The Associated Press

LAWRENCE, Kan. — About 300 registered sex offenders in Kansas have been using the MySpace Web site, according to the state attorney general’s office.

Last month, MySpace, under pressure from state attorneys general, announced it would turn over identifying information of thousands of sex offenders nationwide who had opened accounts with the service.

Kansas recently received its lists, which contain approximately 300 names, officials said. These are only offenders who used their real name to register with MySpace, said Ashley Anstaett, spokeswoman for Attorney General Paul Morrison.

“We’re thoroughly investigating these names and will punish any offender using these sites in violation of their probation or parole,” Morrison said.

There are concerns that other offenders are registering under an alias. The office would provide no further details, saying it was investigating the information received from MySpace.

A bill approved earlier this year requires sex offenders to register with the state more often and provide more identifying information, such as e-mail addresses and online user names.

But the anonymity of the Internet makes it nearly impossible to verify the identity of everyone online, Morrison said.

He said sex offenders are using social networking Web sites more often and urged parents to monitor their children’s computer activities and talk about potential threats with their children.

There is a MySpace page that appears to belong to Edwin R. Hall, the man accused of kidnapping 18-year-old Kelsey Smith from an Overland Park Target store parking lot and killing her. Hall is not a registered sex offender.

The user only goes by the name Jack, which Hall was known by to neighbors. He was charged Thursday with premeditated first-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping.

The picture posted on the MySpace page strongly resembles the 26-year-old. The person also uses the same age and location as Hall, and a person with the same name as his wife, Aletha, has a page linked to his.

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Information from: Lawrence Journal-World, http://www.ljworld.com