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Crime Stoppers has joined forces with the eSafety Commissioner (eSafety) to rollout a national Child Protection campaign, to help combat child sexual abuse and unwanted contact online.

Today’s launch follows a highly successful pilot campaign in NSW last year which contributed towards a 62% increase in complaints about child sexual abuse material to eSafety. There was also a 5% increase in the number of contacts made to Crime Stoppers specifically about online child abuse.

Information received during the NSW pilot has already resulted in several apprehensions and new investigations.

In launching the joint awareness initiative, Crime Stoppers South Australia Chair, Ms Sharon Hanlon, said the national campaign has been designed to better educate people about the need to be on the lookout for and prevent child sexual abuse material and unwanted contact online.

“There is no doubt that child sexual abuse material is rife on the internet, so it is more important than ever for parents and caregivers to be aware of the real and present dangers faced by children when they spend time online,” Ms Hanlon said.

“Predators are gaining increased access to children online through a range of popular apps, games and social media sites to solicit sexual images or video, or harm them physically. We want everyone to be vigilant and if you suspect or see something related to online child sexual abuse then report it immediately so action can be taken.”

In 2019, eSafety’s Cyber Report team concluded about 12,000 regulatory investigations into online child sexual abuse and other abhorrent violent material online.

eSafety Commissioner, Ms Julie Inman Grant, said research has shown that 1 in 4 young people have been contacted by a stranger online.

“Online safety starts in the home. And now, with children and young people spending more time at home and online in the face of COVID-19, we want to work with and support parents and carers throughout these challenging times, to help them stay alert, recognise the warning signs of unwanted contact and protect their children.”

“Online child abuse and exploitation can happen in many ways. The predator could be a stranger, an ‘online friend’ your child has never met face-to-face, or someone they actually know – this is why we have developed strategies to help parents talk to their child before a predator does.”

“Taking this campaign to a national level means we can achieve broader vigilance and community awareness about these issues.”

Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP, welcomes the initiative which builds on last year’s successful trial in New South Wales.

“Young children are using the internet more and more. While this provides great opportunities for education or entertainment, navigating the online world independently – like the physical world – means they are vulnerable to predatory behaviour such as unwanted and harmful contact from strangers. The eSafety and Crime Stoppers campaign provides a range of practical resources to help parents and carers protect children from online dangers, and raise awareness in the community about how to report harmful content,” Minister Fletcher said.

“The NSW pilot campaign delivered a significant increase in reports of child sexual abuse material to eSafety and Crime Stoppers, so I’m pleased to see the campaign being rolled out nationally.”
Crime Stoppers, in conjunction with eSafety, has developed a series of Fact Sheets that provide detailed information on how to report child sexual abuse material and a range of prevention strategies to help keep children safe online. These can be downloaded at www.crimestoppers.com.au

Child sexual abuse material can be reported anonymously to the eSafety Commissioner at www.esafety.gov.au/reportillegalcontent

If you know or suspect someone is producing, downloading or sharing child sexual abuse material you can make a confidential report to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or at www.crimestoppers.com.au

Go to our Campaign page to download useful fact sheets on how to keep children safe online and the danger signs.

Today marks 16 years since the murder of infant Dylan Robert James Lindsay in the West Coast town of Port Lincoln.

At about 8.30am on Sunday, 28 March 2004 the 1-year old’s body was found at an Ellen Street property, with horrific injuries.

He had visible abdominal injuries and had been the victim of a serious assault.

An unknown person had attempted to disguise Dylan’s injuries by using a texta to cover the bruising and marks.

Dylan’s list of serious injuries included five fractured ribs, a lacerated liver and a bruised heart.

He died of internal bleeding and expert advice is that would have taken about six hours.

Two people were arrested in May 2004 but those charges were later dropped. Two adults remain “persons of interest” in the case.

Police have encountered reluctance from people within the local community to provide evidence as they investigated the death.

A reward of up to $1 million is on offer for information that leads to the conviction in this case.

