Fund-Raiser For GOP Pleads Guilty in Case of Child Pornography

Baltimore Sun ^ | 4/24/03 | Allison Klein

[marshmallow]

A prominent Republican fund-raiser who once said former President Bill Clinton was "a lawbreaker and a terrible example to our nation's young people" pleaded guilty yesterday in Baltimore Circuit Court to production of child pornography.

Richard Anthony Delgaudio, who was sentenced to two years' probation before judgment, admitted to taking lewd photographs of a 16-year-old girl he met in East Baltimore's Patterson Park in 2001. In some of the photos, he was engaged in sex with her, court records show.

Delgaudio, 50, of Burke, Va., is a frequent talk-radio guest and national figure in conservative politics. He is president of the Legal Affairs Council, a group that helped pay the legal bills of former Reagan administration officials Oliver L. North and Caspar W. Weinberger after they were charged in connection with the Iran-contra affair.

[Sangria]

Had he been a democrat, he would have been simply a pedophile, not a Republican pedophile.

[MineralMan]

"Had he been a democrat, he would have been simply a pedophile, not a Republican pedophile."

Not on Free Republic, he wouldn't. Some here would be very quick to point out that the person was a Democrat. The point here is that such behavior knows no political party. Pedophiles exist in both parties, and political affiliation has no place in these stories at all.

[thoughtomator]

Had he been a Democrat, this would likely never have hit the newspapers to begin with.

[mabelkitty]

You are correct.

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson protected a National Guard Sargeant and covered it up.

It's big news right now. Only you wouldn't know it because it's so quiet.

[wideawake]

The true difference is that, were he prominent enough, there would be Democrats who would rush to his defense.

They would retail such arguments as "in some [heavily Republican] states you can get married at 16, this is just sex" articles would be written about how French and Japanese politicians do such things all the time, that Americans are are all hung-up and puritanical, etc.

Republicans, rightly, would and are hanging him out to dry without trying to defend the indefensible.

[Restorer]

Having sex with a 16-year old girl is not pedophilia, which is attraction to pre-pubescent children.

However, it is illegal and despicable, and I fully support whatever punishment the law allows.

Just believe in the correct usage of words.

[thoughtomator]

Scary when I shoot from the hip (or lip) and it hits right on target. The Left has become way too predictable.

[fporretto]

Interesting. The legal age of sexual consent in Maryland is 16; in other states it's as low as 14. But the legal definition of a minor, which is the determining age in the child-porn statutes, is a person under the age of 18. So Delgaudio would have been legally permitted to have sex with the girl, but not to take pictures of her.

Freedom, Wealth, and Peace,
Francis W. Porretto
Visit The Palace Of Reason:
http://palaceofreason.com

[Libertarian444]

http://www.newsmax.com/archive/print.shtml?a=2001/1/30/110336

[onedoug]

A dirty old man, as a RINO no less, is even more foul.

[robertpaulsen]

And even more importantly, if he hadn't been a prominent Republican fund-raiser, frequent talk-radio guest, and national figure in conservative politics, he would have gotten 2 years in prison rather than probation..

[buffyt]

TRUE!!!! you are RIGHT!

[Diddle E. Squat]

According to Ruth Bader Ginsberg, he isn't a pedo:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/899461/posts

[an amused spectator]

Oh, that's right - Maryland is the state where you can't tape your own phone calls, because it's "wiretapping".

Whotta buncha clowns.

[berserker]

Interesting.

Not really. Is that all you can say about this? No moral revulsion?

[fporretto]

Is that all you can say about this? No moral revulsion?

Yes, that's all I can say. I have no problem with sex. I leave the orgies of moral revulsion to the ardent bluenoses, who always seem to have time and energy enough to wring their hands over private, consensual sex, while far more important public viciousnesses abound.

Delgaudio's taste might be questionable -- he and I are the same age, and, marital restrictions notwithstanding, I'd rather drive needles into my eyes than have sex with a 16-year-old -- but there's no accounting for taste. If he's married, his wife would have a legitimate beef with his conduct, but I don't.

If the girl was old enough to consent to sex, she was old enough to have her picture taken. That the statutes are in conflict on this matter is a fault in the statutes.

Flame away.

Freedom, Wealth, and Peace,
Francis W. Porretto
Visit the Palace Of Reason:
http://palaceofreason.com