Tag:

Cyber Crime

23-Year-Old Man Gets Decades In Prison For Sexual Offenses Against 3 Children In Westchester 23-Year-Old Man Gets Decades In Prison For Sexual Offenses Against 3 Children In Westchester
23-Year-Old Man Gets Decades In Prison For Sexual Offenses Against 3 Children In Westchester A 23-year-old Westchester man will spend decades in prison for engaging in sexual acts with three children whom he physically and psychologically abused over several years, officials said. New Rochelle resident Jason Ricketts was sentenced on Thursday, April 4 to 21 years in prison for sexual acts involving three children, the Westchester County District Attorney's Office announced.  According to the DA's Office, Ricketts' crimes began in 2019, when he befriended children as young as 8 years old by going to locations where young people gathered and convincing them and their parent…
Sex Offender From Revere Faces Child Porn Charge Sex Offender From Revere Faces Child Porn Charge
Sex Offender From Revere Faces Child Porn Charge A Massachusetts sex offender has been charged with possessing child pornography after an investigation allegedly uncovered hundreds of images and videos of child sexual abuse material on his cell phone. Suffolk County resident Kenneth Higgins, age 45, of Revere, was arrested on Wednesday, March 13, and charged with possession of child pornography and possession of child pornography, third offense. Dave Procopio of the Massachusetts State Police said Higgins, who is classified as a Level 2 Sex Offender, has multiple prior convictions for possession of child sexual abuse materials; he is c…
New Holland Comcast User Caught On Kik With Child Porn: Police New Holland Comcast User Caught On Kik With Child Porn: Police
New Holland Comcast User Caught On Kik With Child Porn: Police A Lancaster County man was caught uploading child pornography police announced on Monday, Dec. 4.  Michael Edward Fine used his home internet connection to post child pornography onto the app KIK in October, local police found out from the Internet Crimes Against Children through a Cybertip, as explained in the police release. Through an investigation, the New Holland police learned that Fine "upload[ed] multiple videos containing child pornography" using his Comcast IP address, as stated in the release. A search warrant was issued and executed at Fine's home in the 100 block of East …
CHILD SEX STING: German 'Perv To Some Extent' Admits Flying Into NJ To Abuse Children CHILD SEX STING: German 'Perv To Some Extent' Admits Flying Into NJ To Abuse Children
Child SEX Sting: German 'Perv To Some Extent' Admits Flying Into NJ To Abuse Children UPDATE: A German man admitted in federal court in Newark that he flew to New Jersey for what he thought would be sex with children as young as 10 years old. Christian Stefan Walther, 39, of Erfurt, communicated with what turned out to be two undercover New Jersey State Police detectives via email, phone, and an encrypted messaging app, authorities said. The officers had posed as members of a group of predators who had access to young children, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. Walther, who called himself a "perv to some extent," expressed a "desire to engage in sexual …
Berkshire County Man, Ex-Head Of 'Recount' News Site Had 'Large' Amount Of Child Porn: Police Berkshire County Man, Ex-Head Of 'Recount' News Site Had 'Large' Amount Of Child Porn: Police
Berkshire County Man, Ex-Head Of 'Recount' News Site Had 'Large' Amount Of Child Porn: Police A 44-year-old Berkshire County man and former editor-in-chief of a popular news site faces multiple felonies after he allegedly amassed a trove of child sexual abuse material featuring children as young as 3, authorities said. He also took is accused of taking part in discussions on how to abduct and rape children.  Slade Sohmer, of Otis, was arrested on Monday, Nov. 13, following a lengthy investigation and charged with two counts of having child porn and two counts of dissemination of child pornography, the Berkshire County District Attorney's Office said. More charges are expect…
Westfield Students Made AI-Generated Nude Images Of Female Classmates: Officials Westfield Students Made AI-Generated Nude Images Of Female Classmates: Officials
Westfield Students Made Ai-generated Nude Images Of Female Classmates: Officials The Westfield School District said it is investigating after male students made AI-generated nude images of their female classmates. Mary Ann McGann, a spokeswoman for the district, said the incident took place over the summer and was brought to the attention of administrators on Friday, Oct. 20. The Wall Street Journal first reported the story on Thursday, Nov. 2.  The administration began an immediate investigation and police were notified, McGann said. All the images have been deleted and are not being circulated, Principal Mary Asfendis said in an e-mail to parents. Citing confide…
Clifton Man Seized In $13M Indian Tech Support Scam: Seniors, Small Biz Owners Among Victims Clifton Man Seized In $13M Indian Tech Support Scam: Seniors, Small Biz Owners Among Victims
