Resolved FL - Port St Joe, 2 Children 96UMFL & 66UFFL, bound & gagged in photo, Jun'89

[Armchair14]

I skimmed the thread, so forgive me if they are there and I didn't see, but are the other pictures available? Out of curiosity and comparison, I'd like to see them. I don't think the girl looks like Tara, personally, which is why I'd like to see the rest. I don't see terror on the faces of these kids. They just look very...casual to me. You can't even see if they're really bound, or just hiding their hands to make it look that way.

Exactly. The voice of reason!

 

[ThePhantom]

Just for argument's sake, I don't think having a look of terror is a critical factor in analyzing this picture. If, say, the kids were drugged, or just plain exhausted, it would be hard to muster up any emotion at all. The van creeps me out. Why stage this in the back of a van on bedding with your mouth gagged and arms tied -- for shi$$ and giggles? I know some folks have a warped, even twisted sense of humor -- but as I said before, to do this one would have to have a very distorted sense of humor. Then to mail the pictures to the Pt. St. Lucie police years later -- the "joke" continues? If this is someone's idea of a joke, it's a very sick one.

 

[ThePhantom]

Does anyone know if the FBI or some other authority thinks the young woman resembles Tara?

 

[Armchair14]

Just for argument's sake, I don't think having a look of terror is a critical factor in analyzing this picture. If, say, the kids were drugged, or just plain exhausted, it would be hard to muster up any emotion at all. The van creeps me out. Why stage this in the back of a van on bedding with your mouth gagged and arms tied -- for shi$$ and giggles? I know some folks have a warped, even twisted sense of humor -- but as I said before, to do this one would have to have a very distorted sense of humor. Then to mail the pictures to the Pt. St. Lucie police years later -- the "joke" continues? If this is someone's idea of a joke, it's a very sick one.

What van?

The recent drawings almost certainly did not come from the (then) kids who took the photo years ago, but from some other idiot or idiots laughing at the cops in Port St. Joe. The photo has been before the public for years.

No, the FBI does not think it was Tara C.. They think the girl was around 15 at the time and they have dismissed the photo as staged.

 

[Mr. E]

Armchair14, do you have a link to support that the FBI has dismissed the photo? I haven't heard that.

Also, why do you say there hasn't been a shred of evidence supporting human trafficking in the US? I can think of many articles I've read, both here and on news sites, about women and children who have been forced into prostitution. Child *advertiser censored* is widely available and shared via computer. There have even been cases where children were sold by their own parents for drug money. Or am I misunderstanding what "human trafficking" really means?

 

[carbuff]

Okay, maybe there never was a van and the hoax is on the part of somebody who lives in the area?

 

[ThePhantom]

Okay then -- vehicle.

 

[Armchair14]

Armchair14, do you have a link to support that the FBI has dismissed the photo? I haven't heard that.

Also, why do you say there hasn't been a shred of evidence supporting human trafficking in the US? I can think of many articles I've read, both here and on news sites, about women and children who have been forced into prostitution. Child *advertiser censored* is widely available and shared via computer. There have even been cases where children were sold by their own parents for drug money. Or am I misunderstanding what "human trafficking" really means?

Mr. Ed,

Nice to see you again!

In regard to the FBI dismissing the photo and that the girl was estimated to be 15-16 (while Tara Calico was 19 when she went missing), I derived that from this thread; posts #3 and #1 respectively. I have no independent verification as to the FBI having definitely dismissed it or that it was the FBI which estimated the age. The most I can come up with independently is that the FBI could not conclusively determine it was a photo of Tara Calico. Perhaps you might inquire of these posters what their sources are. Perhaps I should have before repeating these claims as facts and that such was remiss of me.

(The estimated age of the girl is a re-post by the OP from The Doe Network. I don’t know whether that age estimate originated with someone at that organization or whether they got if elsewhere, perhaps from some agency of LE, perhaps the FBI.)

