Pandora's Blog

Facebook’s new Timeline format will become mandatory for all users very soon. Pandora Corp. is urging parents to use the format switch as a starting point for discussion and review of their child’s Facebook page…

Las Vegas, NV (PRWEB) February 27, 2012 — Any day now, Facebook’s new Timeline format will be mandatory for all users. Available as an option for users since December last year, the new format will become the standard layout for all Facebook profiles. Pandora Corp., maker of PC Pandora computer monitoring software, is urging parents to use this switch to their advantage.

“This would be a great time to sit down with your child and look at the new format with them,” says Pandora Corp. co-founder James Leasure. “The new timeline is more or less the story of your life, but parents should be involved on how much of their child’s life is being presented.”

According to a report from Digital Life, Timeline presents summaries of the important events of your life. Starting with a huge, new cover photo across the top of a user’s profile, Timeline gives members the chance to chronicle their life, starting with the day they were born. Facebook is encouraging its users to go back and fill in important stories, dates, friendships, events and anything else a user feels “is the best representation of your life.”

“This is a cool idea for the consciously cautious adult, but it can be a very bad idea for kids who don’t think twice before sharing every detail of their life,” says Leasure. “That is where parents need to come in and remind their kids what type of information is okay to share and what should never be revealed. And because Timeline now keeps every post visible indefinitely, parents should also remind their child the types of unfavorable thoughts and mean-spirited posts they may want to keep to themselves.”

Once Timeline becomes permanent for all, there will be a seven-day period in which users can preview their content in the new layout and hide or delete old posts and embarrassing photos.

“Another thing parents should do, in addition to looking at the new profile layout, is review privacy settings with their child,” says Leasure. “Though no settings will be changed in the layout switch, it is always a good idea to review them again, especially since your child’s posts will now be visible forever.”

Many technology journalists and industry experts, including USA Today, have warned users to avoid scams claiming to bypass and disable the Timeline format for those who do not like it. To add, Leasure reminds parents that even though they have reviewed the new layout and privacy settings with their child, parental involvement and monitoring does not end there.

“It is so vitally important for parents to constantly monitor their child’s Facebook activity, especially with the new Timeline,” Leasure states. “Facebook is encouraging users to share even more of their life story with the world. That’s fine for adults, but when it comes to underage users, parents must be aware of just how much their child is revealing to the world… and who in the world is soaking in the details.”

For more information on how you can keep your kids safe online and monitor their Facebook activity, visit PC Pandora online at http://pcpandora.com and “like” the PC Pandora Facebook page.

About PC Pandora: Pandora Corporation was formed with one goal – to help our customers monitor, control and protect their families and themselves online. First released in mid 2005, PC Pandora is continually being upgraded to industry-leading specifications and has received accolades from users, reviewers and even school districts and law enforcement agencies, who use the program to help in the day-to-day supervision of the children and citizens they are charged with protecting. The company website aims to help parents by providing them 18 Tips to Safe Surfing and Pandora’s Blog, where current news in the world of online safety is discussed regularly. Over the past few years, PC Pandora has vaulted into a leadership position by boasting a combination of features that are unparalleled in the monitoring industry. In 2010, Version 6.0 was released, again widening the spectrum of coverage and protection offered by the program. Concurrently released with 6.0, the web-based PC Pandora LIVE! service affords parents the ability to keep their kids safe from anywhere at anytime. PC Pandora is also now available through the Pandora Corp. store at Amazon.com and engaging fans on the PC Pandora Facebook page.

I was out all day but did NOT want to miss this whopper of a round-up! Here are 33 more reasons you need to use PC Pandora computer monitoring software to know who your kids are talking to on the Internet…

19 year-old man met 14-year-old girl on Myspace and brought her to his house where he raped her. Then went and picked up a few friends and another dropped by so they could all assault her.

May 12, 2012
Fourth man pleads guilty to video-recorded rape of teen
Sun-Times Media Wire

The last of four men accused of the video-recorded gang rape of a 14-year-old girl who met one of her attackers on MySpace pleaded guilty Friday and was sentenced to five years in prison.

Vicente Hernandez, 23, pleaded guilty Friday to two counts of criminal sexual abuse and was sentenced to five years in prison, Cook County State’s Attorney’s office spokesman Andy Conklin said. Read more ›

A professional wrestler in his 30’s was found guilty off assaulting a 12-year-old girl he met on Myspace in 2009.

