Floridians Charged and Convicted in Connection with International Enterprise that Operated Sexually Exploitive ‘Child Modeling’ Websites

 

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Wednesday, August 18, 2021

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Floridians Charged and Convicted in Connection with International Enterprise that Operated Sexually Exploitive ‘Child Modeling’ Websites

A series of charges and convictions were announced today in connection with an international enterprise based in Florida that operated subscription-based sexually exploitive “child modeling” websites. According to court documents, Kenneth Power (deceased at 58, of Weston), was a principal member of the Newstar Enterprise – an internet-based business aimed at for-profit sexual exploitation of vulnerable children under the guise of “child modeling” through a collection of websites called the Newstar Websites. Patrice Eileen Wilowski-Mevorah, 53, of Tampa, and Mary Lou Bjorkman, 58, of Lutz, recently pleaded guilty to laundering money for the Newstar Enterprise. Other members of the Newstar Enterprise resided in Europe. Kenneth Power’s wife, Tatiana “Tanya” Power, 41, of Weston, is currently pending trial on money laundering charges in connection with the Newstar Enterprise. According to court documents, founded around 2005, the Newstar Enterprise built, maintained, hosted and operated the Newstar Websites on servers in the United States and abroad. To populate the Newstar Websites with content, Newstar Enterprise members sourced, enticed, solicited and recruited males and females under the age of 18, some of whom were prepubescent, to use as “child models” for the Newstar Websites. Using the recruited child-victims, the Newstar Enterprise produced more than 4.6 million sexualized images and videos to distribute and sell on the Newstar Websites. Some of those images and videos, though non-nude, depicted minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. For example, images and videos sold on the Newstar Websites depicted children as young as 6 years old in sexual and provocative poses, wearing police and cheerleader costumes, thong underwear, transparent underwear, revealing swimsuits, pantyhose and miniskirts. Most of the child-victims - recruited from Ukraine, Moldova and other nations in Eastern Europe - were particularly vulnerable due to their age, family dynamics and poverty. Law enforcement officers have disabled the servers hosting the Newstar Websites. The Newstar Enterprise maintained a membership list for subscribers and customers of the Newstar Websites, who originated from 101 nations across the world. Images in the websites’ galleries were freely available to the public to preview, but greater access and more content required purchasing a subscription. The sale of purported “child modeling” content on the Newstar Websites generated more than $9.4 million during the course of the conspiracy. To process, receive and distribute this money, Newstar Enterprise members fraudulently opened merchant and bank accounts in the United States and laundered proceeds using a bogus jewelry company.  To date, four members of the Newstar Enterprise have been charged in connection with the Newstar Websites. The chart below shows the statuses of each case.

Name	Case Number	Charge(s)	Status	Maximum Penalty
Tatiana Power	8:21-cr-244-MSS-AAS	Conspiracy to commit money laundering; international promotion money laundering; concealment money laundering	Indicted, pending trial	100 years’ imprisonment
Kenneth Power	8:21-cr-00032-SDM-AAS	Conspiracy to advertise child pornography; conspiracy to distribute child pornography	Defendant deceased; case dismissed	60 years’ imprisonment
Patrice Wilowski-Mevorah	8:21-cr-00206-MSS-TGW	Conspiracy to commit money laundering	Pleaded guilty, sentence pending	20 years’ imprisonment
Mary Lou Bjorkman	8:21-cr-00227-SDM-AAS	Conspiracy to commit money laundering	Pleaded guilty, sentence pending	20 years’ imprisonment

A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The defendants have also been notified that the United States intends to forfeit a total of $9.4 million, which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offenses, in addition to real property located in Florida.

These cases were investigated by Homeland Security Investigations in Tampa, with substantial assistance provided by Homeland Security Investigations offices in Fort Lauderdale, Athens, and the Hague, as well as the IRS-Criminal Investigation in Tampa. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided investigative assistance.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Murray of the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Kyle Reynolds of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) are prosecuting these cases.

