Teacher looking at 40 years in jail for spyware porn pop up ads

**BigRedChief** · 02-14-2007, 02:39 PM

http://abcnews.go.com/US/print?id=2872230

Substitute Teacher's Porn Conviction Sparks Tech Debate
By JOHN CHRISTOFFERSEN

The Associated Press

WINDHAM, Conn. - Until recently, Julie Amero says, she lived the quiet life of a small-town substitute teacher, with little knowledge of computers and even less about porn.
Now she is in the middle of a criminal case that hinges on the intricacies of both, and it could put her behind bars for up to 40 years.

She was convicted last month of exposing seventh-grade students to pornography on her classroom computer. She contended the images were inadvertently thrust onto the screen by pornographers' unseen spyware and adware programs.

Prosecutors dispute that. But her argument has made her a cause celebre among some technology experts, who say what happened to her could happen to anyone.

"I'm scared," the 40-year-old Amero said. "I'm just beside myself over something I didn't do."

It all began in October 2004. Amero was assigned to a class at Kelly Middle School in Norwich, a city of around 37,000 people about 40 miles east of Hartford.

Amero says that before her class started, a teacher allowed her to e-mail her husband. She says she used the computer and went to the bathroom, returning to find the permanent teacher gone and two students viewing a Web site on hair styles.

Amero says she chased the students away and started class. But later, she says, pornographic images started popping up on the computer screen by themselves. She says she tried to click the images off, but they kept returning, and she was under strict orders not to shut the computer off.

"I did everything I possibly could to keep them from seeing anything," she says.

Prosecutor David Smith contended at Amero's three-day trial that she actually clicked on graphic Web sites.

Several students testified that they saw pictures of naked men and women, including at least one image a couple having oral sex.

Computer consultant Herb Horner testified for the defense that the children had gone to an innocent Web site on hair styles and were redirected to another hairstyle site that had pornographic links. "It can happen to anybody," Horner said.

The defense argued that the images were caused by adware and spyware programs that are often secretly planted on computers by Internet businesses to track users' browsing habits. They can generate pop-up ads in some cases, pornographic ones.

"It's absolutely plausible," Ari Schwartz, deputy director of the Center for Democracy and Technology, said of Amero's case. "It's a huge problem."

But many remain skeptical, including Mark Steinmetz, who served on Amero's jury.

"So many kids noticed this going on," Steinmetz said. "It was truly uncalled for. I would not want my child in her classroom. All she had to do was throw a coat over it or unplug it. We figured even if there were pop-ups, would you sit there?"

The Federal Trade Commission has been cracking down on companies accused of spreading malicious spyware to millions of computer users worldwide. And pop-up blockers that can prevent so-called porn storms are now in wide use.

Amero and her supporters say the old computer lacked firewall or antispyware protections to prevent inappropriate pop-ups.

"What is extraordinary is the prosecution admitted there was no search made for spyware an incredible blunder akin to not checking for fingerprints at a crime scene," Alex Eckelberry, president of a Florida software company, wrote recently in the local newspaper. "When a pop-up occurs on a computer, it will get shown as a visited Web site, and no 'physical click' is necessary."

Smith, the prosecutor, would not say what he plans to recommend when Amero is sentenced March 2. John Newsone, a defense attorney in Norwich familiar with the case, said Amero might be spared prison or face perhaps a year to 18 months.

Principal Scott Fain said the computer lacked the latest firewall protection because a vendor's bill had gone unpaid. "I was shocked to see what made it through," he said.

But Fain also said Amero was the only one to report such a problem: "We've never had a problem with pop-ups before or since."

**BigRedChief** · 02-14-2007, 02:40 PM

I can very easily tell you if it was spyware, pop-up ads and if they actually visited the site, how long the ad was displayed etc etc

Seems to me this is whack.

Sully · 02-14-2007, 02:41 PM

I read this yesterday, and wondered why it couldn't be nailed down if it was definitely spyware, etc.

htismaqe · 02-14-2007, 02:42 PM

What a crock of shit.

htismaqe · 02-14-2007, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sully

I read this yesterday, and wondered why it couldn't be nailed down if it was definitely spyware, etc.

Probably because nobody bothered to look.

A teacher showed porn to a bunch of kids...HANG HER! No, wait...BURN HER!!!

**BigRedChief** · 02-14-2007, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by htismaqe

Probably because nobody bothered to look.

A teacher showed porn to a bunch of kids...HANG HER! No, wait...BURN HER!!!

I can't believe this either. If the facts are what they really are in the article it would be so easy to figure out the truth

Dr. Johnny Fever · 02-14-2007, 02:49 PM

The school should be smart enough to have spyware/pop-up blockers on their damn computers. Hang the principal or whoever's responsible instead.

Fish · 02-14-2007, 02:49 PM

Smells funny....

Sometimes those quiet 40 something innocent looking women are the biggest sexual deviants...

And given instructions not to turn if off or not.... if it's showing something that inappropriate, turn the damn thing off anyway...

