by Toshiba ReynoldsRepresentatives for Charlie Sheen have reportedly lashed out over claims made by a woman who says she dated the actor after meeting him on an online dating web site, according to published reports.The up and coming un-named 20-something actress claims that she dated the "Two and a Half Men" star, who recently separated from his wife Denise Richards, for a month after meeting him through MillionaireMatch.com.If you recall, Jack Ryan reported back on April 19th that Sheen was utilizing MillionaireMatch.com"He met a woman on the site, and they're going on a date this week," an insider tells the mag. "They exchanged e-mails, and then he called her. She's excited. She says they have a lot in common."tPC fave Jeannette Walls of the Scoop tried to do some digging: 'Reps for the site didn't respond to a request for comment, and Sheen's spokesman told The Scoop "I never discuss my client's personal life in a public forum." A source, meanwhile, says that the gal is "much younger" than the 40-year-old Sheen.'The woman in question dishes to Life & Style magazine, "He's about as sick as they come. He posed as a talent scout (and left a message) that was like, 'Hi, this is Mr. Jonze, I'm interested in seeing more pictures of you' ... When I called him back, after a few minutes of talking, he told me who he was. We dated for a month. He's such a [bleep] perv. He would ask me to dress up, like, in pigtails and schoolgirl outfits ... I don't think he's like a paedophile, but he's definitely into young girls. You know like 18, 19. I don't doubt that everything his wife is saying now is true."Charlie Sheen's representative, Stan Rosenfield, told the New York Post's Page Six, "Bull[bleep]! It's not true. It's not true."The young woman says that she dated Sheen from early to mid-April, until only a few days ago when she attempted to contact the actor by telephone.She continues, "Then one day, out of the blue, I can't reach him. I call and it's dead air. He didn't even have the decency to break up with me .... Basically, he used me."
Two Long Island, N.Y., teenagers were in police custody facing illegal computer access and attempted extortion charges after they allegedly threatened to shake down the popular Web site MySpace unless its operators paid them $150,000, prosecutors said.Shaun Harrison, 18, and Saverio Mondelli, 19, both from Suffolk County, allegedly hacked into the social networking site and stole personal information from MySpace users.After MySpace booted them from the site, the pair threatened to distribute a foolproof method for stealing information unless MySpace paid them $150,000, said Sandi Gibbons, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County district attorney's office.The office said in a statement that Harrison and Mondelli operated a Web site called myspaceplus.com from Medford, N.Y. Prosecutors said the pair developed a computer code that enabled them to get personal information on users of MySpace.
Mondelli and Harrison were arrested Friday when they traveled to Los Angeles to allegedly collect the payoff. Instead, they were taken into custody by undercover officers from the multi-agency electronic crimes task force who posed as MySpace employees.Each was charged with two felony counts of illegal computer access and one count of sending a threatening letter for extortion and attempted extortion. They face more than four years in state prison if convicted of all charges, prosecutors said.Mondelli and Harrison entered not guilty pleas at their arraignment Tuesday. A Los Angeles Superior Court judge set bail at $35,000 and scheduled a preliminary hearing for June 5.MySpace.com allows users to post photos, blogs and journals and create networks of friends.
NEW YORK -- For some, the Internet it has become an addiction, adversely affecting their lives and their family's lives.
While not yet defined as a true addiction, many people are suffering the consequences of obsession with the online world, warns Dr. Diane M. Wieland, who treats patients with computer addiction in her practice in Lansdale, Pennsylvania.
For some people, the Internet may promote addictive behaviors and pseudo-intimate interpersonal relationships, reports Wieland in the journal, Perspectives in Psychiatric Care. "Such cyberspace contacts may result in cyber disorders such as virtual relationships that evolve into online marital infidelity (cybersex) or online sexually compulsive behaviors," she writes.
"Obsession with and craving time on the computer results in neglect of real-life personal relationships to the point of divorce," Wieland says.
