Australian convicted in child sex sting using virtual girl

Yahoo – AFP, 22 Oct 2014

A computer-generated 10-year-old Filipina called "Sweetie" was used to identify

 over 1,000 chuild sex predators around the world. An Australian man has become the

first person convicted from the operation, the rights group behind it said (AFP Photo)

Sydney (AFP) - An Australian man caught in a global sting which used a virtual girl to trap child sex predators has become the first person convicted from the operation, the child rights group behind it said Wednesday.

Dutch charitable organisation Terre des Hommes said in November last year it had used a computer-generated Filipina girl -- dubbed "Sweetie" -- in Internet chat rooms to ensnare paedophiles.

Over a 10-week period more than 20,000 predators from 71 countries approached the virtual 10-year-old asking for webcam sex performances and more than 1,000 paedophiles had been identified as a result, it said at the time.

The group has said that several offenders have since been arrested after the information was passed onto police, including in Australia, Poland and the United States.

The Australian is the first person to be convicted in the online sting, Terre des Hommes' Jakarta-based Leny Kling told AFP.

"And we hope that more will follow," she said.

Court officials said 38-year-old Scott Robert Hansen had been sentenced on three charges, including using a carriage service to transmit indecent communications to a person aged under 16, and possessing child exploitation material on Tuesday.

He was also charged with failing to comply with a sex offenders order.

"He was given a two-year sentence," a court spokeswoman told AFP, adding it was suspended given the 260 days he had already been held in custody.

Australian Federal Police are understood to have searched Hansen's home following a web chat with "Sweetie" in which he was naked and masturbated, news.com.au reported.

Dutch rights groups Terre des Hommes said in November last year it had used

 a computer-generated Filipina girl -- dubbed "Sweetie" -- in Internet chat rooms to

ensnare paedophiles (AFP Photo)

Terre des Hommes has said they did not approach anyone on the Internet but instead waited for people to approach Sweetie and ask for sex acts.

The rights group also stopped the conversation as soon as someone offered Sweetie money for sex acts.

"Sweetie attracted a lot of paedophiles," said Kling, adding that comments the virtual girl attracted included 'Can you undress yourself?' and 'Can you show your boobs to me?'.

Kling said the group wanted to raise the alarm about webcam child sex tourism, a form of child exploitation that has tens of thousands of victims in the Philippines alone.

The problem is also present in Cambodia and Thailand, she said.

"We are just trying to prove with Sweetie that this is an iceberg problem," she said, adding that the large number of people caught in the sting in a short time indicated the scale of the exploitation of children.

"It's up to the FBI, up to Interpol, up to the Australian police force to take action."

When the sting was revealed in 2013, Terres de Hommes said its researchers found the experience shocking.

"To put yourself in the shoes of a 10-year-old Filipina girl and seeing what some men want from you has been a shocking experience for them," said its head of campaigns Hans Guyt.

"Some demands and acts were really obscene."

Philippine priests swap sermons for 'selfies'

Google – AFP, Mynardo Macaraig (AFP), 27 January 2014

Philippine Bishop of San Pablo, Laguna, Buenaventura Famadico (L), and 

Auxillary Bishop of San Fernando, Pampanga, Roberto Mallari, show their Facebook

accounts on their tablets in Manila on January 22, 2014 (AFP, Noel Celis)

Manila — For some of the Philippines' most powerful clergymen, stepping off the pulpit and into cyberspace felt impossibly daunting until they took their first "selfies" and posted them on Facebook.

Their initial forays into the brave new virtual world took place in a groundbreaking class for 50 of the Philippines' top bishops and monsignors in Manila earlier this month, part of the Catholic Church's strategy to remain relevant in the digital age.

Sean-Patrick Lovett, a programme director with Vatican Radio who flew in from Rome to lead the seminar, said Social Media 101 had not been taught to such a group of senior Church figures anywhere in the world before and he was surprised by his students' reactions.

"I've never seen bishops so happy and so excited. They were taking pictures of themselves and putting them on Facebook," Lovett told AFP after the three-hour session, which saw the priests partner with younger, more tech-savvy seminarians or nuns to show them the ropes.

Philippine Bishop of San Pablo, Laguna, 

Buenaventura Famadico, checks his

 Facebook account on his tablet at the

Pope Pius XII Catholic Center in Manila

 on January 22, 2014 (AFP, Noel Celis)

"After half an hour on the web, one bishop became very emotional. People he hadn't heard from in years were contacting him."

Bishop Buenaventura Famadico, who leads the major San Pablo diocese near Manila, gave the impression the class was a lightbulb moment after years of largely avoiding computers.

