In Review: One of our Victims SPEAKS OUT!

`Bigamist' is out on the prowl again (2012)

(from 2005) by APRIL BETHEA (www.charlotteobserver.com)

A Mecklenburg County judge on Thursday refused to lower the $25,000 bond for a Virginia man indicted on a felony bigamy charge and arrested in Charlotte after his case was featured on the "Dr. Phil" program.

That means Charles Edward Hicks, 61, who has waived extradition, likely will remain in a Mecklenburg County jail while Virginia authorities prepare a governor's warrant that would send him back to that state, said Elizabeth Trosch, an assistant public defender who represented Hicks in court on Thursday.

"We're done with him in North Carolina," Trosch said.

Hicks was indicted earlier this month in a Chesapeake, Va. courtroom on a felony charge of bigamy. He was arrested in Charlotte on Dec. 12 after a Shelby woman who had seen Hicks featured on the "Dr. Phil" show that morning recognized him as the boyfriend of her sister and called police.

Hicks reportedly has been married seven times and divorced five.


I am the victim of a real live con man, bigamist, and in my opinion as well as many others, that my ex bigamist husband Ed Hicks is a textbook psychopath (sociopath/antisocial). Guess what? I met Ed Hicks on the Internet. It is my belief that the Internet has given these emotional vampires a whole new supply. Online dating sites allow these predators to be anyone they want to be and they present themselves as charming and charismatic, but they are MASTER manipulators that exhibit psychopathic and narcissistic traits.

Like so many Internet Predators - Ed Hicks....

• lied to me about every facet of his life;
• chopped away at my self esteem;
• disrespected my boundaries;
• took away my ability to trust another man;
• forced me to refinance my home to make up for the money he took from me;
• manipulated me;
• controlled me;
• used, betrayed, deceived, and emotionally abused me.

Unless people who use these dating sites start doing full background checks on the people they meet there and start a relationship with, they may find themselves in a situation similar to mine... or worse. I was not too smart because I did not do a background check; however, since I knew he was a U.S. Federal Government employee with a Department of Defense "Secret" security clearance, I thought that signaled verifiable integrity. I was wrong.

I cannot fault the Internet for my nightmare, nor can I really fault the online personals sites, albeit - I believe these personal sites that you pay money to join have the responsibility to make the members of their online dating communities aware of these types of predators and con artists. I believe they have the responsibility to put this information in a prominent place on their sites, not buried somewhere within the recesses of their pages so their members rarely find it. I believe they should link to databases and websites that contain honest information about these predators.

I urge each of you to BEWARE. You are taking a BIG risk in putting an ad online; you are taking a big risk in meeting someone on the Internet. You must protect yourself and learn the signs, the red flags of the online predator. Read all you can about cyberpaths, internet predators, online predators... all terms mean the same and they attack ADULTS as well as children! Read all you can about psychopaths (sociopaths). Your own best defense is educating yourself.

I am so very lucky; I am not financially ruined -- I am scarred, yet I feel so blessed. It could have been worse for me; it really could have. Some of Ed Hicks' wives are still emotionally ruined whether through depression, PTSD or addiction; some are financially ruined and will be for a long time. One thing we all have in common after the tornado of havoc this MAN creates, we are all victims of emotional & psychological abuse from this vampire; some are also victims of his physical abuse.

I must add in defense of meeting people on the Internet, had it not been for the support of the caring survivors of other psychopaths that I met through the MSN Psychopaths forum (no longer in use),  Donna at Lovefraud.com, and the group behind Exposing Online Predators and Cyberpaths, I would not be where I am today.

Yes, I met all of these wonderful, kind, compassionate people on the Internet! They have given me the courage, the strength, and the fortitude to become "a force to be reckoned with". Tennessee Williams character Blanche DuBois, said it beautifully in "A Streetcar Named Desire", "I have depended on the kindness of strangers". Yes, I met these "strangers" on the Internet; strangers who proved themselves and have become lifelong friends.

Put it in perspective, educate yourself, and beware of online predators, con men & women and other pathologicals who are lurking out there in cyberspace.

(Thank you for your courage & perspective!! Sandra now runs the site FIGHT BIGAMY to provide outreach and support to victims of bigamists. - EOPC)

CYBERWORLD: ASSUME ONE PERSON IS A PREDATOR

by Pat Gaudette
In the virtual world, assume that at least one person in a chat room or a forum is a predator and act accordingly.

Don't post personal details in an open forum; don't assume that a private, religious or parenting, etc. forum is any safer. On the Internet, there is no 100% safe place.

Don't email personal details to strangers no matter how understanding and solicitous they may appear.

Don't give out personal details when you're using chat or Instant Message programs even if the other person seems to give these details to you. They may have given you false information in an attempt to build up your trust.

