Latest news with #NCMEC
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Who Killed Adam Walsh? Inside the Decapitation Case That Inspired a Father to Host 'America's Most Wanted'
John Walsh's son was just 6 years old when he was brutally murdered, inspiring his dad to host the famous crime show 'America's Most Wanted' Before John Walsh was the host of America's Most Wanted, he was a devastated father desperately searching for answers in the disappearance — and subsequent murder — of his 6-year-old son. Forty-four years ago, on July 27, 1981, Adam Walsh vanished from a department store with his mother nearby. "[Losing him] broke my heart; it almost killed me," John told PEOPLE in 1996. "Believe me, you never get over it." Two weeks later, Adam's head was found in a drainage ditch. The case, which wasn't closed until 27 years later, haunted John and his wife, Revé, who harnessed their grief into action. "The pain is a huge wound that scabs over, and certain things set it off: birthdays, memories, pictures. You're not supposed to bury your children," John previously told PEOPLE. "They're your legacy. But I would never have accomplished the things I have, such as the Missing Children's Act, which brings the FBI immediately into cases involving missing children, if it wasn't for Adam and my love for him." John and Revé also helped create the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) in 1984, as well as the Code Adam program and spearheaded the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, which was signed into law in 2006. In 1988, John became the host and the face of America's Most Wanted, which ran for 23 years on Fox and had a brief revival on Lifetime in 2012. The series was brought back once more in 2021 with Elizabeth Vargas hosting, and in December 2023, John and his son, Callahan Walsh, took over as co-hosts. The dad is also the host of In Pursuit with John Walsh. Here is everything to know about the killing of Adam Walsh and how it inspired his dad, John Walsh, to advocate for missing children and host America's Most Wanted. What happened to John Walsh's son Adam? On July 27, 1981, Adam, then 6 years old, went shopping with his mother, Revé, at a Sears department store in a mall near their Hollywood, Fla., home. Revé left Adam in the toy section with a group of boys playing a video game and went looking for a lamp, per the police report. When she returned, Adam had disappeared. A store security guard allegedly ordered the group of boys to exit the store and mistakenly thought Adam was with them, so the Walshes believe he may have been outside when he was abducted, per Missing Kids. After an in-store search and police investigation proved fruitless, a mutual friend helped John reach then-Good Morning America host David Hartman. The anchor then showed Adam's photo on air. Two weeks after Adam disappeared, John and Revé flew to New York to appear on the morning talk show, when they received horrifying news: Adam's severed head was discovered in a canal in Vero Beach, Fla., about 120 miles north of the mall where the boy first went missing, per Florida Today. "I started screaming and trashed the hotel room. I didn't believe that someone could kill this beautiful little boy," John recalled to PEOPLE. "The most horrible thing was telling Revé. It was unbearable." Who killed Adam Walsh? Serial killer Ottis Toole — partner of one of history's most prolific serial killers, Henry Lee Lucas — confessed to murdering Adam before later recanting his testimony. According to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Toole said he abducted Walsh and subsequently started hitting him when he wouldn't stop talking. Despite being insistent that he had killed Adam, Toole later recanted. Toole had reportedly previously confessed to and then recanted his words about several crimes, including Adam's murder, but both police and Adam's parents consistently believed him to be Adam's killer. In a taped interview with Texas Rangers, Toole said Adam was the youngest victim he ever had, per ABC News. Toole died in prison in 1996 while serving life sentences for other crimes. In 2008, police closed the investigation and announced that they fully believed Toole was Adam's killer, though he was never charged in the case. "Who could take a 6-year-old and murder and decapitate him? Who?" John said at the time. "We needed to know. We needed to know. And today we know. The not knowing has been a torture, but that journey's over." Still, some theories have emerged since: In March 2010, a report suggested that witnesses actually saw serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer with Adam on the day the boy went missing. While all of Dahmer's confirmed slayings took place in or near Milwaukee, at the time of Adam's abduction, Dahmer was living in Miami Beach, about 20 miles from the