"I am a very private person. I still have a very limited appreciation about the Internet and social media," the 57-year-old told AFP.

"But now there is that opening, about staying in touch with others through Facebook."

Famadico recounted that during the training seminar he opened the webpage of his own diocese and found it was so out of date it still had his predecessor listed in his place.

"Now I have new friends, I contacted my brothers and sisters abroad. I am very encouraged to upload my thoughts and homilies to my Facebook account," he said.

The class involved teaching the clergymen, some of them in their 70s, simply how to use the Internet, set up Facebook and Twitter accounts and, most importantly, how to make their messages worth reading.

One seminarian said that, while some priests already had their own Facebook pages, most did not and one elderly bishop had never even used a computer before.

"Just typing on the keyboard was a new experience for him," said the seminarian, who asked not to be identified.

The Catholic Church is already using social media as a powerful tool to deliver God's messages, and Lovett said his students were encouraged by Pope Francis having nearly 3.6 million Twitter followers.

The Philippines' top clergyman, Archbishop of Manila Cardinal Luis Tagle, is also prominent on social media with his Facebook account attracting more than 450,000 "likes".

Yet Lovett said the bishops had struggled with following their leaders' examples because they simply felt overwhelmed with unfamiliar technologies.

"The bishops know that social media is important. But it is one thing to know it and another to experience it," Lovett said.

Lovett said it was important for Church leaders to adapt so they could reach the widest audience possible, particularly in countries such as the Philippines where the youth demographic is so strong.

"The average age of the Filipino population is 23 years. If you want to talk to 23-year-olds, you have to use the language they use," he said.

And the Philippines is so important to the Church because it has about 80 million Catholics -- the biggest number of any country in Asia -- a legacy of Spanish colonial rule that ended in 1898.

Lovett said one key part of the class, which was also attended by the president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, was how to attract and hold the interest of the youth.

Sean-Patrick Lovett, a programme director with

 Vatican Radio, is interviewed by AFP interview

 at the Pope Pius XII Catholic Center in Manila

on January 22, 2014 (AFP, Noel Celis)

"The old days of putting long homilies (online) and expecting young people to read them is over," he said.

Monsignor Crisologo Manongas, 56, said he and his fellow students were taught not to use long sermons but use "short messages that can be picked up by the people".

They were also told to use more photographs rather than words. "Nowadays, it is pictures that talk," he said.

Lovett said the class also addressed the priests' fears of being too vulnerable on the web by teaching them how to use privacy settings and set up special "groups" where access is restricted.

"We taught them how to be careful about who you invite and who you befriend, and what you say and how you say it," he said.

Lovett said he hoped the initial enthusiasm shown by the clergymen would not flare out after the class.

"Because people want to be contacted by their bishops. They want to know that their bishops are out there, they want to be inspired by their presence," he said.

However Lovett also indicated that the priests had deep reservations that may prevent them from fully embracing the Internet.

"Some bishops said to me, 'I'm afraid I might become addicted to Facebook,'" he said.

"Then they asked: 'If I become addicted, can I pray while I'm on Facebook?'"

Pope Francis poses with young people in the Church of Saint Augustine

 in Rome on August 28, 2013 (Osservatore Romano/AFP/File, Francesco

Sforza)

Related Articles:

First papal 'selfie' goes viral on social media

‘The internet is a gift from God’ - Pope Francis

Vatican official: Pope's Twitter account teaches us about authority

Macedonian Orthodox Church bans Facebook for priests


"THE RECALIBRATION OF BELIEF"– Aug 18, 2013 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll)

Facebook rallies thousands to Philippines protest

Google – AFP, 26 August 2013

Thousands of protesters make a thumbs down sign during a rally against

corruption at a park in Manila on August 26, 2013 (AFP, Ted Aljibe)

MANILA — Tens of thousands of people gathered in a central Manila park on Monday to protest against embedded corruption in the Philippine political system after a rallying call on Facebook and Twitter.

The so-called "million people march" is one of the largest public demonstrations since President Benigno Aquino was elected in 2010 on an anti-corruption platform.

The protesters ranged from nuns and priests and students to businessmen, middle-class families, lawyers and other professionals, showcasing the broad-based anger over graft in the impoverished nation.

"The Filipino people are now modern. Proof is the million people march that we can't be fooled by our leaders anymore," a protester calling himself Gundam08 tweeted from the rally site.

