Crimes Committed on the Internet- A look into "To Catch A Predator"

The internet makes it very easy to basically purchase anything that can be directly sent to where ever you are in just a couple of days, but what if someone gets a hold of your personal information.  Personally I am very careful about which sites I use to order things such as cloths, and books.  I am cautious of this because there is always a possibility that a person can steal your credit card number, or even other information, such as your social security number, home address, cell phone number, and other personal information. My younger brother that goes to college at Salve Regina, RI was a victim of credit card fraud and he had a lot of money stolen form him.  Luckily the bank was able to find out who was stealing his credit card information and the man was arrested and charged, with credit card fraud and we eventually found out that he was able to steal the number by using a computer program.  The man stole almost 1,000 dollars of his hard earned money.  This didn’t just happened once to him but it happened a total of three times and it was a nuisance and very annoying, not mentioning that it hurt his emotional feelings, because someone is stealing form him.  There was a whole process of legal documents, and bank procedures that my brother needed to go through in order to receive his money back, and it took a long time.  It is just not right for someone to steal anything that isn’t there’s, but the internet today makes it very easy for criminals to steal, and abuse others for there own expense.  What I am trying to get to is the topic of how the internet is a fast and easy way for criminals to commit crimes, and the TV show “To Catch a Predator” catches a lot of the criminals that commit crimes over the internet.  I am a regular watcher of the show “To Catch a Predator” that is aired on dateline MSNBC. Chris Hanson, the reporter for the show works with on line groups such as Watchdog and Perverted-Justice (http://www.perverted-justice.com/) in the attempt to catch potential Internet sex predators by using sting operations.  Local law enforcements and other officials are also involved with the operation of the various stings around the country, states such as Virginia, California, Ohio, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, and Kentucky.  The operation leads to many arrests of most of the individuals that are caught in the sting.  The one episode that has stuck in my head is when an older man came with intentions to engage in sexual activity with a 14-year-old girl brought his own son with him.  Not only did he put the 14 year old girl, which was a decoy in danger but put his own on in danger.

Most of the predators that are caught are men.  Some of them are fathers or children and happily married, and some say they are having problems with their relationships at home.  Some of these adults are even teachers of kids the same age they intended to visit at the houses. All of this couldn’t be done without computer technology, the Internet, and other software that helps catch criminals. So for “To Catch a Predator” has been able to interview more then 200 potential sex predators with the help of Perverted-Justice.  Perverted- Justice creates profiles of underage children by using social networking websites.   After finding a chat room they will act as bait, usually being a 12, 13, or 14- year-old child, and set up adults to see if they are interested in having a conversation with them.  While chatting, if the conversation becomes sexual, which most of he time the adult starts, the decoy plays along.  By doing this Perverted-Justice are able to get to know more about the older individual on the other end and put together evidence that will help them with their case against the criminal.  Some of these adults even send pornography and child pornography material to the decoy. As the chats get more involved the decoy will eventually find out if the adult would be interested to come to there home to visit them and engage in sexual activities and at times bring pornographic magazines, and condoms, not knowing that the house is where the show is stationed.  There are police ready to arrest the criminal, and hidden cameras to catch their every move. 

Technology today can be both helpful and dangerous, and in this case “To Catch a Predator” shows just how dangerous computer technology, or the Internet can be.  When kids need someone to talk to some will go on to online chat rooms that allows them to send instant messages to friends or even a stranger that they don’t even know.  Chat rooms give children the chance to chat online to discuss their likes, dislikes, how their day was, and other deep emotional feelings.  They feel that chatting with friends can be a way of helping them with their problems if they are feeling down.  But sometimes chat rooms can be an easy access for adults or older people to become in contact with younger children, which would categorize them as predators. 

