A former member of the community, not extremely active on GBAtemp but known for contributions to several projects on the 3DS hacking scene, Thomas Edvalson aka 'Cruel', has recently received a 20 year jail sentence for supposedly hosting a child porn site (although he firmly denied it).

Thomas Scot Edvalson, 28, appeared to be providing a website where other users could download images of child porn, according to a press release form the District Attorney’s Office. The site came complete with an online guide detailing how to use the dark web to set up a website for trading pictures of child sexual abuse.

Source: Gwinnett Daily Post
A thread was started on GBAtemp to discuss the issue a couple of months ago, before the final judgement was rendered. At the time our decision was to lock the thread up as it began to heavily derail. Some members and visitors took this as a 'cover up' and wondered why we didn't ban this guy's user account on GBAtemp.

We had long discussions in the staff forum and decided to wait for the final verdict (the appeal that is) before doing anything, thereby letting justice do its work. We banned this person from our forums immediately after we heard the final judgement and by the looks of it he won't be around again for a while. Since then, there hasn't been any new threads about the story but if there had been one, we would have allowed it for sure.

At this point we are wondering why anyone would think we are 'covering' this up? Why would we even need to? It's not like people don't know what happened already. If you have any questions, feel free to ask in this thread.

Furthermore, there is an ongoing story concerning another person, it's been posted on a Reddit thread (edit: now removed, but you can see screenshots here) and, again, we certainly won't prevent you from discussing it wherever you want just as long as you stay civil.

We at GBAtemp value freedom of speech above all, but within the boundaries of the law. If you think someone is guilty of a crime it is your duty to report it to the relevant authorities (not the GBAtemp admins, I mean the police). But otherwise let justice do its job. We do not believe that witch hunts have their place on GBAtemp.


The staff

 

[Kioku]

Considering how close this was to our community, I think reporting on it here was justified.

This.. It actually involved a member of these forums.

 

[ShadowOne333]

Fact is children get victimized to make this stuff in most cases. Also, I don't know if you have children, but when I hear about something bad happening to a child, I can't help but imagine if it were one of mine and it's probably the worst feeling in the world.

I know, it doesn't change the fact that it's wrong and people, in this case children, are being put in horrible situations sometimes against their consent. I do respect and understand that, but that doesn't mean that just because he did something to a child he should be given false accusations to more illegal activities which he might or might have not done himself.

They did convict him for sharing CP, not raping children, and unless proof is shown, he didn't rape children.

 

[gamefan5]

there are a bunch of people saying "this info has nothing to do on GBAtemp"
and another bunch saying "about damn time"

where do we stand, GBAtemp, as a team? again, several of us agreed with the first option above, but personally I just couldn't stand to see idiotic things like "GBAtemp tried to cover the information" anymore. The moment we were accused this became about us too, and it would just be too unfair to let this go unanswered.

if you are unhappy please explain yourself but be fair and don't blow this out of proportion. We are completely transparent so anything you want to know will be answered.

I personally think it was justified because you had to make a clear statement about the fact that this website does not condone such actions.

 

[PegLegs]

Is it just me who sees it as suspicious? Guy develops Freeshop, gets done for CP?

Smells like he was framed to me

 

[Costello]

@Costello do you have clear evidence that this person that developed the famous freeshop, is the same one that is in sentenced to 20 years?
i ask this, because you can create an identity online.. you can come up with a fake name and register into a website with your own choices of names..
even in real life sometimes people get mixed up because they have the same name or Doppelgänger etc..

Yes, we have definitive evidence that it's him. I won't release them because that's not my place but if you look around you will find everything you need. If you really can't find anything, ask away and I'm sure some members will PM you.

 

[phalk]

For the people that are going to view this thread. You will have opinions and go ahead and post those opinions, you own them. Discuss your view, if you like.

Thank you for all replies and godspeed.

Did his website had an image upload form or something?
I used to have one on mine for personal use, going to take it off ASAP.
I've talked with him two times via PM here on gbatemp and he promptly replied me and seemed like a nice guy.
If he is truly innocent I hope he can revert this somehow.

 

[Costello]

How does his action go against the rules of GBAtemp and result in a ban?

Not defending what he did but as far as the temp was concerned he was an upstanding user here when it came to the forums.

Would I get a ban if I got a DUI?

I hope my previous couple of posts answered that. If not feel free to ask again and I'll clarify.

 

[Deleted User]

Yes but you have to take into consideration that pornographic imagery is not rape per-se unless the child is depicted having sexual intercourse.
I fail to see how you automatically relate porn with sex.
Porn can be accounted to only images of nude people, not specifically having sex.