An activist applies finishing touches to 

masks in Manila on August 25, 2013,

ahead of an anti-corruption protest (AFP,

Noel Celis)

Government officials' misuse of funds has been long embedded and practically accepted in the Philippine political system but a series of newspaper articles, like about how government funds were allegedly diverted into private hands, have stirred new anger outside of the usual protest groups.

The calls for the protest began circulating on Facebook and Twitter about two weeks ago after reports in the popular Philippine Daily Inquirer of an alleged scam involving legislators' Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).

The PDAF is money allocated for lawmakers to be used in their pet development projects. Critics see it as funding "pork barrel" projects which have traditionally been a source of corruption.

At the centre of the controversy is a woman the newspapers reported to have allegedly connived with legislators to siphon off some 10 billion pesos ($230 million) from the fund.

Aquino had previously expanded the PDAF under his 2014 budget so that each senator will receive 200 million pesos ($4.5 million) while each member of the House of Representatives gets 70 million pesos for their "pork barrel."

But in the face of growing anger earlier this month, he had suspended the releases of money and vowed to reform the PDAF system.

The protestors, carrying signs saying "Abolish pork barrel" and "Change the culture of political patronage," were peaceful even if they appeared to have no leader, said national police spokesman Senior Superintendent Reuben Sindac.

"It's a very respectable gathering. There are families here like a picnic. They are policing their own ranks. This is purely social-network propelled," he told AFP while monitoring the rally.

Of the huge crowd at the Luneta Park, only a few hundred were from the leftist protest groups that usually lead such street protests, he said.

Similar rallies were being held in public parks throughout the country, Sindac said, adding they were also peaceful.

Related Articles:

"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Old Energy, Recalibration Lectures, God / Creator, Religions/Spiritual systems  (Catholic Church, Priests/Nun’s, Worship, John Paul Pope, Women in the Church otherwise church will go, Current Pope won’t do it),  Middle East, Jews, Governments will change (Internet, Media, Democracies, Dictators, North Korea, Nations voted at once), Integrity (Businesses, Tobacco Companies, Bankers/ Financial Institutes, Pharmaceutical company to collapse),  Illuminati (Started in Greece, with Shipping, Financial markets, Stock markets, Pharmaceutical money (fund to build Africa, to develop)), Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Women, Masters to/already come back, Global Unity.... etc.) - (Text version)

“…  Government

Let us speak of government. We're not speaking of your government, but of any government - the way it works, how it survives, how it has survived, the way it campaigns, and how it elects leaders. It's going to change.

Years ago, I told you, "When everybody can talk to everybody, there can be no secrets." Up to this point on this planet, government has counted on one thing - that the people can't easily talk to each other on a global scale. They have to get their information through government or official channels. Even mass media isn't always free enough, for it reports that which the government reports. Even a free society tends to bias itself according to the bias of the times. However, when you can have Human Beings talking to each other all at once, all over the planet without government control, it all changes, for there is open revelation of truth.

Democracy itself will change and you're going to see it soon. The hold-outs, the few countries I have mentioned in the past, are doomed unless they recalibrate. They're doomed to be the same as they have been and won't be able to exist as they are now with everyone changing around them.

I mentioned North Korea in the past. Give it time. Right now, the young man is under the control of his father's advisors. But when they're gone, you will see something different, should he survive. Don't judge him yet, for he is being controlled.

In government, if you're entire voting base has the ability to talk to itself without restriction and comes up with opinions by itself without restriction, it behooves a politician to be aware and listen to them. This will change what politicians will do. It will change the way things work in government. Don't be surprised when some day a whole nation can vote all at once in a very unusual way. Gone will be the old systems where you used to count on horseback riders to report in from faraway places. Some of you know what I am talking about. Government will change. The systems around you, both dark and light, will change. You're going to start seeing something else, too, so let's change the subject and turn the page. …”

Google To Lay Undersea Telecom Pipes To Asia (GOOG)

Silicon Aley Insider, Alaska Miller|Dec. 14, 2009, 4:40 PM

Google and a consortium of five telecommunication firms have joined together in a $400 million project to connect southeast Asia with the fastest undersea fiber-optic pipe in the world. The project is called Southeast Asia Japan Cable.

This investment is the second major undersea telecom project undertaken by Google.

Previously, Google joined another international consortium to build a trans-Pacific bandwidth pipe code-named Unity.

That project cost $300 million and took two years to connect a 6,200 mile pipe from Los Angeles to Chikura, Japan. Unity is now in the testing phase and will be officially online in early 2010. It's capable of delivering 960 gigabits a second from each of its 5 fiber optic lines.

