Another iPhone App Named in Teen Sex Case

Nicole Martinelli ()

Another iPhone App Named in Teen Sex Case

A 44-year-old man is in federal custody after using a social networking app to meet and have sex with a 14-year-old girl.

Moses Virgil Campbell Jr., 44, allegedly used the “iDate-Personals Dating Service for Singles of Any Sex” app on his iPhone to hook up with a teen, according to an affidavit written by FBI Special Agent Alicia M. McShane.

This is the third sex case involving minors and iPhone apps we’ve come across — after one in Canada involving Grindr and another unnamed social networking app in Phoenix.  Both Grindr and iDate are free apps and classified as “games,” require users to be 18 or over.

iDate is not marketed overtly as a hook-up app but “love at your fingertips.” There are also iDate gay and Christian versions.
App maker Netway President Tom Reed told the Washington Examiner that the company looks for underage users by scanning profiles for words like “teen.” They also review every picture to screen out users who look like they’re too young to join.

Campbell reportedly sent the teen a message through iDate that included his phone number. She called and the two began building a relationship over the phone, court documents said.

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While the general consensus seems to be that app makers aren’t at fault, it seems that after purging anything remotely sexual from the iTunes store, Apple has a way to go to making it as family friendly as they state.

Via Washington Examiner, Washington Post

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About the author

nicole_martinelli

Nicole Martinelli is a San Francisco native who has lived in Milan and Florence, Italy. She's written for Wired.com, The New York Times and Newsweek. You can find her on Twitter , Facebook and Google+.

If you're doing something new/cool that's Apple related, email her about it.

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Posted in iPhone, iPhone Apps, Top stories |

  • Nathan

    Yes, it is wrong for him to do that and he is at fault. But maybe these underage teenagers should be little sluts and putting themselves on the internet.

  • Scott

    @Nathan agreed.

    Also the parents should set parental controls on their kids iPhones, I would if my kids had one. (theyre only 2 so idont have to worry about that for a while!)