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.
But if he killed someone by drowning them in a car, he'd have walked away scot free and been offered a guaranteed lifelong position in a position of leadership in our country. Satan protects his own.
Ping
Activist receives sentence for distributing child porn
What do you want to bet that the light sentence was in exchange for keeping his perverted trap shut?
Our freedom is a legacy from ancestors who had the guts to protest by Andrew Reed
Unbefreakinglievable.
... wrote Beth Lazer, a Democrat
Steve Hagerman, the executive director of the Asheville Symphony,,,,
And Oralene Graves-Simmons, a Democrat...
These apologists and acolytes of the pedophile should actually share a lower ring in Hell.
ping...
What do you think of a 10-month sentence for 15 counts of child pornography?
The judge and district attorney should be kicked out of office for approving this plea bargain 42.57% (507)
Clearly, it pays to be politically connected 29.14% (347)
This was a total miscarriage of justice 19.31% (230)
It sets a bad precedent for punishment and deterrence 2.60% (31)
Clearly the sentence should have been significantly increased 2.10% (25)
Other 1.68% (20)
These tough calls are best made by the judge and jury who hear the facts 1.01% (12)
This man's life is ruined – the issues of 'illegal' pornography and age of consent need to be revisited 0.76% (9)
The sentence was a standard plea bargain for a first offense – it happens all the time 0.67% (8)
Ten months is a reasonable time to be removed from society – the punishment fits the crime 0.17% (2)
Asheville is a city that just doesn't seem to care. It has an anything goes attitude.
" ... Activist receives sentence
for distributing child porn
An activist and regular community guest columnist for the Asheville Citizen-Times was sentenced to between 10 and 12 months in prison for possessing and sharing child pornography, District Attorney Ron Moore announced last Thursday.
Andrew Douglas Reed, 53, pleaded guilty to 16 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor related to his use of file-sharing networks on the Internet to collect and distribute the graphic materials, including 169 images and three movies from Jan 13, 2004 to May 9. ..."
That's what I thought. It's terrible enough, but the person who wrote the sentence in red in the lead article on this thread implied that this man did the actual sexual assaults, and/or camera work of the molestations, required to produce the porn of the children who were videotaped.
Evidently, there is or will be someone(s) else charged with the originating physical criminal activity.
This guy's "collection" was fairly small compared to the ones you usually read about who are "just" the consumers of the product. He still should have gotten several years for the conviction.
I had just finished reading this article before logging into FR. How sickening! In his case it really does pay to be politically connected!
Media obsession and harsh sentences and turning public opinion only happens when the criminal is a Republican.
You bring up a good point--perhaps these enablers have skeletons (or pictures) in their closets, too, and Reed knows where the keys are.
sounds like 9 people need to be looked at
I rest my case.
Are we really talking about kiddie porn here or was it 16 and 17 year old males?
A six year old child was one of the victims.
BEFORE EVERYONE goes crazy.
PLEASE NOTE:
1. This is poor reporting.
2. This is a plea bargan. This suggests the evidence the prosecutor had was tenuous or somehow in jeopardy. The "admissions" may (as many if not most do) have had admissibility issues.
3. At trial, the evidence may not have been admissible. This deal puts him on the predator list so he does have a lifetime stigma and does have places he can never live.
4. I see this as indicative of the incomptence of prosecutorial work. Poor lawyering done by people who never should have been admitted to law school.
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