News
September 7, 2010
Chelsea's Law clears final legislative step, heads to Governor to become law
After six month of work, "Chelsea's Law," California Assembly Bill 1844, cleared its final legislative hurdle and passed the State Assembly with a unanimous vote. The measure awaits a signature from Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger who pledged his support for the bill.
September 4, 2010
Dads biking cross-country to stop crimes against children
The most devastating thing a parent can face is having their child be a victim of a terrible crime. Sadly, Ed Smart, Ahmad Rivazfar and far too many other parents have faced just that. Smart's daughter, Elizabeth, was abducted from her own bedroom when she was just 14. She was held captive for nine months and raped repeatedly by her abductor. Rivazfar's two daughters, 6 and 8, were abducted, raped and had their throats slit. Only one survived.
September 1, 2010
Back-to-school shopping includes Internet safety, education tips
The back-to-school shopping list these days often includes laptops and cell phones. The instant access and convenience afforded by such electronic devices make them ideal for studying, socializing, and coordinating schedules.
August 12, 2010
SCP president writes for gopusa.com, discussing the Department of Justice's National Strategy for Child Exploitation Intervention that outlines the effect technology has on the ease in which to distribute child pornography.
The report points out that the expansion of the Internet since the mid-1990s has led to an explosion in the market for child pornography, making it easier to create, access and distribute images of abuse, Rumenap notes. She adds that advances in computer memory storage and the increased speed of downloading also allows for more information to be shared faster.
July 30, 2010
SCP president opines in The DailyCaller that while the Internet brings new innovations it also brings drawbacks.
She points to Google’s Street View software as an example. It was recently discovered that Street View was collecting unauthorized data from individual families’ home computers. The even bigger problem, she notes, is that such vehicles take photos of unsuspecting neighbors regularly without their consent. These photos are then included on online maps for anyone to see. Beyond the obvious pitfalls of collecting any kind of information unbeknownst to consumers, yet alone not informing them for what purposes the data will be used or what will happen to it, photos themselves could be used for malicious purposes.
July 6, 2010
SCP Attends Summer Meeting of National Association of Attorneys General, Offers "Do Not Track" Proposal to Privacy Working Group
On June 14 and 15, SCP President Stacie Rumenap participated in the National Association of Attorneys General summer meeting in Seattle, Washington. The conference highlighted efforts by state attorneys general to use technology to protect the public, with an emphasis on preventing the online sexual exploitation of children which has reached epic proportions.
July 5, 2010
Chelsea's Law Continues to Gain Support from California Lawmakers
As reported in May's newsletter, Chelsea's Law, California Assembly Bill 1844, continues to make its way through the California legislature, having passed out of the state's Senate Public Safety Committee June 29. The measure, authored by Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher in partnership with the family of Chelsea King, is focused on ensuring the protection of children from violent sexual predators. The bill passed the Committee unanimously.
July 4, 2010
California Senate Bill Misses Its Goal to Promote Internet Safety
With Mother's Day right around the corner I wanted to recognize my Mother and all of the other wonderful Mothers and caregivers who nurture, protect and care for our children every day.
May 7, 2010
Mother's Day Message
With Mother's Day right around the corner I wanted to recognize my Mother and all of the other wonderful Mothers and caregivers who nurture, protect and care for our children every day.
Today's children are exposed to more experiences, more people, and more information than they were when I was growing up. I remember riding my favorite yellow bike equipped with a banana seat and flowered basket down the block to piano lessons. By myself. My elementary school was in my own neighborhood so I walked home from school every day. By myself. When my mother volunteered to serve as the Girl Scout leader of my troop, no one checked up on her background, nor did anyone question her motives. Times are different. Many things that used to be commonplace and taken for granted do not exist in today's world.
May 6, 2010
Stop Child Predators Applauds Sens. Klobuchar, Thune for Introducing Legislation to Restrict Access to Child Pornography
Washington, DC-Stop Child Predators today commended Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and John Thune (R-SD) for introducing bi-partisan legislation that will help prevent the proliferation of child pornography by requiring peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing distributors to obtain the informed consent of users before information on their computers is shared. S. 3027, The P2P Cyber Protection and Informed User Act, was introduced to the Senate in February. It is the Senate version of H.R. 1319, which passed the House of Representatives last December with wide bi-partisan sponsorship and strong support from Stop Child Predators.
May 4, 2010
Stop Child Predators Commends Maryland Governor, Lawmakers for Toughening Sex Offender Laws
Annapolis, MD-Stop Child Predators President Stacie Rumenap joined lawmakers, activists and victims Tuesday in Annapolis as Governor Martin O'Malley signed a package of bills designed to crack down on sex offenders into law.
