Macon Man Receives Life Sentence for Seeking Sex with 7-Year-Old Girl

RUSSELL E. WORSHAM, 44, of Macon, Georgia, was sentenced today by United States District Judge J. Owen Forrester to serve the rest of his life in federal prison on the charge of using the Internet to attempt to entice a child to engage in sexual activity.

"This defendant trolled the Internet searching for child victims," said Sally Quillian Yates, United States Attorney. "His conduct was more than mere words. A brave victim testified during trial that from the time she was 9 until she was 12, this dangerous predator repeatedly sexually assaulted her. On the day of his arrest, the defendant intended to rape a 7-year-old girl. But for the hard work of the investigators, the defendant likely would still be out there, searching for his next victim. Today's sentence serves as a stern warning to those who might follow in this defendant's path. This office will continue to aggressively pursue and prosecute those who use the Internet to victimize children."

Brian D. Lamkin, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta Field Office, stated, "The FBI has, over the years, dedicated many investigative resources to child exploitation matters such as this through its Innocent Images and Crimes Against Children programs, with the overall goal of protecting young, vulnerable children from those who would exploit them and do them harm. Mr. Worsham is a child predator who will no longer be in a position to harm children and the FBI is proud of the role it played in removing this individual from our streets."

WORSHAM was sentenced to life in prison. WORSHAM was convicted of these charges on September 21, 2010, after a five-day trial.

According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges, and other information presented in court: In October 2008, WORSHAM befriended a woman online whom he believed to have a 7-year-old daughter. This woman—actually an undercover FBI task force agent—told WORSHAM that she was willing to make her fictitious daughter available to WORSHAM for sex. Over the next three months, in hours of online chats, over two dozen e-mails, and five telephone calls, WORSHAM engaged in graphic and sexually explicit conversations about his planned rape of the 7-year-old girl. These online communications and telephone conversations culminated in WORSHAM arranging to meet with the mother and her 7-year-old daughter. Agents arrested him when he showed up for the meeting. Agents recovered crayons, a spanking tool, a web camera, a studded dog collar, and virtual child pornography from WORSHAM's van. During trial, a victim testified that when she was between the ages of 9 and 12, WORSHAM had repeatedly sexually assaulted her.

This case was investigated by agents and officers of the Atlanta Safe Child Task Force, which is led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Atlanta Division.

Assistant United States Attorneys Kim S. Dammers and Ryan Scott Ferber prosecuted the case.

This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney's Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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FDA Warns Public of Continued Extortion Scam By FDA Impersonators

/PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning the public about criminals posing as FDA special agents and other law enforcement personnel as part of a continued international extortion scam.

The criminals call the victims -- who in most cases previously purchased drugs over the Internet or via "telepharmacies" -- and identify themselves as FDA special agents or other law enforcement officials. The criminals inform the victims that purchasing drugs over the Internet or the telephone is illegal, and that law enforcement action will be pursued unless a fine or fee ranging from $100 to $250,000 is paid. Victims often also have fraudulent transactions placed against their credit cards.

The criminals always request the money be sent by wire transfer to a designated location, usually in the Dominican Republic. If victims refuse to send money, they are often threatened with a search of their property, arrest, deportation, physical harm and/or incarceration.

"Impersonating an FDA official is a violation of federal law," said Dara Corrigan, the FDA's associate commissioner for regulatory affairs. "FDA special agents and other law enforcement officials are not authorized to impose or collect criminal fines. Only a court can take such action."

In most instances, victims of extortion-related calls have also received telephone solicitations for additional pharmaceutical purchases from other possibly related, illegal entities located overseas. The extortionists use customer lists complete with extensive personal information provided through previous purchase transactions. These include names, addresses, telephone numbers, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, purchase histories and credit card account numbers.

Typically, these criminals use telephone numbers that change constantly and make it appear as though their calls originate in the United States.

No known victim has been approached in person by a law enforcement impersonator associated with this scheme.

The FDA's Office of Criminal Investigations, with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, with the support of various U.S. Attorneys, are pursuing multiple national and international criminal investigations.

