July 23rd, 2004 - Friday 2:14 PM PST
We don't typically publicize our arrests, but the media in Louisiana is running this story tonight and tomorrow, so there isn't much of a choice but to make mention of some details regarding the news in Louisiana.
Over the last 48 hours, an individual named Carl Barcelona was arrested in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He is better known as Ian Osbourne in music circles, a southern-style rocker who is currently with the Voodoo Hounds, and formerly an individual who has done gigs with numerous other bands. Mr. Barcelona hit up Perverted-Justice.com contributor Jay Alternative in a chat-room, then proceeded to chat sexually, and expressed a want for the 14 year old male Jay was portraying to come live with him.
After doing the phone verification on Mr. Barcelona/Osbourne, we then contacted the Baton Rouge Police Department. Working pro-actively with the BRPD and the FBI, a meeting was set at a bus depot for the boy and Mr. Barcelona. Over a period of four hours, PeeJ Contributor and Phone Verifier Harvey set up the meeting. Barcelona arrived and was quickly arrested by the FBI and BRPD.
We at Perverted-Justice.com would like to thank the FBI and BRPD for their cooperation in getting a dangerous individual out of chat-rooms in the Louisiana area. Mr. Barcelona will be facing serious counts and we are happy to help the police take this dangerous individual down.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email admin@perverted-justice.com or feedback@perverted-justice.com. The entire chatlog between Barcelona and our contributor Jay will be posted as soon as we are cleared to do so by the BRPD.
July 13th, 2004 - Tuesday 9:43 AM PST
Yesterday, I received a great email from Police Chief William J. Corbett. I asked permission to post the letter publicly, and that request was approved. We thank Chief Corbett and all the officers of the Port Huron Police Force for their pro-active nature, and dedication to serving their community.
----------Begin Letter----------
July 12, 2004
Perverted-Justice.com
admin@perverted.justice.com
Re: Raymond Dooley Case #04-1043
Several weeks ago, a criminal court case was brought before the Circuit Court of St. Clair County that was unprecedented in its nature and scope. This unusual case began when a group of concerned volunteers, posing as young girls, began scanning internet sites looking for sexual predators.
Once they established a rapport with one of these criminals, the role players arranged a rendezvous with the suspect at a predetermined location. When the predator arrived to meet his victim, he was met by a camera toting news crew who confronted him on his mission to seduce underage females. After the initial confrontation, the suspect information was transmitted to local law enforcement agencies. In this instance, it resulted in the arrest and conviction of Raymond Dooley for Communicating with Another to Commit Crime.
You played a very significant role in this unique investigation, both prior to and during the trial. Your dedication to eliminating sexual predators from the internet and providing testimony which assisted in incarcerating them behind prison walls is sincerely appreciated by all of us.
On behalf of all of the Officers of the Port Huron Police Department, and the residents we serve, we thank you for your civic minded efforts to make our community a safer place to live.
Sincerely,
Chief William J. Corbett
Port Huron Police Department
----------End Letter----------
We thank Chief Corbett for his thanks, and pledge to continue to uphold the high standards and quality that the police we work with have grown to expect. Good work team!
July 2nd, 2004 - Friday 1:20 PM PST
Two years ago on the fourth of July, I launched AngryGerman.com. With that, I posted a small subsite section with a single, solitary chat-log of a Portland man done by TIG. From there, we have spawned thousands of volunteers, alerted tens of thousands of individuals to this problem, and have walked much of the road to the ultimate goal: Turning into a conviction factory.
The website was never intended to be a national organization, with contributors, verifiers, and followup individuals in nearly every state. It was never intended to do some media. I distinctly remember having a conversation where we thought it would be neat to be featured in a newspaper article at some point. I also remember the early debates on whether our work could be used to put someone in jail. Oh, how things have changed! Last year at this point, we had about four hundred forum members. Now there are over ten thousand accounts.
