A California woman is suing Match.com, saying she was sexually assaulted by a man she met on the dating site. Attorney Mark L. Webb filed a civil lawsuit in the Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday on behalf of Carole Markin, an entertainment executive who claims she was attacked in her home by a man she met online who, it turns out, is a documented sex offender. Although their first date went well and she felt safe with him, it was on the second date that she was attacked. The lawsuit demands that Match.com screen its members for sexual predators and asks for a temporary injunction barring the site from signing up more members. Match.com declined to join us live but issued a statement saying that screening for sexual predators is hardly a guarantee that all members are safe and could actually lead to a false sense of security. But they are moving forward with a plan to do so now because a “combination of improved technology and an improved database now enables a significant degree of accuracy.” But since the man was only convicted of misdemeanors he would not have shown up in this kind of screening. So how else can candidates on a paid dating service be better vetted? What are the steps one should take to avoid dangerous situations when meeting someone from an online site?
Guest:
Carole Markin, plaintiff in the Match.com suit