Check out a clip from an episode of "To Catch a Predator"

Cyber Crimes, which are also known as computer crimes are crimes where the technology of a computer is used.  Some of the other types of crimes that are made by using a computer are hacking, phishing, computer viruses, cyber stalking, and identity theft.  With the Internet being such an easy and fast way to receive and send information, crimes are now easily committed anonymously.  These crimes have required lawmakers and hierarchy to look at the specific crimes that are being made in relation to the Internet in order to protect and prevent these crimes from harming the large population that is at risk. 

Catch Me if You Can- The Colton Harris-Moore Story

Catch me if you can......

“Colton Harris-Moore is a real life 21^st century out-law.” At 19, he is a serial criminal with two years of consistent break-ins and thefts. He’s traveled the country stealing cars, planes (yes, planes-- and crash landing them), boats, and breaking into people’s luxurious vacation homes to spend the night. His calling card was white chalk footprints he left as a way of marking his territory. This, and his habit of removing his shoes before every crime, deemed him the “Barefoot Burglar.”

Relative to other serial criminals, Moore seems harmless. Annoying, disrespectful, and lacking morals for sure, but otherwise devoid of the brutality and violence of other crimes. Think Scott Peterson, OJ Simpson, Charles Manson, etc. Moore is a far cry from being compared to these cold-blooded killers, but his story has achieved the same caliber of coverage and the same caliber of fame. How? The internet.

Unlike Scott Peterson etc., Moore’s story was only covered on the news and in periodicals briefly. He never became the poster-child for tabloids, the cover story of People Magazine, or headlining news days in a row. Despite the media’s menial coverage of the “21^st century Jesse James,” the internet never fails. Professor Silverman mentioned last class that without technology we can only shout so far, but with the internet our voices are much louder. This is what happened to Moore.

The adventurous nature of Moore’s crime spree attracted an influx of followers which soon called themselves ‘fans.” Because the general public seemed either unaware or uninterested in Moore, the internet became the means of his fame. Websites supporting donations for his legal fees when finally caught were created. Facebook (surprise, surprise!) had a fan page. ColtonaHarrisMooreFanClub.com emerged. T-shirts were even made! The internet turned Moore’s crimes into victories and soon Moore was considered a hero. The internet sensationalized and glorified Moore by manipulating his spree into a story of an outlaw instead of a disturbed young man.

Moore’s story is unusual and without the internet, would perhaps slip under the radar. Some of you may ask why this matters? Well it matters for several reasons.

First, it is important to see why people were so invested in Moore. I believe the mystery of police's inability to catch him was the point of appeal. Because this story was not top news, the internet chronicled his adventures, allowing the public to continue following Moore’s every move, intrigued as to where he would once again fool the police.

It is also no secret that public support is often helpful when facing criminal charges. Moore’s publicity gained him recognition from a California lawyer who offered to represent him free of charge if only he turned himself in. Without the internet, this would never have happened as Moore's publicity would be little to none.

On the other hand, Moore’s publicity somewhat threw him under the bus. With his picture plastered on the web, blogs, chat rooms, and Facebook, Moore became much more vulnerable. His brief mentioning on the news was not enough coverage to make the whole country aware of his antics, unlike other crime sprees that sparked national distress. This was obviously due to the benign nature of Moore’s crimes. However, coverage on the internet is not a 1 minute clip on TV- it is a permanent mark. People became aware of Moore through his internet exposure. One bounty hunter even offered his services free of charge because he had seen Moore’s case online.

Technology gives people power. In this case, Moore’s identity as a hero, fame as a criminal, and ultimate demise were products of the internet. Technology took this story by the reigns and allowed Moore to achieve status he would otherwise never achieve. As previously discussed, there were pros and cons. However, the internet in this case is proof that technology can greatly aid in the encouragement of a criminal and for Moore, eventual demise.

Colton Harris-Moore, Internet Legend, was caught in the Bahamas on July 10, 2010. Gawker deems him one of the ‘greatest criminals of our time.’ Is this because his crimes were so crafty? Perhaps… but the internet was absolutely a main player in the rise and fall of Colton Harris-Moore.

Mallory.

