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A Phish On The Hook - Band's Bassist Gordon Accused Of Child Endangerment
NBC ^ | 8-19-2003 | Unknown

Posted on 08/19/2003 1:32:45 PM PDT by jmc813

NEW YORK -- A Phish is on the hook for endangering the welfare of a minor after he allegedly tried to take pictures of a young girl inside a deserted boathouse.

But following private conversations between the band's manager and the child's parents, there's a question about whether the band's bassist, Mike Gordon, will avoid facing that charge.

Gordon, 38, was arrested after being found late at night in a secluded area with a 9-year-old girl. The girl's parents raised an alarm when she disappeared from a backstage area at Jones Beach Theater.

New York State Park Police say Gordon showed a different side after a concert last week by The Dead. Investigators say Gordon -- who calls himself "Cactus" -- was an invited guest backstage at Jones Beach. He was not invited, they say, to take a 9-year-old girl to an isolated location behind the theater.

"The area is actually like a work area for state employees who operate boats out of that area," said Maj. Richard O'Donnell, of the New York State Park Police. "It's a darkened area, not intended for public access."

O'Donnell, who is the region's commanding officer, would not discuss what the bass player told officers when he was found with the child on a dock. But a police report obtained by NewsChannel 4 reveals "The defendant stated he wanted to take 'art photos' of the victim."

Police confirm that Gordon has never been convicted of any crime. Law enforcement sources said that after the band member was arrested, he told officers, "I may have shown bad judgment, but I am not a pedophile."

The Law enforcement sources identify the girl's father as a leader of the Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club, whom they say had also been invited backstage to watch The Dead concert. Gordon was held for police by theater security "and the victim's father's associates -- which the police report decribes as other Hell's Angels members.

When responding to a request for an interview, Phish's manager e-mailed a joint statement from Gordon and the child's parents that reads: "It is now clear to all involved that this was an unfortunate misunderstanding, and we look forward to putting this matter behind us."

Later, in a conference call, the manager said Gordon's trying to "make amends" with the family. The girl's father added that "muckraking journalists should put the story to rest."

Both declined to discuss whether the musician is paying compensation.

When asked by NewsChannel 4 if there was any reasonable explanation for Gordon to have been with the girl at 1:00 AM in a secluded boat house, Maj. O'Donnell of the State Park Police said "I have no explanation for it."

The commander says he "absolutely" stands by the police investigation and has referred the bass player's boathouse rendezvous case to the Nassau County district attorney for prosecution.

The DA's office says the evidence is being evaluated. Regardless of whether Gordon has to face a judge next month, law-enforcement sources say unofficial justice was already delivered. The Hell's Angels, who detained Gordon for police, were not, the sources say, gentle with sensitive areas of the rock star's body.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Front Page News; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; US: New York
KEYWORDS: phish
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1 posted on 08/19/2003 1:32:47 PM PDT by jmc813
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Comment #2 Removed by Moderator

To: jmc813; aculeus; general_re; BlueLancer; hellinahandcart
The Hell's Angels, who detained Gordon for police, were not, the sources say, gentle with sensitive areas of the rock star's body.
3 posted on 08/19/2003 1:35:29 PM PDT by dighton (NLC™)
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To: jmc813
The Law enforcement sources identify the girl's father as a leader of the Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club.....

The Hell's Angels, who detained Gordon for police, were not, the sources say, gentle with sensitive areas of the rock star's body.

From the "it seemed like a good idea at the time" files...

I'll bet, next time, he asks, "What does your daddy do for a living?"

4 posted on 08/19/2003 1:40:16 PM PDT by Onelifetogive
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To: jmc813
bump
5 posted on 08/19/2003 1:41:28 PM PDT by Pest
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To: TonyRo76
It was all a mistake. He thought she was 10.
6 posted on 08/19/2003 1:43:19 PM PDT by capt. norm (The sooner you fall behind the more time you'll have to catch up.)
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To: jmc813
""The area is actually like a work area for state employees who operate boats out of that area," said Maj. Richard O'Donnell, of the New York State Park Police."

Looks like the Major was once a high-ranking official of the Department of Redundancy Department.