If you have any information call 1800 333 000 or make a report at www.crimestopperssa.com.au

You can remain anonymous

Ignoring quarantine rules endangers the lives of fellow South Australians and must not be accepted.

If you know someone who is doing the wrong thing then call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a report at www.crimestopperssa.com.au

You can remain anonymous.

Australians should be aware scammers are adapting existing technology to play on people’s fears around coronavirus and selling products claiming to prevent or cure the virus.

Since 1 January 2020, the ACCC’s Scamwatch has received 94 reports of scams about coronavirus, but warns figures are starting to climb.

Scamwatch has received multiple reports of phishing scams sent via email or text message that take advantage of people by claiming to be providing official information on coronavirus but are attempts to try and obtain personal data.

Other scams include people receiving misinformation about cures for coronavirus and investment scams claiming coronavirus has created opportunities to make money. These include fake online stores selling products claiming to be a vaccine or cure for coronavirus, and stores selling products such as face masks and not providing the goods.

There is no known vaccine or cure for coronavirus and a vaccine isn’t expected to be available for 18 months.

Do NOT buy any products that claim to prevent or cure you of COVID-19 – they don’t exist.

Scammers are also impersonating official organisations such as the World Health Organization and the Department of Health or legitimate businesses such as travel agents and telecommunications companies.

People wanting information on the pandemic should be wary of emails or text messages claiming to be from experts.

For the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus, visit the Department of Health and the World Health Organization websites directly.

If you think you have been scammed, contact your bank or financial institution immediately.

More information on coronavirus scams is available on the Scamwatch website, including how to make a report and where to get help.

Peter Seaford was attacked between 4 and 4.45am on March 12, 1989 at Whyalla.

An hour earlier the well-known local had left the Essington Lewis Ave unit he shared with his partner Anne Marron when an alarm was triggered by a break-in at his service station, which was just 500 metres away.

When he arrived at the business alone he found a car engine part had been used to smash the front door.

Because he did not have his keys, he rang his partner of five years and asked her to bring the keys to him so he could turn the alarm off.

It is believed at that point he became concerned about the cash he had left at his home and returned there for a short time before going back to the service station.

He returned home a short time later, after police told him that a neighbouring unit had also been broken into.

It is believed that when he arrived home again he disturbed his killers.

Despite his serious injuries he managed to call the service station, which was answered by Ms Marron.

After listening to his softly spoken last words, Ms Marron went to her brother’s home, wrongly thinking the caller may have been him.

After speaking with him she realised it was Peter and returned to their unit where she found him on the loungeroom floor lying next to the telephone with serious head injuries.

His flat had been ransacked and he had suffered extensive injuries to both arms when defending himself during the violent attack.

He died several hours later in hospital from multiple blows to his head inflicted by a heavy blunt object.

A crude balaclava made from the leg of a pair of tracksuit pants was found at the scene and is thought to have been ripped from the attacker’s head during the incident.

While Mr Seaford’s attackers stole the business takings, between $500 and $1,000, they missed other cash hidden in the unit.

Based on information from neigbours, investigators believe more than one person was involved.

Enquiries have also found that Mr Seaford’s previous home had been targeted just over 12 months before he was killed, presumably also for the takings from the service station.

Investigators believe details of a ‘unique’ phone call received in 2006 could help them solve this cold case murder.

That person contacted a random person and asked them to provide the information to police. The person who received the call did so, and police believe the instigator called back to make sure the information had been passed on.

A second call was received when a person contacted Crime Stoppers via the website on 17 February and provided information that suggested they have knowledge about the murder.

A reward of up to $200,000 remains on offer for information that leads to a conviction in this case.

If you have any information, please call 1800 333 000 or make a report at www.crimestopperssa.com.au

You can remain anonymous – it’s about what you know, not who you are.

It is now 33 years since Vasilios (Bill) Antonoglou, was found murdered in the Brownhill Creek Reserve.

The 36-year old had been shot in the upper torso with a shotgun on Saturday 7 March 1987.

Mr Antonoglou was well known in the Greek community and was a musician who played at Greek functions around Adelaide.

