Latest news with #Sniffies
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
List: 24 men accused of child solicitation in Jacksonville area, mugshots, charges
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office announced the arrests of 24 men Thursday they said tried to solicit sexual contact with individuals they believed were children. The arrests, dubbed 'Operation Rescue Our Children,' targeted people using electronic devices to solicit sexual acts from children, Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said. Here are the names of the suspects, their booking photos and what they're accused of doing, according to Jacksonville police arrest reports: Initiated a one-on-one chat on a website called Sniffies and made a prearranged meeting. Lake City Police assisted. Initiated a one-on-one chat with a child on a website called Grindr. Lake City Police and Nassau County Sherriff's Office assisted. Responded to an ad posted by Law Enforcement on a website called Skipthegames. During the conversation the suspect and supposed child began communicating on Snapchat. Bay County Sheriff's Office assisted. Fisher had been chatting with detectives prior to this operation and continued chatting with multiple detectives during the operation, Jacksonville police said. Police said he initiated a one-on-one chat using a website called Skout Jacksonville. Bethel was a JSO civilian employee at the time of his arrest. He resigned immediately after his arrest. He responded to an ad law enforcement post on Grindr initiating a conversation under the user name 'Killing Time.' The conversation progressed to text messages. Initiated a one-on-one conversation on a website called Badoo and made a prearranged meeting where he was arrested May 14. Initiated a conversation on Grindr and arranged to meet someone he believed was a child, police said. Entered a group chat and started a one-on-one conversation on a website called Skipthegames. The conversation progressed to text messages and phone calls and a prearranged meeting was scheduled. Hodge was also charged with Possession of a Control Substance (Methamphetamines). Initiated a one-on-one conversation and prearranged a meeting. Responded to an ad posted by Law Enforcement on a website called Skipthegames and made a prearranged meeting. Torbello was in the country illegally, police said. Used the website called Skipthegames to initiate a conversation and made a prearranged meeting. Used the website called Skipthegames to initiate a conversation and made a prearranged meeting. 'Maldonado had a gun in his car when he arrived to the takedown location,' police said. Used the website called Skipthegames to initiate a conversation and made a prearranged meeting. Used the website called Skipthegames to initiate a conversation and made a prearranged meeting. Huger was also charged with Possession of a Control Substance (Marijuana), police said. Initiated a one-on-one chat and made a prearranged meeting. Initiated a one-on-one chat on a website called Sniffies and made a prearranged meeting. Initiated a one-on-one chat on a website called Sniffies and made a prearranged meeting. Judd had previously been arrested for similar crimes during JSO Operation Blue Hawk, police said. He was convicted and served nearly two years in prison. Used the website called Skipthegames to initiate a conversation and made a prearranged meeting. Initiated a conversation on a website called Skip the Game Jacksonville. Scarboro is an active duty sailor in the Navy. He had a gun in his car when he arrived to the takedown location, police said. Initiated a one-on-one chat on a website called Sniffies and made a prearranged meeting. Initiated a conversation on a website called Jack'D. The conversations progressed text messages and meeting was arranged. Used the website called Skipthegames to initiate a conversation and make a prearranged meeting. Cobb traveled from Orlando to meet the child. He was planning to bring the child back to Orlando with him, police said. Used the website called Skipthegames to initiate a conversation and make a prearranged meeting. Initiated a conversation one the website called Plenty of Fish then sent text messages. A prearranged meeting was then made. Sessions had a gun in his waistband when detectives apprehended him, police said. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Yahoo
Everman deputy fire chief used hookup app to solicit woman's rape, report says
The Brief Everman deputy fire chief Joel Jones is one of two men arrested for the aggravated sexual assault of a woman. Police believe he asked a man he met on a hookup app to commit the actual assault, according to newly released court documents. Tobasia Griffiths, who was also arrested for the assault, claims Jones told him the woman wanted a "sexual assault role play experience." The woman denied giving consent to either man. EVERMAN, Texas - Newly released court documents reveal why police arrested Everman's deputy fire chief. Joel Jones is accused of using a hookup app to find a man willing to sexually assault a woman known to him. The backstory In March, Fort Worth police arrested 53-year-old Joel Jones and 30-year-old Tobasia Griffiths. Both men were charged with aggravated sexual assault. Jones was also charged with criminal solicitiation of a felony for aggravated sexual assault and aggravated kidnapping. At the time, police didn't release any details about their investigation. However, they said Jones, an Everman Fire Department employee, solicited Griffiths to commit the actual assault. What we know According to a search warrant affidavit, the victim was sexually assaulted in her home on Feb. 21. She told police she was lying in bed when she saw a light and a man she didn't know standing in the doorway of her bedroom. She said she screamed and tried to fight the man off, but he ultimately pinned her down and raped her. She managed to escape by telling the man she needed to go to the bathroom. She then ran out of the house half-dressed, taking note of the license plate on the man's SUV, which was parked in her driveway. When the man realized she was gone, he got into the SUV and drove away. The affidavit states he passed her on the street and "threatened her that he would return and finish the job and kill her if she called police." She immediately called Jones, who then called 911 and took her to the hospital. What we know The affidavit states that during an interview, the victim gave police descriptions of the man who sexually assaulted her and the vehicle he was driving. She said she believed the man recorded video of her with his cellphone because he was holding it up with the light on when he arrived, and she could see the same light on during the offense. She also told police he made a comment about knowing she'd be home alone. Police were able to find video from a neighbor's security camera that showed the suspect's SUV arriving at the house. They used the vehicle's registration information to identify Griffiths. What we know When police questioned Griffiths, he told them that he'd met Jones on a hookup app called Sniffies. "Jones approached Griffiths on the app and asked if he would be willing to have a sexual assault role play experience with [the victim]. Griffiths stated that Jones said [the victim] was into it, and wanted to do this, so he agreed," the affidavit states. Griffiths said Jones gave him the home's address, the code for the garage, the location of the woman's bedroom, and a day and time when she'd be home alone. He showed police the conversations he and Jones had through the app, including a message that mentioned the "next plan is to have her kidnapped." He said he sent Jones pictures of the house to let him know he was there and messaged him after it happened. Griffiths said he thought "it was all part of the act and the fantasy" and only realized it may not have been consensual when Jones messaged him a few days later and said police were involved. He was arrested a few days later and police confiscated his cellphone. The search warrant affidavit states they were looking for location data showing where the phone was at the time of the offense, communication with co-conspirators regarding the offense, images and video related to the offense, and any web pages or history used to prepare or hide participation in the offense. What we know Police said the victim denied knowing anything about a "sexual assault role play experience" and denied giving consent to either Jones or Griffiths. Jones was arrested on March 26, and his cellphone was seized as evidence. Warrants show police also seized computers, thumb drives, and other digital evidence as part of the investigation. Jones was placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. What we don't know The affidavit does not provide Jones's account of what happened. What they're saying "The allegations are deeply concerning, and we want the public to be assured that we are taking this matter with the utmost seriousness," Everman Fire Chief Landon Whatley said. "This case is very early in the investigation stage. I am attempting to verify all of the facts right now," Jones's defense attorney said in a statement. The Everman police chief did not want to comment as the department is not involved in the investigation but did reiterate that the allegations are deeply concerning. The Source The information in this story comes from a search warrant affidavit, the Fort Worth Police Department, and past news coverage.
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Yahoo
Everman deputy fire chief used ‘hook-up app' to hire man to rape woman, affidavits say
A North Texas deputy fire chief is accused of using a 'hook-up app' to hire a man to sexually assault a woman who he claimed agreed to the attack as part of a rape role play fantasy, according to arrest warrant affidavits. The victim told Fort Worth police that she did not know about the plan or consent to the assault, the court documents state. Both men — Everman Deputy Fire Chief Joel Jones and Tobasia Griffiths — were arrested by Fort Worth police last week. Griffiths, 30, is charged with aggravated sexual assault in the case. Jones, 53, is charged with aggravated sexual assault and criminal solicitation of aggravated sexual assault and aggravated kidnapping, according to Tarrant County court records. The victim told investigators that she was in bed at her Fort Worth home on Feb. 21 when Griffiths came into her room and raped her, according to the affidavits. The woman said she was able to escape and run out of the house after she told Griffiths she needed to use the bathroom. Griffiths later found the woman on the street and threatened to kill her if she reported the assault, the affidavits state. The woman went to a hospital, where she filed a report with police. Detectives said they were able to identify Griffiths through security video that showed his car in the victim's driveway and a partial license plate number that she saw. Jones is accused of paying Griffiths $100 via Zelle to commit the assault, according to the court documents. Griffiths told sex crimes detectives that he met Jones through an app called Sniffies, where they exchanged messages to plan the assault, and that Jones told him the woman would consent, the affidavits state. The Sniffies website describes it as a 'map-based cruising app for the curious.' After the first assault, messages between the two suspects show they conspired to commit a second sexual assault involving a kidnapping, but that attack was not carried out, according to the affidavits. Jones was arrested on March 26 and is being held in the Tarrant County Jail on $300,000 bond. Griffiths was released from jail on $25,000 bond. Jones' neighbors told Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV that just days before his arrest, the deputy fire chief went door to door in his neighborhood and warned residents that there was a sexual predator in the area. In a statement, Everman Fire Department Chief Landon Whatley said that Jones' arrest is not related to his work with the department and that the deputy chief has been placed on administrative leave. 'The nature of the allegations and charges are deeply concerning,' Whatley said. 'Department command staff is fully cooperating with the Fort Worth Police Department as they investigate this incident. ... We want to assure the public that we take matters such as this extremely seriously.'
