Internet Predators Get Caught

Very interesting article and it shows that we can win the game against the types of people. Please read and be smart...


AG Corbett Announces Arrest of Internet Predators from York County and West Virginia

HARRISBURG - Attorney General Tom Corbett has announced that agents from the Attorney General's Child Predator Unit have arrested a college student from Central Pennsylvania and a factory worker from West Virginia, both accused of using the Internet to send sexually explicit photos and webcam videos to what they believed were young girls. The "girls" were actually undercover agents from the Child Predator Unit.

Corbett identified the defendants as Michael Patrick Woodward, 21, 104 Beck Mill Road, Hanover, and Randall J. Myers Jr., 29, 505 Grant St., Newell, West Virginia.

"It is important for parents to discuss Internet safety with their children as part of their back-to-school preparations, now that many middle school and high school age children may be less supervised at home during after-school hours," Corbett said. "Online activity by Internet predators typically shifts to the late-afternoon and evening hours when children return to school, but predators are also now using cell phones and other portable devices to send text messages or instant messages to children any time of the day or night, from any location."

Corbett said that since January 2005, the Child Predator Unit has arrested 159 Internet predators from across Pennsylvania and several other states, including five arrests during the past week.

Corbett noted that predators are always drawn to locations that give them the greatest access to the largest number of potential victims, including Internet chat rooms; social networking websites like MySpace and Facebook; Internet message boards; video game sites; and even online classified ads on Craigslist.com. He added that Internet safety information for parents, children and teachers is available in the "Operation Safe Surf" section of the Attorney General's Web site and presentations are available free-of-charge to interested schools and community groups.

Michael Patrick Woodward

Corbett said that Woodward, using the screen names "galactic_wood" and "xman_woody," used an Internet chat room to approach an undercover agent from the Attorney General's Child Predator Unit who was using the online profile of a 14-year old girl.

According to the criminal complaint, Woodward sent the girl a nude webcam video of his exposed penis within minutes of his initial contact. Woodward also allegedly asked the girl if she had any other friends online who would be interested in viewing nude webcam videos, asking her, "you think they might want to see it," and, "is there any other friends I may show?"

Corbett said that over the next several weeks Woodward allegedly sent a total of 12 nude photos or webcam videos to three different undercover agents from the Child Predator Unit, all using the online profiles of young girls. In one case, Woodward allegedly asked a girl, "would you like to see how big my thing is," followed by the transmission of a video that compared the size of his penis to a drinking glass. After sending the video, Woodward allegedly instructed the girl to delete the file when she was finished viewing it.

Corbett said that Woodward was arrested at his home on Wednesday, August 27th, by agents from the Attorney General's Child Predator Unit, assisted by the Penn Township Police Department. Agents also executed a search warrant at Woodward's home, seizing two computers and digital storage devices which will be analyzed by the Attorney General's Computer Forensics Unit as part of an ongoing investigation.

Woodward is charged with twelve counts of unlawful contact with a minor (related to obscene or sexual performances) and one count of criminal use of a computer, all third-degree felonies which are each punishable by up to seven years in prison and $15,000 fines.

Woodward was held overnight at the York County Judicial Center and arraigned on criminal charges this morning. He was jailed in lieu of $75,000, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for Sept. 5th before Hanover Magisterial District Judge James S. Miner.

Corbett said that Woodward will be prosecuted in York County by Deputy Attorney General Michael A. Sprow of the Attorney General's Child Predator Unit.

Corbett thanked the Penn Township Police Department for their cooperation and assistance with this investigation.

Randall J. Myers Jr.

Corbett said that Myers, using the screen name "rawgangsta," used an Internet chat room to approach an undercover agent from the Child Predator Unit who was using the online profile of a 13-year old girl.
Corbett said that during their initial chat, Myers allegedly told the girl, "I got a girlfriend but I have a thing for younger girls," going on to ask her, "you have sex," and "you like older guys?" Myers also allegedly sent the girl a digital photo of his penis, asking her, "you let me put that inside you?"

