Category Archives: Justice

August 3, 2025 · 1:00 am

Nudify Apps and the Road to Destruction

Actress/Director Scarlett Johansson, Source https://www.flickr.com/photos/15512543@N04/2185543324/, Author John Harrison at https://www.flickr.com/photos/15512543@N04/, Permission Creative Commons Attribution Sharealike (CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported)

A new word has entered our vocabulary.  To “nudify” is to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create deepfake images which appear to show the individuals depicted as naked [1]. Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson have been among those famously victimized.

Thousands of nudify apps exist to accomplish this, and have rapidly gained popularity [2][3].  Many work only on images of women.  And, as might be expected, many use social media for marketing purposes.

Thus far, victims have typically been school girls who posted innocent photos of themselves online [4].  However, anyone of any age can use these apps to convert harmless online images into what appear to be embarrassing photos and videos of children, teens, teachers, parents, police officers, pastors, or others in the nude. 

Once the nude images have been created, they can circulate on all the digital platforms commonly used for messaging today. 

Impact

Such images are often used as revenge porn with a deliberate intent of humiliating and degrading the individual pictured.  Whatever the intent, the impact on victims is overwhelmingly negative.  Not only embarrassment, but anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation can result. Continue reading →

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July 13, 2025 · 1:00 am

Sexual Violence in Sudan

WARNING:  Graphic Images

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July 6, 2025 · 1:00 am

Gnosticism and Pedophilia

Ancient Greek pederast kissing a young boy (4th Century BC), Louvre Museum (Accession No. G 278), Author Marie-Lan Nguyen (PD)

Many today are adherents of a pernicious philosophy, a false religion, whose name they do not know [1].  It masquerades as ancient wisdom, secret knowledge, a path to self-fulfillment.  But it incorporates Satan’s oldest and most effective lies.

Gnosticism is a heresy that seeks to undermine Christian doctrine.  It promises that men can become godlike, and exalts inner “perception” over outer reality.  Its beliefs are at the root of the Transgender Movement, and are paving the way for the normalization of pedophilia [2][3][4].

This is not to say that Gnostics are pedophiles or even aware of the connection to pedophilia.  Most Gnostics would undoubtedly dispute the connection.  Not that pedophiles need much help in normalizing their perversion.

Legitimizing Pedophilia

B4U-ACT is part of a growing movement to legitimize sexual attraction to children [5].  Founded by social worker Russell Dick and convicted child sex offender Michael Melsheimer, this Maryland group maintains that sexual attraction to children is not a psychiatric disorder, but an identity to be affirmed. 

A list of pedophilia advocacy groups can be found on Wikipedia [6].  Like B4U-ACT, they hold that attempts to reduce or control pedophiles’ attraction to children through cognitive behavior therapy or drugs are not only pointless, but unethical.

Never mind the lasting harm pedophiles do to children. Continue reading →

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June 29, 2025 · 1:00 am

The Bunny Ranch – Prostitution Exposed

“The Damned” by Luca Signorelli (1499-1502), Chapel of San Brizio, Orvieto, Source Web Gallery of Art (PD)

The A&E Network has been running a series titled “Secrets of the Bunny Ranch”, an expose of legalized prostitution at the infamous Bunny Ranch in Nevada.  Episodes can be viewed online at https://www.aetv.com/shows/secrets-of-the-bunny-ranch.

Marketing v. Reality

Some years ago HBO aired a puff piece on the Bunny Ranch titled “Cathouse:  The Series” [1].  Presented as a documentary, this was essentially a marketing and recruitment device which portrayed brothel life as fun, lucrative, and safe.  Nothing could have been further from the truth.

By contrast, the A&E series examines the sordid underbelly of prostitution:  the grooming, the trafficking, the rape, the drugs, the violence, the financial irregularity, and the law enforcement corruption. 

Virgins are auctioned off to the highest bidder.  Pregnant women are offered for sale by the hour to those with a fetish for them.  Sex workers are regularly abused, and kept in permanent debt bondage.

Many prostitutes already have a history of childhood abuse and/or domestic violence.  They are already wounded, their choices severely limited. Continue reading →

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June 15, 2025 · 1:00 am

CSAM Apps – Monetizing the Sexual Exploitation of Children Online, Part 2

The sale of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) has spawned a highly lucrative industry. Social media platforms have overlooked this in the interest of profit.  An internal survey conducted at Meta indicated 13% of users between the ages of 13 and 15 receive at least one sexual solicitation per week [1A]. 

In 2023 NHK News partnered with Tansa to investigate Album Collection (a photos sharing app available in Japan that once topped Apple’s App Store in sales) [1B].  Album Collection was self-described as a tool for sharing family memories and graduation trip photos.  In fact, it offered over a thousand items of child pornography for sale. 

Identifying the true owner/operator of Album Collection proved extremely difficult [2].  But the money trail leading to social media platforms like Apple and Google was clear [1C]. 

