Trench Reynolds' Crime News

Parenting tips for Facebook

2009-12-29T18:26:44Z

Tips for Controlling Your Teen's Facebook Usage:

I thought I knew all the parenting tips for sites like Facebook and MySpace. However Parry Aftab of Wiredsafety.org knows one that I didn't and it's a great tip.

Recognize that your teen can log into Facebook from his or her X-Box, cellphone or from most mobile gaming devices. According to Facebook, more than 65 million active users of the Web site sign on to the social networking site through their mobile devices. That means your teen doesn't have to be sitting in front of his or her laptop or desktop computer to go online.

So keep that in mind parents. If your child can access social sites while not on the computer that means predators can access them as well. Just something to keep in mind.

CNN on the West Memphis 3

2009-12-29T06:00:52Z

Victims' parents remain divided over West Memphis 3 case:

It seems that CNN.com has run out of Jon & Kate and Casey Anthony news to write about and decided to post an article about the West Memphis 3 for some reason.

Nothing new in the article but it brought the black nail polished outcast masses to their keyboards to comment on the article.

And once again the comments show that the WM3 supporters are still made up of two factions. The ones who think that Mark Byers did it or the ones that used to think that Mark Byers did it but now think Terry Hobbs did because of the so called DNA evidence. The real funny thing is I don't think they care who really did it as long as Damien Echols gets released. Which is kind of the same thing they say put Echols in jail in the first place. So in my opinion it seems they don't care if a wrongly accused man gets put in jail as long as Echols is free. And I say Echols because like I've contended this has always been about him.

Again I say that maybe the fact that Echols and friends are still in jail and have had all their appeals denied is because they're actually guilty and it's not just some anti-metal-goth-wiccan-pagan conspiracy. But the WM3 supporters won't dare to step out of their black box to actually think that.

Weir High Plot

2009-12-29T04:16:10Z

The dude with the reverse Hare Krishna haircut is 19-year-old Mark Mentzer formerly of Weir High School in Weirton, West Virginia. I say formerly because he was arrested back in September for plotting an attack against the school.

back then a bunch if text messages started going around the school saying something big was going to happen. Police were able to trace the original texts back to Mentzer. When they searched his home they found unidentified weapons, bomb making material and also racist writings that said things like "Keep America white. Don't give up the fight. Join the KKK."

When Mentzer was arrested they also found a suicide note on him that said...

"If you are reading this it is most likely that I have died I will miss you all it is most likely that I have died for my beliefs. I just hope my and my brothers blood is not shed in vein I believe what Im doing is right and for the benefeit of my people. It is not a selfish egotistical act I am acting on it isn't about me or my brothers for we do not matter it is our children - and the children I am worried about if we do not stop what's (sic) happening we will have no more pride we will all be one giant mix of gods knows what."

Before I go on it's time for a little history lesson. West Virginia broke away from Virginia during the Civil War in part because of the slavery issue. That's right kids. Wst Virginia was a Union State. However in the 20th century that must have been left out of their state history lessons since they keep re-electing a 1000 year old Klansmen to Congress. Now before you get your corn squeezins in a bunch I am not saying that everyone from West Virginia is like that but there are enough of them that this really comes as no surprise to me.

Anyway back to the story at hand.

There were two others arrested but as far as I can tell they were more supporters of Mentzer then cohorts.

Apparently the bad apple doesn't fall too far from the poison tree either as his mom was arrested at the time the search warrant was served for obstructing officers. She was also given probation for giving Mentzer steroids when he was 17. That's just lovely. Nothing, liked a jacked up racist hick.

As usual with these stories we also have an unintentionally funny defense attorney...

Mentzer's attorney, Fred Risovich, called his client "a very stupid kid who has very stupid ideas" - ideas, he stressed, that are not illegal.

He further argued that the "explosive materials" were household items not intended for any threatening purpose, and the alleged map of the school was completely unrecognizable as such, he said. The so-called "suicide note" found upon Mentzer's arrest, Risovich said, was a note his client wrote because he was afraid those he offended with his white supremacist views would seek retribution.

Being in West Virginia I imagine that Mr. Risovich would be familiar that household items are also commonly used to make meth so an explosive is not far out of the realm of possibility. As far as the note defense goes that is a complete joke. Why else would he say that it is not a selfish egotistical act that he is acting on?

If he doesn't get put away at trial they'll just have to put him away later for some hate crime or being at an ATF raided compound.

Child pimps used MySpace and YouTube

2009-12-28T06:59:39Z

Story points to potential social networking dangers:

I originally posted about Robert Harris and his craigslist prostitution ring that used craigslist and pimped out underage girls here and here on the CraigsCrimeList section of the site. However not only did Harris use craigslist to pimp out these girls but the ring allegedly used MySpace and YouTube as well.

I am going to give MySpace a pass on this one for now because I want to focus mainly on YouTube because my issue with craigslist is also my issue with YouTube.

I can only imagine what the videos on YouTube must have contained but I am sure they were advertising these girls that they were forcing to turn tricks on YouTube. I'm also sure that the video was probably borderline illegal if not just plain illegal. Much like craigslist YouTube depends on its users to police the content. Like I've said many times about YouTube and craigslist user policing doesn't work. The people looking for this kind of content aren't going to report it and the people who would report it aren't looking for it.

If people were using a site I owned to promote child prostitution I would take the necessary measures to make sure it didn't happen again. Obviously YouTube and by way of ownership Google don't care if child prostitution is happening on their site as long as the money keeps rolling in.

Craigslist child pimps plead guilty

2009-12-28T06:24:41Z

Story points to potential social networking dangers:

I originally posted about Robert Harris and Richard Johnson here. They were half of a four man crew that were running a prostitution ring on craigslist in Millersville, Maryland in order to buy ecstasy and gold teeth. Which I think in this context are pronounced 'teef'.

That crew was also prostituting out underage girls from Ohio.

Harris and Johnson have both pleaded guilty.

According to authorities Harris also tried to tamper with witnesses from behind bars.

The other half of the crew, Craig Allen Corey and Jacob Tyler, are still awaiting trial.

Harris and Johnson are still facing life behind bars.

However the fact that they got around craigslist's supposed screening but they used MySpace and YouTube as well. But for that part of the story you'll have to go here.

Unjolly SC mob beats man to death on Christmas

2009-12-28T05:25:35Z

South Carolina

Report: Mob beats man to death on Christmas:

Reason to Blow Up the World...

A mob is responsible for the Christmas day beating death of 42-year-old Ronnie Gene Wallace, according to the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office.

Wallace, 42, of Charlotte, was killed after an argument turned deadly late Christmas night, according to Sheriff Barry Faile.

Wallace and his brother, Tommy Gene Wallace, found themselves in a fight with several men armed with sticks and 2x4 boards. During the fight Ronnie Wallace was hit in the head with a 2x4 and fell to the ground unconscious.

The mob fled the scene shortly after Wallace was unconscious.

When Lancaster County Sheriff's Deputies arrived at the scene they found Tommy Gene Wallace on his knees leaning over the body of his brother, who was not breathing. Ronnie Wallace was taken by ambulance to CMC-Pineville where he was declared dead.

Steven Ray Steen of Fort Mill has been arrested for first-degree lynching and disturbing the peace.

Police are looking for four other men involved in the beating death: Marty Player, Evan Stark and Shawn Stark, all from Indian Land. Authorities are also looking for Thomas Bottemly of Fort Mill. He is being called a person of interest.

Steen, Player and the Starks have all been arrested. The second article also explains the lynching charge...

First-degree lynching in South Carolina is defined as an attack by a mob, which results in a death. It does not necessarily include hanging or racially-motivated hate crimes, as commonly thought.

It can carry the death sentence. SC has the death penalty including the electric chair and they seem to be fond of using it.

One point each for the five cowards that needed to gang up on one man, another point for the fact that they killed him, one more point because it was Christmas, two more points for using sticks and 2x4s because I guess they couldn't find boards with nails in them, and one last point for invoking a law that makes it seem that South Carolina leads the nation in the number of outhouses. Oh wait, it does. That's 10.

Low Mass of the Dawn

2009-12-28T05:13:23Z

Little-known Mass celebrated in Phila:

I thought this was an interesting article about a Christmas Mass that I never heard of called the Low Mass of the Dawn or the the Shepherds' Mass. Basically it's just a stripped down low key mass without all the hippy songs and lifeless repetition from the congregation. Just the Liturgy.

If the Catholic Church had more services like that and less Vatican II stuff I might actually consider returning to the fold.

Low Mass of the Dawn would also be a cool album name.

Craigslist masseuse sentenced for endangering daughter

2009-12-27T05:06:42Z

Mom who advertised sex on web sentenced:

I originally posted about Aaron Hundersmarck here. He was the former Idaho prison guard who was sentenced to 1-15 years for fondling the 16-year-old daughter of his craigslist 'masseuse'.

