My Complicated Situation & How Allen West Might Be Able To Help

The Situation
For any of you who have been following my blog or are my friends on facebook, you should already know a little bit about the issue at hand.

The short version of it goes like this: During a tough time in my life, I became friends with some unsavory characters, a gay couple that I met up with for sex. In the course of my friendship with them, I discovered that they collected, dealt and possibly even produced their own child pornography. After some serious consideration, I decided to take this issue to the FBI. The FBI launched an investigation and I was considered a “CI” (confidential informant).

Since that time, the case has seemingly been dropped. But this is over a year after I risked everything (and lost) by stealthily soliciting a DVD/CD with over 30 disgustingly hardcore videos and images of children being abused in ways that I will not describe on this blog. The FBI and Fort Lauderdale Police raided the men’s home while they were supposedly away on vacation as part of the investigation and recovered even more evidence against these men.

Since then, week after week and month after month went by and nothing else happened. The FBI stopped being as forthcoming with information as they had been. They changed my contact agent on me two different times and returned my calls less frequently. I have not been contacted by the FBI in about 4 months. I feel like I was basically hung out to dry.

I went before the Broward Human Trafficking Coalition and told of my case to anyone there who would listen to me. The Dolphin Democrats invited me to speak at one of their monthly meetings so that I could direct people to my blog and give them more information about the case.

I spoke to child safety advocates from around the country online and on the phone about the issue and discussed it with the Broward County Sheriff’s Department as well. An interesting conversation with an anonymous (only because I can’t remember his name) Sheriff’s Office employee, revealed something that I think everyone should know. Evidently, according to this unnamed source, there are only 6 or 7 “processing centers” in the United States where law enforcement can take recovered computers and electronics to have them probed for evidence in child pornography cases. These places are supposedly like warehouses and they are all back-logged for years because child pornography is THAT prevalent in our society and they just don’t have the manpower or funding to process all of these computers!

That being said, this particular case is probably NOT being held up for that reason. The FBI officially released me from CI status in a phone call a few months ago and told me that their investigation was complete. My contact agent told me the same thing: “The investigation is over and we have plenty of evidence to convict at least one of the two men. We know we have enough to get David [, the one who handed you the disc.]”

The question remains: Why would it take YEARS longer to indict one or two men for AT LEAST the possession of child pornography when there is plenty of solid evidence against them AND eye-witness testimony that can be used in court?

The Media

I’ve also spoken to reporters and publishers about this issue. The first person I discussed this issue with was my publisher, Norm Kent. At that time, I was the News Editor at South Florida Gay News. I was on thin ice with him at the time because of another issue and he seemed concerned that I was showing up to work sporadically and not performing at full capacity. I explained to him that I wasn’t getting any sleep and told him why. I even offered to write the story up for the paper when the investigation was complete. He responded by bringing in my replacement, Jason Parsley, and then firing me.

I can’t pretend to know exactly why Norm fired me. I have my suspicions but this is just the nuts and bolts of it.

The next reporter that I discussed the case with (after I was told the investigation was complete) was a woman who showed up at the Broward Human Trafficking Coalition meeting. Her name was Lisa Lucas and she claimed to be writing an in-depth article for Boca Magazine. She said she had written extensively about Human Trafficking and child abuse and that she was very interested in covering my story and that it had to be done quickly. My experience with her was rather ridiculous and unhelpful.

First Lucas said she wanted to interview me – I agreed to be interviewed at any time. Then she said the magazine would let me write my own story as a sidebar and that since I was previously a News Editor, it could lead to a permanent job at the publication. Speaking from her illustrious experience as a member of the “Society of Professional Journalists”, she told me that in order to get some press (and in turn, advocacy) around this issue, I would have to go into all the gory details and write a heart-wrenching piece for her. So that’s exactly what I did… and then she disappeared.

It was only later that I found out that Lisa Lucas was not operating as a writer for Boca Magazine as she claimed, but rather as a friend of Jason Parsley – the guy who replaced me at SFGN (South Florida Gay News). When I finally got her to call me back and respond to what I had written for her, she claimed that she was recovering from an aneurism and that my story would go to press very soon… Of course, it never did. If Ms. Lucas was indeed suffering from an aneurism, I apologize and hope she makes a speedy recovery.

Lastly, I spoke to Jay Weaver at the Miami Herald. He had written an article about the head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement for South Florida who was discovered to have received child pornography via email on his home computer. I remembered that the two men whom I had reported to authorities told me that they had “friends everywhere” and could take trips to Cuba and Prague where they could “pay little boys five dollars to do whatever [they] wanted”.

When Mr. Weaver called me back, he seemed more interested in the fact that AOL had reported this ICE agent to authorities. He was interested in whether or not I knew anything about AOL’s method of intercepting illegal emails. What Mr. Weaver was apparently NOT interested in was the likely possibility that my story and his could share a connection.

So, the Miami Herald has a story about a man who’s only known to have received 4 pictures via email and this is “big news” to them. Meanwhile, they neglect a story about two men who owned hundreds of high quality videos of children, toddlers and even infants being sexually abused when I’m telling them that I was a witness to these events… The news is apparently not the news until the government says it is…

The Government

So far, Government has been about as helpful as a sharp stick in the eye. I’ve spoken to Congressional Aides, Sheriff’s Officers, FBI Agents, State-Level leaders of efforts to combat Human Trafficking, and City Police and have come up empty-handed on all counts. The ONLY thing I NEED TO HAPPEN is for the two men that I turned in to authorities to see the inside of a courtroom. Once that happens, my good samaritan task is completed and I can go on with my life… Until it does happen, I am left wondering what happened to my country and my faith in humanity.
After I coaxed a response from the offices of Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) I received a call from Jon Pyatt, Mrs. Schultz’ Deputy Chief of Staff. I was pleasantly surprised that he took time out of his hectic schedule to discuss my concerns with me. The congresswoman sits on the Intelligence Oversight Committee and her district is right next door, so this, in my mind, makes her the person who could see to it that whatever went wrong goes right. To further identify Mrs. Shultz as the perfect candidate to help me resolve my issue, child safety and the capture of predators is an issue that she has introduced legislation on and sought funding for.

Mr. Pyatt explained to me that if the congresswoman were to look specifically at my case - or to “cherry pick” as they say – it could be perceived as a lapse in ethics. Evidently, members of an oversight panel in congress can only look at an aggregate of investigations or Federal cases and can’t ethically zone in on a specific case… unless of course, the issue is specific to THEIR constituents. This brings me to my next attempt at ensuring that justice is served.

I contacted the offices of Allen West (R-FL) who was freshly elected in 2010 as part of the Tea Party revolution. Anybody who has been reading my blog or following me on facebook will know how I feel about conservative Republicans and thus what a stretch it is for me to go to these lengths. But as I explained to my friends – I refuse to draw a political line in the sand when it comes to the safety and protection of children. I need help from Mr. West because the criminals that I reported and helped to investigate happen to live in his district.

The offices of Allen West directed me to their website where I downloaded a form that authorizes him to investigate me and my situation as it pertains to the US Attorney’s Office. If he looks into this case and can determine that an indictment should have been handed down to these two men – we may finally have this ball rolling…

I have filled out Mr. West’s advocacy request form and he should be receiving it shortly. I only hope that my incessantly partisan blogging for Team Obama will not prejudice him against me. I hope at least that his desire to create a safe environment for kids in South Florida will rise stronger than any disfavor of liberal Democrats he might harbor.

Wish me luck – and as always, I’ll keep you updated!
-Jarrett Terrill
floridasqueezed@gmail.com

UPDATE (01-08-2012): DAVID BARCENAS GUILTY PLEA! (Now how about Stephen R. Morse?)

My Personal Endorsements for South Florida's Election in 2010

Jarrett Terrill is the News Editor at SFGN (South Florida Gay News) and a registered Democrat.

I limited myself to making endorsements in the races that I am very familiar with. If a campaign that you are a part of has not received an endorsement from me, it doesn’t necessarily mean anything other than that I don’t want to mislead people by making endorsements without all the facts. Now, with that being said…

For the US Senate, I endorse Kendrick Meek because of his solid Democratic platform, his refusal to put special interests ahead of his fellow Floridians and his unwavering support for LGBT Equality.

For US Representative District 23, I endorse Alcee Hastings. Hastings has also routinely gone to bat for equal rights and he has never let me down. He dares to bring much needed legislation to the floor where others might fear how it will affect their campaigns.

For US Representative District 20, I endorse Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who has without a doubt been a trailblazer for civil rights and equality in the House of Representatives. Schultz is a family woman who values safety for children and economic security for their families. Her constant advocacy and media appearances played a huge role in garnering support for passing the Mathew Shepard Act and keeping the repeal of unconstitutional laws like the Defense of Marriage Act on the table.