Nevertheless, since the FBI has definitely not confirmed that the photo was of Ms. Calico, there is absolutely no evidence that it had been her beyond a visual close resemblance. As my analysis on this thread indicates, the great bulk of the evidence indicates it was not any sort of abduction photo, but rather was a prank shot. If interested, you can read through my posts in the last few pages. I’m not going to repeat it all now.

In regard to human trafficking, perhaps we are not thinking of the same concept here. Of course there have been many kids, mostly runaways, who have gotten involved with drug and prostitution operations in a particular place, usually large metropolitan areas. These are the sort of youngsters that organizations like Covenant House try to rescue.

What I had in mind was of the type that people like Mrs. Noreen Gosch put forward on her website; bizarre, totally unproven allegations of organized rings abducting kids from their neighborhood environments and offering them as "merchandise" to the rich and powerful around the nation or even world. Some such outrageous and irresponsible allegations have implicated the military, the CIA and august figures like President Bush the Elder in their fanciful scenarios.

(Why don’t we throw in Pope John Paul II, the Reverend Billy Graham and Mother Teresa? It seems the more outrageous the allegation, the more likely many are to credit such.)

The psychological impetus for giving any credence to such absurd theories is simple: People with missing kids (quite understandably) desperately want their kids to have somehow survived. With such imagined conspiratorial organizations, there is at least a command and control structure of evil but rational people, and therefore kids might stand some chance of survival. Facing the thought of one’s kid having been abducted by the stereotypical lone pervert—and the absolutely horrendous statistics associated with such a scenario—is more than such parents can bear. As I said, I fully understand such a psychology and I deeply sympathize.

In regard to child *advertiser censored*, like yourself no doubt (unless you are or once were in LE and have had a legitimate reason for having viewed such), I have never seen films, photos or images of kids involved (willingly or otherwise) in sexual acts or with their private parts exposed. All I know about the subject is what I have read.

It is my understanding that the great bulk of such is of kids from Third (and perhaps now Second—since the fall of the Iron Curtain) World countries, especially (for some reason) Thailand. Any taken of kids from North America and Western Europe I would imagine did not involve abductions, but rather were taken by perverts (or those in it for the money) known to the kids, sometimes perhaps (as you suggest) with the complicity of drug addicted parents desperate for cash for their next fix.

 

[Armchair14]

Okay, maybe there never was a van and the hoax is on the part of somebody who lives in the area?

That is, of course, possible. However, I think it is far more likely that the kids involved were vacationers considering in what town the photo was found, the time of the year, and the fact that no one in the area apparently could tell LE who they were. If the photo was left intentionally as a prank, then it seems likely that the one who did so would have been more likely to have done so if the subjects had not been locals and thus not likely to be readily identified.

 

[tlcya]

Just as the word “assassination” is generally reserved for the murders of politicians, statesmen and great men or women like Dr. King, I believe the word “hoax” overstates the case in this context. This was simply kids (probably siblings) taking a joke shot suggesting (in their minds) a kidnapping for ransom.

After the fact, one of them (probably the kid who took the photo) left it lying around in a parking lot (probably while the family was leaving town after a week’s vacation in a popular vacation spot) as his idea of “funny.” He never intended to set off a search by LE and was probably scared if and when he (and his siblings) became aware of the result. Thus, they have kept their mouths shut to this day.

As for your van idea, there is nothing whatsoever that I can see from the photo that indicates it was taken in a van or any other vehicle. I believe it was a motel room. The entire suggestion of a van comes from the testimony of the person who found the photo and turned it over to LE that he or she had seen a van pulling away from a parking spot (at a convenience store) where the photo was found. The witness said he or she did not know if the photo came from the person or people inside the van. Convenience stores have vehicles pull in and out constantly and the photo might have been there for any length of time before it was discovered, while numerous vehicles were parked over it or while it blew around in the wind.

Again, despite all the hype about “human trafficking,” there has never been a credible shred of evidence of human trafficking in the United States.

Almost all youngsters abducted by strangers are victims of lone pedophiles. Only in very rare instances has one been known to kidnap and hold two unrelated youngsters simultaneously; and in both of the only cases I am aware of (Steven Stayner and Shawn Hornbeck), they were under very unusual circumstances and took place years apart (after the original victims outgrew their desirability for the perp.). In both cases, the second victims were the same type as the original ones, young boys. It seems highly unlikely that a pedophile would be interested in two youngsters of the disparate ages and opposite sexes as are the young people in this photo.

