Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Discuss internet safety with children

Experts say families need to discuss Internet usage, safety issues

July 2, 2008
By Sarah Hinckley Times Argus Staff

SHELBURNE – Ken Wooden learned most of what he knows from convicted child molesters.Using the information he collected through two decades of interviews with hundreds of child predators as an investigative journalist, Wooden now runs a business in Shelburne called Child Lures Prevention. He travels throughout the country teaching children and young adults how to ward off pedophiles and others who look to prey upon them."I've taught a couple hundred thousand kids across the country," said Wooden, who was twice nominated for a Pulitzer Prize – once as a Chicago Sun Times writer and again as a book author. "I've done my research and I was trained as a teacher."When asked to speak at a conference in Washington D.C. on the matter in 2002, he had one question for federal officials."If predators are using lures, shouldn't we be teaching our children about them?"Wooden's interest in child predators began when he took a job as a fingerprint classifier with the New Jersey police as a young man. Each week he would nab up to 12 pedophiles among the people looking to qualify to drive a school bus, who were required to be fingerprinted.Later as a journalist gathering information, Wooden unearthed the Pedophile Information Exchange – or PIE. The Web site had a feature called 'lure of the week,' according to Wooden. He cited one example where the use of soap crayons – artistic bath-time items – was suggested as an easy, fun way to get children to disrobe.When asking the molesters he interviewed how they targeted children, most explained they would go to playgrounds and look for the loners. According to Wooden, that tactic is used by predators on the Internet, as well. In both situations there is one question that predators told Wooden they would ask the child – "How do your parents get along?""If you want to protect your child from Internet predators, I suggest you go over what moments are all about," said Wooden, referring to those times that highlight a family and relationships.Explaining moments – of anger, frustration, happiness, sorrow, etc. – to a child can be a weapon against predators. Those looking to prey will use what appears to be a weak relationship as a crowbar to separate parents from their children, according to Wooden.Open communication with children is important, explained Burlington Police Chief Michael Schirling, who has spoken to numerous groups about Internet safety for children. There are three important factors Schirling stresses about Internet safety to parents and children."Parents should know what their kids are doing online, they should be involved," he said of the first factor. "It's always eye-opening when we do safety presentations with parents. They don't realize the scope and depth of what is going on in the online world."A second important point: Computers should be in a public place, not in a bedroom or behind a closed door."It eliminates the chance of kids making potentially bad choices," said Schirling, emphasizing the third point."They should never meet anyone they meet online without parents being present – not just with their permission, but being present."While working with parents and children, Wooden also focuses on three majors points: People are like weather, teach the law, and use your gut instinct – or "siren in the belly.""For the most part weather is safe… and sometimes there is dangerous weather," he said, explaining his lure prevention program on Tuesday from his Shelburne business.As with tornadoes, hurricanes and thunderstorms – or bad weather – there are warning signs, which is the same with sexual predators."I'd rather have them afraid and worried about people versus totally trusting," said Debra Sargent, a counselor who works with victims of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, of children.She points out that people who are sexually abusive typically look to isolate their victims."You don't go with people you know not well enough, alone," said Sargent, adding that there is no such thing as a typical-looking predator. "It could be the music teacher, grocer, baseball coach, uncle… Any one of those people, it could be none of them."Through his years of research, Wooden found that describing the typical sexual molester wasn't possible."Most of these guys I've interviewed are good-looking con artists," said Wooden, adding that statistics show one in four girls and one in six boys is sexually abused.Sexual predators can be from across class or economic levels, ethnicity groups, education levels and any age. A large percentage of predators are teens, according to Wooden's information. Sargent explains that almost all predators have been victims themselves at one time."We teach children the concept of luring," said Wooden. "We also teach the concept of law."In his research, Wooden found that the incidents of molestation and pedophilia were not rising as quickly as the incidence of threats that accompanied the behavior. Most predators will threaten harm to a child or their family member in order to manipulate the victim into compliance."If someone ever threatens to harm you or your little brother or your mom and dad, that is a serious felony," Wooden said in pointing out his approach with children – from preschool through graduate school.He explained that most professionals who require certification or a license to practice must maintain a clean record. When children understand their rights and the consequences someone will undergo by making threats, it empowers them. In fact, Wooden said, many of the sexual predators he spoke with had admitted to not being successful with children who had been trained against their lures."I don't think there's a one-shot solution," said Mark Moody, School Resource Officer in the Montpelier School District. "It's pieces of the puzzle in communities that make things work right."

