Tag:

Online Safety

PA Snapchat User Shares Child Porn — AGAIN, DA Says PA Snapchat User Shares Child Porn — AGAIN, DA Says
PA Snapchat User Shares Child Porn — Again, DA Says A Pennsylvania man is accused of using Snapchat to "connect with juveniles to engage the children in sexually explicit communications and to solicit them for sexually explicit images and videos," The Chester County District Attorney’s Office and the Chester County Detectives announced on Wednesday, Oct. 30.  Malcolm Kenyon, 25, of West Chester, has been charged for possessing, collecting, and soliciting sexually explicit images and videos from minors over the internet, the DA detailed in the release.  His preliminary arraignment was held before Magisterial Dist…
Man Who Used Snapchat, Roblox To Lure Girl For Sex In Atlantic City Sentenced: Prosecutors Man Who Used Snapchat, Roblox To Lure Girl For Sex In Atlantic City Sentenced: Prosecutors
Man Who Used Snapchat, Roblox To Lure Girl For Sex In Atlantic City Sentenced: Prosecutors A Pleasantville man will spend several years in prison for trying to sexually assault a girl in an Atlantic City park, authorities said. Javier Erazo, 21, was sentenced to four years in state prison, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said in a news release on Friday, Oct. 25. Prosecutors said Atlantic City police learned that Erazo was traveling to the park on Tuesday, June 25 to have sex with a 13-year-old girl he met through Snapchat. Officers found Erazo with the teen near Kingston and Sunset avenues. Investigators said Erazo admitted to having sexually explicit chats th…
State Revokes License Of Edison Teacher Accused Of Stalking Student 'Boyfriend' For Years State Revokes License Of Edison Teacher Accused Of Stalking Student 'Boyfriend' For Years
State Revokes License Of Edison Teacher Accused Of Stalking Student 'Boyfriend' For Years State education officials have revoked the license of an Edison teacher accused of a years-long sexual relationship with a student, as previously reported by Daily Voice. Julius Coaccioli was found with child porn over in Summer 2023 but was slapped with new charges after one of the victims depicted in a video found in his home was identified as his former Edison Township Middle School student, according to documents obtained by Daily Voice (scroll down for details on the arrest). At its Sept. 19, 2024 meeting, the New Jersey State Board of Examiners (Board) reviewed an affidavit …
Ansonia Man Busted On Child Porn Charges After Multi-State Investigation: Police Ansonia Man Busted On Child Porn Charges After Multi-State Investigation: Police
Ansonia Man Busted On Child Porn Charges After Multi-State Investigation: Police A 27-year-old Connecticut man faces multiple charges after police say he tried to entice a child online, authorities said.  Michael Bernaud, age 27, of Ansonia, was charged with possession of child pornography, two counts of enticing a minor by computer, and two counts of risk of injury to a minor, Ansonia police said. He was being held on a $150,000 bond.  Authorities said Bernaud turned himself in after police obtained a warrant for his arrest following a lengthy investigation.  Police could not say much about the investigation to protect the alleged victims, but it i…
Nyack Man Nabbed In Undercover Online Predator Sting, Rockland DA Says Nyack Man Nabbed In Undercover Online Predator Sting, Rockland DA Says
Nyack Man Nabbed In Undercover Online Predator Sting, Rockland DA Says A man is facing multiple charges after an online predator sting in the region. From Tuesday, April 30, through Sunday, Sept. 1 of this year, Robert Fidler age 66, of Nyack engaged in internet chats and attempted to arrange meetings with what he thought were two teenage girls, the Rockland County District Attorney's Office said. An undercover officer of the DA Office's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force had assumed the personas of 13- and 14-year-old girls. During the conversations, Fidler described how he and the undercover officer would engage in sexual contact whe…
Medford School's IT Worker Sextorted Girls Into Sending Nude Pics, Prosecutors Say Medford School's IT Worker Sextorted Girls Into Sending Nude Pics, Prosecutors Say
