Baltimore
News
Maryland State Police Warns Parents Of Online Sexual Extortion Scam Maryland State Police Warns Parents Of Online Sexual Extortion Scam
Maryland State Police Warns Parents Of Online Sexual Extortion Scam The Maryland State Police are reminding parents to stay vigilant about monitoring their children's online activity after receiving multiple reports of sexual extortion scams. The suspects are contacting minors over various social media platforms such as Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram, professing romantic interest for the victim in order to gain their trust. As communication progresses, the suspects begin to ask for sexually explicit images of the minors, sometimes even sending photos back in return.  After the minors send images to the suspect, the suspect account will demand money…

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by Annie DeVoe
Mercer
Schools
Social Media Threat Prompts Increase Police Presence At South Jersey School District Social Media Threat Prompts Increase Police Presence At South Jersey School District
Social Media Threat Prompts Increase Police Presence At South Jersey School District A threat posted on social media prompted an increase police presence at a South Jersey school district, authorities said. The threat was posted online about High School North in the West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District during the late afternoon on Sunday, June 5, according to a joint release from the West Windsor and Plainsboro Police Departments. A thorough investigation determined the source of the threat and deemed it to be non-credible, police said. Each of the schools within the district were set to remain on an in-person schedule for Monday, June 6 with an increased …

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by Valerie Musson
Cumberland Salem
News
Girl Dies Doing TikTok 'Blackout Challenge' Girl Dies Doing TikTok 'Blackout Challenge'
Girl Dies Doing TikTok 'Blackout Challenge' A Pennsylvania family is raising awareness to a TikTok challenge that left their 10-year-old daughter dead. Nylah Anderson, 10, was found unconscious in her Chester bedroom Dec. 12 after trying the "Blackout Challenge," which encourages participants to hold their breath until they pass out. Nylah was rushed to a local hospital where she died. A TikTok spokesperson released the following statement: “This disturbing ‘challenge,’ which people seem to learn about from sources other than TikTok, long predates our platform and has never been a TikTok trend. We remain vigilant in our commitment …

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by Cecilia Levine
Monmouth
News
Jersey Shore Man Forced Girl, 14, To Carve His Initials Above Her Breast, Indictment Charges Jersey Shore Man Forced Girl, 14, To Carve His Initials Above Her Breast, Indictment Charges
Jersey Shore Man Forced Girl, 14, To Carve His Initials Above Her Breast, Indictment Charges A Jersey Shore man who convinced a 14-year-old girl he met online to carve his initials above her breast with a razor blade threatened to hurt her and her family if she didn’t meet his demands, an indictment returned Wednesday by a state grand jury alleges. Jason Berry, 40, of Keansburg also “demanded that the girl photograph herself engaging in acts of sexual penetration,” then sent some of the images to her mother, the indictment returned in Trenton charges. He also sent the girl “sexually explicit photos and videos of himself,” it adds. The case “demonstrates how powerful online predato…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Atlantic
News
Grand Jury Indicts Convicted Rapist Accused Of Riding Bus 1,450 Miles To AC Motel For Kid Sex Grand Jury Indicts Convicted Rapist Accused Of Riding Bus 1,450 Miles To AC Motel For Kid Sex
Grand Jury Indicts Convicted Rapist Accused Of Riding Bus 1,450 Miles To AC Motel For Kid Sex A convicted rapist took a bus from Oklahoma to Atlantic City to meet two men he thought were bringing their pre-teen daughters for sex, an indictment returned by a state grand jury says. The “dads” turned out to be undercover members of the New Jersey State Police and U.S. Homeland Security Investigations. Aaron D. Craiger, 34, of Oklahoma City originally was arrested in March 2020 after he checked into a motel with condoms and pot that he wanted to smoke with the “girls,” ages 11 and 12, the indictment returned Friday in Trenton says. He has remained in custody since then. SEE: Oklahoma …

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by Jerry DeMarco
Essex NJ
News
NJ: Montclair Retiree Shared Sex Chats, Child Porn Pics With Boys, Tried To Lure One NJ: Montclair Retiree Shared Sex Chats, Child Porn Pics With Boys, Tried To Lure One
NJ: Montclair Retiree Shared Sex Chats, Child Porn Pics With Boys, Tried To Lure One A Montclair retiree had sex chats with underage boys, sent them pornographic images and even tried to lure one to have sex with him, said authorities who urged any other potential victims to come forward. An unidentified social media service tipped off authorities that Keith Matheis, 67, had messaged a child exploitation file to someone, New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said Tuesday. The Elmwood Park native, it turned out, “engaged in sexually explicit chats with multiple users he believed were under 16 years old,” Grewal said. He also “arranged to meet one suspected minor chi…

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by Jerry DeMarco
North Rockland
Police & Fire
Area Man Wanted For Possessing Footage Of Sexual Performance By Child, State Police Say Area Man Wanted For Possessing Footage Of Sexual Performance By Child, State Police Say
Area Man Wanted For Possessing Footage Of Sexual Performance By Child, State Police Say State Police in the Hudson Valley are searching for a wanted man who solicited prostitution and requested illicit photographs from a high school student on social media.  Alex Allende, 24, was charged for possessing footage of an obscene sexual performance by a child in April of 2019 and never returned to court in Orange County for sentencing.  State Police in Middletown were tipped off to his alleged behavior after a student at a local high school approached a trooper, who had just given a presentation on social media safety, and told her that Allende had recruited her for prosti…

