Chicago MySpace Predator Sentenced to Prison

The Chicago Tribune reported that John R. Wentworth, 28, of Chicago suburb Naperville, was sentenced to 42 months in prison for molesting a 15 year old Naperville girl he contacted through popular social networking site MySpace. On March 7 he pled guilty to aggravated criminal sexual abuse and indecent solicitation of a minor. After his prison term is up he will have to register as a sex offender for life and is barred from using computer equipment during his prison time and after his release.

Authorities say that Wentworth contacted as many as 50 young girls a day, some as young as ten years old, through MySpace. Assistant State's Atty. Demitri Demopoulis said a police search of Wentworth's computer indicated he was sending 25 to 50 e-mails daily "fishing for responses from young girls."He added that as many as 20 young girls eventually contacted Wentworth, including the girl he confessed to molesting.

The victim contacted police in November 2005 after reading an article about Internet predators. The girl told police she had met Wentworth on four occasions, including at her home and the city library. She said on one visit to her home Wentworth kissed and fondled her.
An undercover officer assumed the girl's Internet identity and continued talking to Wentworth.
Wentworth was arrested in May 2006 after arranging to meet the girl at Naperville's downtown skate park.

MySpace does have restrictions in place that are supposed to help protect children but they are easy to get around. Currently MySpace is developing better technology and more efficient tools to catch sexual predators who prey on children through the popular site. Ever since popular news TV show Dateline began investigating sexual predators using the Internet to find victims parents have become more aware of the growing problem of predators approaching and enticing children on the Internet. Nonprofit group Perverted Justice works with law enforcement to try and combat internet solicitation of children by adults through the Internet.

Parents are urged to discuss with their kids what to do if a predator approaches them online and how to recognize the warning signs that someone might be a predator. They are also encouraged to monitor their children's internet use and to only allow Internet usage in a family area such as the living room or kitchen. Parents should also monitor their children's profiles on sites like MySpace and alert the authorities and the website supervisors if they have concerns for their child's safety.