Hastert Removes Cyberporn Press Release — But You Can Read It Here

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Over at TPM, Josh needled House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) for an Aug. 29 press release about Hastert’s efforts to “keep kids safe in cyberspace.” August 29, of course, is months after Hastert is said to have learned of Foley’s indiscretions.

Well, today Hastert’s office appears to have removed the press release. It had been prominent on his Web site’s front page until this morning.

For history’s sake, we’ve rescued a copy of the press release from an online database and posted it. Full text of the release below the jump.

Here’s the release:

August 29, 2006

REP. HASTERT DRIVES EFFORT TO ‘KEEP KIDS SAFE IN CYBERSPACE’

ST. CHARLES, Ill.

Rep. J. Dennis Hastert, R-Ill. (14th CD), issued the following press release:

Rep. J. Dennis Hastert brought national experts together with community leaders and parents on Tuesday for a 14th District Community Meeting to share information and insights on protecting children from Online predators.

Held at St. Charles North High School, “Keeping Kids Safe in Cyberspace,” included representatives of local police agencies and a panel of national Internet and law enforcement experts highlighting efforts to make the Internet safer for children. A private question-and-answer session followed, where parents addressed specific concerns and situations with police and web providers.

“Recent news stories remind us that there are predators using the Internet to target children,” Hastert said. “And just as we warn our children about ‘stranger danger’ when they are at the park or answering the door or telephone, we need to be aware of potential dangers in Cyberspace.”

Recent arrests in the Chicago area and throughout the nation have highlighted the danger of Internet predators. According to a recent Justice Department study, one in seven children using the Internet has been sexually solicited and one in three has been exposed to unwanted sexual material. One in 11 children have been harassed.

Hastert highlighted efforts underway in Congress to protect children on the Internet, including recent House passage of the “Deleting Online Predators” Act, which requires schools and libraries to limit access to social networking and pornographic websites, and calls on the Federal Trade Commission to launch a tips and information website for parents. Panelists representing MySpace.com, Comcast, Microsoft, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Naperville Police Department Internet Crimes Unit also addressed their organizational efforts to promote safety.

Hastert hosted the session in collaboration with: City of St. Charles School District; Communities in Schools of Aurora; DeKalb County Regional Office of Education; East Aurora School District #131; Kane County Regional Office of Education; Kendall County Regional Office of Education; Lee/Ogle Regional Office of Education; U-46 School District and West Aurora School District #129.

Contact: Brad Hahn, 630/XXX-XXXX.

Update: The original press release in this post was incorrect. Thanks to reader RF for the catch.

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