Latest news with #McLennanCountySheriff'sOffice
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Utah man wrongfully arrested in local school threat case, charges dropped
Waco, Tx (FOX 44) – All charges against Kyle Joseph Nielsen in connections with threats against the Axtell school have been dropped as it was determined the wrong man was arrested. The motion to dismiss was filed in 54th District Court by the McLennan County District Attorney's Office. The motion stated that 'subsequent investigation revealed that the defendant, Kyle Joseph Nielsen, is not the perpetrator. Investigators initially linked an IP address used by the perpetrator to the defendant. Subsequent investigation revealed that link was made in error.' A statement issued by attorney F. Clinton Broden stated it was the result of an investigation by Nielsen's defense team and stated a motion filed prior to the dismissal argued that Nielsen was wrongfully arrested after a McLennan County Sheriff's Office investigator 'likely mis-read a post-it note.' Nielsen had been accused of making threats against the Axtell school. The defense had argued that the e-mail address used to set up the relevant Snapchat accounts involved was believed to actually belong to someone living in Canada. Broden further stated in his statement that Nielsen has retained a Dallas attorney to pursue possible civil rights claims against the investigator and the McLennan County Sheriff's Office. The following statement was issued by the McLennan County Sheriff's Office: 'Following the arrest of a suspect in connection with a school threat, our agency continued to pursue all investigative leads thoroughly and objectively. During this process, new information emerged that prompted a reassessment of the evidence supporting probable cause. 'The suspect was initially identified based on data from federal partners, including screen names and IP addresses, along with a positive witness identification. This led to the issuance of a warrant and the suspect's arrest. 'Subsequently, the witness recanted their identification, and further analysis revealed an error in linking the suspect to the provided IP address. It was determined that the individual accused was not responsible for the threat. Our agency immediately relayed these findings to the district attorney's office, resulting in the dismissal of charges. 'This case underscores the importance of thorough and impartial investigations. We remain committed to evidence-based policing, accountability, and collaboration with our local, state, and federal partners to ensure public trust and safety.' McLennan County District Attorney Josh Tetens said: 'This is exactly how the system is supposed to work – the defense presented their case, additional investigation was conducted, and the evidence revealed Mr. Nielsen was not the perpetrator.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Fake Facebook accounts imitating McLennan County sheriff
McLENNAN COUNTY, Texas (FOX 44) – The McLennan County Sheriff's Office is raising awareness of ongoing scams involving fake Facebook accounts impersonating the sheriff himself. The Sheriff's Office says these fraudulent accounts are sending private messages and friend requests to members of the community. Once contact is made, the scammers attempt to lure individuals by offering grants or government loans and will often include links for them to click on. The McLennan County Sheriff's Office and Sheriff Parnell McNamara will never contact anyone though social media to offer financial assistance, loans or grants. Do NOT click on any suspicious links or provide personal information. The public is urged to report these fake profiles to Facebook immediately and spread the word to protect others from falling victim to this scam. If you think you have been contacted by one of these fake accounts or have fallen victim to a scam, you can contact the McLennan County Sheriff's Office at 254-757-5095. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Forbes
08-04-2025
- Forbes
Pedophiles Are Using AI To Turn Children's Social Media Photos Into CSAM
Children's images are increasingly being taken from social media sites and turned into sexual abuse imagery. The generative AI wave has brought with it a deluge of fantastical, sometimes freakish new imagery, along with something much darker: a growing volume of sexually explicit images of children created from innocent family photos. Thanks to the widespread availability of so called 'nudifier' apps, AI generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is exploding, and law enforcement is struggling to keep up. Mike Prado, a deputy chief at the DHS ICE Cyber Crimes Unit, says that he's seen cases where images of minors posted to social media have been turned into CSAM with AI. Joe Scaramucci, a reserve deputy at McLennan County Sheriff's Office and director of law enforcement engagement at anti-trafficking nonprofit Skull Games, said the use of AI to turn social media images into sexually explicit images of children was 'exploding.' 'This is, unfortunately, one of the most significant shifts in technology that we've seen to facilitate the creation of CSAM in a generation,' he told Forbes. 'The irony of AI CSAM is that even the victim might not realize they're a victim.' And worse, Prado also says predators have taken photos of children on the street to modify into illegal material. As Forbes reported last year, one man took images of children at Disney World and outside a school before turning them into CSAM. 'We see it occurring on a more frequent basis, and it's growing exponentially,' Prado told Forbes. 'It's no longer on the horizon. It's a reality that we are dealing with every day.' Last year a previously convicted sex offender was accused of taking a parent's photos of their child from Facebook and posting them to a pedophile group chat on encrypted messaging app Teleguard claiming they were his stepchildren. There, a source familiar with the investigation told Forbes, other members of the group turned them into explicit sexual imagery. The man was subsequently arrested and charged with possessing thousands of pieces of CSAM, hundreds of them generated by AI. The pace at which AI is evolving and the absence of guardrails around some models, as well as the sheer scale of the proliferation of AI-generated CSAM, have made policing substantially more difficult. 'We have observed AI-generated CSAM created by generative AI platforms, including face-swapping apps, body-swapping apps, and 'undress' apps,' said Madison McMicken, a spokesperson for the Office of the Utah Attorney General. 'Images are often pulled from social media and converted into CSAM.' The owners of those images may forever be left in the dark, though. As one child exploitation investigator, who was not authorized to talk on record, told Forbes, 'The irony of AI CSAM is that even the victim might not realize they're a victim.'