Now that masseuse has also been sentenced. Rachele Bromley (pictured, yeesh) has been sentenced to 2-10 years for aiding and abetting sexual battery of a minor and inducing a minor under the age of 18 into prostitution. So it seems that she was trying to get her daughter into the family business.

Serial predator still not in jail

2009-12-27T04:14:03Z

Maple Ridge man fined for breach related to child porn offences:

I'll admit it. I am not familiar with Canadian Law or the law in any of its provinces. So I'm hoping that someone who is familiar with Canadian law can answer this question for me. Why is Shawn Alexander Rodeck not in jail? What? You don't know who he is? Well, I'll tell you.

He's from Maple Ridge, British Columbia. He was first charged in 2003 with sexual interference and sexual touching of a person under 14. He wasn't convicted of that. Instead he agreed to be placed under something called a peace bond which allows police to keep tabs on him. You would think that someone who agreed to be watched by police would keep his nose clean. Not Rodeck.

In 2007 he was caught soliciting a teen on Nexopia and was caught with child porn at the Vancouver airport. Still no prison time.

Now he's allegedly been caught with a 16-year-old boy in his car and he only gets a $2,000 fine.

So again I ask you why is he not in jail?

Factory Made

2009-12-27T00:10:09Z

Science Channel's upcoming new show Factory Made looks like recycled footage of How It's Made.

Another 3rd party rape set up through craigslist

2009-12-25T03:58:24Z

Rape suspects remain in jail:

In a case that bears a striking resemblance to the one that happened near me in Kannapolis, NC two men have been arrested for the rape of woman that was set up through craigslist.

27-year-old Jebidiah James Stipe of Twentynine Palms, California has been arrested for allegedly setting up the rape of a woman in Natrona County, Wyoming through craigslist. 26-year-old Ty Oliver McDowell of Casper has been arrested for the rape itself. The rape is said to have taken place on December 11th.

What is unclear at this time is Stipe's relationship to the victim and what the ad that solicited the rape said.

Of course the EFF is quick to defend craigslist...

Matt Zimmerman, senior staff attorney at Electronic Frontier Foundation in California, said Craigslist is protected from liability for posting ads requesting illegal activity under the 1996 Federal Communications Act.

"The law is pretty clearly on the side of Craigslist and (other similar sites)," Zimmerman said.

"To give Craigslist a little credit, they negotiated an agreement with attorneys general across the country where they basically said, 'We're not obligated to do this, but we'll do a number of things to alleviate your concerns,'" he said.

"That's above and beyond what they're required to do by law," Zimmerman said.

You would think that being such an allegedly socially conscious organization that craigslist would do more than just the bare minimum of what the law requires.

Much like the ACLU the EFF is choosing the wrong battles and giving itself a credibility problem.

Considering that McDowell is also accused of violating the victim with a foreign object I don't see how the EFF and craigslist can say that they're doing enough.

Hey, Tru TV...

2009-12-25T03:18:22Z

Tru TV, listen up. I enjoy a good kick in the balls TV show more than anybody but you're new show "It Only Hurts When I Laugh" is hideously unfunny. If it only hurts when I laugh then your show will never cause me any pain. And while you're at it 1977 called and it wants its laugh track back. America's Funniest Home Videos when Bob Saget was hosting is more funny than your attempt at humor.

Calif. couple on the run for torturing 5-year-old boy

2009-12-24T07:45:23Z

California

Couple Wanted in Torture of 5 Year Old Boy:

Reason to Blow Up the World...

APPLE VALLEY -- Authorities are searching for two suspects accused of physically, mentally and sexually torturing a 5 year old boy over a five month period.

$1 million arrest warrants have been issued for Martin Roland Morales (aka "Bullet"), 32, and Crystal Pauline Rodriguez, 28, who disappeared after they were contacted by authorities investigating reports of child abuse.

The boy's mother and a 16 year old roommate were arrested in August after an anonymous tip was called in to the county's child abuse hotline.

Sheriff's deputies say the boy was burned with heated spoons and a glue gun, as well as deprived of food and water. The child was also sexually molested by Morales and other Males at an Apple Valley residence where Morales and Rodriguez were living, investigators say. He has been placed in foster care.

Morales is an Eastlake Gang member, deputies said, and gave his brother's name during the initial investigation to avoid arrest.

He told investigators he would "shoot it out" with law enforcement if they tried to arrest him, and is considered armed and dangerous.