During the investigation into his murder a number of witnesses contacted police to advise that Mr Antonoglou was involved in a number of relationships with married Greek women and this was the reason he was murdered.

Three men were arrested in relation to the murder.

In November 1989, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions entered a nolle prosequi in relation to all three accused.

A reward of up to $200,000 is on offer for information that results in a conviction in this case.

Peter Livingstone was last seen at a unit in Crozier Terrace, Oaklands Park during the afternoon of Saturday 6 March 1993.

The 32-year old had been looking after the unit for a friend.

At about 2pm that day he was in another unit talking with a friend when they decided to go to the Warradale Hotel. The associate went into a bedroom to change and when he came out Mr Livingstone was gone.

Detectives checked whether Mr Livingstone went to the hotel alone but he was not seen there that night.

A check with the owner of the flat Mr Livingstone was looking after found that his watch, sandshoes and other clothing were still there.

On 19 March 1993 Mr Livingstone’s severed arms and legs were located wrapped in clothing and a curtain and placed in garbage bags in a storm drain at Westcliff Estate at Marino.

His head and torso have never been located.

Despite extensive investigations, the motive for the murder and why the killer dismembered Mr Livingstone’s body remains unclear.

Mr Livingstone was an itinerant who stayed mostly with friends in a large block of Housing Trust flats bordered by Selway St, Crozier Tce and Johnstone Rd, at Oaklands Park.

He drank heavily, had relatively few possessions and worked infrequently as a labourer for a VIP lawnmowing contractor.

A $200,000 reward is on offer for information leading to a conviction and/or the recovery of his remains.

In response to escalating violence against nurses and midwives at hospital sites around South Australia, the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (SA Branch) has today announced a partnership with Crime Stoppers designed to create a safer environment for health care staff and stop attacks.

As the nation’s most trusted information reporting service, Crime Stoppers provides people with the opportunity to anonymously share what they know about unsolved crimes and suspicious activity.

Most importantly, the partnership allows for people to take a proactive role in community safety without having to say who they are, with recent national research confirming that 81% of Australians believe the option to remain anonymous is incredibly important.

“This partnership reinforces ANMF (SA Branch)’s commitment to the implementation of practical and effective measures to address violence in the workplace and ultimately keep nursing and midwifery staff and the wider community safe,’’ ANMF (SA Branch) CEO/Secretary Adj Assoc Professor Elizabeth Dabars AM said.

“While we welcome the work that has been done by SA Health on their Challenging Behaviour Strategic Framework, health care workers need practical solutions implemented now. This partnership announcement is another step towards making work sites safer.

“Prominent signage will be placed around car parks which have sadly been the site for a number of serious assaults, including one incident last year which left a nurse with stab injuries to her neck,’’ Ms Dabars said.

Crime Stoppers spokesperson, Sharon Hanlon, said everyone has a responsibility to keep their eyes and ears open to identify and put a stop to those wanting to harm others.

“We know that often a criminal will stake out an area before attacking a person, and that is why it is important for everyone using car parks and at-risk areas to be on the lookout for a car or any person acting suspiciously – even if no obvious crime has been committed,” Ms Hanlon said.

“An average of 25 crimes are solved each and every week in South Australia thanks to information provided by the community to Crime Stoppers, and we hope that people share what they know to make sure our nurses and frontline health staff stay safe,” she said.

“We also want people to step up when an attacker has been caught on CCTV and share what they know, because rarely are these crimes committed in isolation. Maybe you’ve heard someone in your social circle talking about involvement in an attack, perhaps they have property that isn’t theirs, maybe they match the description of a suspect – that’s when contacting Crime Stoppers can make all the difference.”

If someone sees a crime occurring or needs police assistance, they should call 000 in an emergency or 131 444 to have police attend. For anyone who has information about an unsolved crime or suspicious behaviour they can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a report at www.crimestoppers.com.au

ANMF (SA Branch), in partnership with Crime Stoppers, will be working with sites across SA to roll out the implementation of this initiative.

