(Columbia) March 10, 2004 - State Attorney General Henry McMaster gave his take on why the state needs an Internet predator law at a Senate subcommittee hearing Wednesday.
The House approved its version of the legislation last month, and Wednesday the Senate subcommittee gave its approval to move it forward to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
McMaster says the law would make it illegal for anyone over 18-years-old to stalk or solicit anyone under 16-years-old on the Internet. He says federal enforcement is not enough, "I hope the penalties will deter it. I'm not naive to think that. I think there are some who will try their luck, but without this law we can't catch them. We can't stop them."
The attorney general says families should be able to rely on state resources for protection, "Parents in this state expect our state to be able to do something. They're going to go to local law enforcement and local law enforcement needs to be able to say, 'Yeah we can take care of that.'"
Victims advocate Laura Hudson says legislators shouldn't wait for a tragedy, "Who wants to wait until your child confronts that person in the parking lot of the Piggly Wiggly or worse to be abducted or murdered?"
It's a rule in the Conyers family that before 8-year-old Danielle can log on, she has to check in with mom. Gwen Conyers knows as her daughter gets older, it will be harder to control where she goes on the Internet and who she meets.
McMaster says most predators reach their victims through chat rooms. He says in 2001, one in five children between the ages of 10 and 17 were sexually solicited over the internet.
It's a frightening statistic for Gwen. She's hopeful new laws will help keep Danielle safe and put the predators in danger, "Give them something to worry about and know we as parents and as a state won't stand for predators lurking for our children."
Senator Maggie Glover, of Florence voiced some concerns about the legislation. She warns that it gives too much discretion to solicitors and that 18-year-old boys with 15-year-old girls, especially if they are from different races, will be prosecuted.
McMaster says its not a law to prosecute boyfriends, but monsters.
Reporting by Megan Hughes
Updated 7:11pm by Eva Pilgrim
