Pandora’s Blog

A fantastic ending to this UK-Cyber Safety themed week! The Central Scotland Police announced the alarming results of Operation Defender: 215 pedophiles on the Internet who were grooming kids for sex have been arrested!

Just an FYI for Friday, PC Pandora works on both sides of the Atlantic and can be used by ANY parent to keep kids safe online…

November 19, 2009
Scots cops track more than 200 online sex beasts in crackdown
Paul O’Hare, Daily Record

MORE than 200 paedophiles who were grooming children for sex on the internet have been netted by cops after the biggest investigation of its kind in Scotland.

The beasts used sites such as Bebo, Facebook and MSN to snare 150 kids, some as young as eight.

And Central Scotland Police last night said the alarming results of Operation Defender should act as a wake-up call to parents across the country.

Detective Chief Inspector Gordon Dawson warned: “The ultimate aim of these people is to meet kids and rape them.”

The operation identified 1700 men who engaged in online sex chat with children.

And 215 of them swapped sexual material with their victims – including webcam footage. Up to 40 live in Scotland.

Ten top level offenders from Scotland and five from the rest of the UK have been charged with offences including rape, sexual assault and grooming. The others are expected to be tracked down in the coming weeks.

Detectives also identified 150 victims, mainly girls, aged eight to 15.

More than 4000 sexually explicit chat logs and 2000 email addresses used by predators were uncovered.

The probe involved Interpol, the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre and the National Sex Crimes Unit.

Chief Superintendent Gordon Mackenzie said parents need to be aware kids can go online using games consoles and 3G phones.

MrMackenzie said: “This is a wakeup call for parents and they need to think about the multimedia that their kids are using.

“What we have found when we have spoken to victims is that the kids are curious and fearless and the adults are pretty clueless.”

He said predators target chat groups, such as MSN, and social networking sites such as Bebo. One Scottish predator had more than 1000 instant messenger contacts.

Mr Mackenzie said: “They use a scattergun approach and try to talk to as many kids as possible.

“If one vulnerable child responds, the chat starts off pretty normal but within minutes it turns to lurid sexual chat.”

Police said webcams are the main means of engagement between the beasts and their victims. The material exchanged ranges from naked pictures to footage of sex acts.

The groomers also ask children to do sexual things on webcam – then record the footage and pass it on.

The perverts move on to contact their victims by text or email – and will even put the child in touch with a beast who lives nearby.

The force started analysing social networking sites last year with a view to combating gang violence. But the probe soon led to internet grooming.

Mr Dawson said the operation has changed the force’s view of the threat. He said: “What this has shown us is that the paedophile is in your living room.

“Your kids could be sitting in the living room with the laptop while you are watching Coronation Street.”

In September, the Record revealed five child abuse victims were snatched from paedophiles in a series of raids linked to Operation Defender.

Continuing with the UK-based news this week, this is a cool story.

The UK-based anti-bullying group, Beatbullying, called out social networks earlier in the week (remember, it’s anti-bullying week; this year focusing on cyberbullying). They asked that the popular websites start helping in the fight against bullying, rather than turning their heads and claiming it’s too hard to do anything about it.

Then, just a few days later, the popular website Bebo (which has been referred to by kids as BullyBo, due to the gross size of the problem) announced its implementing of a new button designed by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre. The button, a large graphic which features prominently on each personal profile page, provides quick access to 10 sources of help depending on the type of bullying. For instance, if a child has been bullied online but does not want to report it to the police, they will be directed to ChildLine. Users can also find details of their local police station or contact a CEOP officer for more advice.

