Contact: State Rep. Ken Luttrell
Capitol: (405) 557-7355
OKLAHOMA CITY (February 8, 2010) – In order to stop sex offenders who use social networking sites to prowl for children, state Rep. Ken Luttrell has introduced House Bill 2934, the Electronic Security and Targeting Online Predators Act (E-STOP).
Luttrell’s legislation, which passed out of committee today, is similar to New York State’s successful law that resulted in more than 3,500 registered sex offenders being purged from the social networking sites, Facebook and MySpace since being signed into law.
Under HB 2934, sex offenders must register their e-mail addresses, screen names and all Internet identifiers with the state. That information is made available to networking sites so they can purge predators from their online worlds.
"I am creating E-Stop to help put an end to sexual predators who use the Internet as a tool to prey on the innocent," said Luttrell, D-Ponca City. "Facebook and MySpace have successfully used New York’s legislation to make the Internet safer and all networking sites will be able to share Oklahoma’s database to keep children from being victimized.
"Oklahoma must do everything it can to protect our children from sexual predators," he added. "Many of these individuals prowl the Internet to develop ‘cyber-relationships’ with children in order to victimize them. This legislation will help us identify these individuals and restrict their access to websites used by children."
In a release issued at the time of the New York law’s passage, John Walsh, co-founder of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and host of "America’s Most Wanted, said, "Social networking websites have become the private hunting grounds for sexual predators and they use the safety and anonymity of the internet to groom their next victims."
In the same release, Ted Ullyot, Vice President and General Counsel at Facebook said, "Nothing is more important to Facebook than the safety of our users. Ensuring online safety requires cooperation between industry, policymakers, parents and teachers. Facebook will continue to look for innovative approaches both internally and in cooperation with law enforcement, to screen, block and help prosecute anyone who would attempt to misuse our service to harm others."
Luttrell noted, "Oklahoma maintains a registry of names and addresses of convicted sex offenders available to the public. Unfortunately, sex offenders remain free to create screen names and access social sites used by children and our laws do not effectively prevent that use. I am fighting for this law because it is imperative that protection keep up with the rapid changes in technology. E-Stop will be a powerful tool with the potential to save lives, and I am excited this Legislature can set an example and help lead the nation with this groundbreaking law."
House Bill 2934 passed out of the House Judiciary Committee today and now proceeds to the floor of the Oklahoma House of Representatives.