Renek Gaszewski [Blog]

A silly slumber party photo prompted child pornography charges against two Pennsylvania teens who posed in their undies. A mildly risque image landed six Massachusetts middle schoolers in court, facing felony child pornography charges.
And 20 percent of the nation’s teens and tweens may face those charges next.
Teens have been posting scantily clad images of themselves online since the early days of MySpace. Now they’ve been joined by their middle school and even elementary school colleagues. And the proliferation of cell phone cameras in the past several years has given even the younger crowd the opportunity to snap those pictures anytime and anywhere, and send them not just to that special someone, but to, well, everyone.
A single image, sent as a silly joke or sexy come-on, becomes a major liability the moment a young couple breaks up “… or some eager-to-impress young stud or hottie shows the images to the rest of the team “… or someone leaves his cell phone unattended.
The technology, says Anastasia Goodstein, a San Francisco-based youth culture expert, allows private photographs to go viral as quickly as the latest hot YouTube video.
“It’s public, even if you think it’s private,” says the author of “Totally Wired: What Teens and Tweens are Really Doing Online.” “Once it’s out there it can spread very quickly, damage reputations and cause all kinds of problems, including legal issues — which is a whole new topic of ridiculousness.”
At least a fifth of the nation’s teens — and a third of young adults, ages 20-26 — have “sexted” or text-messaged racy images of themselves or others, via cell phone or online, according to a 2008 survey by the National Campaign to Prevent Teenage and Unplanned Pregnancy and CosmoGirl.com.
Psychologist Susan Lipkins, a national authority on teens and young adults, puts the numbers even higher — and younger. About 6 percent of the kids who “sext,” she says, started at age 9. By middle school, it’s rampant. Up to two-thirds of teens do it. And the reasons they do it will surprise most parents.
Sexting has taken the place of fluttered eyelashes and coy looks. About 66 percent of the girls who sent sexts did it to be flirtatious, according to the CosmoGirl study, and 52 percent as a sexy present for a guy, but some 40 percent of the girls said they sent them as a joke.
But, says Lipkins, what’s really happening is nothing less than a cultural, sexual revolution, with parents on one side of the divide and their technological teens on the other.
“They’ve been online their whole lives,” she says. “They look at everything differently — sex, relationships, privacy and personal ownership. It’s a total break from previous generations and sexting is a symptom and a symbol of that new way of thinking.”
Sexting, says Lipkins, is “a new mating call” in a casual hookup culture, and one that needs a better response. The legal issues are a major problem — why punish the victims of viral sexts, she asks, and why aren’t prosecutors using existing sexual harassment laws instead?
But even without the legal ramifications, the humiliation factor can be devastating. Jesse Logan, an Ohio 18-year-old, committed suicide last year after her ex-boyfriend forwarded her nude pictures to the entire school, and classmates responded with relentless harassment.
The teen discussion forums on the CosmoGirl Web site are rife with warnings from high schoolers who have seen reputations destroyed and friends humiliated.
One girl recounted the story of a friend who sent a seminude image to her boyfriend.
“Within hours, the entire student body plus a teacher got it,” Chicky0903 writes in her post. “This went around so fast that I got it four times in two hours. She got suspended from school — she wasn’t 18 so its ‘child porn.’”‰” The girl was kicked off the student council, Chicky0903 continues, and utterly humiliated.
“Respect your body,” she concludes. “Think twice.”
These are not isolated cases, says Miramonte High junior Carina Chiodo, and the fallout can be considerable.
“At my school, sexting will mainly just get you a really embarrassing reputation, but there are still plenty of girls who do it,” the Orinda teen says. “I’ve seen photos of a senior guy at my school posing naked that he sent to several girls. A girl at my school sent pictures to some guy, and they got forwarded to just about everyone on campus. (It’s) kind of the thing to do if you’re attention-hungry. I think it’s disgusting and anyone that does it might as well take the naked photos that they’re sending other people and post them on a freeway billboard, because it’s only a matter of time before every person at the school will see it.”
Pinole graduate Joseph Natividad was startled by the very question — enough so that he asked friends at UC San Diego their opinions as well. Their consensus: Eww. It’s certainly not something everyone does, he says, and in many circles it’s regarded as distinctly déclasse.
Goodstein agrees.
“Yes, some teens are doing this — some very famous teens — but not all teens,” she says. “It’s something parents should be aware of, another topic to talk about. Teens have always been sexually curious. They have a lot of hormones raging and they’re using the technology they use for everything else to express that very normal part of being a teen. But the other normal part of being a teen is not thinking through the consequences of what you do.”
Once upon a time, a kid could make mistakes, says Walnut Creek psychologist Richard Freed, who specializes in kids and media issues.
“With digital information, the mistakes are forever,” he says. “I don’t think you can give your kid a cell phone and not talk about the responsibilities that come along with that.”
Bottom line?
“Think,” says Goodstein, “before you text — or sext.”

