True Crime Online Newsletter - March 17, 2014
I couldn't make this up if I tried. . .Xbox gamer becomes first to hit 1 million GamerScore
http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2014/03/1
A Tennessee video gamer has become the first person to hit the 1 million GamerScore mark for obtaining Xbox achievements.
Ray Cox IV of Knoxville said he played Xbox 360, Xbox One and Windows games for eight years to accumulate achievements that gave GamerScore points, and he hit the 1 million mark during a game if "Titanfall," GameSpot reported Thursday.
Cox said he has no plans to aim for 2 million points, but he hasn't ruled out driving up his score higher.
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Visit WHOA on the web at http://www.haltabuse.org
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NEWS TO USE AND PASS ALONG!
(DISCLAIMER: The following news items were found on the web and were not written or endorsed by WHO@; they are for informational purposes only)
Adults are not practicing safe sexting: study - 03/16/14
http://businesstech.co.za/news/mobile/5
A new study by security software maker, McAfee notes that almost 50% of adults are exchanging intimate digital content with their partners – but few are taking the necessary precautions while doing so. The study, called 2014 Love, Relationships and Technology, examined over 1,500 consumers and how they share and store intimate data on mobile devices, with current or former ‘significant others’.
'Moronic' Joshua Bonehill-Paine admits Leicester pub hoax - 03/15/14
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leic
A man describing himself as "a rising star of the right-wing community" has admitted being behind an internet hoax about a pub banning military personnel. On his website the Daily Bale, Joshua Bonehill-Paine wrote an article claiming The Globe, in Leicester, had banned British armed forces to avoid offending the immigrant population.
NC Man Accused Of Tweeting Threats Against Lawmen - 03/15/14
http://charlotte.cbslocal.com/2014/03/1
Authorities have arrested a Lincolnton man after investigators say he posted threats against law enforcement officers on Twitter. The sheriff’s office said Friday 19-year-old Marcus Daniel Sintoni is charged with three counts of cyberstalking. He’s in the Lincoln County jail under a $7,500 secured bond pending a court appearance.
Kittery man sentenced for 'sextortion' - 03/14/14
http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar
John Bryan Villegas, 23, of Kittery, Maine, was sentenced in federal court to serve 33 months in prison for engaging in a type of cyber stalking known as “sextortion” of a Dover woman. The sentencing was announced Thursday afternoon by Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department's Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney John P. Kacavas of the District of New Hampshire.
Sexually explicit notes prompt stalking arrest - 03/14/14
http://herald-review.com/news/local/cri
In December, a woman began receiving unwanted notes in the mail from an unknown person. The woman told police she first received a “romantic Christmas card with a handwritten note” with a crude afterthought, according to an affidavit filed by Macon County sheriff's detective Kristopher Thompson.
Man stalked ex-wife to extremes, police say - 03/13/14
http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2014-0
A Pompano Beach man charged Wednesday with breaking into his ex-wife's home had harassed her for nearly a year, even threatening to kill her boyfriend and creating a Facebook page purportedly showing her naked, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office.
Happy Birthday: The Web turns 25 -03/13/14
http://www.gizmag.com/www-25-anniversar
On March 12, 1989 Tim Berners-Lee, while working as a contractor at the CERN laboratories in Switzerland, submitted Information Management: A Proposal, which sparked the greatest advance in information technology since Gutenberg invented the printing press. At the time, it was just a way for CERN scientists to share data, but a quarter of a century later, it’s grown from a curiosity into a necessity without which our world can no longer function.
Reverse Network Effects: Why Today’s Social Networks Can Fail As They Grow Larger - 03/13/14
http://www.wired.com/insights/2014/03/r
Network effects are the holy grail for Internet startups looking for venture-scale returns. On a platform with network effects, the value to a user increases as more users use it. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Skype, WhatsApp and many others benefit from this dynamic. In an age when more than a billion people connect over a network and new networks reach multi-billion dollar valuations with a handful of employees, one is tempted to believe that online networks are almost fail-proof. But as online networks grow to a size never seen before, many question their sustainability and believe that they are becoming too large to be useful.
