Do you agree with the following restriction for sex offenders who molested a child?

Question

I believe that a sex offender on probation/parole who is guilty of an offense against a child (early teen / pre-teen, or younger), where the offense involved molestation or rape, should not be allowed use of the internet. The internet for heinous sex offenders is a tool and a strategy like a
fishing rod for a fisherman. We should deprive these individuals of the tool. WHat do you think? I am not saying ALL sex offenders should be treated this way, only the ones I speak of above. There are some people who are "mild" sex offenders, i.e. they flashed a woman in a park, they streaked, etc. These folks would not be subject to the "No internet" law. What say you?

I'm getting some thoughtful responses here, and understandably some visceral reactions as well. To those who say that we shouldn't do it because we can't monitoe it, I say the restriction should still be there. Think of the conditions put upon someone who is arrested for smoking weed. Typically, they get probation for one year, and one condition is "The probationer shall not consume alcoholic beverages." Now I'll admit I know this from experience. I was wise enough to not smoke again while on probation (since the THC stays in the system so long), but I went to many bars and drank my fair share of alcohol. Does that mean the "no alcohol" restriction shouldn't be there? Personally I heavily disagree with it, but the conditions set do not have to meet the requirement that any barred behaviour be easily monitored.

Answer 1

I agree, one less tool for them to use. Do you know they treat poachers 10 times worse, they can take away their cars, boats, even their houses! Something wrong with that picture don't you think?

Answer 2

Limiting internet access is fine, but if one is intent on committing the act they can easily find kids in their community, they do not need a computer at all. A computer is a communication tool, so is your voice for talking to kids. They obviously have persuasive abilities that can be used to this end. Also they can easily get jobs working around kids, so that should be limited as well.

I think also more emphasis needs to be put on educating youth in what is appropriate sexual contact and what is not, and that it's ok to report if you've been touched inappropriately by an adult or anyone for that matter.

More importantly however is finding a way to treat these sexual offenders, many of whom if I recall right were sexually abused as kids themselves and are just regurgitating that behaviour once more. Some can be treated by treating the underlying issues, others are harder to treat. I'm not sure that the ones that cannot be treated should be allowed in the free world generally for the reasons mentioned above. Though locking them up also does no good, it just takes up space. You cannot neuter them as that will only prevent them being able to use their genitals, they can still molest children. Euthanasia seems far too harsh. I suppose it comes down to whether we think our money is better spent keeping them in facilities or treating youth for sexual issues so that they won't in turn grow up to be predators.

I suppose if you're going to limit them, you should do it fully, they're just not cut out to be part of our culture.

Answer 3

No it should not be illegal for a person to use the internet, just because they did something wrong in the past. if anyone should not be allowed near the internet it is a person who has hacked into someones computer system are been involved in identity theft. Sex offenders have a lot of restrictions on them and how are you going to make sure they have not been on the net anyway. with all the internet cafe's in the world, all they have to do is go to them and get online. so the only ones that would be stopped are the ones that would be willing to go along with a ban. In other words the ones that are not the dangerous ones.

Answer 4

Once you allow the government to start restricting the Internet, they won't stop with just sicko's. The government loves using it's power to control behavior. Besides, there are too many ways around this. We have people accessing Porn in our public libraries! Your child should not be on the Internet without supervision. There are ways to monitor this.

Answer 5

No, that might be a little too extreme. How about their Internet use is monitored, or flagged if they use certain sites or certain buzz words within contacting people. Also make it a violation for them to contact any minors outside reasonable contact. Like being in public or visiting family members. So if they contact any minor, it would be red flagged and they would be arrested, regardless of their intentions.

But really, they are just using the Internet as a tool. If you take it away, they will find a new tool.

Answer 6

They should be deprived of the internet, a drivers license and if it were up to me they would spend the rest of their life in prison unless we could round them all up and put them on a gated, guarded island, where they have absolutely no contact with children. We could give them a start by setting up stores and food for about a year, then they can use their mind and body to make the island livable or if they are too lazy they can perish. They will need to support themselves and be taxed for medical care.

Answer 7

Yes, I agree. But I like Liberal New York States new plan to take sex offenders on the day they are to be released from prison and lock up in a loony bin until they are sure that they will not do it again. It could add years to them not being allowed into society.

Answer 8

Sounds good to me, monitoring it wouldn't be too much of an issue if we changed our methods of thinking. We put leg monitors on people to make sure they stay in their house, it could be adapted to monitor if they go to an Internet cafe or library. A home service can easily be monitored and tracked. Not a bad idea actually. Nothing is fool proof but it could be done.

Answer 9

I agree The thing is all sex offenders are thrown into one pot(Very unfair) and are all classified the same. For Instance My brother was 20 met a girl at the club. SHE took a cab to our house snuck in the window did their thing snuck out , got caught sneaking in her house. Parents called the police and he sat 5 years in prison. Come to find out she was 15. The judical system doesnt seperate sexually based crimes. They are all thrown together. He would be classified with a man who raped a 3 year old child. The judicial system is whack. I wish they could seperate crimes into appropiate catagories.

Answer 10

Not enough. Here is a better restriction - upon finding of guilt, they are no longer able to use the world's oxygen.

Child molesters should never be free. And it's quite debatable whether they should not be subject to capital punishment.

Answer 11

I would like that law ,The show to Catch a Preditor shows how many Child Molesters of all walk of life use it as a tool to get to children.