This investigation benefited from foreign law enforcement cooperation and substantial assistance by the Republic of Bulgaria, Supreme Cassation Prosecution Office and National Investigation Service; the Republic of Moldova, Office of the Prosecutor General and National Inspectorate of Investigations; the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Department for Combating Crime Cybercrime Office, Public Prosecution Service (North-Holland Unit); the Italian Republic; and the Czech Republic, Supreme Public Prosecutor’s Office, Czech Police.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Component(s): 

Criminal Division

Criminal - Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section

USAO - Florida, Middle

Press Release Number: 

Google Rolls Out New Features To Improve Child Safety Online

 

Tech giant to make ‘safe search’ default for under 18; no ad targeting for them

To give kids and teens a safer experience online, Google has announced a host of changes in its policies and product to limit their exposure to explicit content, including blocking advertising targeted at the under-18 age group.

In the “coming weeks and months”, the technology giant will roll out a new policy that will enable anyone under 18, or their parent or guardian, to request the removal of their images from Google Image results. “Of course, removing an image from Search doesn’t remove it from the web, but we believe this change will help give young people more control of their images online,” the company said in a blog.

It would expand safeguards to prevent age-sensitive ad categories from being shown to teens, and block ad targeting based on the age, gender or interests of people under 18. “We’ll start rolling out these updates across our products globally over the coming months. Our goal is to ensure we’re providing additional protections and delivering age-appropriate experiences for ads on Google,” it stated.

The company would also roll out changes for YouTube, Search, Google Assistant, location history and Play Store. “Some of our most popular products help kids and teens explore their interests, learn more about the world, and connect with friends. We’re committed to constantly making these experiences safer for them. That’s why in the coming weeks and months we're going to make a number of changes to Google Accounts for people under 18,” it said.

‘SafeSearch’

For YouTube, it would change the default upload setting to private for users in the age group of 13-17, and would more prominently surface digital well-being features and provide safeguards and education about commercial content. Likewise, in Search, ‘SafeSearch’ -- which helps filter out explicit results when enabled, would be turned on by default for signed-in users under 18.

SafeSearch is currently on by default for all signed-in users under 13 who have accounts managed by Family Link.

The company said it was working on ways to prevent mature content from surfacing during a child’s experience with Google Assistant on shared devices, and in the coming months would introduce new default protections.

Additionally, location history, which was a Google account setting, would be turned off by default for users under the age of 18 globally without the option to turn it on.

Currently, this feature is active for children with supervised accounts.

“...we’re launching a new safety section that will let parents know which apps follow our Families policies. Apps will be required to disclose how they use the data they collect in greater detail, making it easier for parents to decide if the app is right for their child before they download it,” it noted.

The company pointed out that data played an important role in making its products functional and helpful, and it was developing engaging, easy-to-understand materials for young people and their parents to help them better understand the company’s data practices. These resources would begin to roll out globally in the coming months.

“...Having an accurate age for a user can be an important element in providing experiences tailored to their needs. Yet, knowing the accurate age of our users across multiple products and surfaces, while at the same time respecting their privacy and ensuring that our services remain accessible, is a complex challenge. It will require input from regulators, lawmakers, industry bodies, technology providers, and others to address it – and to ensure that we all build a safer 

DHS Releases New Resources to Combat Human Trafficking on World Day Against Trafficking in Persons

 

Release Date: 

July 30, 2021

WASHINGTON – Today, on World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released new resources aimed at combatting human trafficking and supporting victims.  The new resources include the first-ever Continued Presence Resource Guide to assist federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies in supporting victims of human trafficking and advancing trafficking investigations and prosecutions.  DHS is also releasing a fact sheet for the business community detailing criminal authorities used for prosecuting forced labor and related offenses in China.  The fact sheet appeals to victims and witnesses of forced labor and other human rights abuses to contact DHS.

