The Franklin child abuse scandal – stunning cover-up of child prostitution ring for wealthy elitists and political leaders

// March 5th, 2016 // Government

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A Conspiracy of Silence

In 1993, a film crew from Yorkshire Television in the UK travelled to Omaha, Nebraska to make a documentary about a pedophile ring. The project was funded by the Discovery Channel and set to air in 1994 in the UK and in the United States a year later. To their horror, filmmakers uncovered a vast operation functioning throughout the country that supplied children to the wealthy and political establishment for purposes of molestation, drug trafficking, and blackmail.

The filmmakers were in the final editing stage of the documentary when the Discovery Channel suddenly withdrew support for the project. To this day the documentary remains unaired. The film told the story of Lawrence King and an alleged cover-up that reached the highest levels of big business and United States government.

John DeCamp’s “The Franklin Cover-Up” book exposes widespread abuse at Boys Town foster home

Much of the documentary was based on John DeCamp’s expose, The Franklin Cover-Up. DeCamp, a seasoned attorney, highly decorated Viet Nam veteran, and former Republican Senator, explained what he uncovered,

“It’s a web of intrigue that starts in our holy of holies, Boys Town Nebraska, one of the most respected institutions in the United States, and spreads out like a spider web to Washington DC right up to the steps of the nation’s capital, steps of the Whitehouse. It involves some of the most respected and powerful and richest businessmen in this country – and the centerpiece of the entire web is the use of children for sex, drug dealing, drug couriers, and the compromising of politicians and businessmen.”

The story sounds bizarre, sketchy, and too horrible to be true, but a plethora of evidence exists that suggests that not only did the events really occur, but that the episode sparked a massive cover-up, one that even lead to the deaths of the lead investigator, key witnesses, and several of the accused pedophiles and involved several prominent wealthy businessmen, upper-echelon political figures, high-level legal officials, and the police.

Lawrence “Larry” King and his ties to Boys Town, Nebraska

The founding of Boys Town

Boys Town (also called Boystown) was founded in 1917 in Douglas County, Nebraska by catholic priest, Edward J. Flanagan. The project started as a home for orphans, abandoned, neglected, and abused boys and girls. News of Flanagan’s humanitarian project spread worldwide and even spawned a 1938 movie, Boys Town, starring Spencer Tracy (who won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Father Flanagan) and a rowdy, young Mickey Rooney. The foster home’s popularity brings in much money (1/3 of its contributions are from public donations) and it is believed to hold a massive cash reserve of over $500 million dollars. A lot of money passes through its doors and Omaha’s Larry King possessed the means to safely hold it for them.

Lawrence “Larry” King

Lawrence “Larry” King was the leader of the Black Republican Council and in the 1980’s, was one of the fastest rising stars in the Republican party. Ten years’ prior, King was brought to Omaha to save a failing credit institution, Franklin Federal Credit Union, and it was his position at the Franklin Credit Union that lead to his close ties with Boys Town. Boys Town held quite a few valuable accounts in the bank.

As an act of “goodwill”, Larry King employed many of the Boys Town boys at the credit union where they took minor roles cleaning up the bank, shuffling files, and toting records about. The community recognized the many boys at the bank as King’s contribution to the city. Thus a pillar of the community was brought to his knees when in 1986, Paul Bonacci approached a school official claiming King had sexually abused him – and many other Boys Town children.

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Paul Bonacci comes forward with claims of rampant Boys Town abuse

According to Paul Bonacci, Larry King used boys as young as ten years old as sex toys at bizarre pedophile parties. Bonacci says that from 1978 through 1982, he was one of those victims. He recalled there were several groups of boys involved in “crews” that King organized and supplied to wealthy elitists under names such as Bodies by God (for teenage boys) and The Golden Boys (for children that were under the age of ten).

The claims were outrageous, bizarre, unheard of, however, this was not the first time King had been accused of such behavior. King had been dogged by accusations of pedophilia before. One of this first accusers, Eulice “Lisa” Washington, had made a similar claim against him a year earlier.

Eulice Washington comes forward with outrageous claims of sexual abuse

Eulice had been adopted by King’s relatives, Jarrett and Barbara Webb, in the 1970’s. Her case came to the forefront in 1985 after it was noticed that she continually ran away from her foster parents’ home. Initially reluctant to disclose information about her foster parents, she finally recounted a remarkable tale, telling authorities that her time with the Webb’s was fraught with pain and neglect. According to Eulice, she and other adoptive children living with the Webb’s were routinely beaten. She also says that at the age of ten years old, Jarrett Web began sexually abusing her.

