Posted on 10/26/2004 7:24:58 AM PDT by mhking
It took a police officer, posing online as a 14-year-old boy, two minutes to attract the interest of WSVN meteorologist Bill Kamal, federal law enforcement officials said Monday.
Oct. 18, 4 p.m.: St. Lucie County Sheriff's detective Neil W. Spector signs on to an America Online chatroom called ``Boyzformen.''
Oct. 18, 4:02 p.m.: Kamal, 47, using a sexually suggestive screen name, instant messages Spector that he's looking for a son to have sex with.
On Sunday, police officers followed Kamal from his Miami Beach condo to a convenience store parking lot in Fort Pierce, where he had arranged to meet his correspondent, and arrested him.
On Monday, Channel 7, owned and operated by Sunbeam Television, fired Kamal and ran the report as one of its lead stories.
''We have no other alternative but to dismiss Bill Kamal for cause,'' was all that Robert W. Leider, Channel 7 executive vice president and general manager, said.
U.S. Attorney Marcos Jimenez announced Kamal's arrest at a news conference Monday afternoon. He said Kamal was charged with child enticement, which carries punishment of five to 30 years in prison, although the charge could be changed by a grand jury indictment.
The announcement came a few hours after the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office said Kamal would be charged there in state court with solicitation of a minor younger than 16, a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison. He is being held on $200,000 bail.
FEDERAL STING
Jimenez said Kamal's arrest was part of Operation Predator, a federal program led by Immigration and Customs Enforcement that since July 2003 has made 168 arrests in Florida and 4,045 nationwide involving child pornography, enticement, sex trafficking of children and sexual abuse.
''We are seeing more and more of these cases. It's a real problem,'' said Jimenez, adding that the number of sexual predators in the country is surprising.
''They come from all walks of life. ... And as we've seen in this case it can even be the weather man,'' Jimenez said.
Kamal's attorney, Richard Geraci, could not be reached for comment.
Kamal, who has been with Channel 7 for a decade -- and who is known for his snazzy suits as well as for his nonstop hurricane coverage this summer -- was held overnight Sunday in the St. Lucie County Jail.
This morning he is scheduled to appear before a federal judge there.
Then a federal grand jury will decide if the case should go to trial.
According to the U.S. Attorney's affidavit, Kamal communicated by e-mail, instant messages and chatroom conversations.
He introduced himself to ''Billy'' by saying he's masculine, with a lean, ripped body, and that he was looking for a son to have sex with. He listed specific sex acts he desired.
He said he needed to be very discreet, adding, ``I could drive up there and meet you some weekend.''
Then Spector asked Kamal if he was a cop.
''Nope, just a cool dude who works in the media and has to be VERY DISCREET,'' Kamal allegedly wrote.
HISTORY OF TROUBLE
Within a few minutes of signing off, the affidavit says, Spector disguised his voice and called Kamal. Still portraying the 14-year-old, the officer said he'd meet Kamal back online in 20 minutes.
Sunday's arrest is not the first time Kamal has had trouble with the law.
Late last year he was arrested in Fort Lauderdale on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol.
Police said they saw Kamal driving erratically in his black Jaguar -- the same car in which he traveled to Fort Pierce to meet ``Billy.''
He failed a sobriety test, clocking in at nearly twice the legal limit of .08, and served nine months probation, according to Broward County court records.
He also was arrested for DUI in 2000 in Broward County.
The charges were later reduced to reckless driving.
The U.S. Attorney's warrant for Kamal's arrest on the child enticement charge details a conversation that went on for almost a week between Kamal and the person he believed was a 14-year-old boy.
Several times Kamal expressed the need to be discreet, even as he offered that he worked on television and that his station was currently showing the World Series.
ARREST DETAILS
Officials realized they were dealing with a television personality on Oct. 21, according to the affidavit, when Spector received the billing information from AOL, naming the suspect as William D. Kamal, of Century Lane in Miami Beach. The next day Kamal again got in touch with ''Billy'' and told him, ``I wish you would have sent me a pic.''
A day later, saying ''I just want to give u a big hug,'' he arranged to meet ''Billy'' between 1:30 and 2 p.m., at Midway Road and Glades Cut Off in Fort Pierce.
On Sunday, officers watched Kamal emerge from his Beach condo and drive off in his Jaguar.
Aware of the planned meeting, the officers followed the weather man to Fort Pierce.
KAMAL'S REMARKS
After his arrest, law officials said Kamal told them that he communicated with ''Billy'' from his Miami Beach condo, on a laptop in a home he owns in Fort Lauderdale, and from Channel 7's studio.
Police said Kamal also told officers his laptop has about a dozen pictures of underaged children having sex with adults that he received by e-mail.
Just damn.
If you want on the list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...
It would be interesting if he is related to the Kamal's who have donated to the various Islamo orgqanizations.
"''We are seeing more and more of these cases. It's a real problem,'' said Jimenez, adding that the number of sexual predators in the country is surprising."
THANKS, DEMOCRATS!!!
This guy was the weatherman in my home town (Evansville, IN) back in the late 70's, early 80's. Rumors about him were rampant back then.
Is he a Muslim?
Well hey, it's "just sex" right? [/sarcasm]
I don't know, it wasn't really a concern back then.
Oh com'n It could happen to anyone...
Who is a sick predatory pedofile and should be castrated
Interesting article. We know this perv worked for WSVN. But, the paper is very careful not to identify who WSVN belongs to. I gotta believe that WSVN is a CBS affiliate and the paper is trying to protect a fellow traveling media outlet or WSVN is actually owned by the newspaper, itself. Anyone know?
I seriously doubt he is a Muslim. Kamal, however, does sound like a Middle Eastern name.
He was at WUSA in Washington when I lived there in the mid to late 80s; I always had the impression he was a little "light in the loafers" back then.
WSVN is a FOX affiliate.
WSVN is the Fox affiliate in Miami.
Was he born here, or is he an immigrant?
He mentioned that he worked at a station showing the World Series. That would be Fox.
Don't know. He's got no discernable accent, I can tell you that much.
Don't know but he speaks perfect English.
I thought his name sounded familiar.
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