I do not believe the girl in the photo is Tara. I do not know if the children in this photo were abducted or if the photo itself is some sort of hoax. I do know, the photo disturbs and concerns me.

as to the BBM portionof your post, I disagree. The statement that there is no evidence of human trafficking existing in the US comes from a 2007 Washington Post article. Just because it is an article, I do not believe that makes it so.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_trafficking_in_the_United_States

snipped from link

Human trafficking in the United States has become a serious social problem in many parts of the country, and both federal and state authorities have taken measures to prevent it

and snipped further on

The Associated Press reports, based on interviews in California and in Egypt, that trafficking of children for domestic labor in the U.S. is an extension of an illegal but common practice in Africa. Families in remote villages send their daughters to work in cities for extra money and the opportunity to escape a dead-end life. Some girls work for free on the understanding that they will at least be better fed in the home of their employer. This custom has led to the spread of trafficking, as well-to-do Africans accustomed to employing children immigrate to the U.S.

I have no idea if the children pictured are victims of human trafficking. But I find your blanket statement that there has never been a shred of evidence suggesting that human trafficking exists in the US alarming.

 

[CarlK90245]

I guess it's all how you define human trafficking. But as I understand the term, it is the kidnapping for use in slavery and prostitution, regardless of whether it is across international borders.

Here's an article regarding human trafficking that Meagan of Charley Project put on her blog.

http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15994173?nclick_check=1

 

[Reannan]

I am on the fence about this photo, but fell off the fence a long time ago about human trafficking. I also find the photo disturbing and I am not ready to outright dismiss it as a hoax. At the same time, I see a lot of the reasons that it could be a hoax. If it is a hoax, and the people who were involved are scared of coming forward, they should realize that they could probably sell their story BIG time and not get in any trouble for it. It isn't against the law to be a teenager and take stupid pictures and then leave them laying around gas stations. As for human trafficking, I will never, ever, hear that word again without seeing the beautiful face of Shania Davis in her white dress.....and I won't forget that grainy photo of the man she was trafficked to holding her in front of the elevator of the motel room he eventually assaulted her in. She was then taken out of that motel and asphyxiated before being dumped on the side of the road. I think the definition of "human trafficking" conjures up scenes with blindfolded females and males forced into filthy brothels in third world countries. Shania was literally "the little girl next door" and the trafficking happened in a decent motel in North Carolina!!! Sadly, I think there are a lot of drug addicts that pimp out their children and the kids suffer in silence. Many of the kids survive physically, but forever live a life of psychological agony. Please keep up the debate about this photograph. The discussion is fascinating and helpful.

http://abcnews.go.com/WN/accused-shaniya-davis-kidnapper-charged-murder-rape/story?id=9136407

 

[Armchair14]

Ticox and Carl:

Please understand that when I denied that there was no evidence for the existence of human trafficking in the United States, I was not thinking along the lines of the classic pimp/prostitute relationship and runaway kids. I was thinking along the lines of organized rings abducting kids from their neighborhoods and catering to pedophiles as asserted by Mrs. Gosch and others. Please see my response to Mr. Ed (#168).

One of the charities I formerly supported was Covenant House. I became disillusioned when I spoke to someone who worked at one of their facilities and learned that many of the youngsters they provided relief for would habitually—and voluntarily—come from and then return to the streets, drugs and prostitution. This was certainly not the charity’s fault, but this was not the situation I had envisioned. I thought once these kids were taken in, they were permanently removed from such an environment and were provided the benefits necessary to regain a normal life and future.

I shall read both your links tonight as I am educable. In the meantime, here is one for you to read and consider as well:

http://www.newstatesman.com/books/2008/03/sex-women-trafficking-agustin

 

[tlcya]

ty armchair, for your response, I see I was misunderstanding the intent behind your post. I must say, I agree that it is doubtful that the photographed children who are the topic of this thread are victims of human trafficking. I think it may be the least likely of all the alternate possible explainations of this origins of this photo. I do not discount human traffiking out of hand, I simply believe it is not among the more likely scenerios in this case.

Ty also for the link, I must admit it was an interesting read. I also found the comments interesting as the article seems to have touched off a lively debate.

 

[Mr. E]

Armchair14, thanks for your response. I had only been able to verify that the FBI had not said conclusively that the girl in the photo is Tara Calico, also, but I wondered if you had other information. I'm not willing to discount the photo as simply staged, though. Until I hear otherwise, I'm going to take the photo for what it seems: two bound children who appear to be in distress.

I've never seen child *advertiser censored*, but I have spoken to people in law enforcement who have seen it, and I have no reason not to believe them. Then, too, I've read accounts of people who claim to have been a part of a child *advertiser censored* ring. Sometimes the accounts are outlandish -- Cathy O'Brien's horrific tales come to mind; sometimes the accounts are more believable, like this woman who spoke anonymously of her life in a child *advertiser censored* ring -- she says her stepfather got her involved at a young age, and others involved were members of the community. Either people like that are telling the truth and it's terrible that these things exist in the world, or they are lying, which is kind of sad that someone would make up something like that. You are right that we can't verify it without seeing it first hand, and I am actually very glad that I haven't seen anything like it. A few years ago there were edited photos of a little girl online; LE was trying to figure out who the girl was (it was a girl who had been adopted from Russia, and her "father" abused her and photographed her; she was identified through the photos, which were taken at a Disney World resort) -- I found the edited photos almost too much to view. It's like my brain was trying to figure out what had been taken out of the photos. I don't think I could handle seeing actual child *advertiser censored* photos. I don't know how people in LE do it.

 

[carbuff]

Okay then -- vehicle.

No, I meant no van or other vehicle. Based on the description of how the photo was found, it seems possible that somebody in the area -- kids, or whatever -- staged the photo and dropped it in the parking lot where somebody would think it fell out of a vehicle.

Maybe waited around until they saw a vehicle that had somebody in it who resembled their photo. An out of town cousin or something, since I assume a local girl would have been recognized.

I'm more and more inclined to the hoax theory, though who would have done it and why is a puzzle. The kids-fooling-around doesn't quite ring true with the photo for me. Something about that book. I may have to swing by the library to see if they still have a copy...

 

[ThePhantom]

Ooops, my bad. When I referenced "van," I meant, the van/vehicle in the back of which the kids were laying. I was just saying that it creeped me out that kids would lay in the back of a van/vehicle and take these shots for shiSS and giggles. Then, to send additional photographs to the police years later further adds to the strangeness of it. For whatever it's worth, I do think kids have been abducted and tied up in the back of vehicles before, and that some of them were ultimately murdered and not found. I do not think it's beyond the pale to consider that. Especially when you think about situations such as J.C. Dugard who lived in a tent in a pedophile's backyard for years with no one ever suspecting anything. Or a young lady who was abducted and forced to live in a box under a bed for years. Or young women who have been abducted and tied against basement walls by sexual predators. Or BTK doing his "thing." It all sounds so bizarre, does it not? Of course I cannot prove that the pictures were not staged, but why keep the gag going for so many years? The police also cannot verify the pictures are a simple hoax...can they?

 

[ThePhantom]

"The recent drawings almost certainly did not come from the (then) kids who took the photo years ago" -- by recent drawings, do you mean recent pictures? I'm now referencing the picture of the young boy that was sent to the Pt. St. Lucie police dept.

 

[ThePhantom]

We know the FBI examined the photo, but they never declared it a hoax. I also found this statement: "He (police officer on the case) does believe the letters' New Mexico postmark and arrival near the 20th anniversary of the day the original Polaroid was found might be more than a coincidence.

 

[ThePhantom]

"Nobody knows for sure if it was a setup," Nugent said. "Some people think it was a staged photograph, but it was a real look of fear to me." Fear is in the eye of the beholder, perhaps?