Published: March 18, 2007 11:18 pm      

Senator: Post ’net names of predators

CHARLESTON — Step by step, Sen. Evan Jenkins is on a crusade to make aliases used by sexual predators invading the bedrooms of children via Internet chats accessible to their worried parents.

And with each step in the tedious process, Jenkins is getting closer to that finish line.

In this past legislative session, the head of the State Police personally contacted Jenkins over his publicized concerns that parents cannot tap into the agency’s files to check on user names popping up on their children’s computers.

“That’s all I was asking, that State Police make a decision about whether or not they would post the information that they now have, the statutory ability to post them,” Jenkins, D-Cabell, said.

Jenkins feels his talks with Col. David Lemmon have formed the basis for some positive moves in letting parents check on Internet screen names.

“There’s not a set timetable when this will happen, but I’m encouraged at the attention and the progress the State Police is making to empower parents with another tool to help protect their children against sex offenders,” the senator said.

“I’m hoping in the not too many months ahead that State Police are ready to allow this new program. But progress is being made.”

Some years ago, the Legislature mandated that convicted sex offenders report their Internet code names to State Police, just as they must turn in names, street addresses and other identification data.

Jenkins followed that up last year with a law expanding the old one so such information no longer was quarantined.

“The law we passed several years ago required sex offenders to give that information to the State Police, but the law also said State Police couldn’t make that available to the public and the State Police could use it for investigations,” Jenkins recalled.

“That was something that had a good purpose, but I’m a firm believer that information should also be made available to the public.”

Last summer, when the Legislature, in special session, enacted a revision of the original “Logan’s Law” to enhance penalties for pedophiles, Jenkins made sure it contained his amendment to deal with making Internet user names of such offenders available to the public. But it was only optional under the law.

“It wasn’t mandatory,” he acknowledged.

“But I was hoping that with the prohibition for making it public off the books it would readily make it available. But the State Police have not done so yet. I’ve pushed hard over the past year to get them to do so.”

A father of three, Jenkins was stirred more recently when a State Police sergeant appeared at an interims committee to detail the agency’s efforts to deal with Web sites that prey on teenage girls.

He began a series of telephone calls, asking what, if anything, the State Police planned to do about allowing parents access to user names of predators.

“We know in this information age that to protect your child, not only do you need to be concerned whether or not a sex offender is one of your neighbors, but you also need to be aware if somebody is communicating with your child over the Internet,” he said.

“And we know people generally don’t use their real names on the Internet.”

Jenkins was growing increasingly impatient with the agency’s slowness in dealing with his request. He credited a Register-Herald interview with some recent movement on his request.

“The State Police have been working with me throughout this session, and I really appreciate their attentiveness to it,” he said.

“We are making real progress. I have gotten assurances from Col. Lemmon and there is a general agreement between me and the State Police in terms of what I think they’re going to be able to do.”

In mind by Jenkins and the State Police is a searchable database with some restrictions so that not all could peek into it. One concern the agency has voiced is that offenders not preying on children via computers could face harassment from the public.

“If you have a particular screen name or user name that is popping up that you’re aware of is communicating with your child, then you can go to the State Police Web site and type that in and it will search its database and tell you whether or not there’s a match, if that person is a registered sex offender,” the senator said.

“This seems to be a balance of some of the concerns that the State Police have and my efforts to bring greater awareness to parents, and more tools for parents.”

Jenkins feels he and the State Police have struck “a reasonable compromise.”

“And over time, we will see whether that searchable database works, if they do put it into effect,” he said.

“If it doesn’t, we may have to come back and change the law to require the State Police make it available, just like they are required to make the addresses of sex offenders available to the public.”

— E-mail:

mannix@register-herald.com