THE DIRTY BAKER'S DOZEN: The 13 most controversial Victim Industry Advocates



By: Derek "The Fallen One" Logue

August 10, 2010, Updated Nov. 14, 2010





INTRODUCTION





"Child victim advocates" are not all created equal. This page is long overdue, and I have struggled over the years about making this page, because many

people feel these people are mostly "untouchable," especially those who lost loved ones. While I sympathize with the tragedies that inspired some of them to

action, this does not give them a free ticket to lie and mislead the public, or to abuse their positions to rake in big bucks or to exact vengeance on everyone

with a label. The intent is not to "bash" them, but to highlight the controversy these individuals have created for themselves by their

own

words and/ or deeds.



Keep in mind that even though many "victim advocates" are not simply seeking vengeance and/or profiteering from these tragedies, we must recognize not

everybody who claims he or she is fighting "for the children" have the child's best interests in mind. There are a number of groups out there, such as Stop It

Now, Circles of Support and Accountability, and the Jacob Wetterling Resource Center that offer a fair and honest approach to dealing with the issue of

sexual abuse in our country. However, they tend to be overshadowed by high-profile individuals like Walsh and Lunsford These people are not infallible, and

in many cases, their personal bias and profit motive has clouded their once noble cause. We simply cannot claim these people are infallible.





PART 1: THE WALSH CONNECTION



#1: JOHN WALSH





John Walsh is the most recognizable face in victim advocacy. He hosts America's Most Wanted, sits on the Board of Directors for the National Center of

Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), and has almost singlehandedly catapulted Predator Panic to the top of the list of things America fears. Since he is

the frontrunner in the child advocacy issue, Walsh is considered an "untouchable," and very few people question anything he says.

He was even featured in a



DC comic book series called "The Outsiders.

" Much like the comics, however, Walsh has given a lot of unbelievable stories and entertaining comments.



I am sorry for his loss; however, unlike certain other activists who have lost a child (like Patty Wetterling or the Kenney family), Walsh seems hell-bent on

revenge while making millions off these laws.



JOHN WALSH'S CONTROVERSIES:





INFLATING STATISTICS : John Walsh was among the first to proclaim "50,000 missing children every year." By the time he testified before

Congress on February 2, 1983, he was claiming 1.5 million missing children annually. He testified this country is "littered with mutilated, decapitated,

raped, strangled children [ 1 ]." There was no proof cited for his ever growing claims. It was not until years later, the NCMEC released the NISMART,

a study which shows the number of stranger abductions was far lower than reported [ 2 ]. But by then, the fear had spread. His continued financial ties

to the NCMEC has not helped matters since they get a cut from Adam Walsh Act funding.

THAT JUNE 2006 INTERVIEW : John Walsh's scariest comments came during an interview for a press tour for the upcoming season for his TV

show, and the interview occurred around the time the Adam Walsh Act was about to be passed. Walsh let out a tirade that shocked those in

attendance. Below are some of his comments:



"I said I was kidding when I was talking to the Senate and I said they were talking about electronic monitoring, which is big and unwieldy for

the sex offenders, and that some of these guys, no matter what the law in their state was, would have to wear one for 20 years or whatever. I

said implant it in their anus and if they go outside the radius, explode it and that would send a big message. It was a joke. Nobody thought it

was funny."

"I'm all for criminals doing their time, all for rehabilitation, all for a second chance." followed almost immediately by "I say put the pedophiles

down in the yard. Put them in there. Let them do the time with the rest of the guys. Let them see what it's like to be terrorized by a 250- pound

guy."

Things got more heated, though, when a photographer under FOX's employee elected to get into an extended and rather intense conversation

with Walsh about marking sexual offenders. They were on so much on the same page that when Walsh mentioned bracelets for perpetrators,

the photographer replied, "Not bracelets, not bracelets. The bracelets bulls***. The bracelets bulls***, John, you know that. It's BS." Walsh

then suggested putting embedded GPS chips, to which the photographer said, "I'll say bury it deep inside them, is what I say. I don't care how

big it is," which earned Walsh's scary reply, "I love your attitude [ 3 ]."