Arrests have been made and additional prosecutions are pending; however, the scheme is likely to continue. The FDA has issued similar warnings in the past:

* FDA Warns Public of Extortion Scam by FDA Impersonators (11/12/2008)
* FDA Warns Public of Continued Extortion Scam by FDA Impersonators (12/29/2009)


Victims of this scheme who have suffered monetary loss through the payment of funds in response to an extortion call, or anyone receiving a telephone call from a person purporting to be an FDA or other law enforcement official who is seeking money to settle a law enforcement action for the illegal purchase of drugs over the Internet may obtain a victim questionnaire by contacting the FDA's Office of Criminal Investigations and clicking "Report Suspected Criminal Activity."

Anyone receiving a purported official document on agency letterhead may verify its authenticity by contacting that organization directly via a publicly available phone number. Additionally, all federal agencies use email addresses with a "gov" email extension.

The FDA also reminds consumers that pharmaceutical products offered online and by telephone by sources of unknown origin can pose a substantial health risk. Products recovered during this investigation that were purchased from online or telephone sources have been found to contain trace amounts of heroin, other undisclosed and potentially harmful active pharmaceutical ingredients, or no active ingredient at all. Purchases should only be made from licensed pharmacies located in the United States. In addition to the increased risk of purchasing unsafe and ineffective drugs from websites operating outside the law, personal data may be compromised.

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Telephone Collection Scam Related to Delinquent Payday Loans

The IC3 (Internet Crime Complaint Center) receives a high volume of complaints from victims of payday loan telephone collection scams. In these scams, a caller claims that the victim is delinquent
in a payday loan and must repay the loan to avoid legal consequences. The callers purport to be representatives of the FBI, Federal Legislative Department, various law firms, or other legitimate-sounding agencies. They claim to be collecting debts for companies such as United Cash Advance,
U.S. Cash Advance, U.S. Cash Net, and other internet check cashing services.

One of the most insidious aspects of this scam is that the callers have accurate information about the victims, including social security numbers, dates of birth, addresses, employer information, bank account numbers, names and telephone numbers of relatives and friends. The method by which the fraudsters obtained the personal information is unclear, but victims often relay that they had completed online applications for other loans or credit cards before the calls began.

The fraudsters relentlessly call the victim's home, cell phone, and place of employment. They refuse to provide to the victims any details of the alleged payday loans and become abusive when questioned. The callers threaten victims with legal actions, arrests, and in some cases physical violence if they refuse to pay. In many cases, the callers even resort to harassment of the victim's relatives, friends, and employers.

Some fraudsters instruct victims to fax a statement agreeing to pay a certain dollar amount, on a specific date, via prepaid visa card. The statement further declares that the victim would never dispute the debt.

These telephone calls are an attempt to obtain payment by instilling fear in the victims. Do not follow the instuctions of the caller.

If you receive telephone calls such as these, you should:

* Contact your banking institutions;
* Contact the three major credit bureaus and request an alert be put on your file;
* Contact your local law enforcement agencies if you feel you are in immediate danger;
* File a complaint at www.IC3.gov.

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Northeast Georgia Man Pleads Guilty to His Role in Internet Child Molestation

GREGORY HUNTER, 50, of Mt. Airy, Georgia, pleaded guilty today (April 30) in federal court in Gainesville, Georgia, to coercing a 9-year-old girl to engage in sexually explicit conduct before a webcam for the purpose of transmitting a live depiction of the child and the graphic images over the Internet.

United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said, “This defendant conspired with the stepfather of a 9-year-old to have the child engage in sexually explicit conduct before a webcam. Our children deserve our protection, and those who abuse and prey on children deserve to go to prison.”

Brian D. Lamkin, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta, said, “The national investigation which uncovered the victimization of this 9-year-old child as well as child predator Gregory Hunter reminds us that the Internet can be a dangerous place in that it provides access by these predators to our children. The FBI has many agents throughout the country dedicated to working with their local and state law enforcement partners regarding crimes against children matters and the value of the information sharing process in these investigations cannot be overstated.”

According to United States Attorney Yates and information presented in court: A national FBI child pornography investigation initiated in Oklahoma between 2008 and 2009 led agents to a number of subjects across the country, including HUNTER. Based on evidence gathered during the investigation, a federal search warrant was executed at HUNTER's home on February 3, 2009, and HUNTER was arrested. HUNTER acknowledged that in 2008 he began communicating via the Internet with a man in California regarding child pornography. The California man ultimately offered that his own stepdaughter, who at the time was 9 years old, was available for live, sexually explicit performances before a webcam in his home. On numerous occasions over the course of the next three months, HUNTER conspired with the stepfather to persuade and induce the girl to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of a live webcam session that he transmitted over the internet to HUNTER. During the sessions, HUNTER repeatedly made graphic requests of the girl and on at least one occasion suggested that the stepfather get the child “a little drunk” and engage in sexual intercourse with her.

