Tag:

Child Exploitation

PA Doctor Admits To Exploiting 13-Year-Old Girl, Possessing Child Pornography PA Doctor Admits To Exploiting 13-Year-Old Girl, Possessing Child Pornography
PA Doctor Admits To Exploiting 13-Year-Old Girl, Possessing Child Pornography Warning: The following details may be disturbing to some readers. A former Lancaster County family medicine physician has been sentenced after pleading guilty to sexually exploiting a 13-year-old girl and possessing child pornography, authorities announced. Frank Yang Liu, 34, of Manheim, was sentenced by Judge Merrill Spahn after pleading guilty on Monday, April 21 to multiple felony offenses, according to the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office. He received a state prison sentence of three to nine years. Liu was originally charged after an investigation by the FBI’s Child Exploita…
NJ Convict, Repeat Sex Offender Secretly Filmed Woman, Sharing Child Porn Videos: PA AG NJ Convict, Repeat Sex Offender Secretly Filmed Woman, Sharing Child Porn Videos: PA AG
NJ Convict, Repeat Sex Offender Secretly Filmed Woman, Sharing Child Porn Videos: PA AG A registered sex offender is accused of sharing child sexual abuse material and secretly recording a woman without her consent, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced on Monday, April 7. Jason Sheasley, 40, of Philadelphia, was charged after an investigation by the Office of Attorney General’s Child Predator Section, authorities said. Agents determined Sheasley had been distributing dozens of child sexual abuse material videos online after opening the investigation in January, according to the release. During the investigation, agents also uncovered evidence that Sheasley reco…
US Embassy Employee Who Repeatedly Raped Teens In West Africa Gets Life In Prison: DOJ US Embassy Employee Who Repeatedly Raped Teens In West Africa Gets Life In Prison: DOJ
US Embassy Employee Who Repeatedly Raped Teens In West Africa Gets Life In Prison: DOJ A former US Embassy employee who repeatedly raped two teenage girls while representing the country overseas will spend the rest of his life behind bars, a federal judge ruled in Maryland. Takoma Park native Fode Sitafa Mara, 41, was sentenced to life in prison in Greenbelt — followed by a lifetime of supervised release for good measure — for forcibly sexually assaulting two girls in Burkina Faso over the course of two years. The rapes were reported in 2022 and 2023 while he was stationed at the US Embassy in Ouagadougou. Prosecutors said Mara repeatedly raped the girls — who were…
Longtime SEPTA Employee Caught With Condoms After Bus Trip To Meet 13-Year-Old: Police Longtime SEPTA Employee Caught With Condoms After Bus Trip To Meet 13-Year-Old: Police
Longtime SEPTA Employee Caught With Condoms After Bus Trip To Meet 13-Year-Old: Police A longtime SEPTA employee’s bus trip to meet who he thought was a 13-year-old girl ended in his arrest in Bensalem, police announced on Friday, Sept. 12 Eric Karch, 53, of Jenkintown, began chatting with who he believed was a 13-year-old middle school student on a dating app on Saturday, Sept. 6, according to Bensalem Township Police. Karch quickly turned the conversation sexual, telling the girl to sleep naked, photograph herself, and send him pictures, investigators said. He allegedly sent her a photo of his penis and described sex acts he wanted her to perform while calling him “daddy.” …
Roblox Expands Age Restrictions Amid Sexual Content Concerns, Federal Lawsuit Roblox Expands Age Restrictions Amid Sexual Content Concerns, Federal Lawsuit
Roblox Expands Age Restrictions Amid Sexual Content Concerns, Federal Lawsuit Roblox announced sweeping age verification measures to better protect young users, just days after tightening its sexual content policies—and as the company faces a federal lawsuit over child exploitation. The gaming giant announced on Wednesday, Sept. 3, that it will expand age estimation technology to all users who access communication features by year’s end. Chief Safety Officer Matt Kaufman said the system will combine facial age estimation, ID verification, and parental consent to limit communication between adults and minors unless they know each other offline. “These added layers of …
PA Man Tried To Meet 14-Year-Old Girl For Sex: Camden County Prosecutor PA Man Tried To Meet 14-Year-Old Girl For Sex: Camden County Prosecutor
