FORT EDWARD -- Trial continues this morning for a Whitehall man who is charged with raping a female relative after giving her drugs.
Phillip P. Battease, 47, faces counts of first-degree rape, third-degree rape and incest for the incident last spring at a home in Whitehall.
The first-degree rape charge accuses him of having sex with the woman when she was too intoxicated by drugs to consent.
Police said Battease videotaped the encounter with a computer webcam, and is disputing the allegation the woman was unable to consent. He was arrested April 14 by Whitehall Police.
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He has at least three prior felony convictions, and is on parole for a 2002 drug sale conviction in Warren County, according to state corrections records.
The trial began Monday before Washington County Judge Kelly McKeighan. Battease faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted of the rape charge.
Label: Postar.com
zaterdag 10 november 2007
Job ads seeking naked ambition
A JOBCENTRE has posted an ad looking for women to strip for internet sex sites.
The Cardiff branch of Jobcentre Plus caused a stir after it advertised the £8-an-hour vacancy for girls over 18 willing to ‘perform on webcam for clients’, ‘indulge their fantasies’ and engage in ‘explicit sexual dialogue’.
But last night the Department for Work and Pensions insisted the ad – which also appeared on the job agency’s website nationwide – was well within the remit of the law.
Their spokesperson said they were legally obliged to carry adverts for legitimate work in the sex and personal services industry after a High Court ruling over a test case brought by the Ann Summers sex shop chain in 2003.
“We have safeguards in place to ensure customers are fully aware of the nature of these jobs,” he said.
The latest incident follows our revelation last month that job centres in Llandudno and Cardiff had been condemned for placing adverts recruiting people to work as £100-an-hour “escorts”.
Label : icwales.icnetwork.co.uk
Internet predator sting nabs five locals
Five area men were among the first 100 people arrested by a state task force, authorities said Wednesday, touting the success of a 2004 law against criminal solicitation of a minor.
Seventy-five officers from 37 state agencies in the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force made the bulk of the arrests starting in mid-2006, using computers and Internet personas to lure child predator suspects directly to waiting investigators, authorities said.
"Adults are constantly on the Internet seeking to harm our children," said S.C. Attorney General Henry McMaster in a news release. "No matter how many perverts are caught in our sting operations, we are confident that there are scores of children hurt that we never know anything about."
The Myrtle Beach Police Department assigned two officers to the task force late last year, becoming the first in the area to join, said Investigator Joey Crosby, who oversees the department's task-force activities.
"It's a new tool," Crosby said. "We saw a growing concern about this type of activity on the Internet."
Officer Milton Adams has already attended the state's specialized training and is working on cases, and Investigator Diane Pieterse is assisting Adams while she awaits the training. Only one arrest on the state list is attributed to the Myrtle Beach police, but Crosby said his officers have participated in investigations that have led to arrests by other departments.
"We're constantly communicating back and forth," Crosby said. "We have more eyes and ears available seeing things than just one person."
Two of the local cases have already ended with jail time for the defendants, according to information released by the state attorney general's office. They are:
Michael Reusswig, 28, of Myrtle Beach, who used the screen name "mpreusswig," was arrested Feb. 15 by the Charleston Police Department on charges that he solicited sex from a girl he believed to be 13, then traveled to meet her. He has been sentenced to 18 months on the solicitation charge, but his sentencing is pending on a charge of attempted criminal sexual conduct with a minor, which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Paul D. Johnson, 35, of Georgetown, used the screen name "jr2rock120002000" and solicited sex from two different screen names claiming to be underage. After his arrest in June 2006 on four solicitation charges by the Charleston Police Department, the National Guardsman was sentenced to 18 months in jail, followed by five years' probation.
Three other area men have been arrested in the stings, but their cases are pending:
Edward J. Wiener, 41, of Myrtle Beach, used the name "jerseyboy21565" and was arrested in April by the Richland County Sheriff's Office on one charge of solicitation, on the accusation that he solicited sex from a 13-year-old persona.
Timothy Boiter, 51, of Myrtle Beach, used the screen name "tim7355" to solicit sex from a person he thought was a 13-year-old girl, and performed sexual acts on a webcam several times, officials said. He was arrested April 26 on four counts of solicitation by the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office.
Jeremy V. Bibbee, 28, of North Myrtle Beach, used the screen name "dramatichyperworm" and solicited sex from what he believed to be a 12-year-old girl, officials said. The Myrtle Beach Police Department arrested him Oct. 2 on one count of solicitation and one count of disseminating harmful material to a minor, which also carries up to 10 years.