“The Department of Homeland Security is leading the fight against the horrific practices of sex trafficking and forced labor,” said Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas.  “As part of the Department’s victim-centered approach, we are committed to providing victims of these crimes, including noncitizen victims, support and necessary services and to seeking justice on their behalf.  Components, offices, and experts across the Department are part of this critical mission.  With the release of these new resources, we aim to support and inform law enforcement and businesses across the country, and to protect and assist victims of trafficking.”

Continued Presence is a temporary immigration designation provided by law enforcement to noncitizens who may be victims of human trafficking or may be witnesses in investigations, or have filed federal civil actions against their traffickers.  Continued Presence is granted in two-year increments and is renewable.  Recipients are also eligible for certain federal benefits and services.  Continued Presence helps to alleviate victims’ fears about removal, provides victims economic security, and improves victims’ ability to seek justice against their traffickers.  Learn more about the Continued Presence Resource Guide.

DHS is also releasing a fact sheet informing individuals and entities engaged in business in China of the risk of violating federal forced labor law.  This advisory cautions businesses that they are responsible for the labor practices in their supply chains and informs them of the federal laws for prosecuting forced labor and related offenses.  The fact sheet explains that one can face prosecution in U.S. courts and states that, “The federal crime of forced labor does not require that a defendant have imported into the United States any goods produced wholly or in part with forced labor.” 

DHS operates the Center for Countering Human Trafficking (CCHT), led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).  With 16 supporting offices and components, CCHT is a DHS-wide effort dedicated to bringing human traffickers to justice, protecting victims of sex trafficking and forced labor, and preventing these terrible crimes from occurring.

DHS is also home to the national public awareness campaign, the Blue Campaign.  The Blue Campaign educates the public, law enforcement, non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders through partnerships, advertisements, and social media about the indicators of human trafficking and how to report it. 

Any victim of a federal crime, or a whistleblower or witness to a federal crime, may contact HSI by calling 866-347-2423 or completing a tip form.  A crime victim’s identifying information is protected from disclosure. HSI has Victim Assistance Specialists who can inform crime victims of their rights and ability to receive benefits and services. Informants may remain confidential and may be entitled to compensation, such as a Moiety award. 

Read the fact sheet on criminal authorities for enforcing forced labor.

Learn more about the DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking. 

Learn more about the DHS Blue Campaign.

Learn more about T Nonimmigrant Status (“T Visa”) for victims of human trafficking.

Learn more about U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Trade, Forced Labor Program.

 

Topics: 

Human Trafficking, 

Secretary of Homeland Security 

Keywords: 

Blue Campaign, 

Human Trafficking, 

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), 

Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas 

Last Published Date: July 30, 2021

FBI warns predators are targeting children playing video games

Help Find Missing Children. Let's Put An End To Child Abuse And Exploitation...Care.

The FBI warns predators are trying to take advantage of children playing video games.(WOIO)

By Sara Goldenberg

Published: Jul. 26, 2021 at 4:31 PM PDT

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - The FBI is warning predators are targeting children.

Kids and teens spend hours over the summer playing video games, and they still have a few weeks left until back-to-school.

Video games can be a lot of fun, but 19 Investigates found sexual predators can be lurking anonymously behind the keyboard.

FBI New York released a PSA called “It’s Not a Game” urging parents to watch out for their children online.

“As soon as that instant message pops up on your child’s browser or on their smart phone, there could be a sexual predator on the other end. It takes only a few days—sometimes just hours—to groom your child into sending compromising photos to the person on the other end of that chat. Then the threats begin,” the FBI agent said in the video.

You can watch the PSA in full here.

We spoke with a local parent, Mallory Diebel, and her 11-year-old son Slade, who loves to play video games.

“I like that it’s a getaway from real life, where you can basically do whatever you want,” he said. Roblox and Minecraft keep him busy for hours.

His parents try to stay involved in what he’s playing.

“It’s a whole new world from when me and my husband were young and playing Sega and Nintendo,” she said. There has been one big change since then.

