Tag:

Online Safety

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…
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…
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, …
Virginia Teacher Caught Sexting Former Students Under 18: Police Virginia Teacher Caught Sexting Former Students Under 18: Police
Virginia Teacher Caught Sexting Former Students Under 18: Police A Virginia teacher was arrested after authorities said he sent sexually explicit messages and exposed himself during a video chat with two former students. Jonathan Roberts Burns, 36, of Woodbridge, allegedly communicated with the victims, both under 18 years old, last July, Prince William County police said. An investigation was launched on July 27, when police learned the two girls were texting with Burns, their former teacher, police said. "During a conversation with one of the victims, a video chat occurred where the accused exposed himself." police said. No physical contact was r…
Man Who Engaged In 1,000 Sexual Video Chats With Children, Recorded Some, Sentenced In VA Man Who Engaged In 1,000 Sexual Video Chats With Children, Recorded Some, Sentenced In VA
Man Who Engaged In 1,000 Sexual Video Chats With Children, Recorded Some, Sentenced In VA A 21-year-old man who posed as a teen while engaging in live video calls with upwards of 1,000 minors is heading to prison. Manassas resident Anthony Benton was sentenced on Wednesday to 16 years in prison for the sexual exploitation of children and receipt of child sexual abuse material after preying on young girls online, federal authorities say. Prosecutors say that Benton came to their attention when he purchased child sexual abuse material, including videos of children possibly as young as 5 years old, over the Telegram app. A subsequent search of his home led to grisly results findi…
Andrew Bucklandon Is NOT Missing: Here's How Social Scammers Get You Andrew Bucklandon Is NOT Missing: Here's How Social Scammers Get You
Andrew Bucklandon Is NOT Missing: Here's How Social Scammers Get You A boy named Andrew Bucklandon hasn't gone missing. He didn't leave for school and not return. He doesn't even exist. For those who've seen -- or, worse, shared -- the Facebook post about a purportedly missing boy the past couple of days, here are a few questions: Does the post include a town? A link? Contact details? It doesn't. Because it's bogus. Like any good phishing scam, the missing boy ploy tugs at the heartstrings and plays on the fears of those who want to help. They're actually helping the scammers find more victims. Phishers threw their latest line into social media waters on…
Ex-Virginia State Police Trooper Dead After Abducting California Teen, Killing Her Family Ex-Virginia State Police Trooper Dead After Abducting California Teen, Killing Her Family
Ex-Virginia State Police Trooper Dead After Abducting California Teen, Killing Her Family A former Virginia State Police trooper was killed in a shootout with police who say he traveled across the country to Riverside, California, where he abducted a teenage girl he met online, before killing her mom, grandmother, and grandfather. Austin Lee Edwards, 28, of North Chesterfield, parked in a neighbor’s driveway and allegedly set the family’s home on fire before kidnapping the teen he “catfished” on Friday, Nov. 25, according to the Riverside Police Department. Edwards had previously worked as a trooper with Virginia State Police in Henrico County from early January until his resign…
Seesaw App Used By Elementary Schools Sends NSFW Photos To Parents In Apparent Nationwide Hack Seesaw App Used By Elementary Schools Sends NSFW Photos To Parents In Apparent Nationwide Hack
Seesaw App Used By Elementary Schools Sends Nsfw Photos To Parents In Apparent Nationwide Hack Elementary schools across the US are urging parents to not open the messages on the Seesaw app after an apparent hack sent out "inappropriate" images starting on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022.  "The platform was hacked and is experiencing a nationwide issue where some school district families and teachers were receiving links/URLs to inappropriate images," officials at a Schodock elementary school in New York said on its website.  View this post on Instagram A post shared by Seesaw (@seesawlearning) Most schools are simply asking parents and guard…