INTERNET STINGS

By Larry Parr

The correct thing for the FBI to have done when the girl's mom summoned them
would have been for them to pay Sherzer a visit, ask him what the hell he was
doing, and tell him to cut it out. -- Paul Rubin

Such a sensible policy, needless to say, would put a lot of bureaucrats
and thought police out of work. If there are not enough murders to go around,
then simply make pornography a crime with penalties worse than murder.

Is this the kind of America we want? Another outrageous example of a
victimless crime was reported in News Of The Weird, a weekly roundup by Chuck
Shepherd:

12 MOUSE-CLICKS WORSE THAN MURDER

"Arizona law treats selling, downloading, trading or buying child
pornography as the equivalent of actually molesting a child, with a penalty of
10 to 24 years per count, with multiple counts to run consecutively.

Two high school teachers (convicted of photos-only, no child
interaction) are now serving 200 and 408 years (the latter for having 17
photos) in prison, respectively. Critics point out, according to a May report
in The Arizona Republic, that there are cold-blooded murderers serving less
time in the state, and that a life sentence without possibility of parole could
be obtained by as few as 12 computer-mouse clicks at a pornography Web site."

FROM MOBILE REGISTER

Sherzer acquitted in sex case

Forewoman says 32-year-old chess champion was 'tricked' by undercover agent who
posed online as underage girl

09/26/03

By JOE DANBORN
Staff Reporter

Federal jurors Thursday acquitted Dr. Alex Sherzer of charges he used the
Internet and crossed state lines to try to lure a 15-year-old Mobile girl into
having sex with him.

Jurors said they felt an undercover agent overstepped his bounds in prodding
Sherzer, 32, a renowned chess player from Baltimore, to divulge fantasies
involving the girl, something he hadn't overtly done in four months of writing
e-mail messages to her.

"Now I get on with my life. I'm just so happy this nightmare is over," a
smiling Sherzer said in the hallway outside the courtroom moments after the
verdict was read.

Sherzer, 32, said he lost his medical residency in Shreveport, La., because of
the charges. He was moving from Maryland to begin his career in Louisiana when
he was arrested May 9 outside Strickland Youth Cen ter in Mobile, where he had
gone to pick up the girl, according to testimony.

Authorities discovered he had rented a nearby hotel room with a hot tub and had
purchased alcohol, condoms and sex toys. His lawyer, Federal Defender Carlos
Williams, argued that Sherzer never would have attempted such a tryst had
Alabama Bureau of Investigation Agent Stan Stabler not encouraged him after
taking over the girl's online identity.

"I'm very sorry for any distress I caused her or her family, and I hope they
realize I never had any bad intentions," Sherzer said.

Jurors heard more than four days of testimony and arguments and began
deliberating after lunch Wednesday. Around 1:40 p.m. Thursday, they sent a note
to Chief U.S. District Judge Ginny Granade indicating they were deadlocked.

Granade brought them back into the courtroom and gave them what is called an
Allen charge, instructing them to redouble their efforts and give extra
consideration to each other's opinions.

About two hours later, Granade's courtroom deputy stood and read the "not
guilty" verdicts on both counts against Sherzer, who hugged his lawyers, then
his mother. He had faced a prison term of more than four years and would have
lost his medical license.

Sherzer solemnly thanked the jurors individually on the sidewalk in front of
the courthouse.

"Godspeed to you, son," forewoman Jessica Jones told him, echoing the
sentiments of other jurors who encouraged Sherzer to do well with his medical
career.

"You admitted you were wrong. We all knew you were wrong," Jones told him. "The
question was were you tricked, were you induced? And that's it -- you were
tricked."

Sherzer's mother, Claire Hass, likewise expressed her gratitude. "He has his
life back thanks to you," she told jurors.

Several jurors said they felt Stabler, the agent, took Sherzer's relationship
with the girl down a path it would not have followed had the two been left
alone.

Said Jones, "For four months they corresponded" -- "openly and honestly," juror
Mytasha King interjected -- "about everything that was going on in this girl's
life," Jones finished.

"And he never lied," panelist Dorothea Gregory said.

Juror Tony Inge Sr. said Stabler should have tried to monitor the dialogue
between Sherzer and the real girl, or at least kept his messages to Sherzer
innocuous while waiting for Sherzer to make his move.

"The government, they jumped too fast, the way I saw it," he said.

U.S. Attorney David York condoned the tactics employed by Stabler, who has
previously posed online as a juvenile to catch sex offenders. Stabler testified
he asked things like, "What do you want to do with me?" in order to clarify
Sherzer's intentions.

"We felt based upon the evidence that actions taken by Agent Stabler were
appropriate in the context of the investigation," York said.

Jurors said they began their deliberations with six people favoring acquittal
and the other half leaning toward conviction. Jones said the two jurors who
were the last to come around finally put their emotions aside and assessed the
case strictly on its legalities.

Neither prosecutors nor the defense team called the girl, now 16, to testify.

"You always wonder if a potential jury will view this as a victimless crime if
the defendant does not actually physically come in contact with the juvenile,"
York said.

Asked whether he considered Sherzer a danger to minors, York responded, "The
Internet's a dangerous place. ... Hopefully he's learned his lesson."

"Sam Sloan" wrote in message
...
On 26 Sep 2003 02:58:40 GMT, oJuNk (Mogath3) wrote:



It so happens that I have a daughter, aged 14, who has been online
with a much older boy for more than a year. I have tried everything,
and there is nothing I can do to stop it.

However, I am not going to call the FBI, the KGB or even the CIA.
George W. Bush knows nothing about this. This is a family problem and
we have to deal with it as best we can.