While many of the early contributors are gone, they have been replaced by a hardy band of individuals who were forum-tested, impeccably trained and many praised by law enforcement on a private level. Individuals such as Frag, Harvey, Red, Beef, Jay and others have stepped up to take us to the next level in the past year, all whom are still going strong.
This past year saw their addition, as well as the addition of our phone verifier corps. These wonderful volunteers have the unenviable job of dealing with the scum and must always be thanked. Phone verification is an important tool that is forgotten far too many times. It drives our engine.
We also saw the creation of the Followup Forum, an addition that has probably saved more kids from offline molestation than we can know. We constantly receive emails from neighbors whose children were around the individuals posted. Neighbors that unwittingly had their children exposed to some vile people. Your work has helped protect future adults, and has helped LEO's bring cases against these people.
And of course, everyone else that helps build up the social support network of the website. Your contributions, be they only posts, help cement and solidify the foundation that the website is built upon.
In the last year, we have been featured on CNN, CBS National News, Wired, the New York Times, the New York Post, the Boston Globe, the Boston Herald, the AP numerous times, The Drudge Report, TV affliates in nearly every state of the nation, Israeli news services, Japanese news, Italian news, German news, French news, The London Times, the BBC, NPR... we have set federal precedent on the airing of faces on TV with KCTV in Kansas City. Over 100 individuals faced cameras this year, due to the work of local media and contributors working together for Group Media Busts.
In the last year, our chat-logs were admitted into evidence in a court of law, used to convict an individual, used as evidence of parole violations in two separate cases, used for the basis of countless search warrants, used by the Department of Justice, used by the FBI, used by local law enforcement all over the nation. Perverted-Justice.com volunteers have given statements and appeared in court across the nation.
Information First was launched, and has resulted in numerous law enforcement agreements across the nation, with more than fifteen cities and counties covered by the program. It has already resulted in arrests, and soon, prosecutions.
Our website was accessed 1.85 million times in the last twelve months.
And perhaps most importantly, we have seen the chilling effect we strive for in action.
There are some people in the last year whose help was in some way, invaluable. They deserve some special recognition for their efforts:
Cruel.com: Why did Perverted Justice go from 1196 visitors for July 2003 to 120,309 visitors in August of 2003? Cruel.com. Their profile of our website as the "cruel site of the day" launched the rocket that you see today, and supplied us with much of the contributor core active now.
John Mercure: This Milwaukee investigative reporter came to us with an idea of having the people we find in chats meet him at a Milwaukee house. Four individuals showed up, and from there, millions became aware of this growing problem through our "Group Media Busts."
KPTV Portland: Our first television interview was conducted by the fine people at Fox Portland, who sent the footage out. This resulted in massive media work that helped solidify the fact that the people we run across are serious, and will show up.
The Department of Justice: Their recent press release helped end a lot of debate about what law enforcement thinks about our material. It is usable, so usable that it's worthy of press releases from the main law enforcement body here in America. Not only did that stun those against our goals, but they're still trying to find some way to discredit it.
Every volunteer in the last year: Be it followup, phone verification, contributing or simply contributing to the social atmosphere, you are the reason we have been so successful. The support of the public for this pro-active measure has been overwhelmingly heartening, each step of the way.
This last year has seen us scrape and claw for the public recognition of chat-room groomers, and the credibility that we needed. This coming year will see us expand upon the gains made in our second year, and it will see many, many more people meeting judges and courtrooms. This I know, because new cases start every week. Agreements are reached every week. And our contributors become more and more busy, each week due to it.
The site was small at this point last year... and in only one year, most of what listed occurred. Now, entering our third year, just wait and watch the positive steps and achievements this well-oiled machine makes. Year two saw us find our legs, this year will see us using them quite efficiently.
Perverted-Justice.com since June 2004:
513
Help our efforts to raise awareness to the growing problem of online pedophilia by shopping PeeJ. Hats, T-Shirts, Mugs and more.
[PeeJ Store]