May 15, 2012
Wrestler guilty of assaulting 12 year old
By Doug Irving, The Orange County Register

An amateur wrestler best known for his chipped teeth and his ragged backstory was convicted this week of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl he met online.

Matthew Castaneda, 35, faces a maximum sentence of 24 years to life in prison. Prosecutors say he assaulted the girl at an Anaheim motel after trading messages with her on MySpace and arranging a meeting near South Coast Plaza. Read more ›

And now the BIG ONE! Another huge sting op in Florida nets 31 Internet predators! This first story has the names, details and a giant mugshot print of them all!!

May 14, 2012
Sarasota online sex sting nets 31 arrests
By TBO.com

An Internet sting operation targeting sexual predators netted 31 arrests in Sarasota County, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

Those arrested in “Operation Intercept” responded to Internet-based ads and agreed during chats to come to Sarasota County to have sex with children, according to the sheriff’s office. Detectives were waiting for them.

The men ranged in age from 20 to 62. One is a lieutenant commander with the U.S. Coast Guard Judge Advocate General Corps.

“Predators establish contact with kids through chat rooms, instant messaging and discussion boards,” said Sheriff Tom Knight in the news release. “The anonymity of the Internet allows these criminals to seem like caring individuals, but they’re only looking for vulnerable victims. Parents, you have to be your child’s protector and monitor what they are doing online.” Read more ›

Here is some of the raw video – you HAVE to watch this!

I am sick over this…again. Not sure why I am just hearing of it now; it happened at the end of April.

Though most of the bullying appears to have been in person, there were texts and electronic communications involved. The question lingering is: will anyone ever be held accountable?

May 8, 2012
Rachel Ehmke, 13-Year-Old Minnesota Student, Commits Suicide After Months Of Bullying

Rachel Ehmke, a 13-year-old seventh grader in Mantorville, Minn., died April 29 after hanging herself at her home. The months leading up to the tragedy were a whirlwind of peer abuse instances, her parents say.

Now following Rachel’s Friday funeral that was met with widespread community condolences, Rick and Mary Ehmke are speaking out against the bullying they say their daughter endured at Kasson/Mantorville Middle School and online.

A very big thanks to reporter Nina Harrelson who worked with us on a piece about discovering if your child is the cyberbully. I was honored to give some sound bites via Skype, and our PC Pandora was featured prominently in this story from Friday! Check it out!

Most parents don’t want their kids looking at pornography but let’s face the truth – if you have a boy, he is most definitely watching pornography (some might even say they would be afraid if he wasn’t). If it is something you don’t approve of, you need to talk to him about it and take steps to prevent him from looking at it. PC Pandora computer monitoring software is a fantastic tool to aid parents in the fight against online pornography.

Just check out these stats if you don’t think your kids are watching porn online: “90% of 8-16 year olds have viewed porn online, most while doing homework, and the average age of their first online exposure to pornography is 11. According to ABC’s Nightline, research from the University of New Hampshire indicated that some American children were viewing online pornography from age 8.”

May 9, 2012
Children And Online Porn – Some Alarming Statistics
CRC Health Group

More and more young people, some very young, are being exposed to online pornography. Some are deliberately seeking out inappropriate online content, while most others stumble across it accidentally while surfing the internet.

90% of 8-16 year olds have viewed porn online, most while doing homework, and the average age of their first online exposure to pornography is 11. According to ABC’s Nightline, research from the University of New Hampshire indicated that some American children were viewing online pornography from age 8.

More than two-thirds of both boys and girls under the age of 18 who viewed porn described feeling shock or surprise, and half of boys and about a third of girls admitted they felt guilt or shame after what they had seen online. Read more ›

Here are 2 more reasons to use PC Pandora computer monitoring software to know who your kids are talking to online and who is trying to talk to them…

A 64-year-old Internet predator caught in a sting op when he thought he was meeting a 13-year-old girl for sex was convicted in February, but just sentenced last week: he got 10 years in prison.

May 5, 2012
Wesley Chapel man heading to federal prison

TAMPA – A Wesley Chapel man was sentenced to 10 years in Federal Prison on Friday on computer-related sex charges.

John Joseph Steele, 64, was convicted of the charges in February.

