OH YES THEY DID: Top U.S. Government Computers Linked to Revenge-Porn Site
Posted: January 11, 2018 Filed under: Crime & Corruption, Mediasphere | Tags: IP address, Pornography, Revenge Porn, U.S. government Leave a commentUsers connecting from Senate, Navy, and Executive Branch computers bragged about ‘wins,’ or nonconsensual nude photos, posted on Anon-IB, a revenge-porn epicenter.
Joseph Cox reports: Revenge porn, where people share intimate images of others in order to intimidate, harass, or embarrass, is rampant. Now, data obtained by a security analyst and shared with The Daily Beast reveals the behind-the-scenes of the epicenter of revenge porn: a notorious image board called Anon-IB, where users constantly upload non-consensual imagery, comment on it, and trade nudes like baseball cards.
The data shows Anon-IB users connecting from U.S. Senate, Navy, and other government computers, including the Executive Office of the President, even as senators push for a bill that would further combat the practice, and after the military’s own recent revenge-porn crisis.
“Wow tig ol bitties. You have any nudes to share?” someone wrote in November, underneath a photo of a woman who apparently works in D.C., while connecting from an IP address registered to the U.S. Senate.
Anon-IB is a free-to-use message board where users post images, typically of women, and which is split into various genre or location sections. Some parts are focused on countries, while U.S. sections may narrow down to a state. Many users pursue so-called wins, which are nude or explicit photos, and may egg each other on to share more images. Anon-IB was also intertwined with a 2014 breach of celebrity nudes referred to as The Fappening.
“Looking for wins of [redacted]. She used to send nudes to my friend all of the time. Would love to see some more,” someone connecting from the U.S. Senate IP address wrote last August.
Whoever is connecting from the Senate appears to have a particular focus on Anon-IB’s so-called Xray section, where users post photos so others can alter the image to make the women appear naked or wearing more revealing clothes, with several Xray posts linked to the Senate. Other posts asked for help from other Anon-IB members editing a photo in this way, including one of a girl the poster says they went to college with. In another message, someone connecting from the Senate shared an image of a model, and identified where they allegedly went to college, likely in the hope that others could dig up more images of the woman. Read the rest of this entry »
Prosecutors Weigh Child-Pornography Charges Against Anthony Weiner
Posted: February 1, 2017 Filed under: Crime & Corruption, Politics, U.S. News | Tags: Anthony Weiner, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Informant, Pornography, The Washington Post, WSJ Leave a commentFederal prosecutors are weighing bringing child-pornography charges against former congressman Anthony Weiner over sexually explicit exchanges he allegedly had with a 15-year-old girl.
Erica Orden and Nicole Hong report: Federal prosecutors are weighing bringing child-pornography charges against former Rep. Anthony Weiner over sexually explicit exchanges he allegedly had with a 15-year-old girl, according to people familiar with the matter.
Mr. Weiner, a New York Democrat, is being investigated by the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which seized his electronic devices, including a laptop and a cellphone, as part of the probe.
Officials initiated the investigation last fall, after the Daily Mail in the U.K. reported that Mr. Weiner had exchanged sexually explicit messages and photos with the girl.

Anthony Weiner at the Democratic National Convention in July Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
In recent weeks, according to some of the people familiar with the matter, attorneys for Mr. Weiner have had discussions with federal prosecutors in Manhattan in hopes of dissuading them from bringing charges, or at least from bringing the most serious one: production of child pornography, which carries a 15-year mandatory minimum prison sentence upon conviction.
These types of discussions can indicate both sides are trying to reach an agreement in which the defendant pleads guilty in exchange for a less-severe charge.
Mr. Weiner could face the production charge, some of the people familiar with the case say, because he allegedly solicited explicit images from the teenager. Read the rest of this entry »
CELEBRAGEDDON Hacking Scandal Update: Edward Majerczyk Sentenced to Nine Months
Posted: January 24, 2017 Filed under: Crime & Corruption, Entertainment, Mediasphere, U.S. News | Tags: Amber Heard, Celebrities, Chicago, Edward Majerczyk, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Hack, iCloud, Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Upton, Kirsten Dunst, Los Angeles, Phishing, Plea, Pornography, Theft, Twitter Leave a commentMajerczyk faced up to five years in prison. His lawyers argued in a sentencing memo that his participation was limited to the unauthorized access of information on his personal computer, ‘for his personal use and viewing only.’
“Majerczyk sent phishing emails to his victims, tricking them into providing their usernames and passwords to a third-party website, according to a plea agreement. He in turn used the information to access their accounts, leading to material belonging to more than 300 victims.”
CHICAGO — A Chicago man was sentenced to nine months in a plea deal Tuesday for hacking the electronic accounts of 30 celebrities and stealing their personal data, including nude photos and videos.
[ARCHIVE – The CELEBRAGEDDON of 2014: Jennifer Lawrence Requests Nude Pics Investigation]
[MORE – Social Media Goes Cuckoo Bananas Over Massive Celebrity Nude Photo Leak]
Edward Majerczyk, 29, was accused of orchestrating a phishing scheme from November 2013 to August 2014 that netted personal information from celebrities including Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Upton and many more in Los Angeles.
Lawrence likened the privacy invasion to a “sex crime” and said she worried about its impact on her career.
Majerczyk, the son of two Chicago police officers, did not plead guilty to distributing the images. His plea was limited to
his role in obtaining them.
“At the time of the offense, Mr. Majerczyk was suffering from depression and looked to pornography websites and Internet chat rooms in an attempt to fill some of the voids and disappointment he was feeling in his life.”
After his case was transferred from California to Chicago, he pleaded guilty in September to one count of unauthorized access to a protected computer to obtain information.
A spokesman for the US attorney’s office in Los Angeles told the Chicago Tribune that the investigation into who leaked the sensitive information was ongoing.
[Coconuts: Kirsten Dunst Leads Celeb Anger at Apple Over Stars’ Nude iCloud Images Stolen]
[MORE – Nude Celebrity Leak Panic on Horizon as Mainland China Attacks Apple’s iCloud]
Majerczyk sent phishing emails to his victims, tricking them into providing their usernames and passwords to a third-party website, according to a plea agreement. He in turn used the information to access their accounts, leading to material belonging to more than 300 victims, according to the plea agreement.
Majerczyk faced up to five years in prison. His lawyers argued in a sentencing memo that his participation was limited to the unauthorized access of information on his personal computer, “for his personal use and viewing only.” Read the rest of this entry »
Illusion: Porn Makers Want Sexual Fantasies to Become Virtual Realities
Posted: November 21, 2016 Filed under: Art & Culture, Japan, Mediasphere, Science & Technology | Tags: Erotica, Gaming, Kanagawa Prefecture, Pornography, Sex industry, Sexuality, The Japan Times, Virtual reality, VR, VR Kanojo Leave a commentAre you ready for your VR Kanojo?
Kazuaki Nagata reports: In June, hundreds of people thronged a small virtual reality event in Tokyo’s Akihabara district, forcing the organizer to cancel it halfway through.
“In the future, some say we might see people giving up on real-life relationships in favor of virtual romance — a possibility that could emerge as the technology becomes more immersive, which is likely to raise a moral question.”
What drew such a big crowd so quickly?
A VR-based porn demonstration.
“It was unexpected,” said Kento Yoshida, head of the group that organized the event. “But it proved that many people have expectations for VR adult content.”
Industry insiders claim that adult VR content may be the key to spreading the technology to the general public, just as it did with videotapes and the internet.
[Read the full story here, at The Japan Times]
They said VR’s potential is huge because it could eventually lead to virtual sex, either with a digital character or a real person in a different location. The technology can also be used to fulfill one’s secret fantasies more easily.
“There’s a certain degree of adverse reaction to adult content. I’m concerned that it might damage the image of VR.”
While admitting that the erotic possibilities made possible by VR will provoke critics of adult content, they said it will still be meaningful to have a new option for sex.
Yoshida, who is also president of Tokyo-based adult video maker VRG, said most people remain unaware of VR’s potential, which is why he held the Akihabara event.
“Illusion plans to release a game called ‘VR Kanojo’ — ‘VR Girlfriend’ — that lets players virtually enter an imaginary girlfriend’s room to have sex. The producers say they are focused on making players feel the girlfriend is really there.”
“At that time, people didn’t really know what VR was … so I thought that adult content would be the most catchy topic to use to get people more familiarized with VR,” he said.
The technology opens up a whole new horizon for people with sexual fantasies, he said.
For instance, if people harbor a desire for abnormal or illicit sex, fulfilling that desire may be difficult or risky in real life, to say the least. But VR can make it all possible, Yoshida said.
“VR headsets allow people to effectively jump into whatever they see, so this kind of immersive experience could lead to virtual sex with digital characters or other people.”
It can also help others who are too shy to express their feelings or start a relationship.
“VR is the best way to satisfy their sexual needs,” he said.
[ALSO SEE – For Japan’s ‘stranded singles’, virtual love beats the real thing]
VR headsets allow people to effectively jump into whatever they see, so this kind of immersive experience could lead to virtual sex with digital characters or other people, Yoshida said.
But achieving high-quality virtual sex means conquering several technological barriers, including the lack of physical sensation, he said.
Other Japanese firms are already cashing in on the trend. Read the rest of this entry »
OH YES SHE DID: Woman Lures 11-Year-Old Boy on Xbox; Sends Explicit Photos, Gives Boy Clothes, Debit Cards, Jewelry as Gifts
Posted: August 3, 2015 Filed under: Crime & Corruption, Mediasphere, U.S. News | Tags: Batman, Debit card, Grand Rapids, Jessica Carlton, Michigan, New Jersey, Online Games, Pornography, Sexual Predator, Video game, Xbox, Xbox Live 1 Comment‘During the course of playing video games together online, Jessica Carlton and the boy developed a relationship that grew to involve sexually explicit text messages and phone conversations, then the exchange of sexually explicit photographs’
A Michigan woman is accused of having an inappropriate relationship with an 11-year-old boy for more than a year after meeting him on Xbox Live.
“During the course of playing video games together online, Carlton and the boy developed a relationship that grew to involve sexually explicit text messages and phone conversations, then the exchange of sexually explicit photographs.”
In March 2015, the Union County Prosecutor’s Office in New Jersey received a referral from a municipal police department that Jessica Carlton, 44, had been communicating with the young victim, who at that point was 13-year-old, according to a news release.
“It’s extremely important for parents to understand that during the course of doing something that certainly might seem harmless — playing a video game online — their children could easily wind up meeting adults with dark intentions.”
An investigation revealed that Carlton first contacted the victim via Xbox Live, an online multiplayer gaming system, sometime in May 2013, Union County Assistant Prosecutor Colleen Ruppert said.
“During the course of playing video games together online, Carlton and the boy developed a relationship that grew to involve sexually explicit text messages and phone conversations, then the exchange of sexually explicit photographs,” the document states.
Carlton allegedly traveled from Michigan to New Jersey in December 2014 to bring the boy gifts and to meet him in person, Ruppert said. Read the rest of this entry »
‘Hot Girls Wanted’ Trailer: Amateur Porn Documentary Debuted Today On Netflix
Posted: May 29, 2015 Filed under: Entertainment, Mediasphere | Tags: Amateur pornography, Florida, Miami, Netflix, Pornography, Rashida Jones, Sundance Film Festival, Television program, Twitter, Young Women (organization) 1 CommentThis Rashida-Jones produced documentary looks at the amateur porn industry. Directed by Jill Bauer and Ronna Gradus, Hot Girls Wanted follows the several 18- and 19-year old pornographic actresses. The picture debuted at this year’s Sundance Film Festival where it was picked up by Netflix….(read more)
Dallas Area School Photographer Todd B. Fleming Gets 20 Years for Child Porn
Posted: March 4, 2015 Filed under: Crime & Corruption, Education | Tags: ABC 6, Austin, Child pornography, Florida, Instagram, Orlando Sentinel, Pembroke Pines, Pornography, Texas, Youth 1 CommentTYLER, Texas (AP) – A Dallas-area photographer who did senior portraits for some graduates in East Texas must serve 20 years in prison for producing child pornography.
Todd B. Fleming of McKinney was sentenced Tuesday in Tyler.
The 54-year-old Fleming last October pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of children. Investigators say Fleming from 1999 to 2007 coerced juveniles to engage in sexually explicit conduct for producing child porn. Read the rest of this entry »
‘Foxy Knoxy’ Update: Amanda Knox Offered $20,000 To Star In Porn
Posted: February 11, 2014 Filed under: Breaking News, Mediasphere | Tags: Amanda Knox, Knox, Kulich, Murder of Meredith Kercher, Pornographic film, Pornography, Seattle 3 Comments
(Photo by Franco Origlia/Getty Images)
(CBS Seattle) — Seattle native and media sensation Amanda Knox has reportedly been offered $20,000 to star in a porn film, the Seattle P-I reported Monday.
[Knox’s book: Waiting to Be Heard: A Memoir is available at Amazon]
Seattlepi.com says it obtained an email intended for Knox from Mike Kulich, the owner of Los Angeles-area pornography company Monarchy Distribution. Kulich writes, “the general consensus is you are absolutely smoking hot. Since you came back into the headlines, our loyal fan base has been emailing us nonstop asking about you.” The offer also includes a percentage of sales of the film, according to the PI…
The End of Sex: The ‘Porn Oscars’ and the Pornification of America
Posted: February 10, 2014 Filed under: Art & Culture, Economics, Entertainment, Think Tank | Tags: Adult Video News, AVN Awards, Brazzers, Kevin D. Williamson, National Review, Porn Oscars, Pornography, Recife, Sexuality 1 CommentFor National Review Online, on an enviable assignment, Kevin D. Williamson writes:
Vegas, Baby — “Eggs are expensive, sperm are cheap.” That’s a plain-English approximation of Bateman’s principle, which holds that in a species with two sexes, the members of the sex that invests less biologically in reproduction will end up competing, sometimes ferociously, over the members of the sex that invests more. Because healthy men can in theory reproduce almost without limit while women are constrained by the number of pregnancies that they can take to term in a lifetime, women have a very strong incentive to be more selective about their sexual partners, while men don’t: snipers vs. shotguns, basically. In a 2004 paper under the forthright title “Sexual Economics: Sex as Female Resource for Social Exchange in Heterosexual Interactions,” two scholars from the University of British Columbia and Florida State took that insight and examined mating behavior through the lens of market competition. And if you doubt for one second that the pitiless laws of supply and demand provide an excellent explanation of human sexual behavior, then by all means make a reservation at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino for the annual awards ceremony hosted by Adult Video News, a.k.a. the “Porn Oscars,” the most mercilessly Darwinian sexual marketplace you will find this side of Recife.
NYTimes Fingers Pornography as Source of Employment Declines
Posted: September 6, 2013 Filed under: Economics | Tags: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Free Speech Coalition, Labor Department, Los Angeles Times, Pornography, Sound recording and reproduction, United States, United States Department of Labor Leave a commentNYT’s CATHERINE RAMPELL writes: The pornography industry, long accustomed to being a scapegoat for the country’s moral ills, is now being blamed for America’s economic failings, too.
Employment in the motion picture and sound recording industries plunged in August, for a loss of 22,200 jobs. It was the sector with the biggest losses last month, and also represented the largest monthly decline since the Labor Department started keeping track of jobs in the industry in 1990.
Some have attributed the job losses to the X-rated film industry. After an H.I.V. scare, the industry temporarily shut down around the time that the Labor Department conducts its monthly survey.
It sounds like a plausible theory, but there are a few reasons to be skeptical.
First, the numbers are volatile from month to month, and for some reason have gotten more so in recent years. So the decline could just be noise. Read the rest of this entry »
‘How Obamacare Can Save the Porn Industry’
Posted: August 30, 2013 Filed under: Breaking News | Tags: Domain Names, Flickr, Pornographic actor, Pornography, Sexuality, Sexually transmitted disease, Solyndra, whitehouse.com Leave a commentThink Progress:
Here’s the article if you want to actually read their reasoning.
via National Review Online – Greg Pollowitz