PA Man Tried To Meet 14-Year-Old Girl For Sex: Camden County Prosecutor A 34-year-old Cochranville man was arrested and charged after he arranged to meet with a 14-year-old girl for sex in Camden County, authorities announced  Between June and July, Benjamin Wann was chatting with who he thought was a 14-year-old girl, but it was actually an undercover detective from the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crimes Unit, Camden County Prosecutor Grace MacAulay said. During the conversation, Wann sent sexually explicit photographs of himself, MacAulay said. Wann also requested nude photographs of the 14-year-old girl. Wann at…
ICE Detains NJ Resident During Child Porn Raid, But Family Says He Wasn't Involved ICE Detains NJ Resident During Child Porn Raid, But Family Says He Wasn't Involved
ICE Detains NJ Resident During Child Porn Raid, But Family Says He Wasn't Involved A man was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a federal raid in New Jersey, even though he was not the subject of the investigation, according to officials and immigrant advocacy groups. The Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that a search warrant was executed on the 800 block of Asbury Avenue in Ocean City (Cape May County) as part of an ongoing child exploitation investigation on Tuesday, July 29.  Prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland said the warrant stemmed from a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which identifi…
PA Man Caught On Cruise Ship With Child Porn Charged In Global Exploitation Ring PA Man Caught On Cruise Ship With Child Porn Charged In Global Exploitation Ring
PA Man Caught On Cruise Ship With Child Porn Charged In Global Exploitation Ring 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…
Ex-Christie Aide Pleads Guilty To Child Porn Charges, Paid To Watch 6-Year-Old Sex Act: Report Ex-Christie Aide Pleads Guilty To Child Porn Charges, Paid To Watch 6-Year-Old Sex Act: Report
Ex-Christie Aide Pleads Guilty To Child Porn Charges, Paid To Watch 6-Year-Old Sex Act: Report A South Jersey man and one-time aide to former NJ Gov. Chris Christie has pleaded guilty to possessing and creating child sex abuse images, officials said. Kevin Tomafsky, 43, of Washington Township (Gloucester County) pleaded guilty on Monday, July 28, to first-degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child before Judge John C. Eastlack Jr., according to county prosecutors. Tomafsky, who accepted a plea deal, will serve 10 years in state prison, with a minimum of five years before parole eligibility, officials said. He will also be placed on Parole Supervision for Life and must register under M…
Pennsylvania Sex Offender Moved To Maryland, Abused Two Children: Feds Pennsylvania Sex Offender Moved To Maryland, Abused Two Children: Feds
Pennsylvania Sex Offender Moved To Maryland, Abused Two Children: Feds A registered sex offender who moved from Pennsylvania to Maryland will spend decades in prison after sexually abusing two minors, authorities announced. Harrison James Miller, 32, of Hagerstown, has been sentenced to 37 years in prison, followed by lifetime of supervised release after pleading guilty to sex abuse offenses involving two children.  According to his plea, Miller was ordered to register as a sex offender after a conviction in Pennsylvania involving an 8-year-old child.   In August 2022, upon release from prison, Miller moved to Hagerstown, but did not regis…
Mormon Missionary Charged With Assaulting 14 Boys Caught In PA After Years Fleeing: DOJ Mormon Missionary Charged With Assaulting 14 Boys Caught In PA After Years Fleeing: DOJ
Mormon Missionary Charged With Assaulting 14 Boys Caught In PA After Years Fleeing: DOJ A former Mormon missionary who fled trial after allegedly sexually abusing 14 boys in Tonga was arrested in Pennsylvania, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on Thursday, July 24. William James Purdy, 28, of West Valley, Utah, was taken into custody in Pittsburgh after being indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of sexually exploiting minors overseas. Purdy traveled to Tonga in 2017 as part of a mission with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, according to court documents. While there, he allegedly groomed and sexually abused multiple boys—some of whom lived with him…
MD Cop Accused Of Child Sex Crimes In Pennsylvania: Badge 'Will Be Stripped Away' MD Cop Accused Of Child Sex Crimes In Pennsylvania: Badge 'Will Be Stripped Away'
MD Cop Accused Of Child Sex Crimes In Pennsylvania: Badge 'Will Be Stripped Away' A Maryland police officer has been charged with multiple child sex crimes in Pennsylvania, and his chief says if the charges hold, his badge will be stripped forever — “as it should be.” Cpl. James Dodson, a sworn member of the Frederick Police Department, is facing four felony charges after Pennsylvania State Police completed a months-long investigation into allegations involving the exploitation of a minor. On Monday, June 30, Chief Jason Lando addressed the public in a video statement, calling the charges “a betrayal… tripled—against the victim, against every resident who entrusts us to …