JOHN WALSH, MISANDRIST : John Walsh apparently has a problem not just with sex offenders, but men in general. John Walsh warns us NEVER

hire a male babysitter: "It's not a witch hun t," he says. "It's all about minimizing risks. What dog is more likely to bite and hurt you? A Doberman, not a

poodle. Who's more likely to molest a child? A male [ 4 ]." Marc Rudov, who runs the acclaimed anti- misandry site " The No Nonsense Man ," stated in

response we should not trust Walsh around ou r children because by his own logic, he's a potential predator [ 5 ].

JOHN WALSH, SEX ADDICT : Perhaps John Walsh's angst is also a symptom of sexual addiction. Sometimes people who struggle with a certain

issue project their anger at themselves outward, targeting those with similar struggles in a "holier-than-thou" persecution. This is known as

PROJECTION , a rather common defensive mechanism. John Walsh admitted he struggled with sex addiction a few years ago on Larry King Live:

WALSH: “I think my inability to deal with my problems -- I never went to a therapist for 20 years. I think it just -- my own selfishness, my own

stupidity, my own ego, all of those things, and I hurt my c hildren, and I hurt my wife, and she's a good woman, and she, you know, we're working

very hard at this I do -- I think [therapy] helps. I think especially crime victims, and it's not an excuse, people that have been through an awful

traumas, I think therapy is a terrific thing, and I thought, you know, I'm the tough guy, I'm the toughest guy, I mean, I can deal with this myself -- I

couldn't deal with it. And you know, you thinking not hurting somebody, you know, women can be an addiction, and you have to deal with it…”

KING: “So you understand men who have that problem?” WALSH: “Oh, I had it for years and didn't think I had it.” [ 6 ]







#2: MARK LUNSFORD





Mark Lunsford, like Walsh, had lost a child in a high-profile case, and Walsh basically took this former dirt-truck driver with a 10th grade education and

turned him into a victim advocate. However, unlike John Walsh, who has rarely faced any real criticism, Lunsford has been plagued with controversy after

controversy. Money management issues, criminal accusations, and controversial words and actions have plagued Lunsford and the various foundations he

has involvement in over the years.



MARK LUNSFORD'S CONTROVERSIES:





FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES : Perhaps the biggest question surrounding Mark was his handling of the finances for the now defunct Jessica Marie

Lunsford Foundation (the links now carry you to hastily built web pages that have not been updated since February). There have been questions

regarding the custom chopper, tour bus, and money raised by the foundation, all questions just screaming for an IRS audit. Having connections to

notorious data miner Hank Asher has not helped his reputation, either [ 7 ]

BITING THE HAND THAT FEEDS HIM : Perhaps the most entertaining of the controversies came when Lunsford announced in February 2008 he

was going to sue the Citrus County Sheriff's office over the handling of his daughter's case. Public outrage ensued, even inspiring a piece of legislation

specifically aimed at stopping Lunsford from suing the state [ 8 ], but the most vocal opposition came from a high-profile feud with a local radio

personality, "Bubba the Love Sponge." During an on-air debate with Lunsford, Bubba said, "You have to wait for your daughter to die before you can

start raping money from people — I understand [ 9 ]." Lunsford eventually dropped the suit but by then the damage had been done.

LUNSFORD'S SON CHARGED WITH SEX CRIME : Joshua Lunsford made headlines when he was arrested for fondling his teenage girlfriend.

Granted, Joshua was 18 and his girlfriend was 14, which would fall under "Romeo and Juliet" laws in some states, but Ohio had no such law in place.

"We're talking about Romeo and Juliet here, not some 36-year-old pervert following around a 10-year-old," Mark Lunsford said [ 10 ]. Joshua was given

10 days in jail, a year's probation, but was not required to register [ 11 ]. Other teens facing similar situations have not been so lucky or connected.

Mark Lunsford told advocates before a SORNA Congressional hearing his son served ten days, on a plea to a felony offense. He said that he told the

prosecuting attorney that he would “expose every sex offense case where they gave a lenient sentence to a true sex offender if they treated his son like

one of those predators [ 12 ]."

