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Facebook murder police under fire Facebook murder lessons to learn
(about 1 hour later)
Merseyside Police must respond to questions about the murder of Ashleigh Hall by sex offender Peter Chapman, Home Secretary Alan Johnson has said. Lessons must be learned from the "tragic" rape and murder of a 17-year-old girl, the Home Secretary has said.
Her family has asked how closely police monitored him before the killing. Alan Johnson said UK and US authorities were working on ways to flag up when a convicted sex offender goes online.
Chapman, 33, was jailed on Monday for a minimum of 35 years for the rape and murder of the 17-year-old, whom he contacted via networking site Facebook. It follows the sentencing of Peter Chapman, 33, on Monday, to a minimum of 35 years for the kidnap and killing of Ashleigh Hall in Sedgefield in October.
Mr Johnson said the government was also looking at ways to flag up when convicted sex offenders were online. The sex offender contacted her via Facebook. The Lib Dems have also called for better internet monitoring.
He told the BBC the UK was in discussions with US authorities to take the work of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (Ceop) further. Their home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said the Sex Offenders' Register should be upgraded to take account of the use of the internet.
"What our people in the child protection and online protection agency do is go online themselves to try and lure in these people. He said: "We do not even require the registration of IP and email addresses of sex offenders, which has now become typical in the United States.
"Whether we can get the technology to flag up when they're online is something we need to look at," he said. "This would allow police to monitor social networking activity."
Advertisement He also called for Facebook to fix the "glaring failure" on its website, to include the Child Exploitation and On-line Protection (Ceop) centre button, which allows users to understand risks and to report suspicious activity.
Online hope
Mr Johnson said the government was looking at ways to alert authorities when convicted sex offenders were online.
He said: "What our people in the child protection and online protection agency do is go online themselves to try and lure in these people.
"Whether we can get the technology to flag up when they're (sex offenders) online is something we need to look at."
CCTV of Chapman confessionCCTV of Chapman confession
He said lessons must be learned from Ashleigh's "tragic" murder in October last year, near Sedgefield, County Durham. Meanwhile the National Association of Probation Officers has cast doubt on whether the authorities have the resources to effectively monitor some 50,000 sexual or violent offenders.
And he said Merseyside Police must respond to questions about the monitoring of Chapman, a known sex offender. Assistant secretary Harry Fletcher said: "It is virtually impossible for the police to have all but a handful of these people under 24-hour surveillance.
"(Peter Chapman) is clearly dangerous; he uses Facebook to contact a victim so there's lessons there, he uses many aliases and he travels round the country.
"But unless we have literally thousands and thousands of more police officers involved in surveillance, then these things are going to continue to happen."
Monitoring questions
The home secretary has also called on Merseyside Police to respond to questions about the monitoring of Chapman, who was a known sex offender when he used an alias to befriend Ashleigh Hall online.
Issues have been raised over the monitoring of Chapman in the months before the killing, near Sedgefield, County Durham.
Merseyside Police have confirmed there was a nine-month gap between officers realising Chapman had fled his home there and the force issuing a nationwide wanted notice for him in September 2009, one month before the murder.Merseyside Police have confirmed there was a nine-month gap between officers realising Chapman had fled his home there and the force issuing a nationwide wanted notice for him in September 2009, one month before the murder.
He had been known as a convicted sex offender in the Merseyside area since 2000.He had been known as a convicted sex offender in the Merseyside area since 2000.
In 1996, he was jailed for seven years for raping two prostitutes at knifepoint and he had been the subject of several sexual assault investigations since the age of 15.In 1996, he was jailed for seven years for raping two prostitutes at knifepoint and he had been the subject of several sexual assault investigations since the age of 15.
A Merseyside Police spokesman said he did not know why the force did not go national earlier than September last year.A Merseyside Police spokesman said he did not know why the force did not go national earlier than September last year.
'Tag them''Tag them'
Ashleigh's mother, Andrea Hall, has called for offenders like Chapman to be tagged if and when they are released.Ashleigh's mother, Andrea Hall, has called for offenders like Chapman to be tagged if and when they are released.
But Chris Huhne, the Liberal Democrats' home affairs spokesman, said tagging all sex offenders was not realistic. But Mr Huhne said tagging all sex offenders was not realistic.
Tragic Ashleigh was 'best friend' Rape past of Ashleigh's murdererTragic Ashleigh was 'best friend' Rape past of Ashleigh's murderer
"Given the numbers of people involved, and in many cases the length of time that has elapsed since the last time they offended, having a complete tagging arrangement for everybody would be extremely costly. Facebook has said it is "deeply saddened by the tragic death of Ashleigh Hall".
"There are much more effective ways of updating for the internet age."
He also called on Facebook to fix the "glaring failure" on its website, to include the Ceop button, which allows users to understand risks and to report suspicious activity.
The social networking site has said it is "deeply saddened by the tragic death of Ashleigh Hall".
It urged internet users to employ caution when contacted by people they do not know "as there are unscrupulous people in the world with malevolent agendas".It urged internet users to employ caution when contacted by people they do not know "as there are unscrupulous people in the world with malevolent agendas".
Ashleigh's college friends have also produced a list, known as Ashleigh's Rules, of guidelines on internet safety.Ashleigh's college friends have also produced a list, known as Ashleigh's Rules, of guidelines on internet safety.
Ashleigh was raped, suffocated and dumped in a field near Sedgefield after agreeing to meet Chapman in October last year. Ashleigh was raped, suffocated and her body dumped in a field near Sedgefield after agreeing to meet Chapman in October last year.
Earlier that month, she was attracted by a picture of a young, bare-chested man that Chapman - calling himself Peter Cartwright - had posted on Facebook.Earlier that month, she was attracted by a picture of a young, bare-chested man that Chapman - calling himself Peter Cartwright - had posted on Facebook.
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Mother's agony over Ashleigh murderMother's agony over Ashleigh murder
Later, she told her mother she was going to stay with a friend. Text messages showed she thought she was being picked up by "Peter Cartwright's" father - a ruse Chapman invented to persuade her to get into his car.Later, she told her mother she was going to stay with a friend. Text messages showed she thought she was being picked up by "Peter Cartwright's" father - a ruse Chapman invented to persuade her to get into his car.
Chapman picked her up near her home, and then drove her to Thorpe Larches, near Sedgefield, where he attacked her.Chapman picked her up near her home, and then drove her to Thorpe Larches, near Sedgefield, where he attacked her.
The court heard how he raped her and bound her arms and face with tape, suffocating her to death.The court heard how he raped her and bound her arms and face with tape, suffocating her to death.
Her body was dumped in a gully up against a fence by Old Stockton Road.Her body was dumped in a gully up against a fence by Old Stockton Road.
Chapman was arrested the following day after a nationwide alert was issued to trace the car he had been using.Chapman was arrested the following day after a nationwide alert was issued to trace the car he had been using.
He initially made no mention of Ashleigh, but later told a custody officer he had killed someone and led police to the spot where her body was found, almost 24 hours after she left her family home.He initially made no mention of Ashleigh, but later told a custody officer he had killed someone and led police to the spot where her body was found, almost 24 hours after she left her family home.