Clifton Man Seized In $13M Indian Tech Support Scam: Seniors, Small Biz Owners Among Victims FBI agents seized a Clifton man in connection with an India-based $13 million tech support scam that targeted more than 7,000 victims, most of them elderly or small business owners, authorities said. Manoj Yadav, a 40-year-old Indian-American, collected an estimated $2.2 million for his services before sending the rest to an unspecified number of associates overseas, federal investigators charged. Together, the cyber-scammers “misled their numerous victims into thinking that they were a legitimate technology support company affiliated with a major software company,” U.S. Attorney Philip R. …
Ephrata Man Downloads Child Porn For Months: Police Ephrata Man Downloads Child Porn For Months: Police
Ephrata Man Downloads Child Porn For Months: Police A 21-year-old man was caught with numerous pornographic images of children on his computer — only discovered after a cyber tip, the police announced on Monday, Aug. 28.  The cyber tip led police to Matthew Joseph Puleo, who was arrested on Aug. 8, court documents show.  An investigation by the Northern Lancaster County Regional Police Department Detective Division found that the Ephrata man possession of digital files downloaded between June 6, 2022, and Aug. 2, 2022. Puleo of the first block of Patience Lane, Clay Township has been charged with felony criminal use…
Youth Pastor Blackmailed Boys For Nude Sex Acts: Prosecutor Youth Pastor Blackmailed Boys For Nude Sex Acts: Prosecutor
Youth Pastor Blackmailed Boys For Nude Sex Acts: Prosecutor A youth pastor was sentenced to 25 yers in New Jersey State Prison for coaxing boys to send him nude photos and then blackmailing them, authorities said. Sean Higgins, 32, of Palmyra committed the crimes in 2020 while serving as the youth pastor and music leader at Harbor Baptist Church in Hainesport, according to Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw. He was also a teacher at the Harbor Baptist Academy, a private K-12 school that is housed in the same facility. Higgins pleaded guilty earlier this year to four counts of child endangerment for each of the four victims. None …
Bergen Mechanic, 63, Charged With Collecting Child Porn Bergen Mechanic, 63, Charged With Collecting Child Porn
Bergen Mechanic, 63, Charged With Collecting Child Porn A 63-year-old mechanic from River Vale was arrested Thursday on child porn charges, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella confirmed. John DeFilippo was taken into custody by members of the prosecutor’s Cyber Crimes Unit during a June 8 raid at his Westwood Avenue home, Musella said. The investigators had found that DeFilippo “used the Internet to view, download, and possess items depicting nude and/or sexually explicit prepubescent children,” the prosecutor said. DeFilippo was processed on charges of possessing child sexual abuse material and sent to the Bergen County Jail to await a first…
Were Yours Contacted? Pedo Got Kids To Strip Online, Then Shared Screenshots: Bergen Prosecutor Were Yours Contacted? Pedo Got Kids To Strip Online, Then Shared Screenshots: Bergen Prosecutor
Were Yours Contacted? Pedo Got Kids To Strip Online, Then Shared Screenshots: Bergen Prosecutor An unemployed Bergen County man paid children to strip during webchats so he could take screenshots that he then viewed and shared, authorities charged. Edward A. Torres, 23, tried destroying the evidence during a court-approved raid of his Union Place apartment off Harding Avenue, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. Detectives from his Cyber Crimes Unit had learned that Torres “used the Internet to view, download, possess, and distribute items depicting nude and/or sexually explicit prepubescent and pubescent children,” the prosecutor said. He got children to produce some of those…
Enticing Minors Online: Putnam County Man Sentenced For Illegal Sexual Activity Enticing Minors Online: Putnam County Man Sentenced For Illegal Sexual Activity
Enticing Minors Online: Putnam County Man Sentenced For Illegal Sexual Activity A Hudson Valley man will spend decades in prison for using the internet to entice minors to engage in sexual activity, federal officials said.  Putnam County resident Marcelo Marin Vargas, age 45, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Tuesday, May 9 after pleading guilty to enticing minors to engage in illegal sexual activity over the internet, according to the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.  According to federal officials, Vargas used a computer and the internet to persuade, entice, and coerce three underage girls to send him images and videos o…
Suspect At Large After Darien Woman Scammed By Email From 'Familiar Name At Workplace' Suspect At Large After Darien Woman Scammed By Email From 'Familiar Name At Workplace'
