Media around the world are now reporting on mass arrests worldwide of
people involved in kiddie porn distribution.
This story from last year proves the foul involvement of some
people….
Article Segment 1 of 2
ARREST SHOCKS SYNAGOGUE; TEACHER FLIES BACK TO U.S.
By EVA HOARE and AMY PUGSLEY FRASER Staff Reporters
A Hebrew school teacher and cantor at a Halifax synagogue, who downloaded
hundreds of pornographic photographs of children from the Internet, was
fined $2,200 in court Tuesday. The fine was paid and Suart David Friedman, a
well-liked and respected member of the Beth Israel Synagogue, promptly left
the country for his native United States.
It’s the first charge of its kind in Nova Scotia and justice officials
hinted that Mr. Friedman’s activities – downloading a personal fantasy
collection of boys performing sexual and sadomasochistic acts – could be
connected to an international child pornography ring.
Mr. Friedman, 42, of South Park Street, Halifax, pleaded guilty to
possessing child pornography from the Internet. When Canada Customs and
police officers arrested him during a raid on his apartment Monday, the
cantor was surfing the Net. Although his private cache contained photographs
and videos – as well as gay and bondage magazines – the bulk of his
collection was 223 computer-generated photos of child pornography stored on
diskettes, on two computer hard drives, and on computer printouts.
“It’s extremely disgusting,” said Const. Gary Martin of the Halifax
Regional Police Service, whose officers also conducted a search of Chebucto
Freenet offices, Mr. Friedman’s Internet provider. “Ninety per cent of this
material was obtained either directly or indirectly through the Internet.
Some … was directly downloaded from the Internet and some … was obtained
from different groups that are within the Internet,” Const. Martin said.
“The pictures are very explicit. It covers just about every avenue of
pornography that’s out there.”
Canada Customs’ intelligence division started working the case last
September and then brought in regional police, said Ed Osborne, customs’
regional intelligence officer.
Now officers – who’ll spend hundreds of hours poring over the materials –
want to know if any Nova Scotian children were depicted in the “gruesome”
photos and material seized. But they do not expect that will be the case.
Parents of children who attended the Hebrew school, shocked by the arrest,
planned to meet Tuesday night. “As aware as people are that these things
can and do happen, it’s still a shock,” said Cathy Fox, president of the
Beth Israel Synagogue. Her three children – two sons and a daughter – were
taught by Mr. Friedman at the synagogue’s Hebrew school. “It’s a very
difficult time.”
The cantor – who leads the congregation in song – taught her 13- year-old
son songs and chants that were part of his bar mitzvah ceremony last
October, Mrs. Fox said.
Some members will feel betrayed as a result of the charges. “I think the
elderly members of our congregation will be very hurt by this.” Some are
appalled while others expressed sympathy. “I’m very saddened,” said Robert
Wolman, president of the synagogue’s board of governors.
Mr. Wolman said he and other board members heard about the case Monday night
and Mr. Friedman was immediately dismissed.
Wearing an olive-colored trenchcoat and a black yarmulke (skull cap) over
his greying hair, a pale and visibly nervous Mr. Friedman was ushered into
provincial court by two sheriff’s deputies. Refusing even to look up at the
judge, he stared resolutely at the floor while wringing his hands.
“This is the first (such) charge through our office,” Crown attorney Frank
Hoskins told Judge Hughes Randall. “But it sends a message out to the
public that if you’re in possession of these images from your Internet and
they’re child pornography, you can be charged with a criminal offence and
get a criminal record and a substantial fine,” Mr. Hoskins said later.
Article Segment 2 of 2
(Get Previous Segment)
(Get All 2 Segments)
Canada Customs received information about a child pornography ring in Canada
and the United States operating via the Internet, surface mail and
electronic (e-mail), the Crown attorney said.
Officers said Mr. Friedman’s apartment was “ill-kept and unclean,” and
that they also found letters with explicit sexual content. A second search
conducted at Chebucto Freenet yielded his e-mail records.
Mr. Hoskins and defence lawyer Joel Pink said Mr. Friedman, who co-operated
with police, was only using the material for his own sexual fantasies. “His
intent was possession, not distribution or selling,” said the Crown.
The former cantor – who is not married – has provided information that will
help police bring more “like-minded individuals” to justice, Mr. Hoskins=
said.
Outside court, police Sgt. Bill Cowper, the department’s Internet
specialist, said this is just the beginning. “We’re pursuing every angle at
this time. He’s not the only person. … The investigation does involve law
enforcement officials in Canada and in the United States.”
Police said Mr. Friedman is being investigated over the alleged distribution
of photos to other Internet users. Police won’t say which American agencies
are involved and the U.S. Customs Service, reached late Tuesday, declined
comment.
