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Roblox Let Sexual Predator Target 12-Year-Old NY Girl, Lawsuit Claims Roblox Let Sexual Predator Target 12-Year-Old NY Girl, Lawsuit Claims
Roblox Let Sexual Predator Target 12-Year-Old NY Girl, Lawsuit Claims Roblox is facing a federal lawsuit from the guardian of a 12-year-old New York girl who says the gaming giant put profits over safety, leaving children vulnerable to predators on its platform. The suit – filed on behalf of a Schenectady family in federal court in northern California on Tuesday, Aug. 26 – alleges that Roblox Corporation knowingly designed and marketed its app in a way that exposed children to sexual predators while misrepresenting it as safe for young users. It accuses Roblox of multiple counts, including fraudulent concealment, negligent misrepresentation, general negligen…

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by Michael Mashburn
Business
Spotify Adds Direct Messages For Sharing Songs, Podcasts: How It Works Spotify Adds Direct Messages For Sharing Songs, Podcasts: How It Works
Spotify Adds Direct Messages For Sharing Songs, Podcasts: How It Works There's a new app where you can "Slide" into someone's DMs like a song by the Goo Goo Dolls or Calvin Harris and Frank Ocean. Spotify is rolling out its new Messages feature, the music streaming giant announced on Tuesday, Aug. 26. The messaging tool will help users share their favorite music, podcasts, and audiobooks without leaving the app. Free and Premium users ages 16 and older will start getting access to Messages throughout late August. The one-on-one conversations will allow friends and family to swap tracks, send texts, and react with emojis. Spotify said its direct mess…

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by Chris Spiker
News
Mass Middle School Librarian Shared Child Porn; Had Box Of Kids’ Items, Costumes: DOJ Mass Middle School Librarian Shared Child Porn; Had Box Of Kids’ Items, Costumes: DOJ
Mass Middle School Librarian Shared Child Porn; Had Box Of Kids’ Items, Costumes: DOJ Federal prosecutors say a Longmeadow Public Schools middle school librarian is facing child pornography charges after a months-long undercover investigation. Scott McGinley, 55, of Holyoke, Massachusetts, is accused of distributing child sexual abuse material in an online group called “Little boyz only.” Authorities say that during conversations with undercover officers posing as fellow users, McGinley allegedly disclosed his sexual preference for “boys age 2-12” and “especially 4-7.' The US Attorney for Massachusetts prosecutors say McGinley told the undercover officer he had “students” wh…

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by Josh Lanier
Business
YouTube Launches New Tech To Verify Ages Automatically Amid Privacy Concerns YouTube Launches New Tech To Verify Ages Automatically Amid Privacy Concerns
YouTube Launches New Tech To Verify Ages Automatically Amid Privacy Concerns YouTube will begin using artificial intelligence to estimate whether US users are under 18, regardless of the birthdate on their account. Google started using the AI system on Wednesday, Aug. 13. The change will apply safeguards like limiting advertisements and adjusting recommendations to more teen YouTube accounts, even if users entered an adult birthdate. The AI system will analyze signals such as YouTube activity and how long the account has been active. If flagged as under 18, users will get a notification and can verify their age through a government ID, selfie, or credit ca…

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
Viral Social Media Challenge Leaves 9-Year-Old With Severe Burns; 12-Year-Old Charged (UPDATE) Viral Social Media Challenge Leaves 9-Year-Old With Severe Burns; 12-Year-Old Charged (UPDATE)
Viral Social Media Challenge Leaves 9-Year-Old With Severe Burns; 12-Year-Old Charged (Update) A 12-year-old boy is facing charges after pouring boiling water on his sleeping 9-year-old brother during a social media prank in Lancaster Township, police announced on Thursday, Aug. 7. The incident happened on Tuesday, July 29, when the boy boiled water in a microwave and dumped it on his younger brother while he slept, according to Lancaster Township police. The victim suffered severe burns to his neck and chest and was rushed to the Lehigh Burn Center for treatment, authorities said in a release on Tuesday, Aug. 5. Two days later a 12-year-old was charged with Aggravated Assault and R…

