Xbox Live is a popular place for child molesters
It seems like Xbox Live is getting too big for its own good. The small community we used to love and enjoy is attracting all kinds of unwanted people. Child predators reaching out to young boys is one alarming crime that has happened a few times recently.
Xbox Live (XBL) is probably the largest online community on a single platform. Microsoft has revealed that there are approximately 17 million registered users (including Silver accounts) on XBL. Sony has also revealed that the Playstation Network (PSN) has 17 million registered users, but that is including the PSP PSN accounts as well.
With so many users on the XBL it was bound to attract all sorts of misfits to the service. A 19-year-old man was recently arrested in Parma, Ohio, accused of repeatedly raping a 12-year-old boy. The man made contact with the boy about a year ago, over Xbox Live and has stayed in contact with the child over time. Then in Jan. 15, the man traveled from Michigan to Parma to meet the boy in person. The man was arrested yesterday and charged with repeatedly raping the boy and sexual imposition.
A 24-year-old man from Portsmouth was charged with child pornography on Dec. 18 after he engaged a 13-year-old boy inappropriately over Xbox Live. The man asked the boy to send nude photos of himself to his cellphone as well as engaged in inappropriate conversation of the sexual nature.
If anything is to be learned from these incidents, it is that parents should take away the Xbox 360 headsets from their children and possibly restrict XBL usage. Also, parents should use the parental controls within the Xbox 360. I just have one question – what kinds of games are these kids playing online anyway? Halo 3? I sincerely hope that many of parents are heeding the mature 17+ rating.
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January 27th, 2009
Microsoft has equipped the Xbox with family settings, so parents should take more responsibility re this.
However, I would have thought that Home would have been the sexual predator’s tool of choice. In Home you can just walk up to someone and begin talking, whereas in Xbox Live you normally meet while playing games etc. I wonder how many sexual harassment/predatory incidents have happened on Home?
January 28th, 2009
Ugh… lets not turn this into a ‘home is teh sexual predator paradise not live!’ etc. talkback.
Still, I guess that’s what the article is titled and written like it is. To start ‘the’ war…
Yahoo chat, IRC, and probably a zillion other chat applications and games (including home) have or will be used for this kind of of crap. Parents just need to stop dumping the kid in front of the computer.
If you can’t handle/spend time a kid, don’t fucking have one.
January 28th, 2009
“Xbox Live (XBL) is probably the largest online community on a single platform.”
Actually, I think Facebook and MySpace dwarf it’s numbers as far as online communities go. Facebook currently has more than 150 million active users worldwide, MySpace has over 100 million, and both can be readily accessed via the PS3 or PC platform. Any popular online community that children have access to will be a “popular” place for these mentally deranged criminals.
msnbc.msn.com/id/11165576/
January 28th, 2009
SW,
Ferro’s type of journalism encourages people to discuss things like this. He titled this intentionally to get this type of reaction.
Anyway, I stand by what I said earlier, Home is more open to predators than Live is, by a large margin.
January 28th, 2009
Wow, 17 million users and only a couple of scary tales to tell?!
There’s the real surprise.
A minute fraction of users are scumbags, a surprisingly safer and lower stat than the scary ‘real world’.
I’d call that pretty good.
January 28th, 2009
with users like kev CAD and that asshole harry… what do you expect…
that bitch harry never called me after that night…
January 28th, 2009
Sooooo…….. there exists a negative to every console coming standard with a headset.
January 28th, 2009
Which of those 2 pictures is Harry? I’m going to say the first one.
I don’t think there is anything to do in Home except harass people. and rip off their virtual clothing.
January 28th, 2009
I’ll say the first one also lol.
I have to admit, the article’s title did make me laugh when I read it. Unfortunately, I think any form of social networking (XBL, Home, Myspace, Facebook, etc) is susceptible to sick people taking advantage of it.
January 28th, 2009
I want the death penalty in Canada and make Child molestation a death offence.
I volunteer to stick the F@#kers with the needles myself. For FREE!!
I have three girls and I would go to prison for murder if anyone touched my kids.
