Police using GTA IV to catch paedophiles

[Shrygue]

via Computer and Video Games


Police who previously used internet chat rooms to set up sting operations are now playing Grand Theft Auto IV online to catch kiddie fiddlers.

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

And so the police are apparently following. According to the newspaper, cops are now playing everything from GTA IV to chess and chequers online to make arrests.

Last December, Michigan prosecutors sentenced a man to 10 years in prison for using WoW to lure a twelve year-old girl into having sex with him. The police found that the man had been using a variety of online games to pursue other children.

A number of similar cases have occurred in the past year, with Lt. Jessica Farnsworth of the Utah Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force claiming the division has seized many Xbox machines for investigation.

Apparently, Microsoft has been forthcoming on how to extract information from them.

[F9zDark]

Pedophiles in GTA IV? Jeeze, I'd imagine people would be too busy dodging bullets and cars to worry about getting into a serious chat with anyone...

At least I am happy for one thing, GTA IV does have a silver lining; expect Jack Thomson to be all over this one.

[lmtlmt]

kids shouldn't be playing gta though

[F9zDark]

kids shouldn't be playing gta though

Hahah how true. Age verification for video games would make the cop's world a lot easier now wouldn't it?

[Mc_Logical]

Yeah! but come on we all know kids will play gta lol and I do hope they catch the bastards, obviously they mean chat as in through psn