The new laws include requiring a mandatory 15-year prison sentence for offenders who commit more serious sex offenses or rape against a child, up from five years under existing law; eliminating the possibility of a reduced prison sentence for good behavior; and lifetime GPS monitoring for violent and repeat sex offenders. The new laws will bring Maryland in compliance with the Adam Walsh Act.
April 12, 2010
SCP's president writes for GOPUSA.com, Court Rules FCC Lacks Authority to Regulate Internet
Walk the halls of Comcast offices this week and your conversation may be drowned out by cheers now that a federal court ruled Tuesday in favor of Comcast and against the Federal Communications Commission in the agency's attempt to oversee the Internet and force the cable giant to change the way it manages its broadband network.
The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 3-0 that the FCC exceeded its authority when it required Comcast to give equal treatment to all Internet traffic over its network.
March 11, 2010
SCP congratulates Wyoming lawmakers for passing Jessica's Law, governor to sign bill into law today
Governor Dave Freudenthal will sign into law today H.B. 64, Wyoming’s version of Jessica's Law that creates a 25-year mandatory minimum sentence for adults convicted of sexually assaulting children under the age of 13.
February 22, 2010
Stop Child Predators applauds Federal Trade Commission for warning of improper release of consumer data on P2P networks
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced Monday that they have notified over 100 organizations that sensitive information has been shared from the organizations’ computer networks and is available on peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing networks. Information on P2P networks can be accessed by other users of the network and used to commit identity theft or fraud.
February 10, 2010
Stop Child Predators Urges Wyoming Lawmakers to Support Mandatory Sentencing for Convicted Sex Offenders
H.B. 64 Referred to House Judiciary Committee, Hearing Scheduled for February 12
Stop Child Predators applauded Wyoming State Representative Lori Millin today for sponsoring H.B. 64, a bill that would create a 25-year mandatory minimum sentence for first degree sexual assault of a minor when the actor is at least 18-years of age and the victim is less than 13-years of age. The House Judiciary Committee will consider the legislation this Friday.
February 3, 2010
"Mean Girls" go viral
When I was in 6th grade, my best friend from elementary school “broke up” with me—apparently, I was too nerdy for her liking—which consisted of her spreading rumors to anyone who would listen. Mostly, she said mean things about me. Luckily, my middle school taunts were limited to the playground. Not so for today’s tweens and teens as bullies have taken to the Internet, where their ridicule can be seen by anyone with an Internet connection and can last a lifetime.
February 1, 2010
Stop Child Predators Encourages Parents to Watch Digital Nation
PBS documentary studies effects on adults, kids who juggle multiple electronic devices
Washington, DC – On Tuesday, February 2, PBS will air FRONTLINE’S Digital Nation: Life on the Virtual Frontier, a documentary on what it means to be human in a 21st-century digital world where digital media and the World Wide Web have transformed virtually every aspect of the way people learn and work to how they socialize and even conduct war.
January 25, 2010
Stop Child Predators Supports Legislation Restricting Access to Child Pornography on Government Computers
H.R. 4098 Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
Washington, DC – Today Stop Child Predators applauded Representative Ed Towns (D-NY) for introducing the Secure Federal File Sharing Act, H.R. 4098, that will help prevent the proliferation of child pornography by prohibiting the download, installation or use of open-network peer-to-peer file sharing software by government employees on all federal computers. The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform will consider the legislation.
H.R. 4098December 10, 2009
SCP's president writes for GOPUSA.com, In Search Of The New 'World's Greatest Rock Band'
The Super Bowl is one of the most-watched broadcasts on American television each year, with an estimate of over 100 million viewers tuning in for at least some of the game.
If you're anything like me, the halftime show is the highlight of the game. In recent years, they’ve become increasing elaborate and featured the biggest musical stars. In 2002, the halftime show starring U2 honored victims of the September 11th attacks. Mostly, the NFL gets it right when scheduling performers, even if there is an occasional "wardrobe malfunction" like in 2006. Which is why it's shocking that the 2010 halftime show delivers a slap in the face to child victims of sex crimes.
November 17, 2009
Join SCP President Stacie Rumenap at the ParentalRights.org rally on Capitol Hill in support of Universal Children's Day on Friday, November 20, 2009
November 16, 2009
Peer-to-Peer File Sharing: Pandora's Box of Child Porn?
Peer-to-peer (P2P) networks are composed of participants that directly share resources without intermediary network hosts or servers.