Inappropriate Photo Of 11-Year-Old Girl Circulated At School: PA State Police Inappropriate Photo Of 11-Year-Old Girl Circulated At School: PA State Police
Inappropriate Photo Of 11-Year-Old Girl Circulated At School: PA State Police An intimate image of an 11-year-old girl was shared among students at a Chester County school, Pennsylvania State Police announced on Monday, May 13. Troopers were called to investigate the inappropriate photo at 9:16 a.m. on Monday, May 6, at Avon Grove Charter School in London Grove Township, according to the release. Multiple students were interviewed after the image began circulating, state police said. The Chester County District Attorney’s Office has been notified and is working with investigators. No further details were released, including how the image was obtained or who may be …
School Lacrosse Coach 'Sextorted' 13-Year-Old PA Boy, DOJ Says School Lacrosse Coach 'Sextorted' 13-Year-Old PA Boy, DOJ Says
School Lacrosse Coach 'Sextorted' 13-Year-Old PA Boy, DOJ Says A New York school lacrosse coach is accused of coercing a teen boy into sending him sexually explicit content using a fake identity online, federal prosecutors said. Joseph Garofalo, of Valley Stream, is charged with sexual exploitation of a minor, according to a federal criminal complaint filed in the Eastern District of New York on Friday, April 18. Garofalo, an assistant lacrosse coach at Valley Stream Central High School, was arrested following a months-long investigation by the FBI’s Long Island Child Exploitation Task Force. According to a criminal complaint, Garofalo posed as someon…
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…
Philly Prep School Grad, Amateur Golfer Requested Nude Pics From Kids Online: Prosecutor Philly Prep School Grad, Amateur Golfer Requested Nude Pics From Kids Online: Prosecutor
Philly Prep School Grad, Amateur 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…
PA Man Raped Girl, Filmed It, Paid Her $2K To Stay Quiet: FBI, DA PA Man Raped Girl, Filmed It, Paid Her $2K To Stay Quiet: FBI, DA
PA Man Raped Girl, Filmed It, Paid Her $2K To Stay Quiet: FBI, DA A York County man who raped a girl for years, recorded the abuse, and paid her $2,000 to stay silent now faces federal child pornography charges, authorities announced Thursday, April 24. Robert Angel Haley, 41, of Shrewsbury, was indicted by a federal grand jury on Wednesday, April 23, for producing and possessing child pornography, according to Acting U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus. York County Regional Police say Haley began abusing the girl in 2020 when she was just 10. The now 15-year-old victim told police he showed her pornographic videos, forced her to mimic them, filmed the assault…
PA Sex Offender Caught Exchanging Explicit Photos With Teen While On Probation: Cops PA Sex Offender Caught Exchanging Explicit Photos With Teen While On Probation: Cops
PA Sex Offender Caught Exchanging Explicit Photos With Teen While On Probation: Cops A 26-year-old Pennsylvania sex offender out on probation has been arrested on accusations he was chatting with a minor, authorities said. The Meghan's Law website shows that Justin Refsnyder has two prior convictions: sexual abuse of children and possession of child pornography. Detectives got a tip on Feb. 4 from the Bucks County Adult Probation and Parole Department that Refsnyder, of Feasterville, was possibly communicating with minors via cell phone, Lower Southampton Township police said. When an APPD officer arrived at Refsnyder's residence, Refsnyder refused to turn over his ce…
Meta's Community Notes To Use Tech From Elon Musk's Social Media Platform Meta's Community Notes To Use Tech From Elon Musk's Social Media Platform
Meta's Community Notes To Use Tech From Elon Musk's Social Media Platform Meta's new Community Notes system will be based on algorithms developed by billionaire Elon Musk's social media platform, the company said. Meta will begin testing the crowdsourced program that aims to prevent misinformation on Tuesday, Mar. 18, the tech giant said in a blog post on Thursday, Mar. 13. The move comes as Meta replaces its third-party fact-checking program in the US for Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. Community Notes are part of CEO Mark Zuckerberg's broader shift toward what he calls "free expression" on the company’s platforms. "We’re going to take time to …