Medford School's IT Worker Sextorted Girls Into Sending Nude Pics, Prosecutors Say A 24-year-old South Jersey school's IT worker is accused of blackmailing girls he met online into sending him nude pictures, authorities said. Bryce Berger, who is from Delanco and works in Medford's public school system, was arrested on Thursday, Sept. 19, Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia Bradshaw said in a news release. The investigation began after the prosecutor's office received a tip about his online activities. Investigators said Berger used an app to ask for nude pictures from girls between 12 and 17 years old and received some. He then sextorted them, threatening …
Warning Issued For Nationwide Automated 'Sextortion' Scam: Here's What To Know Warning Issued For Nationwide Automated 'Sextortion' Scam: Here's What To Know
Warning Issued For Nationwide Automated 'Sextortion' Scam: Here's What To Know Authorities are warning the public of a nationwide automated scam in which scammers use people’s email addresses to coerce payments by intimidating them with threats of embarrassment. Victims of the "sextortion" scheme, usually children and teens, are manipulated to photograph or video material for extortionists. "After receiving the sexually explicit content from the child, the offender threatens to release that compromising material unless the victim produces additional explicit material," said the FBI in issuing the warning to parents, educators, caregivers, and children. In a sepa…
Man Admits To Attempting To Hire Girl, 12, As Prostitute At Mount Laurel Hotel: Feds Man Admits To Attempting To Hire Girl, 12, As Prostitute At Mount Laurel Hotel: Feds
Man Admits To Attempting To Hire Girl, 12, As Prostitute At Mount Laurel Hotel: Feds A Philadelphia man admitted to trying to hire a preteen girl as a prostitute and meet her at a New Jersey hotel, authorities said. Louis Goldenberg, 41, pleaded guilty on Wednesday, Sept. 18, New Jersey's U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said in a news release. He was charged in September 2023 with attempted online enticement of a minor to engage in prostitution. According to court documents and statements, Goldenberg started messaging an undercover agent posing as a middle-aged woman with a 12-year-old niece in August 2023. For the next month, Goldenberg continually expre…
All Frederick County Public School Closed In Virginia After Social Media Threat Circulated All Frederick County Public School Closed In Virginia After Social Media Threat Circulated
All Frederick County Public School Closed In Virginia After Social Media Threat Circulated Frederick County Public Schools in Virginia were closed on Wednesday after threats of violence spread online, causing alarm, and prompting the emergency shut down. School officials said on Tuesday, that "out of an abundance of caution, all schools, school offices and the school division’s administrative offices will be closed" on Sept. 11.  Officials said that closing would allow school administrator more room to assist law enforcement with the investigation. They were also advised about a viral, widespread social media post, and are working to determine its credibility. The initial inves…
Walkersville Predator Preying On Maryland Teens While Out On Bail Facing Life In Prison: Feds Walkersville Predator Preying On Maryland Teens While Out On Bail Facing Life In Prison: Feds
Walkersville Predator Preying On Maryland Teens While Out On Bail Facing Life In Prison: Feds A Maryland man who used multiple phones and online apps to target teens - including while he was out on bail and charges were pending - admitted to coercing and enticing minors, federal authorities announced. Michael Vance Culpepper, 56, of Walkersville, is facing life in prison after being busted by an undercover officer posing as a 13-year-old girl online, then doubling down. According to his guilty plea, in April and May 2023, Culpepper used mobile phones and online applications to persuade, induce, entice and coerce two victims whom he believed to be 13- and 14-year-old to engage in sex…
Elementary School Music Teacher From Bel Air Charged With Child Porn Offenses, Sheriff Says Elementary School Music Teacher From Bel Air Charged With Child Porn Offenses, Sheriff Says