Renek Gaszewski:

Federal prosecutors have dramatically increased the number of nude child photos they claim Orange County Judge Ronald C. Kline stored on his computer and assert it would have been virtually impossible for a hacker to plant them, according to court documents obtained Tuesday.
Authorities say more than 1,500 computer images of young boys were found at Kline’s home, including nude and “hard-core” photographs showing children having sex. Until now, federal prosecutors had placed the figure at more than 100. Read the rest of this entry »

Cate Blanchett has defended an artist whose portraits of nude children have sparked a censorship row in Australia.
Police shut down photographer Bill Henson’s exhibition, seized images and are also considering charging him.
His work, featuring naked 13-year-olds, was condemned by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd as “revolting”.
But in an open letter, Blanchett and 42 other leading arts figures said the action risked damaging Australia’s cultural reputation.
‘Social freedom’
“The potential prosecution of one of our most respected artists is no way to build a creative Australia and does untold damage to our cultural reputation,” the letter said, addressed to Australia’s environment minister and the premier of New South Wales state.
“We should remember that an important index of social freedom, in earlier times or in repressive regimes elsewhere in the world, is how artists and art are treated by the state.
“We wish to make absolutely clear that none of us endorses, in any way, the abuse of children,” they said.
“Henson’s work has nothing to do with child pornography and, according to the judgment of some of the most respected curators and critics in the world, it is certainly art.”
The exhibition at the Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery in Sydney was shut down by police before it could even open last week after some people complained about photographs of naked 12 and 13-year-old boys and girls.
Police seized 20 photographs from the gallery, most of them of a 13-year-old girl.
They said were seeking to interview the subjects of the photos and their parents and were still investigating whether the photographs violate obscenity laws.
‘Innocence‘
Prime Minister Rudd has stood by his criticism saying: “I gave my reaction, I stand by that reaction and I don’t apologise for it and I won’t be changing it.”
“I am passionate about children having innocence in their childhood,” he said.
Australian child advocacy group Bravehearts labelled the photographs as child pornography and exploitation and have called for Henson and the gallery to be prosecuted.
Two other galleries in New South Wales state have since removed works by Henson from their walls.
Henson, 52, has not spoken publicly since the controversy erupted.

Member refers a great success in the war with deviants waiting for children - cries communications police and prosecutor’s offices. Just a little reach deeper, and the icing out. At the light go frightening truth about the total helplessness of law enforcement.

Computer CETS (the Child Exploitation Tracking System) is the mercedes tools in the fight against internet child pornography. The be the same network, search prohibited content distributors and their customers. CETS is equipped with a substitute for artificial intelligence - elements analyzes and correlates the information found on the internet, and then sketches the network pedo links. Poland 10. police will in the world equipped with CETS. When the commandant at the end of April he signed a major license agreement, came to Warsaw, Steve Ballmer, the successor to the chair Bill Gates Microsoft’s president, who in collaboration with the Canadian police has created CETS. - The system helps eliminate network risks which fall victim to children. Today is proud to begin our cooperation with the Polish police - said Ballmer. Moments later, General Andrzej Matejuk, the head of our police officers, by the signature on the documents.