According to a United States Attorney’s Office press release the suspect used a computer a cell phone to arrange a meeting with what he thought was a 13-year-old girl. Steele was arrested last June after he drove over 80 miles to meet the ‘girl.’ Read more ›

Now this story is very important so please read it carefully: In Kentucky, a 14-year-old girl went missing when she went off to meet “a guy from Florida” that she met on Facebook. He was 27 and kidnapped the girl for 3 days. The report does mention that she was not beaten or abused, but the man is being charged with rape (among other things). This could only mean that the meeting itself was obviously consensual – and I am guessing the sex was (at least at first). This is such a huge example of why parents need to be KNOW (not guess or assume they know) who their kids are talking to online. Though it doesn’t happen to everyone – it does happen. And would you rather be safe – or sorry, like this family, who lost their daughter for 3 whole days!!! Let me be clear: your children have ZERO RIGHT to privacy in your house, on the computer you give them and through the Internet connection you supply them with. They must earn it along the way after they can show they are not letting their guard down. PC Pandora computer monitoring software will let you know who they are talking to and if they are communicating with strangers… it will also let you know if someone is trying to contact your kids are they just aren’t telling you – something you absolutely must know about. Don’t make this a spying issue – make this a 21st century parenting issue. You are either prepared and informed and can keep your kids safe – or you are just playing a guessing game…

May 7, 2012
Father of missing teen: homecoming was “just great”
Reporter, Lauren Adams WPSD

GRAVES COUNTY, Ky. – Sitting on the front porch of his Mayfield home, it is hard to miss the smile Greg wears from ear to ear.

“Blessed, lucky, just happy,” he said.

The father has no trouble describing his feelings on Monday. What is a little tougher is going back a few days. His daughter never got on the school bus, never came home last Tuesday.

The 14-year-old disappeared after school last Tuesday. She told friends she was meeting up with someone she had communicated with on Facebook, someone she described only as ‘a guy from Florida.” Read more ›

If you or one of your kids are one of the 13 million not protecting your privacy on Facebook – bad stuff can happen! How does this involve PC Pandora? Because monitoring software will let you know what your kids don’t want you to know about what they share/do on Facebook.

May 4, 2012
13 million Facebook users in the U.S. aren’t protecting their privacy, study warns
Personal data exposed to ‘criminals, to governments, to insurance companies and God knows who,’ expert warns
By Meghan Neal, New York Daily News

About 13 million Facebook users in the U.S. either ignore, don’t know how to use, or aren’t aware of Facebook’s privacy settings, a new Consumer Reports study found.

That means nearly 1 in 10 on the social networking site risk sharing information intended for a small group of friends with advertisers, app developers, data-mining firms – and possibly tens of thousands of people outside their network, according to the magazine’s State of the Net report.

The study raised concerns about what people are sharing – often highly personal information – and who they’re sharing it with. Read more ›

Title says it all here, folks. Happy Friday… and remember, you can know what your kids are saying on Facebook with PC Pandora computer monitoring software… so you don’t get blindsided when a scuffle online turns into a physical altercation in the hallway.

May 2, 2012
Facebook turned teen girls’ rivalry into school brawl
By Mary Mitchell, Florida Sun-Times

Teenage girls have always gotten into squabbles over teenage boys.

But today, the explosive mixture of hormones and immaturity is being supplanted by nasty exchanges on Facebook and Twitter.

All it takes is a provocative “status” or an in-your-face “tweet” and it’s on.

This dynamic seems to be behind an ongoing conflict involving groups of sophomores and junior females at the Chicago Academy of Advance Technology (CAT) on the near West Side. Read more ›

A 13-year-old girl in Virginia has told her story to a local TV station. Her classmates used Facebook as a weapon to cyberbully her. WATCH the video and know that only you can prevent cyberbullying (by using PC Pandora computer monitoring software to expose the bullies in your home). The things young teens do to each other are always disgusting, but the Internet allows a whole new level of abhorrent behavior. Where are the parents who aren’t doing their job by letting their kids treat a classmate this way? Sad.

May 1, 2012
Craig County teen bullied over Facebook
By Jay Warren, WSLS

CRAIG COUNTY, VA — For millions, Facebook is a way to stay connected with friends, network, post pictures, and tell people what’s going on with you. In short, for most it’s a fun part of life.. But, not for everyone.

“I just started crying and crying,” said 13 year old Hannah Evans.

This is what caused those tears. A Facebook page called “People Who Dislike Hannah Evans.” Hannah is a bright teenager who is in the 7th grade at Craig County High School. The page left her rattled.

“The main feeling was why do people hate me so much? What did I do to deserve this? Why me?” Hannah told us.

“She was almost hysterical,” Hannah’s mother, Teresa Evans, said.

