BBC Reports And Send Child Abuse Images To Facebook As Proof, Facebook Reports BBC
- Thread starter escapefromstress
- Start date
This is a very delicate subject.... pedo's are damned sick and likely not able to be cured of their mental illness, sterilization aside. The ones that voluntarily go for sterilization, treatments and help in handling their illness can be given some benefit of the doubt. The others that revel in it? Christ... toss them in prison (unsegregated), throw away the key and look the other way until the problem is solved one way or the other.
As far as Creep Catchers goes, those guys (and some girls) are a bunch of morons whom interfere with police investigations just as much or more than they provide any help to the community. If they are ambushing people (such as at work, or going to that one trans girls home), they are breaking even what few rules the CC's have in the first place. Namely, the victim is supposed to be filmed coming to them or meeting them at a very specific time and place to ensure that the person they are targeting is who actually chatted them up.
Apparently, they also have had a few people show up to intentionally mess with them, just to see if it actually was them. From what I recall, the cameraman became verbally violent and threatened to post them up as pedo's anyway. Some people are curious about so called vigilante groups, or may wish to harm or discredit them. What happens if someone decides to take their anger out on the CC's crew rather than commit suicide?
There are women who work for CC's. Aside from the abuse they seem to suffer from their fellow CC's, what if a supposed victim actually manages to figure it out, locate them, and then proceed to stalk the women involved? Their pastime is luring... gaining trust and attention. Would CC's be required to provide protection to their more vulnerable members if something happened?
..
I think, criminal links aside, they are quite ignorant of the potential for harm and they have been VERY lucky so far in that their members have NOT been hurt. There are worse things out there than sexual perverts... I'd hate to think what would happen if they caught the attention of one of *those*people.
Now, regarding that ass hat mr Meredith... He should resign at the very least. He really *should* be charged with interference with a minor. I like the fact that I actually had to dig to determine his political affiliation. I have a sneaking suspicion his political ties would've been front and center had he been a Liberal of NDP senator. Funny that as a Stephen Harper appointment, he is automatically distanced from the party in the national news papers. It would be nice to see a little less bias once in a while... of course, if this was in the states and on FOX media, I'm sure he'd be listed as a left wing affiliated senator / democrat. (considering they did it before)
As far as Creep Catchers goes, those guys (and some girls) are a bunch of morons whom interfere with police investigations just as much or more than they provide any help to the community. If they are ambushing people (such as at work, or going to that one trans girls home), they are breaking even what few rules the CC's have in the first place. Namely, the victim is supposed to be filmed coming to them or meeting them at a very specific time and place to ensure that the person they are targeting is who actually chatted them up.
Apparently, they also have had a few people show up to intentionally mess with them, just to see if it actually was them. From what I recall, the cameraman became verbally violent and threatened to post them up as pedo's anyway. Some people are curious about so called vigilante groups, or may wish to harm or discredit them. What happens if someone decides to take their anger out on the CC's crew rather than commit suicide?
There are women who work for CC's. Aside from the abuse they seem to suffer from their fellow CC's, what if a supposed victim actually manages to figure it out, locate them, and then proceed to stalk the women involved? Their pastime is luring... gaining trust and attention. Would CC's be required to provide protection to their more vulnerable members if something happened?
..
I think, criminal links aside, they are quite ignorant of the potential for harm and they have been VERY lucky so far in that their members have NOT been hurt. There are worse things out there than sexual perverts... I'd hate to think what would happen if they caught the attention of one of *those*people.
Now, regarding that ass hat mr Meredith... He should resign at the very least. He really *should* be charged with interference with a minor. I like the fact that I actually had to dig to determine his political affiliation. I have a sneaking suspicion his political ties would've been front and center had he been a Liberal of NDP senator. Funny that as a Stephen Harper appointment, he is automatically distanced from the party in the national news papers. It would be nice to see a little less bias once in a while... of course, if this was in the states and on FOX media, I'm sure he'd be listed as a left wing affiliated senator / democrat. (considering they did it before)
Asshat Meredith...it is normal business practice and human rights that you do not chase females in your employ.
This guy is scum, fucking scum.
The other Senators should thank him for making them look like even bigger douchebags than they already seem.
This guy is scum, fucking scum.
The other Senators should thank him for making them look like even bigger douchebags than they already seem.
maybe he should also be removed from say... the youth organizations and his church groups. You know, where he might come into contact with other young / vulnerable victims and start grooming them? Just a thought to prevent further abuse.
B.C. teenager charged after 11-year-old Texas boy alleges cyberbullying, extortion
The Canadian Press
Published Wednesday, March 15, 2017 2:20PM EDT
ABBOTSFORD, B.C. -- A teenager in British Columbia has been charged with offences including luring a child, making child pornography, sexual interference and extortion involving an 11-year-old boy in the United States.
Abbotsford police says officers were contacted last October by investigators from Texas after the boy reported alleged cyberbullying and extortion, including threats of repercussions if he didn't supply naked or sexual images.
Const. Ian MacDonald says in a news release that officers in Abbotsford seized computers and a cellphone from a home in February.
Charges were laid against the teenaged boy this month.
Because of the ages of the accused and the alleged victim, MacDonald says no further details can be released.
Police say the case serves as a reminder to parents to monitor the online activity of their children.
http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/b-c-teenager-charged-after-11-year-old-texas-boy-alleges-cyberbullying-extortion-1.3326261
The Canadian Press
Published Wednesday, March 15, 2017 2:20PM EDT
ABBOTSFORD, B.C. -- A teenager in British Columbia has been charged with offences including luring a child, making child pornography, sexual interference and extortion involving an 11-year-old boy in the United States.
Abbotsford police says officers were contacted last October by investigators from Texas after the boy reported alleged cyberbullying and extortion, including threats of repercussions if he didn't supply naked or sexual images.
Const. Ian MacDonald says in a news release that officers in Abbotsford seized computers and a cellphone from a home in February.
Charges were laid against the teenaged boy this month.
Because of the ages of the accused and the alleged victim, MacDonald says no further details can be released.
Police say the case serves as a reminder to parents to monitor the online activity of their children.
http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/b-c-teenager-charged-after-11-year-old-texas-boy-alleges-cyberbullying-extortion-1.3326261
'I felt a sense of relief,’ says Amanda Todd’s mom after alleged abuser found guilty in separate case
Aydin Coban, 38, sentenced to 11 years in Dutch prison for cyberbullying dozens of young girls and gay men.
By PETER EDWARDS Star Reporter
Thu., March 16, 2017
The mother of B.C. teen Amanda Todd praised a Dutch court for sentencing a man, wanted in Canada for alleged online abuse, to nearly 11 years in prison for cyberbullying dozens of young girls and gay men.
“I felt a sense of relief that he was found guilty and that he got the maximum sentence that was possible,” Carol Todd said in a telephone interview from Port Coquitlam, B.C.
The court in The Hague, Netherlands convicted Aydin Coban, 38, on Thursday for fraud and blackmail via the Internet, according to a statement from the Dutch legal authorities.
It gave the Dutch citizen the maximum possible sentence of 10 years and eight months, “because of the devastating consequences his behaviour has on the young lives of the girls” in particular, and out of fear that he could commit new offences if released, the statement said.
Coban faces a separate trial in Canada for the cyberbullying of Amanda Todd, 15, whose suicide drew global attention to online abuse.
Carol Todd said it was “emotional but satisfying” to attend Coban’s trial for three days earlier this month, and see him face-to-face.
Amanda Todd brought cyberbullying to mainstream attention in 2012 by posting a video in which she told her story with handwritten signs, describing how she was lured by a stranger to expose her breasts on a webcam.
A photo ended up on a Facebook page made by the stranger, and her friends were added to it.
She was repeatedly bullied, despite changing schools, before finally taking her own life weeks after posting the video.
“People ask me if I am angry,” Carol Todd said. “I feel more sad that someone has to go to this extent to bring pleasure into their life — to victimize and torment.”
