Measure Will Provide New Jersey with Some of the Toughest Law Enforcement Tools in the Nation
TRENTON — Senate President Richard J. Codey (D-Essex) today praised the full Senate for unanimously approving bill S1979, which will give New Jersey some of the toughest tools in the nation to crack down on the growing threat of Internet predators.
“I can’t stress this enough – for all the benefits that the Internet brings us, we need to be equally wary of its burdens,” said Sen. Codey. “There are a lot of individuals out there who have no reservations about using the Internet to prey on children and deprive them of their innocence. Even the most vigilant parents don’t have eyes in the back of their head. So the best way to protect our kids is to educate them, stay on top of their Internet activity, and turn this bill into law.”
Bill S1979 would provide the state with nearly unparalleled authority to monitor or restrict Internet access by convicted sex offenders. The measure, which was first approved by the Senate in March, is part of a three-bill package that Sen. Codey introduced last year. The other two bills – S1977 and S1978 – would respectively require online dating companies to conduct criminal background checks on all members or clearly post notice if they do not, and impose stiffer penalties for anyone caught using the Internet to lure a victim.
The Senate voted today to concur with several technical amendments approved by the Assembly last week. The bill now heads to the Governor for his signature.
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