According to the criminal complaint, Myers repeatedly discussed meeting the girl in the Pittsburgh area and graphically describing the sex acts he wished to engage in, telling her, "I would want to sex you if I seen you," and commenting, "let's just me and you run away to Taiwan or something where age doesn't matter."

Corbett said that Myers also allegedly instructed the girl to masturbate in order to "practice" for their meeting and asked the girl to send him nude pictures of herself - at one point offering to send her a webcam, "so I can see more of you."

According to the criminal complaint, Myers also made online contact with a second undercover agent from the Child Predator Unit. Myers allegedly sent the girl a nude photo of his penis and proposing that they meet for sex, commenting, "I like to look for girls and see how many I can sleep with."

Myers was arrested in East Liverpool, Ohio, on Wednesday, August 27th, as he was returning home from work. Myers waived extradition in Ohio and was returned to Pittsburgh for arraignment in Allegheny County Court. A preliminary hearing will be scheduled for a future date.

Deputies from the Hancock County Sherriff's Department executed a search warrant at Myers' home in West Virginia, assisting agents from the Child Predator Unit in the seizure of computers and digital storage devices. Those items were turned over to the Attorney General's Computer Forensics Unit for analysis as part of an ongoing investigation.

Myers is charged with seven counts of unlawful contact with a minor, first-degree felonies which are each punishable by up to 20 years in prison and $25,000 fines. Myers is also charged with two counts of criminal use of a computer, both third-degree felonies which are each punishable by up to seven years in prison and $15,000 fines.

Myers will be prosecuted in Allegheny County by Deputy Attorney General William Caye II of the Attorney General's Child Predator Unit.

Corbett thanked the Hancock County, West Virginia, Sheriff's Department and the East Liverpool, Ohio, Police Department for their cooperation and assistance with this investigation.

Internet Dangers

Corbett cautioned parents and children to be alert for adults who sexually proposition them, send them explicit photos or webcam videos or attempt to arrange meetings. Since the creation of the Child Predator Unit in January 2005, Corbett said that agents have arrested 159 Internet predators from Pennsylvania and several other states, including 44 arrests since the beginning of this year.

Corbett says the Attorney General's Office has been joined by the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the Pennsylvania Parent-Teacher Association, the Pennsylvania State Education Association, the Pennsylvania School Boards Association and the Pennsylvania Association of Elementary and Secondary School Principals to promote Internet safety education and to remind parents and teens across Pennsylvania to remain vigilant.

Corbett encouraged parents to discuss Internet safety with their children, including the danger of meeting strangers who approach them online. He also advised that parents ask their children to show them what they are doing online, setting ground rules for online communication to help use the Internet in a safe and responsible manner.

Suspected internet predators can be reported to the Attorney General's Office by calling the toll-free Child Predator Hotline, at 1-800-385-1044, or filing an online complaint.

Internet safety tips and other information for parents, children and teachers are available in the "Operation Safe Surf" and "Just for Kids" sections of the Attorney General's Web site.

"Operation Safe Surf" materials are provided free-of-charge to interested schools and community groups. Organizations interested in materials, speakers or presentations, contact the Attorney General's Education and Outreach Office at 1-800-525-7642 or via email at education@attorneygeneral.gov.

3 Internet providers agree to block child porn

Tuesday, June 10, 2008 12:52:47 PM

By MICHAEL GORMLEY

Internet providers Verizon, Sprint and Time Warner Cable have agreed to block access to child pornography and eliminate the material from their servers, New York's attorney general said Tuesday.

The companies also will pay $1.1 million to help fund efforts to remove the online child porn created and disseminated by users through their services, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said. The changes will affect customers nationwide.

Investigators said they found 88 newsgroups devoted to child pornography in an investigation over six to eight months. More than 11,000 images were collected using software that identifies child pornography by tracking patterns in the pixels of the images, Cuomo's office said.

Cuomo said the companies acted immediately when told of the concern. He said it was essential to work with the Internet providers rather than trying to prosecute thousands of users.

"There's no doubt this is a tough issue," Cuomo said at a news conference.

"People are very creative and there is a market for this filth," he said. "We have to work together."