“Do you already masturbation?”
For Monika Karczewska (name changed) is all about the story iron wolf. A few days ago got the letter from the Public Prosecutor’s Office Warsaw-Prague-South. List was short, just a few sentences: “The Public Prosecutor’s Office District Warsaw-Prague-South supervise proceedings in the importing, storage or possession of pornographic content involving a minor under the age of 15, ie by an act of art. 4a Penal Code § 202. In the course of obtaining the expertise you need expert computer science, which was responsible for the content of the verification on the matter to secure computers. With the information obtained from experts with the Central Laboratory of Computer Research Laboratory Criminal KGP shows that the time waiting for the opinion of more than two years. Therefore impossible to execute (…) further actions to end the merits of the case. ” Prosecution Service decided to indefinitely suspend the investigation.

- Shock, do not believe in what I read - seed Monika Karczewska. Her 12-year old daughter, Marta does not yet have a computer. But the computer has a grandfather who lives nearby. The girl quickly came on the internet. As there did not test either grandparents or parents. - It was a year ago. Something move me - says Karczewska. Although it seems a less elegant, one day decided to examine the computer correspondence daughters. It turned out that most Marta contacts the Ania Midas, aged 14. - Daughter never mentioned by the friend, who decided to check it. Ania This was my account in one of the social portals. Came to them and immediately noticed that something is not a game - Marta’s mom reports. The account owner to bear a photograph - lolitas dressed in skirt and short shirt, and standing in the strip as posen calendar.

It turned out that Anna and Marta correspond three months. - When you read those e-mails, made me ill - says Monika Karczewska. “Do you have a boyfriend?”, “Have you now with someone kisses?” “Do you already masturbation?” - One interest or concern. Each week, step by step, the mysterious friend of the network proposed by Marta increasingly spicy topics for talks. “It would be wonderful to meet you” - wrote in one of the last letters.

The case went to the police. The girl was questioned in the presence of a psychologist. Investigators quickly determine where Ania lives Midas. That much is that the girl never existed. Imitate into her 40-year-old man. After a police review of its sequestration of the computers were.

How many more girls worry on my network? Whether its activity was limited only to talk, or to download or distribute child pornography? The answers to these questions are not known, although from the time we uncover dewiant year. Establish an expert may only by examining the contents of hard drives - such are the rules. Until then, the goat will be unpunished. - This is a scandal, he can hunt for the next child! - Monika Karczewska be nervous.

Police clamp belt
Renata Mazur, the Public Prosecutor’s Office spokesman Warsaw-Prague-South, confirms that the investigation was suspended. A to restore it, that is, until an expert examine the contents of computer disks taken, deviant remain unpunished. - This investigation is carried out by the police. Prosecutors supervise them only - the public prosecutor explains Mazur. What is matter? It turns out that the essential. Police force is the main commander of the Order of 23 December 2005 “on the methodology of the performance of investigative activities by the police assigned to the detection and prosecution of their perpetrators.” In this extensive paper, almost any act of police officers has been busily codified. - Is there a record that, after the police are the opinions of experts in the first place to ask for their own forensic laboratories. It is about saving money. Experts from the outside are simply more expensive - Renata Mazur explains.

Such a concern for public money would be worthy of praise. Would be if the police system of research and expertise was efficient. The problem is that across the country in forensic laboratories (central and provincial) work 650 experts. Examine all types of marks secured at the site of-(such as DNA or fingerprints) and evidence (including computers). Annual police experts carry out about 150 thousand expertise.

And they will do even more. This year the police budget was cut by 800 million złotys (8.3 billion to the amount of gold). Policemen lock belt as you can. In one police stations officers can not call “the city”, in others reduced the number of motorized patrols. Also saves on the forensic studies. - Due to the economies of police officers, where possible, to forgo the services of external companies. Only in a situation where it is impossible to arrange such research entities unpolice - Commissioner Robert Horosz grants from the Police Headquarters. Of course, by hiring additional forensic experts did not mention. The result is predictable.