In August 2009, in Sacramento, California, the stepfather was sentenced to 30 years in prison following his convictions in federal district court for producing, transporting, and possessing child pornography.

HUNTER is scheduled to be sentenced by United States District Court Judge Richard W. Story, who has not yet set a date for the sentencing hearing. HUNTER faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. In determining the actual sentence, the court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.

This case is being investigated by special agents of the FBI.

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Roswell Man Arrested for Attempting to Solicit a Minor Child for Sex

Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Gregory Jones, FBI Atlanta, announces on behalf of the Northwest Georgia Crimes Against Children Task Force, the following arrest:

Christopher Rubush, age 35, a resident of Roswell, Georgia, was arrested at Whitfield County, Georgia on Saturday, October 10, 2009 on State charges related to attempting to solicit a minor child for sex. Rubush traveled to Whitfield County, Georgia after having engaged undercover officers/agents of the FBI’s Northwest Georgia Crimes Against Children Task Force in a series of chats on the internet.

Rubush, a retail credit department employee, is currently being detained at the Whitfield County Detention Center.

The Northwest Georgia Crimes Against Children Task Force consists of federal agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and officers from the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office, Dalton Police Department, Dade County Sheriff’s Office, Rossville Police Department, and the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office.

The public is reminded that all persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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Georgia Man Sentenced to Prison for Sending Terroristic Threats to FBI

MICHAEL ROBERT DEJONG, 24, of Auburn, Georgia, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge William C. O’Kelley to serve one year in federal prison on a charge of using the Internet to threaten to destroy buildings of the Federal Bureau of Investigation by fire or explosives.

United States Attorney David E. Nahmias said, “Any threat to national security, however communicated, must be taken seriously, investigated thoroughly, and prosecuted fully, even if ultimately determined to be a hoax. This repeat offender is being justly punished for his actions.”

DEJONG was sentenced to one year in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. DEJONG pleaded guilty to the charges on May 14, 2009.

According to United States Attorney Nahmias and other information presented in court: On February 4, 2009, DEJONG, identifying himself as “Mr. L,” sent a message to the threat/complaint page of the FBI's Internet website. In that message, DEJONG stated, in part, that he “was locked up for threatening President Bush in 2007-2008" and was charged with “interfering with the performance of the Secret Service.” DEJONG further threatened that he would “destroy every single FBI building. Starting here in Atlanta.” DEJONG’s message also included various statements regarding “failure,” “loss of hope,” and “loss of trust” in the country, as well as a comment that he is a “hero for [his] people.” After examining the computer used to send the threat, the FBI identified the sender as DEJONG and arrested him.

DEJONG was convicted in 2008 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia of interfering with the performance of the Secret Service. DEJONG served a year in federal prison for that crime and was still on supervised release when he sent the threatening e-mail to the FBI in February 2009. Today, in addition to sentencing DEJONG for the new conviction, Judge O’Kelley sentenced DEJONG to another 10 months in prison for violating the conditions of his supervised release by engaging in new criminal conduct. DEJONG will serve the 10-month supervised release sentence after he serves the one year sentence imposed for the new conviction involving the FBI hoax.

This case was investigated by special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

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FBI Arrest of Child Predator in North Georgia

Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Gregory Jones, FBI Atlanta, announces, on behalf of the Northwest Georgia Crimes Against Children Task Force, the following arrest at Whitfield County, Georgia:

On Friday, June 19, 2009, Anthony Brown, 26 years old, of Knoxville, Tennessee, was arrested in Whitfield County, Georgia on state charges of criminal attempt-child exploitation related to his attempt to have sexual activity with an underage female. Brown traveled to Whitfield County, Georgia from Knoxville, Tennessee after having previously engaged in Internet based “chats” and e-mails with undercover officers/agents of the above task force.

Brown is currently being detained at the Whitfield County, Georgia Detention Facility.