The agreements follow an undercover investigation of child porn newsgroups. Cuomo said in a prepared statement that his investigation of other service providers is continuing. He has used similar probes and the possibility of civil or criminal charges to extract concessions on Internet safety in the past.

Time Warner Cable acted as soon as it learned that users were posting objectionable material and eliminated the newsgroups, a mainstay of the Internet from its early days, said spokesman Alex Dudley.

He emphasized that Time Warner didn't host or provide any of the content and was simply a portal, allowing groups to be created with content provided by the users.

"As soon as we were made aware of the issue ... we took steps to correct," Dudley said Tuesday.

Verizon acted immediately to shut down the sites, Verizon spokesman Eric Rabe said.

"There are people doing whatever they do on the Internet all the time and we can't possibly scan every use group," he said. "But there are some things we can do and as soon as it's brought to our attention, we work very quickly."

"The tension there is between allowing customers the ability to communicate with their privacy rights protected, and preventing people from doing things that are illegal," Rabe said.

Verizon and Time Warner Cable are two of the five largest internet service providers in the world. Verizon has 8.2 million subscribers and Time Warner Cable's Road Runner has 7.9 million. Sprint is one of the three largest wireless companies in the United States.

"We are doing our part to deter the accessibility of such harmful content through the internet and we are providing monetary resources that will go toward the identification and removal of online child pornography," said Sprint spokesman Matthew Sullivan. "We embrace this opportunity to build upon our own long-standing commitment to online child safety."

Copyright © 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

Copyright © 2006 Velocity Services, Inc. All rights reserved.

Cyberstalking: An Important Overview

Definition

Cyberstalking can be defined as threatening behavior or unwanted advances directed at another using the Internet and other forms of online and computer communications.

Overview

Cyberstalking is a relatively new phenomenon. With the decreasing expense and thereby increased availability of computers and online services, more individuals are purchasing computers and "logging onto" the Internet, making another form of communication vulnerable to abuse by stalkers.

Cyberstalkers target their victims through chat rooms, message boards, discussion forums, and e-mail. Cyberstalking takes many forms such as: threatening or obscene e-mail; spamming (in which a stalker sends a victim a multitude of junk e-mail); live chat harassment or flaming (online verbal abuse); leaving improper messages on message boards or in guest books; sending electronic viruses; sending unsolicited e-mail; tracing another person's computer and Internet activity, and electronic identity theft.

Similar to stalking off-line, online stalking can be a terrifying experience for victims, placing them at risk of psychological trauma, and possible physical harm. Many cyberstalking situations do evolve into off-line stalking, and a victim may experience abusive and excessive phone calls, vandalism, threatening or obscene mail, trespassing, and physical assault.

Cyberstalking and the Law

With personal information becoming readily available to an increasing number of people through the Internet and other advanced technology, state legislators are addressing the problem of stalkers who harass and threaten their victims over the World Wide Web. Stalking laws and other statutes criminalizing harassment behavior currently in effect in many states may already address this issue by making it a crime to communicate by any means with the intent to harass or alarm the victim.

States have begun to address the use of computer equipment for stalking purposes by including provisions prohibiting such activity in both harassment and anti-stalking legislation (Riveira, 1,2). A handful of states, such as Alabama, Arizona, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, New Hampshire and New York have specifically including prohibitions against harassing electronic, computer or e-mail communications in their harassment legislation. Alaska, Oklahoma, Wyoming, and more recently, California, have incorporated electronically communicated statements as conduct constituting stalking in their anti-stalking laws. A few states have both stalking and harassment statutes that criminalize threatening and unwanted electronic communications. Other states have laws other than harassment or anti-stalking statutes that prohibit misuse of computer communications and e-mail, while others have passed laws containing broad language that can be interpreted to include cyberstalking behaviors (Gregorie).

> Recent federal law has addressed cyberstalking as well. The Violence Against Women Act, passed in 2000, made cyberstalking a part of the federal interstate stalking statute. Other federal legislation that addresses cyberstalking has been introduced recently, but no such measures have yet been enacted. Consequently, there remains a lack of legislation at the federal level to specifically address cyberstalking, leaving the majority of legislative prohibitions against cyberstalking at the state level (Wiredpatrol.org).