Evans says the site was created by some of her daughter’s classmates, and was filled with hateful comments all aimed at Hannah. In fact, it was eventually renamed “People Who Hate Hannah Evans.” Read more ›

Seriously?! WHAT is wrong with these people? How can you bully a child?? 38-year-old mother Crystal Smith from Missouri is accused of cyberbullying and threatening to kill an African American 14-year-old girl! Click the link to watch the video!

May 1, 2012
Springfield mother charged with harassment, accused of cyberbullying a 14-year-old on Facebook
Officers say Crystal L. Smith threatened to kill a teenager and her family
By Emily Rittman, KSPR

Springfield police say a mother threatened to kill a 14-year-old girl on Facebook using racial slurs. Officers say the woman’s son had a child with the young girl. The teenager who is referred to only by her initials in court documents told officers she posted that Crystal Smith’s son did not call or visit their child on Christmas. After that post, police say Smith sent a lengthy, threatening message to the 14-year-old.

When the 14-year-old girl received the threat, she called police. Her mother asked officers for extra patrol because they feared the threats would become reality. Police say Smith, 38, told the teen she would “take her whole family to heaven.” She wrote that the girl should “start picking out caskets” and “get headstones.” Read more ›

As a reminder, PC Pandora monitoring software can help end cyberbullying… but then again, you have to be a right-minded parent that wants to end cyberbullying, and who is not the actual cyberbully!!

20-year-old man in Oklahoma thought he was soliciting a 13-year-old girl for sex. It was a cop! Know who is trying to talk to your kids with PC Pandora computer monitoring software!

April 30, 2012
Man nabbed for internet solicitation
By JOSH NEWTON, The Tahlequah Daily Press

TAHLEQUAH — A Cherokee County man is behind bars after allegedly arranging a sexual encounter with what he thought was a 13-year-old girl.

As it turns out, Stephen Joe Nelson, 20, of Keys, had been communicating for several weeks with a Tahlequah police detective. Amid hundreds of Facebook and text messages, Nelson allegedly said he wanted to have an overnight stay with the so-called “girl,” and agreed to a meeting Friday morning. Read more ›

This great article looks at the differences between “trolling” on the internet (aka just being a jerk to others) and actual harassment and stalking (cyberbullying). It takes a look at H.B. 2549 from Arizona and complications that arise when you try to legislate speech online.

PLEASE READ IT!

April 19, 2012
Trolling, Cyberbullying and the First Amendment
By Brad Nehring, socialmediachimps.com

By most definitions, ‘trolls’ are different from ‘cyberbullies’.

A troll has come to mean anyone who anonymously leaves crude, derisive or sarcastic commentary within an online public forum. ‘Trolling’ is universally frowned upon, but for the most part, the practice is legally protected under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Unlike trolling, which typically targets a mass audience, cyberbullying involves the repeated harassment of and/or threats toward a single individual via electronic social media. The practice is illegal in 14 states, and six more states have proposed making it a criminal act, according to the Cyberbullying Research Center.

Despite clear differences, there is enough gray area between these two terms to occasionally cause confusion among the general public. Read more ›

I am floored by this editorial and posted a huge chunk of it here with the hopes that you will all click the link and read the rest of the article. I swear I could not have written this better myself. In fact, it sounds SO much like something I would or may have written that I had to double-check that someone hadn’t copied my work (they didn’t, directly). I am so thrilled that a newspaper would stand up and take this position. CHEERS to the Winnipeg Free Press for this one! PC Pandora computer monitoring software will let you know what you need to know (which is: exactly what your kids are doing on the Internet).

April 30, 2012
It’s called parenting, not snooping
From The Kamloops Daily News, Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition

The Canadian Press has reported that more than half of Canadian parents admit that they have snooped — even cyberstalked — on their kids’ Facebook page.

The 11-country survey, which was done for a study on online safety, found the overall average of snooper parents was 44 per cent, lower than in Canada.

The majority of those who spied on their kids were moms, though dads weren’t far behind.

It turns out that Spanish parents were the most strict in this area — 61 per cent of them admitting secretly monitoring their children’s Facebook page.

American parents also spy on their teens’ web activities more than Canadians.

But one must question whether “snooping” or “spying” or “cyberstalking” are the right words.

Perhaps we should call it parenting. (And forgive us for using “parent” as a verb, which it isn’t yet.)

In fact, more Canadian parents should be diligent about keeping up with their kids’ and teens’ web activities all the time.