The Northwest Georgia Crimes Against Children Task Force consists of federal agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and officers from the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office, Dalton Police Department, Dade County Sheriff’s Office, Rossville Police Department, and the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office.

The public is reminded that all persons are to be considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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Man Sentenced to Nearly Five Years in Federal Prison for Transporting 14-Year-Old Girl That He Met on “My Space” from Virginia to Texas

Man Sentenced to Nearly Five Years in Federal Prison for Transporting 14-Year-Old Girl That He Met on “My Space” from Virginia to Texas for Criminal Sexual Activity


Branden Tye Holden, of Kennesaw, Georgia, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings to 57 months in federal prison, announced acting U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks of the Northern District of Texas. Holden, 19, pled guilty to one count of interstate transportation for criminal sexual activity in January 2009. Judge Cummings also ordered that Holden serve a 10-year term of supervised release and register as a sex offender. Holden is presently in custody.

Holden admitted that he and Jane Doe, a 14-year-old girl who lived in Virginia, met on “My Space.” Although Doe was actually 14, her My Space profile identified her as a 17-year-old female. In telephone conversations, Holden and Doe discussed engaging in sexual relations with one another.

On Thursday, September 25, 2008, Holden left his home in Georgia and drove to Virginia to pick up Doe and bring her to Georgia. After her parents went to bed, she left the house and met Holden who was parked a block from her residence, at a park. The next day, Doe told Holden that she really was 15-years old. Holden then began driving from Virginia through North Carolina, South Carolina and into Georgia, stopping along the way at rest areas where they had sexual relations.

On September 26, 2008, while he was near Augusta, Georgia, Holden received a phone call from his mother who told him that he was being sought by law enforcement for kidnapping. His mother told him that the girl he was with was only 14-years-old and that he needed to go to Woodstock, Georgia, and turn himself into authorities. At that time, Holden and Jane Doe decided to head west.

On Monday, September 29, 2008, Holden was stopped by a Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper in Crockett County, Texas, and was arrested. Jane Doe was with Holden.

Holden estimates that he engaged in sexual relations with Jane Doe approximately 10 times during his travels with her.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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Work at Home Scams

Consumers need to be vigilant when seeking employment on-line.

The IC3 continues to receive numerous complaints from individuals who have fallen
victim to work-at-home scams.

Victims are often hired to "process payments", "transfer funds" or "reship products."
These job scams involve the victims receiving and cashing fraudulent checks, transferring
illegally obtained funds for the criminals, or receiving stolen merchandise and
shipping it to the criminals.

Other victims sign up to be a "mystery shopper", receiving fraudulent checks with
instructions to cash the checks and wire the funds to "test" a company's services.
Victims are told they will be compensated with a portion of the merchandise or funds.

Work-at-home schemes attract otherwise innocent individuals, causing them to become
part of criminal schemes without realizing they are engaging in illegal behavior.

Job scams often provide criminals the opportunity to commit identity theft when
victims provide their personal information, sometimes even bank account information
to their potential "employer." The criminal/employer can then use the victim's information
to open credit cards, post on-line auctions, register Web sites, etc., in the victim's
name to commit additional crimes.

If you have been a victim of Internet crime, please file a complaint at www.IC3.gov.

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Illinois Man Sentenced for Traveling to North Georgia Intending to Have Sex with 11-Year Old Girl

RORY E. VILLEJO, 45, of Arlington Heights, Illinois, was sentenced Janaury 6 by United States District Judge Harold L. Murphy on a charge that he traveled from his home in Arlington Heights, Illinois, to Cartersville, Georgia, intending to have sex with an 11-year old girl whom he met via the internet.

“This case represents yet another example of the dangers that our children face when communicating with strangers via the internet,” said United States Attorney David E. Nahmias. “The defendant used the internet to encourage a girl whom he believed to be 11 years old to leave home without telling her parents where she was going or what she was intending to do, so that she could meet him and go with him to a motel room to have sex. Fortunately, because the ‘girl’ was actually an undercover police officer, the defendant’s crime was thwarted, and he will serve a lengthy sentence in federal prison. Parents should always be aware of the identities of persons with whom their children are communicating via the internet and know what is being said to their children during their online communications.”

