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Are there First Amendment problems with barring sex offenders from social media sites?

By Douglas A. Berman

The question in the title of this post is prompted by this piece from the journalism students at Northwestern University?s Medill school. The piece is headlined "New law banning sex offenders from social networks a free speech flop?", and here is how it starts: Peter Chapman, a 33-year-old convicted rapist, was jailed for life Monday in England for killing Ashleigh Hall, 17, in October.  Chapman lured the teenager by putting up a phony Facebook profile posing as a teenage boy. Illinois passed a law that took effect Jan 1. to target internet predators like Chapman.  The law makes it a felony for registered sex offenders to use social networking.  ?Predators are real and dangerous,? said Rep. Darlene Senger, a co-sponsor of the public act.  ?In order to become a registered sex offender, you?re not just taking a picture of someone, you?re doing something criminal...continue to full post

Full post as published by Sentencing Law and Policy on March 10, 2010 (boomark / email).