And while they are probably wise to keep their monitoring under wraps around the kids — no point in letting that cat out of the bag prematurely — they should feel no shame about keeping a sharp eye on their children’s activities. Read more ›

Here are a few more very interesting stories of how Facebook can get you in trouble if you are not careful. PC Pandora computer monitoring software will let you know what your kids are doing on Facebook…

Three students were expelled from a school in Indiana after talking about killing their classmates. The new zero-tolerance motive battles the right to free speech.

April 26, 2012
ACLU files suit on behalf of students expelled for Facebook comments
Middle school girls claim they were joking, but school says it was harassment
By Nina Mandell, New York Daily News

A group of middle school girls kicked out after threatening to kill their classmates on Facebook are taking their school to court, with the help of the ACLU.

The civil liberties organization is suing on behalf of the eighth graders who were booted from Griffith Middle School, claiming the comments were “clearly meant to be humorous”.

The ACLU filed the case against the school district this week, more than four months after the students were suspended. Read more ›

The Marine who was less-than-kind to Obama on Facebook will be discharged. This case was NEVER about free speech; it was about military protocol. Before you jump to a side, ask yourself two questions: what would have happened if he said what he said about a General or any other slightly-lower-than-the-prez-but-still-pretty-high ranking official? And can you think of ANY other president that someone in the military would have had the balls to do this to? No one did it to Bush.

April 26, 2012
Marines discharge sergeant for Facebook posts
Elliot Spagat, Associated Press

A sergeant will be discharged for criticizing President Barack Obama on Facebook in a case that called into question the Pentagon’s policies about social media and its limits on the speech of active duty military personnel, the Marine Corps said Wednesday.

Sgt. Gary Stein will get an other-than-honorable discharge and lose most of his benefits for violating the policies, the Corps said.

The San Diego-area Marine who has served nine years in the Corps said he was disappointed by the decision. He argued that he was exercising his constitutional rights to free speech. Read more ›

Facebook FAILed here.

April 26, 2012
Facebook Shuts Down Mom Who Posts Photos of Her Son at Special Olympics
By Mitch Lipka, TIME

Facebook can be maddening. After a Thomasville, N.C., mom posted pictures of her 7-year-old son at a Special Olympics event — he has Down Syndrome — the social networking giant locked her account, apparently thinking that the posts were promoting hate.

The message from Facebook: “Never upload any photos that contain hate speech, support for violent organizations or threats to harm others.”

It’s not clear what the 40-photo album had to do with hate or violence or why the photos would have been flagged by the site’s digital police force. The images in the album, simply titled “Special Olympics 2012,” are mainly of a little boy having a big day at the Davidson County edition of the event. A lot are of him playing. Others are with folks dressed up to look like characters from The Wizard of Oz. Read more ›

I LOVE this story. I hope this starts to happen more often.

I think there should be strict statue or law nationwide that address cyberbullying as a civil matter. If you (the gov’t, populous, etc.) are to afraid to make it criminal, make sure the victims at least have the leg to stand on in civil court and collect damages. Don’t bother a judge with whether or not what they said breaks a law (unless it is really really bad); allow a victim the opportunity to ask a judge if they think someone slandered you. Sure it is possible to do now, but it should be easier. Way easier.

That is just my non-legal opinion. Legalities aside, you have to admit it would solve a lot.

Below is a short bit and the VIDEO from FOX in Atlanta, followed by an excerpt and the link to The Bert Show, a radio show that discussed the topic with a lawyer. Very good stuff to watch and listen to!

April 24, 2012
Family Sues Daughter’s Alleged Cyberbullies
By Marc Teichner, Fox in Atlanta

ATLANTA – A family is launching a battle against the cyberbullies who targeted their young daughter.

The family says two of their daughter’s classmates created a fake Facebook page and then used it to send out friend requests and vile messages under her name. When they couldn’t stop it, they filed one of the first cyberbullying lawsuits in Georgia.

Family Sues Daughter’s Alleged Cyberbullies: MyFoxATLANTA.com

April 25, 2012
Cyberbullying: Should Parents Be Legally Responsible For What Their Kids Post Online?
The Bert Show

Kids can’t sue kids over Facebook cyberbullying…but their parents can. Should parents be responsible for what their kids post online? We talk to a lawyer, Natalie Woodward, and a family with a child who was being bullied about an incident that has parents suing other parents for their kid’s Facebook posts.

