True Crime Online Newsletter - December 15, 2014
I couldn't make this up if I tried. . .Runner uses GPS app to propose marriage
http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2014/12/1
A British runner popped the question on Facebook by spelling out "will you marry me" with a GPS tracking app's map function. Ben Chudley, 28, of Portsmouth, England, said he enjoys using his GPS running app to create "Urban Pictionary" drawings and messages while out running and he decided to use the app to ask girlfriend Olivia Abdul for her hand in marriage. Chudley said his run was about 15 miles, but he only used 5.7 miles with the GPS app so the ensuing map showing his route would spell out "will you marry me." Chudley said he posted the map on Facebook so Abdul would see it before he arrived with flowers and a ring. He told the BBC his post-first plan "could have been very embarrassing if she had said no." However, Abdul happily accepted the proposal. "I think I made out a muffled yes underneath the crying!" Chudley wrote in the comments section of his Facebook post. Chudley's previous "Urban Pictionary" projects, which he said were inspired by accidentally creating a rude image while using the app to track his runs, include a dinosaur, a stick figure, SpongeBob Squarepants and the word "mum."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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)
‘Revenge porn’ culprit to serve 1 year in jail - 12/13/14
http://seattletimes.com/html/localn
In the first case of “revenge porn” to be prosecuted in King County, a 31-year-old Seattle computer technician was sentenced Friday to a year in jail after he pleaded guilty to charges involving naked photos of four women that he posted online.
The fight back against rape and death threats online - 12/12/14
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg2
Twitter, police and law courts are waking up to the ugly abuse that women endure online, with systems, algorithms and trials closing in on perpetrators "CAN'T wait to rape you." That's one of the anonymous messages sent earlier this year to Janelle Asselin, a comic-book editor and writer based in Los Angeles. Asselin had written an article criticising the cover of the comic book Teen Titans #1. The response: a slew of tweets and comments from people questioning her credentials, calling her unprintable names and sending rape threats.
Inventor of the internet says that online violence against women is "one of the tragedies of humanity" - 12/12/14
http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/reports/n
According to the World Wide Web Foundation's 2014-15 Web Index - a massive report on the internet's role in global issues and progress - 74% of countries are not doing enough to stop online violence against women. And that, says Tim Berners-Lee, the creator of the web, is "one of the tragedies of humanity."
Internet troll sent to prison - 12/12/14
http://www.eastwoodadvertiser.co.uk/new
An internet troll from Eastwood who emailed death threats to a former friend and harassed a police officer has been sent to prison for six months. Simon Tomlin, 46, of Lawrence Avenue, was found guilty in November of five charges including criminal harassment of former friend Melony McElroy and PC Richard Reynolds, but he evaded arrest until November 28.
Online Harassment Is a Game of Control - 12/12/14
http://blogs.voanews.com/techtonics/201
The ugly episode that has come to be known as GamerGate may have receded, but it left in its wake some unanswered questions. Why did a seemingly legitimate discussion of gaming journalism devolve into harassment and threats of violence against women journalists and critics? What triggered this behavior and was it a reflection of offline gender harassment?
'I seriously hate you': North Vancouver man gets more jail time after years of cyberstalking young women - 12/11/14
http://www.theprovince.com/health/g
A North Vancouver man who cyber-stalked several young women he had previously stalked when they were teenagers will spend five more months in jail after pleading guilty to a charge of criminal harassment. Judge Joanne Challenger handed the sentence to Stephen Christopher Hoy, 54, in North Vancouver provincial court Dec. 4. The five-month sentence is on top of nine months Hoy has already spent in jail.
School District Police: IT employee steals three MacBook Pro laptops - 12/11/14
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/n
A Palm Beach County School District employee stole three MacBook Pro laptops from the IT department this year and gave them to his kids, according to a police report. Steven Brucella, 51, faces charges of grand theft. Judge Joseph Marx ordered he be let go on alternative supervised release from the Palm Beach County jail.
Yeovil man accused of harassing two women online to stand trial at Taunton Crown Court - 12/10/14
http://www.westerngazette.co.uk/Ye
A YEOVIL man accused of harassment against two women he met via internet dating websites has been ordered to stand trial at Taunton Crown Court. Kyle Michael Keay allegedly bombarded one complainant with thousands of text messages and hundreds of phone calls and was said to have made threats to her and members of her family.
Stalking might have been warning in Alicia West's case - 12/10/14
http://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/ne
The stalking might have been a warning sign. But for Caddo Judge Eugene Bryson, who denied Alicia West's third request for a protective order Nov. 6, there were "no threats of 'immediate and present danger of abuse'" posed by an ex-boyfriend who'd reportedly posted photos of West on an escort website, sent her repeated and unwanted text messages and showed up to her home to bang on the doors and windows.
Twitter Under Pressure To Ban Blogger Who Posted UVA Rape Victim’s Name - 12/09/14
http://www.mintpressnews.com/twitter-pr
Twitter users are calling on the social media company to jumpstart its new anti-harassment policies after a conservative blogger claims to have published the full name of the University of Virginia (UVA) student whose alleged gang rape has come under scrutiny in recent weeks.
