The Cyber Crimes Unit

15 Investigators

The Online
Three Prosecutors

Victimization of
Children
Undercover Investigative Lab

In
In--house Computer Forensics
Cyber Crimes

Law Enforcement Partnerships

The Cyber Crimes Unit Protecting Texas

Children Statistics

Investigations

From December 2002 through October 2008, the Cyber

Online Solicitation Crimes Unit has prosecuted more than 80 child
of a Minor
pornographers.

Child Pornography

The Cyber Crimes Unit has also arrested 104 online

Free Outreach child predators for traveling to meet what they believed
Programs to be a minor.

Community
Outreach

The Texas Attorney General’s Cyber Crime Unit has a

Law Enforcement 100% conviction rate.
Training

Student Outreach
(6th-12th grades)
3 4

The Problem Cyber Crimes in Texas

There is an exponential growth in the use of
Sexual Assault

computers to commit crimes. • Texas Penal Code 22.011

Most local, state, and federal law enforcement
Aggravated Sexual Assault
agencies have not been given resources to deal with • Texas Penal Code 22.021
the problem.

Sexual Performance by a Child

Training of law enforcement, parents, teachers and • Texas Penal Code 43.25
the community.

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 Cyber Crimes in Texas Cyber Crimes in Texas

Online Solicitation of a Minor
Criminal Attempt:

• Texas Penal Code 33.021
A person commits an offense if, with specific intent
to commit an offense, he does an act amounting to

Bullying and Harassment more than mere preparation that tends but fails to
• Texas Penal Code 42.07 effect the commission of the offense intended.

Possession or Promotion of Child Punishment is one category lower than the offense
Pornography attempted.
• Texas Penal Code 43.26

7 8

Cyber Crimes in Texas Cyber Crimes in Texas

Sexual Assault
Aggravated Sexual Assault

Involving a child of 14 years of age or older. Involving a victim younger than 14

years of age.
Second
Second--degree felony.
felony.
First-
First-degree felony.

9 10

Cyber Crimes in Texas Cyber Crimes in Texas

Online Solicitation of a Minor

Sexual Performance by a Child
An adult (17 or older) communicates with a minor in a sexually
explicit manner or distributes sexually explicit material to a
minor through the Internet with the intent to sexually arouse
“Sexual performance” means any any person.
Third--degree felony
Third
performance or part thereof that
includes sexual conduct by a child A person to solicits a minor to meet another person, including
the actor, with the intent to have sexual contact or
younger than 18 years of age. intercourse.
Third--degree felony
Third

Third-
Third-degree felony Commit either of above and the person is younger than 14
or the defendant believes the person to be younger than 14.
Second-
Second-degree felony.
felony.
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 Cyber Crimes in Texas Cyber Crimes in Texas

Online Solicitation
Bullying and Harassment Online:

Statute states that three things are not
a defense:
• The planned meeting did not occur.
• The defendant did not intend for any
meeting to occur.
• The defendant was “engaged in a
fantasy at the time” he committed the
offense.
13
A person commits an offense if, with intent to
harass, annoy, alarm, abuse, torment or embarrass
another, he initiates communication by telephone, in
writing, or by electronic communication makes a
comment, request, suggestion, or proposal that is
obscene, threatens bodily injury/serious bodily injury
and does the above continuously.
Class B Misdemeanor
14

Cyber Crimes in Texas RECOMMENDED

READING

Possession and Promotion of Child

Pornography Child Molesters: A Behavioral Analysis
by Kenneth V. Lanning
A person commits and offense if the person
knowingly or intentionally possesses visual material Former FBI Supervisory Special Agent
that visually depicts a child younger than18 years of
age at the time the image of the child was made who
is engaging in sexual conduct and the person knows
that the material depicts such a child. available online through NCMEC
www.missingkids.com
Second-
Second-degree felony.

15 16

Preferential Offender Preferential Offender

Uses computer to facilitate their interest
These offenders prefer to have sex with
in children. children.

Most likely collects child pornography
These offenders often rationalize that
and child erotica. children should receive their sexual
education from an older, experienced

Most commonly encountered offender person.
during online investigations.
17 18

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 Preferential Offender

Often gives the child attention and
affection the child may not feel they are
receiving at home.

Often “grooms” the child to break down
inhibitions through photographs or
video of other children engaged in
sexual activity.
Cyber Predators

Children and teens tend to put personal
information on profiles and blogs, such
as pictures, names, dates of birth and
location.

Predators can target victim search by
key word, zip code, school, etc.
NCMEC-CyberTipLine
NCMEC-
Statistics
CyberTipline reports from March 9, 1998 through
November 11, 2007.

Child Pornography: 471,539

Child Prostitution: 5, 994

Chid Sex Tourism: 2,562

Child Sexual Molestation (not in the family): 13, 275

Online Enticement of Children for Sexual Acts: 31, 336

Unsolicited Obscene Material Sent to a Child: 5,860**

Misleading Domain Name: 6,039***
TOTAL Number of Reports: 536,605
** Since Sept. 1, 2002
*** Since April 20, 2004
Document of External Origin
Cyber Predators

Find victims through online profiles
such as MySpace, Yahoo, chat rooms
blogs and other social-
social-networking sites.

A blog (short for Web log) is an online
diary or online journal that is shared
with others.
Limited, -www.netalert.net.au, Australian Government NetAlert 2004
19 20
National Statistics

Internet crime is the fastest growing crime in the U.S., and
children are the fastest growing victim pool.

There are more than 627,000 registered sex offenders in the
U.S.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

There is, on average, one child molester per square mile in the
United States.

The average child molester victimizes between 50 and 150
children before they are ever arrested.

The most common age at which sexual abuse begins is three.
Becker de, Gavin & Salter, Anna C. Ph.D.(2004). Predators: Who They Are, How They Operate, and
How We Can Protect Ourselves and Our Children.
21 22
What are the Risks Online?
23
4
 RISKS FOR KIDS AND Internet Statistics
TEENS ONLINE

20% of parents do not supervise their children's

Internet use at all.

Exposure to
52% of parents moderately supervise their children's

Internet use.
Inappropriate Material
71% of parents stop supervising Internet use by their
children after the age of 14.

72% of all Internet-

Internet-related missing children cases
involve children who are 15 years of age or older.

62% of teens say their parents know little or nothing

about the websites they visit.
25 26
*San Diego District Attorney’s Office

Pornography on the RISKS FOR KIDS AND

Internet TEENS ONLINE

4.2 million pornographic web sites

100,000 Web sites offering child porn

Sexual Solicitations

Over 75% of online sexual solicitations of children
and exposure to unwanted pornography is not
reported to police or parents.

*Top Ten Reviews: “Internet Filter Review”

27 28

NCMEC Survey Where did the online sexual

Youth on the Internet (Ages 10 – 17) solicitation take place?

Approximately 1 in 7 children received a sexual

solicitation or approach.

79% at home

1 in 25 received an aggressive sexual
solicitation such as arranging for a meeting,
calling on telephone, sending them letters, etc.
13% at someone else’s home

1 in 3 received unwanted exposure to pictures
of nude people having sex in the last year.
9% at school, library or other location

1 in 11 was threatened or harassed.
*NCMEC (2006) *NCMEC online victimization 5 years later

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 Blogs / Weblogs

A Web site of your own where you

Weblogs and enter information.
Social-
Social-Networking Sites

An online diary or online journal that is
shared with others online.

A social
social--networking site.

32

Blogging Stats Social

Social--Networking Statistics

MySpace.com membership since January 2004 is at
71% of 13-

13-17 year olds have a personal profile on a site such
109 million. as MySpace, Friendster or Xanga.

64% have posted pictures of themselves online.

MySpace is currently the 3rd most popular Web site

69% have received messages from someone they did not

MySpace.com attracts new registrations at the rate know.
of 230,000 per day.

35% have been exposed to unwanted sexual material.

Xanga’s membership has expanded to 45 million. *NCMEC online victimization 5 years later

*Wikipedia.org
33 34

Social-
Social-Networking Dangers of Social-
Social-
Statistics Networking Sites

16% have considered a face-

face-to
to--face meeting with
If your real identity is tied to the account anyone can
someone they met online. find you.

8 have followed through with the face-

face-to
to--face
Children and teens tend to put personal information
on their accounts, such as pictures, name, date of
meeting. birth and location.

31% said they have replied and chatted with a
If personal information is not used, there can be
person they did not know. slips which will lead to personal information.

*NCMEC online victimization 5 years later
Accounts can be set to private or they can be public.

Once something is posted, there is no taking it back.

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 Headlines Headlines

League City, TX Port Washington, NY

Robert Allen Wise, 38 years old, was charged 16-

16-year
year--old girl molested by 37-
37-year
year--old man
with sending an unsolicited sexually explicit after they met on MySpace.
e-mail to a minor and for agreeing to meet
with an underage child. Police state that the man misrepresented
himself when he exchanged messages with
the teen online. The man showed up at the
The victim in this case was a 14-
14-year
year--old girl’s after
after--school job, followed her to the
female from League City, TX. parking lot, forced her into his vehicle and
attacked her. The girl had posted where she
37 worked on her blog site. 38

Headlines Social--Networking Sites

Social

Houston
Houston--area Arrest
Facebook

Xanga

MySpace

26-
26-year
year--old college student solicits 14-
14-year
year--

Espinthebottle
old girl after meeting her on MySpace.