Anyone with information regarding the suspects was asked to contact the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department at (909) 709-7103 or (951) 318-3786.

So not only did 4 people in the house allow this to go on but one of the four was the kid's own mother and other men were allowed to come in and molest the kid as well. It amazes me sometimes how scumbags find each other and form their own little scummy communities. Scummunities if you will.

One point for each month of torture the boy had to endure (5), 4 more points for each suspect involved, 2 more points for the fact that two of the scumbags are on the lam, another point for the fact that Morales is a scumbag gang banger, and one last point for the fact that the boy's own mother allowed this to happen. That's 13.

UK pedophile tries to groom 11-year-old on Facebook

2009-12-24T07:12:50Z

Parents pose as their 11-year-old daughter to snare Facebook paedophile grooming her for sex:

52-year-old Thomas Gibbs of England was sentenced to a mere 16 months for soliciting an 11-year-old girl on Facebook.

Her parents noticed that their daughter was chatting with someone on Facebook who said he wanted to kiss her.

The parents took over the chat and Facebook profile and lured out Gibbs into the open.

Along with the short sentence Gibbs will have to be on the British sex offender registry for only 5 years.

I'm sure that such a "harsh" sentence will keep him from reoffending.

While I'm glad the parents were paying enough attention to catch this scumbag an 11-year-old has no business being on Facebook.

UK man cautioned for having sex with teen

2009-12-24T06:58:48Z

Devon man groomed girl, 15, on Facebook:

40-year-old Darren Medland of Devon, England was convicted of grooming a 15-year-old girl for sex over Facebook. He was charged with attempting to meet a girl under 16 to commit an offence under the Sexual Offences Act.

However prior to his arrest he was cautioned by police for having sex with a 15-year-old girl on several occasions.

Is it me or does that seem kind of backwards?

Stancl pleads no contest to Facebook blackmail rapes

2009-12-24T05:30:28Z

Wis. teen reaches plea deal in Facebook sex scam:

19-year-old Anthony Stancl is the teen from Wisconsin who posed as a woman on Facebook in order to get his male classmates at New Berlin Eisenhower High School in Wisconsin to send him nude pics. Stancl would then blackmail the boys in to performing sex acts or as most normal humans call it, rape.

He was looking at 300 years behind bars but he reached a plea which not only spared the victims from testifying but may put Stancl behind bars for 50 years.

No date has been set for sentencing yet.

Paranormal TV

2009-12-24T04:11:36Z

Just once I wish I could channel surf without running into some dumbass ghost or psychic show. Even Animal Planet has some stupid ass ghost show.

TV networks of America please stop. You're making America dumber than it already is.

HLN

2009-12-24T00:20:37Z

You know with a line up that includes Nancy Grace, Joy Behar and Jane Velez-Micthel HLN must stand for Harpy Loudmouth Network.

Man jailed for saying I love you on MySpace

2009-12-23T08:08:53Z

MySpace proclamation lands Pasco man in jail:

Normally I would post a story like this to the Tumblr blog but I just couldn't resist that mugshot.

Anyway, that's 26-year-old Brian Hinrichs of Pasco County, Florida. He sent his ex-girlfriend a message on MySpace that said "I still love you" and he got arrested for that. No this wasn't some kind of police state draconian violation of freedom of speech. He had a no contact order against him filed by his ex. But the best part is the explanation he gave...

At first, Hinrichs, 26, told deputies his mother sent the message, the report said. Then he blamed his current girlfriend and "a guy named Jacob," before acknowledging he sent the message, deputies said.

No word if he also blamed the one armed man.

He bonded out of the Land O' Lakes, Florida jail which I still believe is made out of butter.

DJ Skinny gets 10 years

2009-12-23T08:32:08Z

DJ Skinny gets 10 years for soliciting minors:

I don't know how I missed this story when the arrest happened because the dude's name is DJ Skinny. How could I have missed that?

Anyway, DJ Skinny, aka 32-year-old Heath Edward Hill, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for soliciting sex and nude pics from underage girls.

Hill was a radio DJ in Shreveport, La., not one of those other DJs, and used his position to bribe underage girls on MySpace for nude pics by promising them concert tickets from the radio station. However two girls turned control of their MySpaces over to the Northwest Louisiana Crimes Against Children Task Force. D'oh.

With a name like DJ Skinny he's going to be real popular with his new bunkmates.

Thanks to Louisiana Lori for the tip.