Internet predators beware

TAZEWELL, Va. — With more than 50 percent of the nation’s Internet traffic still going through Virginia, Attorney General Bob McDonnell is continuing his crusade against online sexual predators and the growing dilemma of identity theft through the Internet.

McDonnell, who is concluding a six-day tour of Southwest Virginia this weekend that included a visit to the Bluefield Daily Telegraph, also is continuing to work with area law enforcement officials to help combat the region’s long-standing drug problem.

“With the Internet, 60 percent of the traffic in the nation goes through Virginia because of AOL,” McDonnell said. “We’ve just got to keep the predators and identity thieves off the Internet.”

McDonnell said AOL and its technology-related jobs have been welcomed by the Commonwealth, and have created a “win-win” environment for the state . However, with the increased Internet traffic also comes an increased threat for children and families in Virginia.

Virginia has responded by implementing much tougher sentences for convicted sexual predators, McDonnell said. McDonnell also worked earlier this year with the popular social networking site MySpace.com to identify thousands of convicted sex offenders on the site.

Combined with the state passage of a new law to require the registration of all online indentities of convicted sexual predators, Virginia also will develop a database of information regarding sexual predators’ online identities.

“The predators know that this is where the kids are, and now MySpace is blocking them from getting on,” McDonnell said. “Parents are starting to learn now about how to keep their kids safe.”

According to the attorney general’s office, approximately one-in-five youth who use the Internet regularly received a sexual solicitation or approach over the Internet in the last year. That is why McDonnell urges parents to closely monitor where their children are going to and who they are talking to on the Internet.

McDonnell said identity theft is one of the “fastest growing” crimes in the nation and Virginia. He reminds area residents to never give personal information, including credit card numbers or their Social Security number, to a suspicious e-mail.

“There is a new wave of sophisticated criminals who are using the Internet,” McDonnell said.

McDonnell reminds area residents that if it sounds too good to be true, it’s probably not true. He said residents who have any questions about a suspicious e-mail should immediately contact their local law enforcement agency. McDonnell adds there is no such thing as a legitimate international lottery.

“We have to tell people all of the time those are bogus,” he said. “It is against federal law.”

In terms of the drug epidemic in Southwest Virginia, McDonnell said in conversation with area police chiefs, he believes the region is slowly beginning to turn the curve when it comes to the OxyContin and Methamphetamine threat.

McDonnell said the recent guilty plea to charges of misbranding by the maker of OxyContin sent a strong message across the Commonwealth and the nation. McDonnell said the guilty pleas were the result of a four-year long investigation that was initiated by the Virginia Medicaid Fraud Control unit under the direction of former Attorney General Jerry Kilgore.

“That was a case that had been going on for four years,” McDonnell said. “I give credit to my predecessor Jerry Kilgore. The formal investigation was started four years ago.”

As part of the guilty plea ruling, the company has agreed to pay $20 million to fund Virginia’s prescription’s monitoring program. McDonnell said the prescription monitoring program was originally initiated in Virginia’s Ninth Congressional District.

“This is a major step forward and I think we will now have the ability to expand the program,” McDonnell said. “I’ve got a couple of ideas on how to improve the program. We will certainly have the money to deal with it now.”

In terms of Methamphetamine, in the past offenders were not only able to purchase the necessary ingredients to create a dangerous Methamphetamine laboratory from the local department store, but could also get the recipe right off the Internet.

“Gov. Warner actually entered the executive order in Virginia to require that all of the required prescriptions — specifically the Sudafed — be put behind the counter,” McDonnell said. “So if you are now wanting to buy a couple of cases of Sudafed, it’s a pretty good sign that you are up to no good.”

McDonnell said he and U.S. Attorney John Brownlee recently implemented a new public education campaign called “Meth Kills.”

“This is one of the worse drugs I’ve seen,” McDonnell said. “It is highly addictive and toxic to the system.”

McDonnell said it will take a continued and combined effort of law enforcement, prevention efforts and public education to combat the region’s drug problem, including the OxyContin threat.

In terms of the controversial new abusive driver fees in Virginia, McDonnell said his office is statutorily obligated to defend the constitutionality of the measures passed by the General Assembly unless deemed unconsitutitional.

However, McDonnell said he believes out-of-state drivers should be subject to the abusive driver fee law.

“I think it should apply to in-state and out-of-state drivers,” McDonnell said.

— Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com

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