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by Christina Coulter
Union
Police & Fire
4 Years For Man Who Tried To Lure 'Girl' Online - But Got Caught In Sting Instead 4 Years For Man Who Tried To Lure 'Girl' Online - But Got Caught In Sting Instead
4 Years For Man Who Tried To Lure 'Girl' Online - But Got Caught In Sting Instead A Maryland man who tried to entice who he thought was a 13-year-old girl into sex but who was actually interacting with an undercover State Police detective was sentenced to four years in prison, Attorney General Girbir S. Grewal said Friday.  Romero E. Jimenez, 37, of Hyattsville, pleaded guilty last month in Union County to a charge of luring. In addition to his prison sentence he will be required to register as a Megan's Law offender and will be under parole supervision for life.  A detective with the State Police Digital Technology Investigations Unit was contacted by Jimenez …

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by Paul Milo
Bridgeport
Police & Fire
Preteen Sexually Assaulted By Offender After Meeting Through Snapchat, Stratford Police Say Preteen Sexually Assaulted By Offender After Meeting Through Snapchat, Stratford Police Say
Preteen Sexually Assaulted By Offender After Meeting Through Snapchat, Stratford Police Say A Bridgeport man on the sex offender registry has been arrested for sexually assaulting a preteen he met on Snapchat, said the Stratford Police. Reginald Sharp, 37, was arrested on Tuesday, July 23, after Stratford Police responded to a report of a preteen who was sexually assaulted, said Stratford Police Capt. Frank Eannotti. According to Eannotti, the preteen met Sharp through Snapchat after he created fake profiles on several social media applications and then lured the teen from a residence where he sexually assaulted the victim. Detectives were able to identify the suspect as Sha…

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by Kathy Reakes
Hackensack
News
Police Warn Parents Of Location Sharing 'Mappen' App Police Warn Parents Of Location Sharing 'Mappen' App
Police Warn Parents Of Location Sharing 'Mappen' App Local police are warning parents of a new social media platform and smartphone app that is apparently aggressive in its quest to get users to share locations with contacts. Mappen's description in the App Store reads: “SEE WHERE YOUR FRIENDS ARE AND MEET UP. Mappen helps you plan your social life by showing you where friends are and what they’re doing so you can get together.”  The app only shares users' locations with friends, but often asks for access to all contacts to be added as friends. Chester police -- and several other agencies -- are urging parents to talk to children about …

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by Cecilia Levine
Stamford
Police & Fire
Two Juveniles Nabbed In Stamford Armed Robbery Two Juveniles Nabbed In Stamford Armed Robbery
Two Juveniles Nabbed In Stamford Armed Robbery Stamford police have arrested two juveniles for an October 2018 armed hold-up of a 32-year-old Bridgeport man. The incident took place around 1:25 a.m. Oct. 30 on Ferro Drive, which is located in the eastside Cove neighborhood, said Stamford Police Lt. Thomas Scanlon. An investigation revealed that the victim, a 32-year-old Bridgeport resident,  had communicated with one of the suspects on a social app. The victim made arrangements to meet one of the suspects and parked his vehicle on Ferro Drive. One suspect approached and entered the victim’s car while the se…

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by Kathy Reakes
Rutherford
Police & Fire
SEE ANYTHING? Cellphone Seller Says He Was Mugged In Letgo App Meet On Rutherford Street SEE ANYTHING? Cellphone Seller Says He Was Mugged In Letgo App Meet On Rutherford Street
SEE Anything? Cellphone Seller Says He Was Mugged In Letgo App Meet On Rutherford Street A man told Rutherford police he tried to sell a cellphone in a meeting set up through the Letgo app and got mugged instead. Police asked borough residents and merchants in the area of Ames Avenue headed toward the train station to check their surveillance systems for a gold-colored Chevy sedan that the victim said his attackers fled in. The 33-year-old man told police he brokered a deal on the classifieds application to sell an iPhone to a buyer on Ames Avenue just before 10:30 p.m. Friday, Lt. Sean Farrell said. The Chevy had three black men and a black woman inside when he approached it …

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by Jerry DeMarco
Mount Pleasant
News
Teacher Charged With Setting Up Meeting With Teen Girl Appears In Court Teacher Charged With Setting Up Meeting With Teen Girl Appears In Court
Teacher Charged With Setting Up Meeting With Teen Girl Appears In Court The 44-year-old Hudson Valley math teacher who is charged with allegedly traveling to New York City with the intent of meeting up with a teenage girl was back in court this week. Middletown High School educator Jonathan Castell had his case adjourned at Thursday afternoon’s hearing, and he is due back in court on Sept. 6, when he will face a misdemeanor charge of attempting to endanger the welfare of a child. Castell was busted communicating with what he thought was a 15-year-old girl through social media and texting platforms, police said. In reality, he had been in contact with a network …

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by Zak Failla
Armonk
News
New Threat Made To Hudson Valley School District Is Third In Two Days New Threat Made To Hudson Valley School District Is Third In Two Days
New Threat Made To Hudson Valley School District Is Third In Two Days A Snapchat post forced officials with the Dover Union Free School District to cancel classes a day after a bomb threat forced the evacuation of four schools. Police began receiving calls shortly after 8:15 p.m. on Wednesday night regarding the post, which stated “…I heard they are suppose to shoot up both dover and new milford high school tomorrow at 12,” prompting an investigation with the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office and New York State Police. The post led to Superintendent Michael Tierney closing all four schools as a precaution. On Wednesday, all four were evacuated when two bomb th…

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by Zak Failla