True Crime Online Newsletter - June 8, 2015
I couldn't make this up if I tried. . .Phoebe the Cyber Crime Dog Needs Your Help!
http://www.gofundme.com/v5z4sg
You may know she is the mascot of WHO@-KTD (Kids/Teen Division). If you don't, now you do. She recently had to have cataract surgery to save her sight so that she can continue to fight cyberbullies, go to schools with me to teach students online safety and to visit patients at our local hospital every week. We had to borrow the money for the surgery because it had to be paid upfront. If you have helped, thank you! If you haven't, please consider making a donation or sharing her fundraising page.
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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)
Missing Nokesville boy terrorized online prior to disappearance - 06/08/15
http://potomaclocal.com/2015/06/08/miss
It appears that Thomas James “T.J.” Sadler – a 14-year old Nokesville boy that went missing on June 3 – may have left home after being bullied online. Lynn Sadler, a family nurse practitioner and T.J.’s mother, stated that she was struggling with her son’s disappearance. “I’m not doing well. It’s just me mostly – there isn’t really any other family,” said Sadler.
Internet prank left young woman scared for life - 06/07/15
http://www.northjersey.com/news/interne
Some thought she was a friend. Others believed they were dating her. Eventually, Kate Brianna Fulton had so many boys jockeying for her attention that dozens were daring to meet on the streets of Rutherford for a massive brawl. But Fulton wasn’t real. Rather, she was a digital mirage created by Andriy Mykhaylivskyy one based on the photographs and social media information of Briana Fosdal, an unwitting, real-life young woman who didn’t know her identity had been compromised until authorities caught up with Mykhaylivskyy.
Defense Wants To Suppress Evidence in Ex-HPHS Substitute Teacher's Case 06/05/15
http://patch.com/illinois/highlandp
A defense motion to suppress evidence in the case of a former Highland Park High School substitute teacher accused of cyberstalking and possession of child pornography was heard this week. An attorney for Steven Habay filed the motion to remove his client’s statement to police and electronic evidence during an initial hearing that will be continued later this month, according to the Lake County News-Sun.
Clark gains support on cyber-stalking effort - 06/05/15
http://malden.wickedlocal.com/article/2
Congresswoman Katherine Clark’s effort to get the Department of Justice to prosecute more cyber-stalking crimes won a key endorsement last week in Congress. As part of this year’s annual funding bill for the Department of Justice, the House Appropriations Committee strongly urged the department to “intensify its efforts to combat this destructive abuse” adding that it expects to see “increased investigations and prosecutions” of these crimes.
Footballer Phil Neville's wife slams internet trolls - 06/05/15
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn
The wife of former England footballer Phil Neville has hit out at Twitter trolls who have sent her family abuse and death threats. Julie Neville says her family have been bombarded with cruel comments about their disabled daughter. It comes as new figures reveal there has been a 10-fold increase in Twitter trolls. She claims her husband has received death threats and others had threatened to rape her and have been cruel to their 11-year-old daughter, who has cerebral palsy.
Social media crimes soaring say new figures - 06/05/15
http://www.chorley-guardian.co.uk/n
Soaring numbers of alleged crimes on Facebook and Twitter are being investigated by police, new figures have revealed. Thousands of complaints involving social media were reported to forces across the UK last year, including allegations of sexual offences, threats to kill and harassment.
Facebook Won't Back Down on Real-Name Policy - 06/04/15
http://www.tomsguide.com/us/facebook-re
What's in a name? A lot, it seems. Facebook's newly reinforced real-name policy is under attack from people who want the ability to change their profile names on Facebook to the names they actually associate with. Yet June is the National Internet Safety Month in the U.S., and safety is a top concern for Facebook users along with individual rights.
Asheville City Council candidate arrested - 06/04/15
https://www.dailyadvance.com/ap/st
Police say a man who has announced his candidacy for Asheville City Council has been charged with violating a domestic violence protective order. The Asheville Citizen-Times (https://avlne.ws/1KbcVXF ) reports 44-year-old Jonathan Christopher Wainscott was taken into custody Tuesday and charged with the protective order violation and cyberstalking. A warrant states Wainscott is accused of violating the order issued March 2 by repeatedly sending emails to a woman and her family with the intent to intimidate them.