For Governor of Florida I endorse Michael E. Arth, an Independent candidate. While I break with my party on this endorsement, and while Alex Sink is a great candidate with many of my closest friends supporting her, I just really like Michael E. Arth that much better. He has brilliant ideas and isn’t afraid to be truly liberal in a time when other politicians are becoming rather fascist in their conservatism. Arth has written books, made documentary films, traveled Florida, and run a clean, honest campaign. Unlike his opponents, he supports FULL equality for all people – regardless of gender or orientation. He is an artist and an entrepreneur and he is also the only candidate who has addressed our state’s homeless population. While it’s very important to beat Rick Scott (possibly the worst candidate for governor we’ve ever had) and I believe that Alex Sink CAN beat him – I must support Michael E. Arth because he more strongly represents my personal beliefs and ideals.

For Attorney General, I endorse Dan Gelber.

For Broward County Commission District 4, I endorse Ken Keechl. He has a reputation for keeping a balanced budget, he is concerned about environmental affairs and emergency preparation and he most certainly will do everything he can to make sure that Broward County stays inclusive for ALL types of families and individuals. With this endorsement, it’s all about Keechl’s experience on the commission and the various boards, committees and associations he has worked with. His opponents just can’t duplicate his working knowledge of Broward County.

Most importantly in this election, I endorse Amendments 5 & 6. Both of these Amendments arose from grassroots campaigning for better re-districting in Florida and discussions nationwide about the fact that voters should be picking their candidates and not the other way around. If you don’t know what Gerrymandering is, let it just suffice to say that Florida is full of it… When career politicians get to re-draw the districts in their favor, it breeds corruption. Please, if you go to the polls for only one reason, make it to vote YES on 5 & 6.


Photo above: Congressman Kendrick Meek with Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz /Photo by Jarrett Terrill

BSO Hates Hate Crimes (therefore doesn't report them?)

Want to know how to commit a hate crime in Broward County and get away with it?
Easy. Just don't call it a hate crime when the cops come to arrest you.

Last week, I attempted to yank on Sheriff Lamberti's chain for getting together with the Dolphin Democrats in an effort to assure us all that he is dedicated to stopping hate crimes in Broward County. Over the weekend, Dani Moschella, the Sheriff's Public Relations Officer returned my calls made before the post.

According to Moschella, "Sheriff Lamberti is committed to stopping hate crimes [and so is] everyone else [at BSO]." She assured me that the Broward County Sheriff's Office is doing everything within their power to investigate, deter, and otherwise stop hate crimes and that Craig Cohen's murder did not (at the time of investigation) turn up the requisite evidence to report it as a hate crime.

"So, what evidence do they need?" I asked her.

The answer was complicated, as expected. Moschella struck me as a sincere person who was dedicated to her office. She told me that because of Lamberti's efforts, BSO is one of the few agencies in Florida that even has a Hate Crimes Task Force. She believes (perhaps rightly) that Broward County is way ahead of the curve when it comes to tackling hate crimes in Florida.

(UPDATES 09/04/09 - Commander Wierzbicki returned my calls today and offered new information - see below.)

Wierzbicki, a member of the Dolphin Democrats (a gay democratic organization), has made comments to local papers that seem to be directed at those who wish to see Craig Cohen's murder reported as a hate crime. Most recently, he told the Sun Sentinel that "You don't just throw hate crime charges on a wall and hope they stick. This attack just doesn't fit the criteria for those charges."

In an email to me, the public information office told me to expect a call back from Wierzbicki. At first I was personally offended that Weirzbicki has concluded that those of us who are brave enough to call a spade a spade are "throwing things at the wall and hoping they stick". This seemed rather accusatory and defensive, especially considering that it does not address the specifics of the case. (see updates below)

Wierzbicki has addressed specifics of the case before, at which point he disappointingly did not address what strikes us as the most obvious evidence (the easily concluded sexuality of the victims and the plans formulated by the perpetrators) to say that there was no evidence that a hate crime had occured. Wierzbicki even went so far as to imply that they would need the murderers themselves to spell it out for them before they could have enough evidence by his calculations. A local rabble-rouser named Scott Hall, who is often seen at gay events with large photographs of murdered gay people looming around him, pointed out the hypocrisy of Weirzbicki's deflection by saying that if the same thing had happened to an African American person, we'd be looking at a different outcome.

9/5/09 - Speaking to Wierzbicki, he says that he and his department believed it to be a hate crime at first as well, but the evidence wasn't there. This is probably where Wierzbicki is in the uncomfortable position of not being able to give his opinion on the matter because of his position. It would most likely be illegal for a commander or officer to give an opinion to media persons which conflicts with the evidence at hand.

