Plane Passenger Reads Man's Chilling Texts, Alerts Crew

Plane Passenger Reads Man's Chilling Texts, Alerts Crew

An airline passenger is being hailed as a "hero" after she helped stop two suspected child predators—whom she uncovered by glancing at text messages easily read over a fellow passenger's shoulder.

According to police, the unnamed Seattle-area preschool teacher became alarmed after spotting "certain words" in the large-font texts of a man seated in front of her on a Southwest flight from Seattle to San Jose.

(snip)

The woman read on as the man allegedly instructed his correspondent to molest children. "That's the moment when she decided to preserve the evidence as best as she could," an officer says. The woman took photos of the man's screen, then notified the flight crew. Once the flight had landed, the man was questioned by the FBI and San Jose police.

This is a tough one. What right did that woman have to read someone else's private messages? What about his freedom of speech?

On the other hand - that she stepped up and didn't just let this sick-o slide? That's all good!

It's just a slippery slope to me. When does freedom not become freedom anymore and who's to judge when the line is crossed?

Police say 56-year-old Michael Kellar of Tacoma, Wash., let authorities review his messages and claimed they only spoke of sexual fantasy.

But police say the woman from Tacoma with whom Kellar was communicating was babysitting two children, aged 5 and 7, at the time, report the Washington Post and KIRO 7, and police allege the kids were being abused.

Kellar and 50-year-old Gail Burnworth were both arrested Monday. Kellar faces charges of attempted child molestation and solicitation of a sex crime, while Burnworth is charged with rape of a child and other crimes.

"If it wasn't for this particular passenger taking action to alert the staff and alert the police, this catastrophic event would have been horrific," San Jose Police Sgt. Brian Spears tells Q13. "In my eyes, she is our hero."

I'm do thankful these kids were not scarificed on the alter of perversion for these demon's sake...

But what price are we payng collectively when it comes to privacy, etc?

peace

originally posted by: silo13
This is a tough one. What right did that woman have to read someone else's private messages?

When he exposed them to other people's view. It's not like she went into his phone to read them.

What about his freedom of speech?

It only applies to the government curtailing your rights.

And I say eff them both, child pervs are the worst.

A text conversation is like a phone conversation. I'd assume no more privacy in public just because I'm texting.

But that's logical,imo. He shouldn't have expected privacy.

Now, if he got up and went to the bathroom and she picked up his phone and views his text conversation, that's different.

a reply to: silo13

I'm do thankful these kids were not scarificed on the alter of perversion for these demon's sake...

Yeah... illegally hacking my phone will send all of y'all to prison. We all know performing sex acts on children is wrong. What is even more wrong is getting caught hacking my phone. Have fun in prison folks.

What an idiot. A plane full of people all around me is the last place I would "openly" discuss molesting children. Good job on the woman's part for being aware and ready.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

I agree. They are the worst.

I'm only asking - let's put it this way - what are we willing to give up to be 'safe' (and I'm sure you know how that old saying turns out).

And as for her reading 'over his shoulder' - how is that any less invasive than if I were to leave a card or note on my table at work and someone else picks it up and reads it? Just because I left it in view my right of privacy is rescinded?

peace

originally posted by: silo13
And as for her reading 'over his shoulder' - how is that any less invasive than if I were to leave a card or note on my table at work and someone else picks it up and reads it? Just because I left it in view my right of privacy is rescinded?

What 'right to privacy' are you referring to? There is nothing in the Constitution about a right to privacy in public places or the workplace. Your employer can read your emails if they want and it's your own fault if you leave personal confidential information out for anyone to read or abscond with.

This asshat exposed his texts for others to view, it's his own fault he rightfully got caught.

a reply to: silo13

Good on her.

I feel there is a cosmic force that puts us in a position to help others and do good. Like a "quantum leap" type situation.

She will never have the doubt of not following her gut instinct with this.

I have one doubt that I wish I would have done something crazy and maybe been wrong at worst. I still think about it years later. I wont miss another.

What if we are supposed to be each other's angels? What if we are supposed to come in and save the day somehow. However humble we are, we can still change the world by being in the right place at the right time and by doing what our hearts tell us needs to be done.

The world needs angels.

a reply to: silo13

This is a tough one. What right did that woman have to read someone else's private messages? What about his freedom of speech?