P2P technology joined the national conversation with the popularity and controversy surrounding Napster and other free music sharing services in the late 1990s. And while the technology has been in practice much longer, with many useful and legal purposes, recent statistics indicate such networks create fertile ground for swapping pornographic material of minors. Pedophiles use P2P file sharers in an effort to avoid law enforcement scrutiny of Internet Service Provider's (ISP) servers and other aspects of the Internet often policed.
Some in Congress have taken notice of the proliferation of child pornography through P2P, advancing legislation and regulation to contain it. Law enforcement and industry leaders are also working to combat the problem. Stop Child Predators highlights these efforts in its latest publication, "Peer-to-Peer File Sharing: Pandora's Box of Child Porn?"
November 15, 2009
SCP partner ‘Community VOICES' commends Massachusetts legislature for passing Jessica's Law, thanks DAs for prosecuting first case under the law that requires mandatory sentence of 15 years in prison for child rape
We hear the horror stories about children like Jessica Lunsford, abducted from her bedroom, raped and murdered by a repeat sex offender in Florida. We see the photos of kids like 12-year-old Alyssa Presti murdered in her bedroom by Level 3 sex offender Michael Bizanowicz after he brutally raped her mother in the living room of their Woburn home. And Massachusetts will never, and should never, forget Jeffrey Curley, who was lured by "friends" with the promise of a new bike, only to be brutally raped and murdered. The aftermath is always the same, our hearts break for the grieving families, people become outraged and others try to convince themselves that it could never happen in their communities or worse, to their own children. All of these cases have two common elements: the first is, the victims were targeted to be sexually abused, and the second is, the perpetrators are repeat offenders who previously served little or no time in prison for their crimes.
October 19, 2009
SCP's president writes for GOPUSA.com, Wal-Mart, Parents Spar Over Child Pornography
Last month, a Peoria, Arizona couple made news as they temporarily lost custody of their three young daughters after Wal-Mart and local authorities deemed the couple's bath time photographs of their children child pornography. The couple was also placed on a sex offender registry, and the wife lost her job as a teacher.
September 2, 2009
Monitoring Sex Offenders
The arrest of registered sex offender Phillip Garrido has raised questions regarding how closely sex offenders are monitored in the U.S. SCP Advisory Chair Mark Lunsford tells CBS News more needs to be done to track the whereabouts of registered sex offenders.
August 13, 2009
Attorney General's CyberSafety Presentation Educates Parents, Protects Children
TALLAHASSEE, FL – Attorney General Bill McCollum today joined Stop Internet Predators, an initiative of the national non-profit organization Stop Child Predators, to educate parents and members of the community on the dangers cyber predators pose to children. The Orange County Council of PTA/PTSAs assisted in arrangingg the Orlando event, which was open to parents in Orange County and the surrounding area.
July 28, 2009
SCP’s President Stacie Rumenap talks to Florida’s WTXL ABC news anchor about the importance of Internet safety for children as they navigate the web.
July 28, 2009
SCP recognized by Florida State Cabinet for its efforts to inform parents and teachers about new technology helping predators target kids.
July 10, 2009
SCP Joins U.S. Marshals Service at Congressional Briefing to Tout Adam Walsh Act and Operation Falcon
The U.S. Marshals always get their man, but in Massachusetts last month alone they dragged from swamps and other sordid hideaways an astonishing 558 wanted criminals on 910 warrants - 51 of them fugitive sex offenders.
May 12, 2009
Stop Internet Predators Honors Attorneys General from Rhode Island, North Carolina and Florida with Champion of Online Safety Award
PHILADELPHIA - Stop Internet Predators, an organization committed to keeping children safe online, today honored Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch, North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper and Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum with the “Champion of Online Safety Award” at a press conference at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Philadelphia.
April 29, 2009
SCP's Executive Director: 'Online predators a concern in Florida'
My own experience indicates that child safety crosses party lines and can be successful only when policymakers, community leaders and parents nationwide are united in their concern for the security of our children. And if the discussion leads to better protecting our families, then it should absolutely be a part of any political discussion. Child protection, after all, touches the lives of everyone.
March 17, 2009
SCP's Executive Director Writes for GOPUSA.com, "Dating 2.0"
On weekend get-aways with my college girlfriends, we often look back and laugh at our fashion missteps and dating dramas... These days, however, even my most embarrassing moments and questionable style choices seem practically quaint. Visit any college campus today and you will find eighteen-year-olds who could pass for late twenty-somethings any day. Enter a high school and it is not much better. Stiletto heels, low-rise jeans and designer bags are today's uniform for young women, starting at increasingly younger ages. And with these grown-up outfits also come grown-up behaviors.