What a great idea. That is being proactive. And I applaud Bebo for quickly adopting the idea… I would also applaud any parent that realizes they are the key to stopping cyberbullying and that it is up to them to monitor their child’s online activity and make sure they are not bullyingg others…

Here’s the original print story from ArsTechnica and then a video on the Bebo part. TO see the Beatbullying study (60 pgs!), click here: Virtual Violence: Protecting Children from Cyberbullying

November 16, 2009
Group wants social networks involved in fighting cyberbullies
Cyberbullying remains a problem for kids between 11 and 18, a UK-based anti-bullying group has found, and it wants social networks to step up and help with improved UIs and support services for kids in need.
By Jacqui Cheng

“I just want you to know what a fat, evil, sadistic cow you are. I want to see you suffer as slow and painful a death as possible.” That’s one of many messages sent to a teenager named Claire who had gotten into a disagreement over a basketball game. Another teen named Sam hanged himself after being “bombarded by cruel jibes” on Bebo over his taste in music and clothing.

These are just a couple of the stories told by UK-based anti-bullying group Beatbullying. The organization has released a new report on the state of cyberbullying in order to kick off Anti-Bullying Week, and notes that almost two-thirds of all youngsters have witnessed some sort of cyberbullying online. With these statistics in mind, the group says that social networks need to do more to help kids deal with cyberbullying.

Beatbullying surveyed 2,094 young people in England between the ages of 11 and 18 and found that 61.2 percent had witnessed cyberbullying online. Girls were more likely to be targeted than boys—23.8 percent of girls reported being harassed compared to 12.2 percent of boys. Nearly 70 percent of those who had been victims said they knew the person who was cyberbullying them, and nearly a third said that the incidents originated offline before going digital.

One of the most popular pranks is fake profiles being set up in the victim’s name, offering an open season platform for the bully to to post as many embarrassing and ridiculous updates as possible. Indeed, this is an age-old cyberbullying tactic that is often used to target teachers and principals, but recently got a handful of teens in hot water after a peer’s fake profile began to affect his college admissions.

On top of fake profiles, more than 20 percent of respondents reported seeing “hate sites” being set up to target someone, and almost a quarter said they had been sent a video clip of someone being bullied. Perhaps it comes as no surprise as well that children with disabilities were 16 percent more likely to be bullied online over a prolonged period of time, as well as those who receive free school meals (13 percent).

Some of the favorite mediums for cyberbullying were MSN Messenger (now Windows Live Messenger), Facebook, Bebo, MySpace, and YouTube. It’s these sites where Beatbullying is focusing its “advice”—the organization says that Internet services like Windows Live Messenger and Bebo need better reporting mechanisms for when kids are being harassed, and a better UI so it’s easier for people to find these features. Beatbullying also says these services should provide safety nets for kids looking for support, and that they should offer “innovative” anti-bullying education programs.

The topic of cyberbullying has gotten increased attention in recent years thanks in part to the high-profile “MySpace Suicide” of Megan Meier but, as Beatbullying has pointed out, Meier was hardly the first or last teen to commit suicide as a result of harassment online. A number of bills have popped up in the US in an attempt to define cyberbullying and establish punishments for it, but the real solution is something that Beatbullying and other groups have begun to focus on: offering education and support for both bullies and victims.

I have a special post for today: VIDEO included!

Okay, so this 16-year-old girl from southern California goes onto a dating site. She lies about being 18 and meets a guy. She falls in love with him and runs away to be with him (in Albuquerque NM). The thing is, he is 57. He has sex with her a couple times and ties her up.

She went with him, fully consenting. But it turned out to be not such a pleasant situation she found herself in. This is another reason why parents must monitor their children’s internet activity. This girl went looking for trouble. Yes she met a very bad person, BUT, she started it… it was her own curiosity. He parents should have known.

On the other hand, even though the guy is claiming she said she was 18… he’s 57. That’s nasty. You know he is not on the level… Remember: these guys DO exist!

Here is a video of the story with a print (earlier) version below.

Nov 11, 2009
Internet Runaway Rescued From Bondage

A man who allegedly admitted having sex with a 16-year-old runaway girl from Westminster was in custody in Albuquerque, N.M., Tuesday.

