MO - Six Mohler family members for child sex crimes, Bates City 2009 #4

[Missizzy]

No, TM, I don't think things have changed if Rep. Garn got a standing ovation for announcing his sexual impropriety with a young teen 25 years ago and the Utah governor called the incident "unfortunate" for the Garn family without a kind word for the victim. It does seem as if some wish the victims would just shut up and move on. I mean, take a little responsibility and all for your own abuse. Jeesh.

Thanks for the updates on the trial and hearing dates.

 

[Wintergreen]

This is a partial story with new detail that I just found this evening from the Richmond, MO newspaper:

http://www.richmond-dailynews.com/news.php?id=4350

It ends with an invitation to read the full story in the newspaper--does anyone here have access to the Richmond paper? I was especially intrigued by the cold glances BM Sr. got from his wife who was seated in the courtroom yesterday. It's refreshing to see an article that puts a human face on this story rather than following the news services who just recycle the same text!

 

[Texas Mist]

I just ran across this case from Missouri -- Five family members -- sound familiar?....apparently, altho rare -- here's another case of multiple family members that lived on a farm.

In southwest Missouri, police are investigating allegations of child sexual abuse involving church leaders and church members. Prosecutors in two counties say there are multiple victims and similar patterns of abuse.

Some of the alleged sexual contact may have been committed as part of a ritual or ceremony, crimes that are rare in the United States. NPR has reviewed extensive legal documents in these cases over several months and also talked to most of the accusers, as well as some of the accused.

The area of Missouri where the cases surfaced has been home to extremist and fringe groups in the past. Data show that a high number of cases of child sexual abuse in the same area are reported annually to the Department of Social Services. What makes this story different is that almost all the accusers — five so far — and the accused — five in total — are related by blood or marriage.

...............................

State prosecutors in Missouri have dropped child sexual abuse charges against the leaders of a small church, one week before their trial was due to begin. A defense lawyer said the charges were dropped after two of the accusers stopped cooperating with authorities.

much more here -- Several other links at the bottom of article

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16088928

ETA:

Another article says that the charges were dropped because of a technicality...looks like the vics didn't get proper notice for depositions which meant they wouldn't be allowed to testify at trial....A detective had made a formal complaint about Durbin's handling of the case.


Durbin’s handling of the cases against the Lamberts and Epling already had drawn criticism from Erin Willis, a Pineville attorney representing one of the two alleged victims in those cases.

Willis issued a statement Nov. 9 blasting Durbin’s decision to drop charges against the Lamberts and Epling. Willis alleged that Durbin had not given either of the two alleged victims proper notice of necessary deposition dates and times, which would figure into her decision to withdraw the charges.

Willis said in the statement that the alleged victims had been “ostracized” by others in their church’s community for coming forward to authorities for protection of themselves and others. She said Durbin’s decision left them “abandoned” and “deeply saddened.”

Durbin told the Globe last month that her decision to drop all counts against the Lamberts and Epling stemmed from a technical issue. The defendants had been scheduled to go to trial about a week after the charges were dismissed.

http://www.joplinglobe.com/archivesearch/local_story_338213119.html?start:int=15

 

[Texas Mist]

This is a partial story with new detail that I just found this evening from the Richmond, MO newspaper:

http://www.richmond-dailynews.com/news.php?id=4350

It ends with an invitation to read the full story in the newspaper--does anyone here have access to the Richmond paper? I was especially intrigued by the cold glances BM Sr. got from his wife who was seated in the courtroom yesterday. It's refreshing to see an article that puts a human face on this story rather than following the news services who just recycle the same text!

Thanks for that link, Wintergreen....I was just wishing today that local media would be covering every court appearance...too bad we don't get to watch every one of them live the way we get to watch Casey Anthony's.....watching even the 'mundane' motion hearings gives one a good feel for the attorneys & defendants...plus ya get to hear everything they say, not just the little blurbs of info that overworked reporters on tight deadlines reveal.

You're right -- we need to find a WSer who can get that newspaper for us.

I'm glad someone in that courtroom was shooting cold glances Sr's way....not sure why he's 'relaxed' in the courtroom....who can be relaxed and calm??? this is serious stuff - not a joke! grrrrrr.

Too bad I didn't get to go to that hearing....My glare has been perfected. :crazy:

 

[Wintergreen]

No, TM, I don't think things have changed if Rep. Garn got a standing ovation for announcing his sexual impropriety with a young teen 25 years ago and the Utah governor called the incident "unfortunate" for the Garn family without a kind word for the victim. It does seem as if some wish the victims would just shut up and move on. I mean, take a little responsibility and all for your own abuse. Jeesh.

Hi Missizzy--I may have missed something in the last few weeks but what is the backstory behind this guy? You have a gift for making links that seem to get past someone like me!

