Co-Founder of DDoSecrets Was Dark Web Drug Kingpin (404media.co) 25
A co-founder of transparency activism organization Distributed of Denial of Secrets (DDoSecrets) was a dark web drug kingpin who ran the successor to the infamous Silk Road marketplace and was later convicted of child abuse imagery crimes. From a report: The co-founder was Thomas White, who was prosecuted for administering the Silk Road 2.0 drug marketplace and for possessing images of child sexual abuse material. He decided to reveal his involvement in DDoSecrets to 404 Media after serving a five year prison sentence. "I was told, in no uncertain terms, that if I spoke out publicly against Ross Ulbricht's excessive sentence, [DDoSecrets] or anything similar, that I would spend much more time in prison," he said. "Now I can freely speak again, it is important to use it or lose it. So #FreeRoss."
The news provides more insights into the origins of DDoSecrets, which has filled the void left by Wikileaks to become the most significant site publishing massive data dumps at this time. The other co-founder is Emma Best, who for years has archived, cataloged, and distributed large amounts of hacked information online. "Emma and I have been communicating for many years, and both know the difficulty in finding and verifying leaked material. It was a shared vision to make this process easier for people better placed than ourselves, to use the data to counteract the veil of secrecy protecting many bad actors in society," White told 404 Media in an email in July.
The news provides more insights into the origins of DDoSecrets, which has filled the void left by Wikileaks to become the most significant site publishing massive data dumps at this time. The other co-founder is Emma Best, who for years has archived, cataloged, and distributed large amounts of hacked information online. "Emma and I have been communicating for many years, and both know the difficulty in finding and verifying leaked material. It was a shared vision to make this process easier for people better placed than ourselves, to use the data to counteract the veil of secrecy protecting many bad actors in society," White told 404 Media in an email in July.
I could almost root for him (Score:2)
Robin Hood effect and all that...
But the kiddie porn bit... I don't think so. This guy needs to keep his big mouth shut because nothing he says helps him, Ross Ulbricht or anybody else.
Re:I could almost root for [fake news] (Score:2)
Mod parent Funny with a bitter flavor? Not a bad FP, though my beef with this approach is that it's too easy to introduce disinformation. Just republishing whatever someone claims is another recipe for disaster--but real journalism takes a lot of hard work and the financial models to pay for that hard work are collapsing like new black holes...
Re: I could almost root for [fake news] (Score:2)
What "approach"? Bragging about monetizing CP?
Re: (Score:2)
CP probably not Communist Party?
I was referring to the old WikiLeaks idea of making ANYTHING public without even checking for added disinformation. However, even the worst journalism should not be criminal as journalism? Or at some point the negligence is so harmful it should incur some kind of liability (beyond loss of credibility of the bad journalist)?
Re: (Score:2)
Or at some point the negligence is so harmful it should incur some kind of liability
The truth is an absolute defense against libel/slander in the USA, but what if you're not telling the truth, and you know it?
Re: (Score:2)
Let me clarify that I'm talking about higher level lying here. The parts that are true would be deliberately used to make the lies look true. That's why real journalists can't just run with and publish any rumor they hear.
But Wikileaks got much sicker than that. Assange was actually trying to play timing games to raise more money. Yes, journalism needs new economic models, but this is NOT one of them.
Oh, I see (Score:1)
It was a shared vision to make this process easier for people better placed than ourselves, to use the data to counteract the veil of secrecy protecting many bad actors in society
Is that what his plan was for the CP?
Holy shit downmod for that? (Score:2)
This guy admitted to CREATING CP and also DELIBERATELY attracting other child pornographers so he could profit from them.
Feel however you want about me, but defending CP is a spectacular fucking low for whatever coward downmodded me here.
Re: (Score:2)
The spooks always plant CP material on peoples computers. In order to discredit them
I don't believe this happens, its far too likely to trigger physical retaliation. I know for sure I wouldn't just "accept it"
Re: (Score:2)
What makes you think anyone accepts it? "NettiWelho resisted arrest." That's all anyone would hear.
You have childlike understanding of use of force
Re: (Score:1)
CP doesn't get planted?
yeah.. they tried to frame Assange like that but failed.
Likely Planted (Score:2, Interesting)
Easier to get him on a pornography charge. Plus some lawyers will avoid the case. Do everything you can to make him plead guilty.
Re:Likely Planted (Score:5, Informative)
Easier to get him on a pornography charge. Plus some lawyers will avoid the case. Do everything you can to make him plead guilty.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org] -- "Among the charges White admitted to was creating child pornography, and chat logs recovered by police showed White discussing the possibility of launching a website to host such material"
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/ne... [telegraph.co.uk] -- "White had told another Silk Road administrator that he wanted to set up a paedophiles’ website 'because there is money to be made from these people'"
https://www.vice.com/en/articl... [vice.com] -- "Chat logs between White and Benthall said White planned to start a paid-for child pornography site to make money, Charles said."
https://web.archive.org/web/20... [archive.org] -- "He pleaded guilty to drug trafficking, money laundering and making 464 category A indecent images of children, and was jailed for five years and four months."
To believe it was planted? that would have required a such a large conspiracy across so many different agencies (FBI, UK, judiciary) that it's kind of hard to credit.
Re: (Score:1)
To believe it was planted? that would have required a such a large conspiracy across so many different agencies...
When "They" have it out for you...
Rich men: sexual charges.
Rich women: insider trading charges.
Prove me wrong.
Re: (Score:1)
You got the burden of proof wrong. It is you who has to provide proof for your statments, not us who has to disprove them.
Re: (Score:2)
Ahh yes, the good ole 'burden of proof is on YOU' argument. Should you do any searching? FACK NAH! Just type out the words that you saw others type out, and claim yet another slashdot victory. kwool you.
Mister White forgot a fundamental truth... (Score:1)
Is this like a poor artempt to discredit DDoSecret (Score:2)
Sounds like a frame up... (Score:1)
Transparency advocate sells drugs and is into kiddy porn.....
Not impossible, but is right out of the 'how to smear activists' playbook.
Gotta love all the CP defenders (Score:2)
At the time of this posting, all but two or three posts were defending this child pornographer. "It must have been a set up." "The feds planted it." Excuse after excuse.
I'm presuming those defending this child pornographer are people who used this dark web site. Either that or they were friends with Jeffrey Epstein.