Edward S. Christy, 57, was arrested Monday in Albuquerque on suspicion of criminal sexual penetration, custodial interference and sexual exploitation of children, according to an arrest warrant from the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s office. He was locked up in lieu of $200,000 bail.

When sheriff’s deputies went to arrest Christy, they noticed what appeared to be a camera flashing in the window and the girl’s wrists and necktied with straps, according to an arrest warrant signed by Bernalillo County sheriff’s Detective Weylin Proctor.

On Sunday, the girl’s parents told Westminster police their daughter left a note, saying she had run away from home, Westminster police Officer Cameron Knauerhaze said.

The parents found e-mail and chat logs on her computer that indicated she had met an Albuquerque man online, Knauerhaze said. Investigators dug further and found an address of “a person of interest,” Knauerhaze said.

Once in custody, FBI agents questioned Christy, who told them he met the girl about six weeks ago on a dating web site, according to the arrest warrant. Christy said the girl claimed she was 18, and he asked her to send him photographs, according to the warrant.

The girl called Christy on Friday and told him that she would kill herself if she could not be with him, according to the warrant, which stated that Christy drove to California to pick her up.

Christy said he had sex with the girl twice, once in a motel in Needles, California, and again at his home, Proctor said in the warrant.

Under questioning, Christy admitted he knew the girl was under age, according to the warrant. Christy said he bought dog cages and bondage items for the girl, Proctor stated.

Sarah Payne of Victim Support, the national charity for victims of crime in England and Wales, told parents on a national talk radio show that parents need to be using monitoring software to “spy” on their kids’ internet use. While I hate the use of that word (the “s”-word), at least someone over there gets it!

Hopefully, parents in the US will also realize that until they are using monitoring software, they have no clue what their kids are actually doing online. If they did, there would be no bullying and no 15-year-old girls running away with guys they meet online…

November 15, 2009
Parents ’should spy on kids online’
UK Press Association

Parents should snoop on their children’s internet use to protect them from paedophiles and cyber-bullies, Sara Payne has said.

The Victims’ Champion called for adults to install monitoring software on computers used by youngsters, and she admitted she checks up on her own children.

Mrs Payne said she had met a lot of children who had to change their phone numbers “constantly” to get away from bullies.

“It’s like being stalked,” she said. “It’s harassment. As an adult, it’s seen as all those things. But for some reason when we put it with children and put the word bullying to it, it’s something which can be brushed over.

“When a child comes to you and tells you something, you have to deal with it.

“I use a monitoring system that monitors everything that my children do online and I can check anytime I need to. I have an agreement with my children, they know it’s there.

“If my child is being particularly secretive or sullen, I might go there to find out what’s going on in their life that they won’t possibly tell me face to face.

“I can then perhaps strike up a conversation.”

Since the death of her daughter Sarah at the hands of paedophile Roy Whiting in 2000, Mrs Payne has become a prominent campaigner for victims’ rights.

Mrs Payne, who took up her Government-appointed post at the end of January, made her comments as she launched Real Radio’s Websafe campaign.

Additional article: Spy to protect web kids

Apparently it is Anti-Bullying Week in the UK and this year the focus is Stay Safe in Cyberspace. It’s a great national initiative over there that I felt was worthy of sharing with folks over here.

The only thing that irritates me about this article – and about the fight against cyberbullying in general – is the fact that there is so much emphasis on recognizing signs if your child is a victim… but what about recognizing or realizing that your child is THE BULLY!?

That’s where we come in (see: PC Pandora)

November 15, 2009
Anti-bullying special

Do you suspect that a young person you know is being bullied? Start here to find out how to spot the signs, and how to help them

The links above are to third parties’ websites, the contents of which are not the responsibility of GMTV.

It’s National Anti-Bullying Week and this year the focus is Stay Safe in Cyberspace.

Recent research has found that more than 33% of 12-15 year-olds have faced some form of cyberbullying.