Elementary School Music Teacher From Bel Air Charged With Child Porn Offenses, Sheriff Says An elementary school teacher in Maryland is facing nearly a dozen charges related to the possession and distribution of child porn, officials say. Bel Air resident Dominic J. Lafrancesca, 27, was arrested by members of the Harford County Sheriff's Office, authorities announced on Tuesday morning after he was charged with 11 counts related to the possession and distribution of child pornography. According to investigators, earlier this year, detectives with the Harford County Child Advocacy Center received information regarding suspicious Internet activity, specifically the downloading …
Man Busted For Sexual Solicitation By Officer Posing As 15-Year-Old Girl In Maryland: Sheriff Man Busted For Sexual Solicitation By Officer Posing As 15-Year-Old Girl In Maryland: Sheriff
Man Busted For Sexual Solicitation By Officer Posing As 15-Year-Old Girl In Maryland: Sheriff A 48-year-old Virginia man is facing charges in Maryland for allegedly targeting a young girl - who was, in fact, an undercover officer - through a messaging app, authorities announced. David Clay Murray, of Fairfax, was arrested and charged with multiple counts of sexual solicitation of a minor following an investigation by the Frederick County Sheriff's Office. In early August, a detective performing online investigations posing as a minor girl who was 15 was contacted by Murray through the cellular messaging app.  Investigators say that during the course of the conversation, the de…
Man Sentenced For Trying To Meet Girl For Sex In Bucks County: DA Man Sentenced For Trying To Meet Girl For Sex In Bucks County: DA
Man Sentenced For Trying To Meet Girl For Sex In Bucks County: DA A Pottstown man was sentenced to 8 ½ to 17 years in Pennsylvania State Prison for trying to meet a 12-year-old girl for sex in Bensalem Township, authorities said. Uturah Golson, 33, pleaded guilty in April to criminal attempt to commit rape of a child, criminal attempt to commit involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and criminal solicitation to photograph or film a child sex act, according to the Bucks County District Attorney. Golson appeared before Common Pleas Judge Charissa J. Liller on Thursday, Aug. 1, and she sent him to state prison for up to 17 years. Additionally, she sentenced…
Maryland Man Hoping For Sex With Teen Instead Arrested By Undercover Officers: Police Maryland Man Hoping For Sex With Teen Instead Arrested By Undercover Officers: Police
Maryland Man Hoping For Sex With Teen Instead Arrested By Undercover Officers: Police An undercover investigation landed a 30-year-old Perryville man behind bars for soliciting a purported teen girl through social media, the Harford County Sheriff's Office announced. Joshua John Brown was arrested days after interacting with detectives posing as a 13-year-old girl on a social media platform, while openly acknowledging the age difference and illegality of the conversations. According to the sheriff's office, Brown identified himself as a 30-year-old named "John," and despite expressing concerns about possible consequences, he "continued to make sexually suggestive remarks," a…
Students Sexted, Touched By Steelton-Highspire HS Band Volunteer Now Facing Charges: Affidavit Students Sexted, Touched By Steelton-Highspire HS Band Volunteer Now Facing Charges: Affidavit
Students Sexted, Touched By Steelton-Highspire HS Band Volunteer Now Facing Charges: Affidavit A volunteer with the Steelton-Highspire High School band is wanted by the police for sending sexually-explicit messages to students, according to a release by Swatara Township Police and court documents obtained by Daily Voice.  Raymond Earnes Green Jr., 31, of Steelton, known at the high school as "Rocky Rozay" used his Instagram account with the username beatgriffey6 to send sexual messages to students, the police alleged in the affidavit of probable cause.  Green would be at band practices, games, and hanging out after the games — and had been flirting with a girl under 16…
Western Mass Man Admits To Sending Nudes To Agent Posing As 14-Year-Old Online: Feds Western Mass Man Admits To Sending Nudes To Agent Posing As 14-Year-Old Online: Feds
