TheTrenchcoat Chronicles

Tag: connecticut

  • Has craigslist cleaned up?

    Cleaning up Craigslist:

    TV station WTNH from New Haven, Conn. thought it would see if craigslist new measures to limit erotic services ads has had any effect. Basically, it hasn’t.

    They also talked to Ray Bechard, the founder of Ahava Kids which help rescues Connecticut kids from prostitution. He had something familiar to say.

    “Well, here’s what I don’t understand — Craigslist has on its website, under services, a category called ‘erotic’ — if they just removed that, the problem would be mostly solved,” Bechard said.

    What a novel concept. I wonder why no one has said this before. Oh wait, they have, it was me.

    craigslist won’t do it because of all the traffic it brings to their site.

  • Scott Shefelbine sentenced

    Tolland Man Sentenced 20 Years For Sexual Assault:

    One of the earliest MySpace predators that I posted about at this site was one Scott Shefelbine. He’s the balding man in his 30’s who would convince teenage girls that he was 19 and would have sex with them. And if they didn’t comply Shefelbine would turn violent.

    To my recollection, he was arrested at least a dozen times and for most of them, his parents would post bail only have him to re-offend before trial. Eventually, his bond was revoked.

    Well, today is sort of a joyous day as Shefelbine was sentenced to 20 years behind bars today. If he gets out he’ll be on probation for another 10 years and will be a registered sex offender.

    Shefelbine’s dad, who was arrested him himself for hitting a TV reporter, was still in denial over his son’s actions saying that it was simply a case of ‘normal courtship gone awry’. Over a dozen times? If that was my dad he would have said ‘Only 20 years? Give ’em more!

    This case also caught my attention because Connecticut’s Attorney General, Richard Blumenthal, was constantly in the press for being tough on MySpace yet it takes a predator in his own state to be arrested a dozen times before he stops offending.

  • craigslist CEO reacts to Conn. AG

    Dipping once again into the well of craigslist’s ugly ass blog we come across this missive from craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster about Conn. Attorney General Richard Blumenthal.

    While I think AG Blumenthal is out of his ever-lovin’ mind I do want to take Mr. Buckmaster to task for a quote in his post.

    Unlike the telephone yellow pages, many newspapers, and countless websites, which for many years have profited from “erotic service” ads, craigslist derives no revenue (let alone profit) from “erotic services”, and in fact we incur significant costs in enforcing our terms of use regarding these ads.

    It’s not about the cash Jim. It’s about the anonymity. Newspapers, phone books, etc can easily trace back to their clients if need be. On the other hand, you can not. It’s not just about the erotic services either, at least not with me. The anonymity of craigslist provides all types of criminals to prey upon the law-abiding users of craigslist.

  • Yet another Connecticut Creeper

    Yet another Connecticut Creeper

    MySpace Link Yields Arrest:

    From the state that brought you such ‘luminaries’ as Scott Shefelbine and David Leonard comes the story of one Christopher Griswold.

    He’s a 21-year-old male from the Constitution State who caught by a 12-year-old girl’s mother trying to lure the 12-year-old for sex over MySpace.

    Region 10 School Superintendent Alan Beitman had some great advice for parents that I’m sure will fall on deaf ears.

    “Parents need to be sure their computer is in a place that’s visible” so they can keep some control over their children’s activities online, Beitman said. “They don’t have to sit with their children — just walk by the computer once in a while.”

    By the way, Connecticut, how is all that new MySpace legislation working for you?

  • Conn. Creeper Sentenced

    Conn. Creeper Sentenced

    Man sentenced for arranging sex with girl he met on MySpace:

    I originally posted about Jason Palmeira here. He was charged with using the Internet to persuade a minor to engage in sexual activity and traveling in interstate commerce for the purpose of attempting to have, and having, illicit sexual conduct with a minor. That’s a mouthful. In English…

    Palmeira traveled on July 13 from Massachusetts to Connecticut to meet the girl, picking her up in a green sports car. He drove the girl to Massachusetts, bringing her to a location he described as his girlfriend’s house, the affidavit says.

    Once at the house, Palmeira is accused of having sexual contact with the girl, putting his finger in her vagina and driving her back to Connecticut, dropping her off at the Simsbury Public Library the following morning, according to the affidavit.

    Of course, this was all arranged over MySpace.

    For his troubles, Palmeira was sentenced to three years behind bars.

  • Shefelbine’s dad gets probation

    Shefelbine’s dad gets probation

    Suspect’s Father Gets Probation:

    David Shefelbine, the father of suspected serial predator Scott Shefelbine, received probation for punching out a female reporter.

    David Shefelbine of Tolland, father of Scott Shefelbine, received the special form of probation for a year, by Judge Patricia L. Harleston.

    In granting the probation, Harleston directed David Shefelbine to have “no assaultive behavior toward anyone, particularly anyone in the news media.”

    I guess there goes the father-son picnic at county lockup.

  • Court employee failed to supervise Shefelbine

    Court employee failed to supervise Shefelbine

    Court worker suspended for failing to track whereabouts of accused MySpace molester:

    You remember Scott Shefelbine, don’t you? He’s the guy who was arrested a brazillion times for molesting underage girls he met on MySpace, even after he was already arrested.

    It turns out that a court employee has been suspended without pay because she failed to keep track of Shefelbine after one of the many times he posted bail.

    During that time, it’s believed he visited one of his victims when his bond specified he was forbidden from doing so.

  • Conn. AG turns to Facebook

    Conn. AG turns to Facebook

    Popular Web site is target of probe:

    Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is up to his usual misguided ways. This time, he’s focusing his wrath on Facebook.

    Connecticut’s attorney general is scrutinizing Facebook, the popular social-networking site, for allowing convicted sex offenders to register, calling into question whether the company is doing enough to protect users.

    The inquiry by Richard Blumenthal is designed to force Palo Alto’s Facebook to take a more aggressive stand against sexual predators after his office uncovered at least three cases of such offenders becoming members, a spokesman confirmed. In addition, Blumenthal’s team found that some of Facebook’s users had posted sexually explicit material that was not swiftly removed.

    A whole three, compared to MySpace’s 29,000. Ooooooooh, Facebook really is a criminal haven.

    Connecticut officials have contacted Facebook and asked it to remove the sex offenders’ profiles. Blumenthal plans to continue his inquiry.

    A Facebook spokeswoman did not return telephone calls seeking comment. Chris Kelly, the company’s chief privacy officer, told the New York Times that he is not familiar with the Connecticut investigation but that the company receives many reports about sex offenders registering on the Web site. The profiles are usually removed within 72 hours, he said.

    “We want to be a good partner to the states in attempting to address this societal problem,” Kelly told the Times. “We’ve worked with them for quite some time now, and we look forward to continuing our fruitful partnership.”

    Facebook maintains more-stringent security rules than some of its competitors because of its early days as an online destination for students. Full user profiles aren’t visible to the general public, for instance, and can be seen only by people who have been confirmed as friends.

    It’s bad enough that AG Blumenthal places the blame on MySpace instead of inattentive parents. Now he’s going after a site that has very little criminal activity. In the year and a half that I’ve been doing this site, the stories about Facebook pale in comparison to the stories about MySpace.

    As I’ve said before, AG Blumenthal needs to concentrate on keeping sex offenders off the streets than off of MySpace or Facebook.

  • Shefelbine trial moved

    Shefelbine trial moved

    Shefelbine Cases Moved To Rockville:

    Everyone’s favorite repeat arrestee and all around creepy guy, Scott Shefelbine, is having two of his cases moved from Hartford to Rockville, CT. However, it’s not because of any change of venue requests.

    Judge Thomas P. Miano said that he was transferring the cases for administrative purposes to Rockville, where seven other cases are pending against Shefelbine. Miano said that the move did not preclude the defense from filing a change of venue motion.

    So Judge Miano is basically saying “Look here Slapnuts. Since you have seven other cases pending against you in Rockville, we’re going to let them have these two as well”. So, basically, Shefelbine only has to make one stop before he heads to the joint.

    Rockville may not be his last stop, though. His defense attorney may file a change of venue request due to all the pre-trial publicity. Maybe if her client’s father didn’t punch out a reporter, there wouldn’t be so much publicity.

  • A Shefelbine strikes back

    A Shefelbine strikes back

    Defendant’s Father Punches Reporter:

    The saga of alleged serial predator Scott Shefelbine took a bizarre twist today. After his bail was revoked, his father, David Shefelbine, punched out a reporter…a female reporter.

    VERNON – After his son was jailed today, David Shefelbine punched a television reporter in the face outside Superior Court in Rockville.

    Erin Cox, from WTNH Channel 8, was asking him for a comment on the judge’s decision involving Scott Shefelbine, 32, when David Shefelbine, 67, swung his right arm and punched her.

    Vernon police were called, interviewed witnesses and viewed footage of the alleged assault taken by photographers for Channel 8 and WVIT Channel 30. Cox went to Rockville General Hospital at 2:35 p.m. to be evaluated.

    Police went to Shefelbine’s Tolland home after the incident to question him, but he refused to answer the door, police said. He later turned himself in at Vernon police headquarters, accompanied by his lawyer. He was charged with second-degree breach of peace and released without having to post bail.

    I’m not surprised he didn’t have to post bail. He should have a $1.5M credit.

    It also seems that a lack of respect for women runs in the family.