Cliff Ford, Toronto dad, posed as preteen daughter to bust online predator - 12/09/14
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/c
Like so many parents, Toronto dad Cliff Ford just wanted to keep his children safe online. He had no idea that his efforts would eventually help U.S. authorities bust an online child exploitation ring based in Ohio. It all started in January, when Ford’s daughter received an email from a stranger with the subject line, “Hey sexy.”
http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2014/12/1
A British runner popped the question on Facebook by spelling out "will you marry me" with a GPS tracking app's map function. Ben Chudley, 28, of Portsmouth, England, said he enjoys using his GPS running app to create "Urban Pictionary" drawings and messages while out running and he decided to use the app to ask girlfriend Olivia Abdul for her hand in marriage. Chudley said his run was about 15 miles, but he only used 5.7 miles with the GPS app so the ensuing map showing his route would spell out "will you marry me." Chudley said he posted the map on Facebook so Abdul would see it before he arrived with flowers and a ring. He told the BBC his post-first plan "could have been very embarrassing if she had said no." However, Abdul happily accepted the proposal. "I think I made out a muffled yes underneath the crying!" Chudley wrote in the comments section of his Facebook post. Chudley's previous "Urban Pictionary" projects, which he said were inspired by accidentally creating a rude image while using the app to track his runs, include a dinosaur, a stick figure, SpongeBob Squarepants and the word "mum."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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)
‘Revenge porn’ culprit to serve 1 year in jail - 12/13/14
http://seattletimes.com/html/localn
In the first case of “revenge porn” to be prosecuted in King County, a 31-year-old Seattle computer technician was sentenced Friday to a year in jail after he pleaded guilty to charges involving naked photos of four women that he posted online.
The fight back against rape and death threats online - 12/12/14
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg2
Twitter, police and law courts are waking up to the ugly abuse that women endure online, with systems, algorithms and trials closing in on perpetrators "CAN'T wait to rape you." That's one of the anonymous messages sent earlier this year to Janelle Asselin, a comic-book editor and writer based in Los Angeles. Asselin had written an article criticising the cover of the comic book Teen Titans #1. The response: a slew of tweets and comments from people questioning her credentials, calling her unprintable names and sending rape threats.
Inventor of the internet says that online violence against women is "one of the tragedies of humanity" - 12/12/14
http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/reports/n
According to the World Wide Web Foundation's 2014-15 Web Index - a massive report on the internet's role in global issues and progress - 74% of countries are not doing enough to stop online violence against women. And that, says Tim Berners-Lee, the creator of the web, is "one of the tragedies of humanity."
Internet troll sent to prison - 12/12/14
http://www.eastwoodadvertiser.co.uk/new
An internet troll from Eastwood who emailed death threats to a former friend and harassed a police officer has been sent to prison for six months. Simon Tomlin, 46, of Lawrence Avenue, was found guilty in November of five charges including criminal harassment of former friend Melony McElroy and PC Richard Reynolds, but he evaded arrest until November 28.
Online Harassment Is a Game of Control - 12/12/14
http://blogs.voanews.com/techtonics/201
The ugly episode that has come to be known as GamerGate may have receded, but it left in its wake some unanswered questions. Why did a seemingly legitimate discussion of gaming journalism devolve into harassment and threats of violence against women journalists and critics? What triggered this behavior and was it a reflection of offline gender harassment?
'I seriously hate you': North Vancouver man gets more jail time after years of cyberstalking young women - 12/11/14
http://www.theprovince.com/health/g
A North Vancouver man who cyber-stalked several young women he had previously stalked when they were teenagers will spend five more months in jail after pleading guilty to a charge of criminal harassment. Judge Joanne Challenger handed the sentence to Stephen Christopher Hoy, 54, in North Vancouver provincial court Dec. 4. The five-month sentence is on top of nine months Hoy has already spent in jail.
School District Police: IT employee steals three MacBook Pro laptops - 12/11/14
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/n
A Palm Beach County School District employee stole three MacBook Pro laptops from the IT department this year and gave them to his kids, according to a police report. Steven Brucella, 51, faces charges of grand theft. Judge Joseph Marx ordered he be let go on alternative supervised release from the Palm Beach County jail.
Yeovil man accused of harassing two women online to stand trial at Taunton Crown Court - 12/10/14
http://www.westerngazette.co.uk/Ye
A YEOVIL man accused of harassment against two women he met via internet dating websites has been ordered to stand trial at Taunton Crown Court. Kyle Michael Keay allegedly bombarded one complainant with thousands of text messages and hundreds of phone calls and was said to have made threats to her and members of her family.
Stalking might have been warning in Alicia West's case - 12/10/14
http://www.shreveporttimes.com/story/ne
The stalking might have been a warning sign. But for Caddo Judge Eugene Bryson, who denied Alicia West's third request for a protective order Nov. 6, there were "no threats of 'immediate and present danger of abuse'" posed by an ex-boyfriend who'd reportedly posted photos of West on an escort website, sent her repeated and unwanted text messages and showed up to her home to bang on the doors and windows.
Twitter Under Pressure To Ban Blogger Who Posted UVA Rape Victim’s Name - 12/09/14
http://www.mintpressnews.com/twitter-pr
Twitter users are calling on the social media company to jumpstart its new anti-harassment policies after a conservative blogger claims to have published the full name of the University of Virginia (UVA) student whose alleged gang rape has come under scrutiny in recent weeks.
Cliff Ford, Toronto dad, posed as preteen daughter to bust online predator - 12/09/14
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/c
Like so many parents, Toronto dad Cliff Ford just wanted to keep his children safe online. He had no idea that his efforts would eventually help U.S. authorities bust an online child exploitation ring based in Ohio. It all started in January, when Ford’s daughter received an email from a stranger with the subject line, “Hey sexy.”
Comments