So much about this doesn't make sense, it's hard to even begin to place blame...

htismaqe · 02-14-2007, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

I can't believe this either. If the facts are what they really are in the article it would be so easy to figure out the truth

Here's the key part for me:

"What is extraordinary is the prosecution admitted there was no search made for spyware an incredible blunder akin to not checking for fingerprints at a crime scene," Alex Eckelberry, president of a Florida software company, wrote recently in the local newspaper.

If the prosecution truly addmitted that they didn't search the computer for malware, the case should be thrown out. Plain and simple. At best, they are ignorant of the technology. At worst, they are GROSSLY negligent and more interested in making an example of this woman than serving justice.

**BigRedChief** · 02-14-2007, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by htismaqe

Here's the key part for me:

"What is extraordinary is the prosecution admitted there was no search made for spyware an incredible blunder akin to not checking for fingerprints at a crime scene," Alex Eckelberry, president of a Florida software company, wrote recently in the local newspaper.

If the prosecution truly addmitted that they didn't search the computer for malware, the case should be thrown out. Plain and simple. At best, they are ignorant of the technology. At worst, they are GROSSLY negligent and more interested in making an example of this woman than serving justice.

No chit, this will be thrown out on appeal. Ignorant people.

**noa** · 02-14-2007, 02:54 PM

This pisses me off. How can people be so unreasonable?

htismaqe · 02-14-2007, 02:54 PM

Furthermore, the school OWNS the computer.

The law so far has been pretty adamant about illegal content and ownership of the harddrive it resides on.

The computer should immediately be scrubbed for pornographic material (the graphics in the pop-ups would be stored in cache) and the school should be charged.

KC Kings · 02-14-2007, 02:58 PM

To me it doesn't matter why the porn ads were popping up, it was the simple fact that the teacher did nothing about it.
My wife signs up for free stuff on the internet, and even though my computer was protected we had the same issue. To make sure my kids didn't see it we turned the computer off until I could get home and clean it.

Whatever reason the sub was given for "not turning the computer off", I am sure a simple call to the principle would have given her authorization. Were there also rules against turning off the monitor?

It is obvious that the kids got a kick out of seeing nekid pictures, and she allowed the to be entertained by not stopping it. Forty years in prison seems a little steep, especailly since 25 percent of all kids have given or received oral sex by the age of 14, (per my wife after watching Oprah). I could see if they saw some barnyard scenes or a little DVDA, but I find it hard to believe that there is any high school in America that has used the internet, and not seen something sexually explicit, (inadvertantly or purposely).

**noa** · 02-14-2007, 02:59 PM

Quote:

John Newsone, a defense attorney in Norwich familiar with the case, said Amero might be spared prison or face perhaps a year to 18 months.

I can understand firing her because she didn't cover up the images or unplug the computer immediately, but sending her to jail for a year and a half is a pure waste of taxpayers' money.

KC Kings · 02-14-2007, 03:00 PM

And Chief Nute thinks his wife never does anything on snow days because she is surfing "Ebay".

http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showthread.php?t=158322

02-14-2007, 02:39 PM
BigRedChief Has a particular set of skills Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: On the water Casino cash: $3059627 VARSITY	Teacher looking at 40 years in jail for spyware porn pop up ads http://abcnews.go.com/US/print?id=2872230 Substitute Teacher's Porn Conviction Sparks Tech Debate By JOHN CHRISTOFFERSEN The Associated Press WINDHAM, Conn. - Until recently, Julie Amero says, she lived the quiet life of a small-town substitute teacher, with little knowledge of computers and even less about porn. Now she is in the middle of a criminal case that hinges on the intricacies of both, and it could put her behind bars for up to 40 years. She was convicted last month of exposing seventh-grade students to pornography on her classroom computer. She contended the images were inadvertently thrust onto the screen by pornographers' unseen spyware and adware programs. Prosecutors dispute that. But her argument has made her a cause celebre among some technology experts, who say what happened to her could happen to anyone. "I'm scared," the 40-year-old Amero said. "I'm just beside myself over something I didn't do." It all began in October 2004. Amero was assigned to a class at Kelly Middle School in Norwich, a city of around 37,000 people about 40 miles east of Hartford. Amero says that before her class started, a teacher allowed her to e-mail her husband. She says she used the computer and went to the bathroom, returning to find the permanent teacher gone and two students viewing a Web site on hair styles. Amero says she chased the students away and started class. But later, she says, pornographic images started popping up on the computer screen by themselves. She says she tried to click the images off, but they kept returning, and she was under strict orders not to shut the computer off. "I did everything I possibly could to keep them from seeing anything," she says. Prosecutor David Smith contended at Amero's three-day trial that she actually clicked on graphic Web sites. Several students testified that they saw pictures of naked men and women, including at least one image a couple having oral sex. Computer consultant Herb Horner testified for the defense that the children had gone to an innocent Web site on hair styles and were redirected to another hairstyle site that had pornographic links. "It can happen to anybody," Horner said. The defense argued that the images were caused by adware and spyware programs that are often secretly planted on computers by Internet businesses to track users' browsing habits. They can generate pop-up ads in some cases, pornographic ones. "It's absolutely plausible," Ari Schwartz, deputy director of the Center for Democracy and Technology, said of Amero's case. "It's a huge problem." But many remain skeptical, including Mark Steinmetz, who served on Amero's jury. "So many kids noticed this going on," Steinmetz said. "It was truly uncalled for. I would not want my child in her classroom. All she had to do was throw a coat over it or unplug it. We figured even if there were pop-ups, would you sit there?" The Federal Trade Commission has been cracking down on companies accused of spreading malicious spyware to millions of computer users worldwide. And pop-up blockers that can prevent so-called porn storms are now in wide use. Amero and her supporters say the old computer lacked firewall or antispyware protections to prevent inappropriate pop-ups. "What is extraordinary is the prosecution admitted there was no search made for spyware an incredible blunder akin to not checking for fingerprints at a crime scene," Alex Eckelberry, president of a Florida software company, wrote recently in the local newspaper. "When a pop-up occurs on a computer, it will get shown as a visited Web site, and no 'physical click' is necessary." Smith, the prosecutor, would not say what he plans to recommend when Amero is sentenced March 2. John Newsone, a defense attorney in Norwich familiar with the case, said Amero might be spared prison or face perhaps a year to 18 months. Principal Scott Fain said the computer lacked the latest firewall protection because a vendor's bill had gone unpaid. "I was shocked to see what made it through," he said. But Fain also said Amero was the only one to report such a problem: "We've never had a problem with pop-ups before or since."
Posts: 79,076

