Inquisition 21
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State intervention
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We are moving towards a society where the state tries to legislate for appropriate behavouir
Internet - tool of repression
The Internet as a state tool for fear and repression
The author Timothy Leary sees the emergence of a global electronic cybernetic communication network as a logical consequence, or further development, of the kind of psychedelic consciousness-expansion expressed in the 1960s. That may be so and only history will tell, but for now the Internet is being used as a gigantic new tool for fear and repression by the state.
Matthew’s story
Matthew was a regular contributor to a UK based community web site where people could freely post messages. For several years he suffered abuse from unknown persons posting under anonymous identities. Other contributors also suffered some personal abuse. He complained to the police about the abuse. He said, “The police did not want to know.” On the site, he and others criticised ‘a local person of some influence’. That local person complained about him to the police for harassment. Matthew claims that the postings were ‘none of the sort but dealt with use of public funds and a life/death issue’. He has not yet told us what that life/death issue was.
The police investigated the complaint from the ‘local person of some influence’ and said there was no case to answer. However, using a solicitor, that complainant obtained all the IP and E-mail addresses of the persons who had criticised him from the police.
Matthew was furious and complained about these double standards to the police requesting they now look into his complaint of abuse against himself and others, wanting also to know why his personal details where given out by the police to a third party, compromising his security.
A week after this letter went in, the police were at his door and his nightmare began.
In Jan 2004 a person called the ‘Strategist’ posted a message on the community web site, identifying a friend of Matthew’s by name and alleging that the friend had committed the criminal offences of coaching children. The message appeared to make it clear that the ‘Strategist’ had access to information that only the police knew about.
The Youth Offender Team moved against the community web site and the message board was shut down, possibly by a court order. In September 2004, Matthew obtained a court order to identify four posters including "Strategist’, which revealed an individual with close connections to someone who has his e-mail/IP addresses and a person on the Police Authority.
A court case involving a child (allegedly coached by Matthew’s friend) that the police had zealously pursued collapsed in the courts, and the family concerned did not wish the matter relating to the ‘Strategist’ to be made public as they wanted the child to suffer no further harm.
Matthew continues to pursue his complaint to the police about his personal information being given out, and that the individual in question has used them to write to Internet providers asking them to shut down the Internet accounts of the critics of that individual.
He says that the police appear to have no paper trail of what they gave to the individual or under what authority they gave data protected information out to the person. The person on the police authority has recently resigned for ‘personal reasons’ and his or her current whereabouts are ‘a bit of a mystery’ to Matthew and his solicitor. The police inspector who was involved in the matter is moving to a new post in January 2005. Matthew says, “All could be coincidence. The person who obtained my IP address/E-mail address also has other information down to my National Insurance number.”
The nightmare begins
Matthew writes in November 2004.
Dear Editor,
“In July of this year I was visited by the police who arrested me and took away various items of computer equipment. I did not have a solicitor present in my interview that lasted 1 hour. The police asked me technical questions about my computer equipment but did not tell me why they had come to my door in the first place other than that it related to possession of indecent photos of children under 16. Six items were taken from my flat - 2 CDs, Digital Camera, Lap Top, Tower with 2 hard drives, USB storage device and a black note book. I was bailed for 3 months without charge.
“In October I revisited the police station to answer bail. The police extended bail to January 2005 and gave me back the 2 CDs and Digital Camera and a copy of the black note book. I again was not charged.
“Last week the police rang me to say they wish to interview me again as they have now completed their examination of all my computer equipment. They recommend I have my solicitor present. My solicitor is getting in contact with them to establish a date for the interview.
Matthew
Dear Matthew,
The key questions at this stage are did you use your credit card to pay for access to any site that could be construed by the police to contain CP, or did you transfer CP images to disks or CDs?
If neither and they have found some CP, they cannot prove that you either downloaded the images or even knew they were there.
If you did use the credit card or transfer images, we can discuss it from there.
If not the above, could they have interviewed or arrested someone you were in touch with - say receiving images from you and found what you transmitted - even pictures of a toddler on the beach?
Don't let them trap you with questions, and don't be seduced into plea bargaining.
Fill us in with more details. We have a huge amount of information that can be given to your defence lawyer.
Unfortunately, thousands of people are going through the same ordeal as you.
Editor.
Dear Editor
Thanks for your fast response. I have the severe problem of lack of information. I foolishly did not have a lawyer present in my first interview as I wanted to be out of the door quickly to get to work. I was too scared to ask questions in my interview and simply responded to a series of technical questions - did I have passwords - no, did I use encryption - no, what software did I use? That sort of questioning.
I do not check my credit card statements and as such I do not know if my credit card was used in a fraudulent manner. I do not know if it was due to a credit card that the police came to my door.
The police took away 2 CDs and a USB flash memory card - they have since given me back my 2 CDs but not the USB flash memory card - the memory card is a back up system of my lap top hard drive files so whatever is on my lap top will be on the USB card.
I am very anxious because I do not have the information about my case or the experience to face an in-depth police interview that could wreck my life. I have not at this moment been charged with anything; I have had several items returned to me by the police - 2 CDs and a digital camera, I have had a whole series of Internet related problems from strange calls, viruses and other strange incidents; it is now 4 months since my arrest; I have a clean record i.e. no convictions for anything; I have had widespread publicity but nobody has made any allegations against me; nothing untoward was found during the search of my flat by the police.
My flat is not secure and my computer is connected 24/7 by broadband connection. I do not know if the forensics examination of my computer equipment will find anything.
Any feedback would be gratefully received.
Thank you for your recent help.
