By Alison Hoover, The Washington Times, June 28, 2006

Roy Cooper, attorney general of North Carolina, calls them "the new mall." Adam Thierer of the Center for Digital Media Freedom calls them "digital town squares." Social networking sites such as MySpace.com have sprouted up all over the Internet. MySpace alone has 85 million profiles, with 54 million unique users, making it the most trafficked of the social networks.MySpace users can share personal information, interact with other users, keep an online public journal and listen to new music.

A typical MySpace profile consists of at least one picture, the user's account name, information about the user's location, likes and dislikes, messages from other users and links to various other Web sites, including Web logs. Members can join groups to raise awareness and money for government and political groups, nonprofit and philanthropic activities, and religious organizations.

But critics see danger in cases such as that of 16-year-old Katherine Lester. The Michigan teen was described by her father as "a good girl" with whom he "never had a problem." That was before she met Abdullah Jimzawi, 20, on MySpace and tried to visit him in Israel. She was found in Jordan and sent back to the U.S.    

At the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children's (NCMEC) Dialogue on Social Networking Web Sites, Arnold E. Bell, the unit chief of the FBI's Innocent Images unit described the harm that teenagers can cause each other through MySpace. Last week, a Texas woman and her 14-year-old daughter filed a lawsuit, Jane and Julie Doe v. MySpace and Pete Solis. Mr. Solis, 19, was charged with sexually assaulting the girl after meeting her on MySpace and arranging a meeting. The $30 million lawsuit says MySpace didn't do enough to verify its users' ages.

But Laura Gelman, associate director of the Center for Internet and Society at Stanford University, says that although MySpace is liable for what occurs when users are on the site, the company cannot necessarily be blamed for what users do offline.     In response to complaints about the lack of security on MySpace, its parent company, Fox Interactive Media, has taken steps to increase safety. In May, the company hired Hemanshu Nigam, formerly an online security executive at Microsoft, as its chief security officer.

MySpace has changed several policies governing minors' use of the site. Minors can now block their profile so that other users cannot see it unless they know that user. Users older than 18 cannot contact users ages 14 to 15 unless they know that user's full name or e-mail address, information that's not supposed to be provided in user profiles.

Despite enhanced safety measures, MySpace is not completely safe from predators. Frank Kardasz of the Arizona Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force said at the NCMEC conference that the current "challenge comes from trying to filter out the criminals who use the services with evil intent." Mr. Kardasz said he reminds users that "while most people who use the social networking sites are probably friendly and law-abiding, it is difficult for anyone to immediately tell the good people from the bad." He likened the Internet to Halloween, because "people are not always who they appear to be." Many at the NCMEC conference suggested age verification as a tool to make MySpace more safe.

However, John Cardillo, chief executive officer of online security firm Sentry, said that with current technology, it is impossible to verify the age of anyone younger than 18, because the type of records used to complete this process for adults don't exist for teenagers. Most teenagers don't pay taxes, own homes or make other major purchases in their own names, he pointed out.

Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal told the NCMEC conference that "if we have systems of restriction that depend on age, there needs to be age verification."    

MySpace requires users to be 14 to become registered members, but it relies on users to be honest in reporting their age. MySpace does have an outlet for reporting underage users, but the company still must attempt to verify users' ages before deleting their accounts.

NCMEC panelists said a key problem that parents have in dealing with their children's MySpace use is that teenagers will not always do as they are told. Stephen Carrick-Davies, chief executive officer of Childnet International, reminded the NCMEC conference of Crane's Rule: "There are three ways to get something done: do it yourself, hire someone, or forbid your kids to do it." Others at the NCMEC event suggested that if teens aren't allowed on MySpace or the other big social networking sites, they will find ways to meet online through other, less secure venues. Some parents are taking a proactive approach to the perceived MySpace problem, using technology to monitor their teens' Internet use. There is software that can show parents which sites their teens have visited and others that can track individual MySpace profiles.

But Tim Lordan, the executive director and counsel of the Internet Education Foundation, asked attendees at the NCMEC conference: "What kind of relationship do you set with your teens once you start spying on them?" Mr. Nigam took a different approach, saying that "what's really important is that parents engage in a dialogue with their teens," regardless of the method they use.

Mr. Nigam also said that MySpace is developing pamphlets for parents and user manuals for law-enforcement officials, so that older generations can understand the best approach to keeping children safe. But some noted the importance of old-fashioned communication. Ernie Allen, the president and CEO of NCMEC, closed last week's conference by saying: "If parents aren't telling their kids they love them, someone on the Internet will."

Retrieved June 28, 2006 from http://washingtontimes.com/functions/print.php?StoryID=20060627-112252-7534r

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 11:46 AM | Permalink

February 27, 2006

Offender: Jerry Dean Huff, a.k.a. "HollywoodASU992000" age 35. Occupation: Engineer

On April 12, 2005, Jerry D. Huff, a 35 year old married engineer for a major computer chip manufacturer, was arrested and charged with luring a minor for sexual exploitation. The arrest occurred in the parking lot of a business in west Phoenix. Huff came to the attention of law enforcement in April 2005, when he used the Internet to solicit sex acts with a minor.  During Internet chat conversations, Huff arranged the illicit tryst.

While using the screen name: “HollywoodASU992000” he made sexually explicit statements including (expletives deleted):

"You like to talk dirty?"
"You like older guys?"
"Do you have boobs yet?"
"Do you like to touch them?"
"Do you like talking sexy?"
"I'd like you to take your hand and put it between my legs and feel (deleted)."
"My (deleted) is hard now."
"Im not talking about cyber, Im talking about getting together for real."
"Would you like to (j___) me off today?"
"Would you let me lick your (n______)?"
"Do you know what a (b___  j__) is?"
"Where should I meet you?"
"You're not going to get me in trouble are you?"
"You know we shouldnt do this right?"
"It'll be our secret?"
"Because I could get in a lot of trouble for this."
"See you in an hour -- gotta go finish getting ready."

