Story Created:
May 21, 2007 at 8:29 PM CST
Story Updated:
May 22, 2007 at 5:39 AM CST
WICHITA, Kansas , May 21, 2007 -- If you have a teenager, chances are they're on Myspace.
But so are sexual offenders. And now the Kansas Attorney General says he wants names.
Paul Morrison has joined a number of states across the country demanding Myspace turn over information about registered sex offenders who have accounts with the website.
Myspace had initially refused to turn over the information, but has now agreed.
John McCabe-Juhnke has a teenage daughter with a myspace page, and like thousands of other parents he has concerns about who could be lurking.
“It's always, of course, a concern,” McCabe-Juhnke, a
Newton father said. “It's a different world then when we were growing up.”
Now attorney general Paul Morrison is asking the website to turn over names and other information about convicted sex offenders the company has identified.
Myspace has confirmed the company Sentinel Tech Holdings has already identified thousands of registered sex offenders as members.
"This information will assist law enforcement in enforcing parole restrictions on certain offenders and keeping our families safe," Attorney General Morrison said in a statement.
Kansas will also start requiring sex offenders to register their email addresses and online identities with law enforcement.
“The safety concerns are significant and legitimate," McCabe-Juhnke said.
But this parent worries the predators will still be able to hide, and for that reason he won't be letting his guard down.
"You have to kinda train your children to be savvy, to understand those dangers and be able to respond appropriately,” he said “Governmental controls can do some of it, but private families need to be responsible as well.".
A spokesperson for Morrison’s office says they will likely get the requested information within 10 days.
Myspace says the instant they find out a sex offender has registered they are removed and banned from the site.