RICHMOND -- Attorney General Bob McDonnell wants state lawmakers to approve harsher criminal penalties for offenders who solicit children over the Internet and for those who produce and finance child pornography.

New mandatory minimum sentences for certain computer crimes are among the recommendations made by McDonnell's Youth Internet Safety Task Force, which released its final report on Wednesday. The panel also called for measures to help authorities investigate online crimes and for a statewide media campaign to expand awareness about the Internet's dangers.

"This is a major step forward toward keeping our young people in Virginia safe," McDonnell said at a press conference to outline the task force's report and related legislation for theupcoming General Assembly session.

McDonnell announced one of the panel's key proposals last week, saying he will seek legislation requiring sex offenders to register their online identities with the state police. The attorney general acknowledged that the registration requirement is not foolproof, but said it represents "one more step we can take to keep known sex offenders offline."

McDonnell said new mandatory sentences will target "the worst of the worst" -- people who knowingly solicit children online and who provide and profit from child pornography. McDonnell said such emerging crimes are not adequately covered by existing sentencing guidelines "because they're so new."

The task force proposed a mandatory minimum prison sentence of five years and a maximum of 30 years for using a computer to solicit sex from a child younger than 15. It also recommended amending the online solicitation law to protect children between 15 and 18, an age group not covered by the existing statute.

A minimum sentence of 15 years would apply to offenders guilty of producing or financing child pornography involving children younger than 15.

The task force recommended applying the tougher sentences to offenders who are least five years older than their victims, to avoid ensnaring teenagers who engage in such activities.

The General Assembly earlier this year passed legislation making it illegal to use an Internet site to facilitate payments for pornography involving subjects younger than 18. Del. Robert Hurt, R-Chatham, sponsored the bill in the House of Delegates and will carry some of McDonnell's legislation in the upcoming session.

"This is something I think is a real problem in Virginia and we're really focusing in on how to fix the problem," said Hurt, who also served on the panel.

The task force also called for measures that would make it easier for Virginia authorities to obtain information from out-of-state Internet service providers in investigating computer crimes against children, and allow state courts to issue subpoenas to out-of-state providers.

Approving new criminal penalties and law enforcement tools will occupy lawmakers, but those proposals took a back seat to the panel's top recommendation: expanding awareness of the Internet's dark side.

The task force called for a statewide public relations effort to educate parents and children. The General Assembly earlier this year passed legislation requiring Internet safety education in public schools. The task force proposed extending that effort to private companies, faith-based organizations and state agencies.

McDonnell on Wednesday accepted a $100,000 check from America Online to help fund a statewide media campaign to further the education effort.

McDonnell said the Internet has become "a new frontier" for criminals that requires new warnings for families.

"The big challenge is, how do we take those good old warnings we heard as kids into the cyber age?" McDonnell asked.