UN's Ritter faced sex rap

New York Daily News ^ | 1/19/03 | Joe Mahoney

[kattracks]

ALBANY - Former UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter was secretly prosecuted in Albany County in 2001 after he was snared in an Internet sex sting operation, law enforcement sources told the Daily News.

Ritter, who lives in the Albany suburb of Delmar, is now a high-profile critic of President Bush's war preparations.

He was arrested by Colonie Police in June 2001 on a misdemeanor charge after he allegedly had a sexual discussion on the Internet with an undercover investigator he thought was an underage girl, law enforcement sources disclosed on condition of anonymity.

The case was sealed, and Colonie officials declined to release the arrest records, explaining the matter was adjourned in local court in contemplation of dismissal.

The Schenectady Daily Gazette reported yesterday that Albany District Attorney Paul Clyne fired veteran Assistant District Attorney Cynthia Preiser last week for failing to inform him of the case against Ritter.

Clyne said that as a "sensitive" case, it should have been brought to his attention.

Ritter, who has made frequent appearances on network television after speaking to the Iraq National Assembly last year, could not be reached for comment.

Joe Mahoney

[rolling_stone]

Well maybe one of the local cops who knew about the arrest finally dimed him out...there had to be several people to know about it and probably was talk around the police station..that it was kept under wraps for so long is amazing..someone go take a couple dozen donuts down to the old station house and shoot the bull with them...

[cyncooper]

William S. Ritter (Scott is his middle name) and the prosecutor and defense attorney were in agreement, all the judge would've done is rubber stamp it. He or she may not have known that this was Scott Ritter, talking head.

Interesting point.

[hoosiermama]

"so the "coming out" seems to be limited so far to readers of said article, Newsmax and Free Republic."

OK FREEPERS! PASS THE WORD. E-mail, fax, call the networks. FOX, MSNBC, CNN, NE, etc. etc. etc. Send it to everyone! Someone will start asking question.

My first one: With the ME preferance for young virgins, did Scott get paid off (or hooked) while a weapons inspector?

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Well, well, well. I wonder if Saddam knew about this. After watching Ritter being interviewed by Greta (FOX) this week, I am more convinced that there is something psychologically wrong with him.

[aristeides]

Wonder who the judge was?

I've been wondering that too. Trial judges are elected in NY, are they not?

[esopman]

Yes, Bubba Rex and Hillary Regina ran (and are still running) an efficient carrot & stick, blackmail & reward operation for any individual of (a) potential utility in the make-Clintons-kings-of-the-planet gambit, and (b) witless enough to think any good could come from working with or near the Clintons. The Clintons may enjoy the anti-Bush aspect of the Ritter phenomenon, but are not protagonists.

The Ritter case turns on the Russian connection. Connect these dots:

1. Ritter throws over spouse #1 for #2, Marina, who is a Russian/English interpreter from Georgia. Having been a Russian linguist, I will note only that Marina had to have been carefully vetted for loyalty before getting as far as she did. She is not likely loyal to the U.S.
2. The Russians very much want to recover their large investment in Iraq and have been amorally supportive of that regine.
3. A (former?) poster here, Zviadist, claimed to know Ritter and defended him vociferously. Zviad goes back to Zviad Gamzakhurdia of Georgia, whose forces attacked Sheverdnadze's in the early 1990's and refused to be a party to any agreement constituting the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) out of the former USSR.

In short, I believe Ritter is a profoundly compromised individual with (1) A weak character as evidenced in the sexual profligacy (this is a surprisingly common attribute of traitors); (2) Iraqi (and possibly) Russian money backing him; (3) His wife, Marina, whose non-American allegiance(s) also lead him astray.

It will be extremely interesting to see if he retains any media presence. I'll bet he does, because there are many in the fourth estate who believe they can still use this 'useful idiot.'

[Eva]

The cover up probably leads back to Hillary, somehow. Maybe she had Ritter's FBI file and knew about this predilection.

[Jackie]

Wipes foam off his mouth.. as he pops another upper.

No doubt about a drug investigation being under way in this matter.

[aristeides]

I do wonder, though, why the ADA would risk her job--and probably her career and law license (if not disbarment, at least a bar ethics investigation and a possible suspension of her law license)--for Scott Ritter.

Likeliest explanation that occurs to me is that some federal agency told her that hushing the matter up was a matter of national security. Would explain the judge going along.

[cake_crumb]

"Scottie boy? Into internet porn? Was it kiddie porn? Nail that SOB to the wall!"

This sounds worse than porn...from the few details given, he was engaging in cyber-sex with an undercover officer that he thought was a minor. After reading this, it's not much of a jump of the imagination to wonder if he actually set up a RENDEZVOUS with the officer he thought was a minor...which would explain his being arrested and prosecuted by a different jurisdiction.

[Amelia]

What I don't understand is why this news came out now. Maybe Ritter broke the deal he made with whoever it was.

Maybe someone who knew about the case got tired of listening to Ritter's spew on all the networks?

[arete]

Wonder if they'll do anything to that ADA? Shouldn't the state bar association be looking into this, not to mention the cops?

Absolutely, which makes a person wonder if this isn't just a political hit piece like so many we saw when Bubba was running things. GW must need Iraq's oil pretty bad.

Richard W.

[Chad Fairbanks]

Well, that narrows it down some ;0)

[csvset]

Have any of the Sunday Talking Heads Shows mentioned this?

[aristeides]

Maybe someone who knew about the case got tired of listening to Ritter's spew on all the networks?

And they weren't tired a year ago?

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

...do ya think he will have the "Pete" defense?

Right. He was trying to arrange a meeting to help the poor girl down the right path. Sure.

[cake_crumb]

"How would local cops conduct such a sting? And why would they do it? Further, what are the odds of nailing a local conviction on the internet???"

Uh...they do it all the time. Undercover officers pose as children (and sometimes as adults looking for another adult to procure them a child). All over the internet. A rendezvous is arranged. When the perp shows up at the rendezvous, he's nailed by the cops, who have caught him red handed.

Two years ago, there was a case where an undercover agent posing as an adult looking for someone to procure for him a couple of pre-teen girls.

A man...a FATHER bit. A price was agreed to. The father was nabbed when he showed up at the rendezvous with his two pre-teen daughters to sell.

As much as you might like to blame everything on the Bush administration, this stuff has been going on for a while. THAT is why there ARE such internet sting operations to begin with.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Mystery solved.

He may as well remove all pretense and move to Iraq and bunk with Saddam. They can party with Saddam's harem of boys and girls until the thunder comes down.

[Miss Marple]

I see several people on here (the usual suspects) who are SURE this is Bush's fault. Amazing.

I think that you are more likely to have the answer. A clerk, or a cop, who has a brother in the Marines and got fed up, is the most likely explanation.

I want to go back to Ritter's comments that he had seen children prisoners. WHY would he have been shown that? As far as I know, there would be no reason for him to see child prisoners either in his role as a weapons inspector OR in his role as a propogandist.

That little tid-bit slipped out in one of his rants, and I think it is quite important.

[Cultural Jihad]

Right. He was trying to arrange a meeting to help the poor girl down the right path. Sure.

Or to offer Clintonian ministerial counseling.