With increasing numbers of primary age children using social networking sites and getting their first mobile phone, it is really important that parents are able to help and support them. They also need to make sure they learn how to use this technology safely and responsibly as their behaviours are still forming.

You may be unsure if your child is being bullied. If you suspect that this may be happening, look out for the following signs. You may see one or more signs, for example your child could:

• show signs of stress – being moody, silent or crying,or bullying a younger sibling or friend
• make excuses to miss school, such as stomach complaints or headaches (or your child may be skipping school altogether)
• seem upset after using the internet or mobile, or change their behaviour – for example, no longer wanting to look at new text messages immediately – and be secretive and unwilling to talk about their online activities and phone use
• be withdrawn in their behaviour
• have more bruises or scrapes than usual change their eating habits
• have torn clothes, school things that are broken or missing, or have ‘lost’ money
• sleep badly
• be wetting the bed

There could be other reasons for these signs, so you need to ask yourself:

• Could there be anything else bothering your child?
• Could there be changes in your family life like a new baby, or divorce or separation that may be affecting your child’s behaviour?

ABA has offered parents the following tips to help parents protect children/young people and for children and young people themselves:

For Parents

• Know which websites your children visit and help them find the ‘report abuse’ or ‘block sender’ options so they can feel in control
• Tell your children not to reply to unpleasant messages
• Urge them to keep evidence – not to delete bullying texts, emails or posts on social networking sites
• Make sure they act thoughtfully in cyberspace – comments and photos can stay online forever and texts can be forwarded widely
• Ensure they protect their password to keep their files and information safe
• Encourage them to take action and talk to you if they are cyberbullied

For children and young people

• Don’t give out personal details such as your mobile number, address or email online
• Regularly check and clean your ‘friends’ lists on social networking sites
• Keep evidence – callers and mailers can be traced
• Find the ‘report abuse’ or ‘block sender’ options on your favourite websites
• Remember that sites you’ve created and emails you’ve sent can be traced back to you months or years later
• Protect your password to keep your files and information safe
• If you are being bullied in any way you must tell someone who can help – a teacher, parent/carer, friend, sister/brother or other relative

When a child is the target of cyberbullying, they can feel alone and misunderstood. It is therefore vital that, as a parent or carer, you know how to support your child if they are caught.

The big ‘Net’ news in the UK is a new study that came out. 10,000 teenagers asked revealed that nearly half (47%) of 14-year-olds are bullied. The study also revealed that:

• 89% of parents thought cyberbullying was just as serious as other types of bullying.
• About half (54%) of those questioned said they had not talked to their children about how to protect themselves from cyberbullying.
• Almost a quarter (23%) said they would allow their child of 10 or under to go on the internet unsupervised at home.
• 38% said they had or would allow children of that age to have a mobile phone.
• And one in 10 of the parents surveyed said they had or would allow their child of eight or under to have a mobile phone.

So clearly, parents are a big part of this issue. The quicker they get privy to that fact and accept tools like our PC Pandora monitoring software as a resource to help solve the bullying problem, the better we will all be.

November 13, 2009
47% of 14-year-olds ‘are bullied’

Nearly half of 14-year-olds in England have experienced some sort of bullying, a study of 10,000 teenagers for the government suggests.

Name calling and cyberbullying – where the victim faces threats and insults via mobile phones and the internet – were the most common forms.

After these came being threatened with violence, being excluded by friends and facing real violence.

The study did not say if the bullying had taken place once or more often.

According to the long-term study for the Department for Children, Schools and Families, some 47% of 14-year-olds reported bullying. This dropped to 41% among 15-year-olds and 29% of 16-year-olds.

‘Left out’
The most common type was name calling and cyberbullying, while the least common was being forced to hand over money or possessions.

Those with a disability were more likely to face name calling and to be excluded from friendship groups than those without.

Children with special educational needs, caring responsibilities or those having to spend some time in care were also more likely to be bullying victims.

Overall girls were more likely to be bullied than boys at the age of 14 and 15.

