Jerk destroying caches

[+bugleann]

Some JERK named "TheDestroyer_22" is going around and purposely destroying caches in the Paducah, KY. area. Is there anything that can be done about jerks like this? I like the way he logs it as DESTROYED. These are the ones I've noticed so far:

 

GC26TN6

 

GC21JXG

 

GC1N85A same area, but he didn't log it.

 

GC1T46P again, same area

 

GC226RG

 

GC1T458 same area

 

GCNT1Y

 

Again, what a jerk!

[+thedeadpirate]

Some JERK named "TheDestroyer_22" is going around and purposely destroying caches in the Paducah, KY. area. Is there anything that can be done about jerks like this? I like the way he logs it as DESTROYED. These are the ones I've noticed so far:

 

GC26TN6

 

GC21JXG

 

GC1N85A same area, but he didn't log it.

 

GC1T46P again, same area

 

GC226RG

 

GC1T458 same area

 

GCNT1Y

 

Again, what a jerk!

 

Be careful. Around here we call them cache maggots. The J word might be too close to the I word.

[+bittsen]

I suggest some sort of sting operation.

[+Snoogans]

Some JERK named "TheDestroyer_22" is going around and purposely destroying caches in the Paducah, KY. area. Is there anything that can be done about jerks like this? I like the way he logs it as DESTROYED. These are the ones I've noticed so far:

 

GC26TN6

 

GC21JXG

 

GC1N85A same area, but he didn't log it.

 

GC1T46P again, same area

 

GC226RG

 

GC1T458 same area

 

GCNT1Y

 

Again, what a jerk!

 

Congrats. You've just given your local disenfrachised cacher the noteriety they craved. Expect more of the same.

[+humboldt flier]

Some JERK named "TheDestroyer_22" is going around and purposely destroying caches in the Paducah, KY. area. Is there anything that can be done about jerks like this? I like the way he logs it as DESTROYED. These are the ones I've noticed so far:

 

GC26TN6

 

GC21JXG

 

GC1N85A same area, but he didn't log it.

 

GC1T46P again, same area

 

GC226RG

 

GC1T458 same area

 

GCNT1Y

 

Again, what a jerk!

 

Catch them and drop kick them into the muddy end of the bay would be too nice

[+Dragery]

Wow the sad thing is, he bought a premium membership just to do it :/ prettttyyyy pathetic.

[+bittsen]

Wow the sad thing is, he bought a premium membership just to do it :/ prettttyyyy pathetic.

 

So then Groundspeak knows EXACTLY who he (or she) is.

 

Interesting.

[+dfx]

are you certain those caches are actually destroyed? looks like the COs disabled them right after they've seen the "destroyed" log, without actually checking on them. maybe he's just being stupid (well, that without a doubt) and posting bogus logs without ever having been there?

[+Dragery]

Wow the sad thing is, he bought a premium membership just to do it :/ prettttyyyy pathetic.

 

So then Groundspeak knows EXACTLY who he (or she) is.

 

Interesting.

 

File charges imo

[+SwineFlew]

Wow the sad thing is, he bought a premium membership just to do it :/ prettttyyyy pathetic.

 

So then Groundspeak knows EXACTLY who he (or she) is.

 

Interesting.

 

You can buy pre paid credit card to go around the loophole.

[+roziecakes]

Wow the sad thing is, he bought a premium membership just to do it :/ prettttyyyy pathetic.

It says "member" on his profile... don't see where he's a premium member.

[+bittsen]

Wow the sad thing is, he bought a premium membership just to do it :/ prettttyyyy pathetic.

 

So then Groundspeak knows EXACTLY who he (or she) is.

 

Interesting.

 

You can buy pre paid credit card to go around the loophole.

 

Yeah, and use a proxy every time you access the site while logged in.

 

What a sorry individual that would be.

 

I mean, seriously... How pathetic would someones life have to be that they go through that much trouble to get satisfaction by disrupting such a small group of people?

[+mchaos]

The sad thing is, nothing will really stop this person. Even if you contact Groundspeak, and they delete his account.

 

Not much you can do, unless you go out to a cache and wait for him.

 

Eventually this person will get bored.

