Sex offender arrested for violating parole on MySpace

Amid an escalating debate over just how kid-safe social-networking sites are, Texas authorities on Wednesday announced the arrest of a sex offender accused of using MySpace in violation of his parole.

Jesse Clay Scott, 33, of Seguin, Texas, is just the latest of about 30 convicted sex offenders arrested to date by the Texas Attorney General's Fugitive and Cyber Crimes units for allegedly accessing MySpace in violation of parole conditions. Four others were arrested for allegedly using the social-networking site to meet and sexually proposition undercover agents posing as minors under the age of 15, the Texas Attorney General's office said in a statement and videotaped news conference.

The MySpace home page of convicted sex offender Jesse Scott, arrested for allegedly violating his parole by using MySpace.

(Credit: Texas Attorney General's office)

Scott, arrested last week, allegedly used both his home computer and cell phone to access his MySpace account. He was paroled in 2008 after serving five and a half years in prison for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl, the statement said.

A MySpace representative said the News Corp.-owned social network is doing everything it can to keep sex offenders off the site.

"The safety and security of our users is a top priority for MySpace. We have removed and preserved the MySpace profile of this offender," Hemanshu Nigam, MySpace chief security officer, said in a statement. "We employ a best of breed solution that we continue to improve on an ongoing basis in an ever changing environment. We hope that the remaining 29 states, including Texas, quickly pass e-mail registration legislation so that offenders can be punished for providing false information online."

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott

(Credit: Texas Attorney General's office)

The arrest announcement comes one day after MySpace handed over the names of 90,000 registered sex offenders found on its site to the Connecticut Attorney General's office, which had subpoenaed the social-networking site last month for the data.

Sentinel, the technology provider MySpace uses to find sex offenders on its site, accused Facebook this week of having 9,000 registered sex offenders on its site in what looks on the surface to be a ploy to drum up business.

The use of social networks by sex offenders has become a hot topic. Attorneys general claim the sites are not kid-safe if so many registered sex offenders are on there, while a recent report finds that those concerns may be overblown.

[karpenterskids]

So the new fake profiles are....government agents?


How ironic.

[MowCowMan]

WAY overblown if you ask me.. just a ploy for the politicians to get reelected and this Sentinel company to get business. After all, if these Sex offenders were using MySpace to do something wrong, WHY would they use their real names? The fact that they did use their real names, seems to point to their honesty and lack of interest in doing something inappropriate for 99% of them, the other 1% are just idiots.

Did it ever occur to anyone that these offenders might NOT be using MySpace for lewd purposes? Its akin to saying anyone with a gun must be a murderer....

[infinityasi911]

I am the Founding Member of the Glorious National Party. Our Mission is to return to all convicted felons who have served their sentences and completed their probation have their right to privacy restored in full except to law enforcement. We have other issues that concern us, such as the necessity for the restoration of a return of a currency in our Nation backed by Gold, and the abolition of the Federal Reserve and fractional banking, the practice of creating money out of nothing.
I have a new Website coming that will help all ex felons make an honest living and, more importantly, organize for the abolition of these unconstitutional and barbaric laws that have created a "leper class" in America today.
You can join me with a clever witty invention I am about to share with you today. After this, an even stronger organizing tool will be revealed shortly to you. That witty invention is www.GloriousNational Party.ws.

[hopefawn]

Way overblown?? Murderers should NOT be allowed possession of murder weapons, and sex offenders should not be allowed tools used for sex offense. Myspace is a privilege that convicted sex offenders should not have access to. In fact, I think they should be locked away in penal colonies for the rest of their lives.

[sythara]

I agree. While we cannot trully regulate lives of every criminal, for these sort of offendors exeptions have to be made.

[Tim Parks]

hopefawn You need to learn what the word sex offender is and is not. First of all the word sex offender is a word used to describe a group of criminals that have been convicted of a crime that has SOME relation to a sex crime. This includes in many states consentual sex btw a 17 year old and 16 year or 15 year old. It also includes some non contact crimes such as peeing in public while drunk. What the word sex offender is not it is does not always = child molester. Of course a very limited number of criminals on the sex offender registry have been placed on it for child molesting. Now you say they all should be in a penal colonies for the rest of their lives. Maybe so but again the fact is that 90% of sexual assaults are commited by a person well known and trusted by the victim with over 50% of them being a family member. The US Dept. Of Justice also studied this and found that over 95% of those arrested for a sex crime have NO prior arrest record. Given those facts and the fact that the US Dept. Of Justice also reports that sex offenders have one of the lowest recidivism rates at a recoviction rate of 3.5% within 3 years of release from prison, do we realy get a return on the investment penal colonies for this group. I subit that we realy need to pass laws that require ALL KNOWN SEX OFFENDERS TO PAY FOR TESTING THAT SHOWES HOW MUCH OF A CHANCE THEY ARE TO RE-OFFEND. This testing is avalialbe and very good. Then keep track of those who are at the most risk to re-offend. But of course part of the problem is that people do not understand this issue. After working 25 years in Law Enforcement and many years with these laws as they are written now I can tell you that we the public are being taken for a ride by those in office on this issue. They do not realy want to protect anyone they just want to make you think they are protecting us. What they are realy doing is getting free media and this turns into votes. They are also spending much of our tax dollars on programs and laws that do nothing.