7 posted on 08/19/2003 1:46:53 PM PDT by capt. norm (The sooner you fall behind the more time you'll have to catch up.)
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To: jmc813
Please be wary of sensationalistic journalism. Take it for what it's worth, but here's an account of what happened from someone who claims to know a security officer at Jones Beach. Pardon the horrible grammar and punctuation...

mike was giving everyone under the sun (from adults to kids) rides on his IT segway....silly lil scooter.....the mother of the 9 yr old allowed this to happen.....this "Secluded Boathouse", is neither secluded or a boathouse..there was two normal jones beach secuirty guards there...in case people wanna sneak into the show...(secret entrance).... mike was just taking pictures of the girl on his segway....not good judement , but nothing to get crazy about... ...after ten minutes the girls mother starts freakin out..."were's my daughter"....(mind you the mother was induced with something, eyes bulging, lip biting..typical white trash mom)....mother calls her husband, a hells angel....ten minutes later there are 5 angels making there way through security.....mike is confronted...grabbed by the thoat and on his knees getting kicked at......the VIP security guards got in the middle and explained that mike was a celeb, and was a film maker.....the funniest part is this...the angels wanted to break his segway, so the one secuirty guard put it in his car and its been sitting in wantagh for the last week and a half.....after all of this the daughter explained nothing happended and that was that...long story short...bad judgement, unlucky for mike the girls dad was a druggy/hells angel, a quick rush to judgement, few kicks to the nizzuts,,,,"my bad"....move on....

8 posted on 08/19/2003 1:51:26 PM PDT by jmc813 (Check out the FR Big Brother 4 thread! http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/943368/posts)
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To: dighton
He was lucky. I would have just killed him.
9 posted on 08/19/2003 1:54:44 PM PDT by Blood of Tyrants (Even if the government took all your earnings, you wouldn’t be, in its eyes, a slave.)
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To: Blood of Tyrants
What reason would explain ever him and the young child being in that remote area just by itself but...to be taking photos? This AINT right folks! This AINT normal folks.
10 posted on 08/19/2003 1:58:42 PM PDT by cubreporter
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To: cubreporter
Read post #8 above. Methinks we are the victims of sensationist journalism.
11 posted on 08/19/2003 2:05:28 PM PDT by Blood of Tyrants (Even if the government took all your earnings, you wouldn’t be, in its eyes, a slave.)
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To: jmc813
To all those who don't know who Phish is, they're an esoteric band, with a huge following and their music is definitely an acquired taste, better understood while on LSD or psylocibin mushrooms.
12 posted on 08/19/2003 2:17:10 PM PDT by Guillermo (Proud Infidel!)
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To: Guillermo
Not that I'm condoning the use of such hallucinogenic drugs, because I am not.
13 posted on 08/19/2003 2:17:56 PM PDT by Guillermo (Proud Infidel!)
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To: Guillermo
...their music is definitely an acquired taste, better understood while on LSD or psylocibin mushrooms.

Kind of like the Bee Gees?

14 posted on 08/19/2003 2:20:43 PM PDT by ActionNewsBill (We're after power and we mean it..)
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To: Guillermo
better understood while on LSD or psylocibin mushrooms.

Very unfair generalization, though I will agree tht their style is an aquired taste. They tend to have very LONG songs, so in this day and age of 3-minute pop hits, many listeners do not have the attention span or patience to give them a fair chance.

15 posted on 08/19/2003 2:21:37 PM PDT by jmc813 (Check out the FR Big Brother 4 thread! http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/943368/posts)
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To: jmc813
The tires are the things on your Segway
That make contact with the road
The tires are the things on your Segway
That make contact with the road
The tires are the things on your Segway
That make contact with the road
The Segway is the thing on the road
That takes you back to your abode

16 posted on 08/19/2003 2:22:41 PM PDT by Timesink
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To: Timesink
LOL!
17 posted on 08/19/2003 2:24:29 PM PDT by jmc813 (Check out the FR Big Brother 4 thread! http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/943368/posts)
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To: TonyRo76
I'd hardly call them mediocre. Maybe they're not your taste, but all the members of the band are highly accomplished songwriters, highly proficient on multiple instruments, and not the typical three-chord 4/4 formula band that has come to dominant the American rock scene.

That being said, there is NO way this guy has ANY reason WHATSOEVER to be off in the dark with a 9 year old girl. I don't care what he says the reasons were, I don't care what his parents say, this is absolutely unacceptable and inappropriate behaviour, and there's only a couple of things I can think of he had on his mind in this situation.
18 posted on 08/19/2003 2:26:23 PM PDT by D. Brian Carter
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To: ActionNewsBill
"...their music is definitely an acquired taste, better understood while on LSD or psylocibin mushrooms."

Kind of like the Bee Gees?

Oh man, I think I took too much....


19 posted on 08/19/2003 2:26:42 PM PDT by Timesink
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To: jmc813
Give 'im a break, he's just trying to be as degenerate as his role models the Dreadful Grape! The fans luv it!
20 posted on 08/19/2003 2:28:15 PM PDT by Revolting cat! (Go ahead, make my day and re-state the obvious! Again!)
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