CHILD PORN ON COMPUTER : Not long after Jessica Lunsford's case was in the media, child pronography was found on Mark Lunsford's

computer. Lunsford denied it, but the files were found in the computer's delete bin, meaning they were downloaded. Lunsford did admit he looked at

porn, and stated, "If you don't like me because I look at naked women, I don't care. I'm not putting a black mark on my daughter's name." The police

stated the following: "There was no evidence found by law enforcement that the computer was used in the manufacturing or production of child

pornography, only that there were a limited number of items that were viewed," Magrino said. "To expend additional law enforcement resources and

prosecutor resources to make a case, when balancing societal goals. I mean, Mr. Lunsford's been through enough[ 13 ]." Had it been anyone but a

friend of Walsh, things would be different.

PROMOTING VIGILANTE VIOLENCE : "I can't get my hands on the guy that murdered my daughter so I've made it my job to make the rest of

these sexual offenders and predators' lives miserable, as miserable as I can," Mark has publicly stated [ 14 ]. Lunsford adopted the slogan "Save a Child,

Hang a Pedophile" and added it to his biker attire [ 15 ].







#3: MARK FOLEY





Mark Foley is best known as that disgraced Florida Congressman who was involved in a sex scandal involving teen Congressional pages, but before that he

was one of John Walsh's right hand men who helped spearhead (no pun intended) Walsh's Adam Walsh Act through Congress, and a staunch advocate for

strict sex offender legislation.



MARK FOLEY'S CONTROVERSIES:





HYPOCRISY : Foley is to hypocrisy as Nifong is to malicious prosecution. He sat on the committee at the NCMEC and was a vocal opponent of child

pornography, including sponsoring a law to outlaw use of young models in "suggestive" fashion [ 16 ]. Mark Foley also publicly stated the following: "If

I were, uh, one of these sickos, I'd be, uh, nervous with America's Most Wanted on my trail." And, "When you rape a person, when you violate a

child, you lose your civil liberties [ 17 ]."

" HE WILL BE SORELY MISSED! " : Although the scandal is still very fresh in the minds of many people, and copies of the lurid chats can be found

online [ 18 ], the FDLE and the FBI found "insufficient evidence" to charge Foley of wrongdoing [ 19 ]. Even the NCMEC called him a "hard- working,

dedicated and effective Congressman" and he "will be sorely missed [ 20 ]," which was quickly replaced after criticism.

EXCUSES, EXCUSES : Perhaps the most colorful part of the Foley scandal was his creative excuses after the scandal took off. Foley admitted himself

into rehab [ 21 ] and later claimed he was molested by a priest, while denying having any sexual contact with children [ 22 ].







#4: HANK ASHER





He is probably the one person on this list you've never heard of. Just who is Hank Asher? The short answer is he's a data miner and multi-millionaire. He is a

major behind the scenes supporter of Big Brother-type programs, and yes, he's the guy responsible for the MATRIX (the controversial government computer

spy program, NOT the Keanu Reeves movie).



HANK ASHER' CONTROVERSIES





FORMER DRUG SMUGGLER : Asher admitted he was a cocaine smuggler in the 1980s, though no charges were ever filed against him [ 23 ]

SUPPORTS BIG BROTHER GOVERNMENT : Asher developed the Multistate Anti-Terrorism Information Exchange (MATRIX), a controversial

program that collected mass data on every individual in the USA, raising serious concerns about privacy and making innocent people suspect of

terrorism [ 24 ]. Eventually the MATRIX was shut down [ 25 ].

THE TLFO AND MARK LUNSFORD : With the MATRIX gone, Asher had to do something with his data mining and the sex offender industry was

generating big bucks, so it came as no surprise Asher began selling his data mining under the guise of "capturing pedophiles [ 26 ]." Asher hired the

controversial Mark Lunsford to lobby for "tougher sex crime laws" which include his program [ 27 ].