One middle school student, Alex, had some classmate take a picture of her, run it through the “Fat App” (which makes anyone in a picture look fatter), and then created a fake Facebook profile using this picture. Read more ›

Just one story to report this week – but let that be the shining example of how even though it may be slow, not a week goes by without a predator being busted or locked up. They are everywhere! But you can make sure they are not near your daughter (or son) if you are monitoring Internet activity with PC Pandora 7.0!

Just a friendly tip…

April 23, 2012
Man gets prison time in online sex sting
By Alex Bridges, NVDaily.com

WINCHESTER — A Lunenburg County man arrested in an undercover operation targeting sexual predators must serve five years in prison for soliciting sex acts from an investigator posing as an underage girl in an online chat room.

Chadwick Alan Hatch II, 21, of Kenbridge, appeared Monday in Frederick County Circuit Court and pleaded guilty to committing one count of computer solicitation and five counts of attempted indecent liberties with a minor female under the age of 15 years old. Read more ›

This deserves a huge, thunderous round of applause, let alone its own blog post. This past Sunday, the Sioux City Journal used the entire front page to take a stand against bullying in the form of a large picture and editorial. The move comes after the teenage bully-cide of Kenneth Weishuhn. It is the first time the paper has ever done it. I cannot commend them enough. Below are the headline and the start of the editorial that was printed. Please click the link and read the whole thing. And remember, only YOU can prevent bullying. As a parent, that means making sure you do not have a bully operating in secret in your house. PC Pandora monitoring software will let you know of your child is a cyberbully.

April 22, 2012
OUR OPINION: We must stop bullying. It starts here. And it starts now.
By the Sioux City Journal editorial board

Siouxland lost a young life to a senseless, shameful tragedy last week. By all accounts, Kenneth Weishuhn was a kind-hearted, fun-loving teenage boy, always looking to make others smile. But when the South O’Brien High School 14-year-old told friends he was gay, the harassment and bullying began. It didn’t let up until he took his own life.

Sadly, Kenneth’s story is far from unique. Boys and girls across Iowa and beyond are targeted every day. In this case sexual orientation appears to have played a role, but we have learned a bully needs no reason to strike. No sense can be made of these actions.

Now our community and region must face this stark reality: We are all to blame. We have not done enough. Not nearly enough. Read more ›

Another week of silliness on Facebook: 10 years in jail because of a Facebook addiction, teachers and firefighters getting fired over Facebook comments, and a thief busted for bragging on Facebook. It’s all here. Happy Friday…

A registered sex offender was supposed to stay off social media… but he was addicted to Facebook.

April 15, 2012
Facebook Addiction Nets AZ Man 10 Years in Prison
By Edward Tan

An Arizona man got a 10-year prison sentence because of his Facebook addiction. William Hall claims his addiction to the social media site led to him to violate his probation. Read more ›

If you are a teacher, remember – you are a city employee and a representative of the education system…

April 16, 2012
Prober uses Facebook to nail perv, goldbrick NY teachers
By Susan Edelman

Facebook is giving more Big Apple teachers a black eye.

As the city Department of Education prepares to release it’s first-ever social-media policy, Schools Investigator Richard Condon has tallied a rapid growth in complaints about improper Facebook usage by city school employees — 120 in the past 18 months.

Some teachers got in trouble for posting dumb jokes tinged with sex or violence.

Others were busted after their own or students’ Facebook comments tipped officials to wrongdoing. Read more ›

Title says it all, but read the story – do you agree with what happened?

April 16, 2012
Miami-Dade Firefighter Brian Beckmann’s Facebook Post Blames Trayvon Martin Situations On ‘Shitbag’ Parents
From the Huffington Post

A Miami-Dade Fire Rescue official is under investigation for a personal Facebook post that claims “failed, shitbag, ignorant parents” are to blame in cases like the shooting death of unarmed Miami teen Trayvon Martin. Read more ›

20-year-old siphoned gas from a police car as a “joke” and posted it on Facebook. FAIL.

April 19, 2012
Facebook photo of man stealing fuel from police car brings arrest in eastern Ky.
By Associated Press

JENKINS, Ky. — There it was on Facebook for all to see — Michael Baker with a gas can, a siphon hose stuck into a police cruiser in eastern Kentucky and a middle finger raised.

Among those who saw it were Jenkins police, who arrested 20-year-old Baker on Monday and charged him with theft by unlawful taking. Read more ›

…And of course, it goes without saying, PC Pandora monitoring software will let you know what your kids are doing on Facebook – which gives you a better chance at preventing a juvenile Facebook FAIL!