The prevalence of Internet addiction is hard to gauge at the moment, Wieland notes. Extrapolating from prevalence rates of other addictions, she thinks that 5 percent to 10 percent of Internet users will most likely experience addiction.
Signs and symptoms of Internet addiction include:
a general disregard for health and appearance;
sleep deprivation due to spending so much time online;
and decreased physical activity and social interaction with others;
dry eyes, carpal tunnel syndrome, and repetitive motion injuries of the hands and fingers are common.
Internet addicts may also get the "cyber shakes" when off line, exhibiting agitation and typing motions of the fingers when not at the computer.
Many Internet addicts have a history of depression, alcohol, sex or drug abuse, and anxiety disorder, according to Wieland, who is an associate professor at the La Salle University School of Nursing.
"Denial is strong in Internet addicts who claim they cannot be addicted to a machine," Wieland notes. The "one more minute" response to being asked to go offline is common and is similar to an alcoholic who says they will quit drinking after "one more drink."
People who suspect they or a loved one might be an Internet addict, Wieland says, can find out by taking a screening test outlined in the book "Caught in the Net - How to Recognize the Signs of Internet Addiction and a Winning Strategy for Recovery," authored by Kimberly S. Young.
Cognitive behavioral therapies, often combined with psychotherapy and medications such as antidepressants are used to treat Internet addiction. Family and individual counseling and support groups are also helpful when online marital infidelity is involved.ORIGINAL ARTICLE
(This is not an advertisement but a strong suggestion to INVESTIGATE the person you are getting involved (at least run their names through some search engines and review EVERYTHING that comes up) with online before you go one step further!)
Dear Datesmart,It all started innocently enough; one night over six months ago, I was surfing the dating sites and came across one in particular that sounded professional and relatively safe, because the e-mail addresses are filtered and kept anonymous. I came across one man's profile in the Northwest which sounded very intriguing.He seemed genuinely pleased and flattered by our correspondence and soon after began sending photos of himself in various outdoor scenes, and even some with his kids. He would even send pictures of rainbows "for my morning coffee." Well, I was hooked! Within several weeks, we had exchanged phone numbers, and he called rather late one night. (Red Flag) He mentioned that he had had about thirty responses to his ad, but he wrote them back and told them that he had met someone (2nd Red Flag)....and of course, I believed him. He said he thought we should meet--soon--and gave me a tentative date about a month later when he would arrange for tickets so that I could fly up to meet him.Not long after, he started sending more intimate "stories" of how we would have romantic encounters out in some wilderness setting. I responded that it sounded like "cybersex" to me, and he replied that he was sorry I took it that way; he thought a real relationship was developing. Naturally, I apologized, and he kept up the romantic correspondence, although with intervals of absences which were due to his work (3rd Red Flag).He kept moving back the date of our meeting, and did this so many times that I finally told him to forget it about mid-October. Then, he apologized and said, "the next time we make plans to meet, you can bank on it. Period." Shortly thereafter, he made airline reservations for me in early January and in November actually sent me the tickets!After Thanksgiving, I noticed that something was wrong in his cryptic correspondence. Just about the entire month of December, I didn't hear from him. Trying to be nice, and patient, I let about two weeks lapse before even trying to contact him; however, I was getting nervous about the upcoming trip. I was trying to make plans ahead of time to get off work, plan what I needed to buy in the way of clothes, make arrangements for my daughter while I was gone, etc., etc.I called and left a message on Christmas Day, and got a message back on my answering machine a few days later that he had just gotten back from his trip to see his kids and so forth. He didn't call back, though, and on New Year's Day, I left him a message that if I didn't hear from him by the following Monday, I was going to call his office and see if they could track him down for me, because I needed to know something definite one way or another. He called the next day, and said he "wasn't available." He wasn't ready for a relationship or a commitment. (?????????)
