen’s Suicide

14-year-old was sexually assaulted by man she met online

(NEWSER) - The parents of a 14-year-old who killed herself after being sexually assaulted by a man she met online have sued MySpace, charging the social networker “fostered” their daughter’s “despicable relationship" and pushing for more controls. "With MySpace's right to make a profit comes a responsibility to protect its customers," the parents' lawyer told the Dallas Morning News. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

MySpace Sex Offender Number Soars

Site offers no explanation for 2-month increase

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

MySpace • sex offenders

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

MySpace Axes Profile of Sex Murder Suspect

Man charged in teen's death listed as 'Jason Stud'

NY Boots Sex Offenders Off Facebook, MySpace

Thousands of accounts disabled in social networking sweep

Girl Faces Kid Porn Charges for Posting Self Nudes

14-year-old may have to register as sex offender

Sex Offenders Kicked Off MySpace Land on Facebook

Company analyzing data for MySpace says of 90K booted, minimum 8K back online

Parents Sue MySpace After Teen’s Suicide

14-year-old was sexually assaulted by man she met online

About Us

Site

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?