Even if you feel you can trust the person you've been chatting or emailing, don't give out your address, phone number, or last name. With internet searches, someone with even one personal detail can probably find out where you live and more.

If you're planning to meet someone you've met online, make your first meeting in a fairly busy public place and take a friend along.

If you don't want to take someone with you, at least give them details of who you're meeting, where you're meeting, and when you'll be back to work or home.

No matter how the sparks fly at that first meeting, don't invite him or her back to your place.

No matter how comfortable you feel at that first meeting, don't take a drive with them or let them drop you off at your home.

Trust your "gut." There is no need to force yourself to like someone. That's exactly the point of meeting face-to-face: to see if the "bond" you feel for this person is real or illusion.
Have you been betrayed by your spouse? Have you come to the Web for comfort and support? Have you trusted in virtual friends and been hurt when they've betrayed you? After being betrayed in real life, why would you think a virtual relationship would be any safer from betrayal? Behind that keyboard, all those many miles away, is a real person, not a perfect person.

Remember Ted Bundy? He was an absolute charmer. I'm not implying that your online friend is another Ted Bundy but until you are absolutely certain he or she isn't, play it smart and safe.

SOURCE and FOR MORE GREAT ARTICLES - CLICK HERE

RICH PICKINGS FOR ONLINE DATING FRAUD

(AUSTRALIA) MORE than $10 million a month is being sent overseas by 10,000 Australians to bogus love interests.

Julia Robson, lead detective for a service which investigates the validity of online daters - says thousands of people are being scammed by gangs pretending to be the men and women of the dreams of lonely hearts across the country. "I have cases of people who have signed over $350,000 to these people they have never met ... people have mortgaged their homes ... they have lost everything," Ms Robson said.

DateScreen receives about 20 alerts every day but Ms Robson said there were no true statistics because the issue is grossly under-reported because victims are either embarrassed or remain unaware they are being scammed. "The gangs doing this, they are moving around and that makes it harder to track them," Ms Robson said. "It's no longer just the Nigerian scams you have to watch out for. They have moved into places like Malaysia and there are a lot of people running scams from the UK and US. "The people who are more targeted are those who are older and those first time online, who are not familiar with online etiquette."

Balaklava vineyard worker Des Gregor, 60, knows just how dangerous the online dating game can be. In 2007, Mr Gregor was kidnapped and held hostage for 12 days in Mali when he went there to see his African queen whom he had met online. "That was the most frightening experience of my life ... I really thought I would be killed," Mr Gregor said. Despite that terrifying experience, Mr Gregor still has online dating profiles but he now is wary of the traps and has offered advice to others.

Just three weeks ago, he was targeted by another scam. This time it was linked to Riverland town Lyrup. "I probably get half a dozen girls message my profiles each week," he said. "If they are from Africa, I don't even look at it. This one though said she was from Lyrup, so I thought I'd give her a bit of a go and replied to her message. She wrote back and said she was going to live in Ghana for various reasons. I never responded to that and four days later I got another email from her saying her parents were both dead and they had big properties that had been sold and if I could send some money the funds from those sales would be released to me ... the scam had started."

Mr Gregor said online daters should be wary of potential partners who claim their mother is African and their father is from Australia, the UK or US because that was a typical profile for the online scammers.

original article found here

The Red Flags Of An Online Relationship

Know what to look for...
by Jennifer Good

In a medium where faith in a potential partner is being put at an all-time high, it is important to know if you're stepping blindly. If you're considering an online relationship, or are currently in one, there are a few things you should be prepared to look out for. While each situation is unique, and it is important to go by your instinct, the following list should help you spot any red flags you might encounter.

RED FLAG #1: Won't show you current or full body photos.
While looks may not be important to you, your partner's ability to tell the truth should be. If you doubt the sincerity of any photo your interest has sent you, send a disposable camera with a self-addressed, postage ready envelope with instructions to take pictures and send the camera back to you. This way you can develop the film yourself.

Also see if it's a RECENT photo and if they have cropped someone out (spouse, child, romantic partner)

RED FLAG #2: They do not have any solid contact numbers.
You've progressed to telephone contact, but the problem is you can't ever contact them! If any of the following situations sound familiar, be prepared to further investigate the possibility of a spouse, live-in, or other situation you may not be aware of.

You have to page them for them to call you back. Or they will only give you a cell phone or work number.

They use a separate line. If so, try calling their main line at random times.

You can only call during certain periods of time. Again, if this applies to you, try calling at different time periods to see who answers the phone.

They will only call, therefore not allowing you to call them.