PICTURE: ANMF (SA Branch) CEO/Secretary Adj Assoc Professor Elizabeth Dabars AM and Crime Stoppers spokesperson, Sharon Hanlon, explain the partnership to Adelaide media

It is a 54-year old cold case which started on this day in 1966 when Clarence Greenwood was murdered after drinking beer laced with arsenic.

It was on 4 March 1966, when the 40-year old was found dead in bed at his mother’s Bowden home.

Investigators believe that Clarence’s nephew, Daniel, and brother, Peter – who both worked at W Foster and Co wool and skin merchants at Hindmarsh with Clarence – can help solve the murder mystery.

It is known that the trio used the chemical ‘Vallo’ to treat animal skins, which was found in the contaminated beer.

While Peter Greenwood was questioned extensively over his brother’s death – as late as 2004 – he maintained his innocence before dying in 2016 aged in his eighties.

Daniel has since vanished and cannot be found, although he may be living a vagrant lifestyle somewhere in Western Australia.

Investigators say a possible motive for the murder, arises from a “complex’’ family situation.

Clarence had been an alcoholic who suffered from a number of associated health problems that included a stomach ulcer.

He was involved in a testy relationship with his defacto, Annie Greenwood, also known as Gwen Smith, with whom he had 12 children. In February 1966 he was jailed after breaching a domestic violence order.

On the day before his death he was bailed after his mother, Lillian, and brother, Frank, paid his fine.

The trio went to various Adelaide hotels that afternoon before Frank bought four bottles of beer and two bottles of stout at the Governor Hindmarsh Hotel, Hindmarsh.

They then walked the short distance to Lillian’s home on Drayton St, Bowden, where Peter had been staying.

Later that afternoon, Peter was told he would have to move out to make room for his brother Clarence. Two of Clarence’s children, Peter and Beryl, and his nephew, Daniel, were already living at the home.

Clarence and Frank then went to another friend’s house for more drinks and then returned to Bowden about 11pm, where they drank some of the purchased alcohol.

It is understood that Clarence went to bed with an upset stomach. He got out of bed at about 4.30am and vomited, as did Frank.

Clarence then opened another bottle of beer and drank it before returning to bed. Frank only drank a small amount of the beer, complaining it was flat.

A doctor was called at 8am the next morning, and at 11.30am Clarence was found dead in bed, with an autopsy confirming he had died from arsenic poisoning.

Clarence’s mother and his brother Frank also fell sick after consuming the contaminated alcohol but later recovered.

During the investigation, three of the bottles were found to contain traces of arsenic.

Investigators believe Daniel and Peter may be able to help explain how the Vallo came to be in the house or in the alcohol consumed by Clarence, Frank and Lillian.

Adding to the complicated background of this case is the fact that Peter had a history of sex offending against several of Clarence’s children. Several years after Clarence’s death, Peter was also convicted of a sexual assault involving Daniel.

A reward of up to $200,000 is on offer for information that leads to a conviction in this case.

Wildlife crime is big business – and World Wildlife Day is the perfect opportunity to remember that we can all play a part in helping to stop this illegal trade.

While it’s almost impossible to obtain reliable figures for the value of the illegal wildlife trade, what is known is that international crime networks traffic wildlife and animal parts much like illegal drugs and arms.

They use tactics similar to drug traffickers, with animals worn on the body, sent through the post, and shipped as freight.

Our unique flora and fauna are especially prized overseas. Lizards, reptiles and birds are popular ‘trophies’ – with many destined for the USA, Japan and Europe where collectors will pay big sums.

In fact, Australia’s seven black cockatoo species are highly sought after, with some individual birds fetching up to $30,000.

Illegal wildlife trafficking is incredibly stressful on the animals, which face extremes of temperature, asphyxiation, dehydration, starvation and trauma.

So be on the lookout for illegal animal trafficking – on the internet, in markets, and amongst people you know.

If you have any information about wildlife traffickers or illegal wildlife owners, report it to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or go online to www.crimestopperssa.com.au