Western Mass Man Admits To Sending Nudes To Agent Posing As 14-Year-Old Online: Feds A 37-year-old Berkshire County didn't realize the 14-year-old girl he was sending nude photos to and begging her to reciprocate was a federal agent until he was arrested, authorities said.  Paul J. Bruzzi, of Lenox, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, July 16, to one count of attempt to transfer obscene material to a minor, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said.  Bruzzi began a conversation online with someone he believed to be a 14-year-old girl in September 2022. During their talks, he sent nine photos and videos of his genitals to the girl in an attempt to have her send him simila…
Grindr Meetup Ends With Dismemberment Of PA 14-Year-Old: Affidavit Grindr Meetup Ends With Dismemberment Of PA 14-Year-Old: Affidavit
Grindr Meetup Ends With Dismemberment Of PA 14-Year-Old: Affidavit A 14-year-old transgender teenager from Western Pennsylvania met their alleged killer through the dating app Grindr, according to an affidavit of probable cause obtained by Daily Voice.  Dashawn Dale Depree Watkins, 29 of Sharon, is in the Mercer County Prison after bloody clothes and surveillance videos linked him to the brutal dismembering of 14-year-old Pauly Likens, the Pennsylvania State Police explained in a press release and court documents.  Likens was reported missing by "his" father (who does not acknowledge his son's transition to become a girl, the police explained in the affida…
Empower Creativity At Cre8tor Incubator’s Summer Workshops For Kids! Empower Creativity At Cre8tor Incubator’s Summer Workshops For Kids!
Empower Creativity At Cre8tor Incubator’s Summer Workshops For Kids! Cre8tor Incubator is excited to offer new creative technology summer workshops for kids in July and August in Scarsdale, NY, at 135 Summerfield Street. These programs attract children from nearby towns such as Larchmont, Mamaroneck, Bronxville, Pelham, and more. Designed to ignite young imaginations, the workshops provide the curriculum and resources needed to responsibly and safely launch their own YouTube channels. With new sessions every week, parents can enroll their children for one week or the entire summer! Additionally, Cre8tor Incubator offers a robust after-school program starting i…
Child Porn Possession: Former Sports Hall Of Famer From Somers Gets Years In Prison Child Porn Possession: Former Sports Hall Of Famer From Somers Gets Years In Prison
Child Porn Possession: Former Sports Hall Of Famer From Somers Gets Years In Prison A retired teacher and former sports announcer who was once inducted into the Westchester Sports Hall of Fame has been sentenced for receiving child pornography.  Somers resident Richard Leaf, age 76, who is well-known in Westchester for announcing Section 1 boys and girls basketball tournaments for more than three decades, was sentenced on Tuesday, July 2 to a decade in prison for receiving child pornography, according to federal US District Court documents.  Earlier Report - Child Porn Possession: Sports Hall Of Famer From Hudson Valley Pleads Guilty According to federal pr…
Waltham Man Who Offered $200 For Sex With 12-Year-Old Gets 15 Years In Prison: Feds Waltham Man Who Offered $200 For Sex With 12-Year-Old Gets 15 Years In Prison: Feds
Waltham Man Who Offered $200 For Sex With 12-Year-Old Gets 15 Years In Prison: Feds A 38-year-old Waltham man who reached out to an online ad for sex with a child in an undercover sting will spend the next 15 years behind bars, authorities announced on Thursday, June 20.  Misael Fabian Medina was convicted of one count of attempted sex trafficking of a child and one count of attempted coercion and enticement, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said.  Investigators said Medina responded to an online ad offering sex with two young girls in November 2022. In a text exchange with the people he believed were selling the children, Medina offered $200 to have sex wi…
Mass Man Guilty Of Trying To Pay 14-Year-Old Girl For Sex: Feds Mass Man Guilty Of Trying To Pay 14-Year-Old Girl For Sex: Feds