The Nebraska Department of Social Services took Eulice’s case and it became the center of investigation for Andrea L. Carener, who couldn’t help but notice how many times Boys Town came up in Eulice’s testimony. To ensure her honesty, Eulice was given a polygraph test and passed. Soon after, according to Nick Bryant, author of The Franklin Scandal, in separate interviews, the Webb’s adopted children “flooded Nebraska’s Department of Social Services personnel with bone-chilling anecdotes of horrific abuse.”

Eulice says the abuse did not end with her adoptive father. Supported by her sister, she detailed a massive child sex, homosexual, and pornography ring, run in Nebraska by Larry King. She described how she was regularly taken to Washington by plane, with other youths, to attend parties hosted by King. She explained that the parties involved many prominent people, including businessmen and politicians. She told how she was first sent out of state for a pedophilic party:

“The Webb’s said I was going out of town for the weekend. Not going wasn’t even a choice. I would’ve gotten beaten. We didn’t have choices. We did what we were told to do. On the two trips I was on, Boys Town kids were on the planes. The boys knew they were going to be used for sex, but it didn’t bother them, because they were being taken care of with clothes and money and access to cars. I want to say the parties were elegant, champagne was served and the older men were wealthy and dressed very nicely. Money was exchanged, and the men would leave with the boys.”

Years later, a 50-page handwritten report penned by Department of Social Services worker, Julie Walters, surfaced. It documented Eulice’s accusations in horrific detail.

“3/25/86. Met with Kathleen [Sorenson] and Lisa for about 2 hours in Blair [Neb.] questioning Lisa for more details about sexual abuse…. Lisa admitted to being used as a prostitute by Larry King when she was on trips with his family. She started going on trips when she was in 10th grade. Besides herself and Larry there was also Mrs. King, their son, Prince, and 2-3 other couples. They traveled in Larry’s private plane, Lisa said that at these trip parties, which Larry hosted, she sat naked ‘looking pretty and innocent’ and guests could engage in ANY sexual activity they wanted (but penetration was not allowed) with her…. Lisa said she first met V.P. George Bush at the Republican Convention (that Larry King sang the national anthem at) and saw him again at a Washington, D.C. party that Larry hosted. At that party, Lisa saw no women (‘make-up was perfect — you had to check their legs to make sure they weren’t a woman’). The polygraph test which Lisa took only centered around sexual abuse committed by Jarrett Webb. At that time, she had said only general things about Larry’s trips (i.e. where they went, etc.). She only began talking about her involvement in prostitution during those trips on 3/25/86…. Lisa also accompanied Mr. and Mrs. King and Prince on trips to Chicago, N.Y. and Washington, D.C. beginning when she was 15 years old. She missed twenty-two days of school almost totally due to these trips. Lisa was taken along on the pretense of being Prince’s babysitter. Last year she met V.P. George Bush and saw him again at one of the parties Larry gave while on a Washington, D.C. trip. At some of the parties there are just men (as was the case at the party George Bush attended) — older men and younger men in their early twenties. Lisa said she has seen sodomy committed at those parties…. At these parties, Lisa said every guest had a bodyguard and she saw some of the men wearing guns. All guests had to produce a card which was run through a machine to verify who the guest was, in fact, who they said they were. And then each guest was frisked down before entering the party. / Note #7 She indicates that in September or October 1984, when [Lisa] Washing- ton was fourteen or fifteen years of age, she went on a trip to Chicago with Larry King and fifteen to twenty boys from Omaha. She flew to Chicago on a private plane. The plane was large and had rows of two seats apiece on either side of the interior middle aisle. She indicates that King got the boys from Boys Town and the boys worked for him. She stated that Rod Evans and two other boys with the last name of Evans were on the plane. Could not recall the names of the other boys. The boys who flew to Chicago with Washington and King were between the ages of fifteen and eighteen. Most of the boys were black but some were white. She was shown a color photograph of a boy and identified that boy as being one of the boys on the plane. She could not recall his name. She indicates that she was coerced to going on the trip by Barbara Webb. She indicates that she attended a party in Chicago with King and the male youths. She indicated George Bush was present. She indicates that she set [sic] at a table at the party while wearing nothing but a negligee. She stated that George Bush saw her on the table. She stated she saw George Bush pay King money, and that Bush left the party with a nineteen-year-old black boy named Brent.”

Today, Eulice Washington dedicates her life to working with children who have been abused.