 

[Wintergreen]

Thanks for that link, Wintergreen....I was just wishing today that local media would be covering every court appearance...too bad we don't get to watch every one of them live the way we get to watch Casey Anthony's.....watching even the 'mundane' motion hearings gives one a good feel for the attorneys & defendants...plus ya get to hear everything they say, not just the little blurbs of info that overworked reporters on tight deadlines reveal.

You're right -- we need to find a WSer who can get that newspaper for us.

I'm glad someone in that courtroom was shooting cold glances Sr's way....not sure why he's 'relaxed' in the courtroom....who can be relaxed and calm??? this is serious stuff - not a joke! grrrrrr.

Too bad I didn't get to go to that hearing....My glare has been perfected. :crazy:

Wow, Texas Mist! I was just getting ready to (finally) thank you for the reams of information you have posted lately and then you found this story from 2006 which I hope to have time to read! You are right, of course, about overworked reporters--so few to go around now.

As for learning about attorneys & defendants by watching even the mundane aspects of court--great insight for us greenhorns. I love your comments and wonder, too, how Sr. can be so out of touch with what is really happening around him. Is it possible the enormity of it all still hasn't hit him after all this time? If these charges are true, I guess it stands to reason that his behavior is fitting for someone who has lived two completely separate but parallel lives.

I try to imagine that glare you have perfected and I think it must be quite withering!

 

[Missizzy]

Hi Wintergreen--The story I was referring to was concerning Republican Representative Kevin Garn from Utah. I started a thread on the subject a few days ago:

GOP leader's skinny-dip confession stuns Utah

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97698&highlight=garn

Rest assured that we are not speaking of an innocent "skinny-dipping" incident. It's quite disgusting, IMO.

Texas Mist--That was quite a find!!

 

[Missizzy]

I knew this brought back memories. I remember NPR tried to do an expose on this group a couple of years ago but were turned away. I found this interesting blog:

http://grandvalleybaptistchurch.blogspot.com/

And, as you said, several links to earlier stories from NPR from 2006, listed with links at the bottom on the article:


Related NPR Stories


Missouri Church Leaders Accused of Child-Sex Abuse
Dec. 14, 2006
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6622525&ps=rs


Child Sex-Abuse Cases Rock Ozarks Religious Group
Dec. 14, 2006
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6625955&ps=rs



Church Group Recalls Life Before Sex Abuse Charges
Dec. 15, 2006
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6632499&ps=rs


Covering a 'Complicated' Story in Missouri
Dec. 16, 2006
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6635159&ps=rs



Nobody can say that NPR didn't try. They did an in-depth series.

 

[Wintergreen]

Hi Wintergreen--The story I was referring to was concerning Republican Representative Kevin Garn from Utah. I started a thread on the subject a few days ago:

GOP leader's skinny-dip confession stuns Utah

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97698&highlight=garn

Rest assured that we are not speaking of an innocent "skinny-dipping" incident. It's quite disgusting, IMO.

Texas Mist--That was quite a find!!

Seriously? And the governor gave him a wink and a nod? Will get to it right away--thank you again!

 

[Wintergreen]

After finding that story last night in the Richmond, MO paper I started wondering why the Lexington, MO paper isn't covering the court proceedings. In trying to find something I stumbled across a story from this morning's news about an investigation by the Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force. I have noticed a real increase in child arrests for the KC area since the Mohler case broke but this is the first time I've heard them bring up the task force--this is the same task force involved in the Mohler arrests and the initial property searches. I wonder if any of these arrests are related to material they found back then? We may never know but it sure got my attention:

http://www.kctv5.com/video/22892699/index.html

BTW I still wonder why the Lexington, MO newspaper isn't writing stories on the case--maybe this county seat doesn't have a newspaper anymore? It's so interesting that the Richmond paper is covering it so well even though they are across the river in another county. I would still love to hear the rest of the story if anyone has access to the Richmond Daily News.

 

[Wintergreen]

Hi Wintergreen--The story I was referring to was concerning Republican Representative Kevin Garn from Utah. I started a thread on the subject a few days ago:

GOP leader's skinny-dip confession stuns Utah

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97698&highlight=garn

Rest assured that we are not speaking of an innocent "skinny-dipping" incident. It's quite disgusting, IMO.

Texas Mist--That was quite a find!!

Absolutely shocking--am I wrong in believing that a newspaper reporter revealed her excommunication and the reason for it? Maybe she brought it up earlier, but I haven't seen that. Even when the church announced that Jr had been excommunicated they still did not give the reason--they only told that it wasn't about child abuse. She may be an adult now but no one has the right to address this crime as if it were two consenting adults--that's why there is such a thing as "statutory rape" which encompasses a young impressionable child giving in to the will of a trusted adult. One of the bloggers even counseled Garn "if you wrestle with pigs you will get dirty" and expressed sympathy for the man who was once her Sunday School teacher. Sick, sick, sick.

