Sex Predators Turning To Video Games To Interact With Kids

UPI :

A growing number of sexual predators are turning to video games played on the Wii and PlayStation to interact with young Americans on the Internet, police say.

"Child predators are migrating from traditional methods to alternate media. They are going to places where children are," said Detective Lt. Thomas Kish of the Michigan State Police.

Read the whole story: UPI

Comments

[JasonQuiggleGivesaDamn]

02:11 AM on 07/03/2008

""Child predators are migrating from traditional methods to alternate media. They are going to places where children are," said Detective Lt. Thomas Kish of the Michigan State Police.""

DUH!!!

[Snoman]

10:27 PM on 07/02/2008

Unless I am mistaken, GTA Vice City doesn't have multiplayer capacity on any platform.

[FeloniouslyAnnoying]

09:25 AM on 07/03/2008

But its EVVVVIILLLLL!!!!!

[carlmarks]

09:10 PM on 07/02/2008

send them to VT where they will be welcome.

[Ricey]

06:11 AM on 07/03/2008

yeah okay... is that because the rest of the States (or the world for that matter) are completely free of sexual predators and murderers, where kids never turn up missing or dead? As far as Im aware, this was Vermont's first Amber Alert. Hey, what do you have against Vermont anyways? Is it because there are alot of fine people who live there and its a solidly independent, progressive state?

[Sloopydrew]

07:48 PM on 07/02/2008

There is NO evidence in the article, just a bunch of grandstanding dolts making ludicrous statements. And the Wii doesn't allow people to converse with each other so it's odd they named that console and the Playstation. Xbox 360 ring a bell? The people in the article linked to were full of hot air.

I'm getting more than a little sick of video games and those who play them being unjustly attacked.

[Deeg]

07:49 PM on 07/02/2008

Well if you invite a sexual predator over to your house and play Wii Sports together, it's encouraging sex crimes against our children!

SOME ON PLEASE THINK OF THE CHILDREN

[CountryBeforeParty]

05:58 PM on 07/02/2008

The predators should unionize, have a big meeting, and then we can arrest them all.

[Kyuzo]

05:44 PM on 07/02/2008

This article is awful. It is poorly researched and utterly devoid of supporting information. The specific games and game consoles referenced do not have the capabilities claimed.

HuffPo really needs to screen the articles they post before give them unwarranted extra attention.

[Kmuzu]

05:45 PM on 07/02/2008

I agree this is a non-story. Fox News was doing the same kind of story on how the DS was being used by predators. The whole idea of using the Wii to communicate with children is laughable and shows how little the authors understand the technology. This theme has been passed around as legitimate reporting for about thirty years. I remember Capt. Kangaroo getting his feathers in a ruffle over Atari games like Pit Fall.

I wish the media would once do a little bit .. just a tiny bit of research. God, journalist must be the easiest job ever.

[Sloopydrew]

07:49 PM on 07/02/2008

"journalist must be the easiest job ever."

Only if you're a bad journalist. Sadly, they seem to be the majority as of late.

[Deeg]

07:57 PM on 07/02/2008

It's easy to be an opinionated prick, it's hard to be an honest journalist.

Oh and opinionated pricks make more money too.

[SonofLiberty1]

10:11 AM on 07/03/2008

How outrageous that you would diss the Captain!

Look, I'm sorry but there are some of us who, to this day, are way beyond violent video games..

The more you are exposed to something...anything, the more it can effect you.

Works both ways good and bad!

Being exposed to violence whether in real life or by playing video games makes it seem "ok".

Personally, I think it's all rubbish but then I'm not under 35 either...

The other poster was right...kids should be outside playing, getting exercise whether in unorganzied or organized fashion.

Hillary was right...it does take a village....

Your crazy mixed up standards become our standards....

[Ezn]

04:33 PM on 07/02/2008

Why was my last comment deleted? Screw you, huffpo, one for putting this stupid non-story up and second for deleting my valid comments.

[tjjones]

04:45 PM on 07/02/2008

ezn, i read your comments and was about to reply with and expanded ditto.

this non-story, linked from upi, is ridiculously out of touch with facts. did this copy actually make it past the desk of anyone under 35?

[bacq]

04:25 PM on 07/02/2008

Clearly the author of this article is living in some dreamland. The demographics of MMPORG players have shifted dramatically in the past few years. You're more likely to find yourself getting pwnd by a retiree or an army lieutenant than you are by some kid.

