New York State Senate Deputy Majority Leader Dean G. Skelos (R-Rockville Centre) today announced that legislation he authored designed to protect children who access social networking sites from convicted sex offenders had been signed into law. Senator Skelos worked closely with Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to develop and enact the Electronic Security and Targeting of Online Predators ("e-STOP") law.

Senator Skelos said, "The Internet has become a playground for sexual predators. Since its enactment, we've continually worked to strengthen Megan's Law and adapt it to changing technology. The new e-STOP law is an important step that will help prevent dangerous sex offenders from hiding behind a veil of anonymity and preying upon our children online. I want to thank Attorney General Cuomo for partnering with the Legislature to pass this legislation and Governor Paterson for signing it into law."

Under Megan’s Law, the Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) maintains a computer registry of the names and addresses of convicted sex offenders, and that information is made available to the public. Unfortunately, sex offenders remain free to create screen names and access social networking sites used by children, and our laws do not effectively prevent that use.

e-STOP seeks to address that problem by: (1) requiring convicted sex offenders to register their Internet screen names with the Sex Offender Registry; (2) allowing social networking web sites to obtain those screen names in order to prohibit those account holders from accessing web sites on which they could contact children; and (3) mandating that dangerous convicted sex offenders who are serving a term of probation, conditional discharge or parole be prohibited from using the Internet to contact children.

As a result of e-STOP, DCJS today will begin sending out approximately 25,000 letters to sex offenders who are in the Sex Offender Registry advising them that they must register any Internet and email accounts used for purposes of online chatting, instant messaging or social networking. DCJS will advise offenders that if they change their email address or create a new online profile, they must notify the state within 10 days – and failure to comply with the registration requirements is a felony.

As sponsored by Senator Skelos, the new law takes effect immediately and the new requirements relating to registering Internet screen names apply to all sex offenders who currently are registered or who must register in the future.

In 1995, Senator Skelos wrote and passed Megan’s Law creating the state’s Sex Offender Registry.

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