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Yahoo
Charges: Eden Prairie man raped 15-year-old boy
An Eden Prairie man has been charged with the sexual assault of a 15-year-old boy who was reported missing by his relatives from Mounds View earlier this month. Michael Gillis, 34, is charged with 3rd-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor following the alleged incident on March 2. The victim's aunt reported to police that he left their Mounds View home at 2:30 p.m. on that day and had not returned. The boy's aunt said she found the victim's iPad, which revealed he had been talking to a male called "Nick Miller" through a site called "Sniffies." Miller, later identified as Gillis, allegedly sent nude photographs to the victim. Police were able to learn that the victim was going to Gillis' home in Eden Prairie. They found the victim around 6 p.m. on the streets near Gillis' home. The victim provided Discord chat history between himself and Gillis. During the conversation, the boy confirmed to Gillis that he was still in high school, to which Gillis originally replied: "Hot af." Gillis also allegedly stated he had a "friends with benefits" with someone who is "younger" than the victim. He then paid to send an Uber to the boy, who told police that when he got to the house Gillis "was being really creepy." Gillis allegedly took his clothes off, instructed the boy to do the same, and then sexually assaulted him. After the assault, the victim waited till Gillis was asleep before running out of the house. There is currently no attorney listed for Gillis. The Star Tribune reports that at the time of the alleged incident, Gillis was on electronic home monitoring as he awaits trial for a child solicitation charge in Florida.
The Independent
11-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
I wouldn't want my local park to be a dogging hotspot – it's time cruisy Hampstead Heath cleaned up its act
The militant dog walkers of Hampstead are in trouble. They have asked north London gays to stop having sex in public because its spoiling the woody glades of the West Heath for everyone else, and locals would like to enjoy them, too, as the bluebells start to bloom. This is a sickening and clearly pre-medicated attack on the LGBTQIA+ community. Or so some would have us believe. The suggestion that time be called on cruising on Hampstead Heath has been met with cries of 'homophobia'. One protester, 'sex-positive queer activist' Dan Glass, told the Camden New Journal: 'It's saying that queer people can't do what is legally and rightfully theirs – to have public displays of affection.' I'm all for public displays of affection, regardless of gender or sexuality. I'm old enough to remember the Before Times, when homosexuality was largely illegal, and you risked getting arrested or being bottled for kissing your boyfriend in public. Thankfully, those days are gone. But that doesn't mean I – or anyone else – wants to see a stranger mooning in the bushes, or cruisers making the beast with two backs among the bracken. Hampstead Heath has been a gay cruising ground since the 19th century, its popularity an unintended consequence of Victorian laws that criminalised consensual homosexual acts. These days, police largely turn a blind eye to the Heath being used for anonymous sex around the clock – George Michael was a regular – but locals have upped the ante with signs that include the message: 'Cruising for sex? Homosexuality is legal. Use a hook-up app like Grindr or Sniffies and get a room.' They have a point. A good one. Boys, we no longer live in the twilight world of the homosexual. For us gays, there are bars, clubs and saunas and even, thanks to apps, home deliveries. But in their showdown against Hampstead locals and their labradors, the queer campaigners insist that using the West Heath as an open-air sex club is their 'cultural right', and that they have history on their side. Wait, do I hear Peter Tatchell on line one? The great campaigner has talked about our right to cruise al fresco. I love Peter. But when I see him next, I'll probably say we should be fighting the battles of the real oppressed homosexuals in the Middle East, Russia and Africa (as Peter already does so admirably), rather than pandering to the gays who whine about not being able to do it when they like, where they like, with whomever they like. The Hampstead Heath crusaders have posted pictures on social media showing their "Sodomites' March', on their cruising territory, with several baring their bottoms next to what they call "the F*** Tree'. They sound like naughty children, not freedom fighters. The accusation of 'homophobia' – such a powerful word when we needed it in the recent past – rings hollow. I doubt that the spat over Hampstead Heath is even a question of sexuality. I wouldn't want my local park to be a dogging hotspot, and would be equally averse to seeing the uncovered rear-end of a straight, female thrill-seeker hanging out the window of a parked Ford Mondeo. The gay campaigners on the Heath no doubt think all the world should be interested in their sexual identity. It's not. Shrill identity politics is boring, and providing our enemies on the right with ammunition to twist malleable minds. A cruising-free Heath would mark neither the end of the world, nor the return of Section 28. The people of Hampstead and environs simply want to see daffodils and songbirds rather than quivering buttocks and related detritus. And I'm with them – even if I do object to the ugly gilets they wear. The bottom line, if you'll forgive the pun, is that in a free society we don't have the right not to be offended. We do have some responsibility, though, to make reasonable compromises to ensure that life is bearable for all of us. So, gays – get a room, or go somewhere where you're not going embarrass people on a day out with their children. And take your rubbish away with you. You can still have plenty of fun, even if it's not on the Heath.