This is what to do
How many cases similar to that met Monica Karczewska, arrears in police laboratories, it is not known exactly. Neither the police nor the prosecutor’s office does not keep such statistics. But prosecutors with whom we spoke, acknowledge that the problem is severe and does not concern only the pedo, but the whole computer: fraud, scams, piracy, hacking. - Time to wait for the test goes back several months - says Grazyna Wawrzyniuk from the District Prosecutor’s Office in Gdańsk.
- Everything depends on the level of the case and its complexities. In general, you must wait for a report a few months - Romuald Basiński confirms the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Częstochowa.

Prosecutors are concerned that budget cuts and increases in computer obturate completely paralyze system and forensic research, and thus of one thousand inquiries.
Central Crime Laboratory KGP two years podinspektor headed by Paul Rybicki. It acknowledges that the terms of analysis computers is a problem. - The reason is the significant increase in computer crime. A job that we get from the prosecutor’s offices, can be very complicated - says Rybicki. Meanwhile, in the studio computer CLK research work at the moment only two people (!). - We have already a project to build a national network of brand-new studio, which studies only deal with digital media data. The project will be subsidized from the Norwegian Financial Mechanism, and I hope that they will succeed. Otherwise it is hard for us to deal with the problem - the head of CLK. When you create new laboratories, it is not known exactly.

Word of the head of police statistics confirm the CLK. Last year, police recorded 1,173 computer-related crime. It is over two times more than five years earlier. Police also becoming more Lapi pedophile who downloads over the Internet or send child pornography. Last year, such cases were 861. The police even set up a special team that deals with the prosecution of computer lubieżników. Internet investigations prove to be effective. In recent months, officials canceled a few pedofilskich networks.

One of the biggest operation was code name “citrus fruit”. Using specialized software, police namierzyli 68 Internet users who distribute movies containing pornography involving children. It was perfectly organized gang. During the review secured 76 computers, 19 hard disks, almost 7 thousand CDs and DVDs, and floppy disks, VHS tapes, portable memory, cameras, mobile phones and illegal software. In turn, the operation “Simone” dewiantów got 138. The youngest of the detainees, zgierskiego resident of the district, was just 19 years. On the grid too pedofilskiej fell from Katowice police officers who were observing peer2peer network (p2p). Ściągnęło child pornography from the seven thousand people from over one hundred countries.
Pedofile detained on a daily basis does not raise any suspicion. Among the distributors of child pornography were inter-alia: Computer Science, in ZUS control manager, school teacher with a diploma of Doctor of Humanities, miner, retired military, a specialist on health and safety and fire protection, and the priest and the doctor. According to police officers struggling with child pornography is a major obstacle: there is no social groups or occupations, which could include increased monitoring. Last round on the pedophile, the cryptonym “Irena”, took place last week. This time, 54 persons were included.

All of these operations in recent weeks, the litigation has not begun, so we do not know how to finish. Any other prior convictions, however, ended. As the Central Board of the Prison Service, is in prison at this time 800 people temporarily arrested or convicted for pedophilia.

Member of thought, the country wonders
Major police operations are a priority. There are gang are jupiterów light, so the investigation goes. A single specially pedofile not shooting anybody, so it lands at the end of the queue. When, however, manage to track it, examine the computer, accuse and condemn, we are still not consistent, good therapy. Therapeutic programs are conducted in individual prisons. One of these tests, taken by the director of prisons in Wloclawek, ended with a scandal. Seksuolog employed there was a charlatan - his therapy was to display the prisoners porno movies (fortunately, with the participation of adults), and sentenced to forced to hold “other sexual acts” with his assistant (a few months ago the doctor to get a court decision on suspended sentence and ban profession).

In recent years there have been a number of Deputies, the draft legislation, which had facilitated the fight against pedophilia and child pornography. The projects include increasing the assumed powers of police officers so that they can be found podszywać and apply zboczeńców provocation. Persons wishing to work with children would have to produce evidence that were not punished for crimes pedofilskie. After leaving prison pedofile would be subject to electronic surveillance and further treatment required. Unfortunately, all these ideas utknęły somewhere on the stage of drafting.

