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New Jersey Senate Approves Bills Prohibiting Internet Use for Sex Offenders
On March 15, 2007, the New Jersey Senate unanimously approved a three-bill package that would bar released sex offenders from using the Internet. Convicted sex offenders would have to submit to examinations of their computers, and install certain hardware so their computer use could be monitored by law enforcement. Penalties for using the Internet are up to 18 months in jail, and fines up to $10,000.00 (USD). The bills are now pending consideration by the New Jersey State Assembly.
The proposed legislation would also require online dating websites to notify New Jersey residents as to whether they perform background checks on their users. Internet companies including Yahoo!, AOL, eHarmony, and Match.com have expressed their opposition to the proposed notification regarding background checks.
Critics of the new bills say that the measures, if passed, would ostracize released sex offenders, and potentially deny them access to opportunities of rehabilitation by barring them from using the Internet. Florida and Nevada have enacted similar measures as those proposed in New Jersey. However, there is no federal law imposing Internet restrictions of released sex offenders.
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