Social networking site MySpace.com, and online identity and background verification company Sentinel Tech Holding Corp., have announced a joint effort to build Sentinel Safe, a technology that will allow the company to block convicted sex offenders from accessing the website.

Through this partnership, MySpace hopes to search existing state and federal databases to identify and delete the profiles of registered sex offenders.

"We are committed to keeping sex offenders off MySpace," said MySpace's Chief Security Officer, Hemanshu Nigam. "Sentinel Safe will allow us to aggregate all publicly available sex offender databases into a real-time searchable form, making it easy to cross-reference and remove known registered sex offenders from the MySpace community. The creation of this first-of-its-kind real-time searchable database technology is a significant step to keep our members as safe as possible."

Sentinel will build the a real-time, searchable, sex offender database to contain detailed background information on the 550,000 registered sex offenders in the US from various federal and state law enforcement agencies. The database will then be frequently updated with new information and include identifiable details of the convicted sex offenders, such as name, age, physical descriptions including height, weight, eye and hair color, as well as distinguishing features such as scars and tattoos.

In an effort to disable convicted sex offenders from joining online communities, MySpace has been advocating and testifying in favor of federal legislation that would require convicted sex offenders to register all of their e-mail addresses in a national sex offender database. MySpace has asked Congress to introduce email registration legislation which would make it possible for MySpace and other like communities to block these individuals from registering on their respective sites. With such measures in place, any use of false or unregistered emails would constitute a violation of the offender's parole or probation and force them back to jail.

"Before today's announcement, no efficient method existed to identify convicted sex offenders online," said John Cardillo, CEO of Sentinel Tech Holding Corp. "By incorporating cutting edge technology, this real-time, searchable database gives MySpace and other such companies the ability to quickly identify registered sex offenders and immediately delete them from the community. Sentinel Safe is the single most comprehensive tool to keep sex offenders off social networking sites."

MySpace said that it will employ a 24-hour-a-day dedicated staff to proactively monitor for convicted sex offenders identified by Sentinel Safe and will remove any matching profiles from the community. The social networking site will also do its bit by continuing to work with The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and law enforcement to identify any suspect individuals and assist in investigations.

"Today's announcement is a strong step in the right direction, but a gap will still exist in our ability to keep sex offenders off social networking sites until there is legislation that forces sex offenders to use registered email addresses. We’re also asking lawmakers in countries where MySpace has established a local community to work with us in identifying similar legislative solutions", said Nigam.