Five suspects from the Grand Strand do not represent an inordinate amount, said Mark Plowden, a spokesman for the attorney general's office, pointing out that some were from other states or even overseas.
"There's no rhyme or reason to it," Plowden said. "Our office's firm belief is that these predators are in every county, every town and every state. There's absolutely no limit, and that's thanks to the Internet."
In addition to the Internet stings, the task force grants also provide for an education component, allowing police officers to teach children about the dangers of the Internet.
Label: Myrtle Beach Sun News
Seventy-five officers from 37 state agencies in the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force made the bulk of the arrests starting in mid-2006, using computers and Internet personas to lure child predator suspects directly to waiting investigators, authorities said.
"Adults are constantly on the Internet seeking to harm our children," said S.C. Attorney General Henry McMaster in a news release. "No matter how many perverts are caught in our sting operations, we are confident that there are scores of children hurt that we never know anything about."
The Myrtle Beach Police Department assigned two officers to the task force late last year, becoming the first in the area to join, said Investigator Joey Crosby, who oversees the department's task-force activities.
"It's a new tool," Crosby said. "We saw a growing concern about this type of activity on the Internet."
Officer Milton Adams has already attended the state's specialized training and is working on cases, and Investigator Diane Pieterse is assisting Adams while she awaits the training. Only one arrest on the state list is attributed to the Myrtle Beach police, but Crosby said his officers have participated in investigations that have led to arrests by other departments.
"We're constantly communicating back and forth," Crosby said. "We have more eyes and ears available seeing things than just one person."
Two of the local cases have already ended with jail time for the defendants, according to information released by the state attorney general's office. They are:
Michael Reusswig, 28, of Myrtle Beach, who used the screen name "mpreusswig," was arrested Feb. 15 by the Charleston Police Department on charges that he solicited sex from a girl he believed to be 13, then traveled to meet her. He has been sentenced to 18 months on the solicitation charge, but his sentencing is pending on a charge of attempted criminal sexual conduct with a minor, which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Paul D. Johnson, 35, of Georgetown, used the screen name "jr2rock120002000" and solicited sex from two different screen names claiming to be underage. After his arrest in June 2006 on four solicitation charges by the Charleston Police Department, the National Guardsman was sentenced to 18 months in jail, followed by five years' probation.
Three other area men have been arrested in the stings, but their cases are pending:
Edward J. Wiener, 41, of Myrtle Beach, used the name "jerseyboy21565" and was arrested in April by the Richland County Sheriff's Office on one charge of solicitation, on the accusation that he solicited sex from a 13-year-old persona.
Timothy Boiter, 51, of Myrtle Beach, used the screen name "tim7355" to solicit sex from a person he thought was a 13-year-old girl, and performed sexual acts on a webcam several times, officials said. He was arrested April 26 on four counts of solicitation by the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office.
Jeremy V. Bibbee, 28, of North Myrtle Beach, used the screen name "dramatichyperworm" and solicited sex from what he believed to be a 12-year-old girl, officials said. The Myrtle Beach Police Department arrested him Oct. 2 on one count of solicitation and one count of disseminating harmful material to a minor, which also carries up to 10 years.
Five suspects from the Grand Strand do not represent an inordinate amount, said Mark Plowden, a spokesman for the attorney general's office, pointing out that some were from other states or even overseas.
"There's no rhyme or reason to it," Plowden said. "Our office's firm belief is that these predators are in every county, every town and every state. There's absolutely no limit, and that's thanks to the Internet."
In addition to the Internet stings, the task force grants also provide for an education component, allowing police officers to teach children about the dangers of the Internet.
Label: Myrtle Beach Sun News
Ditchfield found guilty of luring
A former technology manager at Queen's University has been convicted of luring a 13-year-old girl on the Internet and trying to escape custody after he was busted on the charge.
Superior Court Justice Paul Lalonde said Wednesday he was satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that David Ditchfield was guilty of both counts.
The judge rejected Ditchfield's testimony that he was simply role-playing with an adult woman when he engaged in a four-month orgy of sexually explicit chats and lewd behaviour.
"I find his explanation defies logic and common sense," he said. "It is too easy an answer."
Ditchfield, who sat looking down during most of the lengthy judgment, showed no emotion at the findings. He was embraced by his wife and two other supporters afterward.
The online affair began in October 2004 when Ditchfield logged onto a Yahoo chat room called littlegirlsfordaddy and clicked on the profile of a 13-year-old Toronto girl named Sarah.
Sarah was actually a 40-year-old male detective with the OPP's child pornography unit working out of an office in Downsview.