Hollywood, Fla., mall where Adam was last seen alive. The Miami Herald reported that Dahmer denied involvement in Adam's killing. Did police ever find Adam Walsh's body? The rest of Adam's remains have still never been recovered, according to The New York Times. John told Nightline that in 1988, Toole wrote him and Revé a letter asking for $5,000 in exchange for telling them where the rest of Adam's remains were located. The dad also claimed that the Hollywood, Fla., police department didn't take the missing persons case seriously enough when Adam was abducted, and mishandled the murder investigation, calling it "one nightmare after another." Given Toole's confession, police planned to test his car and blood-stained vehicle carpet, but they could never locate the items in their storage, per NBC News. When the case was officially closed in 2008, Hollywood Police Chief Chadwick Wagner apologized to John and Revé and acknowledged the pitfalls of the department's investigation. What is Code Adam? Inspired by the terrifying loss of Adam, John and Revé helped create Code Adam, a program to help businesses, parks and other busy or public areas and their staff help locate children who get lost or go missing on or from their grounds. As of 2001, Code Adam was used in at least 20,000 establishments, including Walmart, Lowe's, ShopRite and more. John told The New York Times of the initiative at the time, "There are contingencies for protecting shoppers from fire and tornadoes, and now with 'Code Adam' all retailers can fight an even more frightening problem -- missing children." Read the original article on People
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Who Killed Adam Walsh? Inside the Decapitation Case That Inspired a Father to Host 'America's Most Wanted'
John Walsh's son was just 6 years old when he was brutally murdered, inspiring his dad to host the famous crime show 'America's Most Wanted' Before John Walsh was the host of America's Most Wanted, he was a devastated father desperately searching for answers in the disappearance — and subsequent murder — of his 6-year-old son. Forty-four years ago, on July 27, 1981, Adam Walsh vanished from a department store with his mother nearby. "[Losing him] broke my heart; it almost killed me," John told PEOPLE in 1996. "Believe me, you never get over it." Two weeks later, Adam's head was found in a drainage ditch. The case, which wasn't closed until 27 years later, haunted John and his wife, Revé, who harnessed their grief into action. "The pain is a huge wound that scabs over, and certain things set it off: birthdays, memories, pictures. You're not supposed to bury your children," John previously told PEOPLE. "They're your legacy. But I would never have accomplished the things I have, such as the Missing Children's Act, which brings the FBI immediately into cases involving missing children, if it wasn't for Adam and my love for him." John and Revé also helped create the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) in 1984, as well as the Code Adam program and spearheaded the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, which was signed into law in 2006. In 1988, John became the host and the face of America's Most Wanted, which ran for 23 years on Fox and had a brief revival on Lifetime in 2012. The series was brought back once more in 2021 with Elizabeth Vargas hosting, and in December 2023, John and his son, Callahan Walsh, took over as co-hosts. The dad is also the host of In Pursuit with John Walsh. Here is everything to know about the killing of Adam Walsh and how it inspired his dad, John Walsh, to advocate for missing children and host America's Most Wanted. What happened to John Walsh's son Adam? On July 27, 1981, Adam, then 6 years old, went shopping with his mother, Revé, at a Sears department store in a mall near their Hollywood, Fla., home. Revé left Adam in the toy section with a group of boys playing a video game and went looking for a lamp, per the police report. When she returned, Adam had disappeared. A store security guard allegedly ordered the group of boys to exit the store and mistakenly thought Adam was with them, so the Walshes believe he may have been outside when he was abducted, per Missing Kids. After an in-store search and police investigation proved fruitless, a mutual friend helped John reach then-Good Morning America host David Hartman. The anchor then showed Adam's photo on air. Two weeks after Adam disappeared, John and Revé flew to New York to appear on the morning talk show, when they received horrifying news: Adam's severed head was discovered in a canal in Vero Beach, Fla., about 120 miles north of the mall where the boy first went missing, per Florida Today. "I started screaming and trashed the hotel room. I didn't believe that someone could kill this beautiful little boy," John recalled to PEOPLE. "The most