New York purges another 2,100 sex offender-held game accounts

While this is kind of great it does beg the question, whats to stop them from just opening a new email account or 6 to the tune of "notapedo@gmail.com" and sign up to anything/everything with that?

You'd have to spy on their computers 24/7 to ensure that they don't just use two sets of accounts.

This is piss on yourself retarded. A stupid idea from stupid old people who don't understand how things work. If you were a gamer and someone killed your xbox live or steam account how long would it take before you had another account? There's no way to enforce this, and it's stupid to try.

What about sex offenders who have kids who play games? Should you block their accounts?

Life liberty and the pursuit of happiness right? Unless you're a sex offender, then you can't play video games.

You know restricting someones liberties, can drive them to do even worse things.

I can neither approve or disapprove of these measures. I only hope those that are being restricted, were rightfully judged and truly deserve the lifetime sentence placed upon them. I think someones gaming rights should not be restricted unless it goes before a judge first. Let a judge decide whether or not an individual is a danger to someone else.

You haven't been on monitored probation/parole. The same things that stop people from going out drinking and then trying to get away with it stop people in these circumstances. Your life gets increasingly difficult if you break the rules until you go back to jail/get re-sentenced. I'm not suggesting there aren't people who try to beat the system in either case, but these restrictions to limit the activity of some people.

I blame the parents for allowing this to happen. When I was 13, my father knew exactly where I was at and who with. But at the same time I was already 5"10 160 and built like a truck. But again whats stopping these people from making new accounts? The sex offender list should work with ISP's and provide static IP addresses to those dwellings, and all chat logs should be monitored for illegal behavior. Or limit when they would be able to access the internet. Otherwise, useless time spent.

While this seems on the surface a sound idea it makes me wonder if the majority of these people are not just on their computer to play games. And if this outlet is taken away from them might they not turn to more sinister activities? There are always unintended consequences with actions like this.

This seriously sounds like "think of the children" thing. Honestly it seems its targeting ALL sex offenders on the registry even those not related at all to predatory offences. Not sure about it but I hear it is really easy to get on the registry in the states.

It is!!
Any accusation will just about land you a conviction. The term "Innocent until proven guilty", means nothing this day and age.

In before they are powerless because kiddie fiddlers moved on to classic games that dont require a login, such as quake 3 or the doom source port Zandronum (which is full of kiddies btw).

Great, so instead of being able to sit around, mindlessly playing video games and not hurting anybody, they'll have this option closed to them and have to go out raping people again?

This action is plain unconstitutional and clearly violates several rights, such as the presumption of innocence, the right to a fair trial, the right to be judged by a jury of your pears.
Assuming the sex offender will commit a crime and punishing them in advance is against many laws and articles in the Constitution. Should they be watched? Of course they should, they are criminals prone to repeat their crime, for God's sake! Being prone to do something does not mean they will follow through and do it.
The purpose of society is to punish and rehabilitate, not to punish and punish some more.

Operation: Game Over..... Lol

Anyway, if these sex offenders are considered to be such a risk to the vulnerable, then cut off their Internet, surely. Hasn't anyone heard of VPNs, anonymous email accounts, etc.?

What a stupid idea...

Put sex offenders pictures up on national tv scrolling under popular programs. Major city billboards would also be a great move. newspapers ect.

Knowing who these people and publicly naming and shaming them would be a great deterrent in my opinion.

(Sir Alex Ice... sex offenders to commit multiple crimes and the preumption comes from the guilt of their first crime).

You guys.... Read this carefully and remember it. Lawmakers don't care if the laws actually work. They care if they LOOK good. Come election time they can get up on their soapbox and talk about how they are protecting our children. That's what this is about... it's win-win for them. Who's going to stand up and defend sex-offenders (not that anyone should), but it does make them free to pass laws against them that don't work, instead of putting some work into it and passing a law that does work. This one is cheap, that's why it's chosen.

Sadly, the same thing is going to happen with gun control. They're going to pass some law that says clips can only hold X number of bullets and think it's going to stop mass shootings. No... he'll just carry another clip, or use another gun, or make a pipe bomb. Notice there's no talk about improving metal health care... cause thats' expensive, difficult and doesn't sell as well in November.
But our leaders can make commercials about protecting our children, and those of us that believe them can sleep better.

That is raising a question and not begging it. To 'beg the question' is to argue a point where the conclusion in included in the premise and is a logical fallacy.

And I am sure they have thought of this and I have not idea how they would combat it but it is short-sighted to slam them for trying...

That could also give them a push in going postal. Before such public humiliation, you would most certainly want them detained and give them an option for redemption in the end.

MilwaukeeMike - I have a agree with you. Especially with the Newtown disaster. Politicians will rant and rave and work on gun control laws. Everyone ignores mental heath and support for familes in these situations. Everyone forgets, the mom owned the guns legally. So we do a knee jerk reaction and job well done. If we really want to work on preventing these things, we should work on the humans. Healthcare as it is now is sickcare, true healthcare would offer preventative services, for the body and the mind. That will not eliminate these things but I think it would help much more than just reducing the amount of ammo a legally purchased gun holds.

Ok, I'll step down from the soapbox...

Good point.

Sadly the only really safe way to avoid retribution or reoffending would be to kill them all.
Not sure on how legal that is though....

A running man style gameshow would be awesome!

I see all these posts on how its illegal and unconstitutional. Guess what. Im betting you never had to deal with being molested. Or have a family member that was. I applaud this action. The molesters going online to cultivate more victims being cut off is a blessing as far as Im concernd. Take away EVERY opportunity that these perverts have to attack a child again. Its neither illegal nor unconstitutional given that EVERY person on parole or probation gives up thier personal rights for the gift of Freedom from jail. I think even stronger measures should be put into place. Maybe a ankle monitor that delivers a very nasty shock if they get withing 100ft of a school. Definatly some form of software that monitors what sites they visit. I know you as a individual may think this is harsh, but Ive had to deal witha molester harming my family. As far as Im concernd if they touch a child in that way they should just be taken behind the court house and shot. No trial, no due process.