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ABC's The Blotter reports that Florida law enforcement officials are working on possible criminal charges against former Congressman Mark Foley based on statutes regarding sexual predation over the Internet.
They are reportedly focusing on instant messages, in particular messages where instructions were given to a child, who then followed them. Said Maureen Horkan, the director of the Child Predator CyberCrime Unit in the Florida Attorney General's office: “If the child listens and complies and follows someone else's instruction, even though they are in totally separate places, that crime has been committed.”
The message referred to was one in which Foley asked a 17-year-old to measure the size of his equipment.
According to the Blotter, “Federal law enforcement officials say they have had difficulty bringing charges against Foley because they have not been able to prove actual sexual contact with a minor, as required under federal law. Washington, D.C. law defines the age of consent as 16.”
The Blotter says Foley has begun to “re-emerge publicly” in Palm Beach: “He was seen last week bicycling along South Ocean Boulevard wearing a helmet and bike racing outfit.”