 

It may be possible however for Groundspeak to block their IP if its static, like a cable modem. Then they wouldn't be able to get on the site.

[+Mark+Karen]

The sad thing is, nothing will really stop this person. Even if you contact Groundspeak, and they delete his account.

 

Not much you can do, unless you go out to a cache and wait for him.

 

Eventually this person will get bored.

 

It may be possible however for Groundspeak to block their IP if its static, like a cable modem. Then they wouldn't be able to get on the site.

 

Just like it's impossible to stop someone joining a forum if they are determined enough, there's not a lot you can do, if he wants to go and destroy caches .

 

PS. I'm sure this person is jolly nice and we should all show him the respect he deserves...

[+power69]

Some JERK named "TheDestroyer_22" is going around and purposely destroying caches in the Paducah, KY. area. Is there anything that can be done about jerks like this? I like the way he logs it as DESTROYED. These are the ones I've noticed so far:

 

GC26TN6

 

GC21JXG

 

GC1N85A same area, but he didn't log it.

 

GC1T46P again, same area

 

GC226RG

 

GC1T458 same area

 

GCNT1Y

 

Again, what a jerk!

 

Congrats. You've just given your local disenfrachised cacher the noteriety they craved. Expect more of the same.

concur. feed them and they love it.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

Despite the forum controversies of the past as to whether cache owners retain property rights to something which some may call abandoned (caches) the Paul Repak cache theft case in Rome NY set a precedence (at least to my non-legal mind) showing that removing caches without the owner's permission is a prosecutable offense.

 

That being the case police can use his IP address and online logs as admissions of guilt.

 

Getting that IP address may be difficult, however.

 

Do you have any friends on the force willing to pursue the matter?

[+Team Cotati]

Wow the sad thing is, he bought a premium membership just to do it :/ prettttyyyy pathetic.

 

How did you determine that this person was a premium member?

[+AuntieWeasel]

Don't worry about it. It opens up a whole lot of territory for new caches. Familiar locations, new smilies!

 

We are many; they are few. Just be careful where you put TB's for a while.

[+roziecakes]

Wow the sad thing is, he bought a premium membership just to do it :/ prettttyyyy pathetic.

 

How did you determine that this person was a premium member?

 

That's what I'm sayin... It doesn't say they are a premium member.

[+AcadianCacheSpy]

Have any of these caches been physically checked on. It could be this cacher's way of saying that he found the cache based on his caching name. We have local cachers here called CacheKickers that will put that they have kicked a cache instead of saying found.

 

Just a suggestion.

[+roziecakes]

Have any of these caches been physically checked on. It could be this cacher's way of saying that he found the cache based on his caching name. We have local cachers here called CacheKickers that will put that they have kicked a cache instead of saying found.

 

Just a suggestion.

 

I was wondering that too, because the first one listed by the OP had a find after the cache 'destroyer' destroyed it, so it may have still been there (unless the finder was posting a late log). Hard to tell unless the cache owners check on them.

[knowschad]

Have any of these caches been physically checked on. It could be this cacher's way of saying that he found the cache based on his caching name. We have local cachers here called CacheKickers that will put that they have kicked a cache instead of saying found.

 

Just a suggestion.

Possible, but doubtful, given that they've only claimed one of them as a find.

[+Merlin1978]

Heya guys, I'm based on in the UK and from what I'm reading, isn't this Criminal Damage? Not sure what the offence is called in the States (destruction of property?)

 

Maybe if he's doing this often the police could be informed. They would have the power to seek this idiots details from Ground Speak and make an arrest.

 

Just a thought

[+geodarts]

 

Maybe if he's doing this often the police could be informed. They would have the power to seek this idiots details from Ground Speak and make an arrest.

 

 

What he is doing may or may not be illegal, but it is definitely annoying. Still, I doubt that many jurisdictions are going to subpoena Groundspeak and/or the service provider to try to track the guy down and then obtain a search warrant to see if they could prosecute him on anything -- its not like he is file-sharing music or movies, where a private party wants to go after an offender who may be subject to large damages just to make a public point.

 

Although a police report could be filed, it probably would have the same effect as the report I filed after a different kind of jerk stole my bike a few weeks ago. Maybe if a local LEO is a cacher, he or she could keep an eye out, but it could dampen caching in general if everybody is reported who is acting suspiciously around a cache.

 

They got lucky with Mr. Repak in New York, in part because people were in the right place at the right time and in part because of the way that Repak chose to handle the situation. So it is possible that the Destroyer could get caught in the act. But in the meantime I hope that he gets tired of his little game and moves on to something more creative, like tagging walls underneath bridges (or more positively, getting an education or wanting to impress a local girl by becoming an upstanding citizen and geocaching together). Perhaps he will branch out a bit and be taken out of action after ending up as a client of one of my colleagues. In the end, someone calling himself the Destroyer may not have a long attention span.

 

I might be tempted to do what was suggested in other situations, start a Destroyer series of caches -- make them particularly difficult -- and see what happens.

Edited July 14, 2010 by mulvaney

[+trailhound1]

are you certain those caches are actually destroyed? looks like the COs disabled them right after they've seen the "destroyed" log, without actually checking on them. maybe he's just being stupid (well, that without a doubt) and posting bogus logs without ever having been there?

 

I am one of the COs. I did go check on the caches as well as those of the others, and yes they were gone. So far nine COs have been hit resulting in more than 15 caches Destroyed:)

 

We only made them POs after we realized that he is a Member only not a Premium Member. And as of now he has not changed his membership.

[+R.O.B]

We had that happen around here a few years ago. I was especially mad about it because they hit quite a few of my caches. Since these kinds of people usually we want to get attention we did a few things to deprive them of that. First we asked anybody who had written a log about the cache being missing/stolen/vandalized to change their log to something simple like "Found it".

We also stopped talking about it on an forums..either GC.com forums or local forums. We started a invite only Yahoo group to talk about it privately.

And instead of keeping the caches disabled, we fixed them as quickly as possible and kept them available to find.

By doing this we were able to discuss it and vent our anger and frustration amongst ourselves instead of a more public forum and in the process we denied them the attention they craved.

Without the attention, they didn't keep it up too long.

Edited July 14, 2010 by R.O.B

[+dakboy]

Despite the forum controversies of the past as to whether cache owners retain property rights to something which some may call abandoned (caches) the Paul Repak cache theft case in Rome NY set a precedence (at least to my non-legal mind) showing that removing caches without the owner's permission is a prosecutable offense.

 

That being the case police can use his IP address and online logs as admissions of guilt.

 

Getting that IP address may be difficult, however.

 

Do you have any friends on the force willing to pursue the matter?

For an offense of this degree, the police will not be interested in having to do any kind of computer forensics, not even tracing an IP (and if it traces back to Starbucks or McDonald's, the trail goes cold).

 

Repak was caught in the act, with stolen caches in his car. He got charged with a Class E (IIRC) Misdemeanor, and as long as he stays out of trouble for 6 months, the case will be dismissed. No jail time, no fine, no restitution, not even a formal apology. The most satisfaction that can come out of it for the local cachers is knowing that if he starts up again, everyone will know whose door to go knocking on first.

 

BTW, we had another cache maggot a few miles down the road from Rome in Bushnell's Basin earlier this month. He pilfered 9 caches in close proximity to one another, left pre-printed (computer, not written) notes in Zip-Loc bags tacked to the trees, & posted logs online. Given their close proximity, the local COs decided it had to be someone very local and switched a lot of the remaining caches in the area to PMO. He seems to have stopped.

[+geodarts]

we were able to discuss it and vent our anger and frustration amongst ourselves instead of a more public forum and in the process we denied them the attention they craved. Without the attention, they didn't keep it up too long.

 

I am always curious about this. Motivation is a complex thing. Some people might do it for the attention. Some people will figure they got people's attention when the cache is disabled or replaced, regardless of whether the discussion is in a public or private forum. Some people might do it because they like to destroy things regardless of how much public attention it gets. Some people might do it because they equate caches with littering and want a relatively safe and easy way of being an eco-warrior. But I agree that it is best to move on, replace the caches, make them member only, have some fun with it, In most instances, they seem to lose interest after awhile.

 

But if the Destroyer is keeping tabs on this thread, perhaps he could clarify matters.

Edited July 14, 2010 by mulvaney

[ktranger]

It might be useful for a "sting operation" ... with a technology twist see if any of the cache owners or a local club has access to a Hunting Trap Camera, two would be best. Please one near the cache, the other where most people would park to access the cache to get pics of the cars and hopefully a Lic plate.

 

Be sure to hide the camera well.

[Difficult Run]

Let's be sure to discuss our "sting operation" on an open forum, where anybody can be kept up to date on what we're thinking...

[knowschad]

It might be useful for a "sting operation" ... with a technology twist see if any of the cache owners or a local club has access to a Hunting Trap Camera, two would be best. Please one near the cache, the other where most people would park to access the cache to get pics of the cars and hopefully a Lic plate.

 

Be sure to hide the camera well.

...and when you catch him? Then what?

[+DragonsWest]

It might be useful for a "sting operation" ... with a technology twist see if any of the cache owners or a local club has access to a Hunting Trap Camera, two would be best. Please one near the cache, the other where most people would park to access the cache to get pics of the cars and hopefully a Lic plate.

 

Be sure to hide the camera well.

...and when you catch him? Then what?

 

Find the car he drove out there in and, while he's damaging caches, jam a potato into his tail pipe.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

It might be useful for a "sting operation" ... with a technology twist see if any of the cache owners or a local club has access to a Hunting Trap Camera, two would be best. Please one near the cache, the other where most people would park to access the cache to get pics of the cars and hopefully a Lic plate.

 

Be sure to hide the camera well.

...and when you catch him? Then what?

Would this be too harsh?

 

SEALS used to rig captured ones for instantaneous detonation and leave them where VC would find them. When they tried to use them against us and released the charging arm to throw it, no more bad guy.

 

If you could predict when and where the cache maggot would strike this might be a permanent solution. Open the cache, no more problem.

 

Just joking, folks. I am not advocating the dispersal of a cache maggot around ground zero as a real solution!

 

Edited July 14, 2010 by TheAlabamaRambler

[+Castle Mischief]

It might be useful for a "sting operation" ... with a technology twist see if any of the cache owners or a local club has access to a Hunting Trap Camera, two would be best. Please one near the cache, the other where most people would park to access the cache to get pics of the cars and hopefully a Lic plate.

 

Be sure to hide the camera well.

...and when you catch him? Then what?

 

Give him a really harsh look. Like with a furrowed brow and everything.

 

You people crack me up.

[Difficult Run]

Would this be too harsh?

 

SEALS used to rig captured ones for instantaneous detonation and leave them where VC would find them. When they released the charging arm, no more bad guy.

 

If you could predict when and where the cache cache maggot would strike this might be a permanent solution.

 

Just joking, Mods, I am not advocating the dispersal of a cache maggot around ground zero as a real solution!

 

Wouldn't that destroy the cache as well?

Oh my!

[knowschad]

...and when you catch him? Then what?

Give him a really harsh look. Like with a furrowed brow and everything.

[+The Daydreamers]

We had someone that was running around urinating in the containers. Some had a putrid smell to them, but others you couldn't notice. The only way any one knew was that this person always signed the log saying "I peed in this". By that time, it was too late. The person was never identified.

 

Lessons learned, always bring gloves and sanitizer.

[+kh54s10]

It might be useful for a "sting operation" ... with a technology twist see if any of the cache owners or a local club has access to a Hunting Trap Camera, two would be best. Please one near the cache, the other where most people would park to access the cache to get pics of the cars and hopefully a Lic plate.

 

Be sure to hide the camera well.

...and when you catch him? Then what?

 

 

Call him really bad names!!!

[+Dragery]

Wow the sad thing is, he bought a premium membership just to do it :/ prettttyyyy pathetic.

 

How did you determine that this person was a premium member?

 

Ahh I must have been mistaken, I looked up all the caches that were noted as being vandalized and noticed a few of them were premium members only, leaving the possibility that he is just BSing people. (or the CO's made them premium only after seeing them vandalized).

