America Devours Its Young - by Inquisition 21st Century

There has been a profoundly evil development in the American Gulag. The draconian sex offender laws are being used to entrap and criminalize teenaged boys. Every American parent with teenaged boys is now at risk.

If ever there was a time to fight back, this is it.

Brian Rothery

As there may still be a vestige of skepticism about entrapment procedures in America, I need to state up front that most knowledgeable observers outside America are aware that one of the few remaining sources of child pornography in the West is the FBI which publishes it for entrapment purposes. At a personal level, I ran a story for over a year on this website about how the FBI, using the major server Dreamhost, were publishing erotic images of preteens and children, including, outrageously, some of the famously 'rescued' Masha (Disney girl). Let me be clear about this: they rescued a Russian girl whose American 'adoptive father' was publishing erotic images of her on the Internet, then went on publishing the same images themselves on a web site titled mycandidteens.com. Both I as a journalist and Masha's former lawyer protested, but in contempt of any such criticism they not only continued to use Masha's images but added those of other children and kept the site in operation until July 2009. They are now using other sites, but it has become too dangerous to investigate them, because exposure of police corruption where child porn is concerned now ranks as criminal activity.

The sad story of Joshua:

(What follows is the story as I received it from a family member)

Joshua was born to his US citizen parents January 12, 1987 on the island of Guadeloupe in the French West Indies. He spent the first few months of his life on the nearby island of Montserrat in the British West Indies where his father, a physician, was associated with the island's medical school. The next few years of his young life were spent in London, England where his father was undertaking additional clinical training. Finally in 1994 he settled in North Carolina.

He grew-up a gentle, happy, curious, very bright child. He loves animals and always had a home over-filled with pets. An avid swimmer, he was by age 11 a certified scuba diver and pursued the sport with great enthusiasm.

Joshua shares his parent's passion for travel. By age 17 he had literally been around the world and visited well over twenty nations on six continents. His deep desire to learn about the peoples and cultures he has visited is remarkable as is his compassion for those he saw and came to know less fortunate than he. Joshua truly has the mindset of a global citizen.

He is a child of the computer age having first been introduced to them at age 2 and by age 3 had his first computer. As each new generation of computer was released he received one. He had virtually unlimited computer and later internet access throughout his childhood and adolescence. Near totally oblivious to the tremendous risks this new technology presented, his parents provided little computer supervision and even fewer computer safeguards. The stage for disaster was set.

At age 10 Joshua stumbled across internet pornography and sadly he joined the rapidly growing ranks of countless other internet pornography viewing child victims. By his early teens he began viewing peer pornography that is viewing adolescents of his own age. In doing so he was progressively sucked deeper into the cesspool of what is to mature adults, child pornography.

(Editor. As the parents are over-critical of what they perceive to be their own failure to prevent Joshua from accessing pornography, I have removed some sentences here and will expand on the reason below.)

As much or all of the obscene internet material made available to Joshua was in violation of federal statues, so too did federal law enforcement agencies very grossly fail in their sworn duty to protect him from these illegal materials.

In June, 2005, having completed his entire primary and secondary education without ever so much as a trip to the principle's office, Joshua graduated from high school. In spite of his dyslexia he graduated with honors as a member of both the National Honor Society and National Technical Honor Society. Having been accepted at Appalachian State University a very bright, productive future was immediately before him.

Shockingly, later, the week of his graduation, federal and state law enforcement agents arrived at Joshua's home to execute a search warrant. The entire evidence basis for that warrant was solely an event which occurred while Joshua was still a juvenile yet law enforcement waited until after he had turned age 18 to act on it.

Following execution of the search warrant Joshua and his family remained in a hellish limbo for nearly 1-1/2 years. During this time the US Department of Justice analyzed his computers, found they did in fact contain contraband materials and apparently groped for a decision as to whether the matter did or did not merit prosecution.

During this period on the recommendation of legal counsel, Joshua entered one of the world's leading centers for the evaluation and treatment of sexual addictions and compulsivity. At age 18 he was the youngest person ever to enter that facility. Following a six week stay he was discharged with a primary diagnosis of depression, no surprise given the uncertainty he was facing at the hands of the US Department of Justice. During his stay there a diagnosis of pedophilia was clearly excluded.

Following his discharge he commenced his studies at Appalachian State University where he remained until his imprisonment. While pursuing a triple major he maintained a grade point average above 3.0 while again facing the uncertainty of his future.

Finally the 1-1/2 year limbo came to an end when the US Department of Justice announced its' intent to prosecute Joshua. His world and that of his family came crashing down. The case was assigned to a rather callous Assistant US Attorney (AUSA) who pursued Joshua without conscience or mercy.

The Assistant US Attorney refused to directly meet with Joshua and his parents along with their legal counsel having no apparent interest whatsoever in hearing their side of the matter. Numerous letters were submitted on Joshua's behalf. Amongst those writing was his pastor with who of his own incentive Joshua had commenced regular, on-going counseling sessions even before the search warrant was originally executed. His highly qualified Clinical Psychologist with whom Joshua had regular therapy sessions since his treatment facility discharge. That letter again clearly excluded the diagnosis of pedophilia. Other letters from outstanding civic and community leaders who knew both Joshua and his family well were submitted in his support. All were meaningless, the mindless prosecution progressed.

Finally nearly 3-1/2 years after the original search warrant was executed Joshua finally appeared before the Court. During that interval his conduct and behavior had been stellar as he vigorously pursued his education, was fully compliant with all therapy recommendations and also restrictions on him previously placed by the US Department of Justice.

From the outset it appeared the appointed for life Federal District Judge hearing the matter was at best disinterested. The Assistant US Attorney recommended the Court sentence Joshua to 10 years in Federal Prison.

Joshua's defense team and the witnesses they called presented an extraordinarily compelling argument for Joshua to be granted probation and not compelled to serve time in prison.

Joshua's testifying witnesses were;

• 1. Both of his parents who made an impassioned plea for his freedom and future.
• 2. Rev. John Padgett who affirmed Joshua's active, committed participation in nearly 4 years of Pastoral Counseling along with his belief in Joshua's desire and ability to function as a caring, useful person in society.
• 3. Dr. Ron Hood, Joshua's Clinical Psychologist. Dr. Hood testified to Joshua's complete compliance with nearly 3-1/2 years of regular out-patient therapy. He further testified to the exclusion of pedophilia as a diagnosis, the very low probability of Joshua ever again engaging in such inappropriate behavior and the fact that imprisonment was totally inappropriate in this matter.
• 4. Dr. Craig Ausmus, a family friend who has known Joshua since birth. Dr. Ausmus testified to Joshua's good character. Further, as a former Medical Officer for the Federal Bureau of Prisons he testified to the tremendous risk of physical, emotional and psychological injury this young man who never once in this life had raised his hand in anger to another human being would likely be subjected to if imprisoned.
• 5. Col. Sharon Cooper, MD, USA (Ret) presented the most scholarly, eloquent and compelling testimony. A forensic pediatrician, Dr. Cooper is a faculty member at the University of North Carolina College of Medicine at Chapel Hill and an instructor at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. She is recognized as one of the world's leading experts on internet sexual exploitation of children and author of the definitive textbook on sexual exploitation of children. Her involvement in Joshua's case marked the very first instance in which she testified as a defense witness in a "sex offender" case having on numerous previous occasions testified for the prosecution and as an expert witness before the US Congress regarding internet child sexual victimization legislation. Dr. Cooper testified to the growing prevalence of children and adolescences viewing adult internet pornography and progressing to internet child pornography. She described such actions as child or adolescent sexual exploration as opposed to the sexual exploitation which occurs when mature adults view such materials. She went on to describe the excellent psychological care Joshua had received prior to coming before the Court and the low probability of him ever engaging in such inappropriate behavior in the future. She closed in strongly recommending against Joshua's imprisonment and described his potential usefulness in the free world educating other children and parents on the dangers of internet pornography.

Following Dr. Cooper's testimony, closing arguments were presented. It appeared that at some point in the proceeding the Assistant US Attorney had a moment of enlightenment and recognition of the injustice she was attempting to impose on Joshua. In closing she altered her opening recommendation of 10 years imprisonment to a closing recommendation of only 24 months imprisonment.

Unfortunately for Joshua and all those who know and love him her enlightenment occurred too late. It seemed the judge either heard not or cared not about her revised sentencing recommendation and defense testimony immediately sentencing Joshua to 8 years imprisonment.

An obscene perversion of justice had been completed. The same federal justice system that had so grossly failed in their sworn duty to protect him when as a child and adolescence he had access to these illegal internet materials had now succeeded in his destruction.

Since Joshua's sentencing, a search of similar cases across the US reveals that numerous individuals, all but one of them grown, mature, adult men have recently faced the exact same charge as Joshua. Each and every one was sentenced to some form of probation and none to imprisonment. Additionally a 65 year-old NASA scientist was arrested for accessing child pornography on a NASA computer. This Physics PhD was allowed to plea guilty to the simple charge of misusing a government computer and given probation. Insult added to injustice.

Joshua reported to federal prison on July 1, 2009. A lamb led to slaughter to be locked away for the next 8 years of his young life in a cage like an animal with real animals.

It currently appears that Joshua's last remaining hope is an outcry of public opinion against this perversion of justice. Please write your elected officials in Washington, write the US Attorney General and demand that real justice prevail for Joshua. In today's world of near ubiquitous internet access and pornography he could just as easily be your child.

Statistics

• 1. 90% of teens are exposed to internet pornography. (1)
• 2. 90% of 8-16 year old internet users have viewed online pornography. (2)
• 3. Average age of 1st exposure to internet porn is 11 years. (2)
• 4. Largest consumers of internet porn are 12-17 years old. (2)
• 5. 47% of computer users who view online porn are 12-18 year old females. (3)
• 6. 20% of investigations into illegal internet materials involve 14-19 year old males distributing and trading child porn. (4)
• 7. "Pedophiles often send child pornography and obscene materials to minors for the purpose of desensitizing the child to obscene behavior and to entice the child to believe that such sexual activities are normal." (5)
• (1) Statement of former Attorney General John Ashcroft
• (2) MSNBC survey
• (3) Net Trends survey
• (4) New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs Censorship Unit report
• (5) US House of Representatives report 105-557

(End of family story.)

Returning first to the point where I edited out the expressed perception of guilt from the parents, I did this primarily because of the anger I felt not just at Judge Richard L. Voorkees, who handed out this savage sentence, but at the 'hang all pedos' comments from some Americans on the web sites discussing his fate, and I hasten to add that while there were more of these than one would expect to find outside of America, there were refreshingly also many expressing shock at the savagery of this so-called 'justice'.

I make several points in answer to the 'hang all pedos' argument. The world, mainly via the Internet and TV, has become increasingly eroticized. Practices formerly considered sub-human, such as homosexuality and simulated lesbianism, are now the diet of late night adult TV channels.

A 'hang all pedos' ideology sits uneasily with a system of entrapment in which policemen masquerade as underage girls in chat rooms and the FBI offers illegal images of underage kids. Indeed, outside of America such an entrapment scheme would be considered criminal.

Not only do those close to this case claim that Joshua was a victim of entrapment, it appears that like many of his peers he was using P2P file sharing, in which anything in addition to whatever adult porn he was looking for could be downloaded unknowingly.

Finally, other youngsters are now being similarly criminalized for 'sexting' - texting explicit images of themselves to friends. These also are being classed as 'pedos' because of their natural sexual interest and curiosity. America has used child pornography, first to criminalize adults, and now to criminalize children.

I sent Joshua's story to a colleague who is a British author and academic. Here is his response

"I read with mounting horror and dismay the tragic and harrowing story of this young man. This is an account of a living nightmare which ought to awaken every parent in the USA and UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand - everywhere, in fact, where child porn hysteria has caught fire. It is being stoked and enforced by a kind of unelected junta, a coalition of zealots and fanatics who masquerade as guardians of decency and, even more perversely, as protectors of children.

"Joshua's story demonstrates how unspeakably cruel and life-destroying their particular brand of compassionate protectiveness turns out to be in reality. Their zealotry chillingly authorizes the needless destruction of a gifted, gentle young man, in body and soul, in the name of fundamentalist extremism. The scandal is not that a young lad was interested in pornography - he was just doing what many young boys before him have always done; his misfortune was to have been born into the computer age, where the secret thought police could snoop on him and destroy his life. The scandal is not even that the contraband images he accessed might have been provided by law enforcement agencies in their alleged fight against contraband images, even though this possibility has a dark absurdity Jonathan Swift or Lewis Carol couldn't have done satirical justice to. The scandal is that a boy like this could be crushed by the State which is supposed to have protected him, simply for being naively sexual. For all the poisonous hot air about predatory paedophiles pumped out by these fundamentalist maniacs, it is transparently absurd to categorise this boy as such. He was just a sexual human being - like everyone else - who looked at stuff because it was there, whose curiosity led him deeper and deeper into a mire which might even have been created for entrapment purposes.

"Every parent should be startled into militancy against this outrage; unless you can be totally sure that your son or daughter, perhaps especially sons approaching their teens, would never dare look at erotic images, you should be very afraid. I suspect that this means every parent: none of us, unless we are being stupidly and recklessly defensive, could ever be certain of this. It could be your child next, your child subjected to lethal public shame, incarcerated, falsely branded as a 'monster, all in order to further the careers of fanatical and pitiless zealots.

"With the emergence of this kind of atrocity, which amounts to no less than the torture and imprisonment of youngsters by the State for being what they cannot help but be (sexual human beings), every parent should be demanding an end to this benighted witch-hunt. It is not about 'saving' children so much as conserving a barbaric moralism; sexual hate - the most malignant and murderous form of hate in circulation - can never, ever promote a good society. But it can effortlessly destroy harmless and invaluable young men like Josh with the tap of a judge's gavel.

"I hope this young man is freed and compensated for the appalling suffering he and his loving family have been put through. Ordinary, loving parents have a duty now to protect their children from the clutches of ruthless ideologues who have hijacked the rule of law, feathered their own nests, and destroyed countless lives on the path to personal glorification. This terrible tragedy has to stop - no one is safe.

"The more people get to see what is being done in the name of 'child protection' - the hateful scapegoating, the excessive and purely destructive punishments, the abhorrent cruelty - the better."

(End of statement)

An appeal from his Americans supporters.

"I would very much appreciate you making mention of our "Free Josh" group on Facebook at:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=102549365377

where interested persons can visit/join, find some of Josh's letters from prison, photos and suggested form letters to be sent to various US officials demanding Josh's case be reviewed and reconsidered. We will soon provide you with the address of the website we are constructing, which should be up and running in the next few weeks."

Finally, as a writer living in Ireland who has watched this dismal vista of the American penal system of Gulag, with its world's largest prison system, unfold over recent years and expand to Great Britain, I have mixed feelings about this story. First shock and anger at this callous judge and legal system, then sadness for Joshua and his family, but also a sense of inevitability. This is what many of us have been anticipating for years. Up to recently the 'hang all pedos' argument was being used to silence all critics of America's draconian SO laws, even those that allowed displacement into homelessness, shunning and shaming and other cruel punishments for life. Now, however, with no mother's son safe, surely the time has come, not just for reflection, but for revolt.

America, which conquered Nazi Germany over 60 years ago, is now using Hitler's 'for the good of the children' mantra to implement its own Nazi fascist regime.

[Note: Comments specified as (Editor...) in this article are by the original Editor, Brian Rothery of Inquisition 21st Century]