The perpetrator was in public space and took no measure to use the device in a private manner as it was viewable by someone else. This is 'Plain View Doctrine' without a doubt.

Child abuse, get them at any cost! Bring forth the meat hooks and rust blades, no prisoners!

Wish more of the perv's were as blatant as this so we could catch more of the b'stards

originally posted by: silo13
a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

I agree. They are the worst.

I'm only asking - let's put it this way - what are we willing to give up to be 'safe' (and I'm sure you know how that old saying turns out).

And as for her reading 'over his shoulder' - how is that any less invasive than if I were to leave a card or note on my table at work and someone else picks it up and reads it? Just because I left it in view my right of privacy is rescinded?

peace

Pretty simple solution: don't leave your crap laying around public areas and don't have your phone font size set to "blind" and text where other people can easily see it.

That requires giving up absolutely nothing on your part. It does require some personal responsibility.

Trying to turn something like this into a "free speech" issue is a total non-starter, because the government didn't read over his shoulder. "Right to privacy?" Equally a non-starter. If you want to have an expectation of privacy then y'know...act like it. Don't do things out in the open and blatantly obvious and expect everybody else to wear blinders to accommodate you.

a reply to: silo13

This is a tough one. What right did that woman have to read someone else's private messages? What about his freedom of speech?

My 2 cents about this is that there is no such thing as privacy in this world when it comes to all things being sent electronically. The perv was sending this message at his own risk as opposed to whispering it in the ear of the intended recipient.

a reply to: silo13

Smacks of a psyop in my opinion.

The loss of civil liberties are traditionally pushed using two items: "terrorism" and pedophilia.

Whats more angering/upsetting than violating an innocent child or people wanting to "kill Americans".

a reply to: silo13


I think the obvious problem here is you have chosen the wrong example to use in a discussion about where privacy rights begin or end.

A plane where anyone walking by can see what you are doing and obviously those sitting behind or next to you can see what you are doing, looking at or typing is a place where there is no expectation of privacy. It is a very public place.

As to you leaving a note or message in plain sight, knowing full well anyone could see it, to expect privacy under those circumstances is a bit naive. Again a bad example to use.

I think a far more important thing to look at on this topic would be things like email's sent in private, cell phone conversations and the like.

The Feds Can Read Your Email

Fear of hackers reading private emails in cloud-based systems like Microsoft Outlook, Gmail or Yahoo has recently sent regular people and public officials scrambling to delete entire accounts full of messages dating back years. What we don’t expect is our own government to hack our email—but it’s happening. Federal court cases going on right now are revealing that federal officials can read all your email without your knowledge.

The Federal Government Can Read Your Emails After 180 Days.

It’s the result of a bit of ambiguous wording in a communications law from 1986: a time when few people had even heard of email. Known as the “180-day” rule, the law classifies any messages or documents stored in the cloud for longer than this period as “abandoned” and therefore perfectly acceptable to read.

“The government is essentially using an arcane loophole to breach the privacy rights of Americans,” Republican representative Kevin Yoder of Kansas told McClatchy. “They couldn’t kick down your door and seize the documents on your desk, but they could send a request to Google and ask for all the documents that are in your Gmail account. And I don’t think Americans believe that the Constitution ends with the invention of the Internet.”

Our elected representatives have know about this for a long time but have not plugged the loophole. Only when their emails are revealed do they care.

a reply to: silo13

What about his freedom of speech?

F*** his freedom of speech; with freedom comes responsibility not the right to exploit, interfere with or plan to molest kids.

The woman's nosy nature probably saved the girls and almost certainly prevented these two from harming others.

a reply to: silo13

Disgusting if true hope they rot in hell. However, if the government wanted you destroyed without dissapearing you this is how it's done.

originally posted by: Saiker
However, if the government wanted you destroyed without dissapearing you this is how it's done.

They make you type child rape comments in an oversized font in public places? Pretty impressive.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

What i meant was to open a story such as this perhaps it happened or never happened who knows. what if the government did in fact put the text on his phone? Notice the hero's name remained Anonymous even tho the two criminals are locked up.

originally posted by: Saiker
what if the government did in fact put the text on his phone?

How? Did the government make him type it while someone watched?

Notice the hero's name remained Anonymous even tho the two criminals are locked up.

I wouldn't want my name out there either. Who knows how many people this involves and whether they would be open to some sort of retaliation for catching their perv asses.