An item of CSAM was posted to the app, and assigned a password which could be obtained for a price.  Viewers of the app were then provided a key for $1.10.  The original poster received $0.10 of this amount.  The app owner/operator received the remaining $1.  However, fully $0.30 of that $1 was routed to the social media platform. 

Other CSAM apps operate in similar fashion. Assuming the financial arrangement is comparable, some 30% of the billions in profits from child pornography go directly to social media platforms like Meta.  Meanwhile, when one CSAM app is taken down, others rapidly take its place. Continue reading →

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April 20, 2025 · 1:00 am

Fighting Demons

Black Demons, Author Ramya srivastav, (CC BY-SA 4.0 International)

Fighting the demons of anxiety, depression, and PTSD or trauma-related addictions and eating disorders is a little like playing football [1][2].  We make headway then lose ground.  But the fight never really ends, not the way a game of football does.  There is no score.

We win by surviving another day.

Across Decades

It can be enormously discouraging to wrestle with the scars of abuse, sexual assault, or other trauma, decade in and decade out.  Surely, we must after all this time have made progress.

But progress is not linear.  Despite the passage of time, and an extensive list of medications – not to mention therapy – familiar demons can resurface.

Factors Impacting Our Success

So, are anxiety, depression, and PTSD or trauma-related behaviors ever really “conquered”?  Can they, at least, be fought to a standstill?  The answer depends.

The factors include the length and severity of the trauma we sustained; our particular genetics; the quality and extent of our medical treatment; our psychological and spiritual resources; the emotional support we have available; and the other stressors to which we are subjected.

None of these can be quantified.  Most such demons can and do vary over the course of a lifetime.

The Struggle

Why not just throw in the towel (to mix sports metaphors)?  After all, the struggle is exhausting.  The struggle, however, is life. Continue reading →

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February 16, 2025 · 1:00 am

Cyber Harassment and the Death of Bianca Devins, Part 2

Japanese girl group 9nine, Author Hitoshi 061311 (CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported)

Cyber harassment, like that involving the online influencer Bianca Devins and her family, is defined as the use of electronic technologies (computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices) to distress, stalk, or threaten someone [1][2][3][4A].  

“The common factor is the use of technology to establish power and control by causing fear and/or intimidation [4B].”

Online harassment can range from ridicule (cyber bullying, trolling, and dogpiling), the spreading of rumors, and racist rant (hate speech), to the exposure of victims to unwanted sexual or other offensive content (sexual harassment), the dissemination of confidential information or imagery without consent (doxing, sextortion, and revenge porn), impersonation with malicious intent (deepfake), and prolonged surveillance with the intent to intimidate, injure, or kill (cyberstalking). 

Victims may experience stress (severe embarrassment, humiliation, etc.), anxiety, hypervigilance, feelings of powerlessness, and fear for their own safety or the safety of loved ones.  Performance in school and work suffers.  Suicide can result. 

The public can protect itself against cyber harassment by using current security software; strong passwords; and regularly updated privacy settings.   Personal and location information should never be shared online.

Offenses should be reported to the social media platform, the educational institution or employer (as applicable), and police. Continue reading →

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February 9, 2025 · 1:00 am

Cyber Harassment and the Death of Bianca Devins, Part 1

Illustration of dogpiling, a form of cyber harassment, Source https://www.flickr.com/photos/23963249@N02/2314383724, Author J_O_I_D (CC BY-SA 2.0 Generic)

WARNING:  Graphic Images

Bianca Devin’s, a 17 y.o. online influencer with a small following, was brutally murdered in 2019 by a fan with whom she had become familiar [1].  Her murderer, Brandon Clark, researched beforehand the “best” ways to kill people and livestream the event [2].

Suffering from anxiety, depression, borderline personality disorder, and PTSD, Bianca reached out for friends online, but was harassed by “incels” – an online subculture of aggrieved and angry men who despise and revile women because they are unable to make a romantic connection [3][4][5].

That was not the end of the tragedy.  Bianca’s death went viral, with graphic images of her body circulating online for years.  The murder was discussed on social media in offensive and misogynistic terms.  Bianca’s family members were repeatedly exposed to bloody images of their daughter, as well as being told she deserved to die.

The Devins family ultimately lobbied for the passage of a law protecting families against this type of violation [6].  “Bianca’s Law”, as it is known, makes it a crime in New York to post graphic personal images online of those involved in traumatic situations, and creates a private right of action for victims [7].

—

[1]  Wikipedia, “Murder of Bianca Devins”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Bianca_Devins.

[2]  Syracuse, “More horrific details come out in Bianca Devins murder that was shared online to the world” by Elizabeth Doran, 2/14/20 (updated 11/7/23), https://www.syracuse.com/crime/2020/02/more-horrific-details-come-out-in-bianca-devins-murder-that-was-shared-online-to-the-world.html.

[3]  Wikipedia, “Incel”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incel.

[4]  Syracuse, “How Bianca Devins, Brandon Clark moved in online worlds of vanity and abuse”, 7/17/19 by Patrick Lohmann and Samantha House, https://www.syracuse.com/crime/2019/07/bianca-devins-online-vanity-harassment-and-memes-shaped-victim-and-suspects-identities.html.