They were also more likely to face name calling and be excluded from friendship groups.

Boys were more likely to have their money and possessions taken and to face violence.

Those bullied at 14 and 15 had significantly lower results at GCSE – equivalent to two grades lower.

‘Tell your parents’
And bullying victims were also more likely to be “Neets” – not in education, employment or training.

But interestingly the research found that those whose parents reported bullying were less likely to face it in the future.

Young people who told their parents at 14 were almost twice as likely not to remain being bullied at 16 than those who did not.

Children’s Secretary Ed Balls called on parents to always report incidents of bullying to their child’s school.

The research is being published to coincide with the launch theme of this year’s Anti-Bullying Week, which begins on November 16.

The theme – tackling cyberbullying – uses the slogan “Stay Safe in Cyberspace”.

On this issue, Mr Balls said: “Mobile phones or computer screens can be used to taunt and bully young people, which can have devastating consequences.

“I want parents to feel confident coming forward and reporting bullying incidents to schools, as we know this helps to stop bullying continuing.”

November 16, 2009
Cyberbullies hit primary schools

Cyberbullying is a growing problem in primary schools, according to the Anti-Bullying Alliance.

In a small study carried out by the group in south east England, one in five children questioned said they had been bullied online or by phone.

And many of the 227 10 and 11-year olds questioned said they used social networking sites, even though users are meant to be over 13.

Campaigners say parents must learn how to help children protect themselves.

The Anti-Bullying Alliance (ABA), which is a charity bringing together 60 organizations, also released the findings of a survey of parents on cyberbullying at the start of ‘Anti-bullying week’.

‘Unsupervised access’
It defines cyberbullying as deliberately upsetting someone using information technology, especially the internet or telephone.

The survey suggests 89% of parents thought cyberbullying was just as serious as other types of bullying.

About half (54%) of those questioned said they had not talked to their children about how to protect themselves from cyberbullying.

“Cyberbullying is affecting younger age groups as more children get mobile phones and have computer access ”
Christopher Cloke, ABA

Almost a quarter (23%) said they would allow their child of 10 or under to go on the internet unsupervised at home; 38% said they had or would allow children of that age to have a mobile phone.

And one in 10 of the parents surveyed said they had or would allow their child of eight or under to have a mobile phone.

The research involved 1,163 people in England who have children aged between eight and 14. It was conducted by BMRB in October 2009.

The chairman of the ABA , Christopher Cloke, said: “Parents and schools need to be aware that cyberbullying is affecting younger age groups as more children get mobile phones and have computer access.

“Nationally we know that around 22% of secondary school pupils have suffered cyberbullying, but until now we did not know younger age groups were also seriously affected.

“It is crucial that we ensure they know how to stay safe online, and that their parents know how to help them. Clearly more research is needed on this emerging issue.”

The group believes some people do not take this form of bullying seriously because it is indirect and often anonymous, but they say it can be harmful, leaving children feeling that they cannot escape.

One child told campaigners: “I felt that no one understood what I was going through. I didn’t know who was sending me these messages.

“I felt powerless and didn’t know what to do.”

The group tells children:

• Don’t give out personal details such as your mobile number, address or email online
• Regularly check and clean your friends lists on social networking sites
• Keep evidence – callers and mailers can be traced
• Find the “report abuse” or “block sender” options on your favourite websites
• Remember that sites you create and emails you send can be traced back to you
• Protect your password to keep your files and information safe

Lastly, if you are being bullied in any way you must tell someone who can help – a teacher, parent/carer, friend, sister/brother or other relative…

This is a great story… and a sure sign of the times. Almost like something out off a futuristic sci-fi movie from the ‘80s, a man has proven his innocence of a robbery through precisely documented records kept on a computer… Or to put it into today’s context: a man used Facebook to prove he wasn’t at the scene of the crime.

I have no objections to showing the positives of social networking and Facebook, as much as I do like to lambaste it for obvious reasons. But this is just too great of a story.

