Office of the Attorney General
Cybersafety Legislation Passes House 97-0

Legislators in the Kentucky House of Representatives have overwhelmingly passed Attorney General Jack Conway and Representative Johnny Bell's cybersafety legislation by a vote of 97 to 0. The bill will now be presented to members of the Senate.

“Rep. Bell and I appreciate that legislators on both sides of the aisle recognize the importance of this legislation for Kentucky law enforcement and for our kids,” General Conway said. “This legislation not only brings Kentucky laws up to date with technology, but it provides police and prosecutors with the tools they need to arrest and convict cybercriminals who are trying to harm Kentucky kids.”

House Bill 315

House Bill 315 contains the following provisions:

• Prohibits sex offenders from logging onto social networking sites that are used by children under the age of 18.
• Requires sex offenders to update their email addresses and online identifiers with the registry in a similar fashion as they update their physical addresses. The bill codifies the Kentucky State Police Department's current practice of making emails available in a searchable database that is accessible to the public. The bill would further require that online profiles, such as those used on MySpace or Facebook, also be included in the searchable database. Email addresses will be removed from individual pages on the registry because of the concern that sex offenders may use the information to communicate with each other or create online communities.
   
  Amends Kentucky's stalking statute to include cyberstalking, recognizing that threats or harassment can take place online and in person.
• Closes a loophole in current law by clarifying that it is a crime for a person to transmit live sexually explicit images of themselves to minors over the Internet or other electronic network via webcam or other technological devices.
• Allows police to seize personal property, such as a computer or car, which has been used by a predator in the commission of sexual offenses against children.
   
  Grants administrative subpoena power to the Office of the Attorney General when investigating online crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children. This gives investigators direct access to secure relevant information that will help officers identify perpetrators in these cases.

For more information about House Bill 315, visit www.ag.ky.gov