Released: February 13, 2006

Social websites scrutinized by police

Source: By Janet Kornblum, USA Today

Police across the country are examining social websites, including 55-million-member MySpace, in investigations of crimes ranging from statutory rape and molestation to murder.

Their concern: Teens who have been warned all their lives to beware of strangers online are now regularly posting their cellphone numbers, school names and other personal information, as well as sexy pictures of themselves, on these sites.

Whether crimes against children connected with the Internet are actually increasing is unknown, because no organization or agency keeps comprehensive statistics. But officials are concerned that teens who use public websites to socialize and plan activities are oblivious to the presence of predators.

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