Spyware on a School Computer Perhaps Directed to Porn Sites

Two individuals were witnesses to James McKinley's computer depicting pictures of nude women. On February 15, 2007 the links to those websites could have installed spyware.

The 58-year old alleged culprit, Julie Amero was a schoolteacher and is now undergoing interrogation in Barstow Superior Court for conducting indecent behavior with children.

In January 2007, court proved her guilty of inflicting pornography on seventh-grade students through a computer in her class. She is scheduled to face sentence in March 2007.

Amero defended by saying that spyware and adware caused the images, which prosecutors disputed. 'Suntimes' published Amero's statement on February 14, 2007.

Some technology experts argue that spyware is a recognized threat to any PC connected to the Internet that can plant itself on the machine without indication.

Computer forensics specialist at the Sheriff's high-tech crime division, Brian Swan was one of the witnesses who said the links to the obscene material were crafted during early September 2005 to late December 2005 from a PC at the Apple Valley home of McKinley.

During that period McKinley's son Ryan, 23, was not at home. On February 14, 2007 he testified that he frequently visited porn sites when he was at home that almost made an addiction for him.

Defense attorney Stanley Hodge said that when he questioned Swan, he was unable to say how the links appeared to reside on the PC. According to Swan either someone at the PC solicited them or they popped up on web pages displaying on the computer.

In October 2004, Amero was in charge of a class at Kelly Middle School in Norwich. She said one day when she returned from somewhere to find two students browsing a website displaying different hairstyles.

Prosecutor David Smith disputed that Amero clicked on image websites. Students said they witnessed pictures of naked people.

Amero's defense lawyer contended that her computer did not have firewall protections and said some spyware and adware programs caused the porn.

Woodrow Smith, a private computer consultant from Redlands summoned as defense witness said that while examining the computer he found many spyware programs on it.

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» SPAMfighter News - 2/27/2007