A federal Judge in New York State has altered the conditions that apply to the release program of a convicted child sex offender, restricting the individual’s access to the Internet. The judge ruled the use of the Internet, to find and lure victims, was such an integral part of the man’s crimes, that a ban on using the Internet is appropriate—even though his supervised work release job is computer programming. When this issue has previously been presented to a federal court in New York, Internet restrictions have been overturned. Here the judge distinguished those cases by noting that in this instance the offender had used the Internet to search for and attract new victims. Technology also played a role in this decision. Because of software incompatibilities, probation officials couldn’t monitor the individual at work. Because the employer develops software for cellular telephones, the employer was concerned about liability if a third-party is permitted to monitor the computer systems. Will this hold up? It is being appealed. Who knows? It again highlights how pervasive the Internet has become and how difficult questions continue to arise at the intersection of law and technology.
Insights at the intersection of digital and mobile technology, innovation and the law