Police Can't Confirm Ritter's Arrest (New Detail and Mug Photo)

WNYT-TV, Albany, NY ^ | January 20, 2003 | WNYT Staff

[Shermy]

ALBANY, NY, Jan. 20 - Scott Ritter of Delmar is well known internationally as an outspoken, former U.N. weapons inspector. Now more information is coming to light about Ritter's past and a disturbing arrest.

Police released this mugshot following
the arrest of William Ritter in June 2001.
Lindsay Cohen reports.

COLONIE POLICE CANNOT comment on whether or not they actually arrested Ritter on charges he solicited an underage girl over the Internet. They say this is because if an arrest was made, it was sealed due to court proceedings.

<....Snip...>

However, NewsChannel 13 reported in June 2001 about an arrest of a 39-year-old William Ritter of Delmar on charges he tried to lure a 16-year-old girl he met on the Internet to a Burger King in Menands. According to police, the intent of that meeting was so that she could watch him perform sexual acts on himself.

At that time police said William Ritter was arrested before doing anything, but was facing multiple misdemeanor charges for trying to solicit an underage girl for sexual reasons.<...snip...>

[Pagey]

Good going Scott Ritter.It couldn't have happened to a nicer, more positive human.,<======= dripping sarcasm At least you got your foreign money beforehand, you skunk.I'm really pleased to have my past thoughts about you being a skunk, finally verified.You came across as rather smarmy on TV and my gut feeling about you was correct. It's amazing how this got Covered up/Sealed. How does that occur to someone who is so 'in the public eye', Hmmmm?I await with baited breath to drink to your ill-health, on the your day of sentencing.(I'm feeling great on a Monday,LOL)

[Marysecretary]

Ah, you're right, per loin! It was his evil twin... yup, that's who it was.

[Lauratealeaf]

I don't think I have noticed anyone refer to the fact that Ritter got out of the marines as a Major. Usually when that happens the individual has failed to be promoted because usually by the time one is promoted to major one is a career man. Since Ritter got out of the military as a major and (I assume) did not retire that means there may have been a problem. I wonder what it was?

[Grampa Dave]

After careful reading of this mess, Ritter actually said,

"Watch me whip out my Mass Weapon and play with it Little Girl! The UN taught me how to do this!"

[elhombrelibre]

Possibly this hands-on leadership style was unacceptable in the Corp.

[tubebender]

I don't what date he changed his views of Iraq but if it was near this time then he could be doing it to "get even" with the evil Americans for exposing his follies. Too bad the LEOs didn't set him up at the Burger King.

[RummyChick]

Do you think Saddam may have staged a previous seduction in order to get black mail material? Once a pedophile always a pedophile

[Miss Marple]

I think it important to realize that this happened in 2001, BEFORE the WTC. Why was it important to cover it up then?

Ritter HAD started talking against the administration and was more pro-Iraq, but no one other than some college kids heard him.

I stand by my theory that he was useful to someone as an anti-administration voice, and they covered the arrest up to preserve his usefulness. Once 9/11 happened, he started showing up on all the talk shows, acting quite desperate. Silly me, I assumed at first that perhaps the Iraqis had a girlfriend they were holding hostage. Au contraire.

The more I think about this, the more I am positive we need to find out about who in Albany was involved in this and why.

[Catspaw]

This smacks of a cozy deal between Ritter's lawyer and the ADA. We just had a DA in a county south of me (in Wisconsin) get tossed out by the voters because of allegations he gave sweetheart deals in DUI cases to a friend of his. Of course, there was that audio tape in which the (now) former DA bragged about having sex with an office staffer on his desk....he never made it past the primary.

Anyway, I've seen a few (very few) cozy deals between defense lawyers and prosecutors. They usually get found out rather soon & all hell breaks loose. Courthouse gossip is BRUTAL.

Ritter, his lawyer and the prosecutor should've known better than to think this would remain secret. The courthouse is a porous place & all it would take is a few words overheard by the wrong (to Ritter) people. I'm just amazed that this stayed a secret until now. Why this came out now, of course, is a matter of great speculation. And it's just sooo much fun.

[rolling_stone]

Well if the Clintons are involved, I wouldn't bet on how long it will be before Ritter becomes despondent and offs himself say with a Bushmaster at 500 yards...

[Catspaw]

Do you think Saddam may have staged a previous seduction in order to get black mail material? Once a pedophile always a pedophile

It does smell like *someone* had *something* on him, and Saddam is good at this kind of stuff. I just imagine someone getting a video one day....it would explain the 180 degree shift, the extensive media training, the trips to Baghdad, the speaking tour, the film, the books....

[Ciexyz]

It appears that Ritter is guilty of trying to "Have it Your Way" at a Burger King to boot!

Hee-hee.

[csvset]

That's a piss poor "mugshot", imho, it doesn't show the info such the police department, date, etc.

This pic as shown could anything but a "mugshot".

Now that's a mugshot.

[Positive]

Also interesting: the last statement of the news lady was "Miller's wife had no comment."

I'd say that we've probably seen the last of Scottie...except maybe for more news on this crime.

His life is ruined, he should be happy, he's been trying to ruin it for some time now.

[Fred Mertz]

Well, I'm still scratching my head over the entire Ritter 'affair'. I don't know what to believe.

[Williams]

I agree with all of the posts here. Ritter is way too old, too married, a father, and was in way too responsible a position to be corrupting a 16 year old girl. Really lousy and slimy. My only contrary thought, isn't 16 the age of consent in some states? Shouldn't they make the "girl" 14 or 15? I mean he would be a slime even if she were 18 or 19, but it seems odd to
come so close to the "legal" age, especially if it's 17. On the other hand, now that we read he was going to meet this girl, the crime starts getting a lot more serious. I think you have to have a serious disfunction to want to do something like that, in a burger king no less.

[Ditto]

"And what would his punishment be had he done this in Iraq?"

They would have stoned the 15 year old girl to death while he and Saddam swapped stories.

[AppyPappy]

And now on Star Search, Scott Ritter singing "Thank Heaven For Little Girls".

[Grampa Dave]

You posted, Ritter, his lawyer and the prosecutor should've known better than to think this would remain secret. The courthouse is a porous place & all it would take is a few words overheard by the wrong (to Ritter) people. I'm just amazed that this stayed a secret until now. Why this came out now, of course, is a matter of great speculation. And it's just sooo much fun.

This news probably leaked out, and the left wing mediot publishers spiked the news because Ritter was a potential thorn in the side to GW. Also, if the leak got to the top rats in charge of ABCNNBCBS, it would have been spiked by these anti GW and pro Soddomiters.

[tubebender]

Can anyone say Megan's Law? I think he should be a registered offener.

I heard a citizen from his Township on the radio this morning ranting about that fact. I hope the press follows up on it.