Obviously, he has something to hide--probably still married! I was crushed because I felt like a fool, mainly for buying into all his B.S., and for being so gullible. I sent his tickets back because I didn't want the reminder, but I do feel that I wasted six months of my life by not being open to other friendships or relationships because I was dreaming of that Handsome Cowboy!Now, looking back, I wonder if I just didn't fall for a slick ad campaign for that Marlboro Man! He still has his profile on the dating service, only "new and improved" now, with some of the same pictures on it that he had sent to me. One thing I noticed in looking back now is that a lot of his "love letters" never did mention my name, so it's pretty obvious that I was just one of many starry-eyed idiots on his mailing list. Also, I didn't get a lot of direct response to my questions, such as those about his family, or his background.The ONE time I actually reached him at his phone number when it wasn't just the answering machine, he was very rude and didn't sound happy at all to hear from me. Also, in reading his "love letters", it is apparent they're all about HIM and his great sexual prowess, or HIM as the aggressive macho leading man, not much there about "ME" except as the object of his conquests. I finally realized that this man is so full of himself, such a NARCISSISTIC egomaniac, that he is just trying to seduce women online to feed and flatter his bloated ego.
He thoroughly enjoyed the game, and the flattery, until it got down to the wire. I have a feeling I'm not the only woman he has courted and then suddenly dumped in this manner. Although I consider myself lucky in that nothing much was damaged except my pride in this encounter, I would like to warn other women that the RED FLAGS ARE REAL! PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR INTUITION! If something seems "off", or not quite right, or is nagging at you, you are right!
Also, please remember that if he sounds too good to be true, you are setting yourself for disappointment, or much worse....So please be good to yourself, trust your instincts, and don't be in too great of a hurry to give your heart away.I likened it to "emotional rape" in that I really put a lot of time and emotion into our "relationship", and revealed a lot of innermost thoughts and feelings, only to have it all thrown back in my face without an apology or even much concern. He really didn't care about me at all. Period! Yes, that's a blow to my self-esteem; but then, it's also a lesson learned.I think the Internet is just another opportunity for deception and lies to flourish, because anyone can pretend to be something he or she is NOT. There may be lots of success stories out there, but I, for one, am not willing to take that risk again. I could have saved myself a lot of time and embarrassment, and yes, hurt feelings, if I had conducted a background check on him several months ago.Unfortunately, I didn't research it enough to know that these services are readily available, such as DateSmart. Ladies, it's time to leave the Enchanted Forest; that Prince on the White Horse just doesn't exist. I thought I had outgrown fairy tales! A word to the wise, I hope, is sufficient here...CHECK HIM OUT before you fall for his lines! Maybe my experience will help you to OPEN YOUR EYES and trust yourself to know the truth--before you get burned!
by Dr. Shirley Glass
Barry was very anxious and worried because his wife Pamela was spending more and more time on the computer chatting with her online friends. She came to bed late at night after hours on the internet, and she was not interested in sex. At the beginning of her online experiences, she had excitedly shared with him her e-mails and invited him to sit next to her while she entered chat rooms. However, for the last month she had been acting like she didn't want him around and switched screens rapidly when he entered the room. When he confronted her, she tried to reassure him that the friendships she had made were nothing for him to worry about. Barry continued to feel that something was wrong, so he logged on to Pamela's computer and found emotionally and sexually intimate e-mail correspondence between her and a man she had met in a chat room. Barry insisted that she terminate all communication with this man, but Pamela tried to convince him that this was only a harmless diversion.Barry's concerns were realistic because internet relationships can threaten the stability and intimacy of a committed relationship. Time spent on-line can be a harmless distraction or can be dangerously distracting. However, research has shown that even moderate internet usage interferes with family relationships, particularly when an individual spends more and more time on-line and begins ignoring work, friends, and loved ones. Furthermore, on-line relationships can shift from an intellectually stimulating friendship to a romantically charged relationship. Secrecy, emotional attachment, and sexual intimacy are the hallmarks of an on-line relationship that has crossed over the line of platonic friendship and drifted into an emotional affair.The Slippery SlopeMarried people who unintentionally fall in love on-line do so gradually and often don't realize how far they have gone until they are hopelessly