First off, let me say that I think REAL sex offenders are pathetic pieces of shit that should be permanently removed from society. Having said that, I also separate REAL sex offenders (rapists, child molesters, etc) from an 18-year-old having sex with their 17-year-old boyfriend/girlfriend. Hell, in some areas you can be legally married to a person, but can't legally have sex with them. How pathetic is that?

Having said that, I have to say I don't like the way this world treats all sex offenders. It's ridiculous. "These convicted sex predators established online identities on a website that is popular with teenagers and children." Great, let's lock them out of McDonald's, too, since McDonald's is popular with teenagers and children. If you start thinking this way, where do you stop? Do you force them to move if someone with children buys the house next door? Why not just ask them to wear a scarlet "S" around their neck?

Lastly, am I the only one who thinks it's absolutely ludicrous for a judge to bar a person from using the Internet? Especially if their crime had nothing to do with the Internet?!?

actually California is trying to do just that.

"Lastly, am I the only one who thinks it's absolutely ludicrous for a judge to bar a person from using the Internet? Especially if their crime had nothing to do with the Internet?!?"

Why do you think it's ludicrous? Why does the person need to use the internet? It's hardly essential... had these people been housebound and browsing the BBC News site, checking their bank balances, looking for tips on gardening etc I might have more sympathy but in the circumstances it seems perfectly reasonable to stop them going online...

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Why not just ask them to wear a scarlet "S" around their neck?

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Or a yellow 6 pointed star on their lapels?

Not that I'm for paedophilia, or violent offenders of any stripe, be it violence against adults or children - yes that includes the bladdered muppets outside the clubs on Saturday nights... but the society we're creating really worries me.

The age of sexual consent varies across the world from about 14 to 21 (even "illegal outside marriage" in some countries) so what constitutes an "adult capable of making their own decisions about their sex lives" is somewhat subjective - although it's basic common sense that a pre-pubescent child is NOT going to have any real understanding of the situation, so 14 is a logical absolute minimum age, although whether the person is metally and emotionally equipped (rather than just physically) at 14 is another matter.

When it comes to same-sex relationships it gets even worse. I have friends (both over the age of 25) whose relationship would be illegal in many countries, including most of the American States (since in many states the law has been repealed), simply because they're both men.

Would it be acceptable for MySpace to hand over the details of homosexual couples to the Iranian Government? Or the details of people who've had sex without being married? Both situations are illegal in Iran.

http://www.avert.org/aofconsent.htm

"actually California is trying to do just that."

Florida already is. There are some sex offenders who have been forced to live under a bridge.

I have a friend who's a Texas Ranger. Sometimes he wears a button that says "Hi, I'm Buffy, a 16 year old cheerleader"