You would think that when Craigslist removed its adult sections that would make the site completely uninteresting to predators. It seems that not everybody got that memo.
51-year-old John Michael Keating of Chisholm, Minnesota, is now facing multiple felony charges after allegedly responding to a Craigslist ad that was created as part of an Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigation.
According to the criminal complaint, investigators posted an ad in May for the Duluth-Superior area with the title “Needing new friends! (Superior).”
That’s when someone identifying himself online as “John Hammer” allegedly responded.
Naming yourself ‘John Hammer’ online only makes you sound like a tool after all.
Anyway, Mr. Hammer allegedly responded to the ad with sexually explicit messages. When the investigator identified himself as a 15-year-old girl, the suspect is said to have told her to get off of Craigslist.
If you’ve been a reader of my site for any extended amount of time, that probably sounds familiar.
It’s the same kind of idiotic excuses we heard from predators caught on “To Catch a Predator” with Chris Hansen. Time after time, alleged predators would show up to meet someone they thought was a minor, then suddenly claim they were only there to warn the teenager about talking to strangers online. Nevermind the fact that a lot of these predators showed up with alcohol and condoms.
That is what authorities allege happened here. According to the complaint, after telling the fake teenager to leave Craigslist, Mr. Hammer continued engaging in sexual conversations. Investigators say the conversation eventually turned into discussions about meeting up as they tend to do.
Authorities allege that on June 5, a sexually explicit image was sent during the conversation. A meeting was later arranged in Superior for June 11, where investigators say Hammer was nailed by police.
Keating has been charged with using a computer to facilitate a child sex crime, causing a child younger than 13 to view or listen to sexual activity, child enticement, and possession with intent to deliver marijuana.
A judge set bail at $25,000 cash and ordered that he have no contact with minors and not possess drugs or drug paraphernalia.
Stories like this are a reminder that even though Craigslist is not the same website it was 15 years ago, the dangers tied to anonymous online platforms have not disappeared.
The adult sections that made Craigslist notorious are largely gone. The personals are gone. The site is nowhere near as dominant as it once was.
But apparently, some predators are still out there browsing Craigslist looking for opportunities.
The problem was never just one section of one website. The problem has always been people who use the internet to target others.
Platforms, apps, and websites change, but the excuses stay the same.
(Source)
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