Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett sent MySpace a letter ordering them to “secure and maintain all information concerning MySpace profiles used by registered sex offenders” in his state.
“It is essential that MySpace preserve any information about online profiles created by registered sex offenders,” Corbett said. “We know that online predators are actively using social networking sites like MySpace to identify potential victims, and it is vital that this information be preserved for possible review by law enforcement.”
A statement released by Corbett’s office said MySpace had internally realized that thousands of registered sex offenders had accounts on their site.
“Our searches have found children as young as 10-years-old with MySpace pages, often displaying pictures and revealing personal information,” Corbett said. “We know that predators are actively searching for new victims on sites such as MySpace, but the company is refusing to take reasonable steps to protect children.”
In 2006, a Pittsburgh man was arrested after using the popular online social networking portal to proposition and engage in sexual discussions with a 14-year-old girl while he was out on bail on a similar charge.