Latest news with #JosephWilson
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
A soft knock - how police arrest a suspected paedophile
It's 07:35 in a smart suburban housing estate in central Scotland and the police are about to turn a family's life upside down. Three detectives in plain clothes park their unmarked car near a large detached house and knock on the front door. A dishevelled man suspected of sexual communication with a 13-year-old girl answers and, after a brief discussion about their search warrant, the officers go in. What we're watching is a "soft" approach, the polar opposite of a drugs raid. No hard knock, no battering ram, no shouts of "police". Their tactics mean the peace and quiet of the neighbourhood continues uninterrupted. But inside the house the ripple effects of the unannounced visit are devastating. How victims shone a light on 'beastie house' child abuse ring Prison officer caught in 13-year-old girl chat sting The man's partner is told why the police are there. The couple's children want to know who the strangers are and the officers try to calm everyone down. One of the detectives, Joseph Wilson, said: "The only thing I can compare it to in policing is delivering a death message. "You're telling them the person isn't who they thought they were." Police Scotland's national child abuse investigation unit invited BBC Scotland News to witness its work amidst a marked change in offending behaviour since the Covid pandemic. Det Ch Insp Mike Smith said paedophiles were making "extremely dangerous" direct contact with children online more than ever before. And he warned they could do so within 30 seconds of trying. What happens next can include grooming the child, coercing them to send indecent images - which are often shared with other paedophiles - and persuading them to meet up. These encounters frequently lead to sexual abuse. Det Ch Insp Smith said the perception of online sex offenders as uploaders or downloaders of child sexual abuse material was outdated. Nearly every case now involves direct contact with a child, with offenders using a range of platforms from social media to streaming. "For those people who have a deviant sexual interest in children, it's easier than ever to go online and engage with a child," he said. "You can probably do it within 30 seconds, depending on the platform. "That's the reality of what we have seen from investigations over the last three years." The unit carries out 700 child sexual abuse investigations a year - an increase of 30% since 2015. Every year, its officers are taking steps to safeguard between 600 and 800 children, almost all of them in Scotland. "People based in Scotland are offending against Scottish children," said Det Chief Insp Smith. "It's a lot closer to home these days. It's on our doorstep." "We are actioning between 15 to 20 search warrants on a weekly basis across Scotland. "Let's be perfectly blunt about it - the demand is through the roof." The offenders are almost always male and come from all walks of life, including teachers, lawyers and police officers. Det Insp Michelle Burns, one of the unit's senior investigating officers, said: "My team have told me of occasions where they've went in, and someone has admitted to it and said it was a relief that the police were at their door. "They've been doing it for a period of time and they were looking for help." Many of the cases come through referrals from the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, an American organisation which receives alerts from the tech industry. Investigations are prioritised on the basis of the risk to children, either within the offender's household or the wider community. When they execute the search warrant, the police have to gather evidence, arrest the suspect, safeguard any children who are there and do what they can to minimise the impact on the rest of the family. At the address in central Scotland, Det Con Helena Scott took devices from the house to a specially-equipped van where their contents were forensically examined. "The problem we have with this type of crime is it's relentless," she said. "You feel like you're making a difference and the next day you come in, the pile just gets higher and higher and higher, because there are more and more offenders out there and it's not slowing down. "Children should have the right to use online platform without them and their parents worrying about strangers trying to take advantage of their vulnerabilities for their own sexual gratification." As the team continues its work, children in neighbouring homes start to leave to go to school. A resident approaches the detectives to ask what is going on. They reassure her they are police officers but reveal nothing beyond that. Det Con Scott recalled another case where the suspect's partner asked how long she had to move house, before the local community found out what had happened. She said: "The hardest part of our job is dealing with the families, because there's only ever one person responsible for what brings us to the door. "You're effectively turning lives upside down. "It has a huge impact on us as well because it's difficult for us to see it unravel." Det Ch Insp Smith said online platforms need to do far more to prevent paedophiles making contact with children. He said: "Whilst we don't want to place the onus of responsibility on the child, we have to educate our children to be safe online and just like the physical world, one of the key aspects of that is that you shouldn't be engaging with someone you don't know. "I do believe it should be a lot harder for a child to be able to engage with a random person online. "There's responsibility on tech, there's responsibility on government, there's responsibility on the police to make the online world safer. "But there has to be an understanding that this is a global worldwide problem and therefore we need as a society to change the way we view the internet." A few hours after they arrived, the detectives led the 43-year-old man out of the house in handcuffs to be driven to a police station in Falkirk. It is the start of a long legal journey which will eventually establish guilt or innocence. The man was charged in connection with sexual communications and will appear in court at a later date.
