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POSTED: MARCH 22, 2011
PRESS RELEASE
Sheriff Phil Redmond stated: On March 9, 2011 Information was received that a registered sex offender Robert Milton Babson Jr. was violating the North Carolina Sex Offender and Public Protection laws by accessing a commercial social networking Web site. North Carolina law prohibits any registered sex offender to access and use a social networking Web site, or to create or maintain a personal Web site on a commercial social networking Web site, where the sex offender knows that the site permits minor children to become members. Detective Sgt. Tim Edwards of the Special Victim's Unit investigated the allegation. It was discovered that Robert Babson, Jr 37, of 642 E. Broad St. Statesville had a personal Web site on Facebook and was actively accessing it.
After further investigation, Robert Babson Jr. was found in violation of North Carolina State Law. A warrant was issued for Babson and he was located at his residence and arrested for the violation on Saturday, March 19, 2011. He was placed under a $3,000.00 secure bond and was placed in the Iredell County Detention Center awaiting a first appearance on 3/21/11 in district court.
Although registered sex offenders can not access social networking Web sites such as MySpace , Facebook, or Flickr, they can be members of sites that are for adults only and do not allow persons under the age of 18 to become members. They can become members of any adult Web site, including dating sites, unless the Web site specifically prohibits registered sex offenders from joining. MySpace and Facebook have specific policies in their terms of service that prohibit convicted sex offenders from using the site. Other sites may not state this specifically, but it is still a violation of the law. [sic] This press release appears as received from the Iredell County Sheriff's Office with the exception of page/text/space formatting details (picture placement excluded). Separate reports contained within the same press release may have also been removed.
Robert Babson Jr.
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