Posted on 07/02/2005 6:51:19 AM PDT by QwertyKPH
By KEITH EPPS
A 25-year-old sailor is accused of inadvertently sending nude photos of himself to local police.
He thought he was sending them to a 13-year-old girl--who turned out to be Spotsylvania Detective Barry Stocks, said sheriff's Maj. Michael Timm.
Robert Whalen, who was stationed aboard the USS Eisenhower in Norfolk, is charged with five counts of sending pornography over the Internet to children and five counts of using a computer to transmit pornographic pictures to children. He was arrested Thursday and is being held at the Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond.
Whalen is the 15th man this year to be snared in the Spotsylvania online trap for suspected sexual predators, Timm said.
Stocks and other officers go online pretending to be a 13-year-old girl. Invariably, Timm said, someone makes contact over the Internet and begins sexual dialogue.
The online chat Whalen is accused of participating in took place the afternoon of June 24, Timm said. Stocks had been online about 10 minutes when he was contacted.
Timm said Stocks made it clear that he was a 13-year-old girl. He said Whalen sent naked pictures of himself to the e-mail address Stocks gave him.
Stocks contacted Naval Criminal Investigative Service and drove to Norfolk Thursday to interview Whalen.
After Navy officials got Whalen off the ship, Stocks showed him the pictures and took him into custody.
Whalen is at least the third military man caught in the Spotsylvania sting this year. Others showed up for an arranged meeting with the "girl," according to police records.
Timm said detectives have told him that every time they go online posing as a child, someone takes the bait.
To reach KEITH EPPS:540/374-5404kepps@freelancestar.com
Yeah, that'll put a damper on your navy career. I wonder what his rate was. I spent some time aboard the Ike on det a month ago.
All he need do is claim that he thought he was communicating with a thirteen year old boy and he is home scott free. The liberals will come out of the woodwork to defend him.
Pure speculation, but young girls tend to look up to older men, especially if they haven't had a decent one in their lives. Then you get men who crave that admiration because they haven't done anything to earn it otherwise. That's my guess anyway.
Part of the Ritter clan?
How about conspiracy to meet a 13 year old girl by sending nude photos of himself to her pimp?
Well, since the object of the intended crime - 13yrs old girl - is fictitious and does not even exist except as a figment of his imagination, actual crime charges would be difficult [how does one commit a crime against a figment?], but attempted crime or a conspiracy charges might be possible.
Figment abuse?
I wonder whether Spotsylvania detectives are allowed to moonlight in Transylvania?
I can see it now... He is dyslexic and thought she was 31 years old!
I can think of no crime where prevention is more blessed than after the fact solution.
I find your reaction quirky to say the least ... almost what one might expect from the mother of the little slut who cant stay out of the bed of anyone in a sailor suit.
Get a hold of your emotions and realize there never actually was a girl in this case.
You may like to jail people for their thoughts, I am glad to say I'm different, I think people should be jailed after they commit a crime. It is a matter of protecting liberty, not to be twisted into a matter of protecting child molesters. Get real.
That's what they get for falling asleep in the bath tub.
Our "enlightened" nation is already far too liberal in its treatment of these offspring of the devil.
One of this chap's fellow perverts (in Idaho) is at this moment withholding information about the little Groene boy. To protect his sorry ass, presumably.
A more comforting presumption would be that the world has been spared any progeny from the warm hearted Mrs. Mark.
I asked not to twist a defense of liberty into some sort of support for child molesters, but you seem to be unwilling to do so. Maybe because doing so boosts your self-esteme.
How clear can I be? I am all for punishing those who violate the rights of others. Child molesters do not change their stripes and throwing away the key is fine with me.
If everyone was locked up in jail tomorrow, no banks would be robbed, if I were to say everyone should not be locked up, you would accuse me of supporting bank robbers.
Fitzroy Barnaby said he had to swerve to avoid hitting the 14-year-old Des Plaines girl who walked in front of his car.
She said he yelled, "Come here, little girl," before getting out of his car and grabbing her by the arm.
He said he simply lectured her.
She said she broke free and ran, fearful of what he'd do next.
In a Thursday ruling, the Appellate Court of Illinois said the 28-year-old Evanston man must register as a sex offender.
--snip--
In the criminal case against him, Cook County Judge Patrick Morse said that "it's more likely than not" Barnaby planned only "to chastise the girl" when he grabbed her, but "I can't read his mind."
"I don't really see the purpose of registration in this case. I really don't," Morse said. "But I feel that I am constrained by the statute."
Recognizing the stigma that comes with being labeled as a sex offender, the appellate court said "it is [Barnaby's] actions which have caused him to be stigmatized, not the courts."
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Well iconoclast, Do you think this guy really is a child molester?
I see no relevance to the sailor story.
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