MySpace has submitted another list of sex offenders to authorities.
In response to a subpoena by New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram, the social network this week handed over information on sex offenders that joined the service since May 21, a spokesperson for Milgram’s office told internetnews.com.
On June 29, Milgram served the Fox Interactive Media (FIM) company a subpoena for information on any accounts held by sex offenders that have been identified and deleted since the last time
the state requested such information.
After news broke on May 21, that MySpace disclosed 7,000 sex offender names, e-mail addresses and IP addresses to attorneys general
in eight states, New Jersey announced that at least half of the 141
New Jersey residents on the list may have violated terms of their
parole or probation by joining the site.
The state announced plans to investigate. But before prosecuting, a
spokesman said, the attorney general wanted to be sure her suspect
list was complete. Hence the June 29 subpoena.
MySpace had until yesterday to respond. David Wald, a spokesman for
Milgram’s office, said MySpace complied and a large FedEx package
arrived yesterday. The contents, he said, were “substantive.” He
refused to disclose further details.
Expect an investigation into MySpace members and sex offenders
residing in New Jersey who may have violated their parole or
probation terms to commence shortly. When the attorney general’s
office announced the June 29 subpoena, it said it would turn over a
complete list of suspects to the State Parole Board and to Probation
Services.
MySpace and FIM face these types of issues on a regular basis.
In mid-May, FIM was compelled to respond to a letter signed by attorneys general from Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Mississippi,
New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
The letter
requested FIM provide details on what it has done to alert other
MySpace users who have communicated with these offenders.
“MySpace is a treasure trove of potential victims for child
predators,” North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper said at the time in a
statement attached to the open letter. “Sex offenders have no
business being on this site, and we believe MySpace has a
responsibility to get them off the site.”
