AS A TEENAGER working at a Pennsylvania theme park Keith broke the law. For selling entry tickets on the side he was convicted of a third-degree misdemeanour. That record has dogged him since. Prospective employers shun him, he says. Keith has young children, and some schools block those with a record from being chap-erones on trips or coaching a sports team. Before the internet and digitised databases, Keith could have hoped that his infraction would be forgotten once fines were paid or time served. No longer. Firms like InstantCheckMate, Truthfinder or Sen-tryLink can dredge up records quickly. State files are easily searched online at no cost. Nine in ten employers, four in five landlords, as well as mortgage-lenders, universities and schools run such checks.
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