Chief Thomas N. Culpepper of the Cartersville Police Department said, “This case is a reminder that the internet can be a very dangerous place. Caution and diligence should be the vanguard of every parent and adult when monitoring a child’s internet activity. The world today has many dangers and the internet predator is certainly one of which we should be keenly aware. Without the diligence of Sgt. James Scott, this agency, along with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, would not have removed this dangerous predator.”

VILLEJO was sentenced to 7 years, 8 months in prison to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release. VILLEJO was convicted of the charge on October 10, 2008.

According to United States Attorney Nahmias and the information presented in court: VILLEJO communicated for two months via the internet with a person he believed to be an 11-year-old girl, but was in fact a Cartersville Police Department undercover officer posing as the young “girl.” Shortly after meeting the “ girl” in a teen chat room, VILLEJO began having sexually explicit conversations with her. The “girl” repeatedly told VILLEJO that she was 11, that she had never had a boyfriend, that she had never had sex, and that she could not let her parents find out that she was communicating with him. Nevertheless, VILLEJO continued to speak with her online and to encourage her to meet him so that they could go to a motel room and have sex. He also told her that he would take her to California so that they could be together and eventually get married. When the “girl” agreed to meet VILLEJO and go with him to a motel room to have sex, VILLEJO drove from his home in Arlington Heights, Illinois, to Cartersville and checked into a motel. He was arrested by Cartersville Police Officers shortly after he arrived. A search of his motel room led to the recovery of condoms, and lingerie that he had told the “girl” he would bring with him for her to wear for him during the time they were together in the motel room.

This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney's Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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Former Clayton County Police Officer Sentenced for Sending Obscene Matter on the Internet

CASEY AUSTIN CARMICHAEL, 29, of Peachtree City, Georgia, was sentenced October 16, 2008, by United States District Judge Willis B. Hunt, Jr, on a charge of attempting to transfer obscene matter over the internet to a person under 16 years old.

United States Attorney David E. Nahmias said of today’s sentencing, “As a police officer, this defendant abused the public’s trust and his police computer to do the exact opposite of what he was supposed to do. Instead of fighting crime and arresting those who would do harm to our children and our community, he became a criminal and a threat to children.”

CARMICHAEL was sentenced to 2 years, 9 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. CARMICHAEL pleaded guilty to the charge on August 14, 2008.

According to United States Attorney Nahmias and the information presented in court: In September 2007, CARMICHAEL, while on duty as a Patrolman with the Clayton County Police Department, used his Department-issued computer to transfer obscene materials to a person CARMICHAEL believed to be girl under 16 years of age. CARMICHAEL had contacted her in a “chat room” on the Internet, and had conversations with her relating to obscene materials over several days while on duty as a Patrolman. The underage “girl” was actually an FBI Agent working undercover with the Safe Child Task Force. CARMICHAEL was dismissed from the Clayton County Police Department upon his indictment in this case.

This case was investigated by Special Agents of the FBI and its Safe Child Task Force.

Assistant United States Attorney David E. McClernan prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney's Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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Georgia Man Sentenced for 36 Months in Prison for Inernet Investment Fraud

A Georgia man was sentenced October 15, 2008, in U.S. District Court for using an Internet website in the name of the Transnational Fund to fraudulently induce persons to invest in so-called “certificates” promising a guaranteed rate of return in nine months.

United States Attorney Michael J. Sullivan, Warren T. Bamford, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Boston Field Division and Police Commissioner Edward Davis of the Boston Police Department, announced today that MICHAEL PATRICK LUCKETT, age 37, of 6015 Henson Rd., Gainseville, GA, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William G. Young to 36 months imprisonment, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. LUCKETT was also ordered to pay $97,387 in restitution. The Securities and Exchange Commission is expected to distribute approximately $222,900, held in frozen bank accounts, to victims in the near future. LUCKETT pled guilty to four counts of mail fraud on July 14, 2008.