Users can message each other now, and that’s where the FBI warns threats can come in.

500,000 predators are active online every day, according to the FBI.

Kids ages 12 to 15 are most at risk.

Diebel wants to give Slade his independence when he’s playing.

But she continues to keep tabs on what he’s playing and who he’s talking to.

“We do check in with him every once and awhile to make sure he’s not giving anything private out about yourself, where we live, your name, if we’re home, not home, different things like that,” she said. She’s noticed many of the video games put in more parental controls and restrictions on chats.

But she still keeps an eye on public servers.

“When you’re talking about strangers and a person you see in front of you, it’s easy to say, they’re kind of giving me a weird feeling. Same thing that happens with online,” she said. So what can you do, besides set parental controls?

Experts say know your child’s ID and password and tell him or her you will randomly check them.

You can keep your child’s computer in an open area of your home.

But the best thing you can do is talk about the dangers together.

That’s something Diebel is already doing with her son.

“It’s just having those little, hard conversations that they may not want to have, but it’s still important to keep that communication open,” she said. We checked with the Cuyahoga County Internet Crimes Against Children task force to see how many cyber tips they’re getting so far this year.

The task force says it has gotten 6,393 cyber tips statewide through July 25.

They’re getting more cyber tips than last year at this time.

10,321 cyber tips came into the task force in 2020, setting a record.

CyberTipline - NCMEC - Trinity Mount Ministries - Report Abuse! 1-800-843-5678

 Help Find Missing Children. Let's Put An End To Child Abuse...Care.

Overview

NCMEC’s CyberTipline is the nation’s centralized reporting system for the online exploitation of children. The public and electronic service providers can make reports of suspected online enticement of children for sexual acts, extra-familial child sexual molestation, child pornography, child sex tourism, child sex trafficking, unsolicited obscene materials sent to a child, misleading domain names, and misleading words or digital images on the internet.

What Happens to Information in a CyberTip?

NCMEC staff review each tip and work to find a potential location for the incident reported so that it may be made available to the appropriate law-enforcement agency for possible investigation. We also use the information from our CyberTipline reports to help shape our prevention and safety messages.

Is Your Image Out There?

Get Support

One of the worst things about sextortion is feeling like you’re facing everything alone. But you have people who care for you and want to help. Reach out to them!

A trusted adult can offer advice, help you report, and help you deal with other issues. It could be your mom, dad, an aunt, a school counselor, or anyone you trust and are comfortable talking to. You can also “self report” by making a report on your own to the CyberTipline.

Don’t Give Up

Having a sexual exploitative image of yourself exposed online is a scary experience. It can make you feel vulnerable and isolated, but remember, others have been in the same situation as you – and they’ve overcome it. 

Learn the steps you can take to limit the spread of the content.

Sex assault accusers describe Bay Area coach’s ‘cult-like’ hold on them

Chioke Robinson faces 19 felony charges in sex assault case:

LOS GATOS – JULY 26: People space out and listen to speakers during a Stand for Survivor Solidarity event held on the football field of Los Gatos High School in Los Gatos, Calif., on Sunday, July 26, 2020. (Randy Vazquez/ Bay Area News Group)

By CURTIS PASHELKA 

SAN JOSE – A graphic and sometimes emotional preliminary hearing for a former South Bay track and field coach charged with multiple counts of sexual assault against underage girls is expected to conclude Monday in Santa Clara County Superior Court.

Chioke “Chee” Robinson, 46, has been charged with 19 felonies, including eight counts of oral copulation with a minor under 18 and five counts of sexual penetration with a minor under 18.

Deputy District Attorney Anne Seery plans to have San Jose Police Detective Michael O’Grady testify Monday morning. After that, Judge Julia Alloggiamento will decide whether there is sufficient evidence to proceed to trial.

Through the first four days of the hearing last week, four women who were coached by Robinson while in high school testified that they had sexual interactions with him before their 18th birthdays, with one witness saying her first encounter took place when she was 14 or 15. A fifth woman testified Friday that she was 14 when Robinson grabbed her breasts and touched her genital area.