horrible thing was telling Revé. It was unbearable." Who killed Adam Walsh? Serial killer Ottis Toole — partner of one of history's most prolific serial killers, Henry Lee Lucas — confessed to murdering Adam before later recanting his testimony. According to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Toole said he abducted Walsh and subsequently started hitting him when he wouldn't stop talking. Despite being insistent that he had killed Adam, Toole later recanted. Toole had reportedly previously confessed to and then recanted his words about several crimes, including Adam's murder, but both police and Adam's parents consistently believed him to be Adam's killer. In a taped interview with Texas Rangers, Toole said Adam was the youngest victim he ever had, per ABC News. Toole died in prison in 1996 while serving life sentences for other crimes. In 2008, police closed the investigation and announced that they fully believed Toole was Adam's killer, though he was never charged in the case. "Who could take a 6-year-old and murder and decapitate him? Who?" John said at the time. "We needed to know. We needed to know. And today we know. The not knowing has been a torture, but that journey's over." Still, some theories have emerged since: In March 2010, a report suggested that witnesses actually saw serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer with Adam on the day the boy went missing. While all of Dahmer's confirmed slayings took place in or near Milwaukee, at the time of Adam's abduction, Dahmer was living in Miami Beach, about 20 miles from the Hollywood, Fla., mall where Adam was last seen alive. The Miami Herald reported that Dahmer denied involvement in Adam's killing. Did police ever find Adam Walsh's body? The rest of Adam's remains have still never been recovered, according to The New York Times. John told Nightline that in 1988, Toole wrote him and Revé a letter asking for $5,000 in exchange for telling them where the rest of Adam's remains were located. The dad also claimed that the Hollywood, Fla., police department didn't take the missing persons case seriously enough when Adam was abducted, and mishandled the murder investigation, calling it "one nightmare after another." Given Toole's confession, police planned to test his car and blood-stained vehicle carpet, but they could never locate the items in their storage, per NBC News. When the case was officially closed in 2008, Hollywood Police Chief Chadwick Wagner apologized to John and Revé and acknowledged the pitfalls of the department's investigation. What is Code Adam? Inspired by the terrifying loss of Adam, John and Revé helped create Code Adam, a program to help businesses, parks and other busy or public areas and their staff help locate children who get lost or go missing on or from their grounds. As of 2001, Code Adam was used in at least 20,000 establishments, including Walmart, Lowe's, ShopRite and more. John told The New York Times of the initiative at the time, "There are contingencies for protecting shoppers from fire and tornadoes, and now with 'Code Adam' all retailers can fight an even more frightening problem -- missing children." Read the original article on People
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Yahoo
Taycheedah man accused of virtual child porn seeks dismissal of 9 counts due to alleged First Amendment violations
DISCLAIMER: THIS STORY MAY BE DISTURBING TO SOME. READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED. FOND DU LAC, Wis. (WFRV) – A 20-year-old Taycheedah man charged with nine counts of possessing virtual child pornography and one count of resisting an officer has filed a motion to dismiss the possession charges, alleging an infringement on his First Amendment rights. According to a criminal complaint, Meillo Schneider was charged in November 2024 after a cyber tip was reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in April 2024 by Amazon Photos' Trust and Safety Team. 'Serious risk of illness': Waters of Lake Winneconne Park closed, elevated levels of E. coli An investigation into the reports identified over 13,000 images of virtual child pornography. The complaint said that a Fond du Lac Police Detective said it was difficult to distinguish the images as either artificial intelligence (AI) generated or if they were of real and unknown victims. The complaint states that the photos were very realistic and showed children/infants performing sexual acts on adults or themselves in various and explicit ways. According to the complaint, during a search warrant on Schneider's residence in November, detectives asked him about the types of porn he watched, which he didn't want to reveal as he was in public, and 'hoped there was nothing wrong with a little self-relief.' Schneider was reportedly asked if he had seen anything illegal, as well. 