PA Man Traveled To Ohio To Abuse 14-Year-Old: FBI PA Man Traveled To Ohio To Abuse 14-Year-Old: FBI
PA Man Traveled To Ohio To Abuse 14-Year-Old: FBI A Lebanon County man has been indicted for traveling to Ohio to sexually abuse a 14-year-old girl, federal authorities announced. Chase Alexander Lawrence, 23, of Palmyra, was arrested on Feb. 7, 2025, after officers from the Western Lebanon County Regional Police Department assisted the FBI in serving a federal warrant at a home on the 200 block of North College Street in Palmyra, according to law enforcement. Investigators allege that between Dec. 18, 2022, and Oct. 6, 2023, Lawrence repeatedly traveled from Pennsylvania to Ohio, where he engaged in illicit sexual conduct with the minor. …
Philly Man Who Tried Luring 12-Year-Old Into Prostitution At Hotel Gets Decade: Feds Philly Man Who Tried Luring 12-Year-Old Into Prostitution At Hotel Gets Decade: Feds
Philly Man Who Tried Luring 12-Year-Old Into Prostitution At Hotel Gets Decade: Feds A 41-year-old Philadelphia man was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison on Monday, Jan. 27 after pleading guilty in United States District Court in Camden to trying to engage what he thought was a 12-year-old into prostitution, authorities said. In August 2023, Louis Goldenberg began interacting on a messaging application with an undercover agent, who was posing as a middle-aged woman with a 12-year-old niece, US Attorney Vikas Khanna said. From August through September 2023, Goldenberg messaged the undercover agent, continuously expressing interest in having sexual contact with the…
Infant Rape Among Thousands Of Child Porn Made By Pennsylvania 22-Year-Old Woman: USDOJ Infant Rape Among Thousands Of Child Porn Made By Pennsylvania 22-Year-Old Woman: USDOJ
Infant Rape Among Thousands Of Child Porn Made By Pennsylvania 22-Year-Old Woman: Usdoj A 22-year-old Philadelphia woman who raped a one-year-old girl, recorded the abuse, and shared explicit images online has been sentenced to 40 years in federal prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced on Friday, Jan. 24. Tyleeya Williams sexually abused the infant in her care, photographed the assault, and distributed the images—including the child’s face—to groups of child sex offenders on the internet, federal authorities said. She also trafficked thousands of images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of other children, according to U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero. “Williams was…
Meta Drops Fact-Checking Program Ahead Of Trump's White House Return, Company Says Meta Drops Fact-Checking Program Ahead Of Trump's White House Return, Company Says
Meta Drops Fact-Checking Program Ahead Of Trump's White House Return, Company Says Meta is dismantling its third-party fact-checking program in the U.S. and aims to bring back political content as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House, the company said. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the changes in a video statement on Tuesday, Jan. 7. The company that owns Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads, will replace its fact-checking program with a Community Notes system similar to the one implemented on X (formerly Twitter). Zuckerberg said the new system's goal is to reduce bias and restore free expression. "Fact-checkers have be…
Maryland Man Caught Soliciting PATeen On Snapchat: New Court Docs Maryland Man Caught Soliciting PATeen On Snapchat: New Court Docs
Maryland Man Caught Soliciting PATeen On Snapchat: New Court Docs A Maryland man accused of using Snapchat to solicit and exploit a 15-year-old York County girl is now facing trafficking and sexual assault charges, according to newly obtained court documents. Brady Alexander Knatz, 26, of Hampstead, allegedly initiated sexually explicit conversations with the teen, identified as S.C., in September 2024 using the username "scooby_snacs," police said. Despite learning her age, Knatz continued requesting explicit photos and describing graphic sexual acts, investigators allege. The communications were discovered by S.C.'s mother on Oct. 1, 2024, prompting the …
MD Man, 26, Wanted For Soliciting Explicit Photos From PA Teen: Affidavit MD Man, 26, Wanted For Soliciting Explicit Photos From PA Teen: Affidavit
MD Man, 26, Wanted For Soliciting Explicit Photos From PA Teen: Affidavit A Maryland man is waned for pressuring a 15-year-old girl to send explicit photos and describing violent sexual acts in Snapchat messages, York County Regional Police detailed in court documents obtained by Daily Voice on Thursday, Nov. 21. Brady A. Knatz, 26, of Hampstead, MD, began communicating with the York County teen, identified as S.C., on Sept. 25, 2024, using the Snapchat username "scooby_snacs," according to the affidavit of probable cause. Knatz allegedly initiated the conversation by asking S.C. if she wanted a "sugar daddy" and revealed he was 24 years old, police said. S.C. to…