“I certainly hope that he gets some rehabilitation . . . and thinks deeply about what he has done,” she said.
In the Dutch case, Coban pretended to be a boy or girl and persuaded his victims to undress for him in front of a webcam.
Once Aydin C. obtained the images, his tone became threatening, and he threatened to show them to parents, relatives and school friends if they did not do as told.
“This included performing sexual acts and in the end the girls became trapped in his web,” Dutch public prosecution service spokesman Lars Stempher told reporters during the trial.
He was accused of abusing 34 girls and five gay men, from Britain, Canada, Norway and the United States. In some cases, the abuse lasted years.
A Dutch court has approved Coban’s extradition following his trial in Amsterdam. He has appealed that decision and denies involvement in any cyberbullying. In the Canadian case, he faces charges including extortion, possession of child pornography and attempting to lure a child online.
Carol Todd said that seeing Coban face-to-face helped prepare her for the upcoming Canadian case. “I definitely took a good look at him,” she said. “It actually empowered me — to go over and see him and hear him.”
She told Dutch broadcaster NPO last month that her daughter would have "wanted to be face-to-face with him, and tell him what his actions did to her. But she can't. So I'm going to be the one who is sort of standing up for my daughter."
Court in The Hague heard Coban used dozens of aliases including “Tyler Boo” and “Kelsy Rain.” He also had a computer program that fooled young girls into thinking they were chatting live to a girl of a similar age.
Court heard investigators found some 204,000 images on computer discs belonging to Coban.
https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2017/03/16/man-charged-in-amanda-todd-case-sentenced-to-11-years-in-dutch-prison-for-cyberbullying.html
Aydin Coban, 38, sentenced to 11 years in Dutch prison for cyberbullying dozens of young girls and gay men.
By PETER EDWARDS Star Reporter
Thu., March 16, 2017
The mother of B.C. teen Amanda Todd praised a Dutch court for sentencing a man, wanted in Canada for alleged online abuse, to nearly 11 years in prison for cyberbullying dozens of young girls and gay men.
“I felt a sense of relief that he was found guilty and that he got the maximum sentence that was possible,” Carol Todd said in a telephone interview from Port Coquitlam, B.C.
The court in The Hague, Netherlands convicted Aydin Coban, 38, on Thursday for fraud and blackmail via the Internet, according to a statement from the Dutch legal authorities.
It gave the Dutch citizen the maximum possible sentence of 10 years and eight months, “because of the devastating consequences his behaviour has on the young lives of the girls” in particular, and out of fear that he could commit new offences if released, the statement said.
Coban faces a separate trial in Canada for the cyberbullying of Amanda Todd, 15, whose suicide drew global attention to online abuse.
Carol Todd said it was “emotional but satisfying” to attend Coban’s trial for three days earlier this month, and see him face-to-face.
Amanda Todd brought cyberbullying to mainstream attention in 2012 by posting a video in which she told her story with handwritten signs, describing how she was lured by a stranger to expose her breasts on a webcam.
A photo ended up on a Facebook page made by the stranger, and her friends were added to it.
She was repeatedly bullied, despite changing schools, before finally taking her own life weeks after posting the video.
“People ask me if I am angry,” Carol Todd said. “I feel more sad that someone has to go to this extent to bring pleasure into their life — to victimize and torment.”
“I certainly hope that he gets some rehabilitation . . . and thinks deeply about what he has done,” she said.
In the Dutch case, Coban pretended to be a boy or girl and persuaded his victims to undress for him in front of a webcam.
Once Aydin C. obtained the images, his tone became threatening, and he threatened to show them to parents, relatives and school friends if they did not do as told.
“This included performing sexual acts and in the end the girls became trapped in his web,” Dutch public prosecution service spokesman Lars Stempher told reporters during the trial.
He was accused of abusing 34 girls and five gay men, from Britain, Canada, Norway and the United States. In some cases, the abuse lasted years.
A Dutch court has approved Coban’s extradition following his trial in Amsterdam. He has appealed that decision and denies involvement in any cyberbullying. In the Canadian case, he faces charges including extortion, possession of child pornography and attempting to lure a child online.
Carol Todd said that seeing Coban face-to-face helped prepare her for the upcoming Canadian case. “I definitely took a good look at him,” she said. “It actually empowered me — to go over and see him and hear him.”
She told Dutch broadcaster NPO last month that her daughter would have "wanted to be face-to-face with him, and tell him what his actions did to her. But she can't. So I'm going to be the one who is sort of standing up for my daughter."
Court in The Hague heard Coban used dozens of aliases including “Tyler Boo” and “Kelsy Rain.” He also had a computer program that fooled young girls into thinking they were chatting live to a girl of a similar age.
Court heard investigators found some 204,000 images on computer discs belonging to Coban.
https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2017/03/16/man-charged-in-amanda-todd-case-sentenced-to-11-years-in-dutch-prison-for-cyberbullying.html
A hacker, a sex trafficker and a fake filmmaker go to jail ...
Strange turns in prosecution of teen prostitution scheme driven by bogus HBO documentary
By LEVI PULKKINEN, SEATTLEPI.COM STAFF Published 9:27 am, Friday, March 17, 2017
Stop me if you’ve heard this one: A charming sex trafficker, an alleged child pornographer and a hacker walk into a jail …
Unfortunately, Marysa Comer and David Delay’s story is far more tragedy than comedy. The punchline, for Comer at least, will likely be a prison sentence.
Comer, now 22, appears to have lost her chance at an easier ride on a sex-trafficking rap against her and Delay, a 51-year-old Lynnwood man accused of coaxing young women into prostitution by posing as a documentarian.
Indicted by a federal grand jury in Seattle, Delay could spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted on the 17 counts against him. Among the allegations are claims that he produced child pornography and engaged in sex trafficking.
Comer has pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge related to sex trafficking. She had been enjoying a degree of freedom at a Tacoma halfway house. That changed Wednesday, when a federal judge returned her to jail for, among other things, corresponding with a hacker sharing a jail wing with her former beau, Delay. Comer was also caught sending text messages to young offenders recently released from Washington’s juvenile detention system.
Prosecutors claim Delay coaxed his family into harassing Comer, and that he did so himself when the two crossed paths at the SeaTac Federal Detention Center.
Now, as trial nears for Delay, his attorneys are pushing to suppress potentially damning electronic records seized during the investigation. Federal prosecutors plan to take their claims that Delay trafficked a girl and three young women while promising they would get rich once his documentary wrapped.
‘Grandpa’s RV Productions’
Prosecutors claim Delay and Comer recruited girls and young women into prostitution by approaching them online. Delay promised them money and fame, prosecutors contend, and posed as an HBO-connected filmmaker.
“Delay told his victims that he had a contract with HBO to produce a documentary on prostitution and escorting, and that if they worked for him as prostitutes to fund and participate in the ‘documentary,’ they would become famous and receive millions of dollars,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Crisham said in court papers.
Investigators seized phones, computers and electronic storage devices from Delay and Comer that they claim contain evidence of the sex-trafficking scheme. Delay is also alleged to have shared child pornography online and enticed a girl into sending him sexually explicit videos of herself.
The investigation into the sex-trafficking scheme began in December 2014, when a young woman went to Redmond police with claims that she’d been manipulated into prostitution by Comer.
Offering a story that would be repeated by other teens wrapped up in the scheme, the then-18-year-old woman explained that Comer seduced her after they met online. She wanted to feel love and to be part of something, and Comer offered her an opportunity at both.
Having traded messages for months on MeetMe.com, Comer, then 19, and Delay, then 48, picked the teen up at her high school and asked her to move in with them, an FBI special agent said in court papers. She eventually agreed, moving into their Lynnwood apartment in June 2014.
Comer and Delay explained they were making a documentary about the sex trade, according to the young woman’s account. They needed someone to provide them with firsthand knowledge, and suggested the teen could provide it.