'By this country's standards, sadly yes, but I would hope that this country also understands that I'm not going to re-distribute or like sell it,' Schneider reportedly said. 'I just want it for personal gratification.' Regarding the motion to dismiss, which was filed in a hearing on July 14, 2025, Schneider and his attorney sought to dismiss counts 1-7 and 9-10 (all of which are possession of virtual child pornography), arguing that prosecution for it would be a violation of his First Amendment rights. On April 8, 2025, the defense filed a 'Motion to Make More Definite and Certain' to request that the state explicitly define the alleged charges as to what Schneider is being prosecuted for. The motion to dismiss states that a hearing on May 12 revealed that the state 'would be proceeding on a theory of merely possession.' Schneider and his attorneys' motion to dismiss cites several recent court cases regarding the First Amendment, citing that it bars the government from controlling what people see, read, speak or hear. It did, however, acknowledge that there are limits, especially regarding pornography with 'real' children. One landmark case that was cited in the motion, New York v. Ferber, states that the First Amendment doesn't protect the sale or manufacturing of child sexual abuse material. But the motion also added that the Ferber case acknowledged an alternative. 'The Ferber Court recognized that some works of child pornography may have value and that virtual images were an alternative and permissible means of expression,' the motion reads. It also alleges that virtual child pornography does not directly relate to the sexual abuse of children. The motion also challenges a statute that Wisconsin passed in 2024, which imposed the same penalties for virtual child pornography (948.125) as it does for possessing child pornography. Click here to learn more about this bill. The motion continued, citing the landmark case Stanley v. Georgia, which ruled that the 'government's power to regulate obscenity does not extend to the regulation of simply possessing obscenity by a person in the privacy of their home.' According to the motion filed by Schneider's attorney, Timothy Hogan, the state is attempting to 'prosecute Mr. Schneider for the mere possession of obscene material,' which he claimed to be in direct violation of Schneider's First Amendment rights under Stanley v. Georgia. The motion argues that the statute passed in 2024 is unconstitutional in this specific case because of the ruling in Stanley v. Georgia. The following is a direct statement from the motion: 'The state did not charge Mr. Schneider with the possession of actual child pornography, and rightly so given the nature of the images he allegedly possessed. The state has chosen to prosecute Mr. Schneider for his alleged private possession of material it believes to be obscene, since if the materials were not obscene, his alleged conduct would not meet the elements of the offense. Because the First Amendment protects the right of Mr. Schneider to see or read or view obscene materials in the privacy of his own home, this prosecution directly implicates, and violates, the First Amendment. Thus, in order for this prosecution to stand and survive scrutiny, it is the state that bears the burden to establish, beyond a reasonable doubt, that its application of Wisconsin Statute section 948.125 against Mr. Schneider is constitutional.' Motion to dismiss filed by Attorney Timothy Hogan of Hogan Eickhoff, SC If this motion is granted, Schneider would still face one charge of misdemeanor resistance/obstruction of an officer. Sheboygan Fire Chief confirms missing teen found dead in quarry Schneider is set for a status conference on August 4 at 8:30 a.m. Local 5 will provide updates as this case continues. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cellebrite DI (CLBT) Expands its Partnership NCMEC
Cellebrite DI Ltd. (NASDAQ:CLBT) is one of the On June 25, Cellebrite DI Ltd. (NASDAQ:CLBT) announced expanding its partnership with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to help speed up investigations involving crimes against children. A key part of this collaboration is the integration of NCMEC's CyberTipline hash value list into Cellebrite DI Ltd. (NASDAQ:CLBT)'s main forensic software called the Cellebrite Inseyets. This list contains digital fingerprints, called hashes, of about 10 million files that have been confirmed as child sexual abuse material. A female engineer in a datacenter, wearing a headset, monitoring digital data. The integration allows investigators to instantly match files found on suspects' devices to known CSAM. The integration is part of Cellebrite DI Ltd. (NASDAQ:CLBT)'s 'Operation Find Them All' initiative. The program was launched in early 2024 and helps agencies use technology to rescue children and catch offenders. Cellebrite DI Ltd. (NASDAQ:CLBT) is a software company that provides a Digital Intelligence platform designed to support legally sanctioned digital investigations. While we acknowledge the potential of CLBT as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 30 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 11 Hidden AI Stocks to Buy Right Now. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