 

[Missizzy]

Yes, Wintergreen, the woman is now an adult and is now divorced from her husband, a physician back east. If you'll go to the thread about Garn, I believe that there is a link to an article concerning many of her issues. I have no doubt the woman has "issues". To me, that's not the point. The point is that she was not listened to, even after several outcries. Being that she accepted the hush money, IMO, demonized her. It is said that she was addicted to prescription meds. How many victims do we know who are? The entire debacle is sickening. The Utah house embraced their representative and lauded his family and his fine work while forgetting that we are talking about the victimization of a child. I'm still stuck on the original article's confusion about dates. She was either 13 or 15 but but either way, she was a child and he was her boss. He knew what he did was wrong.

It's interesting that you bring up the issue of the child arrest in Blue Springs. I believe that two of the Mohlers showed up in that very area. I'll go back and check. IIRC, Roland might have been near there. And if I'm not mistaken, one of the alleged victims (that's getting harder to type) serves in LE in that area.

I noticed that the female reporter commented that neighbors had been tipped off to the possibility of this man's involvement in child by a person in LE. My first thought was that whoever that was, he/she was trying to protect the children in the area while an investigation was ongoing. Good for them.

Can anyone read what the arrestee's T-shirt says? I'm curious. Notice again, please, how "nice" the neighborhood is. It looks like anyone's idea of wholesomeness. Well, look what was lurking inside that "nice" house.

Concerning the lack of local coverage, I feel that there has to be some sort of GOB networking going on. I've shared, before, that our local paper was very biased against our children IMO as the editor was a friend of the rapist's family. I'm hoping that if we have any local WSers, they will write letters to the editor demanding better coverage.

As the arrest of this criminal proves, the public needs to be kept up to date on investigations to keep our children safe. They also need to be able to gauge for themselves their reaction to the Mohler trial. The Mohlers were well-respected men within their community. While it is hard to recognize and accept the fact that one might have been friends or neighbors or attended church with a child rapist, there is nothing to be gained by keeping one's head in the sand.

Our children's safety depends on the truth being told.

 

[Texas Mist]

I ran into another unrelated child sex crimes article while researching the history of prosecution of said crimes in Missouri....it involves a 12yo who was raped by her sperm donor & he & her egg donor prostituted her out - as a dominatrix!

This article was written by none other than that AP reporter Draper....notice he says the sperm donor was "having sex with with the girl" & "showing her how to perform sex acts". ugh....Draper apparently has *no* grasp on the horrors of CSA....this man needs an education.


http://blog.taragana.com/law/2009/0...girl-as-mo-dominatrix-prostituting-her-13094/

FWIW it seems the KC Star ran this story, but it's no longer online because they have to pull it after 2 weeks because of their agreement w/ the AP.

Their readers deserve better than Draper & his downplaying of abuse of children.

 

[Missizzy]

I'm starting a thread on another one I found. Wintergreen was right, the Task Force has been busy. TM, can you ask them to have a kind word with their buddies in TX to see if they've got any advice on finding our rapist.

And yes, Draper needs to hear from us. I'll look up his email address and post it.

ETA--TM, It comes up for me and still lists Draper as the writer. All in all, I wasn't as upset as I thought I'd be concerning the writing. I think Draper did a decent job of reporting fairly, even mentioning the mother's lack of emotion. He toes the line except where he says,

"Barkau, appearing in an orange jumpsuit with his hands shackled in front of him, acknowledged during Thursday’s hearing in U.S. District Court that he used to teach the girl and watched while others had sex with her."

Obviously, it should say "while others raped her". But, I think it's entirely possible that the slimeball showed her how to perform "sex acts". However, he should have used the word "forced". I question whether a 12 year old can be taught to be a dominatrix. I would think a child psychiatrist would say she was forced to pretend she was a dominatrix. A 12 year old is not of legal age to make that sort of choice nor to have a diagnosed paraphilia of that sort. Not certain, but don't think so.

Can you send him your handy guidebook?

 

[Missizzy]

It doesn't look as if the Jackson County, MS jail has an inmate list (or I can't find it). The man arrested for child has still not been identified. I wanted to go through the inmate list and see if we can identify him to get started checking out connections. Has anyone found any local comments or chatter on who this might be?

 

[Missizzy]

Another one that got past us. We're going to have to keep a closer eye on the Kansas City area. So, the arrest was made in December 2008 but they're just now indicting him? FWIW, Sugar Creek, MO is only 15 miles from Blue Springs.

http://www.examiner.net/news/law/x1582773631/Sugar-Creek-man-indicted-for-child-🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬

"A federal grand jury has indicted a Sugar Creek man on charges of storing images and videos of child on computer equipment, with more than 1,000 that depicted cartoons of children being sexually assaulted and in bondage.

