Focus is on photographer with an eye for cheerleaders

Omaha.com ^ | 02.06.03

[Coleus]

Focus is on photographer with an eye for cheerleaders

BY STU POSPISIL

LINCOLN - Metro Conference athletic directors and the Nebraska School Activities Association will be watching their high school basketball sidelines more closely after Omaha police detained a 74-year-old man for training a camera on high school cheerleaders.

Omaha Marian Athletic Director Jim Miller said Wednesday that cheerleaders from his school became uncomfortable because of the man's apparent picture-taking at a Jan. 30 girls basketball game at Omaha South.

Miller said the girls alerted Marian's dean of students, who told South administrators. School officials called police, who interviewed the man. The man told authorities that he was a fan of Omaha Marian and Omaha Creighton Prep and was just there to observe the game.

Sgt. Dan Cisar said police took an information report, and the man was ordered to leave the building.

The girls later told Miller they had seen the man at other games.

The man could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

School officials have expressed concerns to the NSAA that if photographs of cheerleaders were taken, they could end up being sold to a Web site that contains pornographic or offensive material.

Copies of a photograph of the man, taken from South's video security monitoring system, were distributed this week at the Metro Conference's monthly meeting of athletic directors.

The man's photo also was sent to the NSAA because of its state basketball tournaments at various sites in Lincoln next month. The girls state tournament is March 6 through 8, and the boys tournament is March 13 through 15.

NSAA Assistant Director Jim Angele said copies of the photo have been forwarded to floor managers at the tournament sites in Lincoln.

"We hope this person won't show up at the state tournament," Angele said. "We'll have to police our sidelines more to make sure only those with credentials are there."

The NSAA does not have a uniform policy regarding the management of spectators at sporting events, other than to ask for good sportsmanship. The obligation to police spectators is left up to individual schools. That means school administrators can decide whether to prohibit admission to a particular spectator. It is common at events such as high school basketball games to see numerous school staff in attendance for the sole purpose of monitoring the crowd.

Miller said amateur photographers, such as family members, may be asked to provide identification if not recognized by officials of the host school.

"We're telling our workers that if they don't know somebody taking photographs, they may want to check it out," Miller said. "It's not a good situation for someone to be going to games and taking photos of cheerleaders only. It sends up a red flag."

[ActionNewsBill]

But the government cannot prosecute someone or prohibit them from doing something that is legal because of what they think he or she is thinking.

I'm surprised someone would actually want the government to be able to do that.

Arkinsaw, meet Cultural Jihad.

[Cultural Jihad]

What is the government but the fathers and mothers of these children? The rules call for all spectator-guests to be sportmanlike. Sitting there drooling over the cheerleader squad is apparently not sportmanlike, according to the good people of Lincoln, Nebraska.

[cyborg]

Must have been that Brittney Spears video.. Oops I did again... with that skimpy private school girl outfit.

[Arkinsaw]

What is the government but the fathers and mothers of these children? The rules call for all spectator-guests to be sportmanlike. Sitting there drooling over the cheerleader squad is apparently not sportmanlike, according to the good people of Lincoln, Nebraska.

Its pretty well established law that you can take photographs at public events. If there is a problem with that then it needs to go to the Supreme Court again.

The government cannot look at a person taking legal photographs at a public event and say....male......over 60...must be bad thoughts....arrest him! Neither can the government give you the "bums rush" without due process.

I'm not really in favor of singling someone out because of age and gender, reading his mind, and turning him over to the thought police for punishment without due process. Call me crazy.

[Eagle Eye]

What is the government but the fathers and mothers of these children?

Bull. Lame. You got caught lusting for government action again and you know it, now you're trying to 'crawdad' out of it. Won't work.

[Cultural Jihad]

I know at our local high school that if some old fart was acting inappropriately, the men in the stands wouldn't have to go get a cop to intervene for them.

There mustn't be an ACLU chapter in your town.

[steelwheels]

Just charge old men with cameras double to get in. Wait, old men and old dykes.

[DAnconia55]

Sigh. Usual suspects, I see. And calling for reinforcements.

Can a 74 yr old man even...umm....

[shpanda]

Why don't the police arrest the cheerleaders. After all don't they go after the pushers rather than the consumers.

[Arkinsaw]

I know at our local high school that if some old fart was acting inappropriately, the men in the stands wouldn't have to go get a cop to intervene for them.

A bunch of cheerleader moms sitting (and standing) in front of him with big hats and unfurling banners might be useful.

[Palladin]

A local sportscaster on TV here in PA (Wilkes-Barre area)...about ten years ago...would always asked to be assigned to the young boys' swim meets. Kids 9-10-11 years old.

He was caught molesting a neighbor's son. When they got the search warrant, they found THOUSANDS of photos of young boys in swim trunks he had taken at these swim meets.
Just the crotch area.

There are a lot of sickos out there. I don't blame these parents and grandparents for wanting to protect their girls.

[Luis Gonzalez]

Someone arrest whoever took this picture!

This sort of pictures of scantily clad, nubile, young women will not be tolerated in America any longer!

Arrest him, and seize any film he may have on him, or in his house!

Send it all to me for safe-keeping...

[plain talk]

This is where common sense comes into play. A 74 year old man zooming his camera in on high school girls? OK with me to boot him the hell out of the place.

[yarddog]

Why should the cheerleader Moms be blocking his view. It would make more sense to stand in front of the cheerleaders so no one could see them.

[Bogey78O]

There are adult websites that cater to cheerleader fetishists. In fact some men will sit there and try to snap pics of them while they're kicking in effect getting crotch shots.

[mhking]

"Hold muh beer 'n watch this!" PING....

If you want on or off this list, please let me know!

[GhostofWCooper]

I had a flash of hilljack insight...

Younger men who want to show the world how pure and decent they are (hypocrites!), will make a BIG SHOW of condemning a "dirty old man" to a bum's rush out of the building. This is just a ruse designed to provide cover for their own enjoyment of the cheerleading squad in full sweat!
They just have the presence of mind to steal brief glimpses of the girls instead of a doing a drooling, staring memorizing job on em! LOL!

Face it, they're cuties. If they weren't, they wouldn't make the squad, would they?

Ghost, over and out...

[Eagle Eye]

And making loud noises.

Citizens acting like real men and women instead of sheeple are amazing.

BTW, my area is so Conservative that even the Cathoics are Baptists.