attached. The conversations usually begin with casual discussions about mutual interests. The public communication then moves to private messages and chats. As the messages become more personal, words of affection are expressed in greetings and sign-offs. When they start exchanging complaints about their primary relationships, they are expressing a vulnerability and neediness that the developing relationship feeds upon. After exchanging photographs and telephone numbers, the shift to real time signifies another line that has been crossed.Warning SignsThe signs of being hooked on the net by a dangerous attraction are:1. Coming to bed at night later and later.2. Secretiveness and requests for privacy while on the computer.3. Work or household tasks slacking off.4. Deception about activities.5. Loss of interest in sex or an unusual increase in desire.The Lure and Danger of Web Attractions
On-line communication is fueled by fantasy. We are free to be whoever we want to be on-line because we are not inhibited by physical appearance or the realities of every day life. Furthermore, we can idealize the other person and give them all of the traits that are missing in our chosen partners. We can focus on the here-and-now delight of exchanging intimacies when we have time to pick up our e-mail. People who actually rendezvous with their on-line lover often have sex within a few hours. Some marriages end because of the betrayal. Others end because on-line romances have become an addictive behavior. Occasionally, on-line lovers have abandoned their spouses in order to pursue the on-line relationship. However, it is more common for disillusionment to follow the real life meeting. On-line relationships don't have to undergo my "toothpaste test"; that is, until you have shared the same tube of toothpaste with someone for at least a month, you don't have the slightest idea about what it would be like to live with them.
Prevention and Recovery1. Open the windows to the web and share your on-line interests with your mate.2. Do not share sexual feelings that could be stimulating with on-line friends.3. If your life on-line becomes more important than your friends and family, take immediate steps to stay off-line except for necessary business.4. Use the seduction of on-line relationships as a warning sign. Figure out what is lacking in your life.5. Talk to your partner about ways to enhance your relationship. Bring back into your committed relationship the wishes, dreams, and sexual fantasies that were experienced on-line.
The not-so-rose-colored world of online dating by Nate Anderson
Belarus is all about human rights. To prove it, they've recently passed some legislation to halt human trafficking in the country, which sounds like an excellent idea. How are they going to do it, you ask? Simple - they'll be restricting online dating and matchmaking websites, which they claim facilitate human sex trafficking. The same bill also wants to "protect" students by requiring them to obtain permission to leave the country for more than thirty days.
"The measures are directed at improving the mechanisms guaranteeing effective counteraction to human trafficking - one of the most dangerous phenomena modern society faces in its development," First Deputy Interior Minister Alexander Shurko said.
Though this may in fact do some good, it's hard to take anything that a country like Belarus says about human rights with a straight face. The US government this year lumped the country and its authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko (who, like all good democrats, just pushed through a measure to do away with presidential term limits) into a group with Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Zimbabwe, and Burma as "outposts of tyranny."
But online dating is not contentious only on the frozen plains of Minsk; various state governments in the US are also mulling laws to regulate it. The most recent proposal making the rounds in California, Virginia, Ohio, Texas, Florida, Michigan, and Ohio concerns background checks. Specifically, should the state require online dating services to prominently notify customers about their background check policy?
The ruckus started in 2004 when online dating site True.com began touting their policy of running background checks on every customer to hopefully ensure a safe dating experience. The company then wrote legislation that they hawked to lawmakers in various states that would require all online dating services to notify their customers if they perform background checks or not. Of course, none of the other sites do (because of issues like accuracy of data, time, and price), so this would amount to a legally enforced competitive advantage for True.com. So far, none of the states considering the measure have passed it, though True has managed to find a number of state legislators who support the idea in principle. Rep. John Bradley, a Democratic member of the state legislature in Illinois, plans to introduce similiar legislation of his own in January.
"It seems like a common-sense thing," he says. "Internet dating isn't the same as going out to a social gathering. You can meet a large number of people very quickly. There aren't any types of precautions. ...We have to do as much as we can to protect people from predators."