Martin A. Cordry, 47, was indicted on three felony counts that were unsealed following his initial court appearance. He remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing on Monday.

The three-count indictment alleges Cordry attempted to distribute child over the Internet, attempted to receive child and possessed child .

Independence police officers served a search warrant at Cordry’s residence on Dec. 11, 2008. He told officers he had approximately 50 disks with child on them underneath his nightstand and that he downloaded child approximately once a week, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Kansas City.

and

Investigators discovered more than 1,000 cartoon images of sexual assaults of children, including children in bondage on an external hard drive along with 15 child videos on his computer.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in court documents say Cordry is a “danger to the community” and requests the federal judge hold Cordry without bail.

In the court papers, the government graphically outlines why.

They say Cordry had downloaded child while he was still on parole for a 1994 conviction for the rape and sodomy of a 7-year-old girl.

And he had downloaded while he was still in group therapy for sex offenders."

 

[Missizzy]

And another. Isn't this the date that the Mohler case broke?

http://www.nbcactionnews.com/conten...ed-for-Child-🤬🤬🤬🤬/yZVM80QgdEuI7AJqHqz8_A.cspx

A Blue Springs man will spend 12 years in federal prison for receiving and trying to send child over the internet.

U.S. Attorney Beth Phillips says 33-year-old Matthew William Lane admitted that he used file-sharing software to download child movies over the internet, and that he used the software to allow others to download movies from his computer.

Investigators found hundreds of movies and images of child on two computers and a thumb drive that were seized from Lane.

Lane pleaded guilty on Nov. 10, 2009 to attempting to distribute over the internet, receiving child over the internet, and possessing child ....."

 

[Wintergreen]

I'm starting a thread on another one I found. Wintergreen was right, the Task Force has been busy. TM, can you ask them to have a kind word with their buddies in TX to see if they've got any advice on finding our rapist.

And yes, Draper needs to hear from us. I'll look up his email address and post it.

ETA--TM, It comes up for me and still lists Draper as the writer. All in all, I wasn't as upset as I thought I'd be concerning the writing. I think Draper did a decent job of reporting fairly, even mentioning the mother's lack of emotion. He toes the line except where he says,

"Barkau, appearing in an orange jumpsuit with his hands shackled in front of him, acknowledged during Thursday’s hearing in U.S. District Court that he used to teach the girl and watched while others had sex with her."

Obviously, it should say "while others raped her". But, I think it's entirely possible that the slimeball showed her how to perform "sex acts". However, he should have used the word "forced". I question whether a 12 year old can be taught to be a dominatrix. I would think a child psychiatrist would say she was forced to pretend she was a dominatrix. A 12 year old is not of legal age to make that sort of choice nor to have a diagnosed paraphilia of that sort. Not certain, but don't think so.

Can you send him your handy guidebook?

This may be coming out of left field but I am wondering if Draper comes from the KC area? There is a well-known former RLDS leader with that surname: Maurice Draper. I believe he was a member of the Council of Twelve and remember him being at the center of some controversy in the RLDS church in the 1970's & 1980's. Maybe its a more common name than I realize but after authoring numerous stories related to sex crimes in the KC area--I keep wondering if they might be related.

 

[Wintergreen]

And another. Isn't this the date that the Mohler case broke?

http://www.nbcactionnews.com/conten...ed-for-Child-🤬🤬🤬🤬/yZVM80QgdEuI7AJqHqz8_A.cspx

A Blue Springs man will spend 12 years in federal prison for receiving and trying to send child over the internet.

U.S. Attorney Beth Phillips says 33-year-old Matthew William Lane admitted that he used file-sharing software to download child movies over the internet, and that he used the software to allow others to download movies from his computer.

Investigators found hundreds of movies and images of child on two computers and a thumb drive that were seized from Lane.

Lane pleaded guilty on Nov. 10, 2009 to attempting to distribute over the internet, receiving child over the internet, and possessing child ....."

Yes, the first five were arrested on November 10th.

 

[Missizzy]

That's a very interesting thought about Draper. That could explain so much. While not doing anything overtly illegal, it is damaging the public's perception of the accusers. Compare Draper's article with the fine article written a few days later by a Mr. Bradley. That one was totally respectful of all parties while giving lots of pertinent information. Nothing is to be served by trying the case in the press, IMO.

I think I shared up-thread how a local editor thought it would be of public interest to re-look at the McMartin Day Care and Wenatchee stories in the week before our trial. Oh, so helpful. Thank goodness we had a bench trial but still......

I agree that we need to keep the focus on the possibility that the accused can be innocent and that people can lie about abuse. That's important. But, my goodness, this case has numerous accusers and there was a good bit of worrisome evidence found. I believe that we all benefit from un-sensational reporting.