'Dildo Bandito' Refuses Criminal Label

The Daily Camera ^ | March 8, 2002 | Pam Regensberg

[Artie_Kay]

He calls himself the "dildo bandito" but says he's not a criminal.

Bob Rowan, 49, of Boulder County, admits to removing 21 ceramic phalluses — part of an art display he called a "disgusting" form of male-bashing — from the Boulder Public Library in November.

But he said Thursday that he will not accept any offer that dubs him a criminal.

Instead of accepting a plea bargain from prosecutor Cassidy Murphy, Rowan said he wanted more time to think about the offer. Murphy's offer would require Rowan to plead guilty to second-degree criminal tampering — the original charge filed against him — giving him a one-year deferred jail sentence and barring him from the library and from contacting the artist.

The misdemeanor is punishable by up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.

"I don't want a criminal record," Rowan said Thursday. "I'm not a criminal."

Rowan said he wants to think about his future — a possible future in politics. He told reporters before his Thursday morning hearing that he is considering a run at representative for state House District 10, which includes Gunbarrel, Niwot and portions of Boulder.

A criminal record may make the bid more difficult, he indicated.

Murphy said she would keep the offer on the table. A hearing is set for May 9.

Police issued Rowan a summons after he called a Denver radio station and admitted swiping the ceramic genitals from a display, entitled "Hanging Em Out to Dry," in the library's art gallery on Nov. 11. He left behind an American flag and a sarcastic note that said "El Dildo Bandito was here."

Rowan said he took the display to protest what he considered the library's willingness to display "obscene" art while earlier refusing to display a large American flag in the entrance. He later returned the art.

Artist Susanne Walker created the display for the "Art Triumphs Over Domestic Violence" exhibit that opened Oct. 19. Walker's work featured ceramic penises hanging from knitted caps clothes-pinned to a cord strung between a wall and a column. A noose was tied in one end of the cord.

Walker could not be reached for comment Thursday.

[WOSG]

Ah, sounds like an anti-Feminist Direct Action taken out against an obscene anti-male display. Earth First! would understand .... I hope rather than simply lock him up the good Liberals would try to "understand" his feelings and try to placate him. LOL ... /sarcasm.

[DainBramage]

Calling Dick Tracey...........

[billorites]

Will the evidence stand up in court?

[stylin_geek]

Hey, he should claim that he is a "performance artist" and this is how he expresses himself.

[DainBramage]

I bet he gets Johnny Cochran.

[Bogey78O]

I like his art. Maybe he should expand his realm to removing stoplight cameras.

[csvset]

Dildos? We don't want no stinking dildos!

[Revelation 911]

Will the evidence stand up in court?

Id worry more about the stain upon his record

Then again, the thrust of his endgame merits a blow by blow strategy, coupled with slowly titilating social intercourse with the public as a means of engorging his flaccid standing among the electorate.

[cmsgop]

Sounds like a Stiff penalty to me......

[Cato the Censor]

What next? A Cosmic Penis in the Space Museum at NASA headquarters in Houston?

[martin_fierro]

The man isn't a hardened criminal, after all.

[Artie_Kay]

you're having a ball with this, aren't you?

You make a very limp point.

[pocat]

Sounds like the prosecutors will have a lot of hard evidence against him.

[T'wit]

> Artist Susanne Walker created the display for the "Art Triumphs Over Domestic Violence"

This is the criminal. I think they should lock her up for 5-to-7 on charges of public indecency, perversion, exposing children to pornography, criminal stupidity, impersonating PMS the rest of the month, and henpecking.

[mtngrl@vrwc]

BUMP!