Sam Sloan

I think you're probably doing the right thing. I would suggest teaching her
about pregnancy and safe sex though, just in case.

The guy with the thousands of pages on his website, the chess journalist
with "contacts" everywhere, the expert on law, economics, and picking up
women doesn't know how to lock down a computer?

What a maroon.

"Sam Sloan" wrote in message
...
On 26 Sep 2003 14:49:24 GMT, (ASCACHESS) wrote:

It so happens that I have a daughter, aged 14, who has been online
with a much older boy for more than a year. I have tried everything,
and there is nothing I can do to stop it.


Perhaps you would have more influence if you lived in the same country
and had
seen her in the last decade.

In fact, she was staying at my house a few months ago. She would go to
sleep at 7:00 PM like a good little girl and then wake up at 2:00 AM
when I was sound alseep and spend five hours online with him.

That is why I say that we cannot stop it. Her mother cannot stop it. I
cannot stop it. Her sister stopped it by disconnecting the telephone
altogether, but I cannot do that because I need my phone.

Sam Sloan

I'm in full agreement that putting people away for downloading pictures the
content found on their computer is a victimless crime. There is no way
these individuals deserved those sentences.

The problem is that people who download child pornography create a market for
it, an children are harmed in the making of it.

Dear Mr. Bauer,

Heil Dubya!

I'm sure Scam Spam is not a "maroon". They were former slaves (and their
descendents) who escaped and, usually, joined the Indigenous American nations
in battling the slavocracy, although, sometimes, "maroon" communities were not
associated with Indigenous American nations. I've never heard the word used to
describe humans other than in those ways.

(Incidentally, have I confused you with RICK Bauer, an FM whom I have come to
know in monster U. S. Swisses? If you are not he, I apologize to you both.)

Heute Uhmuhrikkka, Afghanistan und Iraq. Morgen die ganze Welt!

Uhmuhrikkka, Uhmuhrikkka uber Alles!

(Was 11 September 2001 Kristalnacht or the date of the Reichstag fire?)

Fraternally,

Jerome Bibuld


gens una sumus

Dear Mr. Bibuld,

You have, indeed, confused me with RICK Bauer. I am RANDY Bauer. You are
not the first to do so. I hope that doesn't entirely change your opinion of
me, since you said very kind things about RICK.

I disagree with you about Scam Spam and hope you understand that a "maroon"
is a Bugs Bunny (one of my favorite American heroes) phrase for a moron.

Which he certainly is.

Randy Bauer


"Jerome Bibuld" wrote in message
...
Dear Mr. Bauer,

Heil Dubya!

I'm sure Scam Spam is not a "maroon". They were former slaves (and their
descendents) who escaped and, usually, joined the Indigenous American
nations
in battling the slavocracy, although, sometimes, "maroon" communities were
not
associated with Indigenous American nations. I've never heard the word
used to
describe humans other than in those ways.

(Incidentally, have I confused you with RICK Bauer, an FM whom I have come
to
know in monster U. S. Swisses? If you are not he, I apologize to you
both.)

Heute Uhmuhrikkka, Afghanistan und Iraq. Morgen die ganze Welt!

Uhmuhrikkka, Uhmuhrikkka uber Alles!

(Was 11 September 2001 Kristalnacht or the date of the Reichstag fire?)

Fraternally,

Jerome Bibuld


gens una sumus

Dear Mr. Bauer,

Heil Dubya!

Thanks for your gracious correction of my error. In truth, my opinion of you
has changed, somewhat, but not very much. I do not know FM Bauer intimately,
although ALL my experiences with him have been pleasant. I do not know you
intimately, either, but consider your argumentation sincere and civil, if
skewed by your citizenship and loyalty to that citizenship.

Thanks, also, for enlightening me about Bugs Bunny's little play on the English
language. I do that myself, so enjoy it in others.

Do we really disagree about Scam Spam?

Heute Uhmuhrikkka, Afghanistan und Irak. Morgen die ganze Welt!

Uhmuhrikkka, Uhmuhrikkka uber Alles!

(Was 11 September 2001 Kristalnacht or the date of the Reichstag fire?)

Fraternally,

Jerome Bibuld


gens una sumus

Dear Mr. Bibuld,

I appreciate your opinion, even if I do not necessarily agree with it. It
is, in my humble opinion, one of the saving graces of the country of my
citizenship.

RANDY Bauer

"Jerome Bibuld" wrote in message
...
Dear Mr. Bauer,

Heil Dubya!

Thanks for your gracious correction of my error. In truth, my opinion of
you
has changed, somewhat, but not very much. I do not know FM Bauer
intimately,
although ALL my experiences with him have been pleasant. I do not know
you
intimately, either, but consider your argumentation sincere and civil, if
skewed by your citizenship and loyalty to that citizenship.

Thanks, also, for enlightening me about Bugs Bunny's little play on the
English
language. I do that myself, so enjoy it in others.

Do we really disagree about Scam Spam?

Heute Uhmuhrikkka, Afghanistan und Irak. Morgen die ganze Welt!

Uhmuhrikkka, Uhmuhrikkka uber Alles!

(Was 11 September 2001 Kristalnacht or the date of the Reichstag fire?)

Fraternally,

Jerome Bibuld


gens una sumus

" I've never heard the word used to
describe humans other than in those ways." (Jerry Bibuld)
============
Interesting. I wonder if that may have had something to do with the gradual
disuse of "Maroons" in favor of "Bulldogs" as the nickname for Mississippi
State U's football team?

RSHaas