Arrest wasn't first time police had eye on (sexual predator) Ritter

Albany Times Union Newspaper

[1Old Pro]

http://www.timesunion.com/aspstories/storyprint.asp?storyID=95483

Arrest wasn't first time police had eye on Ritter

Former U.N. arms inspector reportedly was under inquiry when cops charged him in 2001

By MIKE GOODWIN, Staff writer
First published: Tuesday, January 21, 2003

Colonie -- The Internet sex case that led to the arrest of a former U.N. weapons inspector was not his first involvement with police on that type of crime, a person familiar with the case said Monday.

Scott Ritter was under investigation for trying to set up a meeting with a girl through the Internet when town police charged him in June 2001 with using an online chat room to set up a similar rendezvous at a Menands restaurant, the source said on condition of anonymity.

Police began investigating the 41-year-old Ritter, who lives in Delmar, in April 2001 after he tried to meet someone he thought was a 14-year-old girl, the source said. Ritter drove to a Colonie business, where he instead was met by police officers, the source said.

Ritter, an outspoken critic of President Bush's plans for war against Iraq, was released without being charged while police investigated.

Two months later, the source said, Ritter was caught in the same type of Internet sex-sting operation after he tried to lure a 16-year-old girl to a Burger King in Menands. The supposed teenager actually was an undercover investigator posing online as a minor as part of the town Police Department's investigation of Internet sex crime, the source said.

Police charged Ritter with attempted endangerment of a child, a Class B misdemeanor that carries a maximum sentence of 90 days in the county jail.

Assistant District Attorney Cynthia Preiser to have the case adjourned in contemplation of dismissal, which means that charges would be dropped if Ritter stayed out of trouble for a period of time. A Colonie town justice sealed the case after the agreement between the prosecutor and defendant was reached.

Ritter was out of the country on Monday, according to his attorney, Norah Murphy, and his wife.

Ritter declined to be interviewed when asked Monday by e-mail whether he wanted to give his side of the story.

"Thanks for your e-mail," he wrote. "I have no comment on the issue you mentioned."

District Attorney Paul Clyne fired Preiser because she did not inform him about a "sensitive" case in Town Court, but Clyne would not acknowledge that the case involved Ritter.

Clyne's office was heavily criticized three months before Ritter's arrest after another assistant district attorney agreed to drop crack cocaine charges against a renowned Loudonville surgeon, Dr. Darroch Moores. In that case, the assistant district attorney also failed to inform the district attorney.

Moores took a leave of absence from St. Peter's Hospital and was allowed to keep his medical license and continue practicing as part of a probation agreement with the state Board for Professional Medical Conduct.

Defense attorney Michael Koenig said adjournment in contemplation of dismissal was not an unusual outcome for someone charged with a Class B misdemeanor, as Ritter was.

Ritter, a former Marine, led a weapons inspection team in Iraq in the 1990s after the Gulf War. He has gained international attention in recent months as a critic of a new U.S. war with Iraq. He has been interviewed frequently on radio and television shows, consistently downplaying the threat posed by Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

Ritter's days as a leading voice of the opposition to war could be over if his arrest receives national media attention, said Robert Thompson, professor of media and popular culture at Syracuse University. He said the nature of Ritter's arrest would overwhelm any point he might try to make on a talk show.

"When you're a talking head, your whole reason for being has got to be the image of anything you represent," Thompson said. "If the story starts getting to be a big issue, there will be talking heads making their careers on the end of this talking head."

[dc27]

I almost fell out of my chair laughing at that pic.

[LurkerNoMore!]

Ritter was out of the country on Monday, according to his attorney, Norah Murphy, and his wife.

I thought he was in San Diego last evening.

[big bad easter bunny]

When he turned his attitude around on a dime I said to myself this must be a case of blackmail, looks like it really may have been.

[cynicom]

99...

Ritter lived in Gainesville FL until two years ago. This type of behavior does not start in mid life.

[1Old Pro]

LOL, I wonder if his house in Delmar, NY is located accross the street from the local school playground.

[duckln]

What, no FBI files on Ritter? Do fantasize a lot?

[aristeides]

As far as the timing....I'm very surprised that the liberal media could cover this up for as long as they did, almost two years.

If the left was interested in maintaining his credibility, I wonder why they didn't supply him with little girls, if that's what he wants. Would probably have been a lot easier than a coverup.