Mr. Hoskins asked that Mr. Friedman surrender his computers, valued at
$1,200 and $1,500 apiece, to the court in addition to the $2,200 fine
($2,000 plus a $200 victim surcharge). Two sets of handcuffs were also
confiscated.
After the court appearance, Mr. Friedman took the 4:45 p.m. flight to Boston
to be with his family.
Officials won’t comment on the amount of the fine – the offence carries a
maximum of five years in prison – saying that’s up to the judge. But they
did say there was a plea bargain.
Mr. Friedman, holder of a music degree from an American university, arrived
in Halifax in August 1994 and has worked at Beth Israel ever since. His last
posting as a cantor was in the Detroit area. The man, whose job was to lead
prayers, teach Hebrew school and help prepare boys for bar mitzvah, has no
prior criminal record, Mr. Pink said.
“My eldest son has a great deal of respect for the cantor,” said Mrs. Fox,
who wanted to break the news to her children before they heard it through
the media.
“We have to do this in a very nonalarmist fashion … I’m still thinking
about how we will handle this.”
Mr. Wolman said the board of governors would review of the matter as soon as
possible and plans to tighten the screening process for future cantors.
Police also said they found a stash of adult pornography – 31 nude or
partially-nude self-portraits – but the charges stem from the child-related
material.
With staff reporters Bruce Erskine and Barry Dorey
The Halifax Herald Limited, 1997.
Join NSWPP mailing-list, go to:
http://www.nswpp.org/”>http://www.nswpp.orgĀ (page does not exist)
From [email protected] Fri Sep 4 16:10:39 EDT 1998
Article: 1709 of alt.culture.arab-league
Path: trends.ca!hub.org!hub.org!news.maxwell.syr.edu!sunqbc.risq.qc.ca!news3.bellglobal.com!news1.bellglobal.com!news.agtac.net!news.nucleus.com!pm3-0-edm-48.nucleus.com
From: [email protected]
Newsgroups: alt.culture.arab-league,soc.culture.german,soc.culture.europe,soc.culture.palestine,soc.culture.usa,soc.culture.polish,pl.regionalne.lodz,pl.regionalne.warszawa
Subject: KIDDIE PORN DISTRIBUTED BY JEW CANTOR
Date: Thu, 03 Sep 1998 01:02:12 GMT
Lines: 151
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
NNTP-Posting-Host: 199.45.65.8
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
X-Newsreader: Forte Agent 1.5/32.451
Xref: trends.ca alt.culture.arab-league:1709 soc.culture.german:85323 soc.culture.europe:125506 soc.culture.palestine:51052 soc.culture.usa:252695 soc.culture.polish:114546 pl.regionalne.lodz:229 pl.regionalne.warszawa:8406
From [email protected] Fri Sep 4 16:12:10 EDT 1998
Article: 32619 of ns.general
Path: trends.ca!hub.org!hub.org!news.maxwell.syr.edu!newsfeed.internetmci.com!206.172.150.11!news1.bellglobal.com!news.agtac.net!news.nucleus.com!pm3-0-edm-48.nucleus.com
From: [email protected]
Newsgroups: ns.general
Subject: KIDDIE PORN DISTRIBUTED BY JEW CANTOR
Date: Thu, 03 Sep 1998 01:12:48 GMT
Lines: 151
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
NNTP-Posting-Host: 199.45.65.8
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
X-Newsreader: Forte Agent 1.5/32.451
Xref: trends.ca ns.general:32619
Media around the world are now reporting on mass arrests worldwide of
people involved in kiddie porn distribution.
This story from last year proves the foul involvement of some
people….
Article Segment 1 of 2
ARREST SHOCKS SYNAGOGUE; TEACHER FLIES BACK TO U.S.
By EVA HOARE and AMY PUGSLEY FRASER Staff Reporters
A Hebrew school teacher and cantor at a Halifax synagogue, who downloaded
hundreds of pornographic photographs of children from the Internet, was
fined $2,200 in court Tuesday. The fine was paid and Suart David Friedman, a
well-liked and respected member of the Beth Israel Synagogue, promptly left
the country for his native United States.
It’s the first charge of its kind in Nova Scotia and justice officials
hinted that Mr. Friedman’s activities – downloading a personal fantasy
collection of boys performing sexual and sadomasochistic acts – could be
connected to an international child pornography ring.
Mr. Friedman, 42, of South Park Street, Halifax, pleaded guilty to
possessing child pornography from the Internet. When Canada Customs and
police officers arrested him during a raid on his apartment Monday, the
cantor was surfing the Net. Although his private cache contained photographs
and videos – as well as gay and bondage magazines – the bulk of his
collection was 223 computer-generated photos of child pornography stored on
diskettes, on two computer hard drives, and on computer printouts.
