Vampirefreaks
Encyclopedia
VampireFreaks.com is an online community for the Gothic–industrial subcultures. It was created by site owner Jethro Berelson (Jet) in 1999. It began with a small number of forums dedicated to Gothic–industrial music.
VampireFreaks hosts a wide number of events and Gothic parties. Information of these events can be found on its website. It also has a clothing store, named after the site, located in New York City. It helps uphold and connect people of Gothic–industrial subcultures. It's very popular messageboard, though largely populated by all kinds of people and not just goths, is a major component of the site's success. Its main topic of focus aside from socializing is its music, and it hosts its very own digital music store. Jet regularly updates the site with information concerning not only bands, but various Gothic events. Many people have found love on the site, and this has been focused on during Valentine's Day. Couples that met through the site submitted stories of how they met their matches. "Premium Memberships" are also offered (for a fee), these feature the ability to upload more pictures, see who views the user's profile, "powerbomb" the "unwanted" VF members.
and Facebook
, has been potentially linked to several violent crimes, including;
VampireFreaks hosts a wide number of events and Gothic parties. Information of these events can be found on its website. It also has a clothing store, named after the site, located in New York City. It helps uphold and connect people of Gothic–industrial subcultures. It's very popular messageboard, though largely populated by all kinds of people and not just goths, is a major component of the site's success. Its main topic of focus aside from socializing is its music, and it hosts its very own digital music store. Jet regularly updates the site with information concerning not only bands, but various Gothic events. Many people have found love on the site, and this has been focused on during Valentine's Day. Couples that met through the site submitted stories of how they met their matches. "Premium Memberships" are also offered (for a fee), these feature the ability to upload more pictures, see who views the user's profile, "powerbomb" the "unwanted" VF members.
Controversy
VampireFreaks, much like other social network sites MySpaceMySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
and Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
, has been potentially linked to several violent crimes, including;
- A triple homicide in Medicine Hat, AlbertaMedicine Hat, AlbertaMedicine Hat, known to locals as "The Hat", is a city of 61,097 people located in the southeastern part of the province of Alberta, Canada. It is enclaved within Cypress County along with the nearby Town of Redcliff, although neither is part of the county....
, CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. A 12-year-old girl and her 23-year-old boyfriend, whom she communicated with on VampireFreaks.com, were charged in the murders. - Two TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
men were charged with carrying out the bidding of a woman they met on the site by stabbing a 12-year-old boy 73 times, killing him. - The site has been linked to an arson in Minnesota and to rapes of underage women in New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. - In Australia, a 50-year-old man and his 19-year-old son are accused of using VampireFreaks.com to create fictitious characters to meet Carly Ryan, 15. The father travelled to AdelaideAdelaideAdelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
in January 2007 for the girl's 15th birthday. Carly was drowned and was found floating in the water at Port Elliot on South Australia's south coast a month later. The two men, who cannot be identified, have denied murdering the teenager. On January 21, 2010, a 50-year-old man from Victoria was found guilty of the murder of Carly Ryan. His son was found not guilty and has since returned to Victoria. - In December 2007, in California, a 23-year-old man met a 13-year-old girl posing as an adult on VampireFreaks.com. They met and allegedly engaged in sexual activity. Police were tipped off, and he was arrested. In California, even if minors lie about their age, they still cannot give consent. When questioned on the stand, the minor couldn't remember any details of their dates or the sexual activity they engaged in. The case was too weak against him, and the man was found not guilty on two of the charges.