FL considers expanding AG's power to prosecute net crimes

The chief security officer of MySpace.com, Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum and Florida legislators testified before a state House committee on a proposal to expand McCollum's power to prosecute Internet-related crimes, the Tallahassee Democrat reports. The bill is chiefly aimed at prosecuting child predators. Hermanshu Nigam, chief security officer of Fox Interactive Media and MySpace.com, will discuss steps MySpace is taking to protect its users from predators.

The bill gives the Office of Statewide Prosecution in McCollum's office authority to investigate and prosecute all crimes committed by, or connected to, use of the Internet. The bill also increases felony penalties for use of computers to store, make or transmit images of children in sexual activity.

McCollum made Internet offenses against children one of his top campaign priorities last year. He is also seeking budget approval to expand the current Jacksonville-based sexual predator office, with added locations and more online operators in other parts of Florida.