PART 2: THE HARPIES





The next trio of people are three women all have a few things in common, and they do it fairly well:





They get paid to voice their opinions, even though they're usually WRONG opinions

They get paid to screech like harpies on National TV

They get paid to piss people off







#5: WENDY MURPHY





Wendy Murphy is an occasional legal analyst for Fox News, which is generally considered the worst news station among viewers. And Murphy is among the

worst analysts on the worst station. Many have even accuse her of misandry. Sadly, for some reason, she is not only highly sought after by news shows,

some people actually give her awards for her antics! This site DID give her an award... a Shiitake Award! By the way, she is also an adjunct professor at

Boston's New England School of Law. My condolences to any student with her as a teacher! If you want to fail her class, just do a paper on false allegations.



WENDY MURPHY'S CONTROVERSIES:





WENDY MURPHY HAS NEVER, EVER, NEVER EVER!!! SEEN A FALSE RAPE ALLEGATION. NEVER. EVER: "I never, ever met a false rape

claim, by the way. My own statistics speak to the truth [ 28 ]." Should I mention she said this during the Duke Lacrosse case?

DENIES TRUE STUDIES WHILE INFLATING MISINFORMATION: " Embarrassingly, Harlem also claims that recidivism rates for sex offenders

are low, citing as definitive proof a widely misused study of 10,000 sex offenders that found only ' 5 percent were re-arrested for a sex crime within

three years. ' Obviously the study tells us nothing about recidivism because it measures only ' re- arrest ' rates. Where 80-90 percent of sex offenses are

never reported – much less lead to arrest – measuring re-arrests to determine recidivism is like measuring nationwide rainfall by looking only at the data

from Las Vegas. Even more arrogantly, Harlem dismisses people who claim that 75-90 percent of sex offenders re-offend, claiming, ' it is not clear

where they find such numbers. ' Too bad Harlem couldn’t locate the wealth of research on recidivism laid out in Dr. Anna Salter’s prize- winning work

in which she cites studies finding that the average sex offender assaults more than 100 different victims during a lifetime [ 29 ]. " Can you spot at least 3

myths in her quote?

MURPHY BELIEVES V IGILANTISM IS NOT THE REGISTRY'S FAULT: "That some people misuse them is no more an excuse to ban all

registries than is the fact that some people are welfare cheats an excuse to cancel welfare altogether... Harlem is right about a couple of things.

Registries should contain more information so that a teen sex case isn’t misunderstood as a more serious crime. And vigilantism is wrong. But blaming

vigilantism on registries is silly. Vigilantes have emerged in sex- crime matters in response to evidence that the American legal system has failed women

and children. When the law doesn’t work as it should, people take matters into their own hands – as blacks did in the aftermath of Rodney King – and

at other points in our nation’s history when the legal system failed to redress racist violence [ 30 ]. "

MURPHY BELIEVES A SMALL NUMBER OF SEX OFFENDERS ARE ON REGISTRIES : "Something like 2% of sex offenders are on the

registries. That number should be higher![ 31 ]"

MURPHY BELIEVES THE 14TH AMENDMENT IS NOT ABSOLUTE : "In any event, the 14th Amendment, like all constitutional rights, is not

absolute and must bend in the face of compelling state interests [ 32 ].

MURPHY HYPOCRITICALLY SUPPORTS RAPE: "I want you to know, I have a new book coming out Jane. You want another title? 'Parents

Guide to How to Rape a Pedophile with a Pitchfork'; I`m going to publish it tomorrow. You know what I`m saying [ 33 ]?" Sounds hypocritical to say

such things while claiming to want to stop rape.







#6: NANCY GRACE





Nancy Grace needs little introduction. The controversial legal analyst for HLN is a very divisive host, to say the least. Nancy "Disgrace" (as she's referred to

in many circles) is so hated, she has a

website devoted

to getting her off the air

.



