UK.gov will force paedophiles to register email addresses

Does anyone see a flaw in this law

[cornwall]

The BBC [news.bbc.co.uk] carries the story and The Register [theregister.co.uk] comments on it

Sex offenders' e-mail addresses are to be passed to social networking sites like Facebook and Bebo to prevent them contacting children.

I jest not, the British Government is seriously contemplating enacting a law to this effect to save our children from paedophiles.

Do these politicians ever use the web? Are they serious about this?

[phranque]

Do these politicians ever use the web?

"it's a series of tubes..."

[Habtom]

Under government proposals, offenders who do not give police their address - or give a false one - would face up to five years in jail.

The simple question is ... what if they create a new email account? Do they still face the jail term?

[thecoalman]

Sounds like another feel good look what I have done for you law. Sounds great on paper and certainly will make some good headlines and put them in a positive light especially with your voters that are not technologically savvy.

Here's a sad but true fact, most pedophiles were convicted of molesting children they knew either through friends, family or aquantences.

There was excellent piece on PBS's Frontline a few weeks ago about kids online. The one person interviewed there said any documented encounters between children and a predator were actually initiated by the child seeking the encounter. They weren't tricked but went into the situation with a full understanding of what they were getting into.

The show can viewed here in it's entirety: [pbs.org...]

See Chapter 4 "The predator Fear" .

[Old_Honky]

Worrying about random paedophile attacks or internet grooming is as useful as worrying about being struck by lightning. It is equally unlikely to happen.

Most children that are abused or go missing suffer at the hands of a close family member. Usually the father or step father.

So all this rubbish about tracking sex offenders (anyone who has ever looked at a porn site could be classed as a sex offender to some of the self righteous politicians)is totally pointless. Statistically if we want to protect children we should start to control access by the father. Which will never happen of course, but that's where most of the abuse takes place.

[piatkow]

Presumably failure to notify the police of a new email address will be an offence. They won't catch new Hotmail or Yahoo addresses but will probably dilligently track down those whose employers have changed their work addresses through takeovers or outsourcing.

[graeme_p]

have changed their work addresses

So it might help with child molestors who are stupid enough to use their work addresses?

Usually the father or step father.

The greatest risk comes from step-fathers and other non-related men who are part of the household - mother's boyfriends etc.

What would mitigate the risk is giving more divorced men custody of their children: that might just happen.

Of course this law is meant to show they are doing something, and yes, British politicians have repeatedly shown that they are utterly clueless about the internet and computers.

[piatkow]

So it might help with child molestors who are stupid enough to use their work addresses?

No, but prosecuting a former child molester who forgot to tell the police that his employer had changed their name will let plod appear to be doing something without actually protecting any kids.

[Essex_boy]

Well said Piatkow