[+Gamaliel]

We had someone that was running around urinating in the containers. Some had a putrid smell to them, but others you couldn't notice. The only way any one knew was that this person always signed the log saying "I peed in this". By that time, it was too late. The person was never identified.

 

Lessons learned, always bring gloves and sanitizer.

 

I'm tempted to start writing that in logs but without actually peeing in the cache. It'll drive 'em crazy trying to figure it out.

[+DragonsWest]

It might be useful for a "sting operation" ... with a technology twist see if any of the cache owners or a local club has access to a Hunting Trap Camera, two would be best. Please one near the cache, the other where most people would park to access the cache to get pics of the cars and hopefully a Lic plate.

 

Be sure to hide the camera well.

...and when you catch him? Then what?

 

 

Call him really bad names!!!

 

Take a picture and put it on facebook.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

We had someone that was running around urinating in the containers. Some had a putrid smell to them, but others you couldn't notice. The only way any one knew was that this person always signed the log saying "I peed in this". By that time, it was too late. The person was never identified.

 

Lessons learned, always bring gloves and sanitizer.

 

I'm tempted to start writing that in logs but without actually peeing in the cache. It'll drive 'em crazy trying to figure it out.

True, but then you'll forget about it and when you attend the next event you won't understand why everyone starts beating the hell out of you!

[+Gamaliel]

We had someone that was running around urinating in the containers. Some had a putrid smell to them, but others you couldn't notice. The only way any one knew was that this person always signed the log saying "I peed in this". By that time, it was too late. The person was never identified.

 

Lessons learned, always bring gloves and sanitizer.

 

I'm tempted to start writing that in logs but without actually peeing in the cache. It'll drive 'em crazy trying to figure it out.

[+trailhound1]

Wow the sad thing is, he bought a premium membership just to do it :/ prettttyyyy pathetic.

 

How did you determine that this person was a premium member?

 

Ahh I must have been mistaken, I looked up all the caches that were noted as being vandalized and noticed a few of them were premium members only, leaving the possibility that he is just BSing people. (or the CO's made them premium only after seeing them vandalized).

 

We made them PM only after we noticed the they were actually missing.

[+thedeadpirate]

Anyone experiencing De Ja Vue?

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

It might be useful for a "sting operation" ... with a technology twist see if any of the cache owners or a local club has access to a Hunting Trap Camera, two would be best. Please one near the cache, the other where most people would park to access the cache to get pics of the cars and hopefully a Lic plate.

 

Be sure to hide the camera well.

...and when you catch him? Then what?

 

 

Call him really bad names!!!

 

Take a picture and put it on facebook.

First photo-shop a pig into the appropriate position in the picture and be sure to CC his wife and boss.

Edited July 14, 2010 by TheAlabamaRambler

[+Too Tall John]

. . . .So then Groundspeak knows EXACTLY who he (or she) is. . . .

I'm going to go out on a limb and agree with the seemingly androgynous dragon. Sort of. All these references to "he" and "him" and "his"! We don't really know.

 

In fact, I'm going to go even further out on a limb and share my prediction on the matter:

 

TheDestroyer 22 is a girl.

 

Seriously. If I had to bet on the person's sex, I'd put my money on female. Don't know why, maybe it's the smileys, maybe it's their efficiency, maybe it's what I had for lunch today, but my gut tells me they are a girl.

 

I guess it really doesn't matter to anyone but their significant other, so carry on. . .

[+geodarts]

TheDestroyer 22 is a girl.

 

It would be nice to get this cleared up. Has anybody sent the Destroyer a friend request?

[BCProspectors]

It might be useful for a "sting operation" ... with a technology twist see if any of the cache owners or a local club has access to a Hunting Trap Camera, two would be best. Please one near the cache, the other where most people would park to access the cache to get pics of the cars and hopefully a Lic plate.

With those cameras getting ever cheaper, that's less of a joke and more of a good idea.

[+FebruaryXVI]

The only way any one knew was that this person always signed the log saying "I peed in this".

 

Im sorry but this made me laugh pretty hard. Im sure it wouldn't be as funny if it were to happen to my hides, but I just found it funny that someone would actually write that.