RNZ News
07-07-2025
- RNZ News
Massey University aviation student Marc Dmello accused of sharing child abuse videos from campus
By Jeremy Wilkinson, Open Justice reporter of Marc Dmello is an aspiring pilot and was studying a Bachelor of Aviation before transferring to Aviation Management. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone A Massey University student and aspiring pilot has been accused of sharing videos on social media of children being sexually abused. Until now, aviation student Marc Dmello, 20, hasn't been able to be named. While he was on the Palmerston North campus, Dmello is accused of using five separate accounts on an overseas-based platform to send the videos to other site users. The website detected the activity and filed reports with the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), a non-governmental organisation based in the United States, which forwarded the reports to the New Zealand Customs Service. Customs then identified that the alleged offending had occurred at Massey University in Palmerston North. A warrant was executed in December last year at Dmello's home, and a forensic examination of his laptop and mobile phone was conducted. Dmello is now facing five representative charges of exporting an objectionable publication and five representative charges of distributing objectionable publications. He unsuccessfully sought name suppression during a hearing in the Palmerston North District Court but appealed that decision to the High Court. The High Court dismissed his appeal on 5 June and the appeal period for that ruling has now expired, meaning that NZME can now name him. According to Justice Karen Grau's ruling, Dmello is an aspiring pilot and was studying a Bachelor of Aviation before transferring to Aviation Management. The ruling notes that due to family circumstances back in India he began drinking more than usual and missed classes, which caused him to fail three papers. If he failed more papers he would not be able to continue studying which would have breached his visa conditions, so he transferred courses which he described as a "longer, but cheaper and easier route to gain an education in the field of aviation". Dmello likened his situation to medical students who study an undergraduate degree in science in an attempt to gain postgraduate admission to medical school. He said this route would set him back eight years and disadvantage him professionally, as he said that airlines prefer to hire younger pilots. Dmello fought to keep his name suppressed to avoid employment issues when he finished his studies. After his arrest, he was remanded in custody as his flatmates refused to have him near their children due to the allegations. While he has elected trial by jury, the charges remain as allegations, which Dmello emphasised in his submissions to the court seeking suppression. He said the way his flatmates reacted was of significant concern. "This is exactly the attitude I expect employers will have if they find out about these allegations," he told the court. As part of his submissions, Dmello said he believed that if his name was published, it was "almost certain" he would never be hired by an airline. Defence lawyer Josh Harvey argued commercial airlines will not hire Dmello if there are public articles naming him, even if he's acquitted of those charges at trial. Harvey provided evidence from the New Zealand Airline Pilots Association, the country's largest pilot union, that said if Dmello lost name suppression, it would effectively render him unemployable. However, Justice Grau said Dmello was still in a very early stage of his training and any effect on his career was too speculative to meet the test for continued name suppression. "Should Mr Dmello be successful in obtaining his qualification as a pilot, he will be subject to a "fit and proper person" test," Justice Grau said. "Notwithstanding the evidence provided, I am unable to accept that, if Mr Dmello was eventually acquitted, a potential employer would inevitably go beyond that test and take into account publication of these allegations, at least without seeking comment." In her judgment, Justice Grau said that by the time Dmello graduated, he would be 28 years old, and the allegations - if they did not proceed to a conviction - would not necessarily prevent him from becoming a pilot as long as he met all of the other requirements. * This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald .
