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SAN ANTONIO — A San Antonio man nearly lost his job after online court records mistakenly indicated he was guilty of a child sex crime, despite being found innocent by the court.

The error was corrected after media intervention. The man, whose identity is withheld due to his acquittal, went to trial last week, where a jury found him not guilty.

A New Hampshire man is suing two local publications for allegedly publishing his photo erroneously alongside a story about a man with a similar name who pleaded guilty to sexual crimes against children.

A photo of Chad William Lawlor was published along with a story about Chad David Lawlor, according to the defamation lawsuit filed in Hillsborough Superior Court last month. Chad David Lawlor pleaded guilty to four federal counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and was sentenced to 25 years in prison in March of 2024, according to federal prosecutors.

When the New Hampshire Union Leader and WMUR, which is owned by Hearst, reported on Chad D. Lawlor’s sentencing, both allegedly used an image of Chad W. Lawlor. Chad W. Lawlor, himself a victim of child sexual abuse, is claiming he suffered “substantial emotional and psychological harm,” the lawsuit alleges.

After members of the community saw the articles, the lawsuit alleges, “Chad soon began to notice people looking at him and talking about him in public.”

The complaint goes on to allege that he was harassed by neighbors because they thought he was a convicted sex offender. His landlord didn’t renew his lease due to the mix-up, the complaint alleges, and he “has been unable to find steady employment or housing since the publication of this article.”

His sister also “refuses to speak to him despite his pleas of innocence,” the complaint said. Chad W. Lawlor was threatened with violence by a biker gang in the parking lot of a Cumberland Farms, the lawsuit said, and his car “has been vandalized based on the mistaken belief” that he is a sex offender.

Jim Burton wrote: Fri Sep 05, 2025 3:32 pm https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/ ... e-article/

KUALA LUMPUR – TikTok has been told to introduce stronger safeguards to prevent children under 13 from using its platform, with the communications minister warning that current measures are ineffective.

Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the ministry had directed the company to work with the police (PDRM) and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to establish clear mechanisms and a timeline for enforcement.

Australia mandates social media ban for under-16s starting December 10.
Meta, TikTok, and Google must verify user ages or face steep fines.
Age verification technology remains imperfect, raising compliance challenges for platforms.
The move reflects a global shift toward stricter online age restrictions.

Jim Burton wrote: Mon Sep 08, 2025 2:32 pmNot using a VPN "keeps a child safe"....