Yours sincerely
Matthew
Dear Matthew
You said: “I do not check my credit card statements and as such I do not know if my credit card was used in a fraudulent manner. I do not know if it was due to a credit card that the police came to my door.”
This could be of critical importance. Can you not ask your credit card company/companies for a list of who you paid? As far as I know, the only big credit card CP case in the US is Landslide (Editor - we still thought he was in the US). I'll check this now with my expert colleague.
I can understand you not keeping your records, but you'd have to have been on Mars not to be aware of the Landslide and similar cases, so I can't imagine you sitting around and leaving CP images on your system knowing you had used a credit card. However I'll check that right now - ask if there are other non-Landslide cases that could have affected you.
So let's think this through. Someone else might have used your credit card identity? They would likely have done this to procure CP for themselves, onto their own computer - let's check if that's possible. The only way I can imagine credit card fraud putting CP on your computer is someone really out to get you - let's check that also.
And did you send any other person questionable material?
You mentioned that you have had widespread publicity. Did the police leak this to the local media?
Will copy this right away in confidence to colleague.
Editor
From UK colleague
I was not at clear that Matthew was a US citizen from the emails, particularly as he talks about indecent images - under 16 which sounds like UK or perhaps European law rather than US.
There are at least three CC based investigations around the world
Landslide - well known to you and pretty well dead except in the UK.
Falcon - this was the basis of the recent Australian arrests. Large numbers of people - estimated 12,000 in the UK alone (only about 200 arrested so far).
There is another whose name escapes me but involves another small Russian company.
Upcoming will be an investigation on the users of LS-studios which was busted earlier in the year - I don't think this has got going yet.
Other investigations:
P2P downloaders especially Kazaa prominent in the UK, not many in other countries and very few in the US AFAIK
Tracking chatroom exchanges - very common in the US.
I agree that Matthew must find out as much as possible about how he came to be raided. Worth directing him to Madbadorsad for more information.
Regards,
UK colleague
From Matthew – summary of an email.
Dear Editor
I am afraid of what may happen in the coming police interview. I will respond to any of your questions as best I can.
I did ask at the end of my first interview if the matter related to Operation Ore but they say it was not. I dared not question any further.
I live and work in the UK.
No money was taken in my Paypal account as there was none in it but any hacker could access my personal/credit card details. I do not have enough information from the police to know if it is a credit card that led them to my door but it is one possibility. The police took away in my notebook loads of passwords to all my financial accounts online which I have since changed. When I had the unauthorised access to Paypal.I cannot say - it is difficult to get any information out of Paypal.
I have sent nobody any questionable material.
I was arrested on a Monday. I cannot remember if the first call from the newspapers was on the Tuesday or on the same day. I had told no one.
Matthew
Dear Matthew
I fully understand that you would rather run from the problem than face it in any manner. You may be too frightened to think it through. That response however could cause you to do something drastic and unnecessary.
You can trust us. We don't differentiate between people who did something sexual and who did not, as we believe that evil people are using human sexual weaknesses for blackmail and related extortions, that our sex laws are inquisitorial, and that our attitude to so-called ‘child porn’ is at the centre of our absolutist state. Also there is something very fishy going on here.
As writers/journalists we do not reveal sources, and don't need to know who you are. Usually we get told when there is a happy ending.
So you can be frank with us. You will say nothing that will shock us and we will be in a much better position to advise you if you tell us everything. Hard though that might be for you.
You are also so upset that you are not answering all our questions.
You have said (in a separate email) “I have had e-mails earlier this month from Paypal suggesting someone had unauthorised access to my Paypal account which does contain credit card details (I think) that was of an old card that I have cancelled long ago.” This could be fundamental but can you spell this it?
You also said “I have made several complaints through the police about personal information they gave out about me and others to a third party on an unrelated matter - my e-mail/IP address.” Same again, could be important but can you be more specific?
You also said, “When I was in the police station I overheard the Custody Sergeant talking about me on the telephone and referring to the employer I work for.”
Yes, the police get paid for leaks when the person is a good mark You also said that the newspapers are not revealing their source, and that a only a check on the police telephone records asking for details of the source from the newspapers will reveal this mystery. Forget it - they are covered by legislation and won't tell you.
Try to muster the courage to fight back.
Editor
Dear Editor
I have been bailed by the police until Jan 2005. I have little or no information about what brought the police to my door or what evidence they have. What can I do at this moment if anything to prepare for the police interview? Is there any dos and don’ts of what I say and do during the police interview?
Thanks for all your feedback so far.
Matthew
From a UK source
Hi Matthew,
Can I suggest you visit the MadBadorSad forum and in particular this topic?
There is really no correct answer as to what to say but I would definitely have a solicitor present and there are a few ideas at the link above.
It is a little difficult to give you more advice without knowing some more of the circumstances that may have led to your arrest. I appreciate that this may be awkward but you can be assured that I will not be shocked or breach your confidentiality in any way. My own story is on the MBS site HERE.
You will see that I am not in any position to be making moral judgements
on others!
There are a large variety of people who have been caught up in these raids from the victim of CC fraud, to the careless clicker, the pornophile, to those who accept that they have a genuine sexual attraction to the underage. I have yet to come across anyone guilty of actual abuse.
The MBS forum is becoming a very supportive community and you would be most welcome to join (and you should certainly have a look around).
If you prefer to communicate privately either via email or be private message at MBS, feel free.
Regards,
(Name removed)
Editor. We assume that Matthew is in touch with these new UK sources and will report back in due course.
State intervention
The iron fist of the state
We are cowed
The blacklist expands
Internet - tool of repression
The story of a ‘lucky family’
The grotesque new world of fostering
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