Move over, Hugh Hefner--today's teens are distributing electronically nude self-portraits, in a practice called "sexting" if it is done by cell phone. And this latest trend has parents and school administrators rightfully worried.
March 17, 2009
Stop Child Predators Urge Maryland Lawmakers to Step Up Fight Against Online Predators
SCP's executive director testified today in Annapolis on the complexity of online safety, warning lawmakers that safeguards need to be put into place to make the Internet a less dangerous place for children and teens. Rumenap told House and Senate Judiciary Committee members that parental controls help empower parents, who often struggle to stay up-to-date with the latest technologies. Such controls, she said, enable parents to set guard rails for their children's behavior and reinforce "parenting moments" when they are not able to directly watch their child online.
March 4, 2009
Stop Child Predators Supports Legislation Restricting Access to Child Pornography, Urges Congress to Pass Informed P2P User Act
Washington, DC – Today Stop Child Predators applauded Members of Congress for introducing bi-partisan legislation that will help prevent the proliferation of child pornography by requiring peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing distributors to obtain the informed consent of users before information on their computers is shared. The Informed P2P User Act of 2009 is similar to last year's HR 7176, and was introduced by Representatives John Barrow (D-GA) and Mary Bono Mack (R-CA).
February 28, 2009
Jessie's Ride draws hundreds of riders, supporters to raise awareness of child safety
February 9, 2009
Internet Safety Advocates Recommend Safety Tips to Keeping Kids Safe Online
Groups also aim to increase awareness for Safer Internet Day, February 10th
To help raise consumer awareness for Safer Internet Day, a day which promotes safer and more responsible use of online technology and mobile phones among children and young people, Americans for Technology Leadership and Stop Child Predators encouraged Americans to follow five easy steps to help families stay safer online. The recommendations come on the heels of a major study published by Harvard University's Berkman Center for Internet & Society, which found that one of the greatest threats children face online comes from peers who bully or harass.
February 4, 2009
Stop Internet Predators Praises Manchester, New Hampshire for Elevating Issue of Child Safety in Internet Age
Mayor proclaims the city's dedication to protecting children from online predators
Manchester, NH – SCP's Stacie Rumenap joined Mayor Frank C. Guinta as he issued a proclamation congratulating the City of Manchester and local law enforcement for protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. He also declared February 3, 2009 as Stop Internet Predators Awareness Day.
January 14, 2009
SCP's Executive Director Writes for GOPUSA.com, "Cyberbullies Beware"
Bullying is a sad fact of life for many children, and unfortunately, bullies aren't confined to the school playground anymore. They've gone high-tech and are now online. Cyberbullies, as they're called, hide behind the relative anonymity of the Internet to intimidate, insult and harass others online, without much fear of consequence. Yet experts who study the issue say this modern incarnation of bullying can be more damaging to victims than traditional tactics like fist fights and classroom taunts.
December 4, 2008
Group Helps Protect Against Web Predators
As Stop Internet Predators' campaign gains momentum, ABC News caught up with Executive Director Stacie Rumenap during her recent trip to Pittsburgh, PA to promote the group's latest online safety campaign.
October 17, 2008
National Groups Warn Google Street View may be Harmful to Children's Safety
A recent article published in the Knoxville News Sentinel highlighted the efforts of Knox County Schools in Tennessee to help kids learn how to protect themselves better while online. Stacie Rumenap, executive director of Stop Child Predators and Stop Internet Predators commended the school on its efforts, but she also reminds readers that "while children can — and should — be taught ways to recognize predators and solicitations while using applications such as Facebook and MySpace, families should also be aware of applications they may be participating in unknowingly."
October 06, 2008
Group Fears Google Street View May Be Used by Child Predators
Boston's Fox25 News caught up with Stop Child Predators' Executive Director Stacie Rumenap during her recent trip to Manchester, NH to promote SCP's online safety campaign. Roadside images that Google Street View provides of homes, playgrounds and school buildings could be an ideal tool for child predators, Rumenap told Fox25.
September 27, 2008
Stop Child Predators Supports Legislation Restricting Access to Child Pornography
Stop Child Predators applauded Members of Congress for introducing bi-partisan legislation that will help prevent the proliferation of child pornography by requiring peer-to-peer file-sharing distributors to obtain the informed consent of users before information on their computers is shared. The Informed P2P User Act, HR 7176, was introduced by Representatives John Barrow (D-GA), Joe Barton (R-TX) and Mary Bono Mack (R-CA).