Match.com, a rival dating service, claims that such checks are not ultimately helpful, pointing to a True.com lawsuit against a man who denied he was a felon but ultimately turned out to be a convicted sex offender. True's background check didn't catch the conviction, though the company does say that it rejects 5 percent of all applicants after screening. Says Herb Vest, True's CEO,
"I can't promise criminals that they can't get on [the site]. But if I find them, they're going to wish they hadn't."
Speaking of "wishing they hadn't," several lawsuits against online dating services are currently wending their way through the American court system. Unhappy customers are claiming that they were duped into remaining with Match.com and Yahoo Personals - and shelling out more cash - when both sites engaged in dirty tricks to keep the subscriptions coming in.
Matthew Evans, a thirtysomething professional from Orange County, Calif., accuses Match.com of sending him fake romantic emails to goad him into subscription renewal. He alleges that employees read his emails and tailored responses to invent the "perfect match." Worse yet, Evans says the company hired a beautiful woman named Autumn Marzec to go on a date with him. The lawsuit claims that Match.com "employs 'date bait' teams to hoodwink subscribers," and that these staffers fake dates up to 100 times a month.
Having a company hire a beautiful woman to go out with you doesn't actually seem like grounds for a lawsuit, but one can see Evans' point. The Yahoo case is similar, in that Yahoo is accused of posting fake profiles of attractive singles to boost traffic. Both companies claim innocence, and Match.com claims that is has an affidavit from Autumn Marzec in which she swears that she was not employed by the website. If the lawsuits have merit, they could tarnish the image of online dating, which has seen its numbers flatten after several years of explosive growth (and just as these sites have overcome the biggest hurdle of all - people not wanting to meet someone on the Internet). Will the US need to follow Belarus's lead and regulate online dating more heavily?
Julia Bish McGovern (aka Julia Bish-Judah-Hunt-McGovern), 33, today pleaded guilty to bigamy in Westmoreland County court and was sent to jail for 30 days to a year."I want this to be over, and get on with my life," she said in her plea statement. Mrs. McGovern was charged with the unusual crime after her husband, Randy Bish of Greensburg, discovered Las Vegas marriage licenses and honeymoon suite reservations on her home computer in 2004. Investigators said they found evidence of at least two Las Vegas weddings arranged over the Internet. Mr. Bish, editorial cartoonist for the Greensburg Tribune-Review, filed for divorce and won custody of their children.Mrs. McGovern moved to Nebraska last year, remarried, and had a daughter. She missed a court date in September in Greensburg, a bench warrant was issued, and Nebraska officials arrested her in April. She appeared April 18 before Judge John Blahovec, who ordered her to stand trial; she elected instead to plead guilty.The judge today ruled Mrs. McGovern may serve her time in Nebraska if it can be arranged. State police must also give back her computer.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE(This Female Cyberpath tried to say her first husband was abusive. Hmmm... then why did he get FULL CUSTODY? And pay for her trips to Las Vegas (he had no idea she was getting married multiple times) and the most troubling line in this article? the LAST ONE!!! This woman is an ONLINE PREDATOR and a sociopath (and a 'Joker'). She should NEVER be allowed near a computer again!! Kudos to Randy Bish for pursuing justice in this case - Fighter)
In an undercover operation targeting Americans seeking overseas sex tours, the FBI last year set up a web site that purported to offer "exotic excursions" to the Philippines and Thailand, where pedophiles often travel for sex with boys and girls. Investigators last year established Wicked Adventures Travel and promoted the site in news groups like alt.pedophilia.boys and alt.sex.fetish.tinygirls. We've mirrored the FBI's undercover site, so click here to surf through the bureau's online handiwork. In their news group postings, agents with the FBI's Maryland-based Innocent Images Task Force wrote that the firm catered to clients "who want to travel to Exotic destinations accompanied by your specified companion," adding that "we provide you with confidentiality and safety as a top priority."
