Out CAC me....(ongoing)

NATION-WORLD
Fake sex abuse claims get British woman 8.5 year prison term
80

Cumbria Police undated handout photo of Eleanor Williams. A 22-year-old woman has been jailed for eight-and-a-half years after falsely claiming to have been the victim of an Asian grooming gang. Eleanor Williams, of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, was sentenced at Preston Crown Court on Tuesday, March 14, 2023 after making a series of false rape allegations. In a Facebook post in May 2020, which was shared more than 100,000 times, she described being beaten, abused and trafficked by Asian men. (Cumbria Police via AP)
(Cumbria Police / Associated Press)
BY BRIAN MELLEY
ASSOCIATED PRESS
MARCH 14, 2023 11:05 AM PT
LONDON —
A woman who falsely claimed she was drugged, raped and forced to work as a prostitute was sentenced Tuesday to more than eight years imprisonment in a case that fueled racial tensions in Britain.
Eleanor Williams, 22, said on Facebook in May 2020 — in a post shared more than 100,000 times — that she had been beaten, abused and trafficked by south Asian men, stoking months of anger, fear and acts of vandalism in her hometown of Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria.
Williams was convicted by a jury in Preston Crown Court in January of acts tending and intended to pervert the course of justice.

At the time of the Facebook post, police suspected Williams’s wild allegations of violent rapes and sexual trafficking overseas had been fabricated and that she had beaten herself with a hammer to support her claims.
Judge Robert Altham said he couldn’t explain Williams’ motivation, but said the accusations were a “complete fiction” that capitalized on real instances in which men — sometimes of south Asian descent — had exploited teenage girls by grooming them first with gifts, booze and drugs before abusing them.
“I’m sure she chose to lie about Asian men because she was modeling her lies on other cases of national prominence,” Altham said. “She regarded the prospects of being believed as greater if she based them on cases already in the public consciousness.”


Three of the accused men told authorities they tried to take their own lives while under suspicion.
Williams had claimed that Mohammed Ramzan, a business owner, had groomed her from the age of 12 and took her to Amsterdam where she was forced to have sex for money and sold her at auction.
Police later discovered that when Williams was in the Netherlands, Ramzan’s bank card was being used back home in Barrow. Her claims that he took her to Blackpool, threatened to kill her and where she was brutally raped by multiple men collapsed when video showed she was there alone and had watched YouTube in her hotel room, Altham said.


Ramzan said he received countless death threats from around the world on social media. He was in such despair that he tried to kill himself in front of his family, had his car windows smashed and his once-successful businesses were ruined, Altham said.
“I’m not sure how my family and I are going to recover from this,” Ramzan told reporters outside court. “The mud sticks and I fear it may take some time.”
The worst turmoil in three decades roiled Barrow, Altham said, with the town divided between those who believed police were complicit in a coverup of Williams’ allegations and others who feared vigilantes. The local newspaper was boycotted — and later folded — after reporting that Williams was under investigation for perverting justice.


Defense attorney Louise Blackwell KC said Williams maintains her allegations were true.
Williams offered an apology of sorts in a letter to the court saying, “I’m not saying I’m guilty but I know I have done wrong on some of this and I’m sorry.”
She said she never instigated any of the unrest in her community, but Altham said it was foreseeable that people of Pakistani heritage would be targeted based on her post.


“I’m devastated at the trouble that has been caused in Barrow,” she said in the letter. “If I knew what consequences would have come from that status I never would have posted it.”

 

The photo says he's of a Jewish congregation. However, the article identifies him as Christian.



McKean County man jailed on over 880 felony counts of child porn
63f94a23a64f3.image.jpg



SMETHPORT, Pa. — A Christian musician, pastor and former Bradford store owner is in McKean County Jail, charged with more than 880 felony counts of child pornography.
Daniel W. Merrick, 64, of 858 Route 446, Smethport, is charged with 570 counts of child pornography-involving indecent contact, second-degree felonies; 316 counts of child pornography-involving nudity, third-degree felonies; and one count of criminal use of a communications facility, a third-degree felony.
According to the criminal complaint, State Police Computer Crimes received a CyberTip from Synchronoss Technologies, which is Verizon Cloud.

Between July 8 and Aug. 10, Synchronoss became aware of eight images and one video of child pornography involving indecent contact and one image of child pornography involving nudity, all of which had been uploaded to Synchronoss’ infrastructure.
Synchronoss provided to police the cell phone number which uploaded the images; the phone was registered to Merrick, the complaint stated.
On Jan. 9, Trooper Robert Whyel with the state police computer crimes unit served a search warrant for the content on the Verizon Cloud account for that phone number. The results included 178 additional images of child pornography involving indecent contact and 139 involving nudity. The images were saved on a Samsung Galaxy S21 FE 5G; there were numerous photos of Merrick on the account as well, the complaint stated.
On Feb. 10, a search warrant was executed on Merrick’s residence, and Whyel spoke with Merrick on the scene. He told the trooper that he “began viewing pornography due to his wife refusing to be intimate with him,” the complaint stated, which Merrick said led to a “two-month curiosity in child pornography.”
The complaint read, “The curiosity never entered the real world and was only a fantasy.”



He told police that he had an addiction and would seek help, the complaint read.
Reviewing Merrick’s phone, the trooper found 383 images of child pornography involving indecent contact and 176 involving nudity, including an image that was located on the CyberTip, according to the complaint.
Merrick was arraigned Friday before District Judge William Todd in Smethport. He was jailed in lieu of $20,000 bail. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for March 9.
Merrick is represented by attorney Christopher Martini.
According to Merrick’s website, he holds a Ph.D., is a singer, musician, author, preacher, pastor and composer. He completed Bible college and went into the U.S. Army in 1979 serving in active duty, the reserves and the National Guard until 2004. The site indicated that Merrick is now the pastor of a Messianic Jewish congregation in Bradford and had a weekly show on The Now Network Christian Television.
The Now Network has since contacted media and offered a statement refuting Merrick's continuing involvement: "As of May 31, 2022, Daniel Merrick has not associated with The NOW Television Network in any way."
The Merricks had operated a storefront on Main Street in Bradford as RDJ Catalog Inc. in the early 2000s, closing in about 2004. The business name is still in use as a website.
Merrick has, at times, been a landlord in the city of Bradford as well.

 
tGCx4It.jpeg


Polhaus' Maine compound fundraiser has earned a little over $2,000, according to the report, along with 23 "prayers" — an option for GiveSendGo contributors. Much of it comes from "two large donations over $800 each," according to the report.

"In its terms of service, GiveSendGo states it doesn’t tolerate 'discrimination or hatred against individuals or groups based on race, ethnic origin.' Pohlhaus has a giant Swastika tattoo on his chest and frequently makes racist and antisemitic comments," noted the report. However, GiveSendGo has not responded to questions about why they are allowing this campaign on their site, other than a representative of the company telling reporters, “I have sent your request to the proper team member and they will reach out to you when they have the opportunity.”

* * *
 
tGCx4It.jpeg


Polhaus' Maine compound fundraiser has earned a little over $2,000, according to the report, along with 23 "prayers" — an option for GiveSendGo contributors. Much of it comes from "two large donations over $800 each," according to the report.

"In its terms of service, GiveSendGo states it doesn’t tolerate 'discrimination or hatred against individuals or groups based on race, ethnic origin.' Pohlhaus has a giant Swastika tattoo on his chest and frequently makes racist and antisemitic comments," noted the report. However, GiveSendGo has not responded to questions about why they are allowing this campaign on their site, other than a representative of the company telling reporters, “I have sent your request to the proper team member and they will reach out to you when they have the opportunity.”

* * *
As if Maine wasn't white enough....
 
Crime & Courts
Two wives turned a man in to police over child sex abuse images, but a glitch kept him from being charged until now
Ryan Rovito was allegedly found with “several hundred” child sex abuse images in 2018 — but authorities have never prosecuted the case because of an alleged computer glitch.




March 24, 2023, 1:24 AM UTC / Updated March 24, 2023, 1:42 PM UTC
By Julianne McShane
A California father who was arrested last week after authorities said they had discovered more than 900 images of child sex abuse was also accused in 2018 of having "several hundred" similar images — but he has evaded prosecution because of an alleged computer glitch, a law enforcement official said.
Ryan Rovito, 34, of Redding, is accused of felony possession of child pornography and surreptitious recording after his wife turned over to police a camera she found hidden in the couple’s guest bathroom and a hard drive.

In 2018, his previous wife also went to authorities and reported that he had photos of “prepubescent juveniles” on his computer, said Sgt. Rob Garnero, a Redding police spokesperson.
That case got lost in a new software system and didn't make it to the Shasta County District Attorney's Office until November, a spokesperson for the DA's office said.
Victoria and Ryan Rovito.
Victoria and Ryan Rovito took this photo in February 2022 before they married.Betsy Erickson
The software "had some errors when it launched," Garnero said, adding that the police department's records division made a note in its internal software in December that the previous case had been lost.
When police filed the current case against Rovito, they found the earlier one — "and that's when we discovered that case had never been completely discovered when routed," Garnero said.
Ryan Rovito did not respond to multiple attempts to ask him for comment. His lawyer, Timothy Prentiss, said Rovito maintains his innocence.
"From his perspective, he’s ready to challenge these allegations, and we’d prefer to do that in the legal system," Prentiss said.
Prentiss said he was not familiar with the 2018 allegations.
Statute of limitations
Police said there was a three-year statute of limitations on the 2018 case, which had expired by the time the glitch was discovered. But the Shasta County DA’s office said Thursday that the case falls under a 10-year limit.
“We’re going to have to do some further investigation to review the case before we make any filing decisions,” a spokesperson for the DA said.
Rovito’s ex-wife, who made the 2018 report, could not be reached for comment by phone or email Thursday. Court records show she filed for divorce in April 2019.
His current wife, Victoria Rovito, said that if officials had prosecuted him in 2018, her family’s life might never have been “flipped upside down and shattered.”
“I understand that mistakes happen, but these things cannot fall through the cracks," Victoria Rovito, 33, said in an exclusive interview this week. "It could've been somebody’s life. It could’ve been multiple peoples’ lives."
She said that she didn't know about the previous allegations until police told her this month and that she has since shared them with the National Guard, with which she said Rovito has served.
A spokesperson for the National Guard directed questions to a spokesperson for the California National Guard, who did not immediately respond to questions Thursday.
'This situation did not seem fathomable'
When Victoria and Ryan Rovito met in 2021, he seemed like the ideal partner: He got along well with her son, who’s now 3, and "would literally do anything for me," she said. They married less than a year later, she said, tying the knot in February 2022, and they welcomed a daughter seven months ago.
"It just seemed picture perfect," she said.
So when she found a camera hidden in the guest bathroom of their home in Redding, about 160 miles north of Sacramento, and was later told by authorities that he was alleged to have had hundreds of child sex abuse images on his hard drive, she was in "absolute shock."

“This situation did not seem fathomable to me prior to this," she said.

Redding police said that when Victoria Rovito first found the camera and confronted her husband, Ryan Rovito “vowed to remove and discard it."
She discovered he had not thrown it away as promised, and on March 8, she gave police the camera and the hard drive, “fearing Mr. Rovito had nefariously recorded their young children using the bathroom," the police department has said.
Authorities said they performed a forensic analysis of the devices and found hundreds of sex abuse photos and multiple videos. Garnero said Wednesday that the police department is still reviewing devices from Ryan Rovito's residence.
Police have said videos obtained from the camera "showed children and adults using the bathroom who did not appear to know they were being recorded."
Rovito was taken into custody March 16, during a traffic stop, on charges related to the felony possession of child pornography and the surreptitious recording of an identifiable person who was undressed.
He posted $25,000 bail the day he was arrested, Garnero said.
If he is convicted, Rovito could face 16 months to eight years in prison, said Garnero, who added that he could also be sentenced to probation and required to register as a sex offender for life instead of facing prison time.
Rovito could also face up to a year in county jail on the surreptitious recording charge, which is a misdemeanor under California law, Garnero said. But he added that “that scenario is unlikely as Rovito does not have a criminal history.”
He is due in court April 21, Garnero said.
'We have to protect our children'
Victoria Rovito requested, and was granted, a temporary restraining order against her husband the day after his arrest, court documents show.
She is focused on rebuilding her family's future: "I feel like our lives have been torn apart," she said.
A GoFundMe campaign set up by a friend says money raised will go toward living expenses and legal fees: "By doing what was right she ultimately is left with a lot of needs," it says.
In the meantime, Rovito hopes that by sharing her story, she can show others how to protect their children in instances of child sex abuse.
"Once I realized what was going on, I didn't want it to happen to anyone else, and that was my driving factor," she said.
Young victims
About 25% of girls and 1 in 13 boys in the U.S. experience sexual abuse, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In more than 90% of those cases, the perpetrators are known and trusted by the children and their families, according to the CDC.
"That could be a family member, extended family, a coach or doctor — someone who doesn't raise any flags to be in proximity to the child," said Scott Berkowitz, the president and founder of the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, an anti-sexual violence organization better known as RAINN.
Berkowitz said it's crucial to teach kids to alert trusted adults if they experience sex abuse. Adults should take a "safety first" approach by removing children from proximity to perpetrators, paying attention to their psychological needs and alerting relevant authorities if that's an option, Berkowitz said.
Victoria Rovito agrees: "We have to protect our children. They can't protect themselves," she said.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, call the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673. The hotline, run by the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), can put you in contact with your local rape crisis center. You can also access RAINN’s online chat service at https://www.rainn.org/get-help. Confidential chats are available in English and in Spanish.

 
Crime & Courts
Two wives turned a man in to police over child sex abuse images, but a glitch kept him from being charged until now
Ryan Rovito was allegedly found with “several hundred” child sex abuse images in 2018 — but authorities have never prosecuted the case because of an alleged computer glitch.




March 24, 2023, 1:24 AM UTC / Updated March 24, 2023, 1:42 PM UTC
By Julianne McShane
A California father who was arrested last week after authorities said they had discovered more than 900 images of child sex abuse was also accused in 2018 of having "several hundred" similar images — but he has evaded prosecution because of an alleged computer glitch, a law enforcement official said.
Ryan Rovito, 34, of Redding, is accused of felony possession of child pornography and surreptitious recording after his wife turned over to police a camera she found hidden in the couple’s guest bathroom and a hard drive.

In 2018, his previous wife also went to authorities and reported that he had photos of “prepubescent juveniles” on his computer, said Sgt. Rob Garnero, a Redding police spokesperson.
That case got lost in a new software system and didn't make it to the Shasta County District Attorney's Office until November, a spokesperson for the DA's office said.
Victoria and Ryan Rovito.
Victoria and Ryan Rovito took this photo in February 2022 before they married.Betsy Erickson
The software "had some errors when it launched," Garnero said, adding that the police department's records division made a note in its internal software in December that the previous case had been lost.
When police filed the current case against Rovito, they found the earlier one — "and that's when we discovered that case had never been completely discovered when routed," Garnero said.
Ryan Rovito did not respond to multiple attempts to ask him for comment. His lawyer, Timothy Prentiss, said Rovito maintains his innocence.
"From his perspective, he’s ready to challenge these allegations, and we’d prefer to do that in the legal system," Prentiss said.
Prentiss said he was not familiar with the 2018 allegations.
Statute of limitations
Police said there was a three-year statute of limitations on the 2018 case, which had expired by the time the glitch was discovered. But the Shasta County DA’s office said Thursday that the case falls under a 10-year limit.
“We’re going to have to do some further investigation to review the case before we make any filing decisions,” a spokesperson for the DA said.
Rovito’s ex-wife, who made the 2018 report, could not be reached for comment by phone or email Thursday. Court records show she filed for divorce in April 2019.
His current wife, Victoria Rovito, said that if officials had prosecuted him in 2018, her family’s life might never have been “flipped upside down and shattered.”
“I understand that mistakes happen, but these things cannot fall through the cracks," Victoria Rovito, 33, said in an exclusive interview this week. "It could've been somebody’s life. It could’ve been multiple peoples’ lives."
She said that she didn't know about the previous allegations until police told her this month and that she has since shared them with the National Guard, with which she said Rovito has served.
A spokesperson for the National Guard directed questions to a spokesperson for the California National Guard, who did not immediately respond to questions Thursday.
'This situation did not seem fathomable'
When Victoria and Ryan Rovito met in 2021, he seemed like the ideal partner: He got along well with her son, who’s now 3, and "would literally do anything for me," she said. They married less than a year later, she said, tying the knot in February 2022, and they welcomed a daughter seven months ago.
"It just seemed picture perfect," she said.
So when she found a camera hidden in the guest bathroom of their home in Redding, about 160 miles north of Sacramento, and was later told by authorities that he was alleged to have had hundreds of child sex abuse images on his hard drive, she was in "absolute shock."

“This situation did not seem fathomable to me prior to this," she said.

Redding police said that when Victoria Rovito first found the camera and confronted her husband, Ryan Rovito “vowed to remove and discard it."
She discovered he had not thrown it away as promised, and on March 8, she gave police the camera and the hard drive, “fearing Mr. Rovito had nefariously recorded their young children using the bathroom," the police department has said.
Authorities said they performed a forensic analysis of the devices and found hundreds of sex abuse photos and multiple videos. Garnero said Wednesday that the police department is still reviewing devices from Ryan Rovito's residence.
Police have said videos obtained from the camera "showed children and adults using the bathroom who did not appear to know they were being recorded."
Rovito was taken into custody March 16, during a traffic stop, on charges related to the felony possession of child pornography and the surreptitious recording of an identifiable person who was undressed.
He posted $25,000 bail the day he was arrested, Garnero said.
If he is convicted, Rovito could face 16 months to eight years in prison, said Garnero, who added that he could also be sentenced to probation and required to register as a sex offender for life instead of facing prison time.
Rovito could also face up to a year in county jail on the surreptitious recording charge, which is a misdemeanor under California law, Garnero said. But he added that “that scenario is unlikely as Rovito does not have a criminal history.”
He is due in court April 21, Garnero said.
'We have to protect our children'
Victoria Rovito requested, and was granted, a temporary restraining order against her husband the day after his arrest, court documents show.
She is focused on rebuilding her family's future: "I feel like our lives have been torn apart," she said.
A GoFundMe campaign set up by a friend says money raised will go toward living expenses and legal fees: "By doing what was right she ultimately is left with a lot of needs," it says.
In the meantime, Rovito hopes that by sharing her story, she can show others how to protect their children in instances of child sex abuse.
"Once I realized what was going on, I didn't want it to happen to anyone else, and that was my driving factor," she said.
Young victims
About 25% of girls and 1 in 13 boys in the U.S. experience sexual abuse, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In more than 90% of those cases, the perpetrators are known and trusted by the children and their families, according to the CDC.
"That could be a family member, extended family, a coach or doctor — someone who doesn't raise any flags to be in proximity to the child," said Scott Berkowitz, the president and founder of the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, an anti-sexual violence organization better known as RAINN.
Berkowitz said it's crucial to teach kids to alert trusted adults if they experience sex abuse. Adults should take a "safety first" approach by removing children from proximity to perpetrators, paying attention to their psychological needs and alerting relevant authorities if that's an option, Berkowitz said.
Victoria Rovito agrees: "We have to protect our children. They can't protect themselves," she said.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, call the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673. The hotline, run by the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), can put you in contact with your local rape crisis center. You can also access RAINN’s online chat service at https://www.rainn.org/get-help. Confidential chats are available in English and in Spanish.


bitch you married Herb the Perv
 

California police union director charged with importing fentanyl, other opioids
by: Phil Mayer
Posted: Mar 30, 2023 / 10:50 AM PDT
Updated: Mar 30, 2023 / 10:50 AM PDT
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SAN JOSE, Calif. (KRON) — The executive director of the San Jose Police Officers’ Association (SJPOA) has been charged with attempting to illegally import a controlled substance, according to the United States Department of Justice.
Joanne Marian Segovia, 64, is accused of ordering thousands of opioids to her home and agreeing to distribute them in the United States.
A federal criminal complaint states that Segovia used her personal and office computers to order the drugs, including fentanyl, between October 2015 and January 2023. At least 61 shipments were mailed to her home from places like Hong Kong, Hungary, and India, the DOJ said.
Man arrested after woman finds camera in San Francisco dressing room
“This is an incredibly disturbing allegation. No one is above the law, regardless of who their employer is,” said San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan. “I want to thank U.S. Attorney Ramsey and his colleagues for aggressively pursuing the sources of fentanyl coming into our communities and holding drug-dealers accountable.”
Segovia has been with the SJPOA, a union that represents police officers in San Jose, since 2003.
Law enforcement first learned of the connection to Segovia when investigating a network in India that ships drugs into the United States. A network operative’s phone was searched, and Homeland Security agents found messages that mentioned “J Segovia” at an address in San Jose, including the words “180 pills SOMA 500mg,” the complaint shows.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection records showed that five shipments to Segovia’s address were intercepted between July 2019 and January 2023. The packages contained more than a kilogram of controlled substances such as Zolpidem (a sedative used to treat insomnia) and Tramadol (a narcotic used to treat pain), per the court document.
The packages mailed to Segovia’s home had innocuous labels, such as “Shirts Tops,” “Chocolate and Sweets” and “Gift Makeup,” according to the DOJ. Homeland Security said shipments from several foreign countries with such labels often contain illicit drugs.
When Segovia was interviewed by Homeland Security agents on Feb. 1, 2023, she claimed she ordered supplements that were nothing out of the ordinary. She also refused to show agents her CashApp transaction history, per court documents.
She was interviewed again on March 14, and blamed the orders on another woman whom she identified as a family friend and housekeeper who Segovia said suffered from a substance abuse disorder. According to Homeland Security, she made inconsistent statements about whether the woman had access to her cellphone.
Segovia later gave officers access to her WhatsApp account where they found messages referring to “soma” or “orange pills.”
Segovia was allegedly told to send a package to a woman in North Carolina in 2021. An image of the UPS receipt shows the signature “J Segovia” and the return address 1151 North Fourth St. – the address of the SJPOA’s office.
Screenshot-2023-03-29-205852.png
Image from …Read More
“I also believe the use of the San Jose Police Officers’ Association shipping label indicates that Segovia used her office as part of her purchasing and distribution of controlled substances,” Homeland Security Officer David Vargas wrote in the complaint.
On March 13, a controlled substance with the label “CLOCK” was seized in Kentucky, per the court document. The parcel originated from an address in China and was addressed to Segovia’s home. It contained a clock kit with white adhesive stickers or patches, on which valeryl fentanyl was found. Documents described valeryl fentanyl as a “synthetic fentanyl analogue and a Schedule I narcotic.”
Segovia completed a payment for suspected drug transactions on March 23, Homeland Security said. A day later, officers seized Tapentadol pills at Segovia’s home and her office. (Tapentadol is a prescription opioid pain medication.)
Vargas said he believes Segovia continued to order and pay for controlled substances after being interviewed by Homeland Security agents. He also believes Segovia knowingly gave false information to investigators.
Segovia is charged with an attempt to unlawfully import valeryl fentanyl. If convicted, she faces up to 20 years in prison.
The SJPOA said in a statement they were informed an employee was under investigation last Friday. The organization said they are “fully and completely cooperating” with federal law enforcement.
“The POA immediately placed the civilian employee on leave and as is standard procedure cut off all access to the POA,” the statement continued. “No additional individual at the POA is involved or had prior knowledge of the alleged acts. The Board of Directors is saddened and disappointed at hearing this news and we have pledged to provide our full support to the investigative authorities.”

 

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42-year-old Cliff Christian was jailed on Monday morning after police responded to a call regarding a man “assaulting a tree” at the intersection of Wallace and Recovery Road. When police arrived and approached Christian, he was behaving and speaking erratically and sweating profusely. He was screaming that a nearby tree was falling, which was not the case, leading the officer to believe he was on drugs. The officer asked Christian what he had taken, and he told the officer that he had taken marijuana, “a bunch of crack,” and tree sap that was supposed to give him the ability to speak Japanese. On the ride to booking, he kept reiterating how he had taken crack cocaine.


Cliff Christian was booked into the Metro Nashville Jail on April 3rd, charged with public intoxication. A judicial commissioner set his bond at $100.
 
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