BUFFALO, NY—U.S. Attorney William J.
Hochul, Jr. announced today that James S. Allen, 36, of New Baltimore,
Michigan, has been arrested and charged by criminal complaint with
cyberstalking, trafficking in computer passwords, and making harassing
telephone calls. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and
a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango,
who is handling the case, stated that according to complaint, between June 24,
2012 and August 14, 2012, the defendant utilized the Internet and text messages
to communicate with at least 10 female victims in the Western District of New
York, many of them minors, in an effort to obtain pornographic pictures of the
minors. The complaint alleges that Allen would contact the victims and tell
them that he found naked pictures of them on the Internet. The defendant then
directed the victims to a specific website to view the pictures. In reality,
the website was a front by which the defendant sought to surreptitiously obtain
the victim’s private e-mail address and password—such a site is sometimes
referred to by law enforcement as a “phishing” website.
Once the targeted victim input the
requested information, the victim’s personal e-mail addresses and passwords
went straight to the defendant via the Internet. The defendant thereafter
seized control of the victim’s e-mail accounts, contacted the victims, and
threatened that if they did not engage in a Skype video chat with him, he would
distribute naked photos of the victims over the Internet. Once a victim and the
defendant logged onto Skype (the defendant utilized the screen name
“shhh.shhh”), Allen demanded that the victims take their clothes off and engage
in sexual conduct, with the further threat that naked pictures of them would be
sent out to all of Western New York if the girl did not comply. As a result of
the defendant’s repeated and sustained harassment of the victims, many victims
suffered substantial emotional distress.
The defendant was arrested this morning
at his home in New Baltimore, Michigan. Allen will appear in federal court in
Michigan for a detention hearing on September 17, 2012. Following those
proceedings, an appearance will be scheduled in the Western District of New
York.
“This case is another example of why it
is imperative for parents to be vigilant in monitoring the computer usage of
their children, and for any user of the Internet—including children—to be aware
of some of the threats which exist online” said U.S. Attorney Hochul. “In
general, do not provide personal identifying information over the Internet
unless the website is already known to be trustworthy. Further tips regarding
online safety can by be found by visiting www.netsmartz.org or www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/parent-guide.
Finally, if you believe that you or someone you know may have had contact with
the defendant, or a user on Skype with the screen name “shhh.shhh,” please call
the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 1-800-320-0682 and leave a message with your
contact information.”
This case was brought as part of Project
Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child
sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of
Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s
Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood
marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and
prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to
identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood,
please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The arrest is the culmination of an
investigation on the part of special agents of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, under the direction of Christopher M. Piehota, Special Agent in
Charge.
The fact that a defendant has been
charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed
innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment