Looking for advice on a (LL) ban-evader

[m0ld]

Hello, I am looking for advice on a user who creates new accounts and then joins groups to send sexually explicit messages to child avatars (e.g. avatars of children owned by 18+ users)

I am an admin on a PG furry sim that's child-avatar friendly and have to ban said user, who creates new accounts every few weeks, from multiple groups. He specifically targets child furry avatars and small looking furry avatars, but never actually comes on-sim to any of the locations who's groups he goes to. I have made people aware of the issue and educated people on how to file abuse reports from their viewer.

By the way, their accounts are being regularly banned by LL, so that's working. But the issue is that they have no issue creating a new account, paying expensive group fees, and doing it all over again.

I have 0 "proof" that the person in question is the same person, except that he always joins with similar usernames, joins the same groups every time, and will always start with the same opening lines and sexual comments (e.g. "well aren't you just adorable" and instantly devolving sexual descriptions of rubbing people "down there") on clockwork. It's not a bot -- people can have full, intelligible conversations with them, and he's regularly insisted that the people submitting logs to admins are just "trolls".

I am wondering if there's anything else I can be doing besides making people aware and continuing to ban this user. It's distressing to me personally because many of the people that are on our sim are victims of sexual abuse, either during adulthood or childhood, and their behavior can be detrimental to people's well-being in the space.

Edited September 2, 2019 by m0ld

[Dakota Linden]

Greetings!

It is not necessary to include the TOS reference in any Abuse Report.  It wastes space in the report leaving less room for the reporter to provide information about the actual violation that is happening. 

The Abuse Report information should include a copy of the violating text and a screenshot showing the violation, if possible, with the avatar name visible in the screenshot.  If you believe that the avatar is related to another avatar that has engaged in the same activity, you may include one or 2 of the other avatar names, if you remember them, as that information can help the Governance Team member determine if the accounts are related to each other.

 

[Dakota Linden]

Hello m0ld!

Absolutely!  Advise the person who did get the message to file an Abuse Report and to include a snippet of the chat that they had with the user they are reporting, in their own Abuse Report, and then you can also file an Abuse Report with any additional information that you believe may assist the Governance Team, including any additional Avatar/account names that you think might be linked to the account that is being reported. 

This way you are not disclosing information to other users about accounts that may or may not actually be related, but you are still able to pass that information to the Governance Team in your own Abuse Report. 

Something as simple as:  "This user (reported account) was being abusive towards XXX (user who got the message).  I believe this user (reported account) may be related to XXX, YYY, ZZZ accounts." can assist the team with their investigation. 

Thank you!

[Rolig Loon]

The best advice is to ask anyone who has an encounter with this person to submit a detailed Abuse Report, with the time and place that the offence occurred.  Also, refer to specific sections of the TOS or the Community Standards that you believe the person may have violated.  Don't speculate about motives or infer things that you do not know.  Just the facts.  It makes much more difference if several people submit ARs, rather than one person submitting several of them.  You may include screenshots and chat/IM excerpts if you wish.  Linden Lab can easily verify conversations from their own chat records.

[m0ld]

Right -- we're doing that, and the ARs do appear to be working because their accounts appear to be de-activated hours to days after said incidents. However, is there any way for LL to prevent them from being able to make more accounts? Are IP bans a thing?

Edited September 2, 2019 by m0ld

[Rolig Loon]

Yes, there is, and Linden Lab will do that if it is clear that a permanent ban is necessary.  As you may understand, the Lab is reluctant to apply a harsh, permanent solution until less stringent measures have proven ineffective. Sometimes, though, it is necessary.  You cannot request an IP ban.  That's the Lab's decision, once the Governance team has reviewed the accumulated evidence. Meanwhile, just keep submitting clear, articulate, well-documented ARs.

[m0ld]

Hi Dakota,

This information is very helpful. If I were the one making the reports, I would be definitely adding the info about what I believe their other avatar names are. However, unsurprisingly, they never message me directly. I also feel a bit strange advising people who get these IMs to include the name of the supposed alts of the person in question in their AR, since it may be their first run-in with said person. Could I be sending an AR, as a third party, if I get notified that someone has received these explicit IMs? Or would that just be extra clutter?

[m0ld]

Unfortunately, we had two run-ins with the same user again just this week. I'm reporting and doing everything in my power but it's a bit discouraging. I will keep reporting and see what happens, but at this rate I'm considering that he might be using multiple IPs to ban evade. It's really disappointing when users who are new to the community keep sending me logs of the same thing that I've been seeing and hearing about for years now. Either way, we're staying diligent about banning when he does reappear.

The kicker is... he knows who I am (as part of sim staff)... and messaged ME with the same comments today...

Edited September 12, 2019 by m0ld