The darkest side of humanity...Child Porn

[Arrow]

Ten Americans Charged in International Child-Porn Ring
Friday, August 09, 2002

WASHINGTON ? A group of Americans took sexually explicit photographs of their own children, including at least one 2-year-old, and sent them over the Internet as part of an international child-porn ring called "The Club," U.S. Customs officials said Friday.

"I've rarely seen crimes as despicable and repugnant," Customs Commissioner Robert C. Bonner said as he announced the arrests of 20 people in the U.S. and abroad.

Forty-five children, including 37 in the United States, were victims of the porn ring and have been removed from the care of those indicted, Customs officials said.

The American victims ranged from age 2 to 14, and 80 percent of them were allegedly molested by one of their own parents. Most of them are now in the custody of another parent or relative.

Bonner said he had never before seen a broad conspiracy among parents. "If this isn't unusual, God help us," he said.

All of the suspects are men except one Danish woman, Bente Jensen, who is charged with her husband, Eggert Jensen.

Among the U.S. citizens charged since January are chiropractor Lloyd Alan Emmerson of Clovis, Calif., who has pleaded innocent, and eight others named in a federal indictment unsealed Friday in Fresno, Calif.

Another, Jeffrey Naimo of Killeen, Texas, has pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 20 years in prison, Bonner said.

An 11th American, Sean Bradley of Reno, Nev., committed suicide prior to the filing of formal charges.

Six residents of Denmark, Switzerland and the Netherlands also were indicted in Fresno, and the Justice Department is seeking their extradition to face charges, Bonner said.

Four other Europeans were charged abroad as part of the joint investigation with the Danish National Police that reached Belgium, Germany, England, Switzerland and the Netherlands. Customs officials said they would not identify them or specify their nationality because the investigation is ongoing.

Two Englishmen and two Germans face charges in their home countries, officials said.

The indictment alleges that members of the ring, referring to themselves as "The Club," traded messages across the Internet requesting photographs of specific sexual poses.

One man asked for an audiotape so he could hear a child crying while being spanked, the indictment said, and another posed naked with an underage girl.

In one instance, a man swapped his own children with another pedophile to be abused, Bonner alleged.

The investigation began when the international charity Save the Children found a picture of Eggert Jensen molesting his 9-year-old daughter on the Internet and reported it to Danish authorities. The Danish National Police traced Jensen through a company logo on the shirt he wore in the picture, said Customs special agent Mike Netherland.

Danish police found information on the Jensens' computer that was forwarded to the U.S. Customs Service and led to the arrest in January of Emmerson in Clovis, Calif.

Paul Whitmore and Brooke Rowland, both of San Diego, also were arrested in January based on information from Denmark, investigators said.

Searches of the California suspects' computers led to nine other U.S. citizens, Netherland said.

The other Americans facing charges include: Tracy Reynolds of Longview, Texas; Leslie Peter Bowcut, Burley, Idaho; Michael David Harland, West Palm Beach, Fla.; Harry Eldon Tschernetzki, Spokane, Wash.; John Zill, Greeneville, S.C.; and Craig Davidson, Kansas City, Kan.

The six foreigners indicted in Fresno were identified as the Jensens of Denmark; Jean-Michael Frances Cattin, Marcel Egli and Peter Althaus of Switzerland; and Dirk-Jan Prins of the Netherlands. No hometowns were provided.

The charges of sexual exploitation of children, conspiracy to exploit children, and receiving and distributing child pornography each carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years to a maximum of 20 years. Some defendants could receive 60 years if convicted of all charges against them, Bonner said.

Authorities are still trying to identify other children in some of the explicit pictures, and more arrests are expected.

Bonner said the wide availability of child pornography on the Internet encourages pedophiles.

"Together we must find ways to protect our children and to starve the pedophiles of the sordid images that induce them to act," he said.

A few of those arrested received pictures but did not produce them, Bonner said.

[Arrow]

NO MERCY! Let justice roll down. Put them all in with the general population. With their crimes tattooed on their foreheads.

And just last night I was watching Bill O'Riley interview a female guest espousing how important that it was for deviant sexual behaviour to be allowed to be expressed on the internet. She stated she was not advocating child porn but anything and everything else. That is was soooooo important to the freedom of expression. The deception that covered this young woman's mind was stunning and shocking. Bill stood up to her telling her to go home and do what she wanted to do behind closed doors but do not put it on the net where unattended children may access it.

Then this story broke today. I feel that I am going to be violently ill. And people wonder why there is a hell? Now you know.

[colmurph]

I think it's great that U.S. Cutoms have gotten these scum bags off the street but I'm afraid that they're concentrating limited resources on the wrong thing at the worst time. Cocaine and Heroin are pouring into this country at an alarming rate and the probability that some terrorist organization will smuggle in some weapon of mass destruction is frightning. Do the math. Are 20 or so pederasts exchanging pictures over the internet more dangerous to the country than 50 kilos of heroin? Or a homemade bomb containing plutonium to be scattered by conventional explosives, which has the potential of causing millions of cancer deaths? Maybe we should start a new executive branch, The Department of Morality, Bureau of Clean Thought and let the Customs Service "Collect and Protect the Revenue" which is what their charter says.

[Arrow]

Your argument is weak. The resouces are out there it is just a matter of priorities. Ever hear of the Golden Fleece awards. Here are a few from the top ten list:

10. Surfing Subsidy

For the Department of Commerce for giving the City and County of Honolulu $28,600 in 1981 to study how they could spend another $250,000 for a good surfing beach. At the time, even a few Honolulu officials protested the grant, saying that local life time surfers would be available as volunteers.


9. Basketball Therapy

For the Health Care Financing Administration for Medicaid payments to psychiatrists for unscheduled, coincidental meetings with patients who were attending basketball games, sitting on stoops, etc. -- the cost of which was between $40 and $80 million from 1981 to 1984.



8. $2 Million Patrol Car

For the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration for spending $2 million in 1978 on a prototype police patrol car that was never completed. The car was loaded with gadgets and would have cost $49,078 each.



7. Tailhook

The Department of the Navy for using 64 planes to fly 1334 officers to the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas for a 1974 reunion of the Tailhook Association.



6. Tennis Cheaters

The National Endowment for the Humanities for a $25,000 grant in 1977 to study why people cheat, lie and act rudely on local Virginia tennis courts.



5. TV Watching Lessons

The Office of Education for spending $219,592 in 1978 to develop a curriculum to teach college students how to watch television.


4. New Jersey Sewer Museum

The Environmental Protection Agency for spending an extra $1 million to $1.2 million in 1980 to preserve a Trenton, NJ sewer as a historical monument.



3. How to Buy Worcestershire Sauce

The Department of the Army for spending $6,000 in 1981 to prepare a 17-page document that told the federal government how to buy a bottle of Worcestershire sauce.


2. Great Wall of Bedford, Indiana

The Economic Development Administration of the Commerce Department for spending $20,000 in 1981 to construct an 800-foot limestone replica of the Great Wall of China in Bedford, Indiana.


1. Tequila Fish

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism for spending millions of dollars in 1975 to find out if drunken fish are more aggressive than sober fish, if young rats are more likely than adult rats to drink booze in order to reduce anxiety, and if rats can be systematically turned into alcoholics.

This is just the tip of the iceberg and we all know it.

What price can we put on protecting the most innocent of our society?

Department of Morality? My concern is not for sex between consenting adults. My concern is for heinous crimes committed against our most innocent. My concern is for those children in our society that need protection against adults that use them as chattel, molest, rape, and murder them. My concern is for we as a people to do everything we can do protect those children that have no protection. And if that means restricting some personal freedom to access porn on the internet. Bring it on. Whatever it takes.

seen on the back of a teenagers t-shirt

This is the world you have created for us and we will hate you for it

[Keith_Hixson]

What can one expect when they promote that the "doctrine of seperation of church and state."
Tear down the "Ten Commandments, try to prevent folks with religious convictions from running for public office, promoting abortions, promoting a promiscuous lifestyle, and then wonder why?"
When society pushes aside it moral and ethical restraints we can only expect more and more of this type of garbage.

Sparrow: You are absolutely correct! If the government makes Drugs and Child Pornography a priority there will be enough money for both.

Having been a local lawmaker, I know that the priorities of the elected officials will come to pass if it is what they desire. The United States Government needs to make both a priority.

This stuff will get worse until America returns to it religious heritage and realizes that faith is important part of everyone's life.

Keith

[Arrow]

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. Edmund Burke (1729-1797) - English statesman

It will take all good men/women to stand up against this insideous plague. We are more willing to give up our right to own guns, to be taxed without representation, to have our freedom of movement restricted than we are to give up the right to access pornography over the public domains.

[reeb]

This subject was touched and by quite a few on the History Channel, and persons spoke their minds.

It was started by the Catholic Priests deal.

People spoke their minds the way they seen it and the result is that Bits was "BOOTED" from that site.

I will say the same thing here as I did there, and that being:

If I ever find out my 5 yr old grand daughter was " molested ", the persons responsible wouldnt make it to court.

Some Countries allow such a thing to happen. Like Taiwan. Any age and they have to do what they are told.

But here is the USA we arent taught that way and never will be if the authorities would take into each and every word of a child that is said and investigate to the max.

Sure some kids make stories up about being abused in the sexual matter because of many many different reasons.

But 9 out of 10 are true.

Now about the punishment:

That is open for anyone who thinks.

A murderer get less time than a rapist. No life taken in rape or pedifiles, just a long long journey to recovery.

Lets get real here. 90 years for a pedifile compared to life with parole ( in tx 7 yrs ) for murder. DUH!!!!

The court documents are always full of such menial things that the judge throws a person in jail or prison for instead of the imprtant ones. 5 yrs for stealing a candy bar, cause it turned into a felony after the three strike deal. What could you get for an oversize one like you get at the movies?

But like I say " if " I ever hear about my granddaugter getting caught up in something like that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NOT A THREAT! A PROMISE!!!!!!!

ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!! CAPS THIS TIME......

[phuloi]

We certainly ain`t talking apples and oranges here..both of your arguments are valid,but rooted in the same gutter-our society`s total and complete failure to uphold any semblance of MORAL VALUES!Do we call on our government to police morality?I sure hope it doesn`t come to that.I also wish that I had a solution,but that`s bigger `n both of us I`m afraid.Only He knows,and His will be done!

[blues clues]

Skin them like a catfish reeb only slower that a few day's doing it nothing to fast and it wouldn't be enough. razz

[Arrow]

Department of Morality? My concern is not for sex between consenting adults. My concern is for heinous crimes committed against our most innocent.

The problem is that the internet is wide open as we all know and it is difficult to apply local decency laws to such a slippery medium. We have people molesting their own children in Hicksville USA and taking pictures of same and sending them around the world. Pornograpy that involves sex with chldren, animals and violence to other human beings has ceased to be just a moral choice between two consenting adults. Where there is clear violation of federal and state laws we are duty bound to take action and damn the expense.

These agents have done a great service to our country and to these children. God Bless them. What a lousy job to have to do.
They finally score one for the good guys and come under attack for not being busy somewhere else. SOP.

This stuff will get worse until America returns to it religious heritage and realizes that faith is important part of everyone's life.

The Father gave us the answer through our brother Keith. Not a particularly PC one but true none the less. Thanks Keith for being our conscience and reminding us where we all need to be living. God help us all.