You know, it's not that hard....

to just get another screenname or email account.

Legislators want sex offenders to register e-mail addresses

State legislators want sex offenders to register their e-mail addresses and screen names.

DENVER - Colorado lawmakers are set to debate a measure designed to cut down on the solicitation of minors on the Internet. The proposed bill would require all paroled sex offenders to register their e-mail addresses, instant message identity and chat room identity upon getting out of prison.

"Technology is advancing at warp speed and this is simply an effort to allow our criminal statutes to stay up with the advances in the technology," said Rep. Spencer Swalm (R-Centennial), the sponsor of the bill. "The majority of sexual predators contact their victims over the Internet. We all know how it typically goes. They sound friendly on the Internet and then, they commit the offense, so this is a way for parents to hopefully monitor what their kids are doing."

Last year, lawmakers passed the first part of the initiative which made it a crime to solicit a minor online for the purpose of setting up a meeting for sex. In the last six months, the Attorney General's office reports 58 people have been charged under the new law.

Under the proposal which is co-sponsored by Sen. Paula Sandoval (D-Denver), sex offenders who are already required by law to register when they are paroled would have to provide their Internet identities before using any of them. Failure to participate would result in the possible revoking of their parole and a return to prison.

"I understand everyone is entitled to civil liberties, but we're talking about people who have already been convicted of sexual offenses," said Swalm. "Once you've been convicted of a felony, you forfeit many of your civil liberties. This is simply expanding a little bit on the existing statute."