Happy Friday!

November 11, 2009
I’m Innocent. Just Check My Status on Facebook.
By Damiano Beltrami

The message on Rodney Bradford’s Facebook page, posted at 11:49 a.m. on Oct. 17, asked where his pancakes were. The words were typed from a computer in his father’s apartment in Harlem.

At the time, the sentence, written in street slang, was just another navel-gazing, cryptic Facebook status update — meaningless to anyone besides Mr. Bradford. But when Mr. Bradford, 19, was arrested the next day as a suspect in a robbery at the Farragut Houses in Brooklyn, where he lives, the words took on greater importance. They became his alibi.

His defense lawyer, Robert Reuland, told a Brooklyn assistant district attorney, Lindsay Gerdes, about the Facebook entry, which was made at the time of the robbery. The district attorney subpoenaed Facebook to verify that the words had been typed from a computer at an apartment at 71 West 118th Street in Manhattan, the home of Mr. Bradford’s father. When that was confirmed, the charges were dropped.

“This is the first case that I’m aware of in which a Facebook update has been used as alibi evidence,” said John G. Browning, a lawyer in Dallas who studies social networking and the law. “We are going to see more of that because of how prevalent social networking has become.”

With more people revealing the details of their lives online, sites like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter are providing evidence in legal battles.

Up to now, social networking activity has mostly been used as prosecutorial evidence, Mr. Browning said. He cited a burglary case in September in Martinsburg, Pa., in which the burglar used the victim’s computer to log on to Facebook and forgot to log off. The police followed the digital trail to Jonathan G. Parker, 19, who was arrested.

As part of his defense, a suspect in an Indiana murder case, Ian J. Clark, claimed he was not the kind of man who could kill his girlfriend’s child. But remarks he was found to have posted on MySpace left him vulnerable to character examination, Mr. Browning said, contributing to his conviction and a sentence of life in prison without parole.

In civil cases, too, online communications have helped strengthen evidence, especially in divorce cases, where they are often used as proof of cheating.

And postings by a probationary sheriff’s deputy, Brian Quinn, 26, of Marion County, Fla., on his MySpace page led to his firing in June 2006 for “conduct unbecoming an officer.”

Such cases are becoming more prevalent in part because Congress in 2006 mandated changes to the federal rules of civil procedure, expanding the acceptance of electronically stored information as evidence.

With the use of a Facebook update as an alibi, such communications may also be used to prove innocence, Mr. Browning said.

Mr. Bradford’s arrest was for the mugging at gunpoint of Jeremy Dunklebarger and Rolando Perez-Lorenzo at 11:50 a.m. on Oct. 17, according to Mr. Reuland, Mr. Bradford’s lawyer.

Mr. Bradford, who was facing charges in a previous robbery, contended he was in Harlem at the time of the Oct. 17 robbery — a claim supported by Mr. Bradford’s father, Rodney Bradford Sr., and his stepmother, Ernestine Bradford, Mr. Reuland said.

Mr. Reuland acknowledged that, in principle, anyone who knew Mr. Bradford’s user name and password could have typed the Facebook update, but he regards it as unlikely.

“This implies a level of criminal genius that you would not expect from a young boy like this; he is not Dr. Evil,” Mr. Reuland said, adding that the Facebook entry was just “icing on the cake,” since his client had other witnesses who provided an alibi.

Jonah Bruno, a spokesman for the Brooklyn district attorney, Charles J. Hynes, said he could not discuss details of the case because it was sealed. But he acknowledged that Facebook was crucial to the charges’ being dropped.

But Joseph A. Pollini, who teaches at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said prosecutors should not have been so quick to drop the charges.

“With a user name and password, anyone can input data in a Facebook page,” Mr. Pollini said.

“Some of the brightest people on the Internet are teenagers,” he said. “They know the Internet better than a lot of people. Why? Because they use it all the time.”

