Virus Coaxes Man to Turn Himself in for Child Pornography

What's This?

By Sean Fitz-Gerald2013-07-28 19:31:21 +0200

A 21-year-old man turned himself into Virginia police after receiving a pop-up message that led him to believe authorities had warrants on file for his child pornography use.

Jay Matthew Riley, 21, of Woodbridge, Va., was charged, per Prince William County Police Department, with three counts of possession of child pornography, one count of using a communication device to solicit certain offenses involving children and one count of indecent liberties with a minor.

See also: UK to Block All Online Pornography by Default

The message Riley received claimed to be an "FBI warning," which informed him that child pornography had been identified on his computer, and instructed him to either pay a fine or face prosecution. As it turns out, the message was fake; it was a virus reportedly known as Reveton ransomware, which is designed to bag money from victims after they click on compromised websites.

Instead of paying, however, Riley took his computer to Woodbridge's Garfield District Station, where police searched his device and found messages and photos from underage girls, including one from a 13-year-old Minnesota resident. Riley is being held without bond.

See also: Porn Is Now Banned on Google Glass

The investigation, spearheaded by the Woodbridge's Special Victims Bureau, began July 1 and is ongoing. Riley was arrested on July 23.

Image: Facebook, Prince William County Police Department

Topics: child pornography, Conversations, crime, internet, Jay Matthew Riley, porn, U.S., virginia, woodbridge