Far-reaching idea fell last year Prime Minister Donald Tusk. It is a chemical castration pedophile (or zabijających give them sexual urge). In October last year the government adopted a draft amendment to appropriate even the Criminal Code. Before issuing a decision on forced treatment (including pharmacological) the court will have to listen to doctors psychiatrists, psychologists and seksuologa who indicate an appropriate manner for a particular therapy. The problem is that the very definition of pedophilia is not very precise. According to the World Health Organization is “to a sexual interest in girls, boys or both sexes are the pokwitania before or shortly after the entry into pokwitania age.” But acts pedofilnych may not pedofile only, but also those who take sexual contacts with children, because they have difficulty in relation to adults. Do these people also will have to follow, each time the court is called upon to decide. The project involves the government, however, that already get in touch with the person below 15. years of age (including the Internet), whose objective is to meet with the child, and lewd acts, is punishable by three years’ imprisonment.

When and if new rules come into force, it is not known. Government bill waits in line for the Sejm. Members of the justice committee has not yet been taken to deal with it. For now, the new laboratories are vague plans, and computers are waiting in the queue that has already taken more than two years, and will be even longer. Marta after a few sessions with a psychologist came to each other. I only Ania Midas perhaps just at this time suggests a teenager, a trip to the forest for the city.

Despite a successful Russian-U.S. operation to shut down a Web site that sold child pornography, police on Tuesday decried legal chaos that leaves them virtually powerless against Russian child pornographers who peddle their products worldwide.
Operation Blue Orchid, a joint effort by the U.S. Customs Service and the Moscow city police, has led to criminal inquiries in 24 nations against people who ordered child pornography videotapes from the Russian Web site.
The police operation was named after the Web site, which was shut down in December. Many of the tapes were bought by people in the United States; others went to Germany, Britain, France, Denmark, China, Kuwait, Mexico and scores of other countries.
But Russian investigators said Tuesday the operation nabbed only a few of the legions of child pornography producers who run international distribution networks from Russia with near-immunity.
“According to estimates by foreign experts — and though it pains us to hear this, it is true — Russia is turning into a kind of Malaysia or Thailand, where the main flow of child pornography now is coming from Russia,” said investigator Eduard Lapatik.
Under Russian law, possession of pornography is not a crime. Production and trafficking are illegal, but the law makes no distinction between child pornography and pornography involving adults — treating both as lesser crimes punishable by a maximum of two years in prison, the same punishment for petty theft or shoplifting.
Deep poverty drives scores of children in the Russian hinterlands to flee their homes and their often-abusive parents, and travel to Moscow. Once there, the children become easy victims.
“Some are paid for these activities, others just get food,” investigator Alexander Bynenko told a news conference Tuesday.
Even when the children fall into the hands of police, there is little the cash-strapped authorities can do. Since the start of the year, some 5,000 teen-agers have been detained in Moscow for various offenses. Of them, only 98 could be placed in orphanages; the rest were sent home, and probably ran away again, Lapatik said.
During Operation Blue Orchid, police seized some 600 videotapes, 200 digital video disks and many boxes of photographs. Bynenko displayed stacks of graphic photographs involving hundreds of children, but said authorities were unable to track the fate of each child.
Four people have been arrested in the United States and 15 search warrants have been issued as part of Operation Blue Orchid. At least four people have been arrested in Russia and two suspects have committed suicide — not out of fear of long prison terms, but of the treatment sex offenders get from other inmates in Russian jails, investigators said.
Adding to the difficulty of fighting child pornography in Russia, the country’s age of consent is 14 — but even offenders convicted of having sex with younger children face a maximum of four years.
The light punishment has stoked sex tourism to Russia, police said.
One such alleged U.S. tourist, Glenn Martikean of Portage, Ind., was arrested Jan. 31. American officials were led to Martikean after a search of a Russian Web site operator’s apartment.

Video footage filmed by a concealed police camera in a Moscow hotel room and shown at the news conference, appeared to show Martikean weeping and saying he wanted to see “the kid” with whom he allegedly tried to have sex before Russian police intervened.
The boy was 14, and Russian police were unable to press charges.
Martikean was arrested by U.S. customs agents after he flew home and was indicted Friday by a grand jury in Indiana on charges of importing child pornography and interstate and foreign travel to engage in sexual activity with minors, customs said.