There isn’t much to say about this awesome idea, as it speaks for itself. To be honest, I am surprised it took this long for someone to do it (maybe it’s not but this is the first time it’d being highly publicized)… either way, I hope it becomes the norm for police departments around the US…

November 14, 2009
Ohio police agency searches Facebook for fugitives
The Associated Press

MEDINA, Ohio — A police department is updating the old practice of putting wanted pictures on post office walls by including mug shots of fugitives on its Facebook page.

It didn’t take long for the department to get the type of friend request it was looking for: police made their first arrest within days of launching the site.

The police department in Medina, 30 miles southwest of Cleveland, created the Facebook page last month and included photos of suspects wanted for several crimes.

Police also use the site to post surveillance photos of crime suspects, provide links to police reports and offer safety tips to residents.

“Thirty years ago, we posted wanted fliers at the post office; today it’s Facebook,” said police Chief Patrick Berarducci. He added: “I’m shocked at how fast this first arrest came in.”

Many police departments across the country have their own Facebook pages, but it’s unclear how many use them to garner tips on wanted criminals.

Last month, federal authorities in Seattle tracked down a fugitive who was posting updates on Facebook about how much fun he was having in Mexico.

The Medina Facebook page was the brainchild of officer Sara Lynn, tapped last month to head the department’s outstanding-warrant bureau.

Police arrested a 27-year-old man wanted on drug abuse and possession charges last week after someone saw his photo on the Facebook page.

Also listed are more than 800 friends of the department, many of whom offered their congratulations to police for their unique listing of wanted men and women.

“More cities should do this,” a page visitor wrote.

The department’s Facebook photo link includes more than 130 names and photos of suspects. Some have warrants dating to the late 1990s for crimes from drunken driving to domestic violence.

A fugitive’s name, charges and date of warrant are listed when the cursor is placed on a photograph.

Police ask that the public contact them with tips but recommend residents don’t try to apprehend suspects themselves.

Medina, Ohio, residents should also check their postings carefully: the Medina, Washington, Police Department also has a Facebook page.

Sometimes things are slow in the world of Internet predator stings… but they never totally stop.

Last week, AG Corbett (or, SuperAG), arrested a 57-year-old teacher from Ohio for soliciting what he thought was a 13-year-old girl online for sex.

Disgusting and very troubling for any parent…

November 6th, 2009
AG Announces Arrest of Ohio Teacher in Sexual Predator Investigation

HARRISBURG — Attorney General Tom Corbett announced that agents from the Attorney General’s Child Predator Unit have arrested a high school chemistry teacher from Ohio accused of using the Internet to sexually proposition what he believed was a 13-year old girl, along with sending sexually explicit webcam videos to the girl.

Corbett identified the defendant as Robert Mark Fickenscher, 57, Painesville, OH.

Corbett said that Fickenscher allegedly used Internet chat rooms and instant message programs to approach and sexually proposition an undercover agent from the Child Predator Unit who was using the online profile of a 13-year old child. Fickenscher is also accused of sending numerous sexually explicit webcam videos to the girl.

“Online conversations with Internet predators can quickly escalate to include sexually graphic discussions or the transmission of sexually explicit materials, often during the first chat,” Corbett said. “It is essential for parents to regularly discuss online safety with children and stress the importance of immediately reporting any situation where strangers make sexual propositions, attempt to arrange meetings or send graphic photos or videos.”

According to the criminal charges, Fickenscher repeatedly expressed a desire to meet the girl for sex and described in graphic detail the sex acts he wished to perform. He is also accused of sending five webcam videos that showed him nude or semi-nude, including several in which Fickenscher was engaging in sexual activity in front of his computer along with others showing him wearing women’s undergarments and performing a striptease for the child.

Additionally, Corbett said that Fickenscher allegedly encouraged the girl to obtain a digital camera so that she could send him “revealing” photos of herself.