The alleged incidents described in court took place between 1998 and 2011.

Three of the women said they were 17 when Robinson first had sexual intercourse with them. The former coach is also charged with four counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor age 14 or 15, one count of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor under 14, and oral copulation with a minor under 16.

Throughout the week, prosecutors sought to portray Robinson as a predatory figure who would gain the trust of his underage victims through ordinary coach-athlete interactions. The relationships then would grow more flirtatious, ultimately turning physical.

Multiple witnesses testified that they sought to please and protect Robinson, who they said was a controlling figure in their lives. One woman who attended Presentation High School, said she began a years-long sexual relationship with Robinson in 2006, when she was 17 and a member of his club team, ISC International.

“My life all revolved around him,” she said, later adding that the track club had a “cult-like mentality. We all just followed.”

Another woman, who broke down crying at one point under cross-examination, said she lied to Los Gatos police about their relationship. She testified Thursday that she was 14 at the time of her first sexual encounter with Robinson in 1998. As a once-promising runner, she said she was “recruited” to attend Los Gatos High School and compete in both track and field and cross-country.

That witness testified she had just started her freshman year and got to know Robinson after seeing him every day at cross-country practice. She said Robinson told her that she was a good athlete and then began to give her “extra attention” by giving her rides home and regularly calling her own home phone.

She testified that their relationship began with kissing but said the two had their first sexual encounter on a stairwell after a South Bay cross-country meet at another high school. The incident involved oral sex and other acts. After that encounter, the relationship became more sexual as the two saw each other alone on a more frequent basis.

“I was sort of numb,” she testified on direct examination when asked how that made her feel. “I didn’t know what to make of the attention.”

She testified that the first time Robinson had sexual intercourse with her was in the spring of her freshman year after she had turned 15 in January.

By the time she was a sophomore, she testified that she felt she was in a full, “secret relationship” with Robinson, one that continued for approximately six more years. She said the two moved in together around the time of her 18th birthday, but that she broke off the relationship in 2005 when she was 21.

7-years later in DC - Relisha Rudd is still missing...

Relisha Rudd is still missing, and police are still looking for her.

It has been seven years since the then 8-year-old Relisha Rudd went missing from a D.C. homeless shelter.

This ad will end in 23

 

Author: Kolbie Satterfield (WUSA 9)

WASHINGTON — July 11 is designated as Relisha Rudd Awareness Day.

The then 8-year-old girl went missing seven years ago on March 1, 2014, but wasn’t reported missing until 18 days later on March 19, 2014.

Relisha disappeared from a homeless shelter her family was staying at in Northeast D.C.

The young girl was last seen on surveillance video at a hotel with Kahlil Tatum, a 51-year-old janitor at D.C. General Family Shelter, the shelter her family was staying at.

Tatum’s wife was murdered in an Oxon Hill motel shortly after Relisha was reported missing.

RELATED: Relisha Rudd suspect Kahlil Tatum's Divorce papers

On April 1, 2014, Tatum was found dead at Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens, according to D.C. Police. It was later discovered that Tatum killed himself before he could be questioned by police. There was no sign of Relisha.

"We kind of failed Relisha Rudd on so many different levels, so many different people, from the community, from family, from government, law enforcement,” Henderson Long, a missing person’s advocate and CEO of D.C.’s Missing Voice said.

Credit: National Association of Missing and Exploited Children

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children along with the DC Metropolitan Police Department released a new age progression for Relisha Rudd.

“Always keep hope, never give up, never stop searching,” Long said. “My main message today (July 11) is that so anybody who knows anything, even if it’s the least little thing about the disappearance or the whereabouts of Relsiha Rudd to dial into MPD.”

If you know anything about Relisha’s disappearance or whereabouts, call 202-727-9099.

There is a $50,000 reward for information.

for information.