http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/08/29/sex.professor.ap/index.html

Quote :

"PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (AP) -- An Ivy League professor has been arrested for the third time in 11 years on child sex charges, in this case over video that allegedly shows him engaging in sex acts with boys. Because of the charges, L. Scott Ward, a professor emeritus at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business, was being stripped of his teaching assignments, spokeswoman Lori N. Doyle said Tuesday. "We have made arrangements to ensure that he will not be teaching at the Wharton School or elsewhere at the University this semester and he will not teach at Penn in the future," Doyle said of the retired professor. Ward, 63, was arrested Sunday after arriving at Washington's Dulles airport on a flight from Brazil, federal authorities said. He drew the attention of federal agents because of his unusual number of trips to Thailand, a destination for people seeking sex with minors, according to an affidavit released Monday. Agents examined his laptop computer and found a video showing two children who looked to be as young as 8 engaged in sexual activity, authorities alleged in the affidavit. Agents also found video recordings of Ward involved in sex acts with boys who look to be about 14 to 16, the affidavit said. Ward appeared in federal court Monday in Alexandria, Virginia, and was being held pending charges, Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Dean Boyd said. Ward's attorney, federal public defender Meghan Skelton, declined to comment Tuesday. In 1995, a jury acquitted Ward of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and deadlocked on other charges after his lawyer showed a videotape of the main witness appearing to try to extort a bribe from the defendant. In 1999, Ward was accused of soliciting sex from a 23-year-old undercover state trooper posing as a 15-year-old boy. He entered an Alford plea, which means he pleaded guilty while not admitting he committed the crimes of attempting to promote prostitution and corrupt minors. He said he was innocent but made the plea to avoid another trial. He was fined $2,500 and given five years of probation. "

Ok, so besides being totally fucked up...

This is interesting because the witness tried to blackmail him so they dropped the charges? The fact that he was guilty is precisely why the guy tried to blackmail him! Oh well, thanks for letting a child rapist go on a technicality so he could do it again and again.

8/30/2006 8:10:11 AM

Another case of having a bangin' lawyer.

8/30/2006 8:33:53 AM

the 2nd time he got busted, for trying to pick up a 23 year old POSING as a 15 yr old?? wtf is that shit? It is not really a crime if the undercover was actually 23, right?


If a girl tells me she's 14 + I proceed to have sex w/her, then find out she's really 24... it's not statutory rape. I dont' get it.

8/30/2006 8:37:16 AM

selling fake drugs is still a crime.

8/30/2006 8:53:38 AM

FanatiK, it is a crime to solicit someone you think is a minor.
They changed that rule so that they could catch perverts BEFORE they fuck 8 year olds.

Don't you watch dateline?

8/30/2006 9:04:54 AM

Quote :

"It is not really a crime if the undercover was actually 23, right?"

Seems like it shouldn't be, perhaps, but they get people for that all the time (especially on the internet.) People are also arrested for talking to undercover cops posing as prostitutes or hitmen.

I'm more interested in the "unusual number of trips to Thailand" part. Is that probable cause for the police to search his computer?

8/30/2006 9:12:48 AM

Um yes, since, like 50% of american travelers to thailand are going there to solicit child sex. Don't you watch dateline?

8/30/2006 10:01:55 AM

seriously, who goes to Thailand for fun if it doesnt invovle sex with 8 year olds?

8/30/2006 10:03:02 AM

Quote :

"I'm more interested in the "unusual number of trips to Thailand" part. Is that probable cause for the police to search his computer? "

For those twice convicted of sex with children (or crimes related)

Yeah, I think so.

8/30/2006 10:41:29 AM

liberals.

8/30/2006 10:47:39 AM

liberals go to thailand for fun?

8/30/2006 11:07:47 AM

What i wanna know is how the undercover "posed" as a 15 year old boy.

8/30/2006 2:41:07 PM

REALLY simple

In a chat room

"Hi, I'm a 15 year old boy"
pervert "Hey there, pics? Wanna fuck? I like assplay"

8/30/2006 3:23:19 PM

i dig some assplay

8/30/2006 3:37:39 PM

Who doesn't? But you gotta stay away from the 15 year olds

8/30/2006 3:39:07 PM

no homo

8/30/2006 3:45:51 PM

Quote :

"Um yes, since, like 50% of american travelers to thailand are going there to solicit child sex."

Fair enough, but for a search warrant, don't they need more evidence than "visited country where people do illegal activities"?

8/30/2006 10:35:17 PM

Well, lets look at it this way.

There's this crack-house/museum. Half the people come in for crack, the other half are there to visit museum exhibits.

One guy, who comes 3 or 4 time a week (can't get enough of that museum, eh?) has also been convincted on more than one occasion of being a crack-dealer.

Do you really need more evidence than that? I mean, if they search the guy for crack and find nothing...let him back to enjoy the museum. But when the search him, they find a lot of crack...

In this case, crack of 8 year old ass in child porn...

8/31/2006 7:47:39 AM

Quote :

"Um yes, since, like 50% of american travelers to thailand are going there to solicit child sex. Don't you watch dateline?"

Huh, I thought they all sold their ranches and went to Bahrain.

8/31/2006 8:06:09 AM

Quote :

"Fair enough, but for a search warrant, don't they need more evidence than "visited country where people do illegal activities"?"

Quote :

"I'm more interested in the "unusual number of trips to Thailand" part. Is that probable cause for the police to search his computer?"

I'm assuming it was customs, who has the right to pilfer through your things when you cross international borders. I'm sure one of the things you are forbidden to import from Thailand is child pornography.

8/31/2006 8:39:09 AM

Quote :

"One guy, who comes 3 or 4 time a week (can't get enough of that museum, eh?) has also been convincted on more than one occasion of being a crack-dealer."

It's quite suspicious, sure, but given how American law seems to respect privacy, I thought they'd need something more. And he actually only had one conviction and his probation ended two years ago.

Quote :

"I'm assuming it was customs, who has the right to pilfer through your things when you cross international borders."

Article doesn't say it was at customs, and I'm not sure if they're supposed to search software. Good things to consider though.

8/31/2006 10:45:57 AM

I do stand corrected on the number of convictions...although the other arrest would have resulted in a conviction if it weren't for a douche move by the lead witness.

8/31/2006 11:09:01 AM