January 28th, 2009
Ncaissie – I totally agree with you. Unfortunately I don’t think it is a crime punishable by death here in the US either. I think they only get a couple of years in prison, before they are paroled and back out on the streets. In most instances, these types of criminals are often repeat offenders.
On a less serious note – I’ll say the second picture is Kev.
January 28th, 2009
I am much better looking than that guy…..
January 28th, 2009
“I am much better looking than that guy…..”
You can probably attract cuter children.
January 28th, 2009
‘accused of repeatedly raping a 12-year-old boy’
Do you reckon he was paroled before he went back for seconds and thirds?
I see the kev in No.2. This means CAD is still out there roaming free.
“It isn’t stalking, …not since my last conviction.”
January 28th, 2009
Oh yeah, Zero Punctuation did a review of GeOW2 today.
escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/525-Gears-of-War-2
January 28th, 2009
When ever I read a comment for Harry or Kev, I will have those pictures associated with them. I need to find one now for CAD.
Roy – I can’t watch streaming media at work. I’ll try to check it out tonight. How is that 100% on GTA coming along? After I looked through all of the requirements to get the platinum again, I think it would end up taking probably over 100 hours or so.
January 28th, 2009
I haven’t been on since I left you that message. I’m trying just to cruise through the main story at the minute, to make sure I get the under 30 hour Gold trophy.
I don’t reckon it’ll take too long, compared to like San Andreas. Certainly be quicker than Wipeouts ridiculous trophy requirements (like Zone Zeus, Airbraker and Beat Zico).
January 28th, 2009
So after all of the PS3 artilces posted on this site they finally post some for xbox………….
Child molestation?
January 28th, 2009
“However, I would have thought that Home would have been the sexual predator’s tool of choice. ”
Home is so boring that no sexual predator would bother to use it.
January 28th, 2009
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
chest high walls… more money than a triple cunted hooker on the day the troops come home…
HAHHAHAHAHAHA
gawd bless you Yahtzee… zero punctuation is awesome…
January 28th, 2009
I’ve said it once and Ill say it again.
Bowling can be fun! But everything else sucks.
I wonder how much money sony waste… I mean sunk into Home.
January 28th, 2009
I hold Aaron Greenburg personally responsible for all of this.
January 28th, 2009
“You can probably attract cuter children”
hahahahaahahahahhahaha
January 29th, 2009
dwh – f. you, mate. this is no joking matter. thanks for proving ps3 fanboys are truly vile, disgusting, creatures.
January 29th, 2009
royzy – you’re as pathetic as dwh. congrats, gamerblorge. you’ve found the dregs of the gaming community in dwh, barnabe and royzy. you must be so proud.
January 29th, 2009
mike – to say xbox live is “popular” for molesters is about the most insulting thing i’ve ever read you write. over 10 million users and TWO, instances of problems is hardly proof of “popular”.
your type of hack journalism is the #1 reason the ‘net will never be considered a credible source of information. thanks for furthering the belief…..
January 29th, 2009
..on second thought; i don’t think i’m going to give your site any more hits for a while, Mike. You guys crossed the line with this one.
congrat tho; you really hyped up your adolsecent ps3 fanboys here…..
dwh, barn, royzy – you three are shining examples why people don’t like the ps3. noone wants to be associated with people like you. Enjoy your lost generation from the last row… lmao…
January 29th, 2009
Not that I agree with joking about this particular subject, but seriously? Managing to turn your ‘disgust’ into anti PS3 sentiment, thats a new level of spin.
I guess Wii owners not only do NOT joke about child molesters they also don’t say ‘har haw your console is teh suckz0rs because 3 of your userbase joked about teh kiddy fiddlers!!!one’
Hence the largest userbase….dot
January 29th, 2009
hahahahhahah.. its ok Kev… you can swear on the internet… your mommy wont find out… so lemme say this… fuck you too…
I come here for the KOOL people… not for news… I do hope the writers cover better topics… but will still come here…
if you dont want to… no one is forcing you… you have nothing new to say… nothing intelligent to contribute… so yeah.. fuck off…
you couldve dont the honorable thing like Harry and atleast said something intelligent… but no… we dont expect much from you anyway…
so again… on behalf of the “360 MUST DIE” club… I say… fuck you too…
January 29th, 2009
No doubt about it, kev was definitely no.2
“dwh, barn, royzy – you three are shining examples why people don’t like the ps3. noone wants to be associated with people like you. Enjoy your lost generation from the last row… lmao…”
Hahahaha what?! You are funny. And to think you posted 4 times in a row to get around to saying that. Were you hyperventilating?
