REP. COURTNEY, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSIONER DANAHER III JOIN TO RAISE CHILD INTERNET SAFETY AWARENESS

Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn. (2nd CD), has issued the following news release:

Congressman Joe Courtney and officials from the Connecticut Department of Public Safety, including Commissioner John Danaher III and Lt. David Rice, Commanding Officer of Scientific Services, joined today for a press conference in Tolland to raise awareness of online sexual predators and to highlight some of the efforts being made at the federal and state levels of government to offer kids a safer internet environment.

"As children begin to use the internet at younger and younger ages, we must be ever more vigilant in providing them and their parents with the information necessary to keep them safe," stated Courtney. "I want to continue to highlight the important efforts by Connecticut's Computer Crimes Bureau and my efforts in Congress that will help us to protect our kids from would-be online predators," stated Courtney.

The press conference coincides with the end of National Cyber Security Awareness Month adding to Congressman Courtney's message that while it is important to raise the public's awareness of this important issue during this month, online vigilance must be a constant pursuit.

In recent months the issue of online sexual predators has been the focus of numerous headlines in Tolland and elsewhere in eastern Connecticut. According to the Poly Klaas Foundation, almost one in eight youths ages 8-18 discovered that someone they were communicating with online was an adult pretending to be much younger.

Congressman Courtney, in an effort to protect children from those who may wish to do them harm, is a proud cosponsor of SAFER NET Act (Safeguarding America's Families by Enhancing and Reorganizing New and Efficient Technologies), HR 3461.

The SAFER NET Act would coordinate a national response to online threats and promote internet safety by using and streamlining existing public and private resources across the country. The legislation would also create a new Office of Internet Safety and Public Awareness at the FTC explicitly responsible for improving public awareness and education about internet safety.

SAFER NET would also authorize federal grants to support efforts of schools, non-profits, law enforcement and other qualified entities to promote internet safety.

In order to further protect children online, Congressman Courtney has also cosponsored the KIDS Act (Keeping the Internet Devoid of Sexual Predators Act of 2007), H.R. 719.

The KIDS Act would strengthen protection of children by having sex offenders register their online identifies such as e-mail and instant message addresses with the National Sex Offender Registry.

This legislation will make it a crime to misrepresent one's age on the Internet with the intent to solicit sex from a minor.Contact: Brian Farber, 202/225-2076.

Brian Farber, 202/225-2076.