The Wicked Adventures site uses meta tags in its html pages to presumably lure prospective clients. Terms embedded in the site's pages include "sex tourism," "lolita," "nymphet," "asian virgins," "pedoland," and various phrases associated with child pornography ("pthc," "hussyfan," and "babyj"). Additionally, a "confidential information form" on the site asks prospective travelers about "age preference" for their "companion." The choices are 12 and under, 13-15, 16-17, and 18 and above. The form also seeks information about preferred activities and special interests. A screen grab of the Wicked Adventures homepage can be found on the article (linked below).
The FBI operation led yesterday to the arrest of Gary Evans, a 58-year-old Florida man who allegedly sent an August 2005 e-mail to the Wicked Adventures site proposing a partnership. Evans, pictured above, offered to help the company expand its sex tours to Honduras and Costa Rica, according a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Orlando. Charged with arranging illicit sexual conduct with a minor, Evans faces a maximum of 30 years in prison if convicted of the felony count.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE STORY(our thanks to our reader, Beth, for sending us this great story!! As we have said before, readers, NOTHING is ever lost online. Archives and data retrieval can turn up things you swore you deleted. Look out Cyberpaths!)
Call 'em Match.CON!!By HELEN KENNEDY -- DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERMatch.com is being accused of sending ringers on fake dates with lonely hearts to keep them from dumping the service.A racketeering lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Nov. 10 alleges the wildly popular online dating service secretly employs people as "date bait" to send bogus enticing E-mails and to go on as many as 100 dates a month - or three a day - to keep customers ponying up.
"Hiding behind Match.com's portrait of online success is a very big, very dirty secret," the lawsuit alleges. "Not everyone you meet and date through Match.com is just another Match.com member."Company spokeswoman Kristin Kelly said Match.com "absolutely does not" employ anyone to tantalize customers, called the lawsuit "completely without merit" and said it would be fought "vigorously."She said a survey showing 12% of last year's marriages resulted from meeting online is proof the service works and said membership is up 19% over last year, showing the company doesn't need to resort to tricks.The lawsuit, filed by thirtysomething customer Matthew Evans, hopes to become a class action on behalf of Match.com's 15 million members and the 1million subscribers who pay $30 for one month or $80 for six.The service has 850,000 members in New York City.According to his lawyers, Evans went on many dates with dark-haired, buxom twentysomething Autumn Marzec, who allegedly confessed to him that she was a company ringer.Evans alleges that Match.com employees identify customers whose subscriptions are about to lapse and send them "winks" - a way users show interest in each other - and scripted E-mails.
The suit alleges snooping employees read customers' E-mails to each other and use the information "to make themselves appear to be the 'perfect match' to that person.""The paid Match.com employee then goes on a date with the subscriber, gives the deceptive appearance of having a lot in common with the subscriber [due in part to having read his or her E-mails] with the intent of luring the subscriber into re-signing with Match.com," the suit alleges.Americans spent $245.2 million on online dating in the first half of 2005, up 7.6% from 2004.
Cheating just got a whole lot harder.In cyberspace, men enjoy the simple concept of cheating. Men can be anybody they want. They can be a workout buff, a modern day Romeo or a Hollywood celebrity, as they cheat behind their girl's back, trying to zero in on one femme fatale that sure writes and talks like a Playboy bunny.Hell, they can also be a drug-addicted rockstar and no one would care. Men and their "female prey" will go online and enjoy flirting with each other, letting their imagination run wild inside cyberspace.Men can very well imagine that they're interacting with God's gift to sex and they won't have any idea whether the one they're talking to is indeed the hotness she is trying to portray or a miserable, obese, piece of crap with a face that looks like as if it was hit by a goddamn train.Of course, their girlfriends and their wives won't know squat about their boyfriend's or husband's sexcapades as these guys continue to shell themselves as handsome hunks trying to get that piece of ass to bed. (The promised land.) REST OF THIS POST:
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