Missouri works to protect children

Missouri working to stop child predators
Michael Gibbons • July 2, 2008




Despite the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling against a Louisiana case pursuing the death penalty for child rapists, here in Missouri we have taken a number of steps to protect our children from those who would sexually prey on them. On Monday Gov. (Matt) Blunt signed a law that strengthens protections for our children from sexual predators. We have passed some of the toughest laws in the nation that lock the door and throw away the key on sex offenders. We have also created a cybercrime task force system that hunts predators who try to entice our children on the Internet. These new laws build on these measures to keep our kids safe.


Identifying online predators
Our kids deserve to be safe whether they are playing in a park or surfing the Web. The best way to keep them safe is with prevention. Having online identifying information up front will better help parents and teachers protect their children online, and give law enforcement better tools to catch cyber predators in the act. That's why we're adding online identifying information of any registered sex offenders to the sex offender registry. The Missouri Highway Patrol will share the online information with electronic and computer businesses to prescreen users. The information will be available to the public through searches using the online identifier. We made it a crime for failing to register as a sex offender, shortened the amount of time those convicted have to register and require sex offenders from other states to register in Missouri if they are here more than a week. They also will now also be photographed, have to provide palm prints and a DNA sample.

Funding cyber crime task forces
The bill also creates the Cyber Crimes Investigation Fund. This new fund benefits the Internet Cyber Crimes Grant program that we put in place two years ago by providing $3 million annually. The grant program has supported and created local law enforcement and multijurisdictional task forces across Missouri that employ cyber detectives and computer forensic experts. These task forces target Internet predators and child pornographers. Since the grant program began, arrests of cyber predators targeting our children has quadrupled.

Safer trick-or-treating
Sex offenders are banned from participating in all Halloween festivities related to children. Sex offenders must stay inside their residence from 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Halloween, post a sign at their residence stating there are no treats there and make sure all outside lighting is off. Even with this new safety measure in place, I encourage parents to continue to check their children's Halloween route against the state's sex offender registry in order to avoid potentially harmful situations.

Cracking down on child pornographers
Anyone convicted of possessing child pornography will face tougher sentences by increasing the severity of the crime to a Class C or Class B felony, depending on previous offenses. Plus, those convicted of promoting child pornography will be ineligible for probation or parole for at least three years. We also overturned a state Supreme Court decision that allows defendants or their attorneys in child pornography cases to obtain any electronic or any other copies of alleged child pornography. Defendants and their attorneys will now only be allowed to view evidence at approved state or governmental facilities, rather than regaining access to their harmful images for possible reuse or distribution. These changes improve our ability to enforce the laws already in place as well as create new ways to help shield our children from being sexually exploited online. Our children deserve to be safe -- whether playing in their yard, trick-or-treating or in their home while on the computer. We are fully committed to protecting our children and will punish those who do to the fullest extent of the law.

Supreme Court decisions
I am disappointed in the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling against a Louisiana law that would impose the death penalty for child rapists. The court's ruling was written by Justice Anthony Kennedy who, according to The Associated Press, was joined by "his four liberal colleagues" in striking down the law. I support Justice Samuel Alito's dissent that in part stated: "The harm that is caused to the victims and to society at large by the worst child rapists is grave. It is the judgment of the Louisiana lawmakers and those in an increasing number of other states that these harms justify the death penalty." Earlier this year, we considered a similar law. I am disappointed by the U.S. Supreme Court's decision, but I will enforce the tough laws we passed to protect our children from sexual predators as the next attorney general of Missouri. We will lock the door and throw away the key on those vermin that prey on our children as well as focus on prevention to make sure our kids are never hurt in the first place.

I also praise the Supreme Court for upholding law-abiding Missourians rights under the Second Amendment to the Constitution to own guns for self-defense and hunting. I agreed with the court's decision and in particular with Justice Antonin Scalia who said in writing for the majority that the Constitution does not permit "the absolute prohibition of handguns held and used for self-defense in the home." This is a major victory for Missourians, and I strongly commend the Supreme Court for its common-sense ruling on this very important legal issue. As attorney general, I will work to protect our Second Amendment rights and enforce Missouri laws that give our citizens the right to carry, prevent their firearms from being confiscated during natural disasters and make sure that they can defend their homes from intruders.