January 29th, 2009
he left out arvis and bourne… why discriminate kev??? whyyyyy????
January 29th, 2009
Yeah, I guess Mike should be ashamed for bringing this up. I mean, what is he thinking letting people know what is going on in the news. Yes he could of worded it differently, but we say this on at least one article a week. I say get over it. Mike knows we are intelligent enough to see through the bull shit. We all know this is going on everywhere that there is interaction on the web. Case in point look at DWH and Harry! One of those guys has to be a teenager, I just haven’t figured out which one.
By the way, I guess every comedian who ever told an inappropriate joke was a playstation fan. I now blame them for the PS3 low sales. Imagine if Sam Kinnison was still alive, the sales would only be in the dozens!
January 29th, 2009
wow… I didnt know you were trying to stalk me…
lets get this straight… ok… once and for all… we can act all “mature” and talk about how video games are SO important… or we can be kooky and have fun and leave the boring stuff to the writers…
also youre starting to creep me out dude…
January 29th, 2009
I have noticed a pattern though with FERRO. He writes positive Playstation articles, and negative Xbox articles, i.e this one and the Banjo one he posted earlier today. He is a fanboy, and we do see through his bullshit.
Wylie77, you’re saying that only teenagers can make gay jokes?
January 29th, 2009
oh my gawd!!! Wylie HATES GAY PEOPLE!!!
I KNEW IT!!! we must burn him with our Pretty Rainbow Fire… BURN BABY BURN!!!
I say this… blorge writers… a little more constructive criticism and a little less negativity…
January 29th, 2009
“more money than a triple c**ted hooker”
I would be embarrassed.
Unfortunately I bet you sound ‘awesome’ in your own head.
Are you about 13?
January 29th, 2009
Happy,
Are you going to keep asking that until you get an answer? I think he is ignoring you.
Tbh, I bet DWH is older than me.
January 29th, 2009
dont worry Royzy… Happy is way to “mature” to laugh at silly jokes… he likes to read important mature books writes important mature things and likes to sip on a nice glass of chianti while we make gay jokes…
but to get back on the issue… I have heard that the 360 has a lot of parental features… and I heard that the ESRB was doing this “Teaching parents” about the parental controls… I just hope the parents get more involved…
if all fails… get the kid a Wii… just a Wii.. soon he’s gonna get tired of Wii Sports and never touch another game again…
yeah… look at me… Im so mature… yeah bitches…
January 29th, 2009
@All,
“Its only positive or negative to the reader if they are a fanboy.”
Let me give it a shot and try to explain – I own both an Xbox 360 and PS3 and extremely enjoy both systems. So to me I don’t write stories with the intent to avoid what may be construed as something even remotely being derogatory towards the console-lover’s system.
The two incidents happened on Xbox Live within a month of each other. If there were similar incidents on PSN the title would reflect that as well. Probably something similar to ‘XBL and PSN popular place for child molesters’
I want to bring to attention, especially to parents, that places like XBL are becoming popular grounds for child molesters. As you can see I also mention PSN in the article, but explain that XBL is a more viable target because it is quite larger than PSN. Is that an attack or a compliment? Take off goggles.
I honestly don’t get how this article is derogatory to a specific system at all. Actually I am dumbfounded to such childish reactions.
To Harry,
Take off goggles.
Recent stories from past week:
Banjo-Kazooie – I am defending the game and developer. I am bringing reason(excuse) as to why the game sold poorly despite being extremely well made game.
Age of Conan – I am bringing MMOs like this title to light despite almost no coverage being made by other sites for Xbox 360.
Sony copy Xbox 360 – I am literally saying Sony marketing is inferior – need to be more like Microsoft’s.
Blorge’s motto – “Technology with an attitude”
Can’t take the heat? Drink Milk.