Mass Man Guilty Of Trying To Pay 14-Year-Old Girl For Sex: Feds A 29-year-old man was found guilty on Monday, June 10, of soliciting sex from a 14-year-old in a sting operation, authorities said.  Dimitri Shawn McKenzie, of Boston, was found guilty of attempted sex trafficking of a child following a three-day trial, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and up to life behind bars.  McKenzie responded to an online ad that advertised that two girls — ages 12 and 14 — would perform sex acts for cash in the Boston area, the prosecutor said. The post was made by law enforcement.&nbs…
New York Man Busted Driving To See Western Mass Child He Met Online: DA New York Man Busted Driving To See Western Mass Child He Met Online: DA
New York Man Busted Driving To See Western Mass Child He Met Online: DA A 62-year-old New York man was arrested on Thursday, May 30, in Berkshire County as he was on his way to meet a teenager he was speaking with online, authorities said.  David Stypa was charged with two counts of disseminating obscene material to a minor and attempting to commit a crime, the Berkshire County District Attorney's Office said. He was ordered held on a $100,000 bond.  Investigators said Stypa was speaking with the Pittsfield teen — who was younger than 16 — on multiple platforms.  Police are still investigating. The district attorney's office did not release any …
Boy, 15, Robbed At Gunpoint Outside Ridgewood Stop & Shop Boy, 15, Robbed At Gunpoint Outside Ridgewood Stop & Shop
Boy, 15, Robbed At Gunpoint Outside Ridgewood Stop & Shop A 15-year-old Ridgewood boy was robbed at gunpoint outside the village Shop & Stop after arriving for what he thought was a sale that he'd made online, authorities said. The boy told police he brought $300 worth of clothing to the parking lot of the Franklin Avenue supermarket after cutting an online deal shortly after 9 p.m. Wednesday, April 24, Sgt. John A. Ward said. Instead, the teen said, he was accosted by four men who appeared to be 18 to 20 years old, one of them armed with a handgun. The robbers fled with the clothing and the boy, who wasn't injured, called police, Ward said. …
'Just Send Me Something Sexy': CT Man Inappropriately Messaged 13-Year-Old, Police Say 'Just Send Me Something Sexy': CT Man Inappropriately Messaged 13-Year-Old, Police Say
'Just Send Me Something Sexy': CT Man Inappropriately Messaged 13-Year-Old, Police Say A Connecticut man has been arrested after he allegedly sent inappropriate messages to a 13-year-old boy for months over Instagram. The New Haven County man, 27-year-old Michael Bernaud of Astonia, was arrested on Wednesday, April 17, according to Connecticut State Police. Bernaud met his victim at a grand re-opening event at a restaurant (which the boy’s parents took him to) in December 2023, police said. The young teen then joined an Instagram group for fans of said restaurant, the name of which was not released by police to protect the victim’s identity.  It was then that the vi…
Man Admits To Child Porn Charges In Hudson Valley, DA Says Man Admits To Child Porn Charges In Hudson Valley, DA Says
Man Admits To Child Porn Charges In Hudson Valley, DA Says A Long Island man has pleaded guilty in the Hudson Valley to attempted dissemination of indecent materials to minors. Nassau County resident Daniel Waxman, age 56, of Cedarhurst, pleaded guilty on Thursday, April 4, in Ramapo, according to Rockland County District Attorney Thomas Walsh II,  From May 2023 to May 2023, the DA's Office said an undercover investigator from the Rockland County District Attorney's Office posing as a minor engaged in a series of internet chat conversations with Waxman. The undercover investigator told Waxman on multiple occasions that she was …
'Pig Butchering' Scams: Police In CT Warn Of Fraudulent Investment Schemes 'Pig Butchering' Scams: Police In CT Warn Of Fraudulent Investment Schemes
'Pig Butchering' Scams: Police In CT Warn Of Fraudulent Investment Schemes Authorities are warning Connecticut residents to be wary of complex investment scams targeting victims through online platforms such as dating apps and social media.  In an announcement on Tuesday, March 26, Connecticut State Police warned that there has been an increase in "pig butchering" scams involving scammers convincing victims to invest money into a fake trading platform.  According to state police, the scammer will first contact the victim through dating apps, social media, or professional networking platforms. They will then build trust with the victim over several weeks …
