Pennsylvania is among 49 states that have reached an agreement with MySpace to to help prevent sexual predators and others from misusing the site.

A statement released by several attorneys general today said that the huge social networking Web site has agreed to add several protections and collaborate to develop new technologies, including a way to verify the ages of users. Other social networking sites will be invited to participate.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett said that the agreement is the result of nearly two years of discussions between MySpace and the attorneys general, who urged MySpace to make changes after sexual predators repeatedly used the site to victimize children. Last spring, the attorneys general pushed MySpace into removing 29,000 registered sex offenders from the site, the statement said.

"My office has seen the number of arrested predators using MySpace nearly double over the past year," Mr. Corbett said. "Today's agreement makes it harder for adults to sexually solicit children online."

MySpace, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., will also accept independent monitoring and changes to the structure of its site.

More details in tomorrow's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

First Published: January 14, 2008, 4:15 p.m.