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u.s. news Diahuebs 4 Februari 2021

Slain FBI agents worked to protect children from abusers

(AP) — FBI Agent Daniel almost 13 years, made head- across the country and thou-
Alfin gained international lines seven years ago when sands more to overseas law
attention when he led a he led a team that took down enforcement agencies.
team that shutdown a ma- a Naples, Florida, man who According to the FBI, 350 ar-
jor worldwide child por- was the lead administrator of rests were made in the U.S.
nography website. Agent Playpen, the world’s largest- and 548 internationally, in-
Laura Schwartzenberger known child pornography cluding 25 producers of child
worked more anonymous- website. Steven Chase had pornography and 51 abus-
ly, teaching children and created the website on Tor, an ers. The operation identi-
adults how to avoid online open network on the internet fied or rescued 55 American
sexual exploitation where users could commu- children who were sexually
nicate anonymously through abused and 296 internation-
Alfin and Schwartzenberger, “hidden service” websites. ally. Chase got 30 years.
gunned down Tuesday while
serving a search warrant at a Playpen had more than “It’s the same with any crimi-
child pornography suspect's 150,000 users worldwide. nal violations: As they get
South Florida apartment, de- Members uploaded and smarter, we adapt; we find Schwartzenberger, 43, and an where she discussed com-
voted their careers to captur- viewed tens of thousands of them,” Alfin said at the time. agent for 15 years, was part puter “sexploitation,” where
ing criminals who sexually graphic images of young vic- The New York native added, of Rockway Middle School's hackers claim that they have
abuse youngsters, often times tims, categorized by age, sex “It’s a cat-and-mouse game, law studies magnet program, used a person's computer
testing the legal boundaries and type of sexual activity except it’s not a game. Kids teaching children about the camera to video record them
of computer privacy. involved. The FBI launched are being abused, and it’s internet's dangers, including watching pornography or na-
an investigation in 2014 after our job to stop that.” He was sexual exploitation and cy- ked. They threaten to send
The FBI released no new in- Playpen’s IP address was ac- married and had one child. berbullying. the video to spouses, rela-
formation Wednesday about cidentally revealed. tives and friends if the person
the shooting in the Fort Lau- In another case, Alfin had “She would always say, ‘I feel doesn't pay extortion. Some-
derdale suburb of Sunrise. After Chase’s arrest in 2015, been accused by a defendant that coming here and talking times, they have hacked into
Three other agents were the FBI kept the website in Virginia of unlawfully about the hard stuff means the victim's computer and
wounded, with two of them operating for two weeks to identifying his computer IP that I won’t see you guys on found sexually explicit im-
hospitalized in stable condi- identify other users, hiding address on a child pornog- my end,'" the Miami school ages.
tion. The third was treated at malware in the images to raphy website. But a federal said about the Pueblo, Colo-
the scene. The gunman killed discover their IP addresses. judge ruled the defendant rado, native in a statement. "It is very traumatizing for
himself after a standoff. From that effort, investiga- had no reasonable expecta- the victim," Schwartzenberg-
tors sent more than 1,000 tion of privacy over his IP ad- In 2018, the married mother er told WPEC-TV. “Their
Alfin, 36, and an agent for leads to FBI field offices dress or personal computer. of two did a TV interview reputation is on the line.”

Former VP Pence opens transition office in northern Virginia

(AP) — Former Vice and his wife, Karen. The of- state in the U.S. House. In Mrs. Pence look forward to office and other services for
President Mike Pence has fice is located in Arlington, 2016, GOP presidential can- continuing to elevate causes six months for the purpose
opened a transition office across the Potomac River didate Donald Trump chose that are near and dear to of wrapping up their official
in northern Virginia. from Washington. Pence to be his vice presiden- their hearts and serving the business.
tial running mate, and the American people when called
Pence announced Wednesday The Pences are also living in ticket was elected in 2016. upon,” said their spokesper- Trump moved into his Mar-
that the Office of the Former northern Virginia. A spokes- Trump and Pence lost their son, Kara Brooks. a-Lago estate in his new
Vice President will handle person said they have sum- bid for reelection to Demo- home state of Florida on Jan.
correspondence, scheduling mer plans to move back to In- crats Joe Biden and Kamala Under federal law, the outgo- 20, when his term ended. He
requests, public statements diana, where Mike Pence was Harris. ing president and vice presi- recently opened his transi-
and official activities for him governor and represented the “The vice president and dent are provided a transition tion office.

San Francisco sues its own school district to reopen classes

(AP) — The city of San Francisco took a dra- during the pandemic “to offer classroom-based kids back in school,” Breed said in the statement.
matic step Wednesday in its effort to get chil- instruction whenever possible.” The state says the “Our teachers have done an incredible job of trying
dren back into public school classrooms, su- plan has to be in place, particularly for students to support our kids through distance learning, but
ing its own school district to try to force open who have experienced significant learning loss due this isn’t working for anyone. And we know we can
the doors amid the coronavirus pandemic. to school closures. do this safely.”
The city attorney will file a motion Feb. 11 asking
The lawsuit was the first of its kind in California “So far, they have earned an F,” Herrera said in the San Francisco Superior Court to issue an emergen-
and possibly the country, as school systems come statement, referring to the board. “Unfortunately, cy order. If granted, the order would require the
under increasing pressure from parents and poli- the leadership of the school district and the educa- district to formulate a reopening plan. The state-
ticians to end virtual learning. Teachers unions in tor’s union can’t seem to get their act together.” ment said such emergency orders, also known as
many large school districts, including San Francis- preliminary injunctions, can only come after a law-
co, say they won’t go back to classrooms until they The lawsuit seeks a court order directing the school suit is filed.
are vaccinated. district to prepare to offer in-person instruction
now that it is possible to do so safely, the statement
City Attorney Dennis Herrera, with the backing said.
of Mayor London Breed, announced he had sued San Francisco schools have been allowed to re-
the San Francisco Board of Education and the San open since September, the statement said, noting
Francisco Unified School District in a statement that nearly 90% of schools in neighboring Marin
and discussed it at a news conference. County have resumed in-person instruction and
that 113 private schools in San Francisco also are
The school district did not immediately respond to open.
a request seeking comment.
The lawsuit says school administrators are violating “This is not the path we would have chosen, but
a state requirement that districts adopt a clear plan nothing matters more right now than getting our