BBC News
27-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
How police apprehend suspected paedophiles in Scotland
It's 07:35 in a smart suburban housing estate in central Scotland and the police are about to turn a family's life upside detectives in plain clothes park their unmarked car near a large detached house and knock on the front door.A dishevelled man suspected of sexual communication with a 13-year-old girl answers and, after a brief discussion about their search warrant, the officers go we're watching is a "soft" approach, the polar opposite of a drugs raid. No hard knock, no battering ram, no shouts of "police". Their tactics mean the peace and quiet of the neighbourhood continues inside the house the ripple effects of the unannounced visit are devastating. The man's partner is told why the police are there. The couple's children want to know who the strangers are and the officers try to calm everyone of the detectives, Joseph Wilson, said: "The only thing I can compare it to in policing is delivering a death message."You're telling them the person isn't who they thought they were."Police Scotland's national child abuse investigation unit invited BBC Scotland News to witness its work amidst a marked change in offending behaviour since the Covid Ch Insp Mike Smith said paedophiles were making "extremely dangerous" direct contact with children online more than ever he warned they could do so within 30 seconds of trying. What happens next can include grooming the child, coercing them to send indecent images - which are often shared with other paedophiles - and persuading them to meet encounters frequently lead to sexual Ch Insp Smith said the perception of online sex offenders as uploaders or downloaders of child sexual abuse material was every case now involves direct contact with a child, with offenders using a range of platforms from social media to streaming."For those people who have a deviant sexual interest in children, it's easier than ever to go online and engage with a child," he said."You can probably do it within 30 seconds, depending on the platform. "That's the reality of what we have seen from investigations over the last three years." Teachers, lawyers and police officers The unit carries out 700 child sexual abuse investigations a year - an increase of 30% since year, its officers are taking steps to safeguard between 600 and 800 children, almost all of them in Scotland."People based in Scotland are offending against Scottish children," said Det Chief Insp Smith. "It's a lot closer to home these days. It's on our doorstep.""We are actioning between 15 to 20 search warrants on a weekly basis across Scotland. "Let's be perfectly blunt about it - the demand is through the roof."The offenders are almost always male and come from all walks of life, including teachers, lawyers and police Insp Michelle Burns, one of the unit's senior investigating officers, said: "My team have told me of occasions where they've went in, and someone has admitted to it and said it was a relief that the police were at their door."They've been doing it for a period of time and they were looking for help."Many of the cases come through referrals from the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, an American organisation which receives alerts from the tech are prioritised on the basis of the risk to children, either within the offender's household or the wider they execute the search warrant, the police have to gather evidence, arrest the suspect, safeguard any children who are there and do what they can to minimise the impact on the rest of the family. 'It's relentless' At the address in central Scotland, Det Con Helena Scott took devices from the house to a specially-equipped van where their contents were forensically examined."The problem we have with this type of crime is it's relentless," she said."You feel like you're making a difference and the next day you come in, the pile just gets higher and higher and higher, because there are more and more offenders out there and it's not slowing down."Children should have the right to use online platform without them and their parents worrying about strangers trying to take advantage of their vulnerabilities for their own sexual gratification." As the team continues its work, children in neighbouring homes start to leave to go to school. A resident approaches the detectives to ask what is going on. They reassure her they are police officers but reveal nothing beyond Con Scott recalled another case where the suspect's partner asked how long she had to move house, before the local community found out what had said: "The hardest part of our job is dealing with the families, because there's only ever one person responsible for what brings us to the door. "You're effectively turning lives upside down. "It has a huge impact on us as well because it's difficult for us to see it unravel."Det Ch Insp Smith said online platforms need to do far more to prevent paedophiles making contact with said: "Whilst we don't want to place the onus of responsibility on the child, we have to educate our children to be safe online and just like the physical world, one of the key aspects of that is that you shouldn't be engaging with someone you don't know."I do believe it should be a lot harder for a child to be able to engage with a random person online."There's responsibility on tech, there's responsibility on government, there's responsibility on the police to make the online world safer."But there has to be an understanding that this is a global worldwide problem and therefore we need as a society to change the way we view the internet."A few hours after they arrived, the detectives led the 43-year-old man out of the house in handcuffs to be driven to a police station in is the start of a long legal journey which will eventually establish guilt or man was charged in connection with sexual communications and will appear in court at a later date.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Local man living with stage four breast cancer shares story ahead of Komen Race for the Cure
