WTNH News Channel 8 / News / 1999

	Johnson Introduces Bill to Fight Online Predators (Southington-WTNH) _ A warning is being sent to sexual predators who do their leg work on-line. Connecticut congresswoman Nancy Johnson is proposing legislation to fight the problem. The bill is designed to protect kids who use the internet from the possibility being sexually exploited. News Channel 8's Verna Collins reports. Mary Sheehan knows when her daughter and their neighbor get onto the internet, they have access to almost endless information. But Sheehan keeps a close eye on what sites her kids visit when they go into cyberspace. Mary Sheehan: "There's something when you go back onto the screen that you can kinda see the site they were in." It's a good safeguard, because according to US Representative Nancy Johnson, more and more kids are becoming victims of online child molesters - people who go into chat rooms looking for boys and girls they can sexually violate. During a news conference in Southington, Rep. Johnson talked about legislation she's introduced designed to stop pedophiles from targeting your children. Rep Nancy Johnson: "If all parents don't begin to understand that the dark side of the city is in their very bedroom, their very living room, then we cannot protect our children to the degree that they now need protection." If legislation is passed, funding will go toward the Customs Cybersmuggling Center. They're the group that oversees child pornographic websites. Director Gene Weinschenk says parents must realize the computer is a discreet way for a child molester to come into your house. Gene Weinschenk: "This is a very, very strange kinda crime we're investigating here. This is not one we can legislate out of business. This is one that's going to take congress, it's going to take parents, it's going to take the schools and the libraries to get involved." Right now it is illegal to place child porn on the internet, or to download pictures. It is not, however, illegal for people to go into one of the chat rooms and have explicit conversation with a child. Rep. Johnson hopes the legislation is the first step toward outlawing that as well. Today's News Page. WTNH Home Page. ©1999 WTNH/WTNH-DT A LIN station.

Johnson Introduces Bill to Fight Online Predators
(Southington-WTNH) _ A warning is being sent to sexual predators who do their leg work on-line. Connecticut congresswoman Nancy Johnson is proposing legislation to fight the problem. The bill is designed to protect kids who use the internet from the possibility being sexually exploited.
News Channel 8's Verna Collins reports.

Mary Sheehan knows when her daughter and their neighbor get onto the internet, they have access to almost endless information. But Sheehan keeps a close eye on what sites her kids visit when they go into cyberspace.

Mary Sheehan: "There's something when you go back onto the screen that you can kinda see the site they were in."

It's a good safeguard, because according to US Representative Nancy Johnson, more and more kids are becoming victims of online child molesters - people who go into chat rooms looking for boys and girls they can sexually violate.

During a news conference in Southington, Rep. Johnson talked about legislation she's introduced designed to stop pedophiles from targeting your children.

Rep Nancy Johnson: "If all parents don't begin to understand that the dark side of the city is in their very bedroom, their very living room, then we cannot protect our children to the degree that they now need protection."

If legislation is passed, funding will go toward the Customs Cybersmuggling Center. They're the group that oversees child pornographic websites. Director Gene Weinschenk says parents must realize the computer is a discreet way for a child molester to come into your house.

Gene Weinschenk: "This is a very, very strange kinda crime we're investigating here. This is not one we can legislate out of business. This is one that's going to take congress, it's going to take parents, it's going to take the schools and the libraries to get involved."

Right now it is illegal to place child porn on the internet, or to download pictures. It is not, however, illegal for people to go into one of the chat rooms and have explicit conversation with a child. Rep. Johnson hopes the legislation is the first step toward outlawing that as well.

Today's News Page.

WTNH Home Page.