Latest news with #onlinepredator
CBC
2 days ago
- CBC
Halifax police charge man with child luring after receiving tip from U.S. group
A Halifax-area man has been charged with child luring after police received a tip from the U.S. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The tip on May 21 alleged a suspect was using social media to talk to a 10-year-old American girl about inappropriate sexual activities. Halifax Regional Police say their investigation determined the two had begun communicating online in January 2025, using platforms including Snapchat and Slowly. Investigators allege the man presented himself as a 15-year-old boy who also mailed the girl handwritten letters and gifts. The investigation included co-operation between the Halifax Integrated Child Exploitation Unit and the Lakeshore Regional Child Advocacy Center in Wisconsin. On Thursday, investigators executed a search warrant at a residence in Dartmouth, N.S., where electronic devices and firearms were seized. The suspect was arrested without incident and charged with luring a child under 16, making child pornography, and five offences related to firearms.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
French teacher, 46, who posed as boy online to entice teen girls to send sexual images is jailed for eight years
A French teacher who posed online as a boy to entice teenage girls to send sexual images has been jailed for eight years. Simon Clark, head of department at the Alun High School, in Mold, North Wales, preyed on 26 youngsters, aged between 10 and 15. The 46-year-old, a father of two, whose wife has since divorced him and his career ended, has 'lost everything', Chester Crown Court heard. Clark pretended to be a 14-year-old boy using a fake Snapchat profile with the name 'Jamie-jones6968' to send hundreds of explicit messages to young girls, persuading some to send sexual images in return. Passing sentence, Judge Simon Berkson told the defendant he represented a 'significant risk' to children. He kept his head bowed as he was jailed. Judge Berkson said: 'It is, of course, every parent's worst nightmare, this sort of thing happening to their children. 'Many of the offences involve sexual communication, some involving inciting children to engage in sexual activity. This was well planned and sophisticated criminal behaviour. 'You clearly have a sexual interest from the sexual abuse of children and gain sexual gratification from it.' Clark, formerly of Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, had admitted at earlier hearing to 29 offences; one count of inciting a child under 13 to engage in penetrative sexual activity, two counts of inciting a child under 13 to engage in non-penetrative sexual activity, two counts of inciting a child under 16 to engage in non-penetrative sexual activity, 21 counts of engaging in sexual communication with a child under 16, one count of making 26 indecent images of children of Category A, one of making 29 indecent images of children of Category B and one of making 81 indecent images of children of Category C. Earlier, John Philpotts, prosecuting, told the court Clark's activities were only discovered by chance by one mother, 'looking over the shoulder' of one girl. On January 24 2023, the mother called police after discovering her 12-year-old daughter had received sexually explicit messages on Snapchat from the 'Jamie Jones' account. The mother only found out as her daughter had been 'grounded' for a separate matter and had her phone confiscated so was using a laptop her mother had access to. In May 2023, police traced the 'Jamie Jones' account to Clark's home address, discovering he was a father of two children. Clark was arrested at the school where he worked. Investigation of four devices seized from his home revealed chat logs of hundreds of sexually explicit communications with a large number of other young girls along with explicit videos, going back nine months. Mr Philpotts said some examples of the messages Clark sent included, to a 12-year-old girl, 'I have a big dick, you have big tits. Any pics? You get horny much? Get those fingers wet'. Clark then sent a video of a sex act. To another girl, also 12, he sent another message saying: 'You look cute and filthy' before asking about her 'kink' and going on to mention, 'hair pulling, getting smacked, Daddy kink. You have big tits'. And to a girl aged 15, Clark sent the message: 'Is it true some girls are dirty in bed? Show your tits and I will show you a video of me. Play with them.' Clark initially denied any wrongdoing but admitted all the offences at an earlier hearing. Jeremy Rawson, mitigating for Clark, said his wife had divorced him and he only has limited contact with his children and other family had disowned him. Mr Rawson added: 'He is a man who is educated, a teacher, a professional, worked in the education system for 20 years, all of that is lost. 'He has lost everything as a result of what he has done. There is a black side to his character. 'There are no winners in this case whatsoever.' In addition to his custodial sentence, Clark will be on licence from jail for four years and has also been added to the sex offenders' register for life and handed restraining orders preventing him from contacting the victims. In a statement, Detective Constable Louise Murphy and Detective Constable Megan Griffiths, from Cheshire Police, who led the investigation, said: 'Firstly, we would like to praise the victims in this case for the bravery and courage that they have shown throughout this investigation. 'Clark was a teacher, he held a position of trust, and the messages we recovered clearly showed that he was well aware that his victims were all under the age of 16, but despite this he continued his crimes in order to satisfy his own warped sexual desires. 'It was apparent throughout the investigation that Clark is a sexual predator who preyed on young girls, with no regard for the effects his actions would have on the victims or their families. 'While they will never be able to forget what he did, we hope the sentence handed to Clark will provide the victims with some closure and allow them to move forward with their lives.' For advice on identifying signs of sexual exploitation visit Child Sexual Exploitation & How to Keep Your Child Safe at
Daily Telegraph
25-05-2025
- Daily Telegraph
Aussie kids among hundreds targeted by vile US sextortionist