RED FLAG #3: Reality VS. Fantasy

There are many different viewpoints towards a relationship founded through the Internet. To save future hurt and embarrassment, make sure you know your potential partner's philosophies. Do they view an Internet relationship as a real relationship, or is it a way to live out a fantasy life? If it's the later, be careful to avoid being their latest cyber fling.

RED FLAG #4: Asks for money.

Avoid getting into financial trouble by following a simple rule; don't send money. EVER.

RED FLAG #5: You're the only one making an effort or altering your lifestyle to have this relationship.

This is a telltale sign of things to come if you develop an off-line romance. No relationship should be solely one person giving and the other taking. If you find this happening to you, talk about it to your partner and ask them to meet you half way in your efforts.

RED FLAG #6: Your potential partner is overly insecure about your off-line or online activities.

Just as in any relationship, a person who is overly insecure about something can end up being an emotionally draining experience.

Or they are ALWAYS asking that make sure the chats and photos are deleted. Don't delete anything!

Take a step back, and really look at whether this is something you're willing to put up with if the relationship happened to last two to three years. If not, move on and find someone more independent.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE

Cyber Thieves Play Their Victim's Heartstrings

By THOMAS MICHALSKI

There are countless cyber crimes reported to law enforcement and other government agencies. They include work-at-home, check cashing, lottery and too many others to mention.

A computer is described as a device, electronic or otherwise, that performs high-speed mathematical or logical operations or that assembles, stores, correlates, or otherwise processes information.

The earliest form of computers actually date back to 3500 BC in India, Japan and China. The first recorded "computer crime" occurred in 1820 when Joseph-Marie Jacquard, a French textile manufacturer, invented a device that allowed the repetition of a series of steps in the fabric weaving process. His employees, fearing that their jobs were in jeopardy, sabotaged the new technology.

Computers have come a long way. Unfortunately, cyberspace is now the home to hundreds of Internet crimes that are designed to part innocent people from their money. Most illicit acts are described in the Information Technology Act of 2000 that covers everything from e-mail spoofing to illegal financial scams, pornography, online gambling, forgery, defamation and even cyberstalking.

One of the more popular illicit flim-flams involves romantic letters that eventually become pleas for money.

For this story, I answered one of those letters sent to my company e-mail address. It was one of many transmitted daily by swindlers from all over the world.

This particular one came from "Miss Grace," a self-described "single girl looking for honest and nice person, somebody who care and fear God whom I can partner with."

Her English was terrible, but we played her game for nearly three weeks.

Miss Grace, who also billed herself as "Grace John," claimed to be a 26-year-old West African. She sent a photograph of an attractive young woman with a winning smile.

In the initial Jan. 20 letter she wrote, "I would like to know you more, most especially what you like and what you dislike.

"I am sending you this beautiful mail, with a wish for much happiness," Grace wrote.

My reply was a faux background. "I too am looking for someone. My last wife just died. I've had four of them."

That probably set off the bell at Grace's scam central. A lonely old man. A target!

Grace's Jan. 27 letter was long and personal. In it she relates the story of her father, Dr. Benson John, the "director of project department of gold and diamond," and a successful importer and exporter of cocoa.

"I lost my parent during the war when rebels attacked my house one early morning killing my mother and my father," Grace wrote. "I am 5 feet 7 inches height, fair in complexion with average weight. I am very good at cooking. I love music and I like dancing too."

In another letter Grace called me an "angel" that brightens her day. She wanted my photograph. I declined, and elaborated on my alleged wealth that I said included airplanes and racing cars.

The hook was set.

On Jan. 28 Grace dropped the bomb. Her father, she wrote, left $5.9 million and Grace wants to share it with me. She wants to transfer all that money into my account and all I have to do is send her money for airfare and expenses. She further warns that I must keep the arrangement secret, but first I must contact her bank.

"I hope you will never let me down," Grace says.

She describes her life in a "deportation camp." In later letters Grace says she lives with a "pastor." She won't say how she can use a computer from the camp.

"The bank told me to look for a foreign reliable and honest partner who will assist me in the (money) transfer," Grace writes. "I am glad that God has brought you to see me out of this situation and I promise to be kind and will equally need you in every area of my life."

The bank, she writes, is the Bank of Africa-Senegal. I'm to contact a Mr. Paul Sidibe. She signs the letter, "Always and forever yours, Grace."

On Jan. 30 she pushes me, the faux old and lonely rich man, to provide my personal information to her "bank." I tell her I have more than $5 million in my checking account. That must have caused her and her cronies to salivate.

"You are always on my mind," Grace wrote. She signs her letter, "From my deepest heart, yours forever, Grace."

I told Grace on Feb. 2 that I would not provide the information she requested. On Feb. 3 she asked for money to scan copies of her father's account records. On Feb. 4 she was informed that I was a journalist doing a story on Internet fraud. I asked her a series of questions that received no reply. It was a short lived romance.