“It’s extremely disgusting,” said Const. Gary Martin of the Halifax
Regional Police Service, whose officers also conducted a search of Chebucto
Freenet offices, Mr. Friedman’s Internet provider. “Ninety per cent of this
material was obtained either directly or indirectly through the Internet.
Some … was directly downloaded from the Internet and some … was obtained
from different groups that are within the Internet,” Const. Martin said.
“The pictures are very explicit. It covers just about every avenue of
pornography that’s out there.”
Canada Customs’ intelligence division started working the case last
September and then brought in regional police, said Ed Osborne, customs’
regional intelligence officer.
Now officers – who’ll spend hundreds of hours poring over the materials –
want to know if any Nova Scotian children were depicted in the “gruesome”
photos and material seized. But they do not expect that will be the case.
Parents of children who attended the Hebrew school, shocked by the arrest,
planned to meet Tuesday night. “As aware as people are that these things
can and do happen, it’s still a shock,” said Cathy Fox, president of the
Beth Israel Synagogue. Her three children – two sons and a daughter – were
taught by Mr. Friedman at the synagogue’s Hebrew school. “It’s a very
difficult time.”
The cantor – who leads the congregation in song – taught her 13- year-old
son songs and chants that were part of his bar mitzvah ceremony last
October, Mrs. Fox said.
Some members will feel betrayed as a result of the charges. “I think the
elderly members of our congregation will be very hurt by this.” Some are
appalled while others expressed sympathy. “I’m very saddened,” said Robert
Wolman, president of the synagogue’s board of governors.
Mr. Wolman said he and other board members heard about the case Monday night
and Mr. Friedman was immediately dismissed.
Wearing an olive-colored trenchcoat and a black yarmulke (skull cap) over
his greying hair, a pale and visibly nervous Mr. Friedman was ushered into
provincial court by two sheriff’s deputies. Refusing even to look up at the
judge, he stared resolutely at the floor while wringing his hands.
“This is the first (such) charge through our office,” Crown attorney Frank
Hoskins told Judge Hughes Randall. “But it sends a message out to the
public that if you’re in possession of these images from your Internet and
they’re child pornography, you can be charged with a criminal offence and
get a criminal record and a substantial fine,” Mr. Hoskins said later.
Article Segment 2 of 2
(Get Previous Segment)
(Get All 2 Segments)
Canada Customs received information about a child pornography ring in Canada
and the United States operating via the Internet, surface mail and
electronic (e-mail), the Crown attorney said.
Officers said Mr. Friedman’s apartment was “ill-kept and unclean,” and
that they also found letters with explicit sexual content. A second search
conducted at Chebucto Freenet yielded his e-mail records.
Mr. Hoskins and defence lawyer Joel Pink said Mr. Friedman, who co-operated
with police, was only using the material for his own sexual fantasies. “His
intent was possession, not distribution or selling,” said the Crown.
The former cantor – who is not married – has provided information that will
help police bring more “like-minded individuals” to justice, Mr. Hoskins=
said.
Outside court, police Sgt. Bill Cowper, the department’s Internet
specialist, said this is just the beginning. “We’re pursuing every angle at
this time. He’s not the only person. … The investigation does involve law
enforcement officials in Canada and in the United States.”
Police said Mr. Friedman is being investigated over the alleged distribution
of photos to other Internet users. Police won’t say which American agencies
are involved and the U.S. Customs Service, reached late Tuesday, declined
comment.
Mr. Hoskins asked that Mr. Friedman surrender his computers, valued at
$1,200 and $1,500 apiece, to the court in addition to the $2,200 fine
($2,000 plus a $200 victim surcharge). Two sets of handcuffs were also
confiscated.
After the court appearance, Mr. Friedman took the 4:45 p.m. flight to Boston
to be with his family.
Officials won’t comment on the amount of the fine – the offence carries a
maximum of five years in prison – saying that’s up to the judge. But they
did say there was a plea bargain.
Mr. Friedman, holder of a music degree from an American university, arrived
in Halifax in August 1994 and has worked at Beth Israel ever since. His last
posting as a cantor was in the Detroit area. The man, whose job was to lead
prayers, teach Hebrew school and help prepare boys for bar mitzvah, has no
prior criminal record, Mr. Pink said.
“My eldest son has a great deal of respect for the cantor,” said Mrs. Fox,
who wanted to break the news to her children before they heard it through
the media.
“We have to do this in a very nonalarmist fashion … I’m still thinking
about how we will handle this.”
Mr. Wolman said the board of governors would review of the matter as soon as
possible and plans to tighten the screening process for future cantors.
Police also said they found a stash of adult pornography – 31 nude or
partially-nude self-portraits – but the charges stem from the child-related
material.
With staff reporters Bruce Erskine and Barry Dorey
The Halifax Herald Limited, 1997.
Join NSWPP mailing-list, go to:
http://www.nswpp.org/”>http://www.nswpp.org (page does not exist)