September 21, 2008
SCP's Executive Director writes for GOPUSA.com, "New Technologies Threaten Child Privacy, Safety"
Imagine a tool that allows anyone from the comfort of their home to view photographic images of the most likely route your child walks to school, or to calculate the distance between your front door and your child's school bus stop. What if a stranger could view images of the entrances to your local park, find the location of your family's bedroom windows, or even worse, see a photograph of your child playing in your own front yard?
While these scenarios may seem lifted straight from George Orwell's 1984, the technology they describe is in fact very real.
September 16, 2008
Stop Child Predators Commends Oprah for Supporting Senate Bill Targeting Internet Predators
Alarming episode informed viewers of the prominence of online child predation
Stop Child Predators applauded The Oprah Show for tackling the serious and disturbing phenomenon of child predators and online trafficking of child pornography and for helping to raise awareness of U.S. Senate Bill 1738, the Protect Our Children Act.
July 21, 2008
New campaign raises child safety concerns over Google's "Street View"
Stop Child Predators' latest initiative will educate and empower parents and communities on rising online child safety threats.
July 9, 2008
SCP's Executive Director writes for GOPUSA 'Supreme Court Rules Child Rape Is Less Deserving Of Capital Punishment Than Murder'
In a 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court recently struck down a Louisiana law that allowed capital punishment for an adult convicted of raping a child under the age of 12 (Kennedy v Louisiana).
June 26, 2008
Testimony Advocates New Searches for Child Pornography
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View Prof. Sales' testimony
June 25, 2008
Stop Child Predators Joins Parents of Sexually Abused Children at Massachusetts State House
NECN TV: Boston, Mass. - Stacie Rumenap, Executive Director of Stop Child Predators, joined parents of sexually abused children in Massachusetts Wednesday to push state lawmakers to pass Jessica's Law, which would carry tougher penalties for people convicted of sex crimes against children. NECN's Greg Wayland reports.
May 19, 2008
In a 7 to 2 opinion, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a 2003 federal law targeting child pornographers. Last June, Stop Child Predators joined a friend of the Court brief before the case, United States v. Michael Williams. SCP was joined by child advocacy organizations including the Jessica Marie Lunsford Foundation, The Joyful Child Foundation, The KlaasKids Foundation and the National Law Center for Children and Families. U.S. v. Williams is an appeal from a federal court ruling that struck down a law that prohibited individuals from marketing and trafficking child pornography on the Internet.
May 05, 2008
SCP Joins FUND ADAM in Urging Congress to Fund the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006
February 28, 2008
Stop Child Predators filed reply comments with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on behalf of a coalition of national, non-profit organizations broadly representing the interests of parents, children, and law enforcement officers.
The coalition argued that any new rules governing broadband industry practices should not interfere with the ability of Internet Service Providers to make sure their networks are not used to transmit child pornography.
February 20, 2008
SCP Executive Director Joins Mark Lunsford in Colorado to Fight for GPS Monitoring of Sex Offenders
February 6, 2008
Study: Wisconsin Window Legislation is Constitutional
June 27, 2007
Protecting America's Children from Sexual Predators
June 8, 2007
Stop Child Predators joined a friend of the Court brief before the U.S. Supreme Court on an important child pornography case, United States v. Michael Williams. SCP was joined by child advocacy organizations including the Jessica Marie Lunsford Foundation, The Joyful Child Foundation, The KlaasKids Foundation and the National Law Center for Children and Families.
U.S. v. Williams is an appeal of a federal court striking down a law that prohibited individuals from marketing and trafficking child pornography on the Internet. The case is scheduled for review by the Supreme Court later this year.
April 19, 2007
Stop Child Predators Applauds New York Legislator for Introducing Jessica's Law
March 19, 2007
Study: The Constitutionality of GPS Tracking of Convicted Sex Offenders
March 8, 2007
Stop Child Predators Mourns Senseless Death Of Jessica Lunsford
August 6, 2006
Stop Child Predators Lauds Swift Action by Lawmakers in
Passing Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006
August 2, 2006
Viet Dinh writes for Human Events: Sexual Predation of Children
Legislation Is Triumph for GOP
May 24, 2006
Executive Director Rumenap Interviewed by Nebraska's Pilot-Tribune & Enterprise
May 24, 2006
Sexual Offenses Against Children Act Gains Unanimous Approval From the National Board of the American Legislative Exchange Council
May 22, 2006
Stop Child Predators Names Stacie D. Rumenap Executive Director
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
California Governor introduces strong new measure to help combat sexual offenses against children.
Please check back often for new information and recent developments.