Huff drove his Mitsubishi Diamante 27 miles from Mesa to west Phoenix, intent upon meeting a minor for sex. Arizona Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force members arrested him without incident and he made admissions about the crime. A search warrant was served at his residence and evidence was seized.

On February 27, 2006, Huff waived his right to trial and plead guilty before Judge Andrew G. Klein of the Maricopa County Superior Court in Arizona. Judge Klein sentenced Huff to 8 years probation and a suspended jail sentence. If he violates probation he could serve six months jail - on work furlough.

Huff must register as a sex offender and he is restricted from using computers in his home without the prior written permission of his probation officer.

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 09:11 PM | Permalink

-Chinese Epigram

Retrieved June 27 2006 from http:/www.beliefnet.com

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 11:52 AM | Permalink

By Michael Maresh, Roundup staff reporter, Monday, June 26, 2006

Detective Sgt. Tom Tieman of the Payson Police Department will be recognized as the officer of the quarter at 10 a.m. Tuesday, June 27 by the Gila County Attorney's Office in the supervisor's meeting room in Globe. Payson Police Detective Sgt. Tom Tieman began his law enforcement career 24 years ago as a dispatcher. 

Tieman was hired by the Payson Police Department in August 1982 as a police dispatcher. On July 2, 1983, he was promoted to police officer. In June 1987, he was promoted to the position of police detective. During his time as police detective, he investigated many high profile cases, one being the Century Ford case in which there were numerous counts of fraud and forgery charged against a local businessman.

In January 1993, Tieman was promoted to sergeant and assigned to oversee the investigation division of the police department.  He also oversees the school resources officers and grant program associated with the police officers being assigned to schools. Tieman also oversees the Payson Animal Control Officer and the property custodian for the department. Tieman has supervised many extensive investigations, including the Payson 11 case that involved 11 individuals charged in connection with the homicide of a local businessman.

The Payson police detective was also in charge of the evacuation center, which was maintained in the community for several weeks during the Rodeo-Chediski fire. Tieman, in his 24 years of service as a police officer, has assisted the Gila County Attorney's Office in the successful prosecution of many serious offenders. Most recently, he was a key witness in the trials against Kevin Kuhlman for murder and Jim Dale Calhoun for child molestation. Gila County Attorney Daisy Flores called Tieman's participation in the prosecution of both cases as integral to the successful verdict.

Retrieved June 24, 2006 from  http://www.paysonroundup.com/section/frontpage_lead/storypr/24045

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 07:41 PM | Permalink

Arrest date: Friday June 23, 2006
Arrested person: Michael Richard Olson, w/m, age 37, married
Arrest location: Parking lot of a business in west Phoenix, Arizona
Suspect's residence/search warrant: residential dwelling in Mesa, AZ
Agencies: Arizona ICAC: Phoenix P.D.
Offense: Luring a minor for sexual exploitation

On Friday, June 23, 2006 Michael Olson, a 37 year old wine distributor, was arrested and charged with luring a minor for sexual exploitation. The arrest occurred in the parking lot of a business in west Phoenix. Olson came to the attention of law enforcement when he used the Internet to solicit sexual conduct with a minor.

During his chats, Olson arranged the illicit tryst then drove his Ford Taurus thirty nine miles from Mesa to west Phoenix, intent upon meeting a minor for sex. Arizona Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force members arrested him without incident. A search warrant was served at his residence and evidence was seized.

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 05:27 PM | Permalink

Happiness makes up in height for what it lacks in length.

-Robert Frost

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 11:10 PM | Permalink

Dr. Kardasz: In the following news report, the idea that Internet service providers (ISP) should simply preserve data is mischaracterized as "snooping". I support legislation that requires ISP's to preserve data. The data would remain secure with the ISP and not subject to inspection by law enforcement except upon issuance of legal process in the form of a subpoena for subscriber information or a search warrant for content information. Subpoenas and search warrants are not "snooping", they are part of lawful investigative processes.

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Congress may make ISPs snoop on you

By Declan McCullagh, 05/16/06, Cnetnews.com

A prominent Republican on Capitol Hill has prepared legislation that would rewrite Internet privacy rules by requiring that logs of Americans' online activities be stored, CNET News.com has learned. The proposal comes just weeks after Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said Internet service providers should retain records of user activities for a "reasonable amount of time," a move that represented a dramatic shift in the Bush administration's views on privacy.

Wisconsin Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, is proposing that ISPs be required to record information about Americans' online activities so that police can more easily "conduct criminal investigations." Executives at companies that fail to comply would be fined and imprisoned for up to one year.

In addition, Sensenbrenner's legislation--expected to be announced as early as this week--also would create a federal felony targeted at bloggers, search engines, e-mail service providers and many other Web sites. It's aimed at any site that might have "reason to believe" it facilitates access to child pornography--through hyperlinks or a discussion forum, for instance.

Speaking to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children last month, Gonzales warned of the dangers of pedophiles using the Internet anonymously and called for new laws from Congress. "At the most basic level, the Internet is used as a tool for sending and receiving large amounts of child pornography on a relatively anonymous basis," Gonzales said.

Until Gonzales' speech, the Bush administration had explicitly opposed laws requiring data retention, saying it had "serious reservations" (click here for PDF) about them. But after the European Parliament last December approved such a requirement for Internet, telephone and voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers, top administration officials began talking about it more favorably.

The drafting of the data-retention proposal comes as Republicans are trying to do more to please their conservative supporters before the November election. One bill announced last week targets MySpace.com and other social networking sites. At a meeting last weekend, social conservatives called on the Bush administration to step up action against pornography, according to a New York Times report.

Sensenbrenner's proposal is likely to be controversial. It would substantially alter U.S. laws dealing with privacy protection of Americans' Web surfing habits and is sure to alarm Internet businesses that could be at risk for linking to illicit Web sites.

A spokesman for the House Judiciary Committee said the aide who drafted the legislation was not immediately available for an interview on Monday.