According to BSO (via Moschella), while they express their commitment to stopping hate crimes, the hard evidence is what matters in classifying hate crimes as such. The philosophy behind gathering this evidence varies greatly from person to person at the Broward Sheriff's Office. According to some, they believe it necessary to think in terms of what a jury is likely to convict on (which obviously stems from rhetoric used by States Attorneys). According to others, hate crimes are reported if the evidence matches enough of the bullet points on some mythical 'evidence of a hate crime checklist'. If such a document exists, I have not seen it, despite all efforts to locate one.

According to state law (see pg 6), a hate crime is when the perpetrator intentionally selects the victim based on one or more of the following characteristics: race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sexual orientation, advanced age, or mental/physical disability. It's a vague definition at best and the operative word in the attack on Cohen is "intentionally".

In the case of Craig Cohen's murder, the kind of evidence that would be needed to classify it as a hate crime might be something like this:

Officer: Hey, was this by any chance a hate crime because Cohen was gay?
Assailant: Why yes, yes it was. I hate gays.

This is the ridiculous sort of scenario that I imagine when I look at these situations in the way they are being described to me by officials. It defies logic that the requisite evidence of a hate crime is, foremostly, even required for reporting one and secondly, reliant mostly upon the perpetrator of a hate crime to give themselves away.

Since the murderers (who had already spoken to their attorneys by the time the words "hate crime" were uttered by anyone) were wise enough to avoid saying anything in official records about Cohen (or their other victim, Villanova) being gay, the murder is said to be one of 'everyday garden variety'. (09-04-09 -According to Wierzbicki, he is not sure if the perpetrators spoke to their attorneys before they were questioned but it doesn't seem likely in light of the fact that they discussed their motivations with Sheriff's officers at all.)

Evidently, BSO is not required (or wasn't at the time of investigation) to gather evidence of a possible hate crime by interviewing other people who know the attackers (teachers, neighbors, parents, friends, or church fellows). The perpetrators of this crime also viciously attacked another gay man (near a gay bar in a gay neighborhood) the same night. The discovery that the attackers got together and smoked pot in their hometown of Deerfield Beach while discussing the idea of going to Fort Lauderdale's gay area to find a victim is apparently of no importance to anyone involved. 09-04-09 According to Wierzbicki, the Sheriff's Department circulated pictures of the attackers and originally investigated the attacks as hate crimes because of the circumstances. However, because the attackers only confessed that they were looking to "mess somebody up" for a good time, the requisite evidence was not there to charge them with a Hate Crime. It is believed (by Wierzbicki) that the attackers chose their victims only by the fact that they were walking alone. We are expected to believe that by some divine accident, the two lonesome walkers that the attackers chose out of hundreds of thousands in the state of Florida that night both happened to be gay and it was just a coincidence.

During the Matthew Shepard trial, Chastity Pasley and Kristen Price (the respective girlfriends of Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson at the time of the event) testified that Henderson and McKinney both plotted beforehand to rob a gay man. That's what sealed the fates of those murderers even before any hate crime legislation had been enacted. Hate crimes legislation is intended to bring awareness to people and declare that the United States of America does not tolerate socially-targeted hateful acts. It proves the point that some crimes are perpetrated out of hatred for any given social class and that we, as a society of civilized people find these crimes to be particularly offensive.

Unfortunately, some people don't completely get it. They believe that the point of hate crimes legislation and reporting is to issue that "extra punishment" for the perpetrators. Obviously, prosecuting attorneys have come to see the classification as a tricky bonus round in the game we call justice. The Broward Sheriff's Office seems to ascribe to that latter definition.

According to Moschella, "there isn't really any point [from a legal standpoint] in charging them with a hate crime because it is what's referred to as an 'enhancement charge' and [the attackers] were already charged with murder."

I don't think Moschella is out on a limb on this one. I'm sure this belief is popular in Tallahassee as well. It would be quite convenient for Florida's Republican legislature and the taser-happy cops of North Florida to think of hate crimes reporting as something that's sort of pointless and excessive. I don't mean to imply that Moschella is defending hate crimes - I believe her when she says that BSO takes them seriously and is concerned. But at the same time, there is evidence that BSO still might need some improvement in this department when compared to their peers. In a report issued by the Florida Attorney General's office in 2008, only 4 hate crimes were officially reported by the Broward Sheriff's Office. However, 25 hate crimes were reported by city police within Broward County.

Let's throw that last little fact at the wall and see if it sticks.

Still unclear to me until further interviews, is whether or not reporting hate crimes is only done when hate crime charges are filed. More information to follow.

This post contains updated information since the post "Queer & Loathing in Fort Lauderdale" was published. Future updates on this subject will be posted here and this post is subject to periodic edits and changes as relevant information is discovered.