Rant forthcoming, brace yourself…

It has happened again. Another young teenager has taken their life. 14-year-old Kenneth W decided to take his own life. Why? Because Kenny had the unfortunate circumstance of living in a part of the country where the idea of tolerance is laughed at… and he was gay.

This didn’t need to happen. It could have been prevented. I am so sick with anger at the hypocrisy that has infested this world and this country. How can we say we are the greatest country on earth if we can’t even let people be who they are? How can we teach our children about doing good if we turn our back on people that are different? What ever happened to the golden rule? Whatever happened to just plain human decency?

Where were the parents of the bullies? How do they feel now?

It is my sincere hope that when an innocent child takes their life as a result of relentless bullying, that the bullies will be outed in public. Right now, I am sure they know who they are – and I am sure they have no remorse for what they drove Kenneth to do.

Shame on you. Shame on your parents.

For the rest of the world reading this, it is not too late to make a difference. You have the power to stop bullying. It’s as simple as: just don’t do it. If someone is different or you don’t like them, just ignore them. Do your own thing.

And for you parents who say “I didn’t know” – how could you? If you weren’t monitoring your child’s internet activity, how could you know your child was pushing someone to suicide?

This is entirely preventable people. All we need is a shift in mindset and a zero tolerance at school and in the home for bullying. Easy as that.

April 16, 2012
Family: Bullies pushed NW Iowa teen to take own life
By Kristen Johnson, Multimedia Journalist/ Weekend Anchor

PRIMGHAR/ PAULLINA, Iowa (KTIV) – Kenneth Weishuhn was only a freshman at South O’Brien High School. That’s located in Paullina, Iowa.

Family and friends say the 14-year-old was happy. But, beneath that smile, there was a lot of pain.

“He says, ‘Mom, you don’t know how it feels to be hated,” said Jeannie Chambers.

Kenneth Weishuhn didn’t know either, until he told his friends last month that he was gay. Read more ›

You can take antibiotics for a sinus infection (as I am doing currently)… but how do you keep internet predators from infection your home and getting to your kids? PC Pandora computer monitoring software… Here are 10 more reasons you should be monitoring your child’s internet activity to know who your kids are talking to on the Internet… and who on the Internet is trying to talk to them!

If you are going to rob someone you met on the Internet, I suppose this is a good way to do it. You have to read this insane story. A 48-year-old New Hampshire man pretended to be a 16-year-old girl online, lured a 25-year-old man (who was looking for teens to have sex with) and then pretended to be a cop and robbed the would-be predator!

April 12, 2012
NH Police: Man Poses As Teen Girl Online To Lure, Rob Another Man
WBZ-TV, CBS Boston

SALEM, N.H. (CBS) – Police said a Haverhill man who posed as a 16-year-old girl online lured a 25-year-old man and robbed him in Salem, new Hampshire back in February.

John Ruth, 48, is accused of posing as the teen girl and soliciting the man to meet him on Feb. 12 at a parking lot on Ermer Road in Salem.

When the 25-year-old man arrived, Ruth, identifying himself as a federal agent with a sex crimes task force, allegedly blocked the 25-year-old with his car and ordered him out of his car. Read more ›

A 68-year-old father and his 34-year-old son face child porn charges, the son was also an Internet predator…

April 14, 2012
McKeesport father, son educators face child porn charges
By Eric Slagle, McKeesport Daily News

A father and son from Elizabeth Township are under arrest for child pornography.

Henry Benton South, 68, and his son Charles Benton South, 34, were taken into custody by agents from the state Attorney General’s office Friday on the allegation that they used computers in their Golfview Drive home to view pornography and, in the case of the son, used Facebook to have lewd contact with minors.

The charges stem from alleged incidents that occurred in the fall of last year that were discovered when, on Nov. 17, the younger South used Facebook to contact an agent of the Office of Attorney General Child Predator Unit who was posing as a 15-year-old girl. Read more ›

A 49-year-old man in Texas was arrested for soliciting what he thought was a 14-year-old girl online for sex… it was a cop.

April 12, 2012
Houston man tried to solicit teenage girls for sex on Craigslist
From KHOU Houston

HOUSTON – A 49-year-old Houston man is facing serious charges after investigators say he sent sexually explicit messages to someone he believed to be a 14-year-old girl.

Terry Lynn Spies is charged with online solicitation of a minor.