NANCY GRACE CONTROVERSIES:





PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT : Grace's Wikipedia page notes as a prosecutor in Fulton Co., GA, there were multiple cases where Grace

engaged in unethical conduct, though she was never formally brought up on ethics charges [ 3 4 ]

DUKE LACROSSE COVERAGE: Grace made many vile statements during the Duke Lacrosse case, including the sarcastic comment "I'm so glad

they didn't miss a lacrosse game over a little thing like gang rape [ 3 5 ]!" Wikipedia also note when it was revealed the case was a false allegation, Grace

had a substitute host for her show that night.

CONDESCENDING : Condescending and false pity are Nancy Grace trademarks, but backfired during an interview with famous kidnapping victim

Elizabeth Smart in 2006. During the course of the questioning, Smart asked her to stop and stated, "I really am here to support the bill and not to go

into what — you know, what happened to me." When Grace persisted, a visibly aggravated Smart replied, "I'm really not going to talk about this at this

time...to be frankly honest, I really don't appreciate you bringing all this up." Grace replied, "I'm sorry, dear, I thought that you would speak out to

other victims, but you know what, I completely understand [ 3 6 ]."







#7: ROBIN SAX (KATZENSTEIN)





There is good news and bad news. The good news is there is a book written for idiots to learn about the criminal justice system. The bad news is it was

written by an idiot who has even less knowledge of the criminal justice system!



ROBIN SAX'S CONTROVERSIES





ADVOCATES REMOVING CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS OF SEX CRIME DEFENDANTS : Double Jeopardy, and the right to face-to-face

confrontation with witnesses, basic rights under the US Constitution, would be repealed in Robin Sax's world [ 3 7 ]. If you're accused of a sex crime,

not only would you not be allowed to defend yourself, if by some chance you are acquitted, you will always be subject to a re-trial for the same

accusation from you were acquitted from.

DENIES TEENS ARE LANDING ON REGISTRIES FOR CONSENSUAL SEX WITH OTHER TEENS : Sax denies that teens are being branded sex

offenders for life for consensual sex with other teens simply because she CLAIMS she never prosecuted such a case. "For example, a person over 18

who had sex with a 10-year-old will be prosecuted differently than an 18-year-old having sex with a 15-year-old. Something in your gut tells you that

this is a different situation, and the law treats it differently as well." Notice she still states she prosecutes the latter. "In a case with only a three-year

age difference and where the perpetrator is an otherwise upstanding member of society, there is no way that a first-time young 'perp' would have to

register as a sex offender for life. On the other hand, a 40-year -old having sex with a 15-year-old would be eligible for registration for life - and with

good reason! [ 3 8 ] ." Notice she still calls the teen lover a "perp."

DENIES HARM CAUSED BY REGISTRIES : "The problem with sex offender lists is not necessarily the lists themselves but how we are using the

lists, updating them, deciphering what they mean, and insuring that the 'worst of the worst' are not only listed on this list but are actually being

monitored... But the answer here is not getting rid of the registries. The answer is revamping the registries, making them consistent from state to state

to insure that the information on the lists is meaningful to everybody... We sometimes forget that even the people we know, our neighbors, can be a

danger to us if we don't have all the information. If we keep the registries and use them correctly, we will all be a lot safer than if they didn't exist!

[ 3 9 ]" While Robin Sax recognizes there have been some negative results of the registries, she minimizes the harm the registry itself causes. Social

ostracism, vigilante violence, and a false sense of security are the most basic negative consequences of a public registry. It is hard to educate people

on the proper use of the registry when you're one of the main reasons people abuse the registry in the first place, Robin!







#8: JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL





I had to laugh when I read the subtitle of Jane's book "I Want." An "honest" life? I guess truth in advertising laws do not apply to TV Harpies. Jane Velez-

Mitchell, like Nancy Grace,

also has a website dedicated to

getting her off the air

! Her TV show "Issues" should be renamed "Tissues," as in Toilet Tissue,

because it is painfully obvious she is full of shit.



JANE'S CONTROVERSIES





MISREADS STATISTICS : Jane says in one article, "According to a 2003 Department of Justice study, 78 percent of imprisoned sex offenders had

prior arrests and 28 percent had prior arrests for sex crimes[ 40 ]." The actual DoJ study on page 11 found only 14% of federal prisoners have prior

sex offense arrests [ 4 1 ]. How did she get it so blatantly wrong?

