quote:Douglas S. Smith Jr. was charged with one felony count of having photos that show "minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct."
Sources in the U.S. Attorney's office told NBC that Smith was expected to plead guilty.
The images were of young boys and the investigation started in Germany, the sources added.
In a statement Tuesday, the Boy Scouts of America said it had no indication of prior criminal activity.
"We are dismayed and shocked to learn of the charge," it said. "Smith was employed by the organization for 39 years, with no indication of prior criminal activity. He was not in a leadership position which involved working directly with youth."
We just got an e-mail about it. I don't know any of the people involved. Blech.
[ March 29, 2005, 02:47 PM: Message edited by: Lady Jane ]
Posts: 1163 | Registered: Jan 2005
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That stinks. Somehow you gotta hope it’s not true. But if it is, you hope he’s put away for good. Look at the guy down in Florida who should have been in jail but wasn’t and killed that little girl.
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It's not a cheap shot - it's not even a shot, Erik. He was ousted as soon as the charges were even spoken of. Obviously, not it's not okay.
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I know some people who work for BSA, and I've always been impressed with them.
This is a shame, but it sounds like BSA immediately took action, which is good.
I just hate that there are people out there like that at all. It really burns me up to hear of children being exploited.
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Thanks, CT, but I'm not personally affected. I don't know anything more than what is reported in the article, and I haven't met the person in question - different department. It's bad for kids exploited along the way, and it's bad for BSA in general. I think they handled as best as possible under the circumstances, though.
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I know. It's just another downer, and on some days dealing with such things hits you harder than others. I was feeling for the "oh, CRAP!!" part of you.
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I read about this earlier this morning. It's such a sad thing. I thought about making a thread about it, but didn't want it to seem like "Hey Kat, check out the perv you had working there with you!". I guess I'm glad you didn't know the guy.
quote: I told ya! I told ya! Them there queers just ain't to be trusted.
Please tell me you were being ironic. I'd hate to have to once again point out that homosexuality and pedophilia are two very separate and very distinct phenomena.
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And Kat, I'm sorry, too. I'm an Eagle Scout and still believe there are many good aspects to the scouting program.
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quote: Please tell me you were being ironic. I'd hate to have to once again point out that homosexuality and pedophilia are two very separate and very distinct phenomena.
I admit that I tend to ignore jebus when he's being ludicrous like this, but I am ashamed that none of us called him on that already.
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I haven't noticed any changes in Jeebsy lately. He's being his normal, Jebus self. I think you guys just take him too seriously.
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Oh, I wasn't surprised he said it, T. I feel bad that I just dismissed it instead of saying something. Because it is incredibly inappropriate and offensive, and the fact that it probably is so on purpose doesn't mean it should just be ignored.
And Uhleeuh, he claims to be serious, how else are we supposed to take him? Like a child who shouldn't be held accountable for his own actions?
Posts: 7954 | Registered: Mar 2004
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I'm not going to pretend to know what Jebus thinks or believes, but I didn't read it as him being serious. I took it to mean two things: 1)that some people will make the false connection between pedophilia and homosexuality and 2)as a comment closely related to what Erik Slaine said above, only replace agnostics/athiests with homosexuals. I could just be misinterpreting, it's been known to happen.
And Eljay, Jebus is a sarcastic guy and I'm pretty sure that was another case of it. But like I said before, I could be wrong. Take him as seriously as you would like.
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*grins* Pick your fights Eljay - if I got into a proverbial scrap every time someone said something that offended me, I'd never be able to afford bail.
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Uhleeuh, just because jebus is often over-the-top sarcastic doesn't mean he should get a free pass for his offensive comments, does it?
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No, I don't think he should be able to go around offending people but at the same I happen to think he was making a comment on the organization-which has policies I find much more offensive than Jeebus' comment, but that's not the topic here- and not on homosexuals or homosexuality being wrong/evil/pedophiles/etc...so, I honestly don't think taking it at face value is a wise move. *shrug*
edit: I took Jebus' comment as supportive of homosexuals. But it's all in the interpretation.
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See, T, for me it's a question of manners. This particular issue is not one that affects me too much personally. It does affect KarlEd and Telp personally, among others. So I would consider it the gracious thing to do to comment on the inappropriateness of this first, so they either a) didn't have to or b) know in advance that they are supported here, and can comment without feeling alone.
Not that I think either of them would need that support. But it's always nice to have it, and, like I said, it's the kind of way I want to act. Proper manners.
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In retrospect, I should have just ignored it like everyone else. My first instinct was to do so. I didn't listen. Posts: 6394 | Registered: Dec 1999
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I don't understand why anyone takes Jeebsy seriously when he makes remarks like that - he is well known for being sarcastic.
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I read the comment the way Uhleeuh did: support for homosexuals and criticism of the BSA, phrased sarcastically.
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My second thought was that it might have been meant ironically, that's why I worded my first post the way I did. Jebus replied that he was serious. It's very possible that he was still being ironic or just trying to stir something up. If the former, a smiley might have helped. If the latter, I'm sorry I took the bait.
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quote:It's very possible that he was still being ironic or just trying to stir something up.
Yeah. Both, I think. No smilies, because it isn't about you, it's about how riled up he can get people. Posts: 13680 | Registered: Mar 2002
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Katie, I'm really sorry about that. I don't think it's the organization's fault that this stuff happens.
But my boys will never be scouts. Not because of one incident like this, but because several former boyscouts of my acquaintance have told me they were molested during scouting activites, and strongly suggested against letting my kids join.
Maybe I just happen to know every single molested boyscout personally, and it isn't that common, but the fact that I have come in contact with several... I choose to take it as a warning from the universe at large directed at me and my boys personally.
I was a girl scout for many years, so I know scouting can be great, but they can learn most of that stuff from their dad and they have other social outlets.
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I'll chime in with - I had a mixed experience with Scouting, but that was because of other Scouts and not the adults.
As a general rule, we always had at least three adults on any particular excursion, all of them parents of kids in the troop itself.
But you have to do what feels right for you Olive - and if you're not comfortable with the notion of your boys in Scouts, go with it.
That said, I had fun mucking through the woods, white-water rafting and rappelling - even if my dad told me to jump out of a window with a rope that wasn't tied off. But that's another story.
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It really burns me up to hear of children being exploited.
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Thanks, CT, but I'm not personally affected. I don't know anything more than what is reported in the article, and I haven't met the person in question - different department. It's bad for kids exploited along the way, and it's bad for BSA in general. I think they handled as best as possible under the circumstances, though.
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