Boys Town officials are told their “children” are being abused

After the horrifying allegations that children were being abused at Boys Town, the police were of course notified. They reportedly put little faith in the accusations and rather than launch an official investigation, notified Boys Town school officials. Unfortunately, the news was not delivered to all officials but rather, was sent directly, and solely, to the head of Boys Town, Father Valpeter.

Father Valpeter would later claim that he carried out his own investigation but found no evidence of abuse. According to him, the victims refused to talk. As a result, Larry King remained free, and according to victims, continued preying on the young boys from Boys Town.

A routine review brings the abuse scandal to the attention of Nebraska’s State Foster Review Board

In 1988, a routine review by the Nebraska State Foster Care Review Board revealed something unusual. According to State Foster Care Review Board Director Carol Stitt,

“The information presented to the Foster Care Review Board, either via the telephone reports, the personal reports, or the reports we reviewed, Larry King’s name was consistently present as someone the youth were making allegations against.”

Stitt dug further and found an astounding list of prominent individuals who were reported to be involved in the abuse of the children. Stitt turned the information over to the authorities but to her disdain, “nothing happened”. Instead, Stitt says after she uncovered the suspicious activities, she began receiving threats. She recalls one call placed directly to her home the night before she testified before the legislative committed, in which the caller bluntly told her,

“If you speak, you won’t live to regret it.”

Today, lead investigators in Omaha claim they never heard anything about the accusations but Stitt is convinced the case was never pursued because the perpetrators “included some of the richest and most powerful people in Omaha – including the Omaha Police Department”.

Larry King plunders the accounts of the Franklin Credit Union

At the time, King was heralded as the great black hope, a leader who righteously helped impoverished black people forge through their plight. However, authorities looking into the allegations of child abuse, began to recognize King’s unusual spending habits. He was purchasing private planes, luxurious automobiles, and extravagant homes, including one in Washington, D.C. The IRS became involved, launched an investigation and on April 11, 1988, the Franklin Credit Union was raided by the FBI.

As a result of the investigation, King was found to have stolen nearly $40 million from the credit union. He was indicted on 40 criminal counts including conspiracy, fraud, and embezzlement. In 1991, King was convicted and the Franklin Credit Union collapsed. Strangely, no mention of child abuse, pedophilia, lavish sex parties, or a child sex ring ever surfaced and the evidence in the case against King was seemingly kept under wrap.

State of Nebraska launches a parallel investigation into Franklin Credit Union and Larry King

At the same time the FBI was processing the Franklin Credit Union case, the state of Nebraska launched its own operation. An investigative committee was created and Senator Loran Schmit assigned to lead. Schmit wisely followed the money trail and in no time, found it led directly to the original allegations of child abuse. Schmit released a three-page report urging the subcommittees to “find out where the money went and you’ll find the rest.” As an example, Schmit cited a $2,800 credit card receipt that showed Larry King purchased an expensive coat for a young man (the man was later found shot to death – his death was ruled a suicide).

Almost as soon as Schmit began his investigation, anonymous threats began to arrive at his office. According to Schmit,

“I received a phone call on the floor of the legislature. The caller did not identify himself. But he said, Loran, you do not want to have anything to do with the investigation of the Franklin Credit Union. And I asked who I was speaking to and they said that doesn’t matter. But you shouldn’t have that investigation. I said why not and he said, it will reach to the highest levels of the Republican party… And we’re both good Republicans.”

Private investigators hired to look into allegations of child sexual abuse

The Nebraska legislative committee hired former Nebraska state patrolman, Gary Caradori, and Karen Ormiston to act as private investigators for the case. They were instructed to ignore rumor and gossip, and focus only on hard facts with solid, supporting evidence behind them. Almost immediately they found new victims of the pedophile sex ring and each told the exact same story as the victims from Boys Town three years earlier. According to Karen Ormiston,

“They were telling us about prominent people in Omaha and elsewhere that were abusing children at parties.”

Senator Schmit says the names on the list were disturbing. He knew many of them personally and was “shocked” that their names could be included in a list of child sexual abusers.

As Gary Caradori uncovered more and more victims of the powerful group, he began to suspect that someone of great importance was doing their best to closely watch, and disrupt, his investigation. Conclusive evidence that he was being monitored came when his wife, Sandy, a middle school English teacher, told him an old friend who worked for Lincoln Telephone Company came to their house and informed her that their phone was being tapped.

Ignoring the surveillance placed on him, Caradori continued interviewing witnesses and victims. In November and December 1989, Caradori interviewed several key witnesses (in addition to Paul Bonacci) who would become intricately entangled in the investigation: Alisha Owen, Troy Boner, and Danny King.