02-14-2007, 02:40 PM	#2
BigRedChief Has a particular set of skills Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: On the water Casino cash: $3059627 VARSITY	I can very easily tell you if it was spyware, pop-up ads and if they actually visited the site, how long the ad was displayed etc etc Seems to me this is whack. __________________ Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering. -YODA
Posts: 79,076

02-14-2007, 02:41 PM	#3
Sully It Goes On Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Lees Summit Casino cash: $10026331	I read this yesterday, and wondered why it couldn't be nailed down if it was definitely spyware, etc. __________________ "And I don't wish that girl any bad luck," he said, "but I hope she gets hit with a car." - Tommy Lasorda
Posts: 18,295

02-14-2007, 02:42 PM	#4
htismaqe 'Tis my eye! Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Chiefsplanet Casino cash: $10269900	What a crock of shit.
Posts: 100,022

02-14-2007, 02:49 PM	#7
Dr. Johnny Fever stax of wax Join Date: Feb 2004 Casino cash: $10004900	The school should be smart enough to have spyware/pop-up blockers on their damn computers. Hang the principal or whoever's responsible instead. __________________ courtesy of BoneKrusher "Baseball? It's just a game. As simple as a ball and bat, yet as complex as the American spirit it symbolizes. It's a sport, a business and sometimes a religion." Ernie Harwell
Posts: 34,865

02-14-2007, 02:49 PM	#8
Fish Ain't no relax! Join Date: Sep 2005 Casino cash: $2198919	Smells funny.... Sometimes those quiet 40 something innocent looking women are the biggest sexual deviants... And given instructions not to turn if off or not.... if it's showing something that inappropriate, turn the damn thing off anyway... So much about this doesn't make sense, it's hard to even begin to place blame... __________________
Posts: 47,545

02-14-2007, 02:54 PM	#11
noa Band Join Date: Sep 2005 Casino cash: $1515453	This pisses me off. How can people be so unreasonable? __________________ Sometimes you eat the bear and sometimes, well, he eats you.
Posts: 8,302

02-14-2007, 02:58 PM	#13
KC Kings Veteran Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: KC Casino cash: $10004900	To me it doesn't matter why the porn ads were popping up, it was the simple fact that the teacher did nothing about it. My wife signs up for free stuff on the internet, and even though my computer was protected we had the same issue. To make sure my kids didn't see it we turned the computer off until I could get home and clean it. Whatever reason the sub was given for "not turning the computer off", I am sure a simple call to the principle would have given her authorization. Were there also rules against turning off the monitor? It is obvious that the kids got a kick out of seeing nekid pictures, and she allowed the to be entertained by not stopping it. Forty years in prison seems a little steep, especailly since 25 percent of all kids have given or received oral sex by the age of 14, (per my wife after watching Oprah). I could see if they saw some barnyard scenes or a little DVDA, but I find it hard to believe that there is any high school in America that has used the internet, and not seen something sexually explicit, (inadvertantly or purposely).
Posts: 4,348

02-14-2007, 03:00 PM	#15
KC Kings Veteran Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: KC Casino cash: $10004900	And Chief Nute thinks his wife never does anything on snow days because she is surfing "Ebay". http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showthread.php?t=158322
Posts: 4,348