[Ignoranceisslavery]

I bet you were a victim. That would explain your apparent paranoia, along with your delusional thought process. Clearly your just another uniformed product of this f'ed up society.

[michael77878]

myspace makes it no more likely that someone will comit an offense than if they were simply walking the street. and to add to that we do have fundamental rights to speech to communicate with whoever we want and of course the right to bear arms which could include things like knives or cars which are far more likely to be the tool of a murderer.

[mooney101]

Serves him right! If he commits a crime like that, he shouldn't be out in 5 years anyway. But absolutely, he shouldn't be allow on any kind of social networking site.

[just-my-take]

Folks are so uninforned it isn't funny. As stated this whole sex offender issue is solely based on political posturing and media ratings. If you think not, stay tuned. A new website is being launched that will expose it all for what it really is. I have some inside knowledge on this and I was very upset after viewing the truth. The american public is being suckered into blindly giving up their rights without even realizing it. I think people will be interested in what's coming. Every sex person on that list is not a sex offender. Some have gone to .. let me see .. creating a nationwide amber alert system. Doesn't sound like that person intends to reoffend. It's a farce created by media frenzy.

[kayak99]

I am an advocate of chemical (or surgical) castration for convicted rapists and child molesters. Sounds like this guy is a predator so he should be castrated. Removed from My Space should be the least of his worries!

Leaving children alone and abstaining from rape is a no brainer!

[just-my-take]

I'm an advocate of childrens rights as well as all rights and justice. I see so many posts that say castrate them, kill them. Sex Offender doesn't mean child molester or rapist. You whiz in the back yard and someone sees you.. you are a sex offender! You touch a childs arm after she ran out in the street and you almost hit her .. your's a sex offender. You are 12 years old and send a nude photo to your boyfriend, you're a sex offender, yes kids are on there, even though you are kid, child porn. People with the attitude that sex offenders are all predators or subject to reoffense need to google a bit. The regular media won't tell you what you should know.

[just-my-take]

Let me say and be clear. I approach this subject with a lot of care and I understand the repurcussions. It isn't popular to be against the sex offender laws. Do you know whom started the sex offender laws? I certainly do. It was Adolph Hitler. He figured that he could pass any law to remove rights as long as the public thought it pretected children. He used that to move on to genecide. I am apalled that we as a nation have adopted the same law outlined by hitler. What does that say for us? Wanna know more just wait.

[Jenn0626]

First of all I would like to give my sincere thanks to those of you who are well informed on this issue and can see past the media's twisted interpretation of jess's charges. I am Jesse's sister-in-law and His family and I have all been hit hard by Jess be taken back into custody. Seeing his story taken so out of context as it has been plastered all over the local new channels and papers has only added salt to the wound. I would like to corrects some of the "facts" given in this and every other report that I have seen. Jesse served 9 1/2 years NOT 5 1/2. Also he was convicted, but NOT guilty of assulting that girl. Over 13 years ago, when he himself was barely out of high school, he met a girl who looked, acted, and claimed to be 18. like most people he didnt ask to see her ID before one thing led to another, and when her parents found out they pressed charges. They never even had actual sex, but by the time he new her real age it was too late. Despite hospital records that proved she was still a virgin even at the time of the trial, she testified against him to save her own tail. So an innocent man spent almost 10 years of his life (thats 10 b-days, xmas, thanksgivings etc...) behind bars, for a crime he didnt commit, AND he will spend the rest of his life labled as a sex offender, a perv, a child molester all things that he is not. What he is, is a talented artist. He can draw the most amazing things just off the top of his head, and he uses that talent to make money doing tattoos. He had 7 friends on myspace- Tom, 4 family members, and 2 friends. He NEVER even went to anyones page that he didnt know in person. Some of our family doesnt live close enough to see regularly, and that was the ONLY reason he took the risk of having that page. He never caused anyone harm, but the media is so concerned with getting a story, they take no consideration for the REAL facts. I totally agree with Tim Parks about that test. Why should a 19 year old boy who thought he was with a girl who was of age be punished the same as a 60 year old trying to lure 12 year olds into a candy shop? There have got to be some changes made, enough lives have been ruined on both sides. If anyone has any suggestions on how to make this media attack on our family stop please e-mail me at [e-mail]. Please no hate comments, ive seen enough of those.