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by Jillian Pikora
News
Man Caught On Cruise Ship With Secret Child Porn Folder Charged In Global Exploitation Ring: HS Man Caught On Cruise Ship With Secret Child Porn Folder Charged In Global Exploitation Ring: HS
Man Caught On Cruise Ship With Secret Child Porn Folder Charged In Global Exploitation Ring: HS A Pennsylvania man returning from a cruise was intercepted by U.S. Customs and found with a secret folder of child pornography on his phone, leading to 46 felony charges after investigators uncovered his alleged role in an international child exploitation ring, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele announced on Friday, Aug. 1. Matthew Thomas Pappalardo, 38, of Casselberry Drive, Lower Providence, allegedly used encrypted apps and hidden folders to collect and trade child sexual abuse material while chatting with minors as young as 13, according to a criminal complaint. **WARNI…

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by Jillian Pikora
Business
635K Instagram, Facebook Accounts Removed For Targeting Children As Meta Adds Safety Tools 635K Instagram, Facebook Accounts Removed For Targeting Children As Meta Adds Safety Tools
635K Instagram, Facebook Accounts Removed For Targeting Children As Meta Adds Safety Tools Meta says it has removed about 635,000 Instagram and Facebook accounts for trying to exploit children as it updates its teen safety features. The tech giant announced changes to its measures aimed at protecting young users in a blog post on Wednesday, July 23. The purge comes as Meta adds new restrictions to accounts run by adults that feature children. In the first half of 2025, Meta said its enforcement teams took down nearly 135,000 Instagram accounts for leaving sexualized comments or requesting sexual images on accounts that primarily feature children under 13.…

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by Chris Spiker
Police & Fire
'I Think I Found A Child Predator': YouTube-Inspired Sleuth Helps Police Nab CT Man In Sting 'I Think I Found A Child Predator': YouTube-Inspired Sleuth Helps Police Nab CT Man In Sting
'I Think I Found A Child Predator': YouTube-Inspired Sleuth Helps Police Nab CT Man In Sting After watching YouTube videos about catching child predators, a civilian helped state police arrest a Connecticut man accused of trying to meet a 15-year-old boy through a dating app, authorities said. Eric Vendette, 49, of Stafford, was charged with risk of injury to a minor and using a computer to entice a minor under 18, Connecticut State Police announced. According to investigators, the citizen sleuth contacted Vendette online and asked if he was “into younger men.” From there, the conversations escalated. Vendette, police said, claimed he would act like a father figure but continued to…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
CT Teen Had Over 300 Child Porn Images At His Home: Police CT Teen Had Over 300 Child Porn Images At His Home: Police
CT Teen Had Over 300 Child Porn Images At His Home: Police A Wolcott teen is facing serious charges after police say he had more than 300 files of child pornography on electronic devices at his home.  Evan Harris, 19, was charged with first-degree possession of child pornography after he turned himself in to authorities this week, Wolcott Police said.  Authorities began investigating after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) sent two tips to Wolcott police on April 30. The tips warned of possible online activity related to the possession and sharing of child sexual abuse materials, officials said.  After l…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
NJ Man Had Sex With Dogs, Possessed 9K Files Of Child Porn: Prosecutor NJ Man Had Sex With Dogs, Possessed 9K Files Of Child Porn: Prosecutor
NJ Man Had Sex With Dogs, Possessed 9K Files Of Child Porn: Prosecutor A 26-year-old Maple Shade man was arrested and charged on Thursday, May 8 with having sex with a Rottweiler, among other offenses, authorities said. Law enforcement began investigating Hunter Roy after receiving a tip that he distributed more than 9,000 files of child pornography, Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia  Bradshaw and Maple Shade Police Chief Christopher Fletcher said. Roy was also communicating with an underage boy, with whom he sent child pornography, authorities said. Roy also made videos of himself engaging in sexual acts with a Rottweiler and a smaller dog, tradin…

