TheTrenchcoat Chronicles

Category: Social Media Crime

  • MySpace gets ready to fight the law

    MySpace gets ready to fight the law

    In the wake of the two arrests in Conn. of two men who molested underage girls they met through MySpace, Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is calling on MySpace to make changes to their site to make it safer for children.

    On the other hand, MySpace CEO Chris DeWolfe says “People who put themselves at risk on MySpace, DeWolfe said, would be doing so elsewhere.” Trench says they’re both right.

    On the one hand, as LilO pointed out, MySpace is horrible when it comes to enforcing their own Terms of Service. On the other hand, parents are doing a great disservice to their children by not checking up on what they’re posting on their MySpace.

    Once a happy medium can be finally met, then maybe MySpace will be safe for children. But I won’t hold my breath waiting for it.

    H/T to Stephen.

  • Dumped boyfriend uses MySpace for revenge

    Dumped boyfriend uses MySpace for revenge

    Former Boyfriend Seeks Revenge On MySpace.com:

    (CBS) CLIFTON Police say Neftali Soto sent “intimate photos” of his ex-girlfriend to students at the Christopher Columbus Middle School in Clifton, NJ where she’s a teacher.

    They say the 26-year-old did it by setting up a sham account on MySpace.Com, pretending to be the teacher.

    “They were intimate photos they took on vacation, the kind lovers would take in this digital age,” said Joseph Del Russo, Passaic County’s Assistant Prosecutor.

    Authorities say Soto stole the photos from his ex’s computer because he was angry over their breakup.

    Then, according to investigators, he used MySpace’s search engine to identify students at the school.

    “When a mom found out, she forwarded the pictures to her own account and she was able to freeze time.” Del Russo said.

    That’s how investigators say they were able to link the photos to Soto’s computer.

    MySpace had the usual non-answer…

    When asked for comment about this story, MySpace.Com said they have all kinds of safety nets to make sure inappropriate material doesn’t make it on the site.

    Apparently, their safety net has Buick sized holes in it.

  • MySpace to increase security

    MySpace to increase security

    MySpace Plans to Boost Security for Minors:

    In the wake of the Connecticut arrests of two predators who met underage girls through MySpace, MySpace chief executive Chris DeWolfe announced that MySpace will soon add technology to help prevent further crimes facilitated through MySpace. DeWolfe declined to give specifics on the technology but said an announcement would be made in the near future.

    No word if better parenting and common sense are among those measures.

  • The Predator’s Playground

    The Predator’s Playground

    Pedophiles trolling in MySpace raise alarm:

    Just another local news article, this time from Houston, about how MySpace is a predator’s playground…

    MySpace is the Studio 54 for the Internet set. And just like the seminal disco-era nightclub, MySpace has transcended being a place ”to see and be seen” and become a cultural benchmark.

    But there are no bouncers guarding the Internet. Locally, there have been two arrests in underage sex cases, and nationwide, the site has been linked to probes involving a variety of crimes, including exposing minors to pornography and even murder. On Thursday, Connecticut authorities said they arrested two men on allegations of having sexual contact with minors they met through the site.

    Locally, a 26-year-old Houston man was charged with sexual assault of a child, accused of luring a 15-year-old League City girl away from home in January after meeting through MySpace.

    Also in January, another teen from League City met a 38-year-old man on the site who began sending sexually explicit messages. The girl told her father, who went to police. Robert Alan Wise was arrested after arriving at what he thought was a meeting with the girl but was a trap set by police.

    And for the “no surprise” portion of the article…

    Telephoned requests to the Santa Monica, Calif.-based headquarters of MySpace seeking comment were not answered.

    Go figure.

  • Two molestations in Conn.

    Two molestations in Conn.

    Prosecutors: Men used MySpace to meet underage girls for sex:

    I am horrified by this article…

    Two men from Pennsylvania and New Jersey used the popular networking Web site MySpace.com to set up sexual encounters with underage Connecticut girls, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.

    The two unrelated cases come after weeks in which the potential danger of MySpace has been a topic of discussion for law enforcement, parents and school officials nationwide.

    In one case, Sonny Szeto, 22, of Jersey City, N.J., traveled to Connecticut in October and molested an 11-year-old girl in her playroom while her parents slept upstairs, according to an FBI affidavit.

    In the other case, Stephen Letavec, 39, molested a 14-year-old Connecticut girl in his car while visiting from of Elrama, Pa., in October, according to another FBI report.

    Police in Middletown are investigating recent reports that as many as seven local girls were sexually assaulted by men in their 20s who contacted them through MySpace pretending to be teenagers.