Supes pulled into 911 drama between women - 06/03/15
http://onlinemadison.com/main.asp?Secti
A private legal dispute between two Madison County residents spilled into public at Monday's meeting of the Board of Supervisors. During the concerned citizens portion of the meeting, Madison County resident Kimberly Barlow complained to the board that Emergency Management Director Butch Hammack was obstructing justice when he warned his niece, Claire Melvin, that she needed to leave Barlow's property to avoid being arrested for trespassing. Hammack contacted Melvin, Barlow said, after she called 9-1-1 in February 2014 and reported Melvin as trespassing on her property and threatening her with physical violence.
Judge sees evidence of cyber-stalking in Tahoe bear dispute - 06/03/15
http://www.mynews4.com/news/local/s
A judge says there is evidence to support a Nevada couple's claim that bear advocates began cyber-stalking them after they reported a problem bear to authorities. The Reno Gazette-Journal reports that a legal battle between Richard and Adrienne Evans and the nonprofit Bear League will continue after a district judge declined to dismissed two out of three of the Evans' complaints.
Winter Park High student arrested over Tweet about teacher - 06/03/15
http://www.myfoxorlando.com/story/29218
A ninth grade student at a central Florida high school is accused of making threatening comments about a teacher on Twitter. Winter Park police say the 15-year-old girl was arrested May 28 on charges of "written threats to kill" and cyberstalking. Authorities say the girl posted six messages that included both threats and wishes that the teacher would kill herself.
No impunity for cyber harassment - 06/02/15
http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/A-C
My heart goes out to the recipients and perpetrators caught up in trolling – the defamatory, sarcastic, and misleading online comments made in an attempt to harm others through social media. Rightfully, the US justice system is beginning to make progress toward addressing cyberharassment. But it has made me consider a higher rule, a divine law, that can correct this particular malaise and bring healing. The Bible points to such a law, and it has been recognized as so important to the welfare of society that it has been called the golden rule. Christ Jesus expressed it this way: “As ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise” (Luke 6:31). Wouldn’t practicing this impel honest and helpful communication, and also eliminate harmful or deceitful conversation, be it Internet-based or otherwise?
Self-righteous internet goons are calling one of America’s top female scientists sexist - 06/02/15
http://qz.com/417190/internet-goons-hav
The internet came down like a ton of bricks yesterday on Alice Huang. The 76-year-old microbiologist and virologist has been a Harvard Medical School professor, New York University dean of sciences, and president of both the American Society for Microbiology and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She is also, according to most of the things published about her in the past 24 hours, an idiot.
http://www.gofundme.com/v5z4sg
You may know she is the mascot of WHO@-KTD (Kids/Teen Division). If you don't, now you do. She recently had to have cataract surgery to save her sight so that she can continue to fight cyberbullies, go to schools with me to teach students online safety and to visit patients at our local hospital every week. We had to borrow the money for the surgery because it had to be paid upfront. If you have helped, thank you! If you haven't, please consider making a donation or sharing her fundraising page.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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)
Missing Nokesville boy terrorized online prior to disappearance - 06/08/15
http://potomaclocal.com/2015/06/08/miss
It appears that Thomas James “T.J.” Sadler – a 14-year old Nokesville boy that went missing on June 3 – may have left home after being bullied online. Lynn Sadler, a family nurse practitioner and T.J.’s mother, stated that she was struggling with her son’s disappearance. “I’m not doing well. It’s just me mostly – there isn’t really any other family,” said Sadler.
Internet prank left young woman scared for life - 06/07/15
http://www.northjersey.com/news/interne
Some thought she was a friend. Others believed they were dating her. Eventually, Kate Brianna Fulton had so many boys jockeying for her attention that dozens were daring to meet on the streets of Rutherford for a massive brawl. But Fulton wasn’t real. Rather, she was a digital mirage created by Andriy Mykhaylivskyy one based on the photographs and social media information of Briana Fosdal, an unwitting, real-life young woman who didn’t know her identity had been compromised until authorities caught up with Mykhaylivskyy.
Defense Wants To Suppress Evidence in Ex-HPHS Substitute Teacher's Case 06/05/15
http://patch.com/illinois/highlandp
A defense motion to suppress evidence in the case of a former Highland Park High School substitute teacher accused of cyberstalking and possession of child pornography was heard this week. An attorney for Steven Habay filed the motion to remove his client’s statement to police and electronic evidence during an initial hearing that will be continued later this month, according to the Lake County News-Sun.
Clark gains support on cyber-stalking effort - 06/05/15
http://malden.wickedlocal.com/article/2
Congresswoman Katherine Clark’s effort to get the Department of Justice to prosecute more cyber-stalking crimes won a key endorsement last week in Congress. As part of this year’s annual funding bill for the Department of Justice, the House Appropriations Committee strongly urged the department to “intensify its efforts to combat this destructive abuse” adding that it expects to see “increased investigations and prosecutions” of these crimes.