According to the criminal complaint, Fickenscher initially identified himself as a 35-year Erie man who enjoyed racing cars. He allegedly attempted to entice the girl into meeting him at a motel near her home with the promise of providing wine coolers if she engaged in sexual activities with him.

Fickenscher was taken into custody in Painesville, Ohio on Nov. 3, by agents from the Child Predator Unit, who were assisted by the Lake County Ohio Sheriff’s Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Fickenscher is currently being held in the Lake County Ohio Jail and has waived extradition from Ohio. He will be transported to Pennsylvania on Friday, Nov, 6, to face charges in Allegheny County and will be preliminary arraigned in Pittsburgh Municipal Court.

Fickenscher is charged with five counts of criminal attempted unlawful contact with a minor (related to obscene or sexually explicit material), along with 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.

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

Corbett thanked the Lake County Ohio Sheriff’s Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation for their cooperation and assistance with this investigation.

Internet Safety
“Since 2005 our Child Predator unit has arrested 244 men from across Pennsylvania, and as far away as Kentucky or Texas, all believing that a vulnerable child was waiting for them,” Corbett said. “It is important for parents to understand that Internet predators will take advantage of any possible situation where they believe a vulnerable child is alone or unsupervised.”

Corbett noted that agents have made 63 arrests so far this year – a nearly 20 percent increase compared to 2008.

“Internet predators are active everywhere – using online chat rooms, social networking sites, instant messages, digital cameras, webcams and other technology to reach children in neighboring towns or different states – sending sexually graphic material to your kids, encouraging teens to send nude photos of themselves or trying to arrange meetings for sex,” Corbett said.

Corbett encouraged parents to regularly discuss online safety with their children and to closely monitor how their children use the Internet, including:

• What websites they visit.
• What social networking sites they frequent (MySpace, Facebook, etc).
• The importance of not sharing personal information with strangers (names, ages, addresses, schools or other identifying information).
• Avoiding strangers who approach them online.
• Reporting any contact with individuals who engage in sexual discussions or attempt to send graphic photos or videos.
• Corbett said that suspected Internet predators can be reported to the Attorney General’s Child Predator Unit by using the “Report a Predator” link, located on the front page of the Attorney General’s Web site or by calling the Attorney General’s Child Predator Hotline, at 1-800-385-1044.

Additionally, Corbett said that safety tips and other information are available in the “Operation Safe Surf” and “Just for Kids” sections of the Attorney General’s Web site. Also, organizations interested in materials, speakers or presentations, may contact the Attorney General’s Education and Outreach Office at 1-800-525-7642 or via email at education@attorneygeneral.gov.

Okay, this is a little too far. As much as the parents may have hated the idea of their 14-year-old girl being on MySpace, especially against their wishes, this is NOT the answer.

Makes me sick.

November 3, 2009
Parents allegedly beat teen for getting MySpace page
By Eric Litke, Sheboygan Press staff

A Sheboygan couple was arrested after beating up their 14-year-old daughter for setting up a MySpace page, according to a criminal complaint issued Tuesday.
Randal S. Schaal is charged with felony child abuse and the girl’s mother, Kelly J. Winter, was cited for disorderly conduct for allegedly attacking the girl after discovering the page on Monday.

According to the complaint:

The girl told police her mother discovered the MySpace page and confronted her, but she denied the page was hers. When Schaal came home, he saw the page and “freaked out.”

The girl said her father held her on the ground while spanking her extremely hard about 20 times. When she squirmed away, Schaal kicked her in the left hip, made a comment about making it “even” and then kicked her in the right hip.

Winter grabbed the girl by the hair and pushed her head toward a wall. The girl said Winter asked her, “What’s it feel like to have both your parents beat on you?”

The girl had small bruises on her right upper arm, as well as red marks on her left rib where Schaal dug his knuckles into her.

Schaal faces a maximum of three years in prison, if convicted. Winter so far has not been criminally charged, as she was cited and released, according to a police arrest log.