Paul Bonacci recalls being flown across the country to “bad parties”

Paul A. Bonacci told Caradori he was a victim of sex abuse since he was 8 years old. He described how children were flown around the United States for “bad parties” and says he attended about 100 such parties at a penthouse in Omaha’s Twin Towers from 1981 to 1986.

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Bonacci says the pedophile sex parties grew more gruesome and at times, he was tied up while other children were forced to sexually abuse him. Bonacci claims he was tortured too, the first of which involved cigarette burns on his arms and legs (scars from the burns are clearly visible in photos of Bonacci).

Troy Boner accuses Alan Baer of predatory abuse

Troy Boner says he was introduced to the pedophile sex parties when he was 17 years old by Alan Baer, a wealthy Omaha businessman (he owned the popular mid-west Bandeiras Department Store chain). Boner says Baer was an “extremely sick man” who “took sex however he could”. He says Larry King was the same kind of person except Larry king was more violent, rough, and uncaring with the children he had sex with.

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Danny King corroborates Paul Bonacci’s testimony

James “Danny” King says that he, along with Troy Boner, attended many of the parties Larry King threw in the penthouse of Omaha’s Twin Towers and like the others, says he was sexually abused at the parties. Danny corroborated testimony from not only Paul Bonacci, but a witness who provided an stunningly vivid recollection of the events – Alisha Owen.

Alisha Owen’s vivid recollection of Larry King pedophile sex parties

How Alisha became involved with Larry King’s parties

Unlike most of the children who claimed to have been abused, Alisha Owen did not come from a massively dysfunctional family. Her parents were church-going Christians who raised Alisha under a strict set of moral guidelines. Still, at age 14, Alisha fell in with the wrong crowd which soon led to friendships with several rowdy Boys Town residents.

Alisha told investigators that she was heavily involved in pedophilic activity with a variety of high-profile politicians, businessmen, and Omaha city leaders, including Larry King. She also provided investigators with an extensive list of victim names, many of which later validated her accusations against Larry King.

Alisa says she first became involved with Larry King in 1983 when she was just 14 years old. She met King through some of the boys from Boys Town, primarily Jeff Hubbell, who invited her to one of King’s parties in August 1983.

Alisha arrived at the Twin Towers (now Swanson Towers at 8405 Indian Hills Drive in Omaha, Nebraska) penthouse apartment with Jeff Hubbell and Troy Boner. She says drugs were freely available at the party and teens could “play bartender” and have any drink they wanted.

She described a game played at the parties called “501” where the children took turns unbuttoning each other’s pants (501 jeans) with their teeth and toes while the adults watched. She says when her turn came, she balked. The adults pressured her to play by teasing her saying, “Maybe she’s just a little girl and shouldn’t be here.”

Alisha names perpetrators

Alisha’s testimony was intricately detailed and precise. She was able to describe abuse locations including where the doors of hotel rooms were located and how the furniture was arranged inside the rooms. Among the minors she named in attendance at the parties were Danny King, Jeff Hubbell, Troy Boner, Joel Webb, Larry ?, Jeremy ?, and Kurt ?. Despite adult attendees using aliases or taking care not to reveal their real names, she was able to supply names of some of the people she says were in attendance. The list was shocking.

Larry King – the Federal Credit Union owner and close friend of Boys Town. Alfie Allen – a friend of Larry King’s. Not much else is known about “Alfie”. Alan Baer – wealth Omaha businessman, owner and executive at Brandeis Stores. Indicted in Franklin Credit Union scandal and charged with pandering. He plead no contest to a reduced charge of aiding and abetting prostitution and paid a small fine. Robert Wadman – Omaha Chief of Police whom she says once told her, “Larry King owes me a lot”. He was dismissed from his position in 1989. The reasons for his dismissal are disputed. Shelia/Sheila Calder – a woman who “organized” the parties. Peter Citron – entertainment columnist for the Omaha World-Herald. Citron was later arrested for pedophilia in an unrelated case. Harold Anderson – Omaha World-Herald executive. Eugene “Gene” Mahoney – former state senator, head of Nebraska Forestry Service. Theodore Carlson – Omaha County Judge. Mike Mercer – a “friend” of Larry King’s. Unknown – a “superintendent of a school” (another witness names him as Deward “Skip” Finch). Unknown – a photographer that many believe was Republican Party photographer, Rusty Nelson. And many other adults who she did not have names for.