FEAR-MONGER/ MYTH-MONGER : Like the rest of the Harpies, Jane feeds us all the stereotypical myths already covered in my SO Myths fact

guide. Jane had made many boldly inaccurate claims, such as high recidivism rates, claims a convicted sex offender killed Adam Walsh, stranger-

danger is the primary source of sexual abuse, and all sex offenders are rapists/ pedophiles [ 4 2 ].

BLIND SUPPORT : Jane is the only media hound to support the controversial lobbyist group Surviving Parents Coalition, headed by Mark Lunsford,

and their "Ride For Their Lives" rally, a scheme to raise a million dollars to lobby for laws already on the books [ 4 3 ].







PART 3: THE PRETENDERS





There is no shortage of people claiming to be child victim advocates for a variety of reasons, such as to earn profits, gain notoriety, or even to get revenge or

engage in legalized vigilante violence. Unfortunately, often they get a lot of attention for their trouble.





#9: TO CATCH A PREDATOR/ CHRIS HANSEN/ PERVERTED JUSTICE





There is already a plethora of information on the controversial vigilante group "Perverted-Justice" at the counter site "

Corrupted-Justice

," but the focus of this

section is not so much "Pee-J" as it is about the defunct NBC quasi-reality series "To Catch A Predator (TCAP)." TCAP has been influential in many ways,

pretty much all bad. The only "good" that came out of TCAP was that it proved the vast majority of those caught in these stings were first time offenders, as

well as people not fitting the tired "dirty old man in the wrinkled trenchcoat" stereotype. Unfortunately, this out-of-control and unrealistic portrayal of sex

stings has stuck in the minds of those who watched the program for years after the show was canceled in 2007.



TCAP/ CHRIS HANSEN/ PERVERTED JUSTICE CONTROVERSIES





WRONGFUL DEATH LAWSUIT : Probably the most damning part of the show came when police decided to try to raid the home of a man who did

not show up to the sting operation. During the attempted raid, the man committed suicide. One of the cops involved in the raid stated, "That will make

good TV." The family of the man sued NBC, who settled the suit while still denying wrongdoing [ 4 4 ].

UNETHICAL CONDUCT : It was reported that both the NBC coordinators of the show and even members of law enforcement on the show engaged

in unethical conduct. Among the accusations-- improper payment to law enforcement, police officers humiliating suspects by using excessive force

and waving rubber chickens in their faces after the arrest, and Pee-J withholding entire chat logs from show producers. The show gave ample

incentive for using trickery to entice individuals to show up at the sting house [ 4 5 ].

BOTCHED CASES : Every single case in Murphy, Texas was thrown out due to "amateur" involvement, namely, Perverted Justice [ 4 6 ]. Perverted

Justice also refused a judge's order requiring the group to allow their computers to be searched in another criminal case [ 4 7 ]. During one case thrown

out in Riverside, CA, Superior Court Judge Dallas Holmes bluntly stated "I don't like the smell of this case," and described the testifying Pee-J member

as "odd," "weird," and "repulsive" [ 4 8 ].

PERVERTED JUSTICE A "DANGEROUS CULT/ MOVEMENT" : Perverted Justice is listed under the Rick Ross Institute of New Jersey's list of

Dangerous Cults and Movements [ 4 9 ].

LAWSUITS AGAINST PERVERTED-JUSTICE : Perverted Justice has been sued at least twice for harassing individuals they have targeted. In 2006,

a default judgment was awarded to a man harassed by Pee-J members [ 50 ]. In 2008, a lawsuit was filed in Arizona after Pee-J members harassed a

woman and listed her on their "Wikisposure" website [ 5 1 ].







#10: LAURA AHERN/ PARENTS FOR MEGAN'S LAW (PFML)





The entire operation at PFML is like looking at a train wreck. It looks familiar but everything is damaged and scattered everywhere and distorted. I well

covered this group in

my critique of Victim's Rights Groups

, but PFML makes the list for single-handedly creating one of the most persistent myths about sex

offenders. PFML is known mostly for aggressively selling their various programs and obtains grants for more of their questionable programs. If they muff

up simple studies, I wonder how they'll fare with their goal of their own private registry?



