More MySpace Mayhem for Monday #16
Actually, these are both from last Monday, but I didn’t see them till the middle of the week…
Could be a Wednesday Predator story, but also fits here: a 26-year-old Wisconsin man pleaded no contest to multiple counts using MySpace to solicit young teenage girls for sex…
Sherriff’s Detectives in Tennessee are using MySpace to bust up a ring of jewel thieves. The idiots got away with it, and then modeled the stolen goods on their MySpace pages. No comment needed…
I want to reiterate the main point of these weekly postings: parents, you need to realize that MySpace has an open door policy. Anyone can join. If your kids are on the social network, you need to know who they are talking to. If you are ignoring the social network interaction, that’s like letting them go to circa-1980 Times Square by themselves… I wouldn’t advise it.
The point is we need to be parents first and friends last. Know who your kids are talking to online and what they are doing on social networks. It’s your responsibility as a parent to know.
October 12, 2009
Deal reached in MySpace case
By Jennifer K. Woldt of the NorthwesternAn Oshkosh man accused of soliciting young girls for sex through an online social networking Web site agreed to terms of a plea agreement Monday.
Ryan A. Clewell, 26, pleaded no contest to seven counts of soliciting a child for prostitution Monday during a plea hearing before Winnebago County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Gritton. The felony charges each carry a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison and $100,000 in fines.In exchange for his plea, eight other referrals for similar offenses in Winnebago County will not be charged, but will be read into the court record for Gritton to consider at sentencing, defense attorney Leonard Kachinsky told the court.
Charges for similar incidents in Outagamie County are not included in the plea agreement and likely will be filed in the near future, Winnebago County Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Swank said.
According to the criminal complaint, Clewell used MySpace, a social networking Web site, to find young girls for sex. Using the Web site and a fake identity, Clewell contacted six Neenah girls – between the ages of 12 and 15 – and asked them to perform sex acts in exchange for between $150 and $600 depending on the act.
Clewell, who now resides in Appleton after posting a $5,000 cash bond, admitted to police he made arrangements with a 15-year-old girl to have her find girls who would perform sex acts for pay. The other five girls who were contacted were all on the 15-year-old girl’s friends list.
“Jamaal,” the fake identify Clewell created, contacted the girls through the messaging system on MySpace and asked them to perform a sex act for money. Most of the girls told him they did not want to, but a 13-year-old Neenah girl did agree to have intercourse with Clewell for $300 on April 7, the complaint states.
Clewell told officers “Jamaal” was not real and he had created him to “create a degree of separation.” He said “Jamaal” ended up being a “pimp for him,” the complaint states.
Prosecutors will recommend Gritton impose a sentence of between four and six years in prison followed by eight years of extended supervision when Clewell is sentenced Dec. 10.
October 12, 2009
MySpace Page Helps Police Find Suspected Jewelry ThievesCOLUMBIA, Tenn. – Jewel thieves took thousands of dollars worth of diamonds and gold, and then disappeared. Sheriff’s detectives are breaking up the burglary ring and hope to recover the valuable gemstones.
A lead on a social networking site helped Maury County investigators break the case.
“They are karat diamond earrings that I got back in the 90s from my children,” said burglary victim.
The owner of the earrings figured they were long gone. Then they turned up in a pawnshop, but she’s still missing other heirlooms.
“Like grandmother’s pearls, I mean stuff like that can’t be replaced,” said burglary victim.
The victim was heartbroken when in March thieves stole her private collection of gemstones and jewelry valued at more than $60,000.
Detectives said the jewel thieves spent months slowly selling off the jewels, and they might have gotten away with it except for a slip up.
“It’s kind of lucky break at this time for us,” said captain Jimmy Tenneyson, Maury County Sheriff’s Department.
Maury County sheriff’s detectives searched the MySpace page belonging to 28-year-old Amy Scott. On the page, police said there are actually photos of people modeling the stolen jewelry.
Detectives asked that NewsChannel 5 not show the specific photos as they are still closing in on the thieves.
They have already made two arrests: Amy Scott and 33-year-old Clifton Benderman, thanks in part to the MySpace page.
“It’s not smart at all. You’re going to give yourself away. In this situation that’s what occured here,” said Tenneyson.
Officers are in the process of identifying those wearing the jewelry on the website, and said they do expect to make more arrests.
There are dozens of pieces of jewelry still missing. The owner hopes the arrests will help investigators find them all.