Footballer Phil Neville's wife slams internet trolls - 06/05/15
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn
The wife of former England footballer Phil Neville has hit out at Twitter trolls who have sent her family abuse and death threats. Julie Neville says her family have been bombarded with cruel comments about their disabled daughter. It comes as new figures reveal there has been a 10-fold increase in Twitter trolls. She claims her husband has received death threats and others had threatened to rape her and have been cruel to their 11-year-old daughter, who has cerebral palsy.
Social media crimes soaring say new figures - 06/05/15
http://www.chorley-guardian.co.uk/n
Soaring numbers of alleged crimes on Facebook and Twitter are being investigated by police, new figures have revealed. Thousands of complaints involving social media were reported to forces across the UK last year, including allegations of sexual offences, threats to kill and harassment.
Facebook Won't Back Down on Real-Name Policy - 06/04/15
http://www.tomsguide.com/us/facebook-re
What's in a name? A lot, it seems. Facebook's newly reinforced real-name policy is under attack from people who want the ability to change their profile names on Facebook to the names they actually associate with. Yet June is the National Internet Safety Month in the U.S., and safety is a top concern for Facebook users along with individual rights.
Asheville City Council candidate arrested - 06/04/15
https://www.dailyadvance.com/ap/st
Police say a man who has announced his candidacy for Asheville City Council has been charged with violating a domestic violence protective order. The Asheville Citizen-Times (https://avlne.ws/1KbcVXF ) reports 44-year-old Jonathan Christopher Wainscott was taken into custody Tuesday and charged with the protective order violation and cyberstalking. A warrant states Wainscott is accused of violating the order issued March 2 by repeatedly sending emails to a woman and her family with the intent to intimidate them.
Supes pulled into 911 drama between women - 06/03/15
http://onlinemadison.com/main.asp?Secti
A private legal dispute between two Madison County residents spilled into public at Monday's meeting of the Board of Supervisors. During the concerned citizens portion of the meeting, Madison County resident Kimberly Barlow complained to the board that Emergency Management Director Butch Hammack was obstructing justice when he warned his niece, Claire Melvin, that she needed to leave Barlow's property to avoid being arrested for trespassing. Hammack contacted Melvin, Barlow said, after she called 9-1-1 in February 2014 and reported Melvin as trespassing on her property and threatening her with physical violence.
Judge sees evidence of cyber-stalking in Tahoe bear dispute - 06/03/15
http://www.mynews4.com/news/local/s
A judge says there is evidence to support a Nevada couple's claim that bear advocates began cyber-stalking them after they reported a problem bear to authorities. The Reno Gazette-Journal reports that a legal battle between Richard and Adrienne Evans and the nonprofit Bear League will continue after a district judge declined to dismissed two out of three of the Evans' complaints.
Winter Park High student arrested over Tweet about teacher - 06/03/15
http://www.myfoxorlando.com/story/29218
A ninth grade student at a central Florida high school is accused of making threatening comments about a teacher on Twitter. Winter Park police say the 15-year-old girl was arrested May 28 on charges of "written threats to kill" and cyberstalking. Authorities say the girl posted six messages that included both threats and wishes that the teacher would kill herself.
No impunity for cyber harassment - 06/02/15
http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/A-C
My heart goes out to the recipients and perpetrators caught up in trolling – the defamatory, sarcastic, and misleading online comments made in an attempt to harm others through social media. Rightfully, the US justice system is beginning to make progress toward addressing cyberharassment. But it has made me consider a higher rule, a divine law, that can correct this particular malaise and bring healing. The Bible points to such a law, and it has been recognized as so important to the welfare of society that it has been called the golden rule. Christ Jesus expressed it this way: “As ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise” (Luke 6:31). Wouldn’t practicing this impel honest and helpful communication, and also eliminate harmful or deceitful conversation, be it Internet-based or otherwise?
Self-righteous internet goons are calling one of America’s top female scientists sexist - 06/02/15
http://qz.com/417190/internet-goons-hav
The internet came down like a ton of bricks yesterday on Alice Huang. The 76-year-old microbiologist and virologist has been a Harvard Medical School professor, New York University dean of sciences, and president of both the American Society for Microbiology and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She is also, according to most of the things published about her in the past 24 hours, an idiot.
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