U.S. Justice Department spokesman Drew Wade said the agency generally doesn't comment on legislation, though it may "issue a letter of opinion" at a later date.

Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington, called Sensenbrenner's measure an "open-ended obligation to collect information about all customers for all purposes. It opens the door to government fishing expeditions and unbounded data mining."

The National Security Agency has engaged in extensive data-mining about Americans' phone calling habits, USA Today reported last week, a revelation that could complicate Republicans' efforts to enact laws relating to mandatory data retention and data mining. Sen. John Sununu, a New Hampshire Republican, for instance, took a swipe at the program on Monday, and Democrats have been calling for a formal investigation.

Worries for Internet providers
One unusual aspect of Sensenbrenner's legislation--called the Internet Stopping Adults Facilitating the Exploitation of Today's Youth Act--or Internet Safety Act--is that it's relatively vague.

Instead of describing exactly what information Internet providers would be required to retain about their users, the Internet Safety Act gives the attorney general broad discretion in drafting regulations. At minimum, the proposal says, user names, physical addresses, Internet Protocol addresses and subscribers' phone numbers must be retained.

That generous wording could permit Gonzales to order Internet providers to retain records of e-mail orrespondents, Web pages visited, and even the contents of communications.

"In the absence of clear privacy safeguards, Congress would be wise to remove this provision," Rotenberg said.

Sonia Arrison, director of technology studies at the free-market Pacific Research Institute in San Francisco, said the Internet Safety Act "follows in a long line of bad laws that are written in the name of protecting children."

Complicating the outlook for the Internet Safety Act is the uncertain political terrain of Capitol Hill. Rep. Diana DeGette, a Colorado Democrat, announced legislation (click for PDF) last month--which could be appended to a telecommunications bill--that would require Internet providers to store records that would permit police to identify each user.

The head of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Rep. Joe Barton of Texas, has expressed support for DeGette's plan. That could lead to a renewal of a turf battle between the two committees, one of which has jurisdiction over Internet providers, while the other is responsible for federal criminal law.

"We're still evaluating things," said Terry Lane, a spokesman for the House Energy and Commerce Committee. "We haven't really laid out exactly yet what kind of proposals we would support and what kind of proposals would be necessary."

New Internet felonies proposed
Following are excerpts from Rep. Sensenbrenner's Internet Safety Act:

"Whoever, being an Internet content hosting provider or email service provider, knowingly engages in any conduct the provider knows or has reason to believe facilitates access to, or the possession of, child pornography shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 10 years, or both.

"'Internet content hosting provider' means a service that (A) stores, through electromagnetic or other means, electronic data, including the content of web pages, electronic mail, documents, images, audio and video files, online discussion boards, and weblogs; and (B) makes such data available via the Internet"

"Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this section, the Attorney General shall issue regulations governing the retention of records by Internet Service Providers. Such regulations shall, at a minimum, require retention of records, such as the name and address of the subscriber or registered user (and what) user identification or telephone number was assigned..."
Federal politicians also are being lobbied by state law enforcement agencies, which say strict data retention laws will help them investigate crimes that have taken place a while ago.

Sgt. Frank Kardasz, head of Arizona's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, surveyed his colleagues in other states earlier this year asking them what new law would help them do their jobs. "The most frequent response involved data retention by Internet service providers," or ISPs, Kardasz told News.com last month.

"Preservation" vs. "Retention"
At the moment, ISPs typically discard any log file that's no longer required for business reasons such as network monitoring, fraud prevention or billing disputes. Companies do, however, alter that general rule when contacted by police performing an investigation--a practice called data preservation.

A 1996 federal law called the Electronic Communication Transactional Records Act regulates data preservation. It requires Internet providers to retain any "record" in their possession for 90 days "upon the request of a governmental entity."

Because Internet addresses remain a relatively scarce commodity, ISPs tend to allocate them to customers from a pool based on whether a computer is in use at the time. (Two standard techniques used are the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol and Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet.)

In addition, ISPs are required by another federal law to report child pornography sightings to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which is in turn charged with forwarding that report to the appropriate police agency.

When adopting its data retention rules, the European Parliament approved U.K.-backed requirements saying that communications providers in its 25 member countries--several of which had enacted their own data retention laws already--must retain customer data for a minimum of six months and a maximum of two years.

The Europe-wide requirement applies to a wide variety of "traffic" and "location" data, including the identities of the customers' correspondents; the date, time and duration of phone calls, voice over Internet Protocol calls, or e-mail messages; and the location of the device used for the communications. But the "content" of the communications is not supposed to be retained. The rules are expected to take effect in 2008.

According to a memo accompanying the proposed rules (click here for PDF), European politicians approved the rules because not all operators of Internet and communications services were storing information about citizens' activities to the extent necessary for law enforcement and national security.

In addition to mandating data retention for ISPs and liability for Web site operators, Sensenbrenner's Internet Safety Act also would:

• Make it a crime for financial institutions to "facilitate access" to child pornography, for instance by processing credit card payments.

• Increase penalties for registered sex offenders who commit another felony involving a child.

•  Create an Office on Sexual Violence and Crimes against Children inside the Justice Department.

Retrieved June 24, 2006 from http://news.com.com/2102-1028_3-6072601.html?tag=st.util.print

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 02:21 PM | Permalink

Dr. Kardasz: The story below discusses part of a conference held in Washington D.C. on June 22 2006. Conference attendees discussed Internet safety issues involving social networking sites. The conference was a good start towards what is hoped to be continuing efforts to improve Internet safety for all who use social networking sites.

One of my comments is taken out of context in the following story. Here is the complete portion of my statement that is referred to in the following story.
 

