WACKY INTERNET PREDATOR WEDNESDAY – XXXX!!!
Some weeks have had double posts, but for all intents, for 40 weeks now I have had stories to post here about Internet predators being caught. Any time you hear some self-proclaimed expert say there is no predator problem, or the fears are overblown, point them in the direction of this blog! Remember, these are only the people who slip up just enough to get caught – millions go un-caught every day, every week.
I’m not saying that we need to panic and go crazy here, but what I am saying is that parents need to understand that this is a real thing. A predator might be talking to your kid now and you, nor your child, have any clue.
The silly and sad thing here is that there is a fool-proof plan that every parent can put into place at home – monitoring your child’s online activity. It’s as easy as that. If you know for sure, with absolute certainty, who your kids are talking with online, then you keep them safe from online predators. (I can’t image that you would knowling let them talk to predators) That’s why we made PC Pandora monitoring software… and that’s why every parent should be using it.
It’s not “spying”… it’s not being over-reactive or over-protective… it’s being a responsible 21st century parent who is aware of how their child communicates with the world. You wouldn’t let your kid roam New York City at night alone – why would you give them unfettered access to the Internet.
And I have news for you… filters won’t help. All they do is block porn… which your kids will find a way to get if they want. If you really want to keep your kids safe, you need to know what they are doing. Everything else is just a guess…
Here are the summaries of the stories for this, the 40th edition of the Wacky Internet Predator Wednesday blog series:
- An undercover Internet sex sting by Louisville (KY) Metro Police led to the arrests of eight men, ages 21 to 31. Among those arrested: a worker at a children’s home and a Jefferson County Public School employee. All eight are accused of trying to lure young boys and girls for sex after meeting them on the Internet.
- A 28-year-old Florida man was arrested for using MySpace to lure a 17-year-old girl into prostitution in California. He also drugged her and had sex wiuth her.
- A 22-year-old and 55-year-old man were arrested ffor attempting to meet in person minors they had met online for sex. The “minor” of course were undercover detectives.
Here are the complete stories with links…
April 15, 2009
Eight charged in Internet sex sting
By Jessie HalladayAn undercover Internet sex sting by Louisville Metro Police led to the arrests of eight men, including a worker at a children’s home and a Jefferson County Public School employee.
All eight are accused of trying to lure young boys and girls for sex after meeting them on the Internet.Each of the men now face state and federal charges related to soliciting sex with minors via the Internet, including sexual enticement of a minor online and unlawful use of electronic means, according to their arrest slips.
Arrested were: Nickolas Hancock, 24; Jeffery Hackworth, 31; Austin F. Smith, 25; Andrew M. Radwell, 29; Timothy Love, 29; Charles Hicks, 27; James Tischendorf, 29; and Brad Williams, 21.
One of the men arrested, Smith, had been employed since October as a youth care counselor at the Bellewood Presbyterian Home in Anchorage, said the home’s executive director Jerry Cantrell. The home is for young people who are trying to deal with the impacts of abuse and neglect, Cantrell said. About 45 young people live there.
Cantrell said when he learned of Smith’s arrest last Thursday, Smith was placed on leave without pay and banned from coming to the home’s campus until the allegations are resolved in court.
Smith is accused of arranging to meet an undercover officer who was posing as a female child so that they could have sex, according to the arrest citation. He also was charged with possession of marijuana because there was some found in his car at the time of his arrest.
“We’re against anything like that,” Cantrell said.
A background check was done on Smith at the time of his hire, Cantrell said, but nothing showed up as a concern for his employment. He said there also were never any complaints from any of the young people at the home.
But Cantrell said employees have been talking with all the young people at Bellewood to make sure that there are no concerns with Smith’s behavior while working.
Williams was an employee of Jefferson County Public Schools at the time of his arrest, said Lauren Roberts, a spokeswoman for the district. She said he was hired in March 2008 as a substitute testing driver.
“He delivered testing materials to and from our schools on a part-time basis,” she said.
Williams was fired from that job on March 19, the day the district was notified of his arrest, Roberts said.
Police ran the sting — dubbed Operation Bulldog — in an attempt to send a message that sexual predators are being monitored, said Maj. Joe Richardson, head of the major crimes unit. The sting ran last week, but some people were arrested in late March because detectives were online in preparation of the sting.
“I’d like all the Internet predators out there to think twice about who you are chatting with online,” Richardson said. “You may be chatting with police.”
Richardson said it did not take long for predators to start communicating with the undercover detectives who were online. And when they made attempts at meetings, police would make their arrests.
April 16, 2009
Man accused of soliciting teen on MySpaceSANTA ANA, Calif., April 16 (UPI) — Federal prosecutors say a 28-year-old Florida man used the social networking Web site MySpace to lure a 17-year-old girl into prostitution in California.
The Orange County (Calif.) Register said Wednesday that Christopher Tyrone Young was charged in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana, Calif., with a count of sex trafficking of children.
Young allegedly contacted the teenage girl, whose identity was not reported, through her MySpace page in October and convinced her to run away from home to Las Vegas.
Prosecutors allege Young, who was arrested in San Diego and charged Monday, then took the girl to Orange County in California and had her work as a prostitute advertised through Craigslist.
The criminal case came to light when the girl was arrested on prostitution charges on March 24, the Register said.
Prosecutors said Young, who also stands accused of having sex with the teen and giving her illegal drugs, is facing a minimum of 10 years in prison if convicted.
April 15, 2009
Alleged Internet predators arrested in Oakland County
Jennifer Chambers / The Detroit NewsPontiac — The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office announced arrests Wednesday of two alleged Internet predators who are accused of attempting to meet minors for sex acts in Oakland County.
Police say Eric Quintin McGhee, a 22-year-old resident of Detroit, attempted to meet a 14-year-old boy for a sexual act in northern Oakland County.
The 14-year-old boy was actually an undercover detective with the sheriff’s Computer Crimes Unit. The detective said McGhee approached him via a popular social networking site on the Internet and McGhee immediately suggested that he perform a sexual act.
Investigators say that McGhee arrived at the location wearing the bright blue jacket that he said he would be wearing and had his laptop in his car.
McGhee has been charged with child sexually abusive activity, a 20-year felony; communicating with another to commit a crime, a 15-year felony; and using a computer to commit a crime, a 20-year felony.
He was arraigned in 52-2 District Court and was given a $50,000 cash bond. McGhee will be in court April 23 for a preliminary examination.
In a separate case, another suspect, Rodger Scott Stevens, allegedly attempted to meet a 14-year-old boy for a sexual act.
Stevens was arrested Thursday after the 55-year-old unemployed single man allegedly drove more than 70 miles from his Bay City residence to a location in northern Oakland County to meet a minor who actually was an undercover detective.
Detectives searched Stevens’ residence in Bay City and seized one computer and sexual aids.
Stevens was arraigned in 52-2 District Court for the charges of child sexually abusive activity, a 20-year felony; communicating with another to commit a crime, a 15-year felony; and using a computer to commit a crime, a 20-year felony.
Stevens is currently on probation out of Bay County for an assault and battery charge. Stevens will next be in court on April 20 for a preliminary examination.
