The Michael Dean Ross case resulted from a man who used technology to sexually exploit and abuse children. Ross used Facebook to create a fake account here he posed as a 25-year-old businessman who was new and looking for friends (Montgomery). Ross then befriended a 14-year-old girl and began grooming her and attempting to sexually exploit her. This was done by Ross having sexually based conversations, giving her gifts, and sending her graphic images of his genitals and convincing her to reciprocate (Montgomery). Ross also used technology in other ways to sexually exploit children as he posed sexually charged comments on images of child erotica, have conversations with like-minded people, and created and distributed child pornography (Montgomery). Case Study …show more content…
Technology has made it easier for offenders to produce and share various forms of child pornography with limited detection of being caught. While Operation Orion was able to locate 190 offenders, that is an exceptionally small percentage of the number of actual offenders. The number of offenders on the site also demonstrates that the site could have been considered somewhat secure to use; there could be more established and protected file sharing websites not known to law enforcement. The case shows a shift in child exploitation because there are more effective and efficient avenues for offender to utilize. The ease of exploitation opens up a wider group of victims and the victimization can continue for theoretically forever online. There are lapses on legislature as the laws focus predominantly on the creation and distribution of child pornography, but offenders are utilizing other aspects of technology to commit their crimes. Ross demonstrates the diversity of child exploiters and that the crimes are relatively simplistic to commit as creating a fake Facebook, sending emails, and using a file sharing website is relatively
Gordon E. Thomas III was the subject of an FBI criminal investigation involving the possession and distribution of child pornography (Turvey, 2011). After the arrest of an internet advertiser’s arrest, Federal Agents continued contacting the arrestee’s customers. This led the FBI Agents to Mr. Thomas’s home. A search warrant was obtained and on January 3, 2003 Agents seized a computer, video camera, CD-ROMs, and a number of videotapes. After examination of these items, it was discovered that Mr. Thomas maintained possession of approximately 16,000 pornographic images of children. One of the videos seized contained home footage of a young girl sleeping and an adult male’s hand exposing her genitalia. It is believed to have been the hand of the
We have all watched television shows, we have heard the warnings, and have read numerous articles that expose internet predators and pedophiles. Most of us are aware of the dangers surrounding children and teenagers as they navigate the internet’s virtual world. There is no shortage of predators online. Chris Hanson has a very popular show called To Catch a Predator that has helped bring awareness to the public of this heinous crime against children, and while this is extremely important to know and prevent, there is another large segment of society that is at risk too. This paper will focus on this “other” population.
In today’s American society, almost everyone, even children as young as six, owns a cell phone with a camera. Although convenient, camera phones also open the door to massive problems concerning child pornography that stem from sexting, or sending nude or lascivious photos. According to a 2010 Federal Bureau of Investigation survey1 of 4,400 middle and high school students, “approximately eight percent of students reported that they had sent a sext of themselves to others while thirteen percent said they had received a sext.” The main problem with sexting, aside from being child pornography if it is a picture of minor, is the ease of dissemination of the sext to other contacts or even the Internet. The United States alone has seen several students commit suicide after a sext intended for one person’s eyes goes viral or is sent to the entire high school. Such was the case of Ohio high school student, Jesse Logan, who sent nude photos to her boyfriend who then sent them to other students who harassed her until she committed suicide.2
Literature is full of many definitions of cybercrime. For example, some organizations refer to offences ranging from criminal activity against data, content, and copyright violations, others suggest the definition is broader and they include criminal activities such as fraud, child pornography, and cyberstalking (Gordon & Ford, 2006). Therefore, child sexual abuse on the internet falls under the classifications of cybercrimes across law enforcement organizations around the
The last case we will look at involved a man named Gary Dellapenta. Back in 1999 he was charged with using the internet to solicit the rape of a woman who rejected him. Dellapenta posted internet ads on the computer giving out her address, ways to circumvent her alarm and that she had fantasies of being raped. Her father posed as a responder and was able to back trace the IP address to Dellapenta. Dellapenta plead guilty and received three counts of solicitation of sexual assault and was given six years in prison. (Man Charged, 1999)
The micro-theory that can be associated to explain the case study and why child exploitation occurs online is the social learning theory. The social learning theory is built off of differential association with the idea that criminal behavior is learned from others (Moore, 270). However, social learning theory determines that individuals not only engage in criminal behavior when around people associated with similar behavior, but that the behavior is also justified (Moore, 270). The Internet and technology have made social learning for pedophiles and child exploiters easier due to the access and opportunities it allows.
According to the American Heritage Dictionary the word pornography means: Sexually explicit pictures, writing, or other material whose primary purpose is to cause sexual arousal. The term child pornography applies for the sexual explicit material who involves minors of eighteen years of age. The human being as part of a civilized society it is meant to evolve and eradicate some kind of behaviors that make us go back as society and degrade our human nature. No matter the harshness of the punishments against the people who posses, make, distribute and so on child pornography this is something that is growing day by day and can be proved by the statistics. The enormous difference between the “regular” pornography and the child pornography it is not only the legal or illegal the moral or immoral, the people who realize and participate on those kinds of products are adults, are remunerated for what they do. In the case of child pornography the minors involved are obligated, mistreated, and sexually assaulted, some of these minor may have been kidnapped from their homes, other used by they own families to earn money in this unpleasant business. But the important point here it is the fact that the child pornography available it is the fuel for those pedophiles who are seeking innocent victims to satisfy their deviances. As society we have the power to prevent, enforce laws, monitor the internet, and take care of our little and defenseless ones of being victims of child pornography, and also we have the power to stop this illegal and rising trend that use children’s as mere objects of sexual pleasure.