If you are a Victim of Cyberstalking

• Victims who are under the age of 18 should tell their parents or another adult they trust about any harassments and/or threats.
• Experts suggest that in cases where the offender is known, victims should send the stalker a clear written warning. Specifically, victims should communicate that the contact is unwanted, and ask the perpetrator to cease sending communications of any kind. Victims should do this only once. Then, no matter the response, victims should under no circumstances ever communicate with the stalker again. Victims should save copies of this communication in both electronic and hard copy form.
• If the harassment continues, the victim may wish to file a complaint with the stalker's Internet service provider, as well as with their own service provider. Many Internet service providers offer tools that filter or block communications from specific individuals.
• As soon as individuals suspect they are victims of online harassment or cyberstalking, they should start collecting all evidence and document all contact made by the stalker. Save all e-mail, postings, or other communications in both electronic and hard-copy form. If possible, save all of the header information from e-mails and newsgroup postings. Record the dates and times of any contact with the stalker.
• Victims may also want to start a log of each communication explaining the situation in more detail. Victims may want to document how the harassment is affecting their lives and what steps they have taken to stop the harassment.
• Victims may want to file a report with local law enforcement or contact their local prosecutor's office to see what charges, if any, can be pursued. Victims should save copies of police reports and record all contact with law enforcement officials and the prosecutor's office.
• Victims who are being continually harassed may want to consider changing their e-mail address, Internet service provider, a home phone number, and should examine the possibility of using encryption software or privacy protection programs. Any local computer store can offer a variety of protective software, options and suggestions. Victims may also want to learn how to use the filtering capabilities of email programs to block e-mails from certain addresses.
• Furthermore, victims should contact online directory listings such as www.four11.com, www.switchboard.com, and www.whowhere.com to request removal from their directory.
• Finally, under no circumstances should victims agree to meet with the perpetrator face to face to "work it out," or "talk." No contact should ever be made with the stalker. Meeting a stalker in person can be very dangerous.

Potential Effects of Cyberstalking

Just because cyberstalking does not include physical contact with the perpetrator does not mean it is not as threatening or frightening as any other type of crime. Victims of cyberstalking often experience psychological trauma, as well as physical and emotional reactions as a result of their victimization. Some of these effects may include:

• changes in sleeping and eating patterns
• nightmares
• hypervigilance
• anxiety
• helplessness
• fear for safety
• shock and disbelief

Victims experiencing these reactions and many others might consider seeking out support from friends, family and victim service professionals in order to cope with the trauma resulting from cyberstalking. In order to locate local victim service professionals that may be able to offer assistance, safety suggestions, and information and referrals, please contact the Helpline of the National Center for Victims of Crime at 1-800-FYI-CALL, 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, Eastern Standard Time.

Read more about cyberstalking via the Stalking Resource Center.

Cyber Bullies and the Effect on Our Kids

Cyber Bulling has been a big problem and is becoming an expectable way kids use to express their feelings towards others. As a parent, it is important to understand and be able to determine the signs and effects of cyber bulling on our kids. Below are some key information about the topic:

This constant contact via technology also allows the school yard bully to continue to hound their victims 24 hours a day and invite others to pile on.

This pack mentality combined with the anonymity of the attacks puts a lot of stress on young victims that don’t know how to deal with the situation.

The statistics according to iSafe.org are pretty alarming:

• 42% of kids have been bullied while online. 1 in 4 have had it happen more than once.
  


• 35% of kids have been threatened online. Nearly 1 in 5 have had it happen more than once.



• 21% of kids have received mean or threatening e-mail or other messages.



• 58% of kids admit someone has said mean or hurtful things to them online. More than 4 out of 10 say it has happened more than once.



• 53% of kids admit having said something mean or hurtful to another person online. More than 1 in 3 have done it more than once.



• 58% have not told their parents or an adult about something mean or hurtful that happened to them online.
  