Suspect At Large After Darien Woman Scammed By Email From 'Familiar Name At Workplace' A suspect is at large after allegedly scamming a  woman out of money in an email scam pretending he was someone from her workplace in Connecticut. In Fairfield County, the incident took place on Wednesday, March 15 when Darien Police met with the victim of the larceny involving an email scam. The victim reported that earlier in the day she received an email from a familiar name at her workplace. The email requested that she purchase gift cards related to her work function, Darien PD Sgt. Dan Skoumbros said. The email explained to the victim that pictures of the gift cards wi…
'Sexual Predator' Gets 12 Years For Blackmailing Massachusetts Teen Into Send Nudes: Feds 'Sexual Predator' Gets 12 Years For Blackmailing Massachusetts Teen Into Send Nudes: Feds
'Sexual Predator' Gets 12 Years For Blackmailing Massachusetts Teen Into Send Nudes: Feds A 33-year-old Chicago man who bullied a 16-year-old Massachusetts girl into sending him nude photos and then threatened to release them to her friends and family if she didn't give him more will spend more than a decade behind bars, federal authorities said.  Ernesto Herrera, who pleaded guilty to one count of coercion and enticement of a minor in August, was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison on Friday, Fed. 24, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said.  Herrera reached out to the victim from an anonymous phone number through a social media app in June 2020 and manipulate…
Haddonfield Man Admits Hiring Hitman For $20K In Bitcoin To Have 14-Year-Old Killed: Feds Haddonfield Man Admits Hiring Hitman For $20K In Bitcoin To Have 14-Year-Old Killed: Feds
Haddonfield Man Admits Hiring Hitman For $20K In Bitcoin To Have 14-Year-Old Killed: Feds A Camden County man who shared sexually explicit photos with a 14-year-old child online admitted to paying $20,000 in bitcoin to have the child killed, authorities said. John Michael Musbach, 31, of Haddonfield, pleaded guilt to an indictment charging him with knowingly and intentionally using and causing another to use a facility of interstate and foreign commerce, that is the internet, with the intent that a murder be committed, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. In the summer of 2015, Musbach reportedly exchanged sexually explicit photographs and videos with the victim, a …
Dutchess County Youths Being Extorted On Social Media, Cops Say Dutchess County Youths Being Extorted On Social Media, Cops Say
Dutchess County Youths Being Extorted On Social Media, Cops Say Police in the Hudson Valley are warning parents of a group that is targeting youth on social media for suggestive photos and then blackmailing them for cash.  The Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office reports the investigation into multiple cases of local youths being extorted via social media over the past week, said Capt. John Watterson of the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office.  Watterson said the extortion begins when the perpetrator befriends the child posing as someone their age on social media, then at some point asks the child to share explicit photos of themselves…
Police Officer Stalked Ex-Girlfriend, Vandalized Her Home: Monmouth Prosecutor Police Officer Stalked Ex-Girlfriend, Vandalized Her Home: Monmouth Prosecutor
Police Officer Stalked Ex-Girlfriend, Vandalized Her Home: Monmouth Prosecutor A police officer from the Jersey Shore is accused of stalking and harassing an ex-girlfriend, among other crimes, authorities said. Erich A. Bennett, 46, a Sea Bright police officer, is charged with official misconduct, computer theft, criminal mischief, making terroristic threats, cyber harassment, stalking and hindering apprehension, according to Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago Bennett and the victim were in a brief dating relationship that the victim ended in late November 2022. On Dec. 5, 2022, Bennett showed up unannounced to the woman’s residence and thre…
Man Found With 500+ Child Porn Images, West Earl Twp. Police Say Man Found With 500+ Child Porn Images, West Earl Twp. Police Say
Man Found With 500+ Child Porn Images, West Earl Twp. Police Say A Lancaster County Man is accused of possessing and distributing hundreds of images of child pornography, authorities say.  Adam Michael Lawr Shirk, 33, of Akron, turned himself into the police, with his attorney present, on Jan. 26 at 1:30 p.m., according to the West Earl Township police.  Police had been investigating Shirk since they received a cyber tip in the fall and executed a search warrant on Nov. 11, 2022.  Afterward, they forensically examined a laptop, tablet computer, and several cellphones they seized and found more than 500 images of child pornograph…
Westport Man, 76, Charged With Possession Of Child Porn, Police Say Westport Man, 76, Charged With Possession Of Child Porn, Police Say
Westport Man, 76, Charged With Possession Of Child Porn, Police Say A 76-year-old Fairfield County man has been charged with allegedly possessing child pornography. John Minehan of Westport turned himself in to the police on Monday, Nov. 28, following an investigation into a cyber tip, said Lt. Eric Woods, of the Westport Police. According to Woods, on Monday, Aug. 15, Westport Police initiated an investigation into the possession of suspected child pornography by a resident after receiving a cyber tip from National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.  The images contained in the tip were confirmed child pornography and the suppl…
