Police who previously used internet chat rooms to set up sting operations are now playing Grand Theft Auto IV online to catch kiddie fiddlers.
"Child predators are migrating from traditional methods to alternate media," said Detective Lt. Thomas Kish of the Michigan State Police to the USA Today. "They are going to places where children are."
And so the police are apparently following. According to the newspaper, cops are now playing everything from GTA IV to chess and chequers online to make arrests.
Last December, Michigan prosecutors sentenced a man to 10 years in prison for using WoW to lure a twelve year-old girl into having sex with him. The police found that the man had been using a variety of online games to pursue other children.
A number of similar cases have occurred in the past year, with Lt. Jessica Farnsworth of the Utah Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force claiming the division has seized many Xbox machines for investigation.
Apparently, Microsoft has been forthcoming on how to extract information from them.
ummm.. sounds like a cushtie job! playing GTA IV online all day then getting to beat the f**k outta some pervy sick nonce in the back of a meat wagon.... spot on!.
GTAIV is an 18 rated game anyway, and while children do indeed play it, it's probably not a pedophiles ideal game.
As well..
A number of similar cases have occurred in the past year, with Lt. Jessica Farnsworth of the Utah Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force claiming the division has seized many Xbox machines for investigation.
what exactly can you 'extract' from an Xbox? Friends Lists and messages are stored on a server, and VoIP isn't cached so there's really very little evidence you can get from a console. "OMG, HE'S GOT GTA GAME SAVES, SEIZE HIS XBOX".
Seems like a very pathetic excuse to seize peoples games consoles and skive off work to me tbh.
BREAKING NEWS!!!!!....FIREFIGHTERS SIEZE COPYS OF ALONE IN THE DARK
In a statement today firman Sam told the gathered media that he and his fellow Pontypandy firemen are nabbing as many copies of Alone in the dark as they can to try and reduce the number of kids being turned into arsonists by playing this game. We spoke to one concerned mother..Oh my Trevor is always getting into trouble im glad fireman Sam is cracking down on this sick firestarting filth!!
I taught Karate to 4-15 years olds for years and my wife and I could sense when someone wasn't "right", and within 6 months that person was arrested for unlawful dealing with a minor (his daughter). I don't know what kind of punishment fits this crime, but I say we should do as much to them here while they are alive and then let God take care of them when they die. I am sick with anger when people (male and female) violate children who then have to live with this for the rest of their lives. I have to stop now because I could go on and on about "my perfect" punishment for these no good sick "O's". I applaud everything that law enforcement is doing and would like to be able to contribute to putting these dirt-bags away for life. TCB!
To translate this news; "Coppers have nothing better to do than play GTA4 all day under the pretence they are actually hunting down kiddy fiddlers." If they want to do something useful, stop kids buying 18+ rated games like GTA4!
I for one am glad that tax payers money is being used to fund this noble cause. People called me crazy when I told them that police playing a crime simulators online was a far more effective way to tackle crime than patrolling the streets, well look at me now
On a serious note, this is quite an outrage. Why are taxpayers paying policeman to play videogames to catch paedophiles? I'm sure far more effective routes could be pursued, hell, even by just monitoring the games and responding to complaints from other vigilant players of these games. But literally sitting down and playing these games in the hope of finding criminals? Yes, I'm sure theres a far deeper amount of work put into this process than that, but this just seems like an inneffective use of time and money by the police force, espescially at a time where gun and knife crimes are still at a grave level.
Well, I support the war against Paedophillia don't get me wrong, and if this method is truely effective then props to the cops, but I really can't help but feel the taxpayers are being let down by this. I certainly don't feel I'm getting my 17.5%'s worth.
Get some childsize mannequins chuck some clothes on them... Put them in a giant cage at night and wait for the pervvys to attempt to break into the cage...
Then arrest...Simple...It's what I call the Cheese Technique...
On a serious note, I'd like to say What?! Paedo's on GTA4? UNDERAGE kids playing the game? Yeah the kids are in danger but arrest the f**king parents lol simple it's their fault! Or violate the parents instead and say "THATS what you could of put your child through you thick bastards"...
Meh...Or just get off video games and catch some gun totting "Gangsta!" types lol
I completely agree with the comments about getting the kids off of GTA. But to those people making comments about cops using it as an excuse to play GTA, read the article again. It's not just GTA, and I doubt very much they're actually 'playing' as you or I would play.
The sad thing is, paedophiles will try any and all ways to get to kids, so police monitoring in game communications is no bad thing. Imagine if it was your child, brother or sister.......would you be so quick to joke about it ?
Yes. Threatening paedophiles with violence will do nothing but good in the long run.
They'll never go deeper into hiding and let their sexual fantasies incubate to the point of no return; whereby they act on them, ruining children's lives.
i wanna ram every copy of ill bought GTA4 in the childs parents face, again and again until they get the message. failing that, just brand then them across the forehead "paedo". then we'll see if they can go to game and buy another 18 rated release!
What do you mean "the games an 18 they should be stopping kids playing rather than catching paedophiles"
If you'd read the article you'd very quickly see this in in America, where games ratings aren't enforced, especially on M rated games. That means it is advised for people aged 17+. The strictest enforcement is walmart and other retailers checking children have parental consent when buying these games.
Also no your 17.5% isn't paying for this because again its in America.
Don't people feel perhaps that paedophilia is a more important issue for police time, than underage gaming? (a parental responsibility/retailer/trading standands issue)
...it may also have a positive effect on the 12 year old WoW player who could possibly now be more inclined to read a book or go outside and get some friends.
Whatever...they ain't gonna be playing that again!
BREAKING NEWS!!!!!....FIREFIGHTERS SIEZE COPYS OF ALONE IN THE DARK
In a statement today firman Sam told the gathered media that he and his fellow Pontypandy firemen are nabbing as many copies of Alone in the dark as they can to try and reduce the number of kids being turned into arsonists by playing this game. We spoke to one concerned mother..Oh my Trevor is always getting into trouble im glad fireman Sam is cracking down on this sick firestarting filth!!
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