Completely ridiculous article. And to echo RedDogBear, no data to back it up. Fracking ridiculous.

[rbspickles]

02:16 PM on 07/02/2008

Hey parents, take away ALL the tech stuff from your kids and let them have it back SPARINGLY! Turn if all off, and tell your kids to go outside and play. They need it and it's good for them. You'll be amazed at the transformation. They learn social skills, physical skills and aptitude skills just by playing with the kids next door. Get them some water balloons, basketballs and the such. Leave the Nintendo locked up for a while. Let them get dirty and have some fun doing it. Let them be children again.

[phishyphishy]

12:20 AM on 07/03/2008

Outside!!! Are you crazy?!?!? There are sexual predators and terrorists and bird flu and crack outside!

[RedDogBear]

01:16 PM on 07/02/2008

Eeeeek!!!! The SEXUAL PREDATORS are coming to get your kids through the Internet!! BE AFRAID!! Notice there are no statistics, no examples, i.e., no real data to back any of this up. Just some un-named law enforcement officials making an unsubstantiated claim. Just remember the actual statistics show that kids are much more likely to be abused by a family member or friend than a stranger.

[Soundofthunder]

02:36 PM on 07/02/2008

To this I would add, a sexual predator's only hope is dumb prey. In other words, parents, tell your kids not to rendezvous with strangers they met during an online frag-fest. Don't give them your address or cell phone number or ANYTHING. In fact, never leave your house. Become a shut in. That was the only people who can molest you are your older brother, father, step father, grandfather, uncles, and “friends” of the family like Catholic priests and scout masters.

I am entitled to make these comments. I dated a girl in college who was molested by her older brother for 7 years. Not a stranger. Her BROTHER. She wished it were a stranger. A stranger would have done it ONCE and gone to jail. Her brother did it HUNDREDS of times and went to therapy.

SOT

[snakesonablog]

03:39 PM on 07/02/2008

True, but online predators do exist, and there are many cases of kids, usually in the 12-15 range, who have made contact with online predators. Parents should be vigilent. I think that's the point.

[wolfgangmo]

04:12 PM on 07/02/2008

It one point but not the only one. The rest of the points, like lack of stats, anything resembling a fact, and the FACT that relatives and friends are most likely to act predatory toward kids is missing.

This story is a classic case of misdirection and sensationalism carrying the day.

I blame Reagan.

[protagonia]

12:31 PM on 07/02/2008

Many video game makers are doing an enormous amount of harm to the minds of our young. These companies are not our friends, and CERTAINLY not our children's friends. Anyone defending the next violent shooter game is simply addicted, and like any junkie, defends the drug beyond all rationale.

They destroy the imagination, and make the player a trained dog. Any parent leaving their child in front of one as a babysitter is negligent in the extreme.

[eggman]

03:23 PM on 07/02/2008

2008 - Video games destroying young minds
1998 - Internet destroying young minds
1988 - Rap music destroying young minds
1978 - Violence in movies destroying young minds
1968 - Rock n Roll destroying young minds
1948 - Looney Tunes destroying young minds
1938 - Three Stooges destroying young minds
1908 - Moving pictures destroying young minds
1708 - Shakespeare plays destroying young minds
1608 - King James Bible destroying young minds
5000 BC - Hieroglyphics destroying young minds

[KenTao]

03:39 PM on 07/02/2008

Koo-koo-ka-choo!

Earthlings Unite!

[wadenelson1]

04:26 PM on 07/02/2008

pretty soon there won't be any young minds left to destroy.

[phishyphishy]

03:30 PM on 07/02/2008

you must be one of those people who could never get past the cherry stage in pacman

[wolfgangmo]

04:14 PM on 07/02/2008

Ooooooooooo. Burned by Pacman. Talk about emasculating.

[TocinoHumano]

11:58 AM on 07/02/2008

Not that I need any further reason to hate video games, but this makes me hate them even more.

[RevMetheus]

03:39 PM on 07/02/2008

Not that I need any further reason to hate ignorant, knee-jerk responses to fear-mongering, but this comment makes me hate them more.

[wadenelson1]

04:27 PM on 07/02/2008

I thought videogames were cool until a kid showed me how in one of the basketball games you could throw a punch and get away with it "as long as the ref was looking the other way."

[Deeg]

07:44 PM on 07/02/2008

Maybe you should just go all the way into ignorance and just hate that dern internets. You realize online social video games are, at their very base, graphical chat rooms right?