Michael Gibbons is president pro tem of the Missouri Senate and a Republican candidate for state attorney general.

Don't send your computer to be fixed if you have child porn as your wallpaper!

Idiot Pedophile of the year award goes to.......


Lindenhurst man charged with child porn
A Lindenhurst man has been charged with possession of child pornography found on his computer by a Kansas technology firm.
Peter Macdonald, 57, was arrested Monday by Lake County sheriff's police.
Lou Archbold, an investigator for the Lake County state's attorney's office, said Macdonald sent his laptop computer to Resq System in Olathe, Kan., to have a new hard drive installed March 16.
Technicians at the firm could not start the computer, Archbold said, so they called Macdonald for his user name and password.
Macdonald supplied the company with the information, Archbold said, and technicians found a pornographic picture of a young boy as the desktop background of the device.
Technicians also located several files they suspected contained child pornography, Archbold said, so they contacted local police.
Kansas police sent the computer to the FBI for analysis, Archbold said, and the FBI alerted Lake County authorities.
Macdonald was taken into custody at his home at 839 Colony Court. He was released after posting $10,000 cash for bond.
He faces up to seven years in prison if convicted and is scheduled to appear July 7 in court.


William Phillips ~ Delaware predator

New Castle man charged with creating child porn
By SEAN O'SULLIVAN • The News Journal • July 1, 2008


WILMINGTON -- A New Castle man who has been in federal detention since February on charges of possession of child pornography has now been federally charged with creating child porn.


U.S. Attorney Colm F. Connolly today unsealed a superseding indictment against William A. Phillips, 41, for 14 counts of production of child pornography and 11 counts of interstate travel with the intent to engage in a sexual act with a child less than 12 years old.

According to Connolly and New Castle County Police Chief Rick Gregory at a press conference this morning, investigators originally seized more than 250,000 images and 1,200 videos during a search at Phillips home in February.

After Phillips was arraigned and ordered detained in federal court pending trial on possession-related child porn charges, investigators, while reviewing the evidence, realized Phillips had apparently been creating as well as attempting to trade in obscene images of children engaged in sexual acts.

“The phrase ‘child predator’ is an apt one. They see children as prey. We need to make sure these hunters feel like prey,” said Connolly, adding that the best way to do that and make people like Phillips feel vulnerable is through aggressive investigations and prosecutions.

Connolly said investigators recovered at least one video of two minor girls - identified at Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 - and thousands of still images allegedly created by Phillips.

After this discovery, police returned to Phillips’ home with a new search warrant in June and recovered items that could be seen in the video and images.

This included furniture, women and children's clothing, make up, a comforter, sex toys and "handcuffs with a belt," according to court papers.

Connolly said they have identified some, but not all of the children victimized by Phillips.

He would not say how many have been identified and how many they are still seeking to identify -- citing rules about protecting the identity of victims -- nothing that police have still not completed a review of the vast number of obscene images and videos.

However, Connolly said most have likely been identified and the final number of victims will be a small amount.

He asked anyone who may have information about children that may have been victimized by Phillips to call either New Castle County Police Detective Jason Wilson at 395-8110 or FBI Special Agent Michelle Taylor at 658-4391.

The case against Phillips was one of the first undertaken by New Castle County's three-person Cyber Crimes Unit that was established last year, Gregory said.

Phillips was originally charged with one count of possession of child pornography, two counts of attempted distribution, four counts of receipt of child pornography and four counts of possession of obscene image. The distribution and receipt charges each carry a minimum mandatory five-year sentence, if convicted and a maximum sentence of up to 20 years and a $250,000 fine.

The possession count carries a maximum charge of up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The new charges against Phillips carry heavier potential sanctions. The production counts set a minimum prison term of 15 years, if convicted and up to 30 years with a $250,000 fine. The interstate travel charge to engage in a sexual act with a child has a minimum punishment of up to 30 years and a maximum of up to life in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The travel is alleged to have occurred between Nov. 2001 and Oct. 2005. The video was believed produced between April 2000 and April 2003. The explicit still photos were allegedly created between Nov. 2003 and Oct. 2005.