LAURA AHERN/ PARENTS FOR MEGAN'S LAW CONTROVERSIES





A HUNDRED THOUSAND MISSING SEX OFFENDERS : One of the most prevailing myths used to justify tougher registry laws is the 100,000

missing sex offenders myth. Supposedly there are 100,000 people out there that are supposed to register and have not, and this number has remained a

constant since 2002, despite constant compliance checks run by the US Marshals. The origin of this myth is a severely flawed study by PFML

released in 2002. Essentially the study was a telephone interview with each state, many of them did not actually keep statistics on non-compliance and

gave only rough estimates at best, and 19 states did not participate [ 5 2 ]. Like Chris Hansen's Goldilocks number, this number was conjured out of thin

air.

QUESTIONABLE ASSESSMENTS : PFML's myth creating study was followed by a self-created "report card" of state's compliance with Megan's

Law. Florida's registry was given one of the only "A+" ratings in the report card. However, Florida's registry was embarrassed when it was discovered

over 540 dead offenders on the registry, in addition to 807 deported, 7,173 out-of-state, and 8,260 incarcerated registrants [ 5 3 ].







#11: RON AND LAUREN BOOK/ "LAUREN'S KIDS"





An otherwise typical South Florida lobbyist, Ron Book has become one of the most hated advocates ever. He created an international embarrassment for the

city of Miami by creating the Julia Tuttle Causeway camp. Ron Book's daughter, Lauren, runs her own child victim advocacy group, Lauren's Kids. She

follows the lead of her father without question.



RON AND LAUREN BOOK'S CONTROVERSIES





RON BOOK, EMPEROR OF "BOOKVILLE:" Ron Book is best known for being the lobbyist that pushed for the 2500 foot Residency laws in

Miami-Dade County, FL, which led to the creation of the Julia Tuttle Causeway sex offender camp. The residents of the JTC camp renamed the camp

"Bookville" in "honor" of Ron Book. Book, who is also head of the local homeless trust, held off giving assistance of any kind to the residents. Book

eventually had the camp dismantled and moved the residents into a temporary shelter, but soon many of the residents found themselves back out on

the streets after Book cut off the assistance. In interviews, he is unapologetic for causing the international embarrassment [ 5 4 ].

RON BOOK'S SHADY PAST: Ron Book is quick to point fingers at others, but Ron Book is also a convicted criminal as the result of an illegal

campaign funding scandal [ 5 5 ]. If criminals cannot be rehabilitated, as Book says, what does that say about Ron Book?

LAUREN BOOK : Lauren Book, like her dad, promoted residency restrictions which caused the JTC debacle. She also started the recent trend of the

long trips to raise money [ 5 6 ] (or as they call it, "awareness"), while not entirely honoring their feats ( Book did not walk all 500 miles , plus her dad

took the lead in some of the pictures taken during the walk). This trend was followed by Mark Lunsford and the Surviving Parents Coalition's "Ride

for their lives" later that year.







#12: WWW.FAMILYWATCHDOG.US





Family Watchdog gets a standing endorsement from Oprah Winfrey, so that should give you an idea of how slanted the website can be. They technically are

not advocates; in reality, Family Watchdog (FWD) is a privately run registry and mapping service. This watchdog is not a very good dog, and much like

many dogs with rabies, should be put to sleep.



FAMILY WATCHDOG'S CONTROVERSIES





STEVE RODDEL, PRESIDENT OF FWD, PROMOTES VIGILANTISM : "[Roddel] added that if a convicted sex offender is displaying high-risk

behaviors, like hanging out at parks and schools with a puppy, that person should be confronted and made aware that he is being watched. Tell them

you know who they are, and, ‘You are not going to do it on my watch,’ ' Roddel said. 'I wouldn’t necessarily call it overreacting[ 5 7 ]'." Instead of

saying "call the cops," Roddel says you should get in his face and intimidate him instead.

