A Middleport man is facing multiple charges after authorities allege he attempted to arrange a meeting with someone he believed to be a 14-year-old girl following months of sexually explicit online communications. According to court documents, Shane Michael Phillips, 25, was charged on June 17, 2026, by Blythe Township Police with felony counts of attempted...Read More
THE FOLLOWING IS A VERMILION COUNTY STATE’S ATTORNEY’S OFFICE RELEASE People v. Brian Torres 2023-CF-78 On April 2, 2026, Brian Torres (DOB: 2/12/1991), formerly of Danville, Illinois, pleaded guilty to Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault, a class X felony. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Torres faced a maximum possible sentence of 25 years...Read More
A social media flyer promoting a “Towson Mall Takeover” from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday has prompted Towson Town Center to implement a temporary youth curfew. The flyer encourages students to celebrate the end of the school year after finals. In response, the mall says guests 17 and younger must be accompanied by a parent...Read More
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has joined the growing number of nations banning social media access for under-age children. A new Cabinet resolution passed in the country on Thursday gives social media platforms 12-months to review and remove all accounts created by those under 15, or face a total ban. State news agency WAM reported, “The resolution...Read More
A 14-year-old who was making plans to carry out a school shooting in Saskatoon will be under a terrorism peace bond for the next year. Content on the girl’s TikTok account was flagged to the federal RCMP on Feb. 10, the same day eight people were killed in a mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, B.C....Read More
Every parent has heard the horror stories. Cyberbullying. Sextortion. Deteriorating youth mental health. And while the federal government recently tabled a bill to impose new regulations on social media and chatbots, including age restrictions, it’s not known when the changes will take effect, what they will look like, or which apps will be affected. Until...Read More
June 17, 2026, 5:36 p.m. CT The small town of Jay is set to appoint a convicted sex offender as its new town manager. April Watson, who in September was made operations manager by unanimous vote of the Jay Town Council, is scheduled to step in as manager July 3, according to Mayor Shon Owens....Read More
SAN ANTONIO — A growing partnership between the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Secret Service has led to the arrest of more than a dozen people accused of trying to exploit children online, officials announced Wednesday. Sheriff Javier Salazar and U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Brian Gibson highlighted the joint effort,...Read More
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office will announce the results of a long-term operation is it calling ‘Operation Checkmate’. JSO says Operation Checkmate led to the arrest of more than two dozen men. Sheriff T.K. Waters will release more details during a press conference at noon on Thursday. You can watch it live on...Read More
Apple unveiled a new suite of child safety tools and family experiences at this year’s WWDC, spending significant time highlighting the new features as the tech industry grapples with age verification and online safety. The company’s new Child Accounts features, which are available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, include parental monitoring tools like Ask to...Read More