[LO_IQ]

Real life story:

A 17-year-old high schooler gets a part-time job at a warehouse, from where he steals two cases of beer. The high school students gets caught, turned over to the police and charged.

His attorney negotiates the following deal with the State Attorney: the student will pay restitution and court costs, stay out of trouble for 6-months, and all charges will be dismissed.

After 6 months, not only were the charges dismissed but the thief’s records were also sealed, because juvenile records are routinely sealed.

According to your “logic”, this student did not steal anything, since there is no trial and conviction. There are no records of his arrest either. I know better.

[Boot Hill]

Republic of Texas suggests:   "He was probably doing this while IN Iraq."

I agree and that plus a little spying problem he had would have been great for blackmail. I think the $400,000 bribe was the carrot and the blackmail was the stick.

--Boot Hill

[SarahW]

The way the charges were handled support the obvious, he attempted to set up meetings for secual activity with what he thought were underaged girls (first time 14, second time 16.)

A finding on guilt was withheld in return for him meeting certain terms. He had to attend sex-offender coundeling with a psychiatrist, and he had to stay out of trouble for a period of time (~six months to a year).


That, and the TV footage showing his arrest at the burger king, show that he was serious about trying to set up meetings for sex with underaged girls, a crime.


If he complied with the court orders, in return the charges would be dropped and the court records sealed.

All sorts of misdemeanors are handled this way, including shoplifting and minor assaults, etc.

If you are under the impression that conviction, instead of remediation, was the goal of the court, and that no crime ocurred because the records were sealed, you are mistaken.
In fact, it probalby means he admitted the charges were true in exchange for lenient treatment and the chance for remediation.

[duckln]

First your Gainsvill remark and now I wonder if his house in Delmar, NY is located accross the street from the local school playgroud

Sounds like you know all the tricks of a 'molester'. Make sure you don't get yourself arrested. After all, by your standards, all I have to do is make the charge.

[Fred Mertz]

How did you get caught?

[Boot Hill]

1Old Pro suggests:   "Perhaps he's been in trouble before and it hasn't come out."

Yes, but it would have to be consistent with the (approx.) 12/98 - 6/99 timeline I mentioned (that piasa worked out).

--Boot Hill

[gridlock]

Whether or not Ritter is thrown in jail is a small issue.

Whether or not we go to war with Iraq is a large issue.

The fact that Ritter has been doing things that make him a huge honkin' security risk makes me look at anything he has to say about anything with extreme suspicion.

There are people in the world who would love to blackmail Scott Ritter. Scott Ritter has, apparently, provided any potential blackmailer with copious amounts of material to work with.

Given this, his credibility on any serious matter has to be pretty much zero.

[LO_IQ]

How did you get caught?

LOL!

It wasn't I but it doesn't matter in order to answer your question.

Two words: Video Camera

[duckln]

A lot of 'ifs' on your part. How do you explain firing the assistant DA? I find it perposterous that it was because she didn't report to the DA.

By the way, if what you say, is the 'law' of the land, why won't you let it apply to Ritter , even if the 'demonizing' of Ritter is true, which I doubt?

[tutstar]

ping!

[Registered]

" I find it perposterous that it was because she didn't report to the DA."

You miss the obvious. Do you know the amount of political capital that this Ritter dirt offers aspiring politicians, such as the DA in this case? I'm sure he was furious that his assistant parked the Ritter capital into her account.

[Eva]

That was my first thought too, that he was being coerced. Now, I don't think so. I think that Ritter has had this problem a long time, maybe even drummed out of the marines for it (unofficially of course). I think that the exhibitionism is his main symptom but that the problem goes much deeper and his irrational rants on both sides of the Iraq issue have kept him in front of the camera and that's where he needs to be, so whatever it takes he will say. Simply put, the guy is nuts and I'm not the first Freeper to say that. Someone else mentioned it before we knew about the masturbation exhibition.

[duckln]

The fact that Ritter has been doing things that make him a huge honkin' security risk makes me look at anything he has to say about anything with extreme suspicion.

IMO, he sounds more like a 'whistle blower', when Albright, Biden pulled him out of Iraq when it appeared he was on to something, and also now when he may have a reasonable case. It's the American way.

After the propaganda blitz leading up to aiding the Islamists in the Balkans, and shamfully bombing Serbia, I am very skeptical of the reasons given for our actions.