Latest news with #cyberstalking
BBC News
23-06-2025
- BBC News
Is surveillance culture fuelling child cyberstalking?
Children being drawn into a world of cyberstalking need to be educated about healthy relationships in the digital age, says Safeguarding Minister Jess comments came in response to a BBC investigation that found some children as young as 10 and 11 had been reported to police forces in England for suspected cyberstalking say constant monitoring online is becoming normalised from a young told the BBC: "We really need to be out there educating young people on what healthy relationships look like and that will be part of the government's violence against women and girls strategy." Cyberstalking is defined as using digital tools to harass, send threats or spread false information. Just like physical stalking it is fixated, obsessive, unwanted, and repetitive behaviour that causes fear, distress, or alarm in the victim. "Young people are told they should be flattered by this sort of behaviour, but it's very serious and can really control lives, making them anxious and nervous," said Phillips. 'My heart sank' Charlotte Hooper, who works for The Cyber Helpline, which supports victims of online abuse, knows first-hand how psychologically damaging cyberstalking can 19, pictures from her social media profiles were posted across pornographic websites and other forums filled with explicit comments."My heart sank," she recalled. "I didn't really know what was going on or who had done this."But Charlotte had first become a victim of cyberstalking when she was much younger. As a teen, Charlotte had tens of thousands of followers on X - many of them older men. But there was one who became disturbingly persistent."He messaged me daily: 'Hi,' 'How are you?' 'I wish we could talk more'," she she discovered he was behind the posts on the pornographic man was cautioned by the police for malicious communications and the messages stopped. But the experience left Charlotte anxious and hyper-aware, especially in public spaces. The Crime Survey for England and Wales found people aged 16 to 19 were most likely to be victims of stalking in the year ending March the survey does not gather data on under-16s, and new police figures suggest stalking is also affecting younger children. Charlotte believes the "normalisation of digital surveillance" - especially among young people - is fuelling concerning behaviours."Sharing locations, checking online activity, and constant messaging are often seen as signs of love and care - especially when their parents are doing it for safety," she said."But it also sets precedents for their other relationships."In Kent, the national charity Protection Against Stalking has expanded its workshops in schools to meet demand."We've got so many younger people now being referred in from schools, with the youngest being 13," said operations manager Alison Bird."It's quite concerning that we are getting referrals from children that age and the perpetrators themselves are equally just as young." The Suzy Lamplugh Trust - which runs the National Stalking Helpline - said cyberstalking among under-16s remained "significantly under-researched" and underfunded, despite its growing relevance and Mascalls Academy secondary school in Kent, students said Snapchat was their most-used app. Its Snap Map feature lets users constantly share their live location with friends."When I first got with my girlfriend, pretty quickly we both had each other on Snap Map," one student told the BBC."It wasn't really a big deal - I already had it with all my friends, so why not her as well?"Snapchat shared their safety features with the BBC, which include allowing teenagers to set location-sharing to private as the default, and restricting messaging. Collett Smart, family psychologist and partner in tracking app Life360, says "location sharing can be a valuable tool for both kids and parents but even well-intentioned digital tools should be introduced and managed with care".She stressed the importance of being clear about meaningful consent, adding: "Teach your child that location sharing should always be a choice, never a condition of trust or friendship, whether with parents, friends, or future partners." 'Risk of exploitation' For Jo Brooks, principal of Mascalls Academy, one of the biggest challenges was the disconnect between students' online behaviour and their behaviour in the classroom."Some young people feel confident online and see the internet as a shield," she said. "It makes them braver and sometimes more hurtful with their words."Emma Short, professor of cyberpsychology at London Metropolitan University, agrees anonymity can be both protective and harmful."It lets people explore identities they might not feel safe expressing in real life," she said. "But it also carries the risk of exploitation." In November 2022, the National Stalking Consortium submitted a super-complaint to the Independent Office for Police Conduct and the College of Policing, raising concerns about how stalking was handled in the response, the College of Policing has urged for better tracking of online offences."Every force now has an action plan to properly record all stalking - including online," said Assistant Chief Constable Tom Harding. "That's really important, because we need to be able to track and monitor these offences." If you have been affected by the issues raised in this article, help is available from BBC Action Line. The BBC contacted 46 police forces across the UK and among the 27 that responded, 8,365 cyberstalking offences had been recorded in eight forces were able to provide an age breakdown, with the youngest alleged victim recorded as an eight-year-old boy in Wiltshire in 2024 and the youngest suspect was a 10-year-old in Cheshire in Metropolitan Police had also recorded two victims under the age of 10, but did not specify how old they were. Anonymity is a common feature in cyberstalking cases, where perpetrators can create multiple accounts to evade tackle this, the government introduced the Right to Know statutory guidance in December, allowing victims to learn their stalker's identity as quickly as measures have also expanded the use of Stalking Protection Orders (SPOs), which can restrict alleged stalkers from contacting their victims. But charities warn court delays are limiting their effectiveness."Delays are a big concern," said Phillips. "We're working to strengthen SPOs so victims stay protected - even after sentencing."