Don't miss out on the headlines from National. Followed categories will be added to My News. Australian children are among more than 100 victims of a depraved sexual predator in the United States who used popular apps like Roblox, Snapchat and Instagram to coerce girls as young as five to send him explicit photos and videos. Chase William Mulligan, 28, is facing up to 60 years in prison after the FBI uncovered his sickening worldwide sextortion plot in which he befriended children in chatrooms before enticing them to send him sexual images that he used to control them, threatening to come to their home and publish the content online if they did not comply with his orders. Over more than four years, he targeted at least 108 children aged between five and 17 across multiple countries including Australia, Canada, the United States, the Philippines, Denmark, Spain and the United Kingdom. FBI Baltimore Special Agent William DelBagno described Mulligan as a 'depraved and dangerous predator'. 'He used social media to target, viciously threaten, and horribly abuse more than 100 minor victims - one as young as five years old,' he said. 'His abhorrent behaviour is not diminished by the fact he was thousands of miles away and never met his victims, rather, it's the opposite. 'Despite his distance, he presents a serious threat to any child he can access through the internet.' U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi (L) and Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Kash Patel (R) speak during a press conference to announce the results of Operation Restore Justice, which targets child sex offenders. Picture: Getty Images via AFP In one instance Mulligan targeted a 12-year-old girl on Snapchat and threatened to come to her house if she did not send him naked videos and pictures every day for weeks, including forcing her to engage in acts of bestiality with the family dog. When the girl's friend, also 12, tried to intervene, Mulligan threatened her, coercing the girl to participate in an explicit video calls with her five-year-old sister. The older sister tried to fight back against Mulligan's directions, telling him 'she's only five' and asked if she complied, would they be done 'forever'. He replied 'Forever, no. Today, yes.' When police raided Mulligan's Maryland home, they discovered 18 devices containing 15,000 child abuse videos and pictures, including at least 1000 he had created himself with the victims he found online. Investigators found 29 videos of one 11-year-old victim recorded through the messaging service Discord complying with Mulligan's instructions of sexual acts to perform for him. She denied his request to record a video of her four-year-old sister and when she tried to sever ties, he contacted her on Skype writing 'add me back on Discord or I'll post all your vids online and in servers. I have everything saved … listen OK.' Mulligan has pleaded guilty to two counts of producing child sexual abuse material and will be sentenced in a federal court in August.
The Independent
21-05-2025
- The Independent
Prison officer who sent indecent messages to fake profile of girl, 13, spared jail
A prison officer who preyed on who he thought was a 13-year-old girl during his lunch breaks using a messaging app has been spared jail. Peter Sugden, 46, began communicating with the Kik profile in June 2024, and sent indecent messages and sexual remarks to the fictional teenager over 16 days. He believed it belonged to a young girl from Essex, however, he was actually messaging a so-called paedophile hunter from an online protection team, who was managing the decoy account. The group managing the account travelled to his home on June 27 and confronted him, and then contacted police. Sugden was taken to Falkirk police station and made 'full and frank admissions', according to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. He confessed during an interview to sending messages before he left for work, at lunchtimes and early in the evening on an almost daily basis. Sugden's mobile phone was examined and found to contain 12 images of child abuse, ranging from category A to C, according to prosecutors. Sugden appeared at Falkirk Sheriff Court on April 2 and admitted taking or making indecent images between March 2019 and June 2024. He also admitted attempting to indecently communicate with a child. He was given a three-year community payback order at the same court on Tuesday and will be subject to supervision and restrictions. He was also added to the sex offenders register. Helen Nisbet, procurator fiscal for Tayside, Central and Fife, said: 'Peter Sugden deliberately conducted a sexualised exchange online with someone he thought to be a 13-year-old girl. 'Following his arrest, his phone was found to contain several images containing child sexual exploitation and abuse. 'Sugden has now been held accountable for his predatory and exploitative conduct, and we hope this prosecution makes clear that we will take action against those who commit this type of offending.'
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
Southern California man arrested for allegedly trying to meet 13-year-old boy for sex
A man was arrested for allegedly trying to meet a young boy for sex in San Bernardino County. Allen Edward Zamrok, 35, of Chino, was following an online operation involving undercover deputies from the Rancho Cucamonga Sheriff's Station. On May 6, deputies had posted on a social media app pretending to be a 13-year-old boy. Zamrok, who went by the username 'Asianspice89,' responded to the post and initiated a conversation with who he believed to be a young boy, investigators said. During the online chat, Zamrok allegedly agreed to meet with the boy to engage in sexual acts, authorities said. Following an investigation, Zamrok was arrested for arranging to meet a minor for a lewd purpose. He was booked at the West Valley Detention Center and was being held on $50,000 bail. Allen Edward Zamrok, 35, of Chino, is seen in a booking photo from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. Detectives believe there may be additional underage victims who have not come forward. Anyone who may have been approached by Zamrok, whether online or in person, or has information on the case is asked to call the Rancho Cucamonga Sheriff's Station at 909-477-2800. Anonymous tips can be provided to We-Tip at 1-800-782-7463 or online at Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