THE LAW ENFORCEMENT ENVIRONMENT
Law enforcement cannot do as much in this area (Internet crimes against children) as it would like to. Law enforcement resources are often absorbed by those crimes for which there is a public outcry. Overall, there is less of a public outcry for the enforcement of Internet crimes against children than there is for many other crimes. In recent years Federal resources are drawn to terrorism, drug enforcement and border control, all of which have great national importance. Local resources are drawn to homicides, gangs, drugs, burglaries, and other offenses of great local importance. Consequently, we who fight Internet crime are often understaffed. That’s also partly because children are often marginalized by society.  They have no voice. Very young children, those whose tortured images we see when we investigate child pornography incidents, cannot call 911. They cannot call the news media, they cannot write to an elected official. They cannot vote.

My entire statement from the conference can be found at: http://kardasz.org/blog/2006/06/dialogue_on_social_networking.html

 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Law enforcers want help from social networking sites

GovExec.com, June 23, 2006

By Winter Casey, National Journal's Technology Daily

Efforts to prosecute crimes related to online social-networking sites would be aided if Internet protocol numbers could be accessed once investigations begin, an official said Thursday.

"Companies that operate social Web sites have a responsibility" to prevent the improper use of their sites, Steven Del Negro from the Massachusetts Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force said during a conference on such sites.

When law enforcement needs to track children immediately based on information discovered on sites like Facebook and MySpace, "we need to talk to companies immediately and not go through 'press 1, press 2, press 3' and then be told they are closed for the day," Del Negro said at an event hosted by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

But he noted that "I truly believe that the legitimate companies really want to do the right thing, and most of the time they do."

Law enforcers and child advocates are concerned by the way young people use social-networking sites to post photographs and personal information. They said pedophiles have turned to the sites to pose as innocuous friends or teenagers in order to attract attention via sexual or other inappropriate material.

Del Negro said that once pictures get posted on the Internet, law enforcement has little ability to remove them.

"The challenge of these sites is to capture the Internet protocol number," he said. However, even if the number is retained, it is only held for a short amount of time and is difficult to track. "Generally by the time we get called to investigate, the information is gone," Del Negro said.

Frank Kardasz, project director of the Arizona Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, said investigators always hope the data from Internet service providers is available by the time investigations ensue.

A 1996 federal law requires ISPs to retain records in their possession for 90 days if requested by the government. ISPs also must report sightings of child pornography.

The Justice Department reportedly has been considering mandating that ISPs retain data for a set period. Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., has spoken in favor of forcing ISPs to keep records. But a representative from the Progress and Freedom Foundation said the group opposes government-mandated data retention.

"Most ISPs will be willing to retain data on a potential bad guy for as long as the government wants if they go through the traditional procedures," PFF senior fellow Adam Thierer said. "But there is a world of difference between that and requiring ISPs to record all information for all users for an extended amount of time."

Kardasz said one problem is that overall there appears to be less public outcry about Internet crimes targeting children than about homeland security. Further, Internet crime-fighters often are understaffed, and children are frequently marginalized in society, he said.

Arnold Bell, chief of the FBI's innocent images unit, said the goal is to make social-networking sites as safe as possible. He called for cooperation between law enforcement and industry.

Retrieved June 24, 2006 from http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0606/062306tdpm1.htm

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 02:03 PM | Permalink

Parents, if you use the Internet as a babysitter you are placing your child at risk. By analogy, think of the Internet like a big city street. Imagine that you are walking down the street with your child. On one side of the street are libraries, games, legitimate businesses and kind, friendly people. On the other side of the street are illegal enterprises, child molesters, identity thieves pornographers and bullies. Would you let your child tour that street alone? Probably not. If you fail to closely supervise your childs Internet use, his or her natural curiosity and lack of street smarts may take them to that wrong side of the Internet street.

Dr. Kardasz 

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 11:29 PM | Permalink

Dr. Kardasz: "Lamplighting" also known as "Whistleblowing" is one of the most difficult things a law enforcement officer can do. Reporting the misconduct of peers can be a trying experience. The following story describes the brave work of an honest cop.

For more information on this subject see:  http://www.kardasz.org/Whistle_Blowing.html

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

By Erin Rickert, The Daily Reflector, June 24, 2006

(North Carolina) As a rookie cop just two months out of basic law enforcement training, Winterville Police Officer Katie Russell said she never guessed she would be involved in an undercover operation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

But for nearly 18-months, the 23-year-old Oak Island native served as an FBI informant after witnessing the illegal activities of Fayetteville Police Officer Jared Parsek in the latter part of 2004.

During these months amid her daily patrol work in Winterville, Russell met with FBI agents to record phone conversations and assist in the recovery of weapons she said Parsek discarded.

"It takes a great amount of courage to do any kind of undercover work," Winterville Police Chief Billy Wilkes said in a news release about Russell. "The fact that she undertook this assignment with only four months of police experience under her belt against a crooked cop for 18 months speaks volumes about her integrity and guts."

Russell said she developed a friendship with Parsek in September 2004 at a drug enforcement training program in Wilson. At an outing in the mountains a month later Russell said she noticed something out of the ordinary.

"He was in a room with a bag of guns taking off the serial numbers and sawing them off," Russell said by phone Wednesday from her parents home in Oak Island.

Russell said she subsequently was in a car with Parsek watching him throw the metal pieces of the guns off the side of a mountain in Watauga County.

"The whole time, I just remember I was thinking about who I was going to tell," Russell remembered.

Russell turned to a former professor at Pitt Community College to discuss her information.

"He told me I needed to call the FBI," Russell said. "He got them on the phone and I sat there (in his office), and told them everything I knew."

Russell said it was during this conversation she discovered the FBI was already investigating Parsek's activities.

She said some of the guns were used in robberies of homes in Fayetteville, Raleigh and Beech Mountain Parsek was directing men to rob. Parsek had learned through police duties the homes were unoccupied, she said.

To help the FBI secure evidence against Parsek, Russell agreed to continue exchanging e-mails and phone calls with him, which agents reviewed during the 18-months. Russell said she even took FBI agents to the mountain to help locate the gun parts Parsek threw over the mountain.