Florida man had child porn involving a one year old child

North Naples man faces prosecution on child porn charges

A North Naples man is awaiting extradition from Michigan to Southwest Florida to face prosecution on 130 counts of possessing child pornography on his computer.


Kenneth Lee Wilson, 43, faces a maximum five-year prison sentence on each count.
Wilson was arrested Sunday near Grand Rapids, where he fled after Collier County sheriff’s deputies found photos and videos on his computer of children, including a 1-year-old, engaging in sex acts.
Deputies said they discovered the child pornography while they were on an Internet information sharing site.
They said they traced the pornography back to Wilson’s computer, which they seized at his home June 18 after he fled the area.

Child porn producer had 1200 videos, 250,000 images as well as 100 disks full of kiddie porn

Child Pornography charges
By Mellany Armstrong

A New Castle man is facing even more charges of child pornography.

41-year-old William Phillips had been charged by federal authorities in February with having child porn, then county police found he had actually produced the porn.

Investigators found more than 12-hundred videos and 250-thousand images, as well as 100 computer disks full of child porn.

Prosecutors say one video showed two young girls engaging in sex acts. They are trying to identify the girls, and say there may be more victims.

Man traveled 11 times to have sex with children under 12 years old!

New Castle Man Charged With Child Porn




William Phillips has been charged with 14 counts of production of child pornography and 11 counts of interstate travel to engage in sex with a minor.

By Ted Efaw
Tuesday, July 1, 2008


U.S. Attorney Colm Connolly unsealed a superseding indictment against William Phillips of New Castle. He was already being held in Federal detention on charges of possession of child pornography.
Connolly says New Castle County Police learned Phillips was producing child porn in his home.
In June police used a warrant to search his home. More damaging evidence was found. "which enabled us to supersed the indictment with 14 counts of producing child pronograph and 11 counts of interstate travel with the intent to engage in a sexual act with a child under the age of 12."
The new charges could put Phillips away for a long time. The production counts set a minimum prison term of 15 years.
The interstate travel charge to engage in a sexual act with a child has a minimum punishment of up to 30 years.


The parents of these children need to be looked at as well. I cannot believe that this perv just found these kids on the internet and went to go have sex with them without the parents knowing. They were all under the age of 12! I really don't see these children hanging out in chatrooms or myspace, and giving this man thier address so he can come over and have sex with them. This reeks of parents pimping out thier children!

Federal charges for Tennessee child pornographer

Kingsport Man Is Held On Child Porn Charges

Published: 11:52 AM, 07/01/2008



Source: The Greeneville Sun

By BILL JONES

Staff Writer

A Kingsport man, at the conclusion Monday of his initial appearance in U.S. District Court here on child pornography charges, was ordered held in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending July 3 detention and preliminary hearings.

Jason Brad Ford, 28, of 148 Hidden Valley Road, Kingsport, had been taken into custody June 27 by Washington County sheriff's deputies who were assisting the FBI.

Ford had been named in a federal criminal complaint filed by FBI Special agent Sandra Farrow.

The eight-page complaint charged Ford with production of child pornography, receipt of child pornography, possession of child pornography and inducing a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity.

In the complaint, Agent Farrow said she was contacted on March 13, 2008, by the Washington County Sheriff's Department to investigate "a possible Internet crime against children."

The complaint alleges that Ford "produced child pornography via the Internet using a Web camera and a minor child who lived in Colorado that Ford met via the Internet," a press release issued by the U.S. Attorney's office said.

If convicted, according to the U.S. Attorney's release, Ford faces between 15 and 30 years in prison on the production of child pornography charge, and five to 20 years in federal prison on the receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography charges. He also faces 10 years to life in prison on the charge of inducing a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity charge.

Also the charges also carry potential fines of up to $250,000 upon conviction.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Dennis Inman ordered Ford held in custody pending detention and preliminary hearings scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday, July 3.

What does the bible say about rape?