[5]  These men do not seem to realize a major reason they cannot make a romantic connection may be they are so hate-filled.

[6]  YouTube, “Crime Weekly News:  Kim Devins Discusses Bianca’s Law”, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkFNO90mrXw.

[7]  Spectrum News 1, “Hochul signs ‘Bianca’s Law’, making illegal posting of graphic images of crime victims online” by Luke Parsnow, 12/30/22, https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/politics/2022/12/30/hochul-signs–bianca-s-law—making-illegal-posting-graphic-images-online.

Part 2 in this series will be posted next week.

FOR MORE OF MY ARTICLES ON POVERTY, POLITICS, AND MATTERS OF CONSCIENCE CHECK OUT MY BLOG A LAWYER’S PRAYERS AT: https://alawyersprayers.com

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February 2, 2025 · 1:00 am

Dreadful Sins

Portrait of Gisèle Pelicot by Ann-Sophie Qvarnström as an illustration for Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.O International)

WARNING:  Graphic Images

“Madam, we the women of East London feel horror at the dreadful sins that have been lately committed in our midst.”

–Petition to Queen Victoria by 4000 impoverished women of Whitechapel

In fear for their lives, the women of London’s Whitechapel petitioned Queen Victoria for relief when Jack the Ripper was at large [1][2].  The Ripper is known to have murdered 5 women, but the exact number of his victims is uncertain [3].  These women were all characterized as prostitutes, though they may simply have been destitute women.

Serial Killings

Despite his infamy, Jack the Ripper was not the first serial killer of women.  Nor will he be the last.  The savagery of such attacks will not be addressed here. 

There are, however, men who have no compassion for women — whether they ever become serial killers or not.  They do not recognize women as human beings, and feel entitled to use and degrade them.  A few celebrity predators come to mind, though fame is not a prerequisite.

Sex Trafficking

Worldwide, of course, there are sex traffickers who exploit women by force, fraud, and coercion for their own financial gain.  Drugs are commonly employed to secure control over women in the sex trade. 

Rape by Proxy

Dominique Pelicot, aged 71, went a step further.  Pelicot was recently convicted in France of repeatedly drugging Gisele (his wife of 50 years), then recruiting 50 different men to rape her over a 10 year period [4A].  The men (who, themselves, ranged in age from 26 to 68) were likewise convicted, though some claim they believed they were taking part in an erotic game [5].

Pelicot took thousands of videos of these men abusing his unconscious wife.  Though she was asleep during the assaults, Gisele Pelicot suffered large gaps in memory, hair and weight loss, as side effects of the drugs her husband was surreptitiously administering to her [4B].  She feared she was developing Alzheimer’s Disease or a brain tumor. Continue reading →

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January 12, 2025 · 1:00 am

The Rose Garden, Chapter 22 – A Voice Reclaimed

File:Justice scale and flag.jpg

Scales of Justice, Author St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office, (CC BY-SA 4.0 International)

WARNING:  Graphic Images

“…we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Rom. 5: 3-4).

The American Psychiatric Association defines three major dissociative disorders [1]:

  • Depersonalization/derealization disorder — a sense of separation from self;
  • Dissociative amnesia — suppressed memories; and
  • Dissociative identity disorder — alternate identities.

These conditions arise from shocking, distressing, and/or painful events, including severe neglect or repetitive physical, emotional, and/or sexual abuse.  Symptoms can range from memory loss to disconnected identities.

Thankfully, I never, myself, suffered from suppressed memories or alternate identities.  There were, however, three aspects to my personality as a result of the incest:  an inner child; a capable woman; and a cynic.  By the grace of God, I have since managed to integrate these aspects with one another.

What purpose, I ask myself, did these aspects of my personality serve?

The Inner Child

The inner child preserved the feelings I experienced as a child.  She represented my lost innocence.

The child made a rare public appearance on the one occasion I was required to testify at trial, on my own behalf.  All legal knowledge on my part evaporated.  I leaned tensely forward on the witness stand, responding to each question precisely and with extreme care, my eyes fixed on opposing counsel.

Jurors commented afterwards that I seemed too sincere for an attorney, must have been holding some part of myself back.  Little did they realize how much I had actually revealed.

The Capable Woman

The woman was the attorney — competent, dignified.  She predominated.  Although heavily focused on work, she was able to function.

The Cynic

The cynic was a source of passion and strength.  She had no problem expressing anger.  And the cynic had a voice that the child did not.

Surprisingly, it was foul language which first allowed me access to that voice.  Not having heard such language as a child, I was not denied it.  That was the key.

The equipment necessary to the practice of law is located above the neck.  I acquired profanity as a way of conveying that fact to fools in the legal profession who actually believed gutter language a demonstration of strength.

Profanity is a weapon denied women, if they are to be considered ladies by our culture. Though I do not endorse it, I ask to be judged by the same standards applied to men for utilizing that weapon.

I never aspired to be a lady.  I aspired to be a hero. Continue reading →

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