NEW YORK -- If you have children, chances are they spend plenty of time on the internet. Now, local parents can rest a little easier, knowing there are far fewer sex offenders online.
Thanks to the state's new Electronic Securing and Targeting of Line Predators Act ("e-STOP"), more than 3,500 internet predators are now offline. This crackdown targeted sex offenders in more than 60 counties across the state, including many in Central New York who are no longer fishing around on those social networking sites. Locally, 121 sex offenders in Onondaga County were booted off Facebook and MySpace as were 83 from Oneida County, 58 from Jefferson County and 42 from Oswego County.
Under e-STOP, convicted sex offenders are banned from using social networking sites on the internet while on probation or parole. They're also required to register any e-mail addresses and screen names with the state. But it doesn't stop there. Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's office is sending letters to other social networking sites, urging them to take action to get registered sex offenders off their sites.
Bottom line, parents should still monitor their children's activity online, but the crackdown gives them some peace of mind, knowing fewer sexual predators are trolling around there too.
Registered New York State sex offenders purged from Facebook and MySpace under e-STOP, by county:
ALBANY - 62
ALLEGANY - 22
BRONX - 143
BROOME - 86
CATTARAUGUS - 25
CAYUGA - 36
CHAUTAUQUA - 54
CHEMUNG - 41
CHENANGO - 17
CLINTON - 36
COLUMBIA - 12
CORTLAND - 27
DELAWARE - 6
DUTCHESS - 67
ERIE - 129
ESSEX - 16
FRANKLIN - 24
FULTON - 27
GENESEE - 18
GREENE - 16
HAMILTON - 1
HERKIMER - 34
JEFFERSON - 58
KINGS - 177
LEWIS - 6
LIVINGSTON - 38
MADISON - 24
MONROE - 159
MONTGOMERY - 33
NASSAU - 101
NEW YORK - 118
NIAGARA - 67
ONEIDA - 83
ONONDAGA - 121
ONTARIO - 31
ORANGE - 54
ORLEANS - 19
OSWEGO - 42
OTSEGO - 11
PUTNAM - 15
QUEENS - 186
RENSSELAER - 53
RICHMOND - 35
ROCKLAND - 29
SAINT LAWRENCE - 57
SARATOGA - 59
SCHENECTADY - 32
SCHOHARIE - 6
SCHUYLER - 10
SENECA - 21
STEUBEN - 65
SUFFOLK - 143
SULLIVAN - 25
TIOGA - 21
TOMPKINS - 18
ULSTER - 51
WARREN - 39
WASHINGTON - 32
WAYNE - 38
WESTCHESTER - 84
WYOMING - 16
YATES - 13
Out of state or invalid zip code - 444