Tumblr Penalizes Woman for Doxxing Creep Who Issued Rape Threat - 03/13/14
http://jezebel.com/tumblr-penalizes-wom
On Wednesday, Tumblr user Misandry Mermaid put up a post doxxing a man who sent her a rape threat. Tumblr removed that post, telling her, "We do not allow harassment on Tumblr." Yesterday evening, Misandry Mermaid wrote: Isn't that interesting. Tumblr emailed me to tell me they deleted my post calling out the dude who sent me a rape threat. But hasn't banned the dude who sent me a rape threat, even though I reported him. I guess Tumblr just wants to make their site safer for people who send rape threats than those who receive them. I guess it's not considered harassment to send rape threats, but if you name the person who sends you rape threats, you are harassing them. INTERESTING
BMX bikers use homeless people as props in Los Angeles, controversy ensues - 03/13/14
http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2014/0
Not everyone thinks that a video showing Los Angeles BMX bikers hopping over homeless people sleeping on Skid Row is a great source of entertainment. The clip, which was posted to the Facebook page of the nearby OSS Bike Shop, was called “disgusting” by one Los Angeles Police Department officer. In the video, professional BMX rider Brandon Begin and two friends use homeless people as props to execute jumps and other moves.
Man used Internet, text messages to harass 10-year-old girl - 03/13/14
http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/i
A 43-year-old Blackman Township man was arraigned on a charge of possessing child pornography after police say he used the Internet and text messages to harass a 10-year-old girl.
Students need to be aware of sexual harassament policy - 03/12/14
http://doaneline.com/opinion/article_a5
Doane’s attention to and awareness of online sexual harassment should be commended. It’s an issue we all need to know about. It is especially important considering we live in a technological age. The introduction of the Internet has created lots of opportunities. Students can do everything from learn online to connect with friends. It also presents the opportunity for sexual harassment, and it has become a growing trend.
Victims of harassment can get Protection Orders within a day - 03/12/14
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/sin
Victims can get Protection Orders against their harassers within a day in urgent cases, says Law Minister K Shanmugam in reply to queries over how fast the new Protection from Harassment Bill can act to prevent an offending post from going viral online.
Statesman Journal: Are Tweets Free Speech? - 03/12/14
http://www.opb.org/news/article/are-twe
In the wake of the announcement that at least 20 students had been suspended from McKay High School over a tweet, questions have come flooding in about the implications of the school’s punishment on students’ rights of free speech. Principal Sara LeRoy confirmed Tuesday that the students were suspended last week after they apparently retweeted a tweet about a staff member.
Cybercrime: What It Is and How to Protect Yourself - 03/12/14
http://www.tomsguide.com/us/cyberc
Cybercrime is any action that uses a computer system or computer network as a weapon or an accessory in crime, or when a computer serves as the target of the act being committed. Some of the most common forms of cybercrime include attempts to steal information by penetrating networks via malicious hacking, hijacking of online accounts and remote takeovers of computers to repurpose them for cybercrime.
Trolling takes a toll - 03/12/14
http://spartandaily.com/118024/tro
They stalk social media sites, hidden behind the anonymity of a computer screen. Their fingers glide over keyboards stringing together comments designed to inflict emotional distress.
'Cut deeper': teenager was taunted online before her death - 03/12/14
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/cut-deeper-te
When a 15-year-old Kiama girl posted images of her self-torture on the internet for the world to see, some of the responses she received can only be described as pure evil. "Show us more" the nameless trolls prompted, "we love this, cut deeper". The words "go ahead and die then" flashed up on her feed. And then there was this: "Just do it and stop talking about it."
Cyberbullying in university on the rise, study says - 03/11/14
http://www.cbc.ca/news/cyberbullyi
Cyberbullies have grown up. Research out of Simon Fraser University suggests that the online abuse that has been so prevalent on the teenage battlefield is carrying through to the arena of adults at Canadian universities.
Oakland Circuit judge seeks personal protection order against man who allegedly made threats - 03/11/14
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2014
A veteran Oakland Circuit judge has filed a petition for a personal protection order against a man who allegedly made verbal threats to others outside court and also over the Internet because of decisions she made in his girlfriend’s divorce case. Judge Cheryl A. Matthews, a former assistant prosecuting attorney who was elected to the bench in 2004, filed the petition on March 10 against Richart Heit.
http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2014/03/1
A Tennessee video gamer has become the first person to hit the 1 million GamerScore mark for obtaining Xbox achievements.