Mount Vernon Man Sexually Assaults Boy Outside His Home: Here's His Sentence Mount Vernon Man Sexually Assaults Boy Outside His Home: Here's His Sentence
Mount Vernon Man Sexually Assaults Boy Outside His Home: Here's His Sentence A 35-year-old man from New York will spend decades in prison for enticing a teenage boy to engage in sexual activity with him at his Connecticut home, officials announced.  Westchester County resident Leland Robinson, of Mount Vernon, was sentenced to 50 years in prison for enticing a 14-year-old boy to engage in sexual activity with him, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced on Friday, March 8.  According to federal officials, in February 2019, when Robinson was 31 years old, he posed as a high school student on a social media application a…
Armed Robber Lures Online Seller Before Stealing Jewelry, Car Keys In Capital Region, Cops Say Armed Robber Lures Online Seller Before Stealing Jewelry, Car Keys In Capital Region, Cops Say
Armed Robber Lures Online Seller Before Stealing Jewelry, Car Keys In Capital Region, Cops Say A 25-year-old man has been arrested in connection with an armed robbery in the region that began with a Facebook Marketplace post. The Albany County incident happened at around 11:30 p.m. Dec. 27, 2023, in Bethlehem, in the hamlet of Slingerlands. Bethlehem Police said a woman called 911 reporting an armed robbery in progress in the parking lot of the Plug Power facility, located on Vista Boulevard. The male victim told investigators that he had arranged to meet a stranger there after posting jewelry for sale on Facebook Marketplace.  When he arrived, he was attacked by two men, one …
Teacher Busted After Driving 1,500+ Miles To Virginia For Sex With Minor: Police Teacher Busted After Driving 1,500+ Miles To Virginia For Sex With Minor: Police
Teacher Busted After Driving 1,500+ Miles To Virginia For Sex With Minor: Police A teacher drove more than 1,500 miles from his Texas home to have an illicit affair with who he thought was a minor in Virginia has been arrested, authorities announced. Detectives in Fairfax County arrested 32-year-old David Ortiz after undercover officers continued their efforts to crack down on child predators following a successful sweep last month that landed nearly a dozen people behind bars. In December, Ortiz began having "sexually-related chats" online with someone who he believed to be a child, but was in fact a detective from the department's Child Exploitation Unit. Last week, …
SOCIAL MEDIA SCAM: Bogus Post About Unidentified Girl Found By Side Of Road Returns SOCIAL MEDIA SCAM: Bogus Post About Unidentified Girl Found By Side Of Road Returns
Social Media Scam: Bogus Post About Unidentified Girl Found By Side Of Road Returns A cruel social media post about an unidentified girl in a hospital bed who was stabbed, robbed and “left for dead on the side of the road” in your town or one nearby has re-emerged. Whatever you do, don't share it. The post has appeared in several states – and recently in one of New Jersey’s most affluent towns – showing what, in reality, is a severely injured girl in a hospital bed following a car crash in 2016 in Utah. Taylor Carlton, who was 16 at the time, eventually emerged from a coma and has long since recovered. She became a mom in 2018, according to her sister. However, a r…
Long Island Pastor Exploited Kids At Church, Possessed Child Porn: USAO Long Island Pastor Exploited Kids At Church, Possessed Child Porn: USAO
Long Island Pastor Exploited Kids At Church, Possessed Child Porn: Usao A pastor from a Long Island church has been indicted on charges including coercion of children after he allegedly told an undercover agent his “sweet spot” for molesting local kids was between the ages of 11 and 15. Twenty-eight-year-old Jose Saez, Jr., who worked as a pastor at a Brentwood church, was arraigned on Wednesday, Dec. 6 for his alleged crimes, including possession of child pornography, the United States Attorney’s Office announced. Saez, who himself is the father of three minor children, was nabbed after conversations with an undercover agent in August 2023, the USAO’s Easter…