This article ended up making me think quite a bit. Basically, Connecticut is considering passing a law that requires sex offenders to register their IM screennames and email addresses. If they do not register this information, they can face up to 5 years in prison.
I think this is a great example of a law that is almost impossible to enforce. While it’s a great idea to require sex offenders to register their online information, I just cannot imagine how law officials will be able to discover every time a sex offender doesn’t register a new email address.
I would also like to point out that Connecticut follows the definition of a sexual predator as anyone who initiated “unwanted or improper contact or sexual intercourse between persons.” This definition still includes those convicted of statutory rape, a situation that can often be consensual. I think most sex offender legislation, including this one, should be targeted specifically at those convicted of violent rapes, child molestation, etc–those who present a real danger to the community.