Don't fear the poker.
Governor Pat Quinn signed a law this week that bars convicted sex offenders from using social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.
Starting January 1, the only sites that these convicts can sign up for is the Illinois sex offender data base.
"Obviously, the Internet has been more and more a mechanism for predators to reach out," said Sen. Bill Brady, a sponsor of the measure. "The idea was, if the predator is supposed to be a registered sex offender, they should keep their Internet distance as well as their physical distance.
"The object is to protect innocent individuals on the Internet from sex offenders."
Quinn has taken a hard line on sex offenders. Last week he signed a law banning them from driving ice cream trucks. This week he signed another bill against "grooming," where a predator coaxes a youngster into sexual relations over time.