Her e-mail is one of many similar ones sent under various names. Consumer Fraud Reporting, a free online site (http://www.consumerfraudreporting.org) that warns of specific types of financial and other cyber crimes, shows an example of a letter from a "Miss Nafisatu John Apollo." It is very similar to Grace's. Maybe they're related? They each have "John" in their name.

Government agencies warn people who receive these kinds of letters to ignore them. They yank at the heartstrings of the old and lonely. Another Web site, www.ic3.gov, is used by law enforcement agencies to track cyber fraud. It is a joint effort between the FBI, the National White Collar Crime Center and the Bureau of Justice Assistance. (IC3 currently has a 6-7 year backlog of cases to investigate - do not expect a speedy answer.)

"If something sounds too good to be true," said Officer Donna Saxer of the Pinellas Park police crime prevention unit, "then it probably is."

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

EOPC EXAMPLES:
DAN JACOBY

ANDREW TAMMAR & MARLON WORTHAM

ED HICKS/ CHARLES HICKS/ CHARLES GREENE

JAMES BRIAN ELLINGTON

JOSEPH CAFASSO

MATTHEW COX

PHIL HABERMAN

When Victims Talk: Love Cheat Fails at Scamming Big Women

(U.K.) Two 20-stone women targeted by a philanderer with a fetish for overweight lovers have joined forces and dumped him from their lives.

Angry Amanda Hart, who at 20-stone is two stones lighter than her one-time love rival Michelle Flack, says her ex used her weight as a way of controlling her when she was at her lowest.

The 25-year-old says that after years of being alone and bingeing on junk food he promised her that she was the woman for him. She says she even feared that he would leave her for a slimmer woman, unaware he was already dating a much heavier woman behind her back.

Both women met fireman Matt Kemp after they logged on to find love on dating website Smooch.

After a whirlwind romance with the 27-year-old Amanda swiftly moved her new love into her home. The 25-year-old had turned to the online dating agency after she struggled to find a boyfriend who would accept her.

Amanda, of St Leonards-On-Sea, Sussex, said: 'Matt was totally charming, he was quite a talker. He genuinely didn't seem to mind my weight. If anything he made me feel good about my size.'

Within months the couple were planning their wedding and a future together even though he was already seeing Michelle, 33, from Chelmsford in Essex.

Michelle, who turned to the dating site after her marriage failed, added: 'He picks on women that are vulnerable and controls them. I've moved on and am engaged to someone else. Amanda is a good friend now.'

The women came face to face when Amanda decided to pick up her then fiance from his work in Chelmsford, the same town where Michelle lived.

With only three months to go until their wedding she was horrified to see him with another woman outside the firestation where he worked.

Amanda said: 'At the end of June, Matt said he was working away as a fireman in Chelmsford. I agreed to pick him up from the station where he was based.

'He liked big girls - at 22st Michelle was even larger than me. I obviously wasn't big enough for my fat fetish fiance. But sat in the car waiting for him I saw him with this other woman. A big woman - at least my size. My stomach churned. Something about the scene didn't look right to me.

'Matt quickly got in the car but the mystery woman followed him and opened my driver's door. She said "I don't mean to be rude but who are you?" I told her I was Matt's fiance and she said she was his girlfriend.'

Matt denied he was having an affair but Amanda kicked him out and cancelled their dream wedding after discovering him chatting to Michelle on Facebook.

'Matt promised that I was perfect for him, whatever size I was, and when I sent out the wedding invites I couldn't believe how lucky I was to have a fiance who would walk up the aisle with a bride my size. At the back of my mind I always had a lingering fear that he would dump me for a slimmer girl but I knew that Matt loved me - and my curves.

'He liked big girls - at 22st Michelle was even larger than me. I obviously wasn't big enough for my fat fetish fiance. 'I felt like I had let myself down and also my family because we all welcomed him in. He moved in and we would cuddle in front of the TV with a pizza I thought I'd found the one.'

Michelle, of Chelmsford, Essex, admits she met Matt on the dating site after her husband divorced her for getting too fat - but says she was unaware he was cheating.

Michelle said: 'I was insecure about my size after my husband left me but Matt reassured me he wasn't interested in thinner girls. He helped me through my divorce and I trusted him. Matt told me that he liked big women. The bigger, the better, he said.'

Matt said: 'I was engaged to Amanda and we even went and saw the wedding venue. We were going to be married in September. Michelle was lust and not love. I know I hurt Amanda but I never loved Michelle. I wish I hadn't done what I did.'

original article found here

Another Online Dating Nightmare

(Eastbourne, U.K.) A widow who was looking for love on the internet has hit out at the courts after a man who conned her and broke into her home escaped jail.