January 29th, 2009
WHOA!!! Mike has been set loose… the timid “fanboy” geek you used to know is now going to kick your ass…
but I digress… I must say… why should we have to vindicate ourselves by saying… “I have a PS3 AND a 360″… (not saying this to you Mike)… you can still be a fanboy and have both systems…
and how do you know the guy is telling the truth?? so should we all now start our comments with a list of our consoles and the name of our employers??
LOOK AT WHAT YOU HAVE REDUCED ME TOO!!! I am starting to THINK!!! OW MY BRAIN HURTS!!!
Why cant we just have a conversation instead to put everything on the table and prove why we are not fanboys… just fucking talk… put down facts… thats it…
I digress… again.. what does it mean to “take off goggles” is it like a sexual thing?? harry… do you want to talk about it??
January 29th, 2009
Looks like I got under the skin of Mr Ferro! Good!! Maybe he might consider changing the tone of his headlines a little to hide his bias towards one system over another.
Funny how you say that XBL is larger than PSN. Last I heard, Sony were touting how the number of registered PSN users were nearly on par with registered XBL users. But then again, honesty isn’t a PR guy’s strong point.
DWH – i’m just replacing goggles with pants, it’s more fun that way.
January 29th, 2009
see i knew xbox was gay lol
January 29th, 2009
@harry,
whatever you say bud.
No bias in the headlines and no change will be made in the tone either.
You have to remember our site’s motto, we always have a dose of opinion and attitude in our story. That is what sets us apart from cookie cutter sites.
Blorge is not your generic news feed site- I’m sure you would love us to have the title be like the source’s title: “Teen Accused Of Raping Boy He Met Through Xbox”
http://www.newsnet5.com/news/18575773/detail.html
…and get straight to the facts. no opinion or attitude, but then we wouldn’t be Blorge now would we?
January 29th, 2009
@Mike,
Yo Mike your site is awesome.
I do like the fact you guys have different stuff from site-xyz.
You seem to have some good insight into how the used game market effects the game studios. I read some good stuff a while back.
I would like to hear your take on their latest effort to fight this market by releasing DLC taken from full games like Tomb Raider.
Peace.
January 29th, 2009
@Harry,
Titles are part of the online game man, mikes right man.
i doubt he will follow ur suggestion to make his titles to be like the 500 other relating stories out there. duh.
Anybody try RE5 demo? Its decent, a bit of a letdown though… wtf how come you can’t run and shoot? Is this 1999?
January 30th, 2009
If by attitude you mean biased and misleading titles, then sure!
January 30th, 2009
@harry,
lol, your an idiot and just needs to shut up before you make yourself look any more stupid.
How is the title misleading at all? So you don’t think Child molesters see XBL as a great place to pick up boys? I’m sure it looks like candy land to them.
Should mike include PSN in the title to make you feel better? lol… silly fanboy.
I can see if there was an indicident on the PSN, Im sure he would have talked about it.. but considering there wasn’t, seems like you want him to act like an Xbot fanboy and trash PSN for the heck of it.
I think this article struck a nerve with harry.
Are you feeling guilty about sumthin? mmm? lol..
January 30th, 2009
wait a sec….
harry sachz… dirty sanchez… hmmmm…
January 30th, 2009
“wtf how come you can’t run and shoot?”
Normally I would agree, and it IS a little frustrating sometimes (esp. if you’ve ever played Resi 4 on Wii). But you just gotta remember that its part of the formula that is ‘resident evil’ and makes the gameplay a little more ‘Oh fuck 10 zombies are coming at me!!!!’ kind of.
January 30th, 2009
dirk – the point harry is making is that TWO instances, with over 13 million users, does not equate to “popular”…..
a fact that you may, once you’ve graduated the 8th grade wtih dwh, royzy and barn, understand….
but i doubt it…..
the fact is; mike is a hack journalist and very, very irresponsilbe posting this headline to be found thru search engines. but he really doesn’t care as long as he gets site hits.
further example why ps3 fanboys are not welcomed in the gaming community. they’ll allow their hatred for the competition completely overrule good judgement, common sense or ethics…..
do you think it’s a coincidence this is the only site reporting this? or that dwh, royzy, dirk, barnabe, are commenting?
the authors encourage the fanboy populace yet claim to want to get along with everyone….
i’ve never wanted a group of people get get cancer and die before so badly in my life….
truly a sick and unneeded species of gamers. I can’t believe i used to be a ps2 owner…
with these types of people on playstation’s network, i don’t think i’ll ever buy another playstation product.
