My thinking, as well.
Posted on 11/25/2006 2:53:15 AM PST by Robert Drobot
A Democrat community leader who would "offer a homily during worship services" and facilitated his congregation's "opening our doors to all people regardless of sexual orientation" has been given a slap on the hand after pleading guilty to extensive child pornography offenses involving children as young as six.
Authorities say Andrew Douglas Reed, 53, who reported for an abbreviated jail term just a few weeks ago, had pleaded guilty to a page-long list of counts of 2nd-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.
Court records in the Asheville, N.C., case said he admitted that he would "record, develop and duplicate material containing a visual representation of a minor engaging in sexual activity." That activity is defined by state law as including masturbation, intercourse and "touching – in apparent sexual stimulation or sexual abuse – of the genitals, pubic area or buttocks."
However, instead of the 967 months in jail – nearly 81 years – for which he was liable, Judge Robert Lewis, another Democrat, gave him, in a plea bargain with the office of District Attorney Ron Moore, who was elected as a Democrat, a 10-12 month sentence.
And even that seemed regrettable, according to a number of letters of recommendation offered by other Democrat leaders of the community to the court on his behalf.
"It has been my pleasure to share Andy's commitment to ensuring that compassion and democracy are at work across our community," wrote Beth Lazer, a Democrat who shared Unitarian Universalist church theologies with Reed and serves as the head of the local public access television, URTV.
She said in her letter of reference she first worked with Reed "when we both served on the board of the local chapter of the League of Women Voters."
"What an invaluable board member he was," she said.
"I also worked with Andy on several projects at our church, most significantly our becoming a welcoming congregation," she said.
Steve Hagerman, the executive director of the Asheville Symphony, wrote on symphony letterhead that, "Reed has been a long-time supporter of the arts in Western North Carolina and has been involved in many worthwhile causes in our community."
And Oralene Graves-Simmons, a Democrat who leads the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Association of Asheville, wrote a page and a half extolling Reed's virtues.
"When the decision was made in 2001 to incorporate the Association as an independent non-profit organization, Andy was instrumental in making it happen. He wrote the new organization's by-laws, revised and edited its incorporation papers, and, with me, determined the makeup of its founding board of directors," Graves-Simmons wrote.
"It was for his ten years of dedicated service that last January the MLK Association honored Andy with the 2005 Community Humanitarian Award," she wrote.
She noted he's also served on governing or advisory boards to the Montford Park Players, a theater company that operates each summer.
"Andy has spent all the years that I've known him bringing people together regardless of race, creed, color, or other differences, gladly working with anyone and everyone, and doing whatever needs to be done, to accomplish our mutual goals," she wrote.
His offenses involved a long list of counts that he used the Internet to collect and share graphic child pornography – mostly involving children as young as six who were filmed "engaged in sex acts with adults or other children," according to a local news report.
State investigators said Reed used an e-mail account to post 169 images and three movies containing child pornography on file-sharing networks over the last several years.
Ken Bagwell, whose "Heads Up America" radio program has delved into the appropriateness of that sentence, said there's a difference between taking such material from the Internet "and getting your jollies or whatever these sickos do" and actually producing the material.
"You acquire the kid, you abuse the kid on camera, and get a 10-month sentence?" he asked. "I just cannot believe it."
The offenses – 15 counts – to which Reed pleaded guilty were victimizing "the absolutely youngest most defenseless people out there," Bagwell told WND. "It just makes me want to gag to see what is happening."
He said he especially was concerned about civic leaders offering their support for a man who now is part of the state's "Sex Offender Control Program" and will have to get approval for his residence and is not allowed to "socialize or communicate with individuals under the age of eighteen (18) in work or social activities unless accompanied by a responsible adult who is aware of the abusive patterns and is approved in writing by the supervising officer."
"We should ask these people, 'Are you telling me you are supporting this?'" Bagwell said.
WND messages for several of these individuals were not returned immediately.
The court report noted that under the plea agreement, "That defendant will plead guilty to all 15 counts and the state agrees that they will be consolidated into four counts for sentencing."