Ray Cox IV of Knoxville said he played Xbox 360, Xbox One and Windows games for eight years to accumulate achievements that gave GamerScore points, and he hit the 1 million mark during a game if "Titanfall," GameSpot reported Thursday.
Cox said he has no plans to aim for 2 million points, but he hasn't ruled out driving up his score higher.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Visit WHOA on the web at http://www.haltabuse.org
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
NEWS TO USE AND PASS ALONG!
(DISCLAIMER: The following news items were found on the web and were not written or endorsed by WHO@; they are for informational purposes only)
Adults are not practicing safe sexting: study - 03/16/14
http://businesstech.co.za/news/mobile/5
A new study by security software maker, McAfee notes that almost 50% of adults are exchanging intimate digital content with their partners – but few are taking the necessary precautions while doing so. The study, called 2014 Love, Relationships and Technology, examined over 1,500 consumers and how they share and store intimate data on mobile devices, with current or former ‘significant others’.
'Moronic' Joshua Bonehill-Paine admits Leicester pub hoax - 03/15/14
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-leic
A man describing himself as "a rising star of the right-wing community" has admitted being behind an internet hoax about a pub banning military personnel. On his website the Daily Bale, Joshua Bonehill-Paine wrote an article claiming The Globe, in Leicester, had banned British armed forces to avoid offending the immigrant population.
NC Man Accused Of Tweeting Threats Against Lawmen - 03/15/14
http://charlotte.cbslocal.com/2014/03/1
Authorities have arrested a Lincolnton man after investigators say he posted threats against law enforcement officers on Twitter. The sheriff’s office said Friday 19-year-old Marcus Daniel Sintoni is charged with three counts of cyberstalking. He’s in the Lincoln County jail under a $7,500 secured bond pending a court appearance.
Kittery man sentenced for 'sextortion' - 03/14/14
http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar
John Bryan Villegas, 23, of Kittery, Maine, was sentenced in federal court to serve 33 months in prison for engaging in a type of cyber stalking known as “sextortion” of a Dover woman. The sentencing was announced Thursday afternoon by Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department's Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney John P. Kacavas of the District of New Hampshire.
Sexually explicit notes prompt stalking arrest - 03/14/14
http://herald-review.com/news/local/cri
In December, a woman began receiving unwanted notes in the mail from an unknown person. The woman told police she first received a “romantic Christmas card with a handwritten note” with a crude afterthought, according to an affidavit filed by Macon County sheriff's detective Kristopher Thompson.
Man stalked ex-wife to extremes, police say - 03/13/14
http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2014-0
A Pompano Beach man charged Wednesday with breaking into his ex-wife's home had harassed her for nearly a year, even threatening to kill her boyfriend and creating a Facebook page purportedly showing her naked, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office.
Happy Birthday: The Web turns 25 -03/13/14
http://www.gizmag.com/www-25-anniversar
On March 12, 1989 Tim Berners-Lee, while working as a contractor at the CERN laboratories in Switzerland, submitted Information Management: A Proposal, which sparked the greatest advance in information technology since Gutenberg invented the printing press. At the time, it was just a way for CERN scientists to share data, but a quarter of a century later, it’s grown from a curiosity into a necessity without which our world can no longer function.
Reverse Network Effects: Why Today’s Social Networks Can Fail As They Grow Larger - 03/13/14
http://www.wired.com/insights/2014/03/r
Network effects are the holy grail for Internet startups looking for venture-scale returns. On a platform with network effects, the value to a user increases as more users use it. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Skype, WhatsApp and many others benefit from this dynamic. In an age when more than a billion people connect over a network and new networks reach multi-billion dollar valuations with a handful of employees, one is tempted to believe that online networks are almost fail-proof. But as online networks grow to a size never seen before, many question their sustainability and believe that they are becoming too large to be useful.