At an earlier plea hearing, the prosecutor told the Court that had the case proceeded to trial the Government’s evidence would have proven that LUCKETT used a website in the name of Transnational Fund to induce individuals to invest in “certificates” with a guaranteed return of principal and approximately 6.35% interest after nine months, but that instead of investing the funds he received, LUCKETT used them for his own personal and business purposes. By this scheme, LUCKETT induced approximately fifteen persons from around the United States to send him a total of more than $450,000. LUCKETT operated the Transnational Fund scheme from an apartment in Boston, while the website directed prospective investors to mail their checks to an address in Hartford, which LUCKETT arranged to be forwarded to him. LUCKETT opened multiple bank accounts in the name of the Transnational Fund into which he deposited investors’ funds, and that he used nearly $100,000 of the funds received for expenses such as his personal rent and meals, making cash withdrawals and promoting the Transnational Fund website.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Boston Police Department, with assistance from the Boston Office of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Balthazard of Sullivan’s Economic Crimes Unit.


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After-School Online Safety from InternetSafety.com: 10 ‘Home Alone’ Tips for Working Parents

BUSINESS WIRE --With the school year just starting, working parents may breathe a sigh of relief that the children are safely back in school for the next nine months, but what happens after 3 pm when the kids are home alone with unsupervised computer access? For many parents, these are the danger hours when children are most likely to visit inappropriate websites and are also most vulnerable to Internet predators. In these cases as well as when parents are home, Internet filtering software can serve as a virtual online babysitter.

InternetSafety.com, developer of the award-winning Safe Eyes™ parental control software (www.SafeEyes.com), recommends that parents select a software program with advanced controls and alert mechanisms for managing website access as well as social network postings, email correspondents, instant messenger usage and peer-to-peer file sharing programs. Choose a program that allows you to:

1. Block objectionable websites by category, URL and/or keyword — You should be able to select which website categories will be filtered (adult, alcohol, dating/personals, drugs, gambling, hate sites, pornography, profanity, sex, violence, weapons, etc.) so that kids can’t reach sites in those areas. The more categories you can dictate, the better. You should also be able to define specific websites and/or keywords that are off limits.

2. Set time limits — Some programs allow you to limit time spent online, allocate specific blocks of time for Internet access, and/or grant permission to connect by the day of the week. Limiting late-night Internet use, for example, can help safeguard children against predators inclined to night-time prowling of social networking sites and chat rooms.

3. Block as well as record Instant Messenger chats — You should have the option to bar children from using specific IM programs or all of them. (You might want to keep one available for communicating with your children yourself.) You should also have the option to save the full text of IM conversations for later review.

4. Block computer programs by name — It can be useful to prevent access to certain games as well as peer-to-peer file sharing programs like BitTorrent that may expose children to inappropriate photos or other objectionable material.

5. Restrict email use to designated addresses — There is no reason for younger children to correspond with anyone other than family members, close friends and perhaps teachers.

6. Receive email, text or phone alerts about inappropriate online behavior — Some programs are able to alert parents when children attempt to access restricted websites or post personal information such as their name and address on social networks.

7. Remotely change program settings from work or elsewhere — If you receive automated alerts about worrisome online behavior or concern from a caregiver, it is helpful to be able to reconfigure the program from your office or hotel room.

8. Receive automatic updates of website blacklists – This eliminates the need for parents to download database updates manually, saving considerable time and ensuring that objectionable new websites don’t slip through the cracks.

9. Handle multiple children with one program and customize settings for each child – Your 8-year-old may need stricter controls than your 11-year-old. You should be able to create separate profiles for each child and use them on any machine in the house.

10. Control PCs and Macs with the same filtering software – This simplifies the process of maintaining a safe online environment in households with computer with both operating systems.

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Georgia Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Sending Child Pornography over the Internet

MICHAEL J. GARCIA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that GERALD ALAN HARRIS, 52, was sentenced today (August 11, 2008) by United States District Judge SIDNEY H. STEIN in Manhattan federal court to nine years in prison for transporting child pornography over the Internet. HARRIS pleaded guilty to the charges in November 2007. According to documents filed in the case and statements made during HARRIS’ guilty plea:

From June 22, 2007 to July 13, 2007, HARRIS, who lives in Georgia, engaged in several instant messaging “chats” on the Internet with individuals purporting to be a thirty-three-year-old mother in the Bronx and her twelve-year-old daughter. In fact, an undercover detective from the New York City Police Department was posing as both the mother and the daughter. During the course of these conversations, HARRIS sent the “mother” and “daughter” multiple images of child pornography, some of which depicted explicit sexual acts between minors and adults, via electronic mail. HARRIS also graphically described to the “mother” and “daughter” the sexual activities he planned to engage in with the “mother” and the “daughter” when they met in person.