Alisha describes how children were flown across the country for pedophile sex parties

Over the next few years, Alisha says she attended many sex parties at the Twin Towers penthouse apartment. She says she typically received money, about $50, from participants at the party and occasionally they would take her out and buy her expensive clothes. She claims many photographs and video of the pedophile acts were taken.

Alisha says the parties soon moved to local clubs including The Max Bar, French Café, and The Run, and described how she and boys from Boys Town were taken across the country on airplanes for similar sex parties – to places such as Los Angeles, Kansas City, Pasadena, and Dallas. She was able to provide details of the flights including those who flew with her, hotels they stayed at, flight numbers, stopovers, flight times, and descriptions of the baggage that they carried aboard the airplane (she says she carried bags for the adults and was told to not open them).

Alisha stated that in her opinion, someone in the administration of Boys Town had to be involved because “the boys seemed to have no problem getting out of Boys Town to attend the parties”.

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Witnesses testimony is consistent – details about a party photographer emerge

Investigators couldn’t help but notice that in almost all cases, the witness’s testimony matched – perfectly. For instance, all witnesses say the sex parties were often hosted at the penthouse suite in the Twin Towers luxury block and that eventually they were flown across the country for pedophile sex parties. They described how drugs were often used to “persuade” the children to participate in certain sexual acts – and all witnesses agree that the sessions were filmed and photographed.

To date, no pictures nor video of the events have surfaced (although it was believed Caradori came close to acquiring such evidence). Some of the victims named the purported photographer – prominent photographer for the Republican Party, Rusty Nelson. Years after their accusations against Nelson were made public, it was reported that Nelson had previously been imprisoned for possession of child pornography.

Nick Bryant, author of The Franklin Scandal, says he interviewed Nelson in 2003. In the interview, Nelson explained that he was hired to take pictures of adults and children in compromising positions for the purpose of blackmail.

“The content of the pictures, and the events surrounding them, would be an instant end to a politician’s career.”

Bryant says Nelson promised Investigator Caradori incriminating photographs. They agreed to meet in Chicago – a trip that would yield tragic consequences for Caradori.

Supporting testimony from other witnesses

During the Nebraska Legislative Committee’s investigation, Schmit and Caradori say more supporting witnesses were found. The following lists some of the corroborating witness testimony they uncovered.

Former airplane charter service employee confirms underage boys on flight

A former airplane charter service employee recalled Larry King using the charter service on a weekly basis. She said he routinely travelled with a number of young men who were “very good looking”, clean cut, and clean shaven. She recalled that they never spoke on the flight which she found extremely odd. Caradori obtained hundreds of flight itineraries from two charter services but few had passenger manifests or lists of persons on the flight and thus, the names of the “young men” could not be determined. He noted however, that most flights were to Washington, D.C.

David Hill and Fred Carter confirm Boys Town abuse

Caradori discovered supporting testimony from David Hill, who confirmed he had been molested by Boys Town priest Father James Kelly, and Fred Carter who confirmed Larry King’s pandering of Boys Town children. Carter explained how the children were selected.

“There were certain kids that were… that had the look… that had that marketability. It was all about money.”

Tony Harris confirms Larry King parties in Washington D.C.

Tony Harris told Caradori that King flew him to Washington several times with five to ten other kids. He recalled the clientele at King’s parties as “quite distinguished, high society types”. Harris says King paid them from $100 to $500 in cash and that children would get “privileges” back at Boys Town. He also recalled being told that if he talked, “there would be consequences”.

Nilolai Caymen confirms Larry King parties

Nilolai Caymen, a former Boys Town student, says he was eleven years old when Larry King started flying him to the parties.

“I was introduced to Larry King by another Boys Town student, who told me I could make a lot of money, meet a lot of important people, and make something of yourself but he never told me exactly what you did to get you the money and that’s how everything got started. And it wasn’t just for King, there were other men, groups of men. They would have these outrageous parties, where they would have a bunch of people, a bunch of men that are just in this room, where you have either two boys in the room or a single boy sitting there [performing sex acts].”

Caymen also says he was subjected to sadistic acts many times (sadistic sex or torture was also corroborated by Owen, Boner, and Bonacci). Caymen says that in 1988, after a particularly brutal sadistic session, he finally approached Boys Town leaders to tell of the abuse. He was promptly placed on a plane and sent to a psychiatric hospital in Georgia where he remained for two years. After leaving the hospital, Caymen changed his legal name (from Andre Painie) to avoid harassment.

Boys Town