PA Man Took 5-Year-Old To VA, NY For Sex: USDOJ PA Man Took 5-Year-Old To VA, NY For Sex: USDOJ
PA Man Took 5-Year-Old To VA, NY For Sex: Usdoj A 54-year-old Pennsylvania man has been sentenced after admitting to taking a 5-year-old girl for sex in Virginia and New York, the US Department of Justice announced on Wednesday, Sept. 25.  John Oathout, of Harrisburg, PA, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes in Syracuse, NY on Friday, Sept. 20. He'll serve 25 years in federal prison followed by 20 years of supervised release, and he'll be a registered sex offender for the remainder of his life, according to the USDOJ release.  Oathout admitted to taking the 5-year-old girl on trips out of state w…
Philly Man Admits To Attempting To Hire Girl, 12, As Prostitute At NJ Hotel: Feds Philly Man Admits To Attempting To Hire Girl, 12, As Prostitute At NJ Hotel: Feds
Philly Man Admits To Attempting To Hire Girl, 12, As Prostitute At NJ 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…
Philly HS Teacher Who 'Catfished' Teen Girls Gets 30 Years In Prison: USDOJ Philly HS Teacher Who 'Catfished' Teen Girls Gets 30 Years In Prison: USDOJ
Philly HS Teacher Who 'Catfished' Teen Girls Gets 30 Years In Prison: Usdoj A Philadelphia teacher who posed as a student to get teenage girls to send him nudes has been sentenced to 30 years in prison the US Department of Justice announced on Wednesday, Sept. 11.  Jeremy Schobel, 33, of Philadelphia, was an English teacher at Harriton High School in Lower Merion Township and the High School of Creative and Performing Arts in Philadelphia when he created the Snapchat and Yubo accounts that he used to "entice young teenage girls, including one who was a student at his school," as stated in the USDOJ release.  For over three years Schobel posed as fictional…
Bethlehem Man Paid $24K+ To Filipino Child Sex Traffickers: USDOJ Bethlehem Man Paid $24K+ To Filipino Child Sex Traffickers: USDOJ
Bethlehem Man Paid $24K+ To Filipino Child Sex Traffickers: Usdoj A 49-year-old Pennsylvania man has been sentenced for paying and directing "livestreamed sexual abuse of Filipino children," the US Department of Justice announced on Friday night, Aug. 2.  Harold "Harry" C. Daleus (also known as Dalaeus), Jr., 49, of Bethlehem, was sentenced to 20 years in prison to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release for the production of child pornography and related offenses, United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero detailed in the release.  Daleus sent over $24,000 to the Philippines over several years, "in order to view the live transmiss…
162 Year Prison Sentence Slapped On Northampton Man Sharing Child Porn On Social Media: AG 162 Year Prison Sentence Slapped On Northampton Man Sharing Child Porn On Social Media: AG
162 Year Prison Sentence Slapped On Northampton Man Sharing Child Porn On Social Media: AG A Northampton County man was sentenced to decades in prison for 55 felony counts related to child pornography, according to the state Attorney General's Office.  Zebbelin Standish, 36, was previously convicted at trial in February. He was arrested in 2022 after investigators said he had over 50 illegal images on his cellphone.  Judge Judge Paula A. Roscioli handed him 81 to 162 years in prison saying she "wanted to ensure Standish could never victimize another child," according to prosecutors.  ”This defendant re-victimized the children who were depicted being exploited…
'Fitness Guru' With 'Sex Slave Training Program' May Have More Victims In Philly Area: FBI 'Fitness Guru' With 'Sex Slave Training Program' May Have More Victims In Philly Area: FBI
'Fitness Guru' With 'Sex Slave Training Program' May Have More Victims In Philly Area: FBI A California man is facing federal charges out of the FBI's Philadelphia Field Office for a child exploitation scheme, and authorities believe he may have more victims in Pennsylvania and North Carolina. According to the FBI, John Douglas Burch, of Santa Monica, began praying on girls as early as 2014, and has been charged in an indictment with traveling to engage in illicit sexual conduct and enticement of a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct and prostitution, United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero and FBI Philadelphia Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs said. …