MySpace.com Boots 90,000 Convicted Sex Offenders

In an effort to protect both adults and children nationwide, MySpace.com has identified and removed 90,000 convicted sex offenders from its popular online social-networking site, according to one of the dozens of state attorneys general who pressured the site to improve its safety standards.

Richard Blumenthal, the attorney general of Connecticut who led the campaign to subpoena MySpace, told CNN Radio he felt the number was "appalling."

"These convicted, registered sex offenders clearly create profiles seeking to prey on children," Blumenthal remarked, adding, "This revelation is totally appalling and unacceptable, and this shocking revelation, resulting from our subpoena, also provides compelling proof that social networking sites remain ripe with sexual predators.".

In May 2007, MySpace said that it would provide the collection of state attorneys general with information on sex offenders who use the site.

"We have zero tolerance for sexual predators on MySpace," Hemanshu Nigam, chief security officer for the site, said back then, as he unveiled a tool known as Sentinel SAFE to track online sex offenders.

MySpace had initially said no to complying with the subpoena, noting federal privacy laws.