waff.com: Senate Bill could block sex offenders from social networking sites
Montgomery, AL (WAFF) - A bill is working its way through Montgomery to strengthen on-line laws in Alabama.
Senate Bill 48 unanimously passed the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday, and will now go to the Senate for consideration.
The bill could punish sex offenders with two to 20 years in prison for surfing social networking sites that are available to minors.
At this time, sex offenders must report sites and screen names they use, but Shawn McClure, an investigator with the Madison County Sheriff's Department, says criminal penalties are limited for on-line behavior.
"I can arrest them for falsifying their sex offender registration form." McClure says he would love to see SB48 become law, but says it still presents challenges. "We're taxed with finding out what sex offenders have computers or access because just about any place anybody works and public locations have computers for people to use," added McClure.