Using a software program called camtasia, police captured dozens of racy private chats and pictures of Ditchfield behaving lewdly in front of the webcam. Some of the conversations originated at Ditchfield's office at the faculty of education where he kept a picture of the girl's buttocks on his computer.
A retired school inspector with the Ministry of Education, Ditchfield resigned his position at Queen's after his arrest, saying he didn't want to bring "undue focus" on the university.
Police also arranged two telephone conversations with Ditchfield using an undercover female detective with the Toronto police.
The investigation ended January 27, 2005 after authorities learned Ditchfield was leaving on vacation for Costa Rica, a country known for sex tourism and child prostitution.
Moments before police executed a warrant at his rural residence near Lyndhurst, Ditchfield was again involved in a sexually graphic chat with Sarah and caught behaving lewdly on the webcam.
Ditchfield testified that he was only involved in role-playing and that he believed Sarah was actually an adult married woman with children. He said he made that assumption based on his seven years experience accessing adult chatrooms.
While conceding his behaviour may have been inappropriate, he maintained it wasn't unlawful.
But Justice Lalonde said Ditchfield had "no business" assuming he was communicating with an adult, adding by law that he was obligated to make a reasonable effort to ascertain her age. "He didn't have a clue who was out there."
Instead of asking questions during their first online contact, the judge said the accused quickly launched into "dirty talk and a lewd act without batting an eyelash."
Lalonde dismissed as "naive and unbelievable" Ditchfield's trust that Yahoo would allow only persons over 18 to enter adult sites, given his extensive background in computers.
Overall, he described Ditchfield's testimony as "well-rehearsed and delivered with unwavering speed."
A sentencing date will be set early in January. Until then, Ditchfield will remain on bail.
Assistant Crown attorney Kim Moore said she would be seeking a jail sentence for the 58-year-old bureaucrat and educator.
Label: Brockville Recorder & Times.
Superior Court Justice Paul Lalonde said Wednesday he was satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that David Ditchfield was guilty of both counts.
The judge rejected Ditchfield's testimony that he was simply role-playing with an adult woman when he engaged in a four-month orgy of sexually explicit chats and lewd behaviour.
"I find his explanation defies logic and common sense," he said. "It is too easy an answer."
Ditchfield, who sat looking down during most of the lengthy judgment, showed no emotion at the findings. He was embraced by his wife and two other supporters afterward.
The online affair began in October 2004 when Ditchfield logged onto a Yahoo chat room called littlegirlsfordaddy and clicked on the profile of a 13-year-old Toronto girl named Sarah.
Sarah was actually a 40-year-old male detective with the OPP's child pornography unit working out of an office in Downsview.
Using a software program called camtasia, police captured dozens of racy private chats and pictures of Ditchfield behaving lewdly in front of the webcam. Some of the conversations originated at Ditchfield's office at the faculty of education where he kept a picture of the girl's buttocks on his computer.
A retired school inspector with the Ministry of Education, Ditchfield resigned his position at Queen's after his arrest, saying he didn't want to bring "undue focus" on the university.
Police also arranged two telephone conversations with Ditchfield using an undercover female detective with the Toronto police.
The investigation ended January 27, 2005 after authorities learned Ditchfield was leaving on vacation for Costa Rica, a country known for sex tourism and child prostitution.
Moments before police executed a warrant at his rural residence near Lyndhurst, Ditchfield was again involved in a sexually graphic chat with Sarah and caught behaving lewdly on the webcam.
Ditchfield testified that he was only involved in role-playing and that he believed Sarah was actually an adult married woman with children. He said he made that assumption based on his seven years experience accessing adult chatrooms.
While conceding his behaviour may have been inappropriate, he maintained it wasn't unlawful.
But Justice Lalonde said Ditchfield had "no business" assuming he was communicating with an adult, adding by law that he was obligated to make a reasonable effort to ascertain her age. "He didn't have a clue who was out there."
Instead of asking questions during their first online contact, the judge said the accused quickly launched into "dirty talk and a lewd act without batting an eyelash."
Lalonde dismissed as "naive and unbelievable" Ditchfield's trust that Yahoo would allow only persons over 18 to enter adult sites, given his extensive background in computers.
Overall, he described Ditchfield's testimony as "well-rehearsed and delivered with unwavering speed."
A sentencing date will be set early in January. Until then, Ditchfield will remain on bail.
Assistant Crown attorney Kim Moore said she would be seeking a jail sentence for the 58-year-old bureaucrat and educator.
Label: Brockville Recorder & Times.