According to court documents, a Harris County Precinct 4 deputy constable was browsing Craigslist, looking for potential sexual predators, when he came across an ad that said “Older Guy for Younger Girls – m4w.” Read more ›

A 40-year-old former teacher in North Carolina faces 30 years in prison for child porn extortion. He met a teenage girl online and convinced her to make sexually graphic videos and then upload them to YouTube. Where were the girl’s parents on this one?!?

April 16, 2012
Former teacher pleads guilty in child porn case
New Bern Sun Journal

A New Bern man and former Havelock fifth-grade teacher faces up to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty in federal court Monday to one count of producing child pornography over the Internet.

Matthew Metcalf, 40, who had been charged with three counts of second-degree exploitation of a minor, pleaded guilty before United States Magistrate Judge William A. Webb in Raleigh to one violation of Title 18 of the United States Code, 2251. Read more ›

This article focuses on one guy, but mentions three cases where women are meeting guys on MocoSpace, meeting them in real life, and being sexually assaulted.

April 17, 2012
Terrell Lewis Used Social Network MocoSpace To Meet, Then Sexually Assault Detroit Women, Police Say
By Kate Abbey-Lambertz, The Huffington Post

A social gaming network is the common thread between three recent cases of sexual assault, according to Detroit police. In three separate incidents, women allege they were assaulted after arranging encounters with men they originally met using the mobile gaming and social network MocoSpace.

Last week, a 20-year-old female victim met a man in the parking lot of a bar near E. Seven Mile and VanDyke after talking to him on MocoSpace. She got in his van, and he allegedly drove to an unknown location and sexually assaulted her. The man then returned to the original bar and took the victim’s property before leaving.

The incident was preceded by two others in recent months allegedly involving MocoSpace. Read more ›

This story is about a man in California who was trying to solicit sex from someone he thought was a dad online willing to “whore out” his daughters… it was a cop in Seattle…

April 17, 2012
Seattle police Internet Crimes Unit leads to arrest of sex offender in L.A.
I’m into kids,’ sex offender tells undercover cop
By Jeff Van Sant Q13 FOX News

SEATTLE— A Seattle Police Department operation aimed at catching child predators who target their victims online helped police in California nab a brazen sex offender.

Detective Tye Holland with the SPD’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit had been corresponding with the suspect for months— posing as a man offering sex with his teenage daughter.

During the email conversations, the suspect was direct about his intentions. “I’m in to kids, so if you have kids you want to whore out, let me know,” he wrote. Read more ›

This last story for the week is a good one. Note to young girls: Justin Bieber is NOT EVER going to contact you online! If you are a parent of a “belieber” you MUST read this story!

April 18, 2012
Justin Bieber impersonator Lee Moir accused of sexually abusing New Jersey girl online
By Crimesider Staff (CBS)

(CBS/AP) NEWARK, N.J. – Authorities in Canada say a man impersonating pop star Justin Bieber threatened and sexually abused a 12-year-old girl in New Jersey on a video chat site.

Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray says 34-year-old Lee Moir of Toronto, Ontario, posed as the pop star on Facebook. Authorities allege he threatened to harm the girl’s family to force her to perform sex acts online. It’s unclear if Moir used photos of Bieber on his Facebook page, but authorities say the girl realized it wasn’t the pop star during the video chat.

Authorities say they believe Moir has been in contact online with “many juvenile females” in the United States, Canada, France, Australia and the Philippines, according to NJ.com. Read more ›

This makes me sick-to-my-stomach with anger… Add another name to the growing tragic list of cyberbully suicides: 15-year-old Grace McComas took her own life last week.

What is also interesting about this story is that the parents not only knew of the cyberbullying, but also documented it. This plays into the reality that most parents of victims KNOW what their child is going through. But ZERO parents of bullies know what their child is doing. Until that changes, cyberbullying will never go away…

PC Pandora monitoring software will let you know if your child is a cyberbully.

April 13, 2012
Mourners wear blue after 15-year-old’s suicide
Family says teen took life because of cyber-bullying
By Susan Reimer and Yvonne Wenger, The Baltimore Sun

The mourners wore blue nail polish, blue-striped ties, blue jewelry and crisp blue dress shirts. Blue hoodies and blue hair bands.

Blue was Grace McComas’ favorite color, so that’s what mourners at her visitation wore Friday in memory of the 15-year-old Glenelg High School sophomore who took her life recently to end the pain, her family said, of a cyber-bullying campaign against her.

Meanwhile, a social media “event” — blue4grace — was begun by friends and quickly went viral, stretching far beyond Howard County. Read more ›