Amanda Avery criticised the legal system this week after hearing that Colin Bradish – a man who she says made her life hell – was handed a 50-week suspended sentence for burglary and harassment.

Bradish, 53, of Portslade, was also made subject of a restraining order banning him from contacting Ms Avery. However, according to his 43-year-old victim, he was still signed up to a host of other dating websites – leaving other women potentially at risk of being targeted.

Ms Avery, of East Dean, said the punishment should have been far more severe. Speaking to the Herald about her ordeal, she said, “You rely on the justice system and I feel let down by it. It is as if he has not even been punished for what he did.”

Having wormed his way into her affections, Bradish proceeded to break in, steal a laptop and set about hacking into a host of Ms Avery’s personal accounts.

And, as well as changing her mobile phone tariff and messing with other files, Bradish signed her up for a string of other dating websites and advertised her home address.

Ms Avery was devastated but, as she explained, the internet side of things was far from the most upsetting.

“The worst thing was,” she said, “that he came into my room and took my mobile phone from next to my bed. He would have been yards from where I was sleeping. For ages I had could not sleep because of the thought and used lay awake until it became light.”

Bradish was the first person Ms Avery had met online. In fact, she had only ended up on the dating website by accident after filling in an internet personality test and being told she had to sign up to get the results.

A day later, she was contacted by Bradish and he began spinning his web of lies.

“He photoshopped his picture,” remembered Ms Avery. “He is a good deal uglier in real life.”

“You won’t believe this but he had actually asked me if my photo was a current one because he said people often used one of themselves younger. When I saw him I thought ‘you’ve aged a bit’ but looks have never been the most important thing to me. He seemed nice and could hold an intelligent conversation.”

Ms Avery, who said she always tried to see the good in people but had been left feeling ‘a bit stupid’ after falling for Bradish’s carefully concocted deceit, did not rush into meeting her online date.

The pair exchanged messages and spoke at length on the phone before she decided to take the plunge and meet up. Now, having seen her home broken into and her trust shattered, she understandably wishes she had never met him.

“He was trying to control me,” She said. “He had nothing going on in his life. He had made up a fake job and all the rest of it. This was probably the only way he had of getting control.”

Although she slammed the courts for delivering such a lenient sentence, she reserved special praise for the police.

“You get idiots everywhere,” she said. “The internet is just another place for them."


original article here

Internet Con Man Dupes Mothers into Abusing Their Kids

By JEFF KAROUB

(MICHIGAN, USA) In real life, Steven Demink didn't have children, a college degree or a lasting career. Online, prosecutors say, he presented himself as Dalton St. Clair, an attractive single father and psychologist — a fantasy image authorities say the Michigan man used to persuade mothers across the country to commit unspeakable acts on their children.

Demink, 41, of Redford Township, preyed on single mothers for more than a year, prosecutors say, convincing them to sexually assault their children as a form of therapy. After pleading guilty Monday to six charges related to the sexual exploitation of children, Demink faces 15 years to life in prison when he is sentenced in June.

Demink's alter-ego was a single father of a 14-year-old girl, prosecutors said, and he posted pictures of male models as his headshots. In some cases, court documents say, Demink promised the women a date if they followed through with his directions.

Since authorities arrested him in October, seven children were rescued and at least three mothers have been arrested. Prosecutors say all of the children are now safe.

Authorities say Demink chatted with mothers from New Hampshire, Florida, Idaho and elsewhere, persuading them to engage in sexual acts with their children and send images via e-mail or through a live web stream. The children ranged in age from 3 to 15.

Demink told U.S. District Judge Gerald Rosen that before his arrest, he worked as a car salesman for about six months and before that for about five years at a local bank. He said he completed a U.S. Customs and Border Protection training program in 2002 and worked for the Immigration and Naturalization Service for about a year. He attended college for about two years but did not earn a degree, he said.

As part of his plea agreement with prosecutors, seven charges against Demink were dropped.

In one case, Demink started online chats with an Oregon woman about the sexual development of her 8-year-old autistic son, according to the plea agreement. He told her to engage in sexually explicit conduct with her son as a way to teach him about sex, prosecutors say, and she did so while Demink watched on a web camera.

"Demink intimated to these women that the result of the therapy would be healthier children," the document said.

Federal agents were tipped off to his operation by the Teton County Sheriff's Office in Idaho, said Khaalid Walls, a spokesman for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of Homeland Security Investigations. The mother of a woman who had been chatting with him called sheriff's officials in late 2009.

A Teton County Sheriff's Office report from December 2009 said the Idaho woman met "Daltonst28" on an online dating site called singleparentmeet.com. She told police she performed sex acts on her young son as directed by her online male friend.