January 30th, 2009
harry – forget about it. mike is useless as a journalist and this article is already making it’s rounds on the gaming boards to much laughter at Mike.
it’s only one of many….
January 30th, 2009
Kev – “dwh, barn, royzy – you three are shining examples why people don’t like the ps3.” – Thanks I needed a good laugh.
@Mike and Dave – I’ve clicked through the rest of Blorge… and the Mac, Vista, and Tech portions are all dead. They have either no comments, or at the most 2. I think you should expand the gamer portion and built the site around gamming. If this site and it’s writers were to concentrate solely on gaming that could really increase your hits 10 fold.
January 30th, 2009
Ok, so two people have actually molester kids on Xbox Live, but that is ok with Kev (because he was one of them).
Yet if THREE people make a joke about it, then all Playstation must die and Kev feels itchy because he used to own a PS2. Get a fucking life, troll.
January 30th, 2009
I thought you were going to fuck off kev… WHY DIDNT YOU FUCK OFF!!!
ROY!!! its in this time that we need your super nude drawing skillz… make my web comic bitch…
harry… dont read too much into it… dont forget… you still come here for the hot ass…
WHAT !!! KEV IS STILL NOT GONE!!!!
January 30th, 2009
Blorge needs a forum where all matter of gaming topics could be posted and users flamed until crispy.
January 30th, 2009
Royzy:
Happy,
“Are you going to keep asking that until you get an answer?”
There’s 2 ways of looking at this.
Either he is a 13-ish yr old moron with an annyoingly offensive turn of phrase
or
He is an older guy making out he’s ‘down with da kids’ with his rad speaks.
Each way around it’s pathetic.
darkwhitehair:
“while we make gay jokes…”
How convincingly heterosexual & clever of you.
Go on admit it, you are an adolescent, right?
January 30th, 2009
dude… happy is starting to creep me out…
no happy NO!!! BAD TOUCH BAD TOUCH!!! VERY VERY BAD TOuCH!!!
January 30th, 2009
dwh
quit climbing onto your high-horse & trying to tell people to f*ck off (and the rest of the saddo talk) and I’ll quit ripping the pi$$ out of you for it.
Deal?
January 30th, 2009
fuck you too happy… I didnt start it… kev did… then he tried to end… but he just wont go away…
ripping what exactly??? you reek of desperation…
January 30th, 2009
@ dirk,
“lol, your an idiot and just needs to shut up before you make yourself look any more stupid.”
If you’re going to call me an idiot, you may want to at least check your spelling and grammar. Otherwise you look quite the fool. Nice work, idiot!
January 30th, 2009
no h@rry your RONG!!!
January 31st, 2009
Righto dwh
You prefer to talk like a saddo aging ‘down wid da kids’ adult cretin or a laughable 13yr old boy child.
Your choice and you just made it.
Remember that.
January 31st, 2009
OH NOES!!! lets all not make any jokez anymorez cus Happy liekz to be seriousz…. VIDEO GAMEZ ARE SUPA SUPA SERIOUZ!!! we should all write big long articles and comment on how serious it is…
you want serious… try a blog… I come here to have fun… stop being such a tightass…
January 31st, 2009
No-one ever said anything about not having fun or being over-serious.
I was talking about your habit of telling people to f*ck off
(anmd just who the f*ck do you imagine yourself to be!?).
There’s also your saddo turn of phrase, all too predictably revolving around gay people and gayness
(how convincingly hetero of you, yeah right)
or abusive imagery of women.
That counts as fun to you, huh?
Grow up.
February 11th, 2009
mike – let’s see grow some cajones and post this article:
PS3 IS POPULAR WITH PSYCHOTIC MURDERERS.
http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2009/01/suspect_leaves_ps3_with_ebay_instructions_to_roommate_before_shooting_spree.html
..douche…