　
　

Why Hard Copy Books are in Trouble

In Fahrenheit 451 books were banned in the future, BUT WHY? I think the author Ray Bradbury proclaimed that books would be completely banished because of a general lack of interest or demand for such a premature technology within the future. As of 2010 Mr. Bradbury may be right. Technological innovations have given the ability for people to obtain information of numerous devices that much cheaper and more convenient. There are 3 main gadgets that will destroy whatever is left of the book publishing industry.

1. Internet- There are numerous websites and companies that provide the exact publications that you can buy at your local Barnes and Noble. The most common that I come across is the Google book, where they have complete or large chunks of the exact text that appears in the hard copy. It is even possible to print out books, though not recommended because that is not very “eco-friendly”.

2. Ipad- The ipad makes it extremely easy for users to read, transport and purchase books online. Ipad user’s have access to books that they can view, purchase and read all from their ipad device. The interface for this online bookstore is very easy to use and is comparable to buying songs from Itunes.

3. Mobile Phones- Another Google innovation (what else is knew) allows mobile phone carriers to have access to over 1.5 million books in their pockets. The cell phone market is very immature and will continue to grow rapidly. Everyone has cell phones, but not everyone has Ipad’s or comparable devices, which is why this market is so important and sought after. Within the next five, the ability to purchase books on a consumer mobile phone can single handily take down the hard copy book industry.

The one thing book companies have going for them is that high schools and universities are still using hard copy textbooks. I think this is going to change very quickly. Ebooks, or online books are much cheaper and with the budget cuts and financial problems that school districts are facing it would not make sense to spend more money that is not necessary. Last year Washington DC schools saw the light and switched to ebooks and I am sure others will soon follow.

Passwords-A-Plenty

The Internet is a vast space of information; information for the taking and I don’t only mean for consumers. Every time you subscribe to a new website, or join an email list or order something from an Internet shopping site you need to set up your new login information. But is this really practical? Personally, I have trouble remembering what my professor was yapping about in class last week, let alone remember the 20 plus passwords I am forced to create. Even as I write this blog, I am attempting to try and remember my Blogger password that as escaped my memory.

The Drew University email program, uLogin, requires you to change your password every three months. Every three months? I don’t change my toothbrush every three months. The email program “highly recommends” not just using slight variations of the same password. Now maybe this wouldn’t be a huge problem to some people, but I received a Mac computer last spring from my generous parents after the seventh consecutive time of my Drew University computer losing my paper the day before it was due. This means I rarely turn on my Drew provided computer but, when I do, I have to once again, type in a password. Now, the original login password does not update with your change of password unless it is done on your Lenovo “shit-pad.” Meaning, I have to recall every last password I’ve used which is virtually impossible for someone like me who likes to use fatty foods as her password of choice and so I am unable to enter my computer and must go and whine once again to CNS.

I, even though I do like to think I am the only one who feels my personal grievances, am not the only one with this handicap via the Internet. The annoyance of having too many passwords was voted number one in a computer survey about “technology gripes.” There are all these restrictions that come with making new passwords: use a capital letter, put in a number, or case sensitive. And of course some tell you, “don’t use your first pet’s name,” or “refrain from using your mother’s maiden name.” Yeah, because not using something memorable makes a whole lot of sense seeing as this is the sixth new password I’ve made this week.

Passwords: just another reason why I hate using the Internet. Maybe if all these restrictions didn’t come with making the password I would be more willing to join a sight. Honestly, I don’t really care that using my old stuffed animal’s name makes it a “weak password.” I’m getting weak just trying to recall how many variations of the same password I have. And is it really necessary to have to update your password? Honestly, if someone was ever able to figure out my password then they deserve to get whatever they’re after because that must have took a lot of digging. Older people complain that the Internet is too confusing for them to use. Well, unlike John McCain, I’m not old but if I am forced to make one more password I’m going to just nix computers all together and go back to the days of when letter writing was personal and skywriting was an art form.