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Thousands of runners and walkers supporting breast cancer patients and research will gather in downtown Columbus Saturday for the 2025 Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. The Columbus race is one of the largest in the country. It supports breast cancer research, patients, and others impacted by the disease. Breast cancer is often thought of as a disease that only strikes women, but Joseph Wilson is proof that's not always the case. He's been living with stage four metastatic breast cancer for the last five years. He already beat his initial prognosis, and his current treatment plan is working, but he'll never be in remission. 'I had found a lump in 2018 and went to my primary care physician,' Wilson said. 'At the time, I was a 33-year-old male, he didn't really think anything of it.' Attorney general drops out of Ohio's 2026 race for governor According to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, only about 1% of breast cancer cases occur in men. While it has been five years since Wilson received the news no one wants to hear, he's no stranger to the disease. His father's sister passed away from breast cancer, and his mother beat it twice. 'But her youngest sister was diagnosed about fifteen years ago with breast cancer, and she passed away two years ago,' Wilson said. 'So, the Komen Race for the Cure has been in our family for many years.' Wilson said if you feel something or notice a change in your body, get a second opinion. 'You really know your body the best,' Wilson said. 'You have to self-advocate for yourself. I tell my students that all the time. I teach math and science, and say if you don't understand what's going on, you better raise your hand. Speak up.' Wilson's family has been walking in the race for over ten years, and this year is no exception. They'll join thousands across central Ohio as they make their way to the starting line for the 33rd Komen Columbus Race for the Cure. 'Everybody knows someone that's been impacted by breast cancer, whether it's their own journey or someone in their life that had the disease,' Lindsay Grubaugh, executive director of Columbus at Susan G. Komen, said. 'So, the need is there. Over 3,800 people are calling Komen every single week here in the state of Ohio that are needing our services.' Ronda Faulk is a breast cancer survivor. She's been a volunteer since 2012. Faulk lives in Florida now, but flew back to Columbus specifically for the race. 'I had a lady today who was a survivor for two years, and I told her I'm fourteen years out, and she just like high-fived me because she doesn't know if she'll make it to that point,' Faulk said. 'So you always have people who are going to you're going to look up to them and you're going to be motivated by that success that they have.' According to leaders, the race, which is now a global movement, is all about uniting the community to prioritize health and raising money for breast cancer research and treatment. 'It takes a village to end breast cancer, so anybody that wants to come and join us, we'd love to have them,' Lindsay Grubaugh, executive director of Columbus at Susan G. Komen, said. The race kicks off at 8:45 a.m. Saturday. If you still haven't registered for the race, you can register online here. Anyone interested in donating to the Susan G. Komen Foundation can visit this link. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Times
30-03-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Haiti Doesn't Make Guns. So How Are Gangs Awash in Them?
A video that circulated widely on the internet recently showed a Haitian gang leader, Joseph Wilson, shirtless, happily showing off belts of .50 caliber ammunition, mockingly saying he used the armor-piercing bullets to groom his hair. 'We have enough combs for our hair to last a year,' he joked. So how did he get them? Guns are not manufactured in Haiti, and it's illegal to ship any there, but the gangs terrorizing the country's capital, Port-au-Prince, never seem to be short of them — or of ammunition. Experts estimate that there are about 20 armed groups operating in Port-au-Prince, some who carry AR-15 and Galil assault rifles, shotguns and Glock handguns. The U.N. estimates that between 270,000 and 500,000 firearms are circulating illegally in Haiti, with most weapons in the hands of gangs. Their superior fire power has overwhelmed the thin ranks of Haiti's ill-equipped police and contributed to an astonishing death toll last year of more than 5,600 homicide victims, a jump of more than 1,000 from the year before. The United Nations imposed an arms embargo on Haiti three years ago, yet most weapons on Haiti's streets are from the United States, where they are purchased by straw buyers and smuggled into the country by sea or sometimes by land through the Dominican Republic, according to the United Nations. The issue has become so serious that Haiti's government has restricted imports along its land border with the Dominican Republic. Only goods that were originally produced there are allowed; any products that didn't originate in the D.R. have to enter through Haiti's gang-infested seaports. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? Log in. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Barcelona game is postponed after a member of its medical staff dies
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona's home game against Osasuna has been postponed after the death of a member of Barcelona's medical staff, the Spanish club said. Fans were informed of the decision minutes before the game was scheduled to kick off Saturday night in Barcelona at Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium. Barcelona said in a statement that it was 'deeply saddened to announce the passing of first-team doctor Carles Miñarro Garcia this evening.' The club said it extended its 'heartfelt condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time.' Barcelona did not immediately provide any details on the cause of death, which local media reports said was due to medical reasons. Osasuna said it agreed to the request by Barcelona to not play the match. The Spanish soccer federation confirmed that the decision was official. Barcelona leads La Liga by one point over Atletico Madrid. The Osasuna game will be rescheduled. ___ AP soccer: Joseph Wilson, The Associated Press