The woman's mother, Eileen Schwab of Idaho, said she knows little of how Demink convinced her daughter to follow his orders. She said her daughter was "depressed and lonesome" after her divorce.

"I don't know how he wrangled her in," Schwab said. "She could have turned off the computer and gone the other way. He must have had a power over her."

Her daughter pleaded guilty last May to lewd conduct with a child under 16 and is currently in prison.

Another mother who was arrested was from New Hampshire and pleaded guilty in December to producing child pornography, which carries a possible sentenced of 15 to 30 years in prison. She is scheduled to be sentenced in March. A message was left seeking comment from Larry Dash, a federal defender representing her.

A woman from Lee County, Fla., also has pleaded not guilty to five counts and was being held without bond in Florida. She faces a May trial in federal court in Fort Myers, federal defender Martin DerOvanesian said.

Prosecutors say Demink also is linked to four other mothers in Indiana, Georgia, Illinois and Oregon but has not been charged with crimes related to those communications. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Mulcahy said those cases can be considered during sentencing.

We are not naming the women to protect the identity of the children.

Demink's attorney, Timothy Dinan, said his client "has expressed a lot of remorse" for what he did and has taken responsibility by pleading guilty. Dinan said Demink's parents, who declined to be interviewed, are praying for their son as well as the victims and their families.

"It's a shame he couldn't ask for help," Dinan said.

Ex-Wife Murdered Over Facebook Posts

A chef has been jailed for life for murdering his ex-wife after she taunted him on Facebook about paying child support.

Adam Mann used a hammer to batter Lisa Beverley, 30, before slashing her neck with a knife, the Old Bailey was told.

Jurors heard Miss Beverley's five-year-old son found her body at their home in Plumstead in south-east London, on the day after the murder in September 2009.

Mann, 29, of Welling, Kent, will have to serve a minimum of 24 years.

'Unimaginable horror'
During the trial the court was told Miss Beverley had no chance of surviving after being hit on the face, head, neck and body.

Jeremy Donne QC, prosecuting, said Miss Beverley's five-year-old son was confronted with a scene of "unimaginable horror" when he found her the next day.

The court heard the couple divorced in 2007 and were involved in a bitter dispute.

Miss Beverley was trying to get Mann to contribute towards raising their son, through the Child Support Agency (CSA). She told the CSA he had lied about being unemployed and he had subsequently been sent a letter demanding payments of about £400.

The day before her death, Miss Beverley's Facebook profile was updated to say: "Now whose laughing? U've got done big time by the CS, so now leave us alone for good, your son hates u and so do I."

Judge Paul Worsley told Mann: "This was a truly dreadful killing."

The judge said Mann had earlier that day been arguing with the CSA.

"You desperately tried to avoid responsibility for your son. I have no doubt you wanted to remove any further claim by removing Lisa Beverley," said the judge. "You have shown no flicker of remorse. I reject the suggestion that there was any degree of provocation."

The court heard the couple divorced in 2007 and were involved in a bitter dispute.

Det Insp Brian Mather, who investigated the murder, said: "This was a dreadful and tragic case and one cannot imagine how Lisa's young son must have felt finding his mother dead under such horrendous circumstances.

"The actions of Mann are indescribable, that he could murder the mother of his son and leave him to discover her body."

Man Pleads Guilty to Online Dating Scam

A man who lied about being rich and important has pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $200,000 from women he met through online dating services.

Westchester County, New York - District Attorney Janet DiFiore says Solomon Jesus Nasser of Ardsley pleaded guilty Thursday to third-degree grand larceny.

DiFiore says Nasser "trolled Internet dating sites" for nearly three years looking for victims.

Among other things, he claimed he'd been a high-level Department of Defense official, an adviser to President George W. Bush, a Navy admiral and a multimillionaire who owned a jet.

He had said he had cash flow problems due to legal issues and asked for loans to cover living expenses.

Nasser faces up to seven years in prison when he's sentenced Oct. 27. He's also being ordered to pay restitution.

original article here

UPDATE: Doug Beckstead's Damage Control

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Nathan E.B. Thomas, Jr. - Some Lures of this Predator of the Month

Please note the infantile and very FAKE email we and one of Thomas' victims received this morning "warning us." (HINT: It's from Thomas) As always, our comments are in dark blue.

From: legalEagleServic@aol.com
To: cyberpaths@gmail.com
Cc: Victim #2
Sent: Monday, March 16, 2009 9:15 AM

Hello,

This email is so that there are no secrets as to what is going on and also to straighten out a couple of legal issues.*

1. The person you are getting your information from is not being 100% straight forward with you. I hope that you advised her that what you write is based partly upon her information and that during legal proceedings she will be held liable for all false information? (Apparently, sir - you can't read our legal disclaimers - clearly posted at the right)

2. Your client has been informed three times that she is not to be writing emails to the address you see below and that once informed and she continues this is called stalking and she can be charged with it as well. (she isn't our CLIENT - she's a member of our support group. You need to write law enforcement where she lives and turn yourself in, because she's THEIR client. And-- Information gathering is not stalking. I am sure the Constable in charge of her case will make that clear to you. You simply have a problem with reality and the truth, sir.)

