Latest news with #childAbuse
BBC News
6 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Starmer to face grilling from Badenoch at Prime Minister's Questions
Update: Date: 11:44 BST Title: Minister apologises for grooming gangs report delay Content: Another story that's made political headlines in the UK this week, and which is likely to come up at PMQs today, is Home Office Minister Jess Phillips apology to MPs for a delay in the publication of a report on grooming gangs. In January, the government asked Baroness Louise Casey to lead a "rapid" three-month audit into the data and evidence on the nature and scale of group-based child sexual abuse. Speaking in the House of Commons on Monday, Conservative frontbencher Katie Lam said Baroness Casey's review, along with a framework for local grooming gang inquiries, had been due for publication in May and asked for an updated timeline. Phillips told MPs she was sorry for the "month's wait" but added "I've waited 14 years", a reference to the length of time the Conservatives were in government. The minister said Baroness Casey had requested a "short extension" to her work and that it was expected "very shortly". On the same day that the delay was announced, five women from across England who were groomed and abused as children or young adults told BBC Newsnight about the ongoing impact it has had on their lives. Update: Date: 11:39 BST Title: Tariffs, tariffs, tariffs - latest on how Trump's taxes affect the UK Content: As always, we can't be totally sure what Tory leader Kemi Badenoch will ask Keir Starmer this morning - but on the off chance it comes up, it's worth remembering the other big political and economic story of the day. It was announced earlier that the UK's been temporarily spared from US President Donald Trump's plans to double steel and aluminium tariffs from 25% to 50%. Trump's latest executive order raises import taxes for US-based firms buying from other countries as of today - but the levy remains at 25% for the UK. It follows a deal that was signed last month by the US and UK, removing levies on some of the UK's exports, including cars, steel and aluminium. A government spokesperson says the UK plans to continue working "with the US to implement our agreement", but shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith has accused Labour of leaving "businesses in limbo" via "botched negotiations". Update: Date: 11:36 BST Title: Starmer pictured leaving No 10 Content: The prime minister is officially on the move. With various documents and ring binders in hand, Keir Starmer is on his way to the House of Commons for this week's Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs). We'll soon have a view of the chamber at the top of the page, where you'll be able to watch the back and forth live from midday. Update: Date: 11:23 BST Title: A look at what's included in the new defence strategy Content: Prime Minister Keir Starmer set out the government's defence strategy for the next decade on Monday. This follows an external review of the UK's defence capabilities - and the government now plans to implement all of the review's 62 findings. Here's a quick look at the government's response: There was even more included in the announcement - you can take a read through the full plans. Update: Date: 11:14 BST Title: Starmer's defence strategy could be in the spotlight Content: On Monday, the prime minister set out the government's defence strategy for the next decade. The government plans to increase military spending from 2.3% to 2.5% of national income by 2027, and has set an ambition to then increase it to 3% by 2034. The defence review recommended the armed forces move to 'warfighting readiness' to deter growing threats faced by the UK. Among the measures included in the review, Starmer announced that the UK will build up to 12 new attack submarines. It's been a big political talking point in the UK this week - and Starmer's plans could be scrutinised by MPs in the House of Commons later. Update: Date: 11:08 BST Title: Chancellor is preparing defence against tough spending questions Content: Damian GrammaticasPolitical correspondent Rachel Reeves knows that when, next week, she unveils the numbers for government spending in the coming years some departments will be facing tough times. So today she's been keen to get her defence for those hard decisions in early. Explaining her "fiscal rules", which determine how much she can tax and spend, she says 'let's be clear: It is not me imposing borrowing limits on Government, those limits are the product of economic reality.' If the government doesn't stick to careful, predictable plans, she says, then the result will be a loss of confidence in the government's ability to control spending, resulting in higher borrowing costs, rising interest rates, economic turmoil. Her defence came with a hard political edge to it. The Conservatives and Reform UK, were they to form a government, would, she claims, simply repeat the 'reckless borrowing' seen under Liz Truss. And addressing worries among some Labour MPs and voters, who believe a Labour government should spend more, she says: 'I know that economic responsibility and social justice go hand-in-hand.' That's because, she says, running a tight ship is what will 'make a difference to the lives of working people' and 'protect them from economic irresponsibility that they will ultimately pay the price for'. Update: Date: 11:01 BST Title: It's nearly time for PMQs - here's what might come up this week Content: It's Wednesday, which means another Prime Minister's Questions is right around the corner. It's already been a busy week for Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who on Monday set out what the government's defence strategy will be for the next decade. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch may well press the prime minister on the details of that, as well as the increasing numbers of small boat crossings after Saturday saw the highest number of migrants arriving in the UK by small boat so far this year. Also on the agenda could be a trade deal with the US - the government is currently working to iron out an agreement to bring Donald Trump's steel tariffs down to zero. You can follow all the key updates from today's session here - or watch for yourself by clicking watch live at the top of the page from 12:00 BST. The prime minister set out the government's updated strategy for defence on Monday - could that be a source of contention in today's PMQs?
