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Protecting Missourians from Internet Crimes

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David Day:
Protecting Missourians from Internet Crimes We have all heard the heartrending story of Megan Meier, the young St. Charles teen who committed suicide after being harassed on MySpace. This tragedy hit close to home for many Missourians, because most of us have a child, grandchild, niece, nephew, or family friend who uses MySpace or other networking and chatting sites.  These days you can’t even visit the local grocery store without seeing teens using their phones, whether to chat, text, or visit the Internet.  These technologies are so commonplace among our young people – 77 percent of Americans now have Internet access at home and nearly 100 percent of public schools have Internet access, as well as most libraries.  The Internet is a great resource for homework help, educational games and even communicating with parents and teachers; however, our young people don’t always think of the doors that technology can open for predators and harassers.  To help protect Missouri children and make sure we learn from Megan’s heartbreaking and senseless death, we have passed legislation this year to help crack down on the growing threat of cyber crimes. One thing we learned right after Megan’s death was that it was difficult to find a crime to charge her harasser with – technically she had broken no state laws (although she is currently awaiting arraignment in federal court).  Our harassment statute limited harassment to offensive language or threats to commit a felony against a person in writing or by phone.  The legislation we passed brings this statute in line with current technology by including harassment from computers, text messages and other electronic devices.  Under the bill, repeat offenders and anyone who is at least 21 year old can be charged with a felony and face up to four years in prison if they harass a minor. Other instances of harassment remain a Class A misdemeanor, which carries up to a year in jail and fines up to $1,000.  It also expands state laws against stalking to cover ''credible threats'' not only against the victim, but also family and household members and animals. While these changes will no doubt help us properly prosecute those who harass Missourians, I could argue that equally important is the fact that issue is coming to light and will hopefully encourage Missouri parents, guardians and teachers to take this threat seriously.  We all know the Internet opens the door for predators and harassers, and Megan’s tragedy reminds us that the danger is all the more real, when even a neighbor can be the source of the harassment. As your legislator, I want to protect your family, and one of the best ways I can do this is by drawing attention to the issue of cyber harassment and working with you to do all we can to monitor and protect the children in our lives from those who seek to use technology to do them harm.  Unfortunately, we can’t be with our children 24 hours a day and have to trust that they will listen to the dangers we educate them about.  But it is also important to make sure our schools are on the alert.  The legislation we passed requires school officials to tell police about harassment and stalking on school grounds.  We hope this increased protection will encourage Missouri parents to work closely with their children, the state, law enforcement and our schools to prevent harassment and identify and stop it immediately if it does occur. In addition to the legislation dealing with cyber harassment, we also passed a bill this year to protect Missourians from another cyber threat – one from those who attempt to lure and sexually exploit children.  Senate Bill 932 creates the Cyber Crimes Investigation Fund to provide $3 million per year for the existing Internet Cyber Crime Grant (ICCG) program that targets Internet predators and pornographers. The measure allows funds used for investigating Internet sex crimes against children to also include an allocation for training prosecuting and circuit attorneys.  The additional funding this bill authorizes will greatly enhance protection for Missouri’s children from the threat of online predators. As a conservative, I am dedicated to keeping the government out of your daily lives.  At the same time, I want to make sure we have the proper laws and procedures in place to protect young Missourians on the Internet, just as we would in the classroom or the public park.  I am confident we have taken some positive steps in the right direction this year, but I know our work is not done.  For every new useful technology or website created to help our kids learn and communicate with parents, teachers and friends, is a new way for someone to exploit those who use it without the proper caution and knowledge. I am dedicated to continuing to create legislation to protect Missourians from the bad that comes with the good that the Internet and technology offer. I want to continue the conversation to raise awareness and share knowledge throughout our community and our state.  I invite you to let me know your thoughts, concerns and ideas for ways to ensure our kids are using technology safely. As always, please contact me by e-mail at david.day@house.mo.gov, at the office by calling (573) 751-1446 or through my website at www.repdavidday.com.  When sending an e-mail, please include your mailing address so I will know that you are a constituent of the 148th District, those always get first priority.  Thank you for the honor of serving you in our state’s capitol.

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