Parents that are completely out of the loop with their child’s technology usage can find it hard to detect when something of this nature may be occurring, but generally speaking, changes to the child’s behavior will accompany the attacks.

Not any of these signs on their own is an indicator, but combined they could warrant a discussion with your child:

• Unusually long hours on the computer



• Clearing the screen when you enter room



• Secretive Internet activity (won’t say who their chatting with)



• Getting behind in school work



• Lack of appetite, headaches or Stomachaches



• Trouble Sleeping



• Fear of leaving the house, especially to go to school



• Appears upset after Internet use.



• Hesitation to get online



• Cries for no apparent reason



• A marked change in attitude, dress or habits

Our schools and lawmakers are still trying to catch up with this new form of abuse, so how to report such activity will vary greatly based on your community.

There are many Web sites that can help if you think your child is a victim of cyber bullying, including stopcyberbullying.org, cyberbully411.com, ncpc.org/cyberbullying and iSafe.org.

It’s also vital to discuss with your “screenager” the importance of not participating in any online discussion that serves to demean or belittle others. What may seem like a harmless action only serves to amplify the problem for the victim and encourages the instigator to continue.

From a technology standpoint, if you feel the need you can install a program that will track all of the activity that occurs on your child’s computer, including what others are sending them via instant messaging.

Check out the various tracking software available from sites such as spectorsoft.com and spytech-web.com as the activity logs that they generate can come in handy if you need to report the problem to a school or law enforcement.

Defining Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying uses the new forms of digital communication technologies to harass others. A cyberbully is someone who uses technology to harass, embarrass, intimidate, or stalk someone else.

The methods used can include emails, instant messaging, text messages sent via cell phones, digital photos and all other means of electronic communications.

The cyberbully can send:

· angry and vulgar argumentative messages
· cruel, offensive, and insulting messages
· threats and false promises

The cyberbully can:

· post secrets or embarrassing information, including pictures, for everyone to see
· post gossip or rumors for the explicit purpose of damaging the person’s reputation
· send out messages pretending to be the victim in an attempt to damage that person’s friendships
· alienate the victim from online groups

For more information on cyberbullying and how to prevent and report it review the links below:

http://cyberbully.org/
www.ncpc.org/cyberbullying
http://www.securityorb.com/docs/cyberbully/

www.mcgruff.org/Advice/cyberbullies.php

Child Safety on the Internet

Child Safety on the Internet

The Internet has made it possible for people to communicate with anyone anywhere in the world. That is a scary thought when it comes to thinking about child safety on the Internet. On a daily basis, kids are on line communicating on chat rooms without adult supervision not really knowing the person on the end is who they claim to be.

In the real world, we tell kids not to talk to strangers; the same idea needs be enforced when it comes to using the Internet if not more so… The numbers of predators and the anonymity they are able to obtain make the matter just that much more dangerous.

Some of the difficulties parents are facing deals with education and technology. When it comes to technology, kids are usually ahead of their parents in the computing knowledge. Many of their activities such as chatting and online video conferences are easily hidden from the parents. Then you have the parents that do apply some form of security or privacy controls such as content filters for protect to only have them bypassed the kids.

It is a well-known fact that kids talk about way to bypass the controls put in place to protect them.

Of the most victimized group of Internet

Teenage girls are most often victimization of all the groups. Some of the techniques used by an online predators are to:

1. Use seduction techniques
2. Try to win their confidence
3. Go after problem kids
4. Go after kids with low self-esteem
5. Go after kid with very little friends

The Internet predator will play with their emotions so the child will think this person understands them and be more open to further a relationship.

To report any suspicious activities, one of the best resources I can recommend is:
“The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children” at www.missingkids.com.

They have law enforcement, state and federal agencies that can assist with these matters.

Some tips that should help in protecting our kids:

1. Tell them to never give any personal information of any kind, make a list of questions that should not divulge.

2. Educate yourself and monitor what your kids are doing.
3. Pay attention to their Internet usage, if they are spending more time on the Internet than eating, playing or talking to friends, then something may be going on.