BBC News
02-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Jess Phillips apologises for grooming gangs report delay
Home Office Minister Jess Phillips has apologised to MPs for a delay to the publication of a report on grooming January, the government asked Baroness Louise Casey to lead a "rapid" three-month audit into the data and evidence on the nature and scale of group-based child sexual abuse. Speaking in the House of Commons on Monday, Conservative frontbencher Katie Lam said Baroness Casey's review, along with a framework for local grooming gang inquiries, had been due for publication in May and asked for an updated timeline. Phillips told MPs she was sorry for the "month's wait" but added "I've waited 14 years", a reference to the length of time the Conservatives were in government. The minister said Baroness Casey had requested a "short extension" to her work and that it was expected "very shortly". "When we have the report the government will respond to it and lay out its plans with all the evidence in hand," she added. At the start of the year, the government dismissed calls for a national inquiry into grooming gangs, arguing it had already been examined in a seven-year inquiry, led by Prof Alexis Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced a "rapid audit" led by Baroness Casey to examine the "data and evidence to draw a comprehensive picture of the nature, scale and profile of group-based child sexual abuse offending". She also announced an initial pot of £5m for "victim-centred locally-led inquiries" to be held in Oldham and four other areas, yet to be named. In April, Phillips told the House of Commons she expected there would be further inquires beyond the initial five announced. She told MPs she would provide more details about the local inquiries once Baroness Casey's audit had been published. The Conservatives have continued to call for a nationwide inquiry with powers to compel people to give evidence, arguing that some local areas would be unwilling to hold their own said if Baroness Casey identified problems with particular local authorities, "I will pursue them".
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
PA man convicted for raping a child in 2022
TROY TWP, Pa. (WETM) — A Williamsport man was sentenced to time in state prison in May after he raped a child in 2022, according to a release from the Bradford County District Attorney's Office. Robert Jay Eckard, 37, was sentenced to a minimum of ten years to a maximum of 30 years in a Pennsylvania State Prison for the offense of rape of a child, a felony in the first degree. Wysox man sentenced for harassing neighbors over several months Eckard's charge stems from an arrest in October 2022, when the DA's office said troopers looked into claims regarding a man, later identified as Eckard, raping a child in Troy Township. Upon further investigation, the DA's office stated that during this time, the victim was between 12 and 14 years old. Eckard did not have much criminal history before his arrest, but the DA's office said because of the severity of the crime, this sentence is warranted. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Malay Mail
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Fifty-five arrested in France over Telegram paedophile ring; suspects include priest, paramedic
PARIS, May 22 — Fifty-five men have been arrested in France this week as part of an operation to dismantle a suspected paedophile ring operating via the Telegram messaging app, authorities said today. The arrests took place in 42 departments over possession, distribution and regular viewing of pornography involving children 'under the age of 10', France's OFMIN, an office tasked with preventing violence against minors, told AFP. The arrests, which followed a ten-month investigation, took place from Monday to today. The suspects, aged 25 to 75, include a priest, a paramedic and a music teacher. The men exchanged messages on Telegram and were in contact with 'extremely dangerous' paedophiles who have been in prison since last summer, Quentin Bevan, head of the OFMIN's operational unit, told AFP. The large-scale operation began last summer with the arrest of individuals suspected of abusing children and posting images on Telegram. 'It took ten months of investigation to track down these child abusers,' Bevan said. 'Ten months of undercover work involving thousands of exchanges, analysis and detection of paedophile images by a task force set up at the OFMIN.' The office issued the warrant that led to the arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov in Paris in 2024, and he remains under formal investigation by French authorities over illegal content on the popular service. After days of questioning, Durov was charged with several counts of failing to curb extremist and terrorist content. Investigators have confronted Durov with cases ranging from child abuse to drug trading, scams, arms sales and the hiring of hitmen. Durov has since announced steps appearing to bow to Paris's demands. While Bevan acknowledged progress in Telegram's cooperation with investigators since Durov's arrest, he said the platform was 'barely fulfilling its legal obligations'. Durov has recently accused the chief of France's DGSE foreign intelligence service of requesting to ban pro-conservative Romanian accounts from the platform ahead of elections. The DGSE has rejected the claims. Durov says Telegram has sought to fight against child abuse for years. 'Falsely implying Telegram did nothing to remove child porn is a manipulation tactic,' he posted on X earlier this week. — AFP
New York Times
22-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Deepfake Laws Bring Prosecution and Penalties, but Also Pushback