The SJC will initially connect Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Phillipines, and Japan to provide 17 terabits per second of bandwidth, upgradeable to 23 Tbps. When finished the SJC will provide the fastest connection in the world.

Google's investment are not typical. Most content providers simply lease bandwidth access. Google's involvement stems from its belief that major growth in Internet use in Asia in the coming years warrants direct investments. Google will not divulge how much money it has paid in both projects.

Today over 738 million Internet users originate from Asia. China has 338 million users. With those numbers it makes sense for Google to heavily invest into the telecommunications projects.

Related Article:

Google improving the South-East Asian Internet with 17Tbps link

Singapore, China Shine in Global IT Index

The latest World Economic Forum rankings list Singapore as Asia's most "networked" economy. China is No. 46, up from 57th last year

BusinessWeek, By Vivian Yeo, Friday 27 March 2009

Singapore—the island-state is the most ICT-savvy economy in Asia, according to a new report released today.

The country was ranked No. 4 on the Networked-Readiness Index (NRI) of the Global Information Technology Report 2008-2009, the eighth produced by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in partnership with business school Insead. Last year, Singapore was fifth worldwide.

The index examines ICT effectiveness of economies based on three dimensions: business, regulatory and infrastructure environment for ICT; readiness of individuals, businesses and governments to benefit from ICT; and their actual usage of the latest technologies available. Through a combination of public data and executive perception surveys, a record 134 economies were reviewed this year.

In a repeat of last year, Denmark and Sweden were ranked first and second, respectively in the new index. The United States climbed up one spot to No. 3, while Switzerland fell two notches to fifth. Other Nordic countries—Finland, Iceland and Norway—also made it to the top 10, while the Netherlands and Canada took the last two spots.

ASIA: MORE MARKETS SLIP IN RANKINGS

In the case of Singapore, the strong focus on ICT, education and public-private partnership transformed the resource-lacking economy into a high-tech powerhouse within just a few decades, Irene Mia, senior economist and director at the World Economic Forum and co-editor of the Cisco-sponsored report, said in a briefing via Cisco's TelePresence technology.

"Singapore's prowess in the ICT readiness has much to do with its excellent market and regulatory environment, conducive to innovation and ICT advances, as well with the prominent and consistent role played by the government in setting a vision for ICT penetration and innovation-based development," she pointed out. "This is confirmed by the first and second positions Singapore got for the government readiness and usage, respectively.

Elsewhere across the region, several economies ascended the index. China made the most significant move up the index, occupying No. 46 compared to last year's No. 57.

At the same time, the world's most populous nation overtook India for the first time to lead the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) economies, said Mia. China, she told ZDNet Asia, improved "very much" over the last year in terms of ICT readiness of its stakeholders. The Chinese government, for instance, has increased its focus on ICT, which has also been worked into political agendas. "This translates into better services and efficiency," she said.

On the other hand, the country also faced some weaknesses, in terms of a low penetration rate for broadband connectivity, given its mass, she noted. There appears also to be improvement needed on the regulatory front, such as protection of intellectual property, as well as in its business environment in terms of availability of venture capital.

Nonetheless, it was clear that "China is a country that has been progressing consistently" on the index, said Mia.

Shaun Rein, managing director of China Market Research, said in an e-mail that in 2008, the number of Internet users in urban areas of China grew 35.6 percent over 2007, while the online population in rural areas increased 60.8 percent year-on-year to reach 84.6 million. Last year, the country's total Internet population hit 298 million.

"This trend is likely to continue as the government is investing to ensure that broadband coverage is increasingly comprehensive outside of major cities," Rein noted, adding that the authorities are likely to focus on the western and central regions where broadband penetration is currently significantly lower.

Taiwan and Japan, both in the top 20, also climbed up several notches. Vietnam, ranked No. 73 last year, rose by three places to No. 70.

However, a number of Asian economies also slid in this year's rankings. Cambodia was the worst hit at No. 126, down 11 places from No. 115 in the last edition. Indonesia and Thailand both fell seven spots to No. 83 and No. 47, respectively.

According to WEF's Mia, Indonesia seemed to lag as it did not progress as much as other countries in terms of absolute scores, while Thailand's recent political turmoil may have affected business sentiment.

India dropped four notches to No. 54, while the Philippines fell by the same margin to No. 85. Malaysia and Korea dropped two positions each, to No. 28 and No. 11, respectively.

Brunei made its entry into the index at No. 63.

Provided by ZDNet Asia—Where Technology Means Business

Related Article:

The Networked Readiness Index 2008–2009 rankings (Pdf)