Tumblr Penalizes Woman for Doxxing Creep Who Issued Rape Threat - 03/13/14
http://jezebel.com/tumblr-penalizes-wom
On Wednesday, Tumblr user Misandry Mermaid put up a post doxxing a man who sent her a rape threat. Tumblr removed that post, telling her, "We do not allow harassment on Tumblr." Yesterday evening, Misandry Mermaid wrote: Isn't that interesting. Tumblr emailed me to tell me they deleted my post calling out the dude who sent me a rape threat. But hasn't banned the dude who sent me a rape threat, even though I reported him. I guess Tumblr just wants to make their site safer for people who send rape threats than those who receive them. I guess it's not considered harassment to send rape threats, but if you name the person who sends you rape threats, you are harassing them. INTERESTING
BMX bikers use homeless people as props in Los Angeles, controversy ensues - 03/13/14
http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2014/0
Not everyone thinks that a video showing Los Angeles BMX bikers hopping over homeless people sleeping on Skid Row is a great source of entertainment. The clip, which was posted to the Facebook page of the nearby OSS Bike Shop, was called “disgusting” by one Los Angeles Police Department officer. In the video, professional BMX rider Brandon Begin and two friends use homeless people as props to execute jumps and other moves.
Man used Internet, text messages to harass 10-year-old girl - 03/13/14
http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/i
A 43-year-old Blackman Township man was arraigned on a charge of possessing child pornography after police say he used the Internet and text messages to harass a 10-year-old girl.
Students need to be aware of sexual harassament policy - 03/12/14
http://doaneline.com/opinion/article_a5
Doane’s attention to and awareness of online sexual harassment should be commended. It’s an issue we all need to know about. It is especially important considering we live in a technological age. The introduction of the Internet has created lots of opportunities. Students can do everything from learn online to connect with friends. It also presents the opportunity for sexual harassment, and it has become a growing trend.
Victims of harassment can get Protection Orders within a day - 03/12/14
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/sin
Victims can get Protection Orders against their harassers within a day in urgent cases, says Law Minister K Shanmugam in reply to queries over how fast the new Protection from Harassment Bill can act to prevent an offending post from going viral online.
Statesman Journal: Are Tweets Free Speech? - 03/12/14
http://www.opb.org/news/article/are-twe
In the wake of the announcement that at least 20 students had been suspended from McKay High School over a tweet, questions have come flooding in about the implications of the school’s punishment on students’ rights of free speech. Principal Sara LeRoy confirmed Tuesday that the students were suspended last week after they apparently retweeted a tweet about a staff member.
Cybercrime: What It Is and How to Protect Yourself - 03/12/14
http://www.tomsguide.com/us/cyberc
Cybercrime is any action that uses a computer system or computer network as a weapon or an accessory in crime, or when a computer serves as the target of the act being committed. Some of the most common forms of cybercrime include attempts to steal information by penetrating networks via malicious hacking, hijacking of online accounts and remote takeovers of computers to repurpose them for cybercrime.
Trolling takes a toll - 03/12/14
http://spartandaily.com/118024/tro
They stalk social media sites, hidden behind the anonymity of a computer screen. Their fingers glide over keyboards stringing together comments designed to inflict emotional distress.
'Cut deeper': teenager was taunted online before her death - 03/12/14
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/cut-deeper-te
When a 15-year-old Kiama girl posted images of her self-torture on the internet for the world to see, some of the responses she received can only be described as pure evil. "Show us more" the nameless trolls prompted, "we love this, cut deeper". The words "go ahead and die then" flashed up on her feed. And then there was this: "Just do it and stop talking about it."
Cyberbullying in university on the rise, study says - 03/11/14
http://www.cbc.ca/news/cyberbullyi
Cyberbullies have grown up. Research out of Simon Fraser University suggests that the online abuse that has been so prevalent on the teenage battlefield is carrying through to the arena of adults at Canadian universities.
Oakland Circuit judge seeks personal protection order against man who allegedly made threats - 03/11/14
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2014
A veteran Oakland Circuit judge has filed a petition for a personal protection order against a man who allegedly made verbal threats to others outside court and also over the Internet because of decisions she made in his girlfriend’s divorce case. Judge Cheryl A. Matthews, a former assistant prosecuting attorney who was elected to the bench in 2004, filed the petition on March 10 against Richart Heit.
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