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by Sam Barron
News
Criminal Network Targets Kids At Home, FBI Says: What To Know About 764 Criminal Network Targets Kids At Home, FBI Says: What To Know About 764
Criminal Network Targets Kids At Home, FBI Says: What To Know About 764 Federal authorities are intensifying efforts against a disturbing online network known as "764," which they describe as a violent extremist group that targets and exploits children through social media and gaming platforms. Two men have been charged for allegedly leading the enterprise: Leonidas Varagiannis, age 21, a US citizen living in Thessaloniki, Greece, and Prasan Nepal, age 20, of North Carolina.  Varagiannis was arrested on Monday, May 6, in Greece. Nepal was arrested Monday, April 22, in North Carolina and has since made a court appearance. Both are expected to appear in cour…

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by Joe Lombardi
Police & Fire
NJ Prep School Grad, College Golfer Requested Nude Pics From Kids Online: Prosecutor NJ Prep School Grad, College Golfer Requested Nude Pics From Kids Online: Prosecutor
NJ Prep School Grad, College Golfer Requested Nude Pics From Kids Online: Prosecutor A 28-year-old New Jersey man who played college golf was arrested and charged on Wednesday, April 23 with possessing child pornography, authorities said. Investigators began looking into Kevin Kramarski, a Moorestown, NJ resident, after receiving a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about his online activities, Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia Bradshaw said. The tip included his efforts to purchase child sexual abuse material online and engaging in online chats with juveniles where he requested they send him nude photos, the prosecutor said. Kev…

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by Sam Barron
News
Sophisticated Phishing Attack Targets Gmail Users: What To Know Sophisticated Phishing Attack Targets Gmail Users: What To Know
Sophisticated Phishing Attack Targets Gmail Users: What To Know A new phishing scam is fooling even tech-savvy Gmail users by disguising itself as a legitimate security alert from Google — with no warning signs from Gmail itself. The scam came to light after developer Nick Johnson shared a warning on social media about a highly convincing phishing email that landed in his inbox.  The message appeared to come from [email protected], Google’s real notification address, and passed standard authentication checks, including the DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) signature.  Gmail offered no alerts, and the message was grouped with actual…

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Meta To Limit Instagram Livestreaming For Some Teens: Here's How Meta To Limit Instagram Livestreaming For Some Teens: Here's How
Meta To Limit Instagram Livestreaming For Some Teens: Here's How Younger teens won't be able to go live on Instagram anytime soon unless they have a parent's permission. Meta has banned users under 16 from livestreaming unless approved by a parent, the tech giant said in a blog post on Tuesday, April 9. The change is part of a broader push to expand protections for teen users across Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger. There are at least 54 million active "Teen Accounts" worldwide, according to Meta. "With these changes, teens under 16 will be prohibited from going Live unless their parents give them permission to do so," Meta said "We'll …

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by Chris Spiker
News
TikTok Adding Amber Alerts To 'For You' Pages: How The App Could Help Save Lives TikTok Adding Amber Alerts To 'For You' Pages: How The App Could Help Save Lives
TikTok Adding Amber Alerts To 'For You' Pages: How The App Could Help Save Lives Amber alerts are now live on TikTok nationwide, putting urgent information about missing children directly in front of millions of users within seconds. TikTok announced it was launching amber alerts on "For You" pages in a news release on Thursday, Mar. 20. The move is part of a partnership with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Amber alerts were successfully tested in Texas, where alerts appeared in users' FYP feeds and were viewed more than 20 million times in just four months. The pilot program also sent more than 2.5 million people to the NCMEC's …

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by Chris Spiker
News
Man Busted On Child Porn Charges After Multi-State Investigation: Police Man Busted On Child Porn Charges After Multi-State Investigation: Police
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…

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by Josh Lanier
News
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…

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by Joe Lombardi