DAMN, THAT WAS QUICK: Family Watchdog must have some super reading abilities because they boasted of debunking the 300+ page Human

Rights Watch report a mere 24 hours after the report was made public. Said Roddel: "The Human Rights Watch report is full of gross inaccuracies,

innuendos, un-cited statistics, anonymous anecdotes and contrived facts. It is unfortunate that the leadership of an organization like Human Rights

Watch would recklessly gamble its reputation and credibility as well as our nation's public safety by submitting this patently flawed report as a serious

response to a serious problem. The worst possible result is that Americans, their legislators and public policy makers will mistakenly assume this

document was well researched and unbiased. After careful review, the document presented is quite the contrary. It omits facts and distorts truths,

while injecting fictional anecdotes, myths and red herrings in their place. I call on the American public to join me in demanding Human Rights Watch

immediately cease distribution of this irresponsible, intellectually dishonest and factually flawed propaganda and join in a constructive public discourse

of the relevant facts and issues [ 5 8 ]." Roddel has a serious case of pot versus kettle.

INVASION OF PRIVACY: Family Watchdog has initiated a program to make all court records available through their website [ 5 9 ]. It doesn't work

but the thought of a private business collecting such information is a scary proposition indeed.







#13: JUDY CORNETT





Out of the thirteen victim advocates listed, Judy Cornett is the most disturbing, mostly because she brazenly harasses former offenders in person and gets

away with it. It seems to be widely accepted in Florida, though Cornett represents a disturbing trend, namely, regular people turning into self-styled vigilantes.

Unfortunately, since this woman has received a certain degree of notoriety for her actions, there are a number of copycats out there

who are also out



harassing registrants

and getting in trouble for it.



JUDY CORNETT'S CONTROVERSIES





IF YOU LIVE BY THE SWORD, THEN...: Judy Cornett does not shy away from admitting her hatred for registrants and the fact that she brazenly

harasses them, bragging of her exploits on her blog and on her Twitter account. "Sex Crimes against children is ZERO TOLERANCE, offenders need

no mercy....Death is the only resolution....Prison??? Our tax dollars...I can think of better ways to spend our money...what about death for the

predators and put the money that would of been used supporting these sickos and rehabilitate the survivors [ 60 ]. " FOLLOWED HIM YESTERDAY,

HE TOURED BEACH...SICKO, BUT HASNT COMMITTED A CRIME...EYES ARE ON HIM! HE'S UP TO NO GOOD [ 6 1 ]! "Cornett has little time

for critics who say such scrutiny of sex offenders who have completed their prison sentences impedes their ability to assimilate back into society and

lead productive lives. And she has little sympathy for those who become victims of vigilantes, such as the two sex offenders who were fatally shot in

Maine last month [ 6 2 ]."

YOU DIE BY THE SWORD : Judy Cornett has devoted her life to harassing local registrants, getting on TV, and getting attention for herself, but

somewhere along the way she did not seek help for her son, who went on a downward spiral towards a life of crime. Ultimately he landed in prison,

serving 25 years for attempted murder. "Flores was sentenced Wednesday on charges stemming from a home invasion that occurred June 26, 2008.

Prosecutors said Flores and two co-defendants — Matthew Edward Wilsky and Kristen Marie Mangum — entered a home in a neighborhood west of

Busch Gardens to take prescription drugs. The trio struggled with residents Terry and Lora Holmes. Prosecutors said Flores fired a shotgun into the

Holmes' bedroom, striking Lora in the hand and Terry in the side. Both survived, but Lora Holmes is partly paralyzed in her hand, prosecutors said. The

three fled to a Pasco County hotel with about $1,000 in cash and pills they had stolen from the Holmeses. Cornett said Flores never had proper

psychological treatment after his rape and abduction and often self-medicated. ' I can't blame 100 percent on it, but I can definitely say it has been a

strong contributing factor,' she said about her son's rape and lack of proper assistance [ 6 3 ]." His past does not excuse the fact he committed a serious

crime.