Pennsylvania's attorney general recently accused a police officer of taking photos in a women's locker room, secretly filming people while on duty and possessing a stolen handgun. But he was unable to bring charges related to a cache of photos found on the officer's work computer featuring lurid images of minors created by artificial intelligence. When the computer was seized, in November, creating digital fakes was not yet considered a crime. Since then, a statewide ban on such content has taken effect. While it came too late to apply to the police officer's case, the state's attorney general, Dave Sunday, has already used the law to charge another man who was accused of having 29 files of A.I.-generated child sexual abuse material in his home. Over the past two years, American legislators have grown increasingly alarmed by the threat of malicious deepfakes. Sexual images of middle school students have been digitally faked without their permission. Vice President JD Vance disavowed an almost certainly inauthentic clip that mimicked his voice to criticize Elon Musk. An ad featuring an A.I.-generated version of the actress Jamie Lee Curtis was removed from Instagram only after she posted a public complaint. Legislators are responding. Already this year, 26 laws governing various kinds of deepfakes have been enacted, following 80 in 2024 and 15 in 2023, according to the political database Ballotpedia. This month in Tennessee, sharing deepfake sexual images without permission became a felony that carries up to 15 years of prison time and as much as $10,000 in fines. Iowa enacted two bills related to sexually explicit deepfakes last year, one of which established sexual images of children generated by A.I. as a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,245 fine for the first offense. In New Jersey, a recently approved ban on malicious deepfakes could result in a fine of up to $30,000 and prison time. California has been especially aggressive in reacting to deepfakes, passing eight related bills in September alone, including five on a single day. 'We're in a very dangerous time, and we're playing defense on everything that we do,' said Josh Lowenthal, a Democrat in the California Assembly, while introducing a session last week in Sacramento on the dangers of deepfakes. Mr. Lowenthal, who co-sponsored a recently introduced bill targeting sexually explicit deepfake material, later watched a demonstration of the technology spit out a realistic image of him in a prison cell and produce a fake news story about comments he never made. 'I would've thought that was me,' he said after hearing deepfake audio of his voice, generated on the spot. Reining in deepfakes has also become a federal priority, and a markedly bipartisan one. Congress overwhelmingly passed the Take It Down Act, which criminalizes the nonconsensual sharing of sexually explicit photos and videos, including A.I. content, and requires tech platforms to quickly remove the content once they are notified. President Trump signed the bill in the White House Rose Garden on Monday, accompanied by his wife, Melania, who backed the legislation. But lawmakers' enthusiasm for deepfake legislation has also set off a surge of pushback. Critics complain that many of the laws stifle free speech, constrain American competitiveness and are so complicated to enforce that they are, in effect, toothless. Because of those concerns, some Republicans in Congress are trying to curb the state actions. They are now considering a 10-year moratorium that would stop states from enforcing and passing legislation related to artificial intelligence, giving the federal government sole regulatory authority and lessening the pressure on A.I. companies. Soon after re-entering office, Mr. Trump revoked an executive order from his predecessor that sought to ensure the technology's safety and transparency, issuing his own executive order that decried 'barriers to American A.I. innovation' and pushed the United States 'to retain global leadership' in the field. Regulating artificial intelligence requires balance, said Representative Josh Gottheimer, a Democrat from New Jersey who has helped write multiple deepfake bills. For all its potential dangers, he said, the technology could also become a powerful engine for job creation and creative expression. 'It's an ever-evolving space,' said Mr. Gottheimer, a candidate for governor who last month posted a video that featured, with a disclosure, a digitally generated version of himself boxing with Mr. Trump. 'The key is making sure that people are protected as we harness the opportunities here.' Some state laws have also been challenged in court. In California, a conservative YouTube creator who posted an edited campaign video spoofing former Vice President Kamala Harris's voice sued the attorney general last fall over two laws focused on election-related deepfakes. His argument: The regulations force social media companies to censor protected political speech, including parodies, and allow anybody to sue over content that he or she dislikes. The lawsuit now includes plaintiffs such as The Babylon Bee, a right-wing satirical site; Rumble, the right-wing streaming platform; and X, the social media company owned by Mr. Musk (which last month also sued Minnesota over a similar law). A federal judge ordered that enforcement of one of the California laws be temporarily paused, saying it 'acts as a hammer instead of a scalpel.' Litigation isn't the only challenge to regulating deepfakes. In Dubuque County, Iowa, Sheriff Joseph L. Kennedy is assisting a local police department with a case involving male high schoolers who shared images of female students' faces attached to artificially generated nude bodies. Such cases are time-consuming to work through, requiring careful documentation, data preservation efforts, subpoenas and search warrants for devices, Sheriff Kennedy said. Occasionally, the companies behind the websites or apps that people use to make A.I. images are uncooperative, especially if they are based in a country where an Iowa law has no power, he said. 'That's where you can hit snags and are short on options for what you can do,' he said. 'Sometimes, it just seems like we're chasing our tails.' While most deepfake bans are focused on sexual, political or artistic content, the technology also has banks and other businesses on high alert. Michael S. Barr, a member of the Federal Reserve's board of governors, said in a speech last month that the technology 'has the potential to supercharge identity fraud.' One deepfake scam bilked Arup, a British design and engineering company that worked on the Sydney Opera House and Beijing's Bird's Nest stadium, out of $25 million last year. Fraudsters also tried to target Ferrari last summer, using WhatsApp messages that mimicked the southern Italian accent of the automaker's chief executive. 'If this technology becomes cheaper and more broadly available to criminals — and fraud detection technology does not keep pace — we are all vulnerable to a deepfake attack,' Mr. Barr said.