Still, that doesn't change the fact that he got convicted for hosting a child pornography site, not actually slaving children to do so.
Do not put false statements to the case.

But by hosting said website, he was directly contributing to the need for more...images, which directly contributed to the abuse of children

 

[Costello]

This site is not a safe place as people from different backgrounds talk about 3ds hacking. I feel that a thread shod be made to inform people what to do and watch for if some one is talking to them in a inappropriate manor.. remember you never know who hids behind those screen names..

I believe GBAtemp is as safe a place as any online site that doesn't require people to provide ID.
Anyone can register to any website if they want, why would GBAtemp be safer, or any less safe than the rest of the internet?
Because this site is about hacking, games, and computers? Are you implying that hackers are more likely to be pedophiles than other demographics? don't you think this Cruel person also had accounts on a lot of other sites as well? I have already stated that he did not do anything illegal on GBAtemp, he did not attempt to contact minors, post CP, or anything.

My point being, if you're going to say GBAtemp isn't safe you will need to back up that statement because I can't agree with you.

 

[wurstpistole]

Is it just me who sees it as suspicious? Guy develops Freeshop, gets done for CP?

Smells like he was framed to me

Yeah, right. Of course. Some shady underground organization frames some programmer guy who basically did nothing but enable downloading directly from Nintendo's servers with CP and puts him into prison for 20 years.

3DS is serious business. You read it here first.

 

[ShadowOne333]

But by hosting said website, he was directly contributing to the need for more...images, which directly contributed to the abuse of children

That's still making assumptions.
Those words would not stand a case in court.
He might have condoned those acts, yes, but he didn't make them himself as far as we know, and since there is no evidence that he did them himself, he cannot be convicted of that, nor be accused of it.
He cannot be convicted for what other people did.

 

[Costello]

Don't judge me but I really think this post is really unnecessary. FreeShop thread was filled with this kind of shit and people was like wow, as he is a pedo, his shit is not worth at all and that's not the case. He was one of the best programmers that has contributed in 3DS Scene. He did not do things well, OK, but we don't need to have 2394838574934 threads about it. Sorry if someone gets offended with this, I'm just sick about this topic.

we don't need to have 2394838574934 about it, definitely.
but we are being accused of covering the story. So I think it deserves at least one.

 

[SLiV3R]

From my personal experience, Im very sad for him. TheCruel was about to release a port on the game Witchblast. I would contibute with my music and do a lot of testings. But that project never got released. He released Freeshop, that got a LOT of popolarity and the scummvm port, so Witchblast was not his highest priority. In one way Im actually kind of happy we never released Witchblast 3DS. After all this that has happened. But Im very sad for theCruel, he seemed to be a very Nice Guy. I dont think he understood the consequenses and how wrong his actions were.

 

[linuxares]

we don't need to have 2394838574934 about it, definitely.
but we are being accused of covering the story. So I think it deserves at least one.

I think this is fine. I even suggest you can close the thread since you atleast covered it now.

 

[phalk]

we don't need to have 2394838574934 about it, definitely.
but we are being accused of covering the story. So I think it deserves at least one.

I can't believe people are accusing gbatemp of covering anything. Really, what did they expect you guys to do?
This thread is something I wouldn't have made at all but I understand why it was.
Anyway, this case and the website are totally unrelated as he didn't use gbatemp for anything he was accused or convicted of.

 

[DinohScene]

Detail re dazAzzo pls?

Check 3DShacks reddit.

 

[vb_encryption_vb]

I know this because I'm his brother. He didn't have a second site. He only had that one programming site.

Well, 20 years, he was definitely found guilty for something.

 

[Sketchy1]

Just decided "hey let's see whats up on gbatemp" when suddenly....

 

[MisterPantsEyes]

Good night sweet prince. See you in 20 years.

 

[Wiisel]

there are a bunch of people saying "this info has nothing to do on GBAtemp"
and another bunch saying "about damn time"

where do we stand, GBAtemp, as a team? again, several of us agreed with the first option above, but personally I just couldn't stand to see idiotic things like "GBAtemp tried to cover the information" anymore. The moment we were accused this became about us too, and it would just be too unfair to let this go unanswered.

if you are unhappy please explain yourself but be fair and don't blow this out of proportion. We are completely transparent so anything you want to know will be answered.

In most cases I would say a forum has no rights intervening with a members personal life and certainly not the right to disclose their personal information including real name without consent unless it may have a potential direct impact towards members, in the case of child porn and a convicted member I see no issue in the reporting as this is a site that younger and potentially more vulnerable audience within its members.