3. To use the word extort is rather strong and has to be proven, but I think we have enough evidence in hand now to prove this. Did your victim inform you of how much money she received over the course of two years and how much she reported? Here are some examples:

a. There are bank statements which will show she was receiving large sums of money through Paypal. This ws based on the fact that according to her, her x-husband was not pay child support and she owed back taxes on child support she has received before. She was not able to pay her rent, buy groceries, or pay for her [child]'s hockey. (so she was vulnerable, predators like vulnerable women)

b. She had a car before that was so bad until it was draining her and all repairs were taken care of. Then she was bought a new car. Her credit was so bad until $5000 had to be put down in order to lease a car. Her insurance was paid in full for two years in a row.

c. There were ATM withdrawals in her town which were used to buy groceries and other items as requested by your client.

4. The above are just starters. There is email traffic which will also prove that she is not the victim, but was always receiving money because of her situation. She was on various dating sites with her photo and it seems as though she was selective in who she chose and it was always men with money. (So you prey on women via dating sites? Thanks for letting us know - though we figured that out. We are aware of everything you said above and if you are seeking to cast aspersions on your SECOND victim as some money grubbing floozy - guess what. It didn't work. Considering what you did and took from her - no compensation would be enough.)

5. This Paula person and her are now working together. Emails can be manipulated and this Paula person has an agenda as well and it is assumed this is a fictitious name being used. (we have known Paula for years. she is a good and trusted member who has helped out EOPC on many occasions. Readers - notice how they ALWAYS try to smear the character of the GOOD PEOPLE they prey on?)

6. I believe that you will find there have been no attacks made in print or any other way against your client. The reason was there is her youngest [child] who loves her mother and there was nothing negative put out in order not to hurt her. However, now it seems that this has to take second seat as your client has hurt others and it is time that this stops. (like who? you? by telling the truth about your lies, predation and using women for your own sick fun? What about your WIFE, sir?)

7. Once there was no more money to be shelled out, then she started her attacks and we think it was in the hopes of getting her victim to shell out money to her to keep her quiet.

Were there some mistakes made by her victim? Yes there were, and he will face those, but he is not this monster that has been painted. There are a long list of people who have been attacked verbally by your client on the phone as well as via emails. (You are no one's victim, sir - you are a PREDATOR, an apparently delusional liar from what we've read and... probably a psychopath)

There will be no follow on emails to this one and this is the first and last contact. Please inform your client that it is in her best interest to hold what she has and bring it out in whatever legal proceedings that are to follow. (good. again, read the disclaimers on the right.)

* The above email is not to be seen as a legal position, or as a legal representation of any specific person. This email is not to harass, nor be sent in order to harass, but is for informational use to bring some issues to light. (or twist reality and try to scare us. LOL. Busted!)

How do we know it's fake?
1. wording - very unprofessional, especially the caveat at the bottom - and no type of 'proof of service attachment.'
2. NO legal service would send something like this without a return snail mail (even a P.O. Box) and their listed phone number
3. this "legal service" failed to list their license number and what state or territory they are licensed in so we could check.
4. no "legal service" would send something out without a real person's name attached. Even if it's just the office manager - in case someone needed to speak to them.

Thomas is probably very upset we are re-running this and he knows his second Victim's story is coming. Perhaps he has others on the hook and this is damaging his "rap" of being CIA and a 'very important man.' LOL.

Mr. Thomas - you & all our exposed cyberpaths try the most ludicrous and infantile scare tactics on us. It never works. What you should do is turn yourself in to the local DA because you know what's coming - as we do with your story... and you know YOU are in legal trouble in many ways.

And thanks for leaving your traceable IP behind: 64.12.116.209
We also took note you surfed onto this link which we have posted at the right. Are you trying to compose a better bogus letter to "scare us" now that we told you what's wrong with the first one? Please stop before you look more foolish. It's been tried before, many many times.

