Latest news with #Clubber
Sunday World
16 hours ago
- Sunday World
Sky Ireland issues warning of ‘consequences' for 400,000 dodgy-box users
Warning comes as the broadcaster is set to appear in the High Court after injunction and search order was issued against suspected dodgy-box operator Sky Ireland is warning up to 400,000 dodgy-box users of 'consequences' if caught streaming Sky Ireland is warning up to 400,000 dodgy-box users of 'consequences' if caught streaming sport or films using the illegal devices. The warning comes as the broadcaster, along with other industry bodies, is set to appear in the High Court after an injunction and search order was issued against a suspected operator of a dodgy-box streaming service in Wexford. The alleged operation includes piracy of Sky, Premier Sports, GAA+, LOITV and Clubber, among others, accessed by thousands of Irish dodgy-box owners and multiple resellers. Two additional people associated with the dodgy box operation were also served with cease-and-desist notices by the industry anti-piracy body, Federation Against Copyright Theft (Fact). The notices warned them to stop their 'illicit streaming activities' or face criminal prosecution. An Ireland Thinks poll last year indicated that one in five people in Ireland use dodgy boxes or illegal streaming services. We evolve our investigative strategies to crack down on illegal streaming The devices, sometimes accessed from Amazon Fire Sticks or Android set-top boxes, often involve monthly subscriptions to resellers of the services of between €5 and €15 for illegal access to premium sport and movies. 'This action marks an important step in our ongoing efforts to combat illegal streaming in Ireland,' said Sky Ireland CEO JD Buckley. Sky Ireland CEO JD Buckley. Photo: Sportsfile 'We continuously evolve our investigative strategies to crack down on illegal streaming and protect consumers from risks including malware, fraud and identity theft. Further action will follow with consequences for those identified as operating illegal services and for those who watch them.' Asked about 'consequences', a spokesperson for Sky said it was 'exploring various options', including 'ongoing engagement with the DPC (Data Protection Commissioner)'. Authorities are cracking down on 'dodgy-box' operators An Garda Síochána previously said it did not pursue individual users of dodgy boxes, but it sometimes assisted in action against commercial operators of the services. Earlier this year, Jimmy Doyle, the founder and CEO of Clubber, which shows club and under-age GAA matches from 14 counties, estimated that dodgy boxes were taking up to 40pc of his firm's revenue away. He said the company wants to expand, including covering more female events, but that the use of dodgy boxes is threatening his plans. 'We have a network of local commentators and videographers who rely on Clubber's business to support them and their families,' Mr Doyle said. 'As people use illegal streaming to steal from Clubber, they are putting this entire eco-system at risk.' A survey from Sapir Research this year showed more than two in five people who use dodgy boxes recommend them to friends and family, even though users are more liable to online scams than those who do not use the devices. Illegal streaming directly impacts the investment going into Irish sport Last summer, a 42-year-old Kildare man was jailed for 16 months after making €900,000 from King Kong Media, a dodgy-box operation that sold codes to access pay-TV channels to 5,000 customers. 'We strongly support this decisive action,' Mickey O'Rourke of Premier Sports said about the current High Court action against the Wexford dodgy-box operator. 'Illegal streaming undermines the sustainability of sports broadcasting, directly impacting the investment going into Irish sport, from grassroots to elite level. It also puts consumers at real risk. 'This collaboration between broadcasters, rights holders and authorities is essential to protecting the value of Irish content and ensuring that fans can enjoy their favourite sports through safe and legal channels.' The head of GAA+, Noel Quinn, said pirating of its content hits its grassroots investment levels. 'The GAA reinvests 82 cents of every euro generated directly into schools, clubs, counties and provinces,' he said.
Times
22-05-2025
- Times
Alleged ‘serial cat killer' arrested in California
An alleged serial cat killer has been arrested in California over claims that he abducted and slaughtered more than a dozen cats. Alejandro Acosta Oliveros, 45, was taken into custody on Wednesday by police in the city of Santa Ana, 30 miles south of Los Angeles. He has been charged with felony animal cruelty. Oliveros was identified as a suspect after an investigation into more than a dozen reports of neighbourhood cats going missing. Police claim he abducted the animals or lured them to his home in the neighbourhood of Wilshire Square, where he allegedly tortured and killed them. Last month the abduction of a ten-month-old Bengal lynx cat, Clubber, was captured on surveillance video and posted to Facebook by its owner, Eva Corlew. The
21-05-2025
Southern California man charged for allegedly luring, kidnapping and beating cats to death
A Southern California man accused of stealing a Bengal Lynx cat and beating other felines to death will be arraigned on Wednesday and could face up to four years and four months in jail, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office. The suspect, 46-year-old Alejandro Oliveros Acosta, was arrested on April 24 after allegedly "luring cats with cat food in order to kidnap the animals to stomp them and beat them to death," the district attorney's office said in a press release on Tuesday. Oliveros Acosta was also accused of having methamphetamine on him when he was booked into jail, officials said. Acosta has been charged with two counts of felony animal cruelty, one misdemeanor count of possession of a controlled substance and one felony count of theft of a companion animal after stealing a Bengal Lynx cat from a Westminster home in March, officials said. Between November 2024 and April 2025, there were seven reports of dead and injured cats to Santa Ana Animal Control, including "animals suffering from broken backs and bloody faces," prosecutors said. On March 21, a Westminster woman came home to find her Bengal Lynx cat, named Clubber, was missing, the district attorney's office said. Officials looked through video surveillance and found the suspect — later identified as Oliveros Acosta — with "what appeared to be a can of food, luring the cat before grabbing the animal and driving away in a white Toyota Tacoma pickup truck," prosecutors said. Clubber was returned to his owners "after the theft was publicized," however, the suspect was unidentified at the time, prosecutors said. On April 3, a Santa Ana man was leaving his home when he saw his neighbor, Oliveros Acosta, "pick up a cat over his head and slam it to the ground," officials said. Two days later, animal control was called for reports of another cat "who was not moving," with video surveillance revealing Oliveros Acosta picking up the cat out of his truck, dropping it on the ground in order to "stomp on it with his foot," officials said. After his arrest in April, Oliveros Acosta posted a $40,000 bail and was released before police finished their investigation and presented the case to the district attorney's office, officials said. Prosecutors have asked for bail to be increased from the statutory $20,000 bail to $100,000 "given the danger Oliveros Acosta poses to public safety," officials said. The investigation of the case remains ongoing and the district attorney's office said anyone with additional information should contact the Santa Ana and Westminster police departments to determine whether additional charges can be added. It is unclear whether Oliveros Acosta has an attorney who can speak on his behalf.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
Southern California man charged for allegedly luring, kidnapping and beating cats to death
A Southern California man accused of stealing a Bengal Lynx cat and beating other felines to death will be arraigned on Wednesday and could face up to four years and four months in jail, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office. The suspect, 46-year-old Alejandro Oliveros Acosta, was arrested on April 24 after allegedly "luring cats with cat food in order to kidnap the animals to stomp them and beat them to death," the district attorney's office said in a press release on Tuesday. Oliveros Acosta was also accused of having methamphetamine on him when he was booked into jail, officials said. Acosta has been charged with two counts of felony animal cruelty, one misdemeanor count of possession of a controlled substance and one felony count of theft of a companion animal after stealing a Bengal Lynx cat from a Westminster home in March, officials said. Between November 2024 and April 2025, there were seven reports of dead and injured cats to Santa Ana Animal Control, including "animals suffering from broken backs and bloody faces," prosecutors said. On March 21, a Westminster woman came home to find her Bengal Lynx cat, named Clubber, was missing, the district attorney's office said. Officials looked through video surveillance and found the suspect — later identified as Oliveros Acosta — with "what appeared to be a can of food, luring the cat before grabbing the animal and driving away in a white Toyota Tacoma pickup truck," prosecutors said. MORE: Animal sanctuary owner, about 100 cats die in fire, officials say Clubber was returned to his owners "after the theft was publicized," however, the suspect was unidentified at the time, prosecutors said. On April 3, a Santa Ana man was leaving his home when he saw his neighbor, Oliveros Acosta, "pick up a cat over his head and slam it to the ground," officials said. Two days later, animal control was called for reports of another cat "who was not moving," with video surveillance revealing Oliveros Acosta picking up the cat out of his truck, dropping it on the ground in order to "stomp on it with his foot," officials said. After his arrest in April, Oliveros Acosta posted a $40,000 bail and was released before police finished their investigation and presented the case to the district attorney's office, officials said. MORE: Florida man shoots neighbor's cow 5 times after it wandered onto his property Prosecutors have asked for bail to be increased from the statutory $20,000 bail to $100,000 "given the danger Oliveros Acosta poses to public safety," officials said. The investigation of the case remains ongoing and the district attorney's office said anyone with additional information should contact the Santa Ana and Westminster police departments to determine whether additional charges can be added. It is unclear whether Oliveros Acosta has an attorney who can speak on his behalf. Southern California man charged for allegedly luring, kidnapping and beating cats to death originally appeared on
CBS News
20-05-2025
- CBS News
Santa Ana alleged serial cat killer charged with animal cruelty
A Santa Ana man who allegedly lured, harmed and killed neighborhood cats has been charged with animal cruelty. Alejandro Oliveros Acosta was charged with two counts of animal cruelty and a count of grand theft of a pet, all felonies. He was also charged with a misdemeanor count of possession of methamphetamine, according to the criminal complaint. Over March and April, word spread among neighbors in Westminster and Santa Ana about a man luring cats away from their homes. Home-surveillance footage of incidents was shared on social media. After receiving multiple reports of neighborhood cat abuse and deaths over several weeks, a police investigation led to Acosta as the suspect. Detectives issued a search warrant at the home of the 45-year-old and found evidence of dozens of dead cats, police said. Acosta is also suspected of abducting a Bengal Lynx cat from its Westminster home in March, police said. The 10-month-old cat named Clubber was returned to its owner after she posted online about it. Eva Corlew said her home security cameras captured a man grabbing Clubber and carrying it into a white truck. Corlew said after she shared her story in a neighborhood chatroom, she learned that similar incidents happened to people in Santa Ana. Acosta was arrested and booked at the Santa Ana jail in late April, but posted bail and was released. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday.
