Felon Stopped Before He Could Communicate With Online Dating Site's
Members; Lawmakers Support More Protection for Online Daters
DALLAS, March 29 /PRNewswire/ -- TRUE.com(R), the leading
scientifically based online relationship service, announced earlier today
that it filed a civil lawsuit in the United States District Court for the
Northern District of Texas against a convicted felon and registered sex
offender in Florida for misrepresenting his felony status when attempting
to access TRUE's members. This felon was prevented from communicating with
TRUE's members due to TRUE's proactive policy that requires background and
marriage screenings on all of its communicating members -- the only one of
its kind among major online dating sites. TRUE is the only online dating
company that has pursued civil prosecution of an individual for
misrepresenting himself online. TRUE's first lawsuit was filed in November
2005.
The new lawsuit charges that Edward Alvin Hodges, Jr. of Macclenny,
Florida, who was convicted in 1995 of lewd and lascivious assault on a
child under 16, violated federal and state laws when he falsely represented
that he was not a felon while attempting to access TRUE's membership
database. Hodges was also recently convicted of various drug trafficking
and firearms offenses. When registering for membership on TRUE, all users
must represent that they have not been convicted of a felony or a sexual
offense and that they are not married. Warnings posted on the Web site
clearly state that TRUE vigorously pursues individuals who misrepresent
themselves and reports violators to appropriate federal, state and local
authorities, including parole boards.
"No background screenings are 100 percent foolproof, but they do
provide a critical level of proactive protection that increases the safety
of our members," said TRUE founder and CEO Herb Vest. "In this case, this
very simple procedure that we require of everyone who applies for
membership prevented a potential online predator from communicating with
our members." Vest went on to say, "Our message is very clear -- if you are
a felon or are married -- stay away from TRUE."
In April 2006, TRUE discovered that Hodges had a prior felony
conviction when he attempted to subscribe and was immediately rejected by
the company's criminal background screening process. After investigating
the case, TRUE reported the incident to the Florida Department of Law
Enforcement Sexual Offender & Predator Unit. Hodges was later incarcerated
on other criminal charges.
The First Lawsuit
This most recent announcement comes on the heels of a separate case
filed by TRUE against another convicted felon and registered sex offender
who gained access to the TRUE Web site. In November 2005, TRUE took the
unprecedented step in the industry of filing a lawsuit against the
individual for misrepresenting his felony status and improperly accessing
TRUE's database.
The lawsuit resulted in an agreement in September 2006 that:
* Prevented the convicted felon from signing up, using or communicating
through any online dating or relationship service;
* Required him to immediately cancel all current memberships to online
dating and relationship sites;
* Committed the felon to complete a community service obligation; and
* Designated he pay monetary damages to TRUE (which were donated to the
Safer Online Dating Alliance).
According to the Department of Justice's Criminal Offender Statistics,
more than two-thirds (approximately 67.5 percent) of convicted criminals
released from prison are rearrested for a felony or serious crime. This
alarming statistic -- along with recent high-profile examples of criminals
using online dating sites to meet their victims -- underscores the
importance of TRUE's safety policies.
Lawmakers' Involvement
Recently state and federal lawmakers have become more involved in
protecting their citizens. In Florida for instance, legislation sponsored
by Rep. Kevin Ambler and Senator Jeremy Ring would further protect online
daters in the state. The Internet Predator Awareness HB 531 / Act SB 1224,
would not only provide safer dating tips to online daters in Florida, but
also require dating sites to clearly disclose whether they conduct
background screenings.
"Our goal is not to force all dating Web sites to conduct background
checks," said Representative Ambler. "We simply want to raise the awareness
of online daters in Florida about the protection they have when they look
for love online. It's clearly something that doesn't take a lot of work,
but could potentially save someone's life."
TRUE's Additional Safety Measures
Since its founding in 2003, TRUE has vigorously invested in the
technologies, training and processes to become the safer online dating
alternative for singles. In addition to the background and marriage
screenings, the company has developed a comprehensive member safety
program, led by former Dallas police chief William Rathburn, that further
protects members each day by identifying and removing scammers and other
fraudsters; reviewing e-mails, profiles and photos; and monitoring chat
room discussions. TRUE also employs a number of private investigators and
former policemen from major cities around the country who lend their
expertise in support of TRUE's prosecution efforts.
"If I can keep just one more person safe from the hands of a convicted
felon, then I have done something worthwhile for our members and our
industry," said Vest. "Imagine the effect it would have in protecting
online daters if other sites would follow our lead and join our
longstanding commitment by putting the safety of their members and their
families first."
About TRUE
TRUE is the leading scientifically based, online relationship service,
whose mission is to help singles find long-lasting and fulfilling
relationships. Founded on an advanced, scientifically based compatibility
test uniquely endorsed by Psychology Today and independently certified to
meet the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing, TRUE is the
only online relationship service that actively seeks to further protect the
safety of its communicating members by conducting criminal background
screenings and single- verification screenings. With the help of
proprietary research and in conjunction with national and international
advisors in the field of relationship and psychology, TRUE's team of
experts guides members step-by- step through all stages of the
relationship-building process. To find out more about how TRUE helps people
around the world Live.Love.Learn.(R) please visit http://www.true.com .
Press Contacts:
Benjamin Larkin
Vollmer Public Relations
972/488-4790
benjamin@vollmerpr.com
SOURCE TRUE
 back to top
Related links:
http://www.true.com
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/919610.html /
CONTACT:
Benjamin Larkin of Vollmer Public Relations,
+1-972-488-4790, or benjamin@vollmerpr.com , for TRUE
|
