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In Pursuit Of Child Sex Offenders
by Chloe Albanesius
Texas officials this week secured their first arrest under a new state law that lets law enforcers arrest people who solicit sex with minors online, even if the adult never meets with the child.
The law, which took effect in June, makes it a felony to "knowingly solicit" a minor for sex using the Internet. Offenders cannot claim innocence if a planned meeting never occurred.
Authorities from the attorney general's cyber-crime unit this week arrested Christopher Dotson, who propositioned an officer he believed to be a 13-year-old girl. Dotson suggested that the "girl" meet him for sex, but he did not show up to the meeting. Police secured an indictment using the new law, however, and Dotson was arrested at his home Sept. 27.
The arrest comes after judges in Maryland and Nevada this year questioned whether police have the right to pose as children online in order to trap suspected sex offenders. They ruled that the offenders could not be charged with soliciting children if they were actually soliciting adult officers -- even if the offenders believed they were speaking to children.
Despite that setback, the nationwide crackdown on sex offenders is continuing, with California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger this week signing two bills on the issue. Under one bill, S.B. 619, sex offenders on probation or parole would be equipped with global positioning systems (GPS) to monitor their whereabouts. Another measure, S.B 963, would use GPS for offenders under house arrest.
The Republican governor also signed legislation, S.B. 138, that would expand state rules so victims of child abuse or child endangerment could testify via video.
Good News, Bad News For Power-line Broadband
This week marked the completion of a Virginia city's high-speed Internet service over power lines but also the end of such broadband over power line (BPL) offered by a Pennsylvania utility.
On Wednesday, the city of Manassas, Va., announced the completion of its first-in-the-nation, citywide BPL network. But two days earlier, Allentown-based PPL Corp. announced that it will end residential service in Lehigh Valley, Pa., on Oct. 31. The company will fulfill contractual obligations to business customers in south Bethlehem and central Allentown.
PPL Telecom President David Kelley described BPL as a "promising" technology but said the "competitive marketplace and the need for significant scale has led us to the decision not to proceed as a retail communications service provider."
Affected customers will be given $50 credits to help ease the move to other providers. Kelley pledged to continue offering "telecommunications transport business [via] fiber-optic capacity to other telecommunications companies and businesses in Pennsylvania and the mid-Atlantic region."
Virginia Issues Telecom 'Bill of Rights'
Despite the problems faced by California regulators last year when they attempted to push a state-level telecom "bill of rights" for consumers, Virginia regulators this week approved a similar plan designed to maintain a minimum level of service quality for customers.
Virginia's State Corporation Commission approved the rules, which take effect Nov. 1. Local telephone providers will have to follow provisions for: handling customer complaints; contacting business offices; completing installation and repair orders; and disclosing rates and charges.
The rules "are the floor below which local telephone service cannot fall," commission Communications Director William Irby said. "Although we do not know where the new competitive market will lead, innovation and the desire to attract and keep customers should foster service levels by competitors that are well above this floor."
Telecom companies, the attorney general's office and the Virginia Citizens Consumer Council have approved the deal, according to the commission.
That would be a departure from what occurred in California. Providers were up in arms last year over the detailed telecom bill of rights. The uproar later prompted the Public Utility Commission to delay implementation of the rules; revised rules are expected soon.
In other news, the California commission will hold a public hearing Oct. 25 to discuss diversity issues affecting regulated utilities.
Also in California, P.K. Agarwal was appointed as the state's new director for the Technology Services Department. He has been vice president of ACS since 2003 and an active member of the National Association of State Chief Information Officers.
Gov. Schwarzenegger expressed confidence that Agarwal will "successfully consolidate and modernize California's information technology system." Agarwal will provide California with "much-needed vision and leadership," said Harris Miller, president of the Information Technology Association of America.
Kilgore Wins Tech PAC's Support
The political action committee for the Northern Virginia Technology Council on Monday issued its support for Republican gubernatorial candidate Jerry Kilgore.
Kilgore, the commonwealth's former attorney general, "takes a stronger position on several of our key issues" than his Democratic challenger, Lt. Gov. Tim Kaine, PAC Chairman John Backus said in a statement. Those issues include strong stances against unsolicited commercial e-mail and "phishing" scams that rely on phony e-mails and Web sites. Kilgore has pursued suspects on both issues as attorney general.
Backus praised both candidates as having a "clear grasp of our technology issues" and understanding Virginia's tech needs. "It is a testament to our maturity as an industry that both candidates have been engaged with our issues and have sought our ideas and input."
Kilgore and Kaine met with the 16-member PAC to discuss issues such as: Virginia's adoption of the Streamlined Sales Tax Project; the outsourcing of tech jobs overseas; George Mason University funding disparities; state taxation of federal contracts; funding for Virginia's Center for Innovative Technology; and nanotechnology investment.
Wyoming Lawmakers Endorse Health IT Plan
Wyoming members of Congress this week issued support for the state's health information technology plan.
The 50-member Wyoming Health Information Organization (WYHIO) got its start last month and has dedicated itself to securing funds for the transition to digital health records. Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., who has authored e-health legislation, has been instrumental in helping WHYIO locate potential federal funding outlets, said WHYIO Chairman Geoffrey Smith, a Casper radiologist.
Sen. Craig Thomas and Rep. Barbara Cubin, both Republicans, also have endorsed the state's plan, Smith said.
Tech Issues Get Attention In Michigan, California
Michigan legislators tackled a number of tech issues this week, from telecom reform to campaign finance. Among those bills introduced were:
H.B. 5237, which would further deregulate the state's telecom industry, giving the Public Service Commission authority over basic telephone plans with less than 100 calls per month;
S.B. 780, which would ban political candidates from spending campaign contributions until they are reported online;
And S.B. 785, which would more specifically define what the state's "do not spam" list for children entails.
Gov. Schwarzenegger also signed several tech bills in California, including:
S.B. 210, which extends the utility commission's authority to recover costs for the deaf and disabled telecom program from 2006 to 2010.
S.B. 954, which requires a more strict procurement policy.
S.B. 402 and S.B. 569, which would impose certain privacy restrictions on mobile phone providers and universities.
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