    Emphasis mine.

    What the hell was an 11-year-old girl doing on the internet unsupervised, anyway?

    The internet is not someplace an 11-year-old girl needs to be wandering around aimlessly. Parents, if this isn’t a wake-up a call, I don’t know what is.

  • What would we do without experts?

    What would we do without experts?

    A Parent’s Guide To Checking MySpace:

    Another local news article on what parents can do to protect their kids online. I only have one bone to pick with the article…

    Remember, experts have said you should warn your child that you are going to look at their Web site, and be prepared to talk reasonably about how they present themselves on the Web.

    Screw what the experts say.

    If you really want to protect your kids, don’t tell them you’ll be checking it out. This way they won’t have time to change anything, and you can really see what they’re doing online, which in turn will let you know how you need to protect your kids.

    When it comes to protecting your kids, be a parent first and their friend second.

  • Creeper busted by 12-year-old girl

    Creeper busted by 12-year-old girl

    Man Allegedly Lures Girl For Sex Through MySpace:

    Here’s another story of a creeper who thought he was meeting a 12-year-old girl but is instead met by law enforcement…

    VANCOUVER, Wash. — A 26-year-old man is behind bars after allegedly making a date with a 12-year-old girl he met online.

    Jeramie Eidem is behind bars in Clark County. He will be back in court Friday.

    Detectives say he carried on a sexually explicit cyber conversation with a 12-year-old on the popular Web site MySpace and tried to meet with her.

    Detectives say the girl did the right thing. She called her mom into the situation when she realized what was happening on the MySpace Web site. The mom called the sheriff’s office. A meeting was set up, and deputies arrested Eidem, who they say drove up from Columbia City, Ore., with plans to have sex with the girl.

    “An arrangement was made for them to meet him at a place in Hazel Dell, and he came over there, and instead he met us,” Sgt. Craig Hogman said.

    Detectives say Eidem knew the girl was 12, but that didn’t matter to him. In fact, the meeting was set up in a phone conversation after the Internet chat ended.

    Detectives have seized Eidem’s computer from his home to investigate this case. They say it’s possible that he’ll also face federal charges because he crossed state lines in the commission of the crimes.

    Luckily, in this case, the girl and her mom had enough sense to realize what was going on, and this scumbag will hopefully go away for a long time,

  • Wake Up Call

    Wake Up Call

    MySpace Dangers:

    Yet another local news expose on the evils of MySpace. That seems to be the in thing with local newscasts right now…

    MySpace.com is a growing phenomenon among teens and also an easy way for people to find you if you’re not careful. Many people think, ‘It couldn’t happen to me.’

    Only on KXAN, Jenny Hoff set out to prove those people wrong with a wake-up call at their front doors.

    Jenny admits MySpace is a great resource for journalists. She logs on every time there is breaking news to get information.

    It’s also a great resource for predators, pedophiles and stalkers, and as I’m about to show you, for anybody who wants to know where you live.

    You may call it an ambush. We prefer wake-up call.

    This article is actually much better than most of the local newscasts about MySpace. I love the fact that the reporter actually took it to the parents of MySpace users and their children.

    This is a great read for any parent whose kids have a MySpace account.

  • Minor Problem

    Minor Problem

    MySpace Investigation:

    Just another “expose” on MySpace, but it has some interesting quotes…

    Who else is on the ever-popular social Web sites? A recent search on MySpace found this teen, listing her age as 13 and calling herself “Hottie Wid A Body.”

    “I’m Delicious” is 15 years old.

    So is the minor who calls herself “PlayboySlut101,” who says the perfect date is “going to a party, then having sex.”

    This is Megan. Her quote is, “Slippery when wet, boys.”

    Parents? Anyone? Beuller?

  • 14-year-old girl turns out to be cop

    14-year-old girl turns out to be cop

    Man, 42, Accused of Using MySpace to Seduce Teen:

    (CBS4) HOLLIS A 42-year-old Groton man is under arrest after police say he contacted a person who he thought was a 14-year-old female on the Web site Myspace.com. It turns out the person he was talking to was a Hollis Police Officer.

    Police in Hollis, New Hampshire say Patrick Phelan arranged a meeting in town with the person for sex. Upon arrival, Phelan was arrested by the authorities.

    According to officials, Phelan might have more victims in the southern New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts areas who have not contacted police.

    The Hollis Police Department said they surf Myspace.com looking for criminals and pedophiles.

    Phelan posted bail and is scheduled to appear in court on April 5th.

    BWA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!!!!!!

    Serves you right, scumbag.