Job Centre seeks women to strip as £8-an-hour 'webcam performers'
A Jobcentre has provoked outrage after it was found to be advertising for women to strip for web cams on Internet sex sites for £8 an hour.
According to the advertisement, the role involves "explicit dialogue" and "performing for clients' or customers' fantasies".
Astonishingly, the Department for Work and Pensions insisted that it is legally obliged to carry the advertisements.
However politicians and family campaigners lined up to criticise the policy last night - claiming it legitimises the sex industry and encourages women to work in it.
The controversial advertisement was posted in a Jobcentre Plus branch in Cardiff, south Wales and nationwide on the agency's website.
It offered an hourly wage for women to work 15 to 40 hours a week, between 9pm and midday. There is no pension.
Placed by a company called Cybtrader, the advertisement - which remains within legal boundaries - is unshamedly brazen when it comes to describing exactly what the role entails.
Label: Dailymail.co.uk
According to the advertisement, the role involves "explicit dialogue" and "performing for clients' or customers' fantasies".
Astonishingly, the Department for Work and Pensions insisted that it is legally obliged to carry the advertisements.
However politicians and family campaigners lined up to criticise the policy last night - claiming it legitimises the sex industry and encourages women to work in it.
The controversial advertisement was posted in a Jobcentre Plus branch in Cardiff, south Wales and nationwide on the agency's website.
It offered an hourly wage for women to work 15 to 40 hours a week, between 9pm and midday. There is no pension.
Placed by a company called Cybtrader, the advertisement - which remains within legal boundaries - is unshamedly brazen when it comes to describing exactly what the role entails.
Label: Dailymail.co.uk
Pervert fails in appeal bid
A CCTV salesman caught in the act of performing a vile sex act in front of a young girl via a webcam has failed to persuade appeal court judges his sentence was too harsh.
Giovanni Abbondandolo, of Salisbury Avenue, Heywood, received a 15-month sentence at Woolwich Crown Court in July after admitting two counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, and other counts of making and possessing indecent images of children.
The father-of-one, who worked in Warrington, committed the sex act after infiltrating a children's chatroom in September last year, but was caught out after the 12-year-old's aunt was called into the room and captured the monster's obscene act on her mobile phone.
Just days before, the 35-year-old made contact with the schoolgirl, from south-east London, and her cousin in the chatroom, initially posing as a 14-year-old. When she challenged him after seeing his face on the webcam the sex-predator claimed he was 28.
Abbondandolo challenged his sentence on grounds that it was excessive, but had his appeal dismissed by Judge McKinnon, who was sitting with Lady Justice Hallett and Mr Justice King.
He said the sex pest had "invaded private space", knowing he would be contacting children when he joined the chatroom. He later "deliberately exposed himself".
Given the "predatory nature" of his crime, a 15-month sentence was appropriate, the judge ruled.
Label: thisischeshire.co.uk
Jobcentre to keep advert for ‘explicit’ webcam job
A JOBCENTRE Plus advert for a woman to perform on an adult webcam service has gone back up after it was confirmed she would not have to take her clothes off.
The advert sparked national outrage at the weekend when it emerged the £8-an-hour position, based in Cardiff, was being advertised in a city branch of Jobcentre Plus.
Critics claimed the woman would be expected to strip online and the advert was temporarily pulled.
But a spokesman for the Department of Work and Pensions said today: “At the time the complaint was made we suspended the vacancy pending further inquiries.
“However, we have since obtained clarification from the employer and a new advert has been placed on the website.
“This makes it clear that the webcam performer will be fully clothed at all times.”
The job, which would involve working between 15 and 40 hours a week, is being touted by Cybtrader.
The advert read: “Vacancy not suitable for under 18s.
“No experience needed as training can be provided.
“Duties to include performing to webcam for clients or customer fantasies.
“Duties involve explicit sexual dialogue which may cause embarrassment to some people.
“Please note that there is no obligation to consider making an application for this vacancy.
“However, if you feel it is suitable for you, please discuss it further with an adviser.”
The Jobcentre added: “This vacancy meets the requirement of the National Minimum Wage Act. Tax credits could top up your earnings.”
But Conservative Family Institute spokesman Adrian Rogers said: “It is outrageous that this kind of work is advertised in Jobcentres.
“It is very important that we do not legitimise the sex industry like this.”
The thorny issue of sex industry jobs being advertised in Government-run centres hit national headlines four years ago when a High Court judge ruled Jobcentres must carry adverts for legal work in the “sex and personal services industries”.
The judge heard arguments for and against vacancies in Ann Summers shops being advertised to the unemployed.
Label: icwales.icnetwork.co.uk
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