A well-known dating site will start running background checks after a high profile case where a woman was raped by a man she met on the site who turned out to be a convicted sex offender. The case highlights the dangers of meeting people online. The woman who was the victim of the sexual assault has sued the dating site, asking a judge to forbid them from enrolling new members until the site implements a background check screening system.
Although there seems to be no data that measures the number of sexual predators that lurk on dating sites, the recent case illustrates the fact that users may end up arranging dates with dangerous people, just as they might do when meeting people in virtually any other setting.
You probably should know that anytime you meet someone anywhere you could be dealing with a dangerous person. Therefore, a certain amount of caution is always warranted. However, on a dating site where people are hoping to be matched up with other people with whom they may form a relationship, it would be nice if you didn’t have to worry about a new acquaintance turning violent against you.
For its part, the dating site says that it has avoided running checks on users because of fear that the inherent inaccuracies in the system could wrongfully bar some users from participation on the site. Additionally, the dating site has been concerned that the sex offender registry checks could make some users feel unduly secure.
As more cases come to light, more dating sites are beginning to require background checks of their users. Additionally, a member of the United States Congress is introducing legislation that will require dating sites to clearly state whether or not they require background checks of its users. Such a move may pressure even more site operators to do what they can to improve the safety of their online communities and hopefully make people like you more comfortable spending time there.
Although checking for sex offenders among site users may help keep some dangerous people away from dating sites, users should still exercise caution, realizing that an absence of a prior record may mean that some people just haven’t yet been caught. While enjoying the use of dating sites, be sure to follow the safety recommendations they provide.
For less than $10, online daters can request a thorough criminal background check from their potential date. Once the background check is complete, your potential date can share the background check with you.