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| Richard Chandler |
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This is why you should secure any wireless networks you may have.
08/05/2011
By Nate Morabito
CHURCH HILL - Court documents reveal Richard Chandler's neighbors and the people he was paid to protect unknowingly helped the former Kingsport police officer access child pornography.
Chandler is one of 72 people indicted in the investigation involving an internet website known as Dreamboard. Investigators say the site encouraged sexual abuse of very young children, which included infants.
According to a federal search warrant, Chandler made 117 posts to the site and twice accessed the site while he was on-duty. Chandler used two email accounts, a file sharing program, and the Dreamboard website to trade porn, the warrant said.
Although Chandler had internet at his home, special agents said he relied on his neighbors and churches, businesses, and the people of Kingsport to get his fix.
“It was also determined that Chandler's residence…is uniquely positioned such that numerous wireless networks from adjacent streets appear to be accessible,” the warrant said. “Special agents, located in the driveway next to Chandler's resident utilizing a laptop with wireless capability, were able to view all the wireless networks that appeared available for connectivity. One of the viewed wireless networks included the name "Chandler," but was a secured network. The other viewed wireless networks were unsecured, and therefore could be accessed by anyone from the location in which the agent attempted to view wireless networks with a computer or other device with wireless access.”
Court documents say Chandler accessed child porn by tapping into those unsecured wireless networks. The warrant names more than 30 locations that Chandler allegedly used to log-in to his accounts. One of those unsecure wireless networks belongs to [name withheld].
"I'd like to knock the living crap out of him," [name withheld] said after finding Chandler allegedly used his network. "To believe that man's in there going online on my account to get on there to do something like that with children and stuff, I hope he rots in jail. That's putting it nicely."
According to the warrant, Chandler tapped into Higher Ground Baptist Church's Wi-Fi as well. The Kingsport church's network is now secure.
"As soon as we found out we took care of it," Wayne Bledsoe, who is in charge of pastoral care, said.
Computer experts hope people learn from this case. Century Link Network Manager Rick Walker hopes it prompts people to make sure their wireless internet is secure.
"It's very easy for anybody with a laptop driving down the road to actually connect to your personal home networks if they're not secure," Walker said. "If they can get into your network, they can get into pictures and files and financial information all set up on your computer that you think is secure."
Century Link Business Account Manager Nathan Cole suggests people make sure their network is password-protected with a unique user name and password. He also says firewalls should be turned on.
"There are many different ways that they can attack your network or utilize your network to cause a bigger storm," Cole said. "Just be aware that there are very resourceful people out there who would seek to gain access to your network for their own reasons."
[name withheld] is now aware of that and intends to secure his internet.
"I don't want nobody on my stuff," Blevins said. "I want it private. I don't want to be associated with people that's not mentally correct like that. It's just mentally not right people."