Suffolk County Couple's Life Savings Recovered After Stolen By Scammer Suffolk County Couple's Life Savings Recovered After Stolen By Scammer
Suffolk County Couple's Life Savings Recovered After Stolen By Scammer Authorities recovered hundreds of thousands of dollars that were stolen from a Long Island couple in an internet phishing scam. Investigators recovered more than $330,000 after the funds were stolen from a Suffolk County husband and wife, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney announced on Wednesday, Nov. 30. On or about Tuesday, Sept. 20, the victims had the funds stolen from them by a scammer in Kolkata, India, who made false claims and manipulated electronic banking information to convince the couple that the money needed to be refunded after it had been erroneously deposited i…
Minor Responsible For Majority Of Bomb Threats Targeting HBCUs, FBI Says Minor Responsible For Majority Of Bomb Threats Targeting HBCUs, FBI Says
Minor Responsible For Majority Of Bomb Threats Targeting HBCUs, FBI Says The FBI announced that one minor is “believed to be responsible for the “majority of the threats" that have been targeting Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) across the country and throughout the region. According to a press release issued by the FBI, since January, more than 50 HBCUs, houses of worship, and other faith-based and academic institutions across the country have received racially motivated threats of violence. Of those threats, there have been some reported in the Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia region. The investigation into the threats led to the id…
Mount Laurel Officer Hacked Victim's Facebook, Snapchat To Leak Her Naked Photos: Prosecutor Mount Laurel Officer Hacked Victim's Facebook, Snapchat To Leak Her Naked Photos: Prosecutor
Mount Laurel Officer Hacked Victim's Facebook, Snapchat To Leak Her Naked Photos: Prosecutor A 22-year-old South Jersey police officer hacked into a woman's social media account and distributed nude photos that she took of herself — including of some from when she was a minor — to her online friends and contacts, authorities said. Ayron Taylor, 22, of Delran, a Mount Laurel police officer, was charged with several counts of computer crime, endangering the welfare of a child and invasion of privacy, Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw said. The investigation began last month after the victim contacted the Evesham Township Police Department and reported that her Snap…
Store Clerk From Ramsey Charges With Collecting Child Porn Store Clerk From Ramsey Charges With Collecting Child Porn
Store Clerk From Ramsey Charges With Collecting Child Porn A 42-year-old store clerk from Ramsey was charged with collecting online child porn. Steven Vanduysen was arrested during a raid of his Spruce Run condo last Friday, Oct. 14, and remained in the Bergen County Jail on Tuesday, records show. Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said detectives from his Cyber Crimes Unit found that VanDuysen had “ used the Internet to view, download, and possess over 100 files depicting nude and/or sexually explicit prepubescent children.” They charged him with possession of child pornography and sent him to the county lockup to await a first appearance in C…
Hateful Images, Messages Sent To Westwood Regional Students Probed By Cyber Crime Detectives Hateful Images, Messages Sent To Westwood Regional Students Probed By Cyber Crime Detectives
Hateful Images, Messages Sent To Westwood Regional Students Probed By Cyber Crime Detectives An underage saboteur used the online account of a Westwood Regional High School student to email hateful messages to most of the victim’s classmates – among them, an image of a Ku Klux Klansman accompanied by an anti-Semitic caption, authorities said. The Bergen County Prosecutor’s Cyber Crimes Unit and Washington Township police are investigating the bias incident, which district officials traced to a “non-district minor’s” IP address, Schools Supt. Jill Mortimer wrote in a message to parents and staff members. “Please know this was not a breach of our network or system,” Mortimer emphasiz…
14 Men Arrested On Child Porn, Endangerment Charges In Ongoing Jersey Shore Sting: Prosecutor 14 Men Arrested On Child Porn, Endangerment Charges In Ongoing Jersey Shore Sting: Prosecutor
14 Men Arrested On Child Porn, Endangerment Charges In Ongoing Jersey Shore Sting: Prosecutor A series of investigations led by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Computer Crimes Unit and the Monmouth County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force has resulted in the arrests of 14 men this year, authorities said on Thursday, Aug. 11. From the beginning of 2020 to present, approximately 550 CyberTips have resulted in a total of 77 arrests in Monmouth County, according to Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Lori Linskey. The majority of this year's investigations originated via CyberTips that were forwarded to our office by the National Center for Missing and Exploi…