Kids from the ages 10-17 who use the internet are exposed to very graphic sexual content (Gonzales). Essentially, every inappropriate picture or video you see of a child had a horrific story to go along with it. “They are images of graphic sexual and physical abuse-rape, sodomy and forced oral sex-of innocent children, sometimes even babies.” Said Gonzales. With technology improving, it is harder to do have consequences for people who commit a crime; they could clean out their hard drive and never be caught. Therefore, there should be stricter federal restrictions for the content on the Internet because of cybercriminals, internet pedophiles, and cyber bullying. (Gonzales)
Eric and I were married August 2005 we soon then had our daughter Alexis May 14 2006. things were not good he was jealous of the baby and the time and attention I had given her we were fighting a lot and a contemplating leaving him then. He would always seem to somehow persuade me or get me to stay, he was a good talker and a natural salesman. Eric was always too sexual. He left pornographic material hanging in our home in plain view of our children, also was constantly watching porn. He has a severe problem with it and even my mom she always hated coming over he had Pamela Anderson and other people like that on our walls. I didn 't like it having had a baby girl and just wanting to be a mother we fight constantly of this over sexual nature he engages in. He started slowly trying to mold me into his ideal woman. He would constantly have me dye my hair, lose weight, and dress in things I would have never dressed in. If I did things he wanted, then I could have stuff like money for my son, go to dinner with my mom and sisters. He didn 't like them, or me hanging out with my family. We 're all very close and have dinner often he didn 't like that my daughter liked my parents more than he thought she liked him. Its just he was never around and he was so self absorbed and hooked on this porn and this industry and lifestyle that I wasn 't going to have a part of. Including finding out that he 's always secretly been a male stripper and I didn 't know for the majority of the time we were married, I also found out he 'd mostly dance for other men. We moved in with my parents (not knowing of is night career) me my daughter and my son and Eric while we looked for another house. Things were great when I was with my family, I love...
of Sex Offenders Via the Internet. The John Marshal Journal of Computer and Information Law
The internet provides ground for individuals to create, access, and share child sexual abuse images world wide at the click of abutton. Child pornography images are readily available through virtually every Internet technology including website, email, instant messaging.
One out of every five youths online is approached by an online sexual predator, with the integration of social networking; these numbers are alarmingly on the rise (Guo). In present day, it is nearly impossible to find someone who doesn’t at the very least know of social networks, so it is crucial that the general public know about the many negative effects these networks bring. It’s even more imperative that the public know that any existing or rising social networks are not to be trusted. Social networking could be considered negative for society as it provides sexual predators with opportunities, is a source for unhealthy addiction, and disconnects users from the real world.
Technology has opened new encounters and opportunities for the criminal justice system. There are so many new practices of criminal activity, such as computer crimes. There are different types of computer crimes that many people become victims of every day. Computer crime is any crime that involves a computer and a network. The computer may have been used in the commission of a crime, or it may be the target ("Computer Crime: Chapter 2: What Are the Crimes?", n.d.). Crimes such as data diddling, pump and dump, social engineering and spoofing are computer crimes. Even though these crimes are difficult by privacy issues, the new technology has made investigations and prosecutions well organized and effective. Though views are different on the pros and cons of specific technological changes in the criminal justice system, there is an agreement the system has changed affectedly ("Effects of Technology in Criminal Justice | eHow", n.d.).
The 90's internet boom gave rise to new ways of writing in through access to cyberspace. What used to be printed or handwritten on physical surfaces such as paper, cardboard, or bulletin boards has changed to 0's and 1's, bits and bytes of digitized information that can be displayed thru the projections of computer screens. Moreover, the internet has made the process of publishing one's works, writing letters, or chatting with one another much easier and convenient for everyone around the globe. The internet became a universal tool, giving much freedom and flexibility to the users; it gave them opportunity to deliver their thoughts with little or no restrictions. Since it's impossible to regulate all cyber-activities, internet users are often unrestricted by the normal laws or authorities that would set boundaries around the various online transactions. More importantly, the fact that a net user can take on different identities in cyberspace brings about several ethical and social issues. These anonymous and unrestrictive characteristics of cyberspace often permite abusive users to easily involve themselves in serious cybercrimes such as cyberstalking, cyber-rape, and cyber-harassment through chatting services, emails, cyber communities, and other online communication.
In recent years, pornography has established itself as perhaps the most controversial topic arising out of the use of the Internet. The easy availability of this type of sexually explicit material has caused a panic among government officials, family groups, religious groups and law enforcement bodies and this panic has been perpetuated in the media.