HARRIS arranged to meet the “mother” and the “daughter” at a coffee shop in the Bronx on July 13, 2007. When HARRIS arrived at the prearranged location, he was arrested by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) and members of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”).

Following HARRIS’s arrest, FBI agents executed a search warrant for HARRIS’s residence in Georgia. The agents seized computer equipment from which multiple images of child pornography were recovered.

In addition to the prison term, Judge STEIN sentenced HARRIS to five years of supervised release.

Mr. GARCIA praised the investigative work of FBI agents in New York and Georgia, and the NYPD. He also thanked the Bronx District Attorney’s Office for its cooperation in the investigation of this case.

Assistant United States Attorney CHRISTIAN R. EVERDELL is in charge of the prosecution.

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Georgia Front Page

10 Tips For Keeping Your Kids Safe On Social Networks

BUSINESS WIRE--June is Internet Safety month. With hundred of millions of teens, pre-teens—and adults—around the world using social networking sites, there’s no better time for parents to be aware of the fun, the benefits, the powerful attractions, and the potential risks that MySpace, Facebook and other similar sites offer their children.

InternetSafety.com, the recognized leader in Internet safety solutions, has assembled a list of practical tips parents can use to ensure a safe networking environment for kids:

• Show Interest — Ask questions about how your child’s preferred social networking site or sites work. Kids are generally happy to demonstrate their knowledge if you show genuine interest. You can even ask your teen to show you how to set up your own social networking site—a great way to visit your child’s page and see what’s been posted there.
• Encourage Instinctive Responses — Kids often can instinctively do the right thing, which makes them their own first defense against those who may take advantage online. Encourage your children to avoid contact with people they “feel funny about.” Tell them to not reveal anything online they would not want a stranger to know. Limit the posting of pictures and remind them that once something is placed online, it can never be taken back.
• Know Your Kids’ Passwords — If your child changes his or her password suddenly and refuses to share it with you, that’s trouble. Insist on knowing how to access his or her accounts—then keep their confidence by not sharing the information with their friends or siblings.
• Set Hours for When Kids Can Access Social Networks — Late nights are the favorite time for predators to seek out their adolescent prey. Set firm limits not only for the time of day, but also the total amount of time, that your children may access social networking sites.
• Be Aware of Alternate Access Points — Kids don’t have to access their social networks at home. Libraries, friends’ houses, even cell phones make the Internet easy to reach today. Keep up with what’s happening on your child’s social networking page and be aware when changes have been made despite the lack of access from home.
• Exercise Your Parental Right to Supervise — There’s a difference between being snoopy and ensuring safe activity. You don’t have to read every last word of a personal message your son or daughter sends to a friend. But you do have the right—and the obligation—to see who your kids are talking to, and to know the general subject matter.
• Check for Photos — By clicking on the Windows “Start” button, you’ll find the “Search” tool. Click on “Pictures, Music or Video,” the box next to “Pictures and Photos,” and finally “Search”. Ask your child to identify any photos of strangers, or any other pictures you find questionable.
• Install Filtering Software — PC products like Safe Eyes allow parents to block or record Instant Messenger chats, limit email use to prescribed addresses, block objectionable Web sites (including peer-to-peer file sharing programs that often expose kids to inappropriate material), and receive alerts when kids post personal information on social networking sites.
• Watch for CyberBullying — Encourage your children to tell you immediately if they are being harassed online. Children also need to know that it is not acceptable to be a party to cyberbullying—or to remain silent when they know others are being harassed. Visit StopCyberBullying.org or StopBullyingNow.hrsa.gov for excellent tips and information.
• Don’t Lecture — Finally, if you should find reasons for concern, don’t browbeat, insult or condescend to your child. Have a discussion about values and why they are important. Respect your child but be firm. And most of all, lead by example. Parents have a powerful ability to influence their child’s behavior—and nothing is more powerful than someone who not only talks values, but lives them.

“Parents should never feel that their level of involvement in their child’s social network activity is excessive. Since 1998, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s CyberTipline has logged over 33,000 tips about children being enticed online for sexual acts,” said Shane Kenny, President and COO of InternetSafety.com. “Better that the parent error on the side of intrusion, rather than bear the consequences of doing nothing.”