First, I'd like to thank the brave individual who stood up for what he
believes in. Knowing that he might incur the wrath of everyone, he
still had the firm convictions to speak out. Thank you.
Now, I want to provide you all with a little tale:
http://www.redgage.com/blogs/kardasz/liability-for-deliberate-indifference-and-failure-to-investigate-10-5-million.html
This page sums up most of the info in this case, some of which
I have excerpted below with additional comments.
"In 2003, the Seattle, Washington ICAC Task Force received a NCMEC
cybertip accompanied by two unidentified images of a boy being abused.
The initial report indicated that the possessor of the images used the
screen name, "fosterdad". The source of the images was determined to
be a computer in Tacoma, Washington.
"The case was first received and documented by the Seattle ICAC and
then sent to their Tacoma affiliate for investigation. Seattle is the
statewide recipient and clearinghouse for incoming NCMEC cybertips and
has a computer virtual private network connection with NCMEC for the
purpose of receiving incoming complaints.
"In this case, Seattle preserved their case assignment log indicating
that they sent the investigation to Tacoma. Washington state law
requires that cases of child abuse must be reported to the Washington
Child Protective Services agency. The NCMEC Cybertip in this case was
not reported to the Washington CPS.
"A conscientious and dedicated NCMEC analyst was alarmed by the images
and contacted Tacoma PD to follow-up on the first report. The analyst
was advised by a Tacoma detective that the images were not
prosecutable. It was later leaned that the detective may have been
less than truthful in this statement.
"Then, a few months later, in a second cybertip, additional images
from the same offender were reported to NCMEC. The second cybertip
report was more thoroughly investigated by the Tacoma detective and in
March, 2004 the offender, Ronald Young, a state-certified
foster-parent, was arrested. It was discovered that he had molested
several of his foster children over a long period of time and had
photographed them and shared the images via the Internet. The same
Tacoma detective who handled the original investigation also handled
the subsequent arrest. He was initially lauded as a hero for his work
on the case and later vilified after the initial delays were
uncovered."
*****
Of course, since those reports to the NCMEC can be anonymous, and the
fact that anyone sending the pix to the NCMEC would technically be
guilty for possessing illegal child pornography, and the fact that
investigators have the right to protect the sources of their
information -- no one knows for certain who made those two reports to
the NCMEC. But are their clues as to who may have done it?
*****
"Police say a Pierce County foster dad charged with molesting and
photographing young boys in his care posted messages in an Internet
newsgroup catering to Christian pedophiles, saying he struggled
"minute by minute" with his urges and describing himself as a
"boylover [SIC] that has devoted my life to boys and introducing the
love of Christ to them."
"Tacoma Police Detective Richard Voce yesterday confirmed that
41-year-old Ronald Harold Young used the Internet identity "Homeanon"
to write of his battle with his sexual urges for children, and
counseled other struggling pedophiles in a "Christian" forum on
religion and their pedophilia.
"Young also used that identity to post dozens of pornographic
photographs in another pedophile-oriented newsgroup, police said. Many
of the pictures were of his foster children, and some were so graphic
that they offended others in the group."
*****
Now that is interesting, photos of children that actually offended
pedophiles.
*****
"Homeanon's appearance in one group created quite a stir. While many
of its members urged him to keep posting new photographs, a few took
offense at some of the more graphic photographs.
"In a posting in February, one group member complained about a
photograph that appeared sadistic. 'I posted that pic,' responded
Homeanon, who added that the 'photographer would NEVER hurt this
boy.'"
*****
"In charging papers, Pierce County prosecutors said that by September
2003, Young was engaging in sexual acts with the six boys, ages 5 to
7, taking hundreds of digital pictures and sending them all over the
world via the Internet.
"In fact, tips that sparked the investigation came from Europe and the
United States. Investigators overseas found child pornography
originating from the Tacoma area under the e-mail address
fosterdad@hotmail.com. The e-mail address was connected to Young, who
was arrested about 7:15 a.m. Thursday."
*****
"More disturbingly, "Homeanon" also posted dozens of pornographic
photographs, many featuring Young's foster children, sometimes in
settings so graphic they reportedly offended other pedophiles in the
newsgroup."
*****
Additional information on the page documents how lawyers obtained
settlements of $10 million on behalf of the 8 boys who had been
between the ages of 5 and 12 when the abuse occurred.
Let's see what we can come up with. A man posts pictures of sexual
acts between boys and boys & adult men on a newsgroup catering to
pedophiles. The pictures are described as so graphic with some aspects
of sadistic acts that they actually offended pedophiles who made
complaints on the group that prompted the man to claim that he knew
that the photographer would never hurt the boy in those particular
pictures. And then copies of the pictures are sent anonymously to the
NCMEC from people in the US and Europe. There were at least 2 reports
from 2 independent sources.
Now, tell me, what do you think happened? It seems to me that true
boy-lovers might want to have sex with boys, but they won't sit by and
do nothing when they have evidence a boy is being abused and hurt.
-- 4s00th@hushmail.com
My email is always available for those looking for and willing to supply support in the effort to remain boy-lovers and not become child-molesters de jure if not de facto.
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