BTW - your fake email isn't harassment... it's a threat. And a joke.
~~~~~~~~~~~


Date: Tue, 28 May 2002 00:25:14 EDT
From: GrizzlyBear90604@aol.com
Reply-To: GrizzlyBear90604@aol.com
Subject: Re: What a chat we had!!
To: Nathan's Target #1

##, I hope to be on around 15:30 your time, but I do not know for how long. I am just getting up and I do not know what the day holds. I hope to have enough time that I can send you more photos, but if I do not have the time, I know that I will be getting them to you. This time I have been keeping track so that I know what you have.

##, I do not want you placing to much on the time when I am supposed to come in case something goes wrong and I cannot come. It is a date we plan for, but this time we need to make sure we are not sad if it does not happen and look for the positive side. I think you will be off for that month or for two weeks or something like that. (So many targets... uh, women -- so little time huh, Nathan?) If that week does not happen then I will work it for one of the other days that you are on leave. I am saying all of this as there are just too many things that can happen between now and then. Three months ahead of time can have me almost anywhere, but my planning will be to come there. I can say safely that if nothing has changed two weeks before our date that we will be OK. Let's see what happens. (Wow!! Nathan has mastered the WORD SALAD!! Can he please speak PLAIN ENGLISH?? Well considering that poorly written B.S. you tried to send us - the syntax is exactly the same. Again, sir - you're BUSTED)

I also had a wonderful time chatting with you. we covered a lot of areas and I think I learned a lot more about you. Maybe you learned a little more about me, I do not know. (Gee he hopes NOT!!!) Anyway I have to run, so I will be seeing you Cutie! (so many women to remember anyone's name, huh? Ed Hicks did this too.)
Hugs and a nice wet kiss. (blech!)
T

******
Date: Fri, 31 May 2002 16:31:57 EDT
From: GrizzlyBear90604@aol.com
Reply-To: GrizzlyBear90604@aol.com
Subject: OK That's All for Now
To: Nathan's Target #1

Hey Cutie,
That is all that I am going to send you for now just in case you get other mail and I do not want to lock up your system. (or mine, he has SOOOOO many women to write he forgot to use your name. Maybe he sent this SAME message to all the women on his email list!) If you come in and check this on the weekend well I want to wish you a nice weekend. Hey be sweet and I am giving you soft kisses on your forehead and a gentle hug to let you know I am with you. (and you... and you.... and you.... and his wife, maybe)

T

******
Date: Sat, 8 Jun 2002 18:02:10 EDT
From: GrizzlyBear90604@aol.com
Reply-To: GrizzlyBear90604@aol.com
Subject: Re: Hi T
To: Nathan's Target #1

Hey lady! It is too late with the chocolate thing. I ate a lot of chocolate, but not the candy. I had ice cream with chocolate and almonds. It was good. I did not make it to Switzerland, but I was up in the mountains in Germany and Austria wandering around. Nature is so wonderful. She is beautiful, but at the same time you have to give her respect for she can turn very ugly if you take her for granted. (Nathan, so can women you play & use!! and you deserve it too!) The weather was very cool high up but in the shade.

Me and the guys (what guys? the voices in your head? the military and CIA know nothing about you other than you're retired) walked up to a point where there was a little restaurant and ate and it was about 21:30 when we headed back down. Just walked through the door and checked the mail and saw that you were on and sent me mail. That was a nice surprise. I am now getting ready to take a shower and then in the morning I am going to work for a couple of hours. after which I am going to go mountain biking. I have to lose a couple of more pounds before it is winter again :)

Take care and I hope you have a nice peaceful weekend. I did not remember you saying that you were going to work today, or should I say yesterday while it is after midnight here now.

maybe I will dream about you tonight :) (or any of the many many women I am toying with)

T
*******
Date: Tue, 11 Jun 2002 12:32:19 EDT
From: GrizzlyBear90604@aol.com
Reply-To: GrizzlyBear90604@aol.com
Subject: I will not Be On for Long
To: Nathan's Target #1

###, it is 17:34 your time and I do not know if I will be able to be on when you come to the Internet. I am going to have to go to the airport and pick up a couple of my people that will be coming in earlier than first expected. (girlfriends? wives?)

This is another reason why I do not like to sat that I will be on at a certain time especially if I know you make a special trip just for me. (because if I get surprised by one of my targets I want to still be able to lie to you!!) I hope that I get to catch yo online before I have to sign off, but in case I am not here, then you know I had to leave.
******

Date: Sat, 15 Jun 2002 03:20:23 EDT
From: GrizzlyBear90604@aol.com
Reply-To: GrizzlyBear90604@aol.com
Subject: Re: When will you come bacK?
To: Nathan's Target #1

###, I am on for a couple of minutes to write you this email. When you called me, I was just getting ready to get on the helicopter (HELICOPTER? or is there a propeller on your head?) , so I could not talk, I am sure you should have heard the motors winding up. I will be gone for a few days, but I should be able to contact you during the week next week if not this Sunday. I cannot say for sure but I will send you emails in any event. (if my wife/ girlfriend of the moment lets me use the computer)

Be sweet!

T

This gets better - we will continue posting so come and read daily. MORE to come!