Tagged

Blogspot

Travels over 90 miles to meet her, brings a
Cpixel
gun, bondage restraints, sexual devices and
Hi5
a camera.
Yahoo!360

Bebo

Arrested by the Attorney General’s Cyber
Stickam
Crimes Unit. 39 40

www.espinthebottle.co
m

41 42

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 Social-
Social-Networking Site Social-Networking Site
Social-
Safety Tips Safety Tips

Read the Privacy Statement. Know what will
Never post personal information, such as cell phone
happen to information you post. number, address, or the name of your school.

Look for support numbers, phone numbers
and e
e--mail addresses to report abuse.

Cost? Is there a cost associated with
creating and maintaining your account or
blog?

Be aware that information given out in your accounts
could put you at risk of victimization. Predators may
use this information to gain your trust.

Think before posting photos. There could be clues or
information in the picture to identify you or your
location.

43 44

Social-
Social-Networking Site Social-Networking Site
Social-
Safety Tips Safety Tips

Only add people to your “friends list” if you know

them in real life. Privacy Settings for MySpace.

Check the privacy settings of the social networking

sites you use:
Adults can never add children under 16 as a

People can only be added as your friend if friend unless they know the child’s last name
you approve it . or email address.

People can only view your profile if you have
approved them as a friend.
Children under 16 are automatically
assigned a Private Profile.
*MySpace Technology Review Meeting (2006)

45 46

Internet Safety Tips Internet Safety Tips

1. Establish rules for Internet use

What sites can your child visit?

Who can they talk to?

How long will they be online?

Where can they use a computer?

KEEP HOUSE RULES POSTED NEAR THE

COMPUTER!

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 Internet Safety Tips Internet Safety Tips

Webcams
2. Keep the computer in a common room,
“Hacker Uses Webcam To Spy On Family”
not a child’s bedroom. Click2Houston.com (2004).

1515--year-
year-old female surfing Internet.

Typing message to girlfriend and her
message turns sexually explicit.
NO WEBCAMS!!!
Hacker opened her disc drive.

Controlling not only computer but webcam.

The hacker even listened to conversations
thru the microphone attached to the webcam.

49 50

Internet Safety Tips Internet Safety Tips

Webcam hackers use viruses, including worms and

Trojan horse programs.
3. Dangers of Cell Phones

These viruses are available to anyone on the
Internet.

Viruses can be disguised as popular movies, songs
or videos.
Still pictures

Student fined for spying on women with
Video
webcam.(2005) Malaga, Spain

E-mail

51 52

Video Sites Safety Tips

4. Interactive Video Games/Computer Games

YouTube

Video Games

Google Videos
Xbox System

Chatting

Yahoo! Videos
Webcams

Xbox Live

LiveLeak

Computer Games

Daily Motion
Chatting

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 Internet Safety Tips Internet Safety Tips

6. Communicate

Prepare yourself beforehand.

5. Discuss the importance of telling a trusted
adult if something ever makes your child
Talk and be open with your kids and
feel scared, uncomfortable, or confused teens.
while online.

Keep your cool. Encourage them to
confide in you.

55 56

Internet Safety Tips “Chatroom Lingo”

 AKA - Also Known As
 B4 - Before
7. Be informed  bbl - Be Back Later
 bfn - Bye For Now
 brb - Be Right Back
 FAQ - Frequently Asked

Learn everything you can about the Questions
Internet.  FYI - For Your Information
 *G* - a grin
 G2G - Got To Go

Learn chatroom lingo by going to  GB - Goodbye
www.missingkids.com for a list of  GG - Good Game
 imo - In My Opinion
acronyms, like “POS=Parent Over  kotc - Kiss On The Cheek
Shoulder.”  kotl - Kiss On The Lips
57
 l8r - Later
 lmao - Laughing My A** Off


lol - Laugh Out Loud
MYOB - Mind Your Own
Business
 rofl - Rolling On the Floor
Laughing
 roflmao - Rolling On Floor,
Laughing My A** Off
 *S* - a smile
 ttyl - Talk To You Later
 ttys - Talk To You Soon
 ty - Thank You
 w/ - With
 *W* - a wink
 wb - Welcome Back
 9- Adult has entered room
 99-- Adult has left room
99
58

Internet Safety Tips Where to Report?

8. Consider safeguarding options
The CyberTipline: 1-800-

800-843-
843-5678

Check out blocking, filtering and rating applications

www.missingkids.com

Learn about filtering and monitoring software and when to
use them.

www.internetfilterreview.com
www.cybertipline.com

www.getnetwise.org

Education is a key part of prevention. Use educational
resources such as NetSmartz.org.

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 Safety Tips What are you looking
for?

Look for clues.

Ask questions.

Avoid high risk situations.

No opportunity, No abuse!
61 62

What is missing from

this picture? YOU!!!

63 64

QUESTIONS ?

Sergeant Paul Aleman

Cyber Crimes Unit
512
512--936
936--7854
paul.aleman@oag.state.tx.us

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