Crime FBI posts fake hyperlinks to snare child porn suspects

[SFilip]

The FBI has recently adopted a novel investigative technique: posting hyperlinks that purport to be illegal videos of minors having sex, and then raiding the homes of anyone willing to click on them.

Undercover FBI agents used this hyperlink-enticement technique, which directed Internet users to a clandestine government server, to stage armed raids of homes in Pennsylvania, New York, and Nevada last year. The supposed video files actually were gibberish and contained no illegal images.

A CNET News.com review of legal documents shows that courts have approved of this technique, even though it raises questions about entrapment, the problems of identifying who's using an open wireless connection--and whether anyone who clicks on a FBI link that contains no child pornography should be automatically subject to a dawn raid by federal police.

 

[dunpealx4]

"aiding the homes of anyone willing to click on them."

lol what if someone accidentally clicks on them. or someone just feel curious and wonder what that is. LOL!

"hmmm i wonder what that is. <click> O Crap! I am going to jail."

 

[konerboy]

Pretty clever way to bring those perverts down.

 

[Bartuc08]

i find it funny that when it coems to wire tapping we get up in arms... yet when they do soemthing similar and they state its aimed to bring down child molestors people find it a great thing...

 

[seph ir oth]

Didn't find this to be news, thought I've seen this on Dateline or somethin a year or two ago.

Oh well, good to see it's surfacing on the web now, so pervs have a warning

 

[Asehujiko]

As if the real perverts don't use proxy's.

And then there's the problem arround wireless. I could hack into somebody's network and get them registered as sex offender.

 

[WolSHaman]

This is just wrong. First of all, there's the obvious and very real threat that someone could accidentally click on the link and then get busted for an accident. Second, the smart pedophiles, as mentioned, could simply use a proxy or do something to that effect. Also, just because someone views child porn doesn't automatically mean that they're going to go out and rape small children. If every person who ever viewed porn in the traditional sense with a grown-up woman went out and raped someone, then there would be a lot more rapes in the world. Everyone knows that this isn't the case, so why would it be any different with people who view child pornography? This is just a case of a fringe group being cracked down on for no real reason, yet people allow it because people support lots of bad deeds against those who they disagree with morally.

 

[sjakie]

Not that I'm on the side of the perverts, but this is really a dishonorable way of fighting against childporn. Plain mean for those perverts. Its like using whosyourdaddy!

 

[UnknowVector]

What about Google spiders? Or the equivalent user script that strips a bit of text from a page and displays it as a preview for the user? There is so much reasonable doubt here its not even funny.

But this on the other hand, kinda is ...

>"covert FBI computer in San Jose, California, and the file located therein was encrypted and non-pornographic."

Why would you encrypt a meaningless file?

>people who view child pornography

Child pornography, like photography, its something you see. Its also illegal.
i.e. its illegal to VIEW it

It is not entrapment we should be worried about. The problem here is that this measure may not capture the right fringe group. We need to get rid of the real freaks, not the mods who check the link to make sure this isn't an idiot trying to rickroll people before he hits the ban button.

 

[duyen]

Oh great. Here comes the next generation of getting rickroll'd.

Except now you get a free government raid!

CLICK HERE FOR A FREE IPOD NANO!

Spoiler

If that was a link to one of the sites you would be raided

 

[WolSHaman]

Child pornography, like photography, its something you see. Its also illegal.
i.e. its illegal to VIEW it

I'm aware of this, but the thing is, why is there such a stigma against child pornography? I admit that molesting a child is bad, but molesting anyone is bad, although I admit that molesting a child is probably worse. But just because someone views child pornography doesn't automatically make them a "pervert" or a pedophile, it just means that what the view as sexually pleasing is different. Telling a pedophile that they can't view porn online is no better then telling gays or lesbians that they can't view gay porn online, it's just an alternative. In fact, this might almost help child molesters not molest children, because it gives them an outlet for their desires. I'd rather they view child porn online then go out and rape a child, and I think most people would agree with that.

 

[Asehujiko]

This has about the same effect as nuclear carpet bombing the atlantic ocean because you don't like the fact that sometimes a boat from a country in the gulf brings in a package of cocaine.

Wait, i shouldn't have said that, maybe i gave them ideas.

 

[Fragglez]

Oh great. Here comes the next generation of getting rickroll'd.

Except now you get a free government raid!

CLICK HERE FOR A FREE IPOD NANO!

Spoiler

If that was a link to one of the sites you would be raided

I Lol'd

Let alone, as for my opinion, I think this is pathetic idea. since it doesn't contain ANY child porn on the websites linked to, they aren't actually "watching" child porn, so theres the lawyer's key subject to having the suspect being proven innocent. The Lawyer could relate that just as Anman did above, saying "I was redirected into something else".

Waste of time idea, although it is somewhat clever.

 

[Seb!]

Didn't find this to be news, thought I've seen this on Dateline or somethin a year or two ago.

I believe you are thinking of .. To Catch a Predator

 

[ShadowTek]

Isn't this whole idea actually counter-productive? I mean, if everyone becomes scared to death to click on a link that claims to lead to child-porn, then how are people suppose to be able to verify and report on a real child-porn site when they find one? Do they actually expect people to report every stupid link that claims to lead to child-porn?

This can't be an idea that is honestly designed to accomplish something productive. This is probably more about giving and excuse for the FBI to confiscate people's expensive computer equipment and other related belongings and sell it at auction for profit.

Throw in all the money that these people are going to have to pay in court costs and fines and you have a nice fat get-rich-quick scheme.

And they call the kidde-porn watchers "predators"? :nuts:

 

[EatShrooms]

Didn't find this to be news, thought I've seen this on Dateline or somethin a year or two ago.

Oh well, good to see it's surfacing on the web now, so pervs have a warning

Isn't that To Catch a Predator? Or did you see something else.

I don't think this is right myself, what happens when Google Bot looks at it?