No Death Penalty for Child Rapists

Obviously, raping a child is a heinous crime that is equal to or only slightly less than murder. It is an atrocity that even to our hardened, modernized thinking is seen as an abomination.
But America's become a conundrum in the last few decades. We have become a people that are over-tolerant in some areas, and fiercely under-tolerant in others. It's almost as if we are so stifled by political correctness that we re-direct our negative energies to something that NO one could disagree with. So, we have developed an overweening hatred of child molestors while we excuse away serial killers and attempt to understand terrorists.
Perhaps this explains why so many people claim to be shocked by the latest Supreme Court ruling, which was handed down yesterday: We are now told that we cannot execute child molestors, though we still can execute murderers.
This decision was not made merely by a toss of the coin. As one writer pointed out yesterday, "There has not been an execution in the United States for a crime that did not also involve the death of the victim in 44 years, a factor that weighed in [Justice] Kennedy's decision.
"However, the decision was a close one: Four Justices dissented with this (there are a total of nine).
Immediately everyone was up in arms over this. And yet, we have to ask ourselves why we didn't execute a rapist within the past 44 years. Surely there is a reason!
The reason is that, up until now, modern society believed that the death penalty was to be reserved for people who took a life.
Were they right or wrong?
Like it or not, much of our modern laws are based on Old Testament laws from the earliest part of the Bible (also known as the Hebrew Pentateuch). There, in Exodus 21:23-25, we are told "But if there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise." *
Obviously we don't enact these laws literally. Instead, we demand payment for such injuries.
In the Bible, the penalty for rape was death. When Dinah was kidnapped and raped in Genesis 34, her tribe retaliated by killing every male in that city. They weren't condemned by God for that act. But later on, in Deuteronomy 22:25-27, we are informed that if someone rapes a women he is to be put to death, but his family and friends should be spared. (We are also told that the woman is innocent in this matter, which is something that modern Muslims disagree with).
Personally, I believe that we should always have kept the death penalty for rapists, no matter who they rape, and no matter what age. However, one could certainly argue that we do not literally interpret all Old Testament (Pentateuch) laws.
Another argument against the death penalty is that some women have cried "rape" falsely. As we know, there have recently been many men who have been exonnerated of their rape charges. They served time because they were either mistakenly identified or falsely accused. Until modern DNA testing, we remained unsure in many cases.
Generally, the arguments for and against the death penalty for rapists are the same ones used in the case of murderers. The biggest one that stands out is "What if they're innocent?"
In this modern era, there is a greatly reduced possibility of convicting an innocent man. No doubt, an innocent one will slip through the cracks here or there. But the likelihood of innocence after a jury trial with medical evidence is VERY small indeed. I am willing to take that chance, and allow the theoretical innocent to be put to death when there are so many proven rapists taking that final walk, as well.
You cannot make an omelette without breaking some eggs.
What is our alternative? A life sentence without parole? Somehow that isn't usually satisfying enough for the victim and the victim's family. But it may have to suffice for now.
Eventually, there will be new justices seated on the Supreme Court, and we may have another chance at a successful challenge.
Granted, most experts believe that the death penalty is not a great deterrent for homicide. Apparently, there is no real threat of death in most murderers' minds when they commit their crimes. But that is more the fault of our justice system, which allows prisoners to sit on death row for decades as their cases grind slowly through the wheels of justice.
What we really need is a solution to the lag time between a sentencing and the execution of the criminal. But as long as we are allowing our courts to get tied up in the smaller minutae of family and civil court, we will never be able to make the time for true justice.

* Incidentally, the next two verses read "If a man strikes the eye of his male or female slave, and destroys it, he shall let him go free on account of his eye. And if he knocks out a tooth of his male or female slave, he shall let him go free on account of his tooth." This is a striking example of how un-Biblical modern slavery was and is. For more that I've written on the Biblical perspectives of slavery, go here.

posted by Saur♥Kraut @ 6/26/2008 06:49:00 AM 14 comments

Child molestor holds two women hostage for a beer?

Molester Arrested For Taking Hostages In Cypress
A convicted child molestor from Norwalk has been arrested for allegedly holding two women hostage in Cypress.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Listen to Jodi Becker's Report

A convicted child molestor from Norwalk has been arrested for allegedly holding two women hostage in Cypress.

Cops say someone called 911, but wouldn't talk back to dispatchers. Officers went to the home early Monday to check things out.

When they got there two women ran out saying a man they didn't know had been holding them hostage.

The man turned out to be Louie Herrera, a convicted child molestor. He allegedly got in the home through a window, choked one woman, holding her and her elderly mom in the living room while he had a beer.

Cypress police arrested Herrera. He's scheduled to be in court Wednesday.