U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales

SEX OFFENDER INFORMATION AT YOUR FINGER TIPS

US authorities said all 50 states have joined a national web site that lists addresses and other details of convicted sex offenders.

The states of South Dakota and Oregon were added last week to the registry, which “provides real-time access to public sex offender data nationwide with a single Internet search,” the Department of Justice said in a statement.

The online database includes more than 500,000 convicted sex offenders who are required to register their address with local authorities.

The government-sponsored site “allows parents and concerned citizens to search existing public state and territory sex offender registries beyond their own states,” the Justice Department said.

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said the completion of the National Sex Offender Public Registry was “good news” for parents and police. “The constant effort to safeguard our children from sex offenders is never finished, but today’s announcement marks a clear accomplishment on the side of protection,” Gonzales said in a statement.

The site includes physical descriptions of registered sex offenders, lists the crimes they have committed, the type of car they drive and their home address.

Some civil liberties groups have expressed concerns the web site could spark vigilante attacks and have called for users to register when gaining access to the data base.

Oregon launched its site last Thursday and the registry received some 250,000 hits by 4 pm, according to local media.