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Yahoo
Pensacola man pleads guilty to cyberstalking and sending obscene materials to minor females
PENSACOLA, Fla. (WKRG) — A Pensacola man has pleaded guilty to charges of cyberstalking and sending obscene materials to minor girls. Prichard police investigating officer's use of non-issued baseball bat before arrest According court documents, 28-year-old Charles M. Schmaltz used ten or more social media accounts to contact several young girls between the ages of 9 and 15 between 2022 and 2024. The girls and their parents repeatedly asked Schmaltz to stop contacting them, but Schmaltz instead sent sexually explicit content to the girls, including 'extremely graphic' communications about performing sexual acts with the girls and pictures of his genitals, court documents revealed. According to the US Department of Justice, agencies including the FBI, the Escambia County, Fla. Sheriffs Office, and the Dale County Sheriff's Office worked together to investigate, find, and arrest Schmaltz. Schmaltz's sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 18, 2025, at 2 p.m. at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola. According to the DOJ, he could face up to 30 years in prison and lifetime supervision after his release. 'Protecting children from online exploitation and abuse is of paramount importance, and my office will aggressively pursue, prosecute, and seek punishment to the fullest extent of the law for those who prey upon our most innocent, vulnerable populations,' U.S. Attorney John P. Heekin said. 'My message to offenders is clear: if you prey upon our children, you had better pray we don't find you.' Woman dead, husband and child injured in boat crash on Bayou Sara: ALEA The case was part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to fight child sexual exploitation and abuse. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Cuban rapper Marichal accused of harassing, stalking ex-girlfriend in Miami-Dade County, arrest documents say
A Cuban rapper is behind bars after he was accused of harassing and stalking his ex-girlfriend in Miami-Dade County, affecting her personal and professional life by claiming she gave him a sexually transmitted disease during their relationship. According to arrest documents obtained by CBS News Miami, 49-year-old Michael Marichal was arrested on Wednesday in Miami Gardens and is currently facing stalking, aggravated harassment and cyberstalking charges. According to his Instagram profile, he is a rapper who goes by "Marichal" and has over 2,200 monthly listeners on Spotify, and the author of a book titled "El Parasio Del Abuso Y La Mentira (The Paradise of Abuse and Lies)," a collection of poems that describe the history and culture of Cuba. Harassment and stalking allegations Marichal was in a romantic relationship with a woman for nine months, living together in Doral during their relationship. According to the arrest documents, they do not share any children, and the two split up approximately one month ago. On June 5, the woman reported to police that Marichal had been "continuously harassing" her via social media, emails and text messages between May 21 and June 5, sending "dozens" of emails and texts, and even posted a picture of her on social media, claiming that she had given him an STD while they were together. The woman even shared a picture of a box of condoms Marichal had allegedly sent to her house "so she wouldn't transmit any other sexual activities to anyone," the arrest documents said. According to the arrest documents, the woman had changed her phone number due to Marichal's alleged behavior, but he was able to get her new contact information and continued to harass her. The woman told police that Marichal's behavior and accusations had impacted her work as a personal trainer because her clients were made aware of the social media post regarding the STD allegations. "[Marichal's] behavior has caused the victim to have her head on a swivel while at work because she is scared of him and does not know what he is capable of due to his behavior," the arrest documents said. According to the arrest documents, Marichal's behavior had also impacted the woman's personal life, where she told police that didn't even feel safe at home. Among the messages shared with police, the woman also shared an email from Marichal that allegedly kept track of her location, calling her expletives. She also provided screenshots that showed Marichal allegedly contacting her coworkers and calling her a "cheater," and also making the STD accusations. According to the arrest documents, Marichal had also been sending similar messages to the woman's children on WhatsApp. Her children said they were "frustrated and worried" about their mother, even after they tried to block him as he continued writing to them. After further investigation, police found Marichal in Miami Gardens, where he was taken into custody before he was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Yahoo
Oxford man charged with harassing juvenile
OXFORD – A Lafayette County man has been arrested after he violated a no-contact court order and continued to harass a boy. Oxford police responded on June 1 to a report by the victim's mother, who said her son was receiving harassing communication from a 19-year-old male who was the subject of an active protection order. The communication included harassing phone calls, text messages, social media activity, and disturbing group chat messages. Police investigators obtained a search warrant for all the relevant accounts linked to the suspected phone numbers and social media platforms. This evidence confirmed continued harassment of the victim. Police filed cyberstalking charges June 10 against Canderious Bland, 19, of Oxford. He was arrested June 14 and remains in the Lafayette County Detention Center,
RNZ News
11-06-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Midday Report Essentials for Wednesday 11 June 2025
technology environment about 1 hour ago In today's episode, the government is being warned there could be diplomatic retaliation from Israel after New Zealand joined with a number of other allies in imposing sanctions on two Israeli far-right ministers, a New Zealand vessel has pulled up six tonnes of protected stony coral in a single trawl, the four-laned, 11.5 kilometre Te Ahu a Tararanga - linking Manawatu and Tararua - has officially opened to traffic, and experts are warning women who use period tracking apps are a goldmine for advertisers, and information from them - in the wrong hands - could result in risks to job prospects, workplace monitoring, health insurance discrimination, cyberstalking, and limit access to abortion.