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation had worked on a sting for more than a year to stop his operations, authorities said.
Reed, who also worked as a columnist for the Asheville Citizen Times, often wrote in support of the "gay" agenda in the region.
State records show he was brought into the prison system on Nov. 15. And when he gets out, he cannot "linger, loiter nor spend time at locations where persons under eighteen (18) years of age are likely to be present, including but not limited to: parks, playgrounds, school yards, arcades or places frequented by children(s) activities and such similar places whose purpose is the care, entertainment or education of such persons under eighteen (18) years of age."
He also won't be allowed to work as a volunteer or employee for any organization that serves children, but he will have to go through psychological treatment and go through a sexual abuse treatment program.
Someone forward this to O'Reilly.
But then, this pervert is a Democrat. The standards are different for him.
This is like the pervert/rapist in the Oval Office revisited.
Source for what? That's the article that started this thread.
The sentence should be death by hanging.
Why wouldn't the parents be *more* outraged at the guy who actually physically assaulted the children?
You realize it might be the kids' own parent who put the pix on the 'Net, don't you? It has happened more than you know.
If this guy is sentenced to death what would be the more severe punishment for the actual perp who produced the videos and pix?
More info:
http://forums.hendersonvillenews.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/1591014365/m/5811053975
http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200661102091
http://www.montfordparkplayers.org/boardmembers.php
Andy Reed (Vice Chair; Friends of MPP; Grants) Second Term ends 2006
Andy Reed, now in his fifth year on the board, is former Managing Director
of the Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre and former Marketing Director
for Asheville Community Theatre. He has directed "Henry IV," Part I (2003)
and Part II (2004) for MPP, "Nuts" at 35below at ACT, and "An Inspector
Calls," "Visiting Mr. Green," and "The Odd Couple" for the Belfry Players.
With MPP Andy has appeared as Leontes in "A Winter's Tale" and Charles
Dickens in "A Christmas Carol." A freelance writer, editor, and marketing
consultant, Andy operates MyOwnEditor.com. An Asheville native who spent 20
years in New York with NBC and other companies, he has been active in
community affairs and area theatre since returning to Asheville in 1993.
http://www.ashevilledailyplanet.com/index.php?
option=com_content&task=view&id=540&Itemid=10
This guy spent 20 years in NYC with NBC (and other MSM companies)?? Not a surprise. I wonder what this perp did at NBC?
My instincts tell me the local democrats are circling the wagons around Reed, not so much because he's "one of their own," but because he could roll over on others in their ranks if they did not come to his defense.
It appears that he's destined for a medium security lockup. He won't meet his end there. There are no violent criminals, and no one with long sentences to whom such a sacrifice would be worth it. The mild mannered medium security inmate getting out in 6 months is no threat to this guy.
Heh, heh. That makes sense.
So good to hear from you as well kimmie!!! I hope your Thanksgiving Day was full of His blessing, and that you and your family are blessed with a joyful Christmas Season.....minus the spiders.
My thinking, as well.
adreed@charter.net.
People forget that police are supposed to be able to collect evidene so it is admissible. Police departments also have legal counsel. Many if not all Prosecutors are treated the same as the police with identifying badges and ID.
Prosecutors are even brought in on cases to ensure the evidence is gathered with an eye to admissiblity.
The fact of the matter is that knowing the prosecutor's boss can and DOES trump actual justice.
We're limited to what has been presented to us in the WND story. Tinfoil was supposing an idea not eluded to in the story. Thus, s/he was arguing from "....conclusions not in evidence....".
S/he and I were both adding insight into the article. Since when are comments on this forum limited only to facts in the article? Life experience from FReepers often helps shed light on a particular circumstance.
"Now, go back to the kids table, you're not old enough to sit with the adults."
This comment is so ridiculous it doesn't even warrant a response.
What about the "mild mannered medium security inmate getting out in 6 months" who was abused by a guy like this as a kid or "the mild mannered medium security inmate getting out in 6 months" who is actually a serial killer who pleaded guilty to a minor conviction to escape detection for his true crimes?
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