[infinityasi911]

I am the Founding Member of the Glorious National Party. Our Mission is to return to all convicted felons who have served their sentences and completed their probation have their right to privacy restored in full except to law enforcement. We have other issues that concern us, such as the necessity for the restoration of a return of a currency in our Nation backed by Gold, and the abolition of the Federal Reserve and fractional banking, the practice of creating money out of nothing.
I have a new Website coming that will help all ex felons make an honest living and, more importantly, organize for the abolition of these unconstitutional and barbaric laws that have created a "leper class" in America today.
You can join me with a clever witty invention I am about to share with you today. After this, an even stronger organizing tool will be revealed shortly to you. That witty invention is www.GloriousNational Party.ws.

[just-my-take]

I'll say this,.. I am a sex offender. Prior to current laws I went on to create my own amber alert system/ . Yes I think first protection is important. If you can stop it before it happens it's good. Past there the laws do no not work. Makin it tough is a joke. If I wanted to reoffend I wpuld regardless to the current laws. I will be launching a new website to confront this issue.

[just-my-take]

Helo cnn ... I am doing an in depth report with video. My intention is to reveal the facts and truth on this issue. I won't back down and I do news, webhosting, programing and much more as I am an internet expert. Enough, you have an opportunity. Up to you.

[just-my-take]

I intend to challenge all of the sex offenders laws ... It will take time. People don't realize they to are beomg monitored. Yes you are probly a SEX OFFENDER

[Ignoranceisslavery]

Most of you Folks are so uninforned it isn't funny. As stated in numerous reputable material, this whole sex offender issue is solely based on the disgusting political posturing and media ratings your so called trusted government requires in order to further manipulate society. If you think not, stay tuned. A new website is being launched that will expose it all for what it really is. I have some inside knowledge on this and I was very upset after viewing the truth. The American people are being suckered into blindly giving up their rights without even realizing it. I think people will be interested in what's coming. Every 'sex offender' on that list is not a sex offender. Some of them have even gone on things like creating a nationwide amber alert system. Does that really sound like a person who intends to re-offend? It's a farce created by media frenzy. And you ignorant soccer moms and conservative religious nuts need to wake the F**CK up.

[infinityasi911]

I am the Founding Member of the Glorious National Party. Our Mission is to return to all convicted felons who have served their sentences and completed their probation have their right to privacy restored in full except to law enforcement. We have other issues that concern us, such as the necessity for the restoration of a return of a currency in our Nation backed by Gold, and the abolition of the Federal Reserve and fractional banking, the practice of creating money out of nothing.
I have a new Website coming that will help all ex felons make an honest living and, more importantly, organize for the abolition of these unconstitutional and barbaric laws that have created a "leper class" in America today.
You can join me with a clever witty invention I am about to share with you today. After this, an even stronger organizing tool will be revealed shortly to you. That witty invention is www.GloriousNational Party.ws.

[Ignoranceisslavery]

Most of you Folks are so uninforned it isn't funny. As stated in numerous reputable material, this whole sex offender issue is solely based on the disgusting political posturing and media ratings your so called trusted government requires in order to further manipulate society. If you think not, stay tuned. A new website is being launched that will expose it all for what it really is. I have some inside knowledge on this and I was very upset after viewing the truth. The American people are being suckered into blindly giving up their rights without even realizing it. I think people will be interested in what's coming. Every 'sex offender' on that list is not a sex offender. Some of them have even gone on things like creating a nationwide amber alert system. Does that really sound like a person who intends to re-offend? It's a farce created by media frenzy.It's clear they And you ignorant soccer moms and conservative religious nuts need to wake the F**CK up. I intend to challenge all of the sex offenders laws ... It will take time. People don't realize they to are being monitored. Yes even you, are probably a 'SEX OFFENDER'

[infinityasi911]

I am the Founding Member of the Glorious National Party. Our Mission is to return to all convicted felons who have served their sentences and completed their probation have their right to privacy restored in full except to law enforcement. We have other issues that concern us, such as the necessity for the restoration of a return of a currency in our Nation backed by Gold, and the abolition of the Federal Reserve and fractional banking, the practice of creating money out of nothing.
I have a new Website coming that will help all ex felons make an honest living and, more importantly, organize for the abolition of these unconstitutional and barbaric laws that have created a "leper class" in America today.
You can join me with a clever witty invention I am about to share with you today. After this, an even stronger organizing tool will be revealed shortly to you. That witty invention is www.GloriousNational Party.ws.