They also wanted her money, the FBI agent said in court papers. Her prostitution earnings would go to them, the agent continued, and in turn they would pay her $20 million when the documentary wrapped.
Prior to pleading guilty, Comer had claimed Delay’s film company – “Grandpa’s RV Productions” – was a legitimate business. Delay’s attorneys, in statements to the court, have disputed claims that Delay brought the young woman into prostitution.
Teens taken on cross-country prostitution tour
The weeks that followed saw the young woman have sex for money during a national tour that saw her travel to Oregon, Florida, Nevada, Texas and Illinois. The FBI agent said Delay and Comer posted the advertisements, set the price – as low as $120 a session – and kept the cash.
The young woman broke from Delay and Comer in November 2014. She called her mother, who arranged to have her returned. In retaliation, Comer broke into the young woman’s Facebook account and posted lascivious photos of her as well as statements referring to prostitution.
In their travels, Comer and Delay recruited other girls and women for the bogus documentary, the FBI agent continued.
The scam was widespread enough that a King County Sheriff’s Office vice detective working undercover as a “john” encountered another young woman who claimed to be involved in the documentary. According to court statements, the young woman, identified through a Backpage.com advertisement, told the detective she was a producer for Delay, whom she knew under an alias.
Investigators have identified at least three young women and one teen girl alleged to have been drawn into the sex-trafficking ring. Delay is alleged to have solicited sexually explicit photos and videos from a 16-year-old girl whom he pressured to work as a prostitute.
Investigators recovered dozens of prostitution advertisements posted by Comer promoting other teens. They also seized 700 hotel room cards, contracts describing the “documentary” and computers they claim were loaded with sexually explicit materials, including child pornography.
Per investigators’ statements, Delay’s computer included pornographic videos of three girls who have been identified by law enforcement, as well as several children who had not yet been identified.
Delay was booked and released on state charges in December 2014. He was arrested again on Jan. 12, 2015, arriving at Sea-Tac International Airport from Chicago; Comer was arrested the following day at a Chicago-area hotel.
‘A danger to the community’
Facing a potential life sentence, it didn’t take long for Comer to come clean.
She pleaded guilty in November 2015 to a single, serious felony count – conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking – and was released pending sentencing. The commitments she and prosecutors made to one another during plea negotiations are secret, as her plea agreement remains sealed from public view.
Since then, though, Comer has had something of a bumpy ride.
She was booted from a Seattle halfway house in November after repeated violations. Comer apparently sent a letter to a convicted hacker also residing at the detention center, asking him to email her. The letter proved problematic for Comer when the inmate passed it to Delay, whose attorneys provided it to prosecutors.
While at the halfway house, Comer was prohibited from accessing the internet. The letter showed that she was using email, in violation of the terms of her release.
She was then placed at the Tacoma Residential Reentry Center, a Pioneer Human Services-run center that primarily houses inmates returning to civilian life after leaving prison.
Within weeks of arriving at the Tacoma center, Comer was caught exchanging text messages with young residents recently released from state juvenile detention facilities.
While in the halfway houses, Comer had been working long hours as a server at two Seattle restaurants. She is alleged to have arranged meetings with the former juvenile offenders outside the secure halfway house, in violation of house rules.
“Comer’s willingness to break these particular rules is especially disconcerting given that Comer’s conviction arises out of her involvement in a sex trafficking conspiracy that targeted vulnerable young victims and involved her using the internet to publish nude photographs of a victim who reported to law enforcement,” Crisham said in court papers. “Comer clearly presents a danger to the community, as evidenced by both her crime of conviction and her behavior while on bond. …
“Indeed, the probation office has spent over $20,000 to provide housing and programming for a defendant who does not seem to appreciate it and who will not deign to abide by even the most basic rules and conditions.”
On Wednesday, Comer was returned to federal detention, where she’ll likely remain until she is sentenced. When that happens, though, appears to depend on Delay.
Man faces possible life sentence on sex-trafficking allegations
Prosecutors say Delay answered Comer’s guilty plea with a pressure campaign. He is alleged to have contacted her repeatedly, had his family harass her and spread rumors about her at the federal detention center where both are currently housed.
Delay has been accused of using an intermediary to contact a witness against him, and asking his mother to put money in Comer’s jail bank account. Investigators say he also loudly called Comer a “snitch” in the detention center visiting area.
As trial approaches, Delay's attorneys have asked U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik to throw out much of the electronic evidence against him. They claim a MacBook laptop taken from Comer and other items were mishandled, an allegation hotly disputed by the prosecution.
Prosecutors have been busy, as well, adding to the already healthy stack of charges against Delay. Delay looks to lose what remains of his best years if convicted as charged.
In court papers, Crisham said Delay and his family have a “penchant” for harassment and intimidation. They’ve posted groundless allegations on a Facebook page calling for Delay’s release, Crisham said, and can’t be trusted with sensitive information about Delay’s accusers.
Until recently, at least, Delay has been placed in the special housing unit – solitary confinement – at the SeaTac Federal Detention Center. He was penalized for giving money to another inmate and lying to detention center staff.
In court papers, Delay’s attorneys assert he was simply living with a young woman who was working in prostitution. That woman is considered by the defense to be key to the prosecution’s case against Delay.
Comer pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion. She is currently scheduled to be sentenced in June.
Delay has been indicted on 17 counts related to the allegations. He has been charged with production of child pornography and sex trafficking, as well as obstructing justice in the months since his arrest. His case is scheduled to go to trial in May.
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/crime/article/A-hacker-a-sex-trafficker-and-a-fake-filmmaker-11007574.php
Strange turns in prosecution of teen prostitution scheme driven by bogus HBO documentary
By LEVI PULKKINEN, SEATTLEPI.COM STAFF Published 9:27 am, Friday, March 17, 2017
Stop me if you’ve heard this one: A charming sex trafficker, an alleged child pornographer and a hacker walk into a jail …
Unfortunately, Marysa Comer and David Delay’s story is far more tragedy than comedy. The punchline, for Comer at least, will likely be a prison sentence.
Comer, now 22, appears to have lost her chance at an easier ride on a sex-trafficking rap against her and Delay, a 51-year-old Lynnwood man accused of coaxing young women into prostitution by posing as a documentarian.
Indicted by a federal grand jury in Seattle, Delay could spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted on the 17 counts against him. Among the allegations are claims that he produced child pornography and engaged in sex trafficking.
Comer has pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge related to sex trafficking. She had been enjoying a degree of freedom at a Tacoma halfway house. That changed Wednesday, when a federal judge returned her to jail for, among other things, corresponding with a hacker sharing a jail wing with her former beau, Delay. Comer was also caught sending text messages to young offenders recently released from Washington’s juvenile detention system.
Prosecutors claim Delay coaxed his family into harassing Comer, and that he did so himself when the two crossed paths at the SeaTac Federal Detention Center.
Now, as trial nears for Delay, his attorneys are pushing to suppress potentially damning electronic records seized during the investigation. Federal prosecutors plan to take their claims that Delay trafficked a girl and three young women while promising they would get rich once his documentary wrapped.
‘Grandpa’s RV Productions’
Prosecutors claim Delay and Comer recruited girls and young women into prostitution by approaching them online. Delay promised them money and fame, prosecutors contend, and posed as an HBO-connected filmmaker.
“Delay told his victims that he had a contract with HBO to produce a documentary on prostitution and escorting, and that if they worked for him as prostitutes to fund and participate in the ‘documentary,’ they would become famous and receive millions of dollars,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Crisham said in court papers.
Investigators seized phones, computers and electronic storage devices from Delay and Comer that they claim contain evidence of the sex-trafficking scheme. Delay is also alleged to have shared child pornography online and enticed a girl into sending him sexually explicit videos of herself.
The investigation into the sex-trafficking scheme began in December 2014, when a young woman went to Redmond police with claims that she’d been manipulated into prostitution by Comer.
Offering a story that would be repeated by other teens wrapped up in the scheme, the then-18-year-old woman explained that Comer seduced her after they met online. She wanted to feel love and to be part of something, and Comer offered her an opportunity at both.
Having traded messages for months on MeetMe.com, Comer, then 19, and Delay, then 48, picked the teen up at her high school and asked her to move in with them, an FBI special agent said in court papers. She eventually agreed, moving into their Lynnwood apartment in June 2014.
Comer and Delay explained they were making a documentary about the sex trade, according to the young woman’s account. They needed someone to provide them with firsthand knowledge, and suggested the teen could provide it.
They also wanted her money, the FBI agent said in court papers. Her prostitution earnings would go to them, the agent continued, and in turn they would pay her $20 million when the documentary wrapped.
Prior to pleading guilty, Comer had claimed Delay’s film company – “Grandpa’s RV Productions” – was a legitimate business. Delay’s attorneys, in statements to the court, have disputed claims that Delay brought the young woman into prostitution.
Teens taken on cross-country prostitution tour
The weeks that followed saw the young woman have sex for money during a national tour that saw her travel to Oregon, Florida, Nevada, Texas and Illinois. The FBI agent said Delay and Comer posted the advertisements, set the price – as low as $120 a session – and kept the cash.
The young woman broke from Delay and Comer in November 2014. She called her mother, who arranged to have her returned. In retaliation, Comer broke into the young woman’s Facebook account and posted lascivious photos of her as well as statements referring to prostitution.
In their travels, Comer and Delay recruited other girls and women for the bogus documentary, the FBI agent continued.
The scam was widespread enough that a King County Sheriff’s Office vice detective working undercover as a “john” encountered another young woman who claimed to be involved in the documentary. According to court statements, the young woman, identified through a Backpage.com advertisement, told the detective she was a producer for Delay, whom she knew under an alias.
Investigators have identified at least three young women and one teen girl alleged to have been drawn into the sex-trafficking ring. Delay is alleged to have solicited sexually explicit photos and videos from a 16-year-old girl whom he pressured to work as a prostitute.
Investigators recovered dozens of prostitution advertisements posted by Comer promoting other teens. They also seized 700 hotel room cards, contracts describing the “documentary” and computers they claim were loaded with sexually explicit materials, including child pornography.
Per investigators’ statements, Delay’s computer included pornographic videos of three girls who have been identified by law enforcement, as well as several children who had not yet been identified.
Delay was booked and released on state charges in December 2014. He was arrested again on Jan. 12, 2015, arriving at Sea-Tac International Airport from Chicago; Comer was arrested the following day at a Chicago-area hotel.
‘A danger to the community’
Facing a potential life sentence, it didn’t take long for Comer to come clean.
She pleaded guilty in November 2015 to a single, serious felony count – conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking – and was released pending sentencing. The commitments she and prosecutors made to one another during plea negotiations are secret, as her plea agreement remains sealed from public view.
Since then, though, Comer has had something of a bumpy ride.
She was booted from a Seattle halfway house in November after repeated violations. Comer apparently sent a letter to a convicted hacker also residing at the detention center, asking him to email her. The letter proved problematic for Comer when the inmate passed it to Delay, whose attorneys provided it to prosecutors.
While at the halfway house, Comer was prohibited from accessing the internet. The letter showed that she was using email, in violation of the terms of her release.
She was then placed at the Tacoma Residential Reentry Center, a Pioneer Human Services-run center that primarily houses inmates returning to civilian life after leaving prison.
Within weeks of arriving at the Tacoma center, Comer was caught exchanging text messages with young residents recently released from state juvenile detention facilities.
While in the halfway houses, Comer had been working long hours as a server at two Seattle restaurants. She is alleged to have arranged meetings with the former juvenile offenders outside the secure halfway house, in violation of house rules.
“Comer’s willingness to break these particular rules is especially disconcerting given that Comer’s conviction arises out of her involvement in a sex trafficking conspiracy that targeted vulnerable young victims and involved her using the internet to publish nude photographs of a victim who reported to law enforcement,” Crisham said in court papers. “Comer clearly presents a danger to the community, as evidenced by both her crime of conviction and her behavior while on bond. …
“Indeed, the probation office has spent over $20,000 to provide housing and programming for a defendant who does not seem to appreciate it and who will not deign to abide by even the most basic rules and conditions.”
On Wednesday, Comer was returned to federal detention, where she’ll likely remain until she is sentenced. When that happens, though, appears to depend on Delay.
Man faces possible life sentence on sex-trafficking allegations
Prosecutors say Delay answered Comer’s guilty plea with a pressure campaign. He is alleged to have contacted her repeatedly, had his family harass her and spread rumors about her at the federal detention center where both are currently housed.
Delay has been accused of using an intermediary to contact a witness against him, and asking his mother to put money in Comer’s jail bank account. Investigators say he also loudly called Comer a “snitch” in the detention center visiting area.
As trial approaches, Delay's attorneys have asked U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik to throw out much of the electronic evidence against him. They claim a MacBook laptop taken from Comer and other items were mishandled, an allegation hotly disputed by the prosecution.
Prosecutors have been busy, as well, adding to the already healthy stack of charges against Delay. Delay looks to lose what remains of his best years if convicted as charged.
In court papers, Crisham said Delay and his family have a “penchant” for harassment and intimidation. They’ve posted groundless allegations on a Facebook page calling for Delay’s release, Crisham said, and can’t be trusted with sensitive information about Delay’s accusers.
Until recently, at least, Delay has been placed in the special housing unit – solitary confinement – at the SeaTac Federal Detention Center. He was penalized for giving money to another inmate and lying to detention center staff.
In court papers, Delay’s attorneys assert he was simply living with a young woman who was working in prostitution. That woman is considered by the defense to be key to the prosecution’s case against Delay.
Comer pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion. She is currently scheduled to be sentenced in June.
Delay has been indicted on 17 counts related to the allegations. He has been charged with production of child pornography and sex trafficking, as well as obstructing justice in the months since his arrest. His case is scheduled to go to trial in May.
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/crime/article/A-hacker-a-sex-trafficker-and-a-fake-filmmaker-11007574.php
W
Warl0ck
Yes, they do interfere with police investigations. They fail to recognize police cannot use entrapment because the evidence is inadmissible in court. I don't get the point of "scaring" someone figuring that will stop them. If anything, it just pushes the whole scene in the dark recesses of the internet making it much harder to track. Everyone has access to Tor now & anyone can find pedo shit on a .onion site.
The whole movement seems to be falling apart. The leader of the Surrey group now has two defamation of character suits against him. What's funny is that he's STUPID enough to shrug it off and actually publicly comment on the case as he has no lawyer. There is a guy who is about to get a REAL wake up call from the legal system.
The other thing I find amusing is these guys seem to lack the capacity to understand what's behind child pornography. It's not some dirty old man wanking off to some 9 year old girl. This is a product that is produced and marketed by organized crime. These are dangerous people who take real offense to you interfering with your business. They seem to think going to the gym and getting a few tattoo's is going to "defend" them from that. It's only a matter of time until one of the CC's gets shot. Or killed. But perhaps they want that. Public sympathy sells a whole bunch of shirts.
What I find even more horrific than the involvement of organized crime in child porn, is the involvement of politicians, judges, lawyers, doctors, teachers, coaches and family members that appear to be find upstanding citizens in society.
This is going to be a very interesting case to follow:
'It takes two to tango': Sen. Meredith's lawyer defends client
Published Friday, March 17, 2017 7:25PM EDT
On Friday, Selwyn Pieters, a lawyer for embattled Senator Don Meredith, came to his client’s defence in an interview with CTV Power Play about the middle-aged politician’s sexual relationship with a teenage girl.
“Nothing improper happened,” Pieters unequivocally told CTV’s Power Play from Toronto. “It takes two to tango.”
Pieters painted the controversy surrounding his client as being a matter of institutional racism, saying that there are “double standards” in how issues of ethical misconduct are dealt with in the Senate. He raised the cases of white Senators accused of violating the Senate’s ethics code, such as Senators Mike Duffy and Pamela Wallin, who still retain their seats in the Red Chamber.
Senator Don Meredith is seen during an interview in Toronto, Thursday, March 16, 2017. Embattled Sen.Meredith says he's not ready to resign following an explosive ethics investigation of his sexual relationship with a 16-year-old girl. (Colin Perkel/The Canadian Press)
“Black people in public places and in highly visible public jobs are invariably taken down,” Pieters said. “They’re portraying him as a sexual predator, and historically that is how people look at black men: as hypersexual, as sexual predators, as thinking with their penis as opposed to their heads.”
On March 9, Senate Ethics Officer Lyse Ricard released a damning report about Meredith’s sexual relationship with the teenager, who is referred to only as Ms. M, stating that the Ontario senator failed to abide by “the highest standards of dignity” of the Senate when he “drew upon the weight, prestige and notability of his office, as well as his relative position of power as a much older adult, to lure or attract Ms. M, a teenager who, by virtue of her age, was necessarily vulnerable.”
The report, which is available online, is filled with lurid allegations about Meredith’s relationship with the teen, which began in 2013 when she was 16 and ended sometime after her 18th birthday. Meredith was 48 when the two met a Black History Month event at a church.
Meredith also allegedly promised the teen committee work, wrote her a reference letter for a Parliament Hill internship, and tried to do business with her parents.
“His behaviour is completely becoming of a Senator,” Pieters said in his client’s defence. “This was not something that was done in public… This was not something where he was doing something in the bushes, or he was doing something on the street. It was in the privacy of his room, and her room.”
Meredith, a married father of two and an ordained Pentecostal minister, was nominated to the Senate in 2010 by then-prime minister Stephen Harper. Soon after, the Toronto Star broke the story of Meredith’s relationship with the teenager in 2015, he was booted out of the Conservative caucus. Meredith has sat as an independent ever since.
Although Meredith has repeatedly admitted to wrongdoing, he has defied calls from senators from across the political spectrum to resign from the upper house.
On Thursday, speaking to The Canadian Press with his wife and Pieters by his side, Meredith broke his silence about the Senate Ethics Officer’s report, admitting to his “moral failing” but also stating that “racism has played a role in this.”
“I believe in the power of forgiveness and reconciliation," Meredith said. "We're humans, and humans make mistakes."
Pieters denied that Meredith had used his position of power to woo the teenager, who, he said, “was above the age of consent.”
“He didn’t exploit anything -- it was a consensual sexual relationship,” Pieters said. “In some cultures, people marry at 12; you have very old men marrying people at 12. So, I don’t buy this thing about power and about protecting and all that sort of stuff.”
Pieters even suggested that there may have been ulterior motives behind the teenager’s decision to share her story with the Toronto Star.
“I don’t know whether that was in a bid to extort him or what it was,” he said.
Pieters declined to offer his personal opinion on Meredith’s conduct, saying, “I will leave that to his god to judge him.”
“The fact remains that this was a consensual relationship between two people who can consent,” he added. “And regardless of how it’s twisted and turned, regardless of the noise that’s being made, he has apologized for his moral failing and asked for forgiveness and reconciliation, and that should be the end of the matter.”
As of 2016, Senators make a base salary of $145,000 and are able to hold their positions until the age of 75. Meredith is currently 52.
http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/it-takes-two-to-tango-sen-meredith-s-lawyer-defends-client-1.3330175
It's a slow day, so here's some of my thoughts on Pastor/Senator Meredith.
Within the Pentecostal denomination, a Pastor holds the highest position in the church and his power is as absolute as that of a judge in the court system.
Any Pastor in their denomination would be treated with equal respect and reverence, whether he went to the same church or led one on the other side of the country. Similar to how an RCMP officer is an RCMP, no matter where he works in Canada.
No parent would let their teen attend church functions if they thought they'd end up being sexual prey for a Pastor.
The church I worked at had a strict rule that if Pastors were counseling single girls/women, they either had to leave the office door open, or have another person in the room. They had to avoid even the slightest hint of suspicion.
The Pentecostal denomination is huge in North America and has very strict written rules and codes of ethics they must abide by, or they will be excommunicated from the denomination. They have one of the strictest codes of conduct out of any churches I'm aware of.
I was totally immersed in church culture for 25+ years, went to bible college, worked in all departments of a big church that was an offshoot from the Pentecostals, so I'd go as far as saying I'm an expert on the topic.
For those who wonder how much influence a Pastor has over his congregation:
When I volunteered for many years, then was employed by a church that followed the exact same rules as the Pentecostal church, I had to obey their dress code, my conduct was scrutinized 24 hours per day as I was a representative of their church, and I was forbidden to get a divorce from my abusive alcoholic husband, and threatened with excommunication if I did.
When I rebelled and got divorced anyway, I was discouraged from dating or remarrying, and forbidden to engage in casual sexual activity. My parenting skills were watched, and my friendships and associations monitored, because 'we are known by the company we keep'.
I had to attend church services twice on Sunday, staff meeting on Monday morning, Tuesday morning bible study, Wednesday morning bible study and evening prayer service, Friday night home group, Saturday monthly meetings of the single parent support group, help to host weddings, funerals and conferences, along with personal prayer and bible study every day.
Let's not forget I had to tithe/donate at least 10% of my gross income to the church, even as a single parent on a low income.
The highest I made it up the church hierarchy was Administrative and Communications Assistant to the entire staff and membership of the church.
I was often told I'd make a good pastor's wife, but didn't stick around long enough for that to happen.
The Pastor in this article would be required to live the exact same lifestyle, if not stricter, than what I posted here.
I wonder what Peter MacKay's official statement will be? He's a lawyer.
Stephen Harper? He's not a lawyer.
Justice Minister and Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybold?
I wonder what Katrina Pacey and PIVOT Legal Society will have to say?
Can't wait to hear what Stephen Harper has to say. He's a church going conservative Christian. How can he support the Senator on this issue without alienating himself from the entire church community that got him elected?
I used to be a member of Real Women back in the day when Stockwell Day got elected because of all the church members that voted for him too.
A key fact that sex workers and industry advocates didn't understand about the Conservative Christians lobbying the government regarding C-36, is that it's not the Christian women that are the real enemy (Real Women), it's the men.
So they targeted all the women's groups in their fight to get the industry legalized or decriminalized, and it didn't even make a dent.
One of the core beliefs of the conservative Christian church is that men rule the home and the church. Some take it too far and treat women like doormats, but a normal, healthy Christian couple will live with the man being the head of the home.
So, what are the Christian women allowed to believe and talk about? Whatever their husbands, fathers, and pastors teach them, and give them permission to believe and discuss.
The church is full of hypocrites - that's why everyone is welcome.
I've had pastors and worship leaders as clients while working as a SP.
One of the male pastors at the church I attended, who chastised and shamed me for wanting to divorce my abusive husband, later confessed to being addicted to porn. And he was leader of the children's department. Boy, I'd love to run into him in person again someday.
I believed everything the church taught me about protecting your virginity, being chaste and celibate outside of marriage, being true to one man your whole entire life - until Jimmy Swaggart confessed.
Then I realized you could sin sexually and get away with it, as long as you apologized tearfully before your congregation.
He might have been Southern Baptist - can't remember.
I met him in person, shook his hand and got a free bible given to me when I saw him preach, before he fell from grace.
I resent the church for robbing me of the best years of my life sexually, and relationally. I always wanted more children and would loved to remarry sooner than I did, but I was single and celibate for 12 long years after my first divorce, and lived in shame the whole time because I longed for intimacy but didn't feel I deserved it.
I guess working as a SP later in life helped me make up for lost time.
The head pastor of the church where I worked was excommunicated (kicked out) of the PAOC Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada, because he agreed to officiate at the wedding of a member of his church who was divorced and getting remarried. That's a big no-no in the church.
The PAOC is a massive organization and they run it like a business. They have a president, a board of directors and a well defined chain of command and accountability just like any good business does.
They have their own 'doctrine' they've developed over the years, that separates them from other religions and denominations. Catholics, Baptists, Pentecostals, and many other large denominations all call themselves Christian, but they don't share all the same beliefs.
If the PAOC was to defend and accept the Senator/Pastor's position that it is acceptable for a 50 year old married Pastor to seduce a 16 year old member of their denomination, then every Pastor in every church in their denomination would have to defend and accept his position. They could preach from their pulpits that it's acceptable for any married man to seduce any teenage girl in their church or any other church, as long as it 'took two to tango'.
btw - Pastors 'guide' their congregations as to who to vote for. Some flat out command their members to vote for a certain party or candidate.
Stockwell Day toured all the big Canadian churches to promote his political campaign and my pastor strongly advised our congregation to vote for him, so I did.
Religion and politics are heavily interconnected in Canada.
How is the black community going to respond to this?
Will they support a Senator/Pastor who preyed on a teen girl in church?
Will they support his claim that he's a victim of racism?
It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
If the Senate keeps him, conservative Christian voters will freak out.
If the PAOC keeps him, the conservative Christians and most Pentecostal voters will freak out.
If black lawyers, politicians and activists endorse him, the black conservative Christian voters and other black activists will freak out.
If any person or organization endorses his sexual relationship with a teen, everybody with any common sense voters will freak out, and a black Pastor who is also a Senator will become a poster boy for pedophiles.
That's my 5 cents.
Within the Pentecostal denomination, a Pastor holds the highest position in the church and his power is as absolute as that of a judge in the court system.
Any Pastor in their denomination would be treated with equal respect and reverence, whether he went to the same church or led one on the other side of the country. Similar to how an RCMP officer is an RCMP, no matter where he works in Canada.
No parent would let their teen attend church functions if they thought they'd end up being sexual prey for a Pastor.
The church I worked at had a strict rule that if Pastors were counseling single girls/women, they either had to leave the office door open, or have another person in the room. They had to avoid even the slightest hint of suspicion.
The Pentecostal denomination is huge in North America and has very strict written rules and codes of ethics they must abide by, or they will be excommunicated from the denomination. They have one of the strictest codes of conduct out of any churches I'm aware of.
I was totally immersed in church culture for 25+ years, went to bible college, worked in all departments of a big church that was an offshoot from the Pentecostals, so I'd go as far as saying I'm an expert on the topic.
For those who wonder how much influence a Pastor has over his congregation:
When I volunteered for many years, then was employed by a church that followed the exact same rules as the Pentecostal church, I had to obey their dress code, my conduct was scrutinized 24 hours per day as I was a representative of their church, and I was forbidden to get a divorce from my abusive alcoholic husband, and threatened with excommunication if I did.
When I rebelled and got divorced anyway, I was discouraged from dating or remarrying, and forbidden to engage in casual sexual activity. My parenting skills were watched, and my friendships and associations monitored, because 'we are known by the company we keep'.
I had to attend church services twice on Sunday, staff meeting on Monday morning, Tuesday morning bible study, Wednesday morning bible study and evening prayer service, Friday night home group, Saturday monthly meetings of the single parent support group, help to host weddings, funerals and conferences, along with personal prayer and bible study every day.
Let's not forget I had to tithe/donate at least 10% of my gross income to the church, even as a single parent on a low income.
The highest I made it up the church hierarchy was Administrative and Communications Assistant to the entire staff and membership of the church.
I was often told I'd make a good pastor's wife, but didn't stick around long enough for that to happen.
The Pastor in this article would be required to live the exact same lifestyle, if not stricter, than what I posted here.
I wonder what Peter MacKay's official statement will be? He's a lawyer.
Stephen Harper? He's not a lawyer.
Justice Minister and Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybold?
I wonder what Katrina Pacey and PIVOT Legal Society will have to say?
Can't wait to hear what Stephen Harper has to say. He's a church going conservative Christian. How can he support the Senator on this issue without alienating himself from the entire church community that got him elected?
I used to be a member of Real Women back in the day when Stockwell Day got elected because of all the church members that voted for him too.
A key fact that sex workers and industry advocates didn't understand about the Conservative Christians lobbying the government regarding C-36, is that it's not the Christian women that are the real enemy (Real Women), it's the men.
So they targeted all the women's groups in their fight to get the industry legalized or decriminalized, and it didn't even make a dent.
One of the core beliefs of the conservative Christian church is that men rule the home and the church. Some take it too far and treat women like doormats, but a normal, healthy Christian couple will live with the man being the head of the home.
So, what are the Christian women allowed to believe and talk about? Whatever their husbands, fathers, and pastors teach them, and give them permission to believe and discuss.
The church is full of hypocrites - that's why everyone is welcome.
I've had pastors and worship leaders as clients while working as a SP.
One of the male pastors at the church I attended, who chastised and shamed me for wanting to divorce my abusive husband, later confessed to being addicted to porn. And he was leader of the children's department. Boy, I'd love to run into him in person again someday.
I believed everything the church taught me about protecting your virginity, being chaste and celibate outside of marriage, being true to one man your whole entire life - until Jimmy Swaggart confessed.
Then I realized you could sin sexually and get away with it, as long as you apologized tearfully before your congregation.
He might have been Southern Baptist - can't remember.
I met him in person, shook his hand and got a free bible given to me when I saw him preach, before he fell from grace.
I resent the church for robbing me of the best years of my life sexually, and relationally. I always wanted more children and would loved to remarry sooner than I did, but I was single and celibate for 12 long years after my first divorce, and lived in shame the whole time because I longed for intimacy but didn't feel I deserved it.
I guess working as a SP later in life helped me make up for lost time.
The head pastor of the church where I worked was excommunicated (kicked out) of the PAOC Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada, because he agreed to officiate at the wedding of a member of his church who was divorced and getting remarried. That's a big no-no in the church.
The PAOC is a massive organization and they run it like a business. They have a president, a board of directors and a well defined chain of command and accountability just like any good business does.
They have their own 'doctrine' they've developed over the years, that separates them from other religions and denominations. Catholics, Baptists, Pentecostals, and many other large denominations all call themselves Christian, but they don't share all the same beliefs.
If the PAOC was to defend and accept the Senator/Pastor's position that it is acceptable for a 50 year old married Pastor to seduce a 16 year old member of their denomination, then every Pastor in every church in their denomination would have to defend and accept his position. They could preach from their pulpits that it's acceptable for any married man to seduce any teenage girl in their church or any other church, as long as it 'took two to tango'.
btw - Pastors 'guide' their congregations as to who to vote for. Some flat out command their members to vote for a certain party or candidate.
Stockwell Day toured all the big Canadian churches to promote his political campaign and my pastor strongly advised our congregation to vote for him, so I did.
Religion and politics are heavily interconnected in Canada.
How is the black community going to respond to this?
Will they support a Senator/Pastor who preyed on a teen girl in church?
Will they support his claim that he's a victim of racism?
It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
If the Senate keeps him, conservative Christian voters will freak out.
If the PAOC keeps him, the conservative Christians and most Pentecostal voters will freak out.
If black lawyers, politicians and activists endorse him, the black conservative Christian voters and other black activists will freak out.
If any person or organization endorses his sexual relationship with a teen, everybody with any common sense voters will freak out, and a black Pastor who is also a Senator will become a poster boy for pedophiles.
That's my 5 cents.
Senate ethics committee to review Don Meredith's case today as suspension looms
Toronto-area senator could be suspended for his sexual relationship with a teenage girl
By John Paul Tasker, CBC News Posted: Mar 22, 2017 5:00 AM ET Last Updated: Mar 22, 2017 5:08 AM ET
Members of the Senate's ethics committee will review the case of embattled Senator Don Meredith today and begin the process of formally sanctioning the Toronto-area senator for his relationship with a teenage girl.
Committee members will meet behind closed doors at 3 p.m. to study the Senate ethics officer's report, which was compiled after a two-year investigation into Meredith's sexual relationship with a young woman he first met at an Ottawa church when she was just 16.
Meredith, a 52-year-old Pentecostal pastor, was appointed as a Conservative senator by former prime minister Stephen Harper in 2010 before becoming a member of the Independent Senators Group (ISG). He denies many of the allegations levelled against him by the woman in question — who is identified by Lyse Ricard, the ethics officer, as "Ms. M" in the report — but has said he had sexual intercourse with her on at least one occasion when she was over 18.
Ricard found that Meredith violated two sections of the code of ethics, namely that the he did not uphold the highest standards of dignity inherent to his position, and that his actions reflect adversely on the institution of the Senate. Ottawa police investigated the matter but dropped the case without pressing criminal charges.
Meredith will not appear
Meredith will not appear at the committee today because the senators will meet in camera with no invited guests. Under the Senate's own rules, Meredith must be given the opportunity to appear before the body at some point to mount a defence of his behaviour.
He had retained Toronto lawyer Selwyn Pieters to represent him during his appearances before the committee, but Pieters said Monday he is longer representing Meredith. Pieters had said that Ricard unfairly targeted his client as a "predator" because he is a black man.
Because Ricard found Meredith breached his obligations under the ethics code, it is not a matter of if, but how he will be punished, according the rules. There are a number of remedial measures the committee can recommend the Senate impose on Meredith for his transgressions, including:
Elaine McCoy, the leader of the Independent Senators Group, has already asked Meredith to step away from her caucus, and she has removed him from all of his committee assignments.
The ethics committee will then deliver its recommendations to the Senate chamber, and all senators will have a chance to vote on sanctions against Meredith.
Senators considering expulsion
There have been near universal calls for Meredith's resignation since Ricard released her report two weeks ago.
Peter Harder, the Trudeau government's representative in the Senate, has said Meredith should resign, and if he does not leave voluntarily the chamber's leadership will consider its options.
The Senate has never expelled one of its own, but came close after Liberal Senator Andrew Thompson posted continually dismal attendance records — he was present in the chamber only 28 times in a 14-year period — but they ultimately decided on a suspension because of concerns about constitutional complications.
Similarly, the chamber suspended Senators Patrick Brazeau, Mike Duffy and Pamela Wallin for irregularities in their expenses, but those suspensions expired when the last election was called. All three have since returned to their seats.
A suspension is temporary, whereas an expulsion would remove Meredith from the chamber entirely, stripping him of his title and his right to sit in the chamber for good.
As CBC News first reported, some members of the Red Chamber are so determined to expel Meredith that they have tasked the Senate's law clerk with combing through the Constitution in search of a line they can use to expel him.
The clerk, and other constitutional experts, has pointed to Section 18 of the Constitution, which stipulates that Canadian parliamentarians should have the same privileges as a British MP. Members of the British House of Commons have the power to expel one of their own, and have used it sparingly to eject wayward MPs.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/sena...ting-1.4034679
Don Meredith's Former Lawyer 'Thankful' After Cutting Ties Before Senate Hearing
The Huffington Post Canada | By Zi-Ann Lum
Posted: 03/21/2017 12:55 pm EDT Updated: 03/21/2
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2017/03/21/don-meredith-lawyer_n_15517866.html
Toronto-area senator could be suspended for his sexual relationship with a teenage girl
By John Paul Tasker, CBC News Posted: Mar 22, 2017 5:00 AM ET Last Updated: Mar 22, 2017 5:08 AM ET
Members of the Senate's ethics committee will review the case of embattled Senator Don Meredith today and begin the process of formally sanctioning the Toronto-area senator for his relationship with a teenage girl.
Committee members will meet behind closed doors at 3 p.m. to study the Senate ethics officer's report, which was compiled after a two-year investigation into Meredith's sexual relationship with a young woman he first met at an Ottawa church when she was just 16.
Meredith, a 52-year-old Pentecostal pastor, was appointed as a Conservative senator by former prime minister Stephen Harper in 2010 before becoming a member of the Independent Senators Group (ISG). He denies many of the allegations levelled against him by the woman in question — who is identified by Lyse Ricard, the ethics officer, as "Ms. M" in the report — but has said he had sexual intercourse with her on at least one occasion when she was over 18.
Ricard found that Meredith violated two sections of the code of ethics, namely that the he did not uphold the highest standards of dignity inherent to his position, and that his actions reflect adversely on the institution of the Senate. Ottawa police investigated the matter but dropped the case without pressing criminal charges.
Meredith will not appear
Meredith will not appear at the committee today because the senators will meet in camera with no invited guests. Under the Senate's own rules, Meredith must be given the opportunity to appear before the body at some point to mount a defence of his behaviour.
He had retained Toronto lawyer Selwyn Pieters to represent him during his appearances before the committee, but Pieters said Monday he is longer representing Meredith. Pieters had said that Ricard unfairly targeted his client as a "predator" because he is a black man.
Because Ricard found Meredith breached his obligations under the ethics code, it is not a matter of if, but how he will be punished, according the rules. There are a number of remedial measures the committee can recommend the Senate impose on Meredith for his transgressions, including:
- Reduction or removal of access to Senate resources, like budgets and staff.
- Removal of Senate assignments, duties or powers.
- Elimination of the right to speak or vote.
- An invitation or order to apologize.
- A censure, admonition or reprimand.
- Suspension.
Elaine McCoy, the leader of the Independent Senators Group, has already asked Meredith to step away from her caucus, and she has removed him from all of his committee assignments.
The ethics committee will then deliver its recommendations to the Senate chamber, and all senators will have a chance to vote on sanctions against Meredith.
Senators considering expulsion
There have been near universal calls for Meredith's resignation since Ricard released her report two weeks ago.
Peter Harder, the Trudeau government's representative in the Senate, has said Meredith should resign, and if he does not leave voluntarily the chamber's leadership will consider its options.
The Senate has never expelled one of its own, but came close after Liberal Senator Andrew Thompson posted continually dismal attendance records — he was present in the chamber only 28 times in a 14-year period — but they ultimately decided on a suspension because of concerns about constitutional complications.
Similarly, the chamber suspended Senators Patrick Brazeau, Mike Duffy and Pamela Wallin for irregularities in their expenses, but those suspensions expired when the last election was called. All three have since returned to their seats.
A suspension is temporary, whereas an expulsion would remove Meredith from the chamber entirely, stripping him of his title and his right to sit in the chamber for good.
As CBC News first reported, some members of the Red Chamber are so determined to expel Meredith that they have tasked the Senate's law clerk with combing through the Constitution in search of a line they can use to expel him.
The clerk, and other constitutional experts, has pointed to Section 18 of the Constitution, which stipulates that Canadian parliamentarians should have the same privileges as a British MP. Members of the British House of Commons have the power to expel one of their own, and have used it sparingly to eject wayward MPs.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/sena...ting-1.4034679
Don Meredith's Former Lawyer 'Thankful' After Cutting Ties Before Senate Hearing
The Huffington Post Canada | By Zi-Ann Lum
Posted: 03/21/2017 12:55 pm EDT Updated: 03/21/2
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2017/03/21/don-meredith-lawyer_n_15517866.html
B.C. authorities issue alert about release of pedophile known as 'Swirl Face'
Nick Wells, CTVNews.ca
Published Sunday, March 26, 2017 9:11PM EDT
The B.C. government has issued a public warning about a convicted pedophile who is now living in Vancouver following his release from prison.
The corrections branch of the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General issued the warning Sunday along with a list of some of Christopher Neil's 18 court-ordered conditions, calling him a high-risk sex offender.
Neil, 42, is infamously known as "Swirl Face" – a moniker he was given by international media after police released pictures of a man engaged in sex acts with boys, showing his face disguised by a digital swirl. He was handed a 5 ½-year prison sentence last June for producing online child pornography.
Christopher Paul Neil is seen in these images released by Interpol on Monday, Oct. 8, 2007. German specialists produced the identifiable images from the original pictures, where his face had been digitally blurred.
Neil, who is from the Lower Mainland city of Maple Ridge, pleaded guilty in December 2015 to two charges of sexual interference in Cambodia in 2003, one charge of possessing child pornography in Maple Ridge in 2007, and two charges of accessing child pornography in Vancouver in 2013.
He also served five years in prison in Thailand, for the sexual abuse of boys as young as nine years old.
Neil's sentencing brought an end to over a decade of investigation. But with credit for time served, he is out of prison less than 10 months after being sentenced.
"We want the public to be aware of this individual's presence in the community and to contact authorities if they observe Mr. Neil engaging in any activity that could be considered a violation of his court order," BC Corrections spokeswoman Cindy Rose said in a statement to CTV News.
Rose said she couldn't discuss what sort of facility Neil will be living in, or how staff in that facility will be supervising him.
The public notification alert lists five of the conditions Neil has to abide by, including not contacting anyone under the age of 16 or loitering on the property or sidewalk immediately adjacent to any park, playground, school ground, swimming area, daycare, community centre, arcade, library or residence where people under the age of 16 can be expected to be present.
Neil is also banned from owning a computer or cellphone.
Brian McConaghy, a retired forensic scientist who worked for the RCMP on the Neil investigation, said he's not surprised by the turn of events. "It's another step in that continuum of frustration," he said. "It's hard to take."
McConaghy runs a charity dedicated to helping sex crime victims in Cambodia, and helped track down one of Neil's victims for police.
He agrees with the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General's classification of Neil as a high-risk sex offender. "I've seen quite enough of his evidence, photographic evidence of numerous young children abused by him and when you see the pattern of behaviour in Asia, these guys are not easily reformed. They don't change, they're wired this way. So anybody with a reputation like this, with the amount of the assaults in his history, he's a risk," McConaghy said.
Despite Neil's freedom, McConaghy said some good did come out of his case. The Canadian justice system is re-evaluating how pedophiles and people convicted of sex crimes are convicted. "We have some terrible case law and precedence for sentencing in Canada but we are gradually overcoming them. That's the encouragement to me," he said.
http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/b-c-authorities-issue-alert-about-release-of-pedophile-known-as-swirl-face-1.3341863
Nick Wells, CTVNews.ca
Published Sunday, March 26, 2017 9:11PM EDT
The B.C. government has issued a public warning about a convicted pedophile who is now living in Vancouver following his release from prison.
The corrections branch of the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General issued the warning Sunday along with a list of some of Christopher Neil's 18 court-ordered conditions, calling him a high-risk sex offender.
Neil, 42, is infamously known as "Swirl Face" – a moniker he was given by international media after police released pictures of a man engaged in sex acts with boys, showing his face disguised by a digital swirl. He was handed a 5 ½-year prison sentence last June for producing online child pornography.
Christopher Paul Neil is seen in these images released by Interpol on Monday, Oct. 8, 2007. German specialists produced the identifiable images from the original pictures, where his face had been digitally blurred.
Neil, who is from the Lower Mainland city of Maple Ridge, pleaded guilty in December 2015 to two charges of sexual interference in Cambodia in 2003, one charge of possessing child pornography in Maple Ridge in 2007, and two charges of accessing child pornography in Vancouver in 2013.
He also served five years in prison in Thailand, for the sexual abuse of boys as young as nine years old.
Neil's sentencing brought an end to over a decade of investigation. But with credit for time served, he is out of prison less than 10 months after being sentenced.
"We want the public to be aware of this individual's presence in the community and to contact authorities if they observe Mr. Neil engaging in any activity that could be considered a violation of his court order," BC Corrections spokeswoman Cindy Rose said in a statement to CTV News.
Rose said she couldn't discuss what sort of facility Neil will be living in, or how staff in that facility will be supervising him.
The public notification alert lists five of the conditions Neil has to abide by, including not contacting anyone under the age of 16 or loitering on the property or sidewalk immediately adjacent to any park, playground, school ground, swimming area, daycare, community centre, arcade, library or residence where people under the age of 16 can be expected to be present.
Neil is also banned from owning a computer or cellphone.
Brian McConaghy, a retired forensic scientist who worked for the RCMP on the Neil investigation, said he's not surprised by the turn of events. "It's another step in that continuum of frustration," he said. "It's hard to take."
McConaghy runs a charity dedicated to helping sex crime victims in Cambodia, and helped track down one of Neil's victims for police.
He agrees with the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General's classification of Neil as a high-risk sex offender. "I've seen quite enough of his evidence, photographic evidence of numerous young children abused by him and when you see the pattern of behaviour in Asia, these guys are not easily reformed. They don't change, they're wired this way. So anybody with a reputation like this, with the amount of the assaults in his history, he's a risk," McConaghy said.
Despite Neil's freedom, McConaghy said some good did come out of his case. The Canadian justice system is re-evaluating how pedophiles and people convicted of sex crimes are convicted. "We have some terrible case law and precedence for sentencing in Canada but we are gradually overcoming them. That's the encouragement to me," he said.
http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/b-c-authorities-issue-alert-about-release-of-pedophile-known-as-swirl-face-1.3341863
Another hazard to children:
The disturbing YouTube videos that are tricking children
BBC Trending
In-depth stories from the world of social media
27 March 2017
Thousands of videos on YouTube look like versions of popular cartoons but contain disturbing and inappropriate content not suitable for children.
If you're not paying much attention, it might look like an ordinary video featuring Peppa Pig, the cheeky porcine star of her own animated series. But soon after pressing play on this particular YouTube clip, the plot turns dark. A dentist with a huge syringe appears. Peppa's teeth get pulled out. Distressed crying can be heard on the soundtrack.
Parent and journalist Laura June almost immediately noticed something was not quite right as her three-year-old daughter was watching it.
"Peppa does a lot of screaming and crying and the dentist is just a bit sadistic and it's just way, way off what a three-year-old should watch," June says. "But the animation is like close enough to looking like Peppa - it's crude but it's close enough that my daughter was like 'This is Peppa Pig.'"
It's far from an isolated case - BBC Trending has found hundreds of similar videos of children's cartoon characters with inappropriate themes. In addition to Peppa Pig, there are similar videos featuring characters from the Disney movie Frozen, the Minions franchise, Doc McStuffins, Thomas the Tank Engine, and many more.
Some of the videos are parodies or have such over-the-top content that they're clearly meant for mature audiences. Others are unauthorised copies of authentic cartoons or use the characters in innocent ways - troubling to copyright lawyers perhaps, but not necessarily harmful to children.
However many, like the video Laura June's daughter saw, both contain disturbing content and can pass for the real cartoons, particularly when viewed by children.
Hundreds of these videos exist on YouTube, and some generate millions of views. One channel "Toys and Funny Kids Surprise Eggs" is one of the top 100 most watched YouTube accounts in the world - its videos have more than 5 billion views.
Its landing page features a photo of a cute toddler alongside official-looking pictures of Peppa Pig, Thomas the Tank Engine, the Cookie Monster, Mickey and Minnie Mouse and Elsa from Frozen.
But the videos on the channel have titles like "FROZEN ELSA HUGE SNOT", "NAKED HULK LOSES HIS PANTS" and "BLOODY ELSA: Frozen Elsa's Arm is Broken by Spiderman". They feature animated violence and graphic toilet humour.
The people behind the account didn't respond to Trending's request for an interview. We attempted to contact several other producers of similar videos - and got the same result.
How to avoid inappropriate videos on YouTube
• The YouTube Kids app filters out most - but not all - of the disturbing videos.
• YouTube suggests turning on "restricted mode" which can be found at the bottom of YouTube pages:
• The NSPCC also has a series of guidelines about staying safe online, and there are more resources on the BBC Stay Safe site.
http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-39381889