Maryland State Police Issues Warning Of Online Scam Involving The Sexual Extortion Of Minors Maryland State Police Issues Warning Of Online Scam Involving The Sexual Extortion Of Minors
Maryland State Police Issues Warning Of Online Scam Involving The Sexual Extortion Of Minors The rise of sexual predators targeting minors on social media has led Maryland State Police officials to issue a warning to parents. Authorities said that state police investigators have received multiple reports of minors being contacted by other social media users who began conversing with them over messaging services on Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. “Investigators believe online predators may often give the impression they are romantically interested in the minor being targeted, to gain their trust,” they stated. “As the chats progress, the suspect user will request sexually illic…
Repeat NJ Sex Offender Gets 15 Years Behind Bars: AG Repeat NJ Sex Offender Gets 15 Years Behind Bars: AG
Repeat NJ Sex Offender Gets 15 Years Behind Bars: AG A 52-year-old New Jersey sex offender who was out on parole when he sent sexually explicit photos of himself to underage girls and a video of himself masturbating to an undercover detective was sentenced to 15 years behind bars, authorities said. Joseph M. Graber III, of Marlton, was sentenced under the  Lunsford Act Friday by Superior Court Judge Christopher Garrenger in Burlington County, Acting Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced Friday, May 13. Graber will remain a registered sex offender under Megan’s Law, have limited use of the Internet, pay mandatory fines and pe…
Air Force Lieutenant Who Recorded Kids On Hidden Bathroom Cameras Gets Prison Time Air Force Lieutenant Who Recorded Kids On Hidden Bathroom Cameras Gets Prison Time
Air Force Lieutenant Who Recorded Kids On Hidden Bathroom Cameras Gets Prison Time A Waldorf Air Force Lieutenant who worked in cyber security and used a hidden camera to record four minor victims in a bathroom was sentenced to federal prison time in Maryland, according to officials. Jason Daniel Ort, 36, was sentenced Wednesday, May 5 to 11 years in federal prison followed by 15 years of supervised release and orders to register as a sex offender, for transportation of child pornography, announced by the United States Attorney for the District of Maryland's Office.  Ort pleaded guilty after admitting to placing several hidden cameras in different rooms and…
NJ Police Officer Sent Dozens Of Child Porn Files Through ‘KIK’ Messaging App, Prosecutor Says NJ Police Officer Sent Dozens Of Child Porn Files Through ‘KIK’ Messaging App, Prosecutor Says
NJ Police Officer Sent Dozens Of Child Porn Files Through ‘KIK’ Messaging App, Prosecutor Says A New Jersey police officer was charged after allegedly sending dozens of child pornography and abuse files through a messaging application called ‘KIK,’ authorities announced Wednesday. Phillipsburg Police Officer Gary A. Ricker, Jr., 33, was charged with two counts of child endangerment, Warren County Prosecutor James L. Pfeiffer said in a release alongside local officials. Ricker was identified via a cyber-tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received on Monday, Jan. 31 that stated that someone in Phillipsburg was distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM)…
Five From NJ Charged With Pocketing More Than $1M From Aircraft Equipment Scam Five From NJ Charged With Pocketing More Than $1M From Aircraft Equipment Scam
Five From NJ Charged With Pocketing More Than $1M From Aircraft Equipment Scam A crew of con artists from New Jersey swindled more than $1 million from businesses nationwide that thought they were buying aircraft equipment and replacement parts, state authorities charged. For five years, the thieves cut deals online for the purported sale of specialized equipment, including airline ground support parts and hydraulic jacks, Acting New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said. As soon as the payments arrived, members of the crew either made a bunch of cash withdrawals or slid the money into a Somerset County accomplice's account, Platkin said. The buyers got bup…
Central PA Man Nabbed For Child Porn Possession, Dissemination: Police Central PA Man Nabbed For Child Porn Possession, Dissemination: Police
Central PA Man Nabbed For Child Porn Possession, Dissemination: Police A central Pennsylvania man has been arrested after months of investigating a CyberTip that he was possessing or manufacturing of child pornography, authorities say. The investigation by Lancaster City Bureau of Police was launched after the CyberTip was submitted through the Internet Crimes Against Children task force on Sept. 13, 2021, according to a release by police. Emmanuel Worrel, 45, of Lancaster City, was arrested on Feb. 3, 2022, police say. The investigation “was extremely intensive and involved the assistance of many additional detectives who tirelessly serve the residents of L…