"The whole thing is hard to believe, but I am glad they finally did get him," Russell said. "They told me without coming forward it would have taken a lot longer."

Parsek pleaded guilty in federal court in March. He is scheduled to be sentenced next month.

At an informal ceremony at the Winterville Police Department this week, FBI Supervisory Special Agent T. Flynn presented Russell with a certificate of recognition for "outstanding cooperation and assistance in connection with an investigation of great importance."

Russell — who has been with the Winterville Police Department for about two years — said the experience has inspired her to return to school to obtain a four-year degree in criminal justice to better prepare her for the investigative police work she plans to do.

"We are fortunate to have officers of her caliber in the department," Wilkes said. "She's a real go getter with a long and successful career ahead of her."

Retrieved June 24, 206 from http://www.reflector.com/news/content/news/stories/2006/06/24/S_P_Russell.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=9

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 09:06 PM | Permalink

Thursday , June 22, 2006
 
WASHINGTON — New ways of meeting people and chatting on the Internet have given sexual predators of children an advantage over law enforcement, and police are asking for help to keep one step ahead of the criminals.

Web sites like MySpace, Facebook and Xanga are revolutionizing ideas about how the Internet can be used as a social networking venue, giving registrants the opportunity to get in touch with more people than ever before, and to share ideas, stories and facts. But also emerging are an increasing number of stories about the dark side of the endless new ways of interconnecting.

So-called "social networking" sites, such as MySpace and Xanga make it easier than ever for predators to cloak their identities online — even more so than previous types of online communication like chat rooms and forums.

"It really helps the predator to find the victim more quickly ... than they used to find them," Sgt. Frank Kardasz told FOXNews.com. Kardasz runs the federal Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in Arizona and works in the family crimes unit of the Phoenix Police Department. "You used to picture the child molester who would stand out in school yards. Now you've got a child molester [who] can find all kinds of possibilities ...with a few clicks of the mouse," he added.

Kardasz and others were among dozens of law enforcement officers, Internet security officers, lawyers, crime prevention advocates and public officials who attended a National Center for Missing and Exploited Children conference Thursday in Washington. The conference was the first ever held by the center on the topic.

Nancy Willard, the director of the Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use in Eugene, Ore., pointed out that predators can now be more bold; instead of going out in public to, say a mall, they can contact their victims online, lie about their identities, and trick their victims into thinking they're friends. Once the predators have finally made physical contact with their victims, it's often too late to prevent a crime. "We have to educate kids about those techniques," Willard said.

Michelle Collins, who directs the Exploited Child Unit the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, said the center's Internet tip line, cybertipline.com, received a total of 4,500 tips in its first year, 1998. Now it receives tips on 1,500 alleged child sexual exploitation cases per week, including many that are so-called "online enticement" cases in which a predator has used the Internet to get children to perform sex acts.

As new innovations appear on the Internet, predators also continue to exploit its speed, law enforcement officials and others said. The early concerns of the Internet have nearly been blown away; the fear that children could access online pornography has been replaced with that of them unknowingly making themselves victims of violent crimes.

Federal and state police said they need more cooperation from businesses and improved data collection about Web site users so they can find suspects easier once they're alerted to a possible crime. The officials said they also need more officers to fight cyber sex crime, and better training for the ones who already are working the beat.

'The Bad Guys Don't Care'

But even if these law enforcement needs are met, it might not solve all the problems posed by these sites. There are privacy concerns in the Internet industry over keeping and sharing data. John Cardillo, CEO of the Miami-based technology consulting firm Sentry, said there are also problems trying to verify people are who they say they are online, especially teens who don't necessarily have driver's licenses or credit cards. Other information, like Social Security numbers, birth and death certificates, and health information are shielded under privacy laws. And, while law enforcement might be able to get a suspect's credit-card information after a crime has been committed, that 42-year-old suspect could have presented himself as a 14-year-old peer. "We cannot, as an industry, verify the age of teenagers," Cardillo said.

Two specific things police want most from social networking companies was for them to keep registrant's data longer, and they want site managers to require a credit card. If the data is kept as long as possible — two years, preferably — they said they can better track who was online and when, and use that information as evidence in cases.

Arnold Bell, chief of the FBI's Innocent Images Unit, said the credit-card requirement helps in contacting the suspect, but also it's a prevention matter; kids will more likely need their parent's permission to get online. Another problem, Bell said, is the hodgepodge of state laws relating to cyber sex crimes, some strong, some weak. Federal law sometimes fills in the gaps. Also, there is no national registry of sex offenders, only state registries.

All these things are needed, Bell said, because "the bad guys don't care" about state borders or laws against cyber sex crime.

'Giant Strides' Needed

Internet companies are taking steps to come work with law enforcement. MySpace.com, which was sued for $30 million in damages by a 14-year-old girl who claimed she was molested because of MySpace's lax policies, announced new policies this week that no 14 or 15 year olds can be contacted by anyone older than 18 unless the adult knows the teen's name or e-mail address. The company also now allows anyone to shield their information from unknown parties.

MySpace is also no longer placing advertisements designed for older viewers — such as dating site advertisements — on pages for people whose ages are listed as younger than 18.

Others companies are working on authentication methods and internal policing methods, as well as with law enforcement to improve their systems, company officials said Thursday.

MySpace security director Hemanshu Nigam said the site is dedicated to working with law enforcement and balancing that with protecting users' privacy. "The house of MySpace has to be built on the solid foundation of safety and security," Nigam said.

But Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal called the steps outlined by MySpace and others "baby steps." "What we need are giant strides," Blumenthal said. His office has asked MySpace to do a number of things, including raise its age requirements to 16 years old, from its current 14 years old.

He said there are a number of problems presented to the companies, including financial and administrative, "but it can be done."

But one thing law enforcement has always and will always struggle with is preventing the crime altogether. Arizona's Kardasz says it's a parent's job to guide their children through the Internet. He said parents should consider the Internet like a street. On one side of the street, there are educational, inspirational and safe stores. On the other side of the street are pornographic and otherwise unsafe stores. "Are you going to let your child walk down that street alone?"

MySpace.com is owned by News Corp, the parent company of FOXNews.com.

Retrieved June 23,2006 from http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,200675,00.html

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 10:38 AM | Permalink

June 22, 2006

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
Dialogue on Social Networking Web Sites
Washington D.C.

Statement of Dr. Frank Kardasz, Project Director
Arizona Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force

BACKGROUND
Thank you for inviting me today. I have spent the last six of my 27 years in law enforcement doing some of the most important police work possible. It is the work of protecting children and teens from Internet sexual predators and traffickers of child pornography.

This type of police work is still in its relative infancy. Some cops are still computer novices. Some of us think that a social networking site is the local Fraternal Order of Police Lodge. So we cops are working to catch up. Getting our law enforcement arms around the growing problem of Internet crime is a momentous task. By way of analogy, some days I feel like we are trying to restrain King Kong with a tiny rubber band. But thanks to the DOJ Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, we continue to improve.

SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES
With regards to social networking sites, they provide users with a lawful service. They provide an attractive method of communication. Owners of the sites sometimes profit from advertisers who know that the popularity of the sites provide important venues for attracting people to their products. There is nothing inherently evil about either of those motives. The challenge comes from trying to filter out the criminals who use the services with evil intent.

THE LAW ENFORCEMENT ENVIRONMENT
Law enforcement cannot do as much in this area as it would like to. Law enforcement resources are often absorbed by those crimes for which there is a public outcry. Overall, there is less of a public outcry for the enforcement of Internet crimes against children than there is for many other crimes. In recent years Federal resources are drawn to terrorism, drug enforcement and border control, all of which have great national importance. Local resources are drawn to homicides, gangs, drugs, burglaries, and other offenses of great local importance. Consequently, we who fight Internet crime are often understaffed. That’s also partly because children are often marginalized by society.  They have no voice. Very young children, those whose tortured images we see when we investigate child pornography incidents, cannot call 911. They cannot call the news media, they cannot write to an elected official. They cannot vote.

Sometimes the crimes are so devastatingly surreal that we cannot wrap our logical minds around the possibility that anyone would do such things to a child. Some of the most hardened and cynical cops I know cannot work Internet crimes against children because they cannot endure the attendant emotional hardship that comes with witnessing the inhumane suffering of innocent children.

So I am pleased to see all of you here today and see that we are working on these tough issues.

CASE STUDIES
Now I would like to show two case studies from the Arizona Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force involving social networking sites.

The first case involves a man who called himself “Danny” on his web page. We learned about Danny because an alert parent was monitoring her childs Internet use and personally knew of Danny because he lived in the same neighborhood as the woman. She also knew that he is a registered sex offender. We learned that Danny (not his real name) was also registered sex offender in Arizona. There is no mention of his sex offender status on his web page and he advertises himself as a lover of poetry who is looking for a girlfriend. Although his original web page is no longer available, Danny is not subject to any computer restrictions and is free to continue advertising himself if he so chooses.

The second case involves a man who advertised himself on his web page as “International man of adventure.” A parent in Louisiana installed monitoring software on her daughters computer and found that the minor was communicating with a man from Arizona. The incident was reported to the Louisiana ICAC Task Force, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Arizona ICAC Task Force. Detectives from my Arizona Task Force learned the mans true identity and discovered that he was wanted on a felony sexual assault warrant in Arizona. He is now in custody awaiting trial for the sex assault charge.

OFFENDERS
Unlike spectacular and riveting crimes and events involving crashes, explosions, shootings and widespread newsworthy bloodletting, the evil crimes against children are committed in dark and private places by offenders who sometimes psychologically groom and control their victims into silence. In cases involving predators who use social networking sites, the psychological grooming and control process begins with the offenders carefully constructed web page. They may pose as friendly adults, or as other children of the same age, or they may just browse and search and stalk the millions of web pages until they find just the right target and gather just enough information to permit them to locate and capture a victim.

Once we learn of the offense, law enforcement investigators must scramble to issue subpoenas and hope that the Internet service provider retained the data so we can find the offender.

VICTIMS
I’m convinced that that the quiet crimes committed when an adult sexual predator meets a curious unsupervised teenager to engage in sex acts are often unreported. Often the minor returns home without his or her parents ever finding out. We learned of one such case in Arizona when an undercover officer from my task force was posing as a child and subsequently arrested a predator. We learned that the offender had met and victimized two girls to whom he had also given sexually transmitted diseases. In their shame, the girls had never notified anyone of the crimes. The distraught parents only learned of the offenses when my detectives informed them of the suspect’s confessions.

SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM
Some will say, it’s not that big a problem; the crime statistics are not large. And that will seem to be true because these crimes are underreported. Defenders of free speech and privacy will demand numbers and statistics to justify change. How many incidents?  How many sexual assaults? How many children? How many deaths? But ask yourselves; what is an acceptable number of children lost to Internet sexual predators and child pornography traffickers? For me, the answer is none.

I hope we will find some common ground that allows continued social networking while controlling the criminals who abuse the privilege.

I trust that we will not mentally disassociate ourselves from the victims for the sake of financial gain or a misguided sense of freedom of expression or protection of privacy. I know that the proprietors of social networking sites are responsible individuals who share our respect for the rights of children to grow up happy and innocent.

My Massachusetts ICAC Task Force colleague, Sgt. Steve DelNegro, will talk some more in a few minutes about the other kinds of cases we are seeing and provide some recommendations for your consideration.

I will be happy to take questions later.
Thank you

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 01:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

June 22, 2006

A Spartanburg, South Carolina man who had eluded capture for three months pleaded guilty Thursday to soliciting sexual contact on the Internet, and was sentenced to five years in prison.

Attorney General Henry McMaster said David Charles Brown, 55, of 237 New Cut Road in Spartanburg, pleaded guilty to two counts of criminal solicitation of a minor. McMaster said Brown solicited sexual contact using the Internet from an individual he believed to be a 14-year-old girl. In reality, he was soliciting sex from an undercover investigator of the Westminster Police Department, a member of the Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.

Authorities searched Brown's home on Jan. 27, seizing computer equipment, videotapes, and various other items. Brown was a fugitive until his arrest on April 26. He has been in custody at the Oconee County Detention Center since his arrest.

The Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Department and the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED), also members of the Attorney General’s ICAC Task Force, assisted in the effort to locate Brown and deliver him to Oconee County. The Attorney General’s Office prosecuted the case.

Judge Cordell Maddox, Jr., presiding over the General Sessions Court of Anderson County, sentenced Brown to 10 years in prison, suspended to five years and five years probation on each count concurrently.

Retrieved June 22, 2006 from http://www.goupstate.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060622/NEWS/60622001/1051/NEWS01

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 12:40 AM | Permalink

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 12:32 PM | Permalink

By Dr. Frank Kardasz

Social networking sites are very popular among people who wish to meet and communicate with others. They are also the venues for some unlawful activity. The following suggestions would make social networking sites somewhat safer for users and more law-enforcement friendly.

1. On every social networking site web page, display a link to information that describes to users how they can report misconduct. 

2. Require that all new users enter verifiable credit card information when first subscribing.

3. Require that all subscribers pay a nominal fee.

4. For new users of social networking sites, make the default settings for viewing and sharing all account information ‘private’. This means that new accounts would be automatically set to exclude others and to not share information. The new subscriber would have to actively choose to share account information by checking the appropriate boxes in the account settings section.

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 06:32 PM | Permalink

June 13, 2006 Tacoma, Washington

- Two students were arrested after an alleged assault of an Emerald Ridge High School student was videotaped and posted on MySpace.com. The video showed two high school students attacking a classmate while another student video taped the fight with a night vision lens.

Investigators say the assault was in retaliation for an earlier fight that was also video taped and posted on MySpace.com. After the second fight a 17-year-old, now under arrest, brags to the camera then shows a shotgun. “Hey, any of you all want to play with me? We'll play,” he says while racking the shotgun.

Investigators said that the 17-year-old later took the gun to school, where he was arrested and the video was discovered in his car. Both teens involved are scheduled for arraignment on assault charges Tuesday afternoon.

KIROTV.com. Retrieved June 19, 2006 from http://www.kirotv.com/news/9359520/detail.html

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 11:01 PM | Permalink

Fools, their wisdom weak,
are their own enemies
as they go through life,
doing evil
that bears
bitter fruit.

-Dhammapada, 66, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Retrieved June 17, 2006 from http://www.beliefnet.com

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 11:45 PM | Permalink

Dr. Kardasz -

Read the following report and consider:
1. Which typology of unethical behavior was exhibited by the accused?
2. Which decision making process might have prevented the accused from making the wrong decision?

Typologies of unethical behavior - http://kardasz.org/CorruptionTypologies.html
Decision making processes - http://kardasz.org/Decision_Making_Tools.html

---------------------------------------------------------

June 15, 2006, John Caher, New York Law Journal

A New York Court of Appeals removed Queens Supreme Court Justice Laura D. Blackburne for helping a robbery suspect evade arrest.
The ruling marked a rare case where the court decided that a judge who had no prior disciplinary record, and had committed misconduct that did not involve personal profit, venality, a breach of trust or moral turpitude, is unfit for the bench.

Blackburne's removal is rooted in an incident two years ago, when she was presiding over the Queens Treatment Court where defendant Derek Sterling appeared. Sterling was undergoing court-ordered treatment at a residential drug treatment program.

That morning, New York City Detective Leonard Devlin appeared at Blackburne's court and advised the court officer that he wanted to question Sterling in connection with a robbery. Devlin waited outside the courtroom and made no attempt to accost the suspect in the courtroom. He waited for the proceeding before Blackburne to conclude.

Meanwhile, the court officer, Sergeant Richard Peterson, informed the judge that Devlin was present and wanted to question Sterling. Blackburne later realized that the detective sought not only to question Sterling, but to arrest him.

Outraged at what she viewed as a "ruse," Blackburne directed Peterson to show Sterling out a secure rear exit to evade the police officer.

Peterson, worried that he would get in trouble if he disregarded Blackburne's directive and fearing that he would be guilty of obstructing justice if he did what she told him, consulted with an assistant district attorney. The prosecutor, Sharon Scott Brooking, agreed it would be inappropriate to help the suspect evade arrest, and so advised both Peterson and Blackburne.

But Blackburne insisted and said that if Peterson did not take Sterling out the back stairwell, she would do so herself.

The court officer, concerned at that point for the judge's safety, reluctantly showed Sterling out.

Sterling was arrested the next day at his drug treatment program and charged with assault and robbery, charges that were ultimately dismissed.

The New York City tabloids had a field day with the incident, denouncing Blackburne as "Let -'Em-Go-Laura" and "Loony Laura" and describing her as a "judicial jerk." She also was harshly criticized by local and state political leaders.

The Police Benevolent Association, the Detectives Endowment Association and Mayor Bloomberg, through Deputy Mayor for Legal Affairs Carol Robles-Roman, complained to the Commission on Judicial Conduct, which initiated an investigation.

GUILTY OF MISCONDUCT

Following that investigation and a hearing before a referee, former Appellate Division Justice Ernst H. Rosenberger, Blackburne was found guilty of misconduct. The commission then voted 8-2 for removal, with the dissenters contending that censure is a more appropriate penalty for a first-time offense.

On appeal, the sole issue was whether the misconduct in this case was so serious as to warrant the harshest available penalty. For the majority, it seemingly was not a close call.

The majority described Blackburne's conduct as "rash and reckless," and said the judge showed no concern and no respect for the public safety, or, for that matter, for the potential legal predicament in which she was placing Peterson. It said the fact that Sterling returned peacefully to the drug program and apparently did not commit the robbery/assault is of no relevance.

"Things might easily have turned out otherwise," the majority said. "In impeding the legitimate operation of law enforcement by helping a wanted robbery suspect avoid arrest, petitioner placed herself above the law she was sworn to administer, thereby bringing the judiciary into disrepute and undermining public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of her court. [P]etitioner's dangerous actions exceeded all measure of acceptable judicial conduct."

The majority said Blackburne "abandoned her role as a neutral arbiter, and instead became an adversary of the police," a position "completely incompatible with the proper role of an impartial judge."

Michael Marr, a spokesman for the governor, said the administration "is pleased that the Court of Appeals has recognized that a judge who assists a suspected felon in avoiding a lawful arrest exceeds all bounds of acceptable judicial conduct and must be removed from office."

The ruling has no impact on Blackburne's pension, except to the extent that she will have fewer years of service. She was within two years of retirement. She had been suspended with pay pending the court's consideration of her case.

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 01:30 PM | Permalink

To trust a stranger without investigation invites troubles
so endless that even descendants must endure them.

Without investigation, trust no one. Having investigated,
entrust a man with matters for which he is trustworthy.

To trust a man who has not been tested and to suspect a man
who has proven trustworthy lead alike to endless ills.

-Tirukkural 51: 508-510
Excerpted from the Tirukkural, translated by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami. Himalayan Academy Publications, www.himalayanacademy.com. Retrieved June 18. 2006 from http://www.beliefnet.com

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 09:56 PM | Permalink

Dr. Kardasz: For some, ethics is based upon spiritual beliefs about right and wrong. The belief in a supreme being or beings and the scriptual writings from those being(s) can be very important in shaping ethics.

The web site, beliefnet.com has an interesting quiz that may help you to examine some of your beliefs and determine which religion(s) most closely associate with your beliefs.

Take the quiz at:
http://beliefnet.com/story/76/story_7665_1.html

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 03:46 PM | Permalink

We can forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.
- Plato

A candle loses none of its light by lighting another candle.
- Unknown

Retrieved June 16, 2006 from http://www.josephsoninstitute.org/

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 03:15 PM | Permalink

Dr. Kardasz: Clicking the hyperlink below will open a PDF file containing a research publication of the Department of Justice entitled: Child Pornography on the Internet. The document may be useful to law enforcement administrators. 

Protecting Children From Sexual Exploitation

"Child Pornography on the Internet" (NCJ 214562) (102 pp.) describes the problem and reviews the factors that increase the risks of Internet child pornography. It then identifies a series of questions that may assist in the analysis of the problem and reviews responses based on evaluative research and police practice. (COPS)
 
http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/mime/open.pdf?Item=1729

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 10:39 AM | Permalink

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

-Hymn, "It Is Well With My Soul"

Retrieved June 16, 2006 from http://www.beliefnet.com

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 10:27 AM | Permalink

The finest of the believers conduct themselves with honorable bearing. And the finest of the finest are those who treat their mates with affection.

-The Prophet Muhammad, as reported by Abu Hurairah
From "The Bounty of Allah." Hadith translated by Aneela Khalid Arshed.
Retrieved June 16, 2006 from http//:www.beliefnet.com

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 10:10 AM | Permalink

Dr. Kardasz -

Read the following report and consider:
1. Which typology of unethical behavior was exhibited by the accused?
2. Which decision making process might have prevented the accused from making the wrong decision?

Typologies of unethical behavior - http://kardasz.org/CorruptionTypologies.html
Decision making processes - http://kardasz.org/Decision_Making_Tools.html

---------------------------------------------------------

Mike Steele, WorldNow and KLFY TV 10, Eyewitness News,June 15, 2006

Lafayette police chief Randy Hundley, along with three other officers, have been indicted by a grand jury. Chief Hundley must report to jail after a grand jury indicted him on three counts of illegal electronic surveillance.

Arrest warrants will also be issued for three other officers as part of the same case. Police Chief Randy Hundley wrapped up his testimony around 4:00. By 5:00, a grand jury returned three counts against the chief.

Chief Hundley is at the heart of an investigation in which he is accused of placing a bug under his secretary's desk. Hundley's attorney, Jason Robideaux confirmed the fact that it was originally placed as part of an internal affairs case.

But, police sources say it was left there as a way to find out who in the department was loyal to the chief. Robideaux says there are other major elements that will be presented in trial. Only Major Casey Fowler left the courthouse without an indictment.

Captain Michael Lavergne, Sgt. Brian Butler and Cpl. Shannon Hundley also face charges in the case. At least one of the detectives involved in a state police investigation of the department was at the courthouse.

Information from that report prompted the district attorney's office to send the case to the grand jury. Prosecutors say they're confident the charges fit the crime.

Retrieved June 16, 2006 from http://www.klfy.com/global/story.asp?s=5038609&ClientType=Printable 

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 10:04 AM | Permalink

Dr. Kardasz -

Read the following report and consider:
1. Which typology of unethical behavior was exhibited by the accused?
2. Which decision making process might have prevented the accused from making the wrong decision?

Typologies of unethical behavior - http://kardasz.org/CorruptionTypologies.html
Decision making processes - http://kardasz.org/Decision_Making_Tools.html

---------------------------------------------------------

Allegations Are Basis Of Case Being Brought Against Brymer As Termination Hearing Approaches

By Josh Kovner, Courant Staff Writer, June 14 2006

Middletown, Connecticut - Police Chief J. Edward Brymer edited a letter ridiculing a police officer who had arrested then-Mayor Domenique Thornton on a drunken driving charge, failed to stop distribution of the letter and concealed his knowledge of it from an internal investigator and city officials, the city says.

The allegations, conveyed to the chief and his lawyer in a notification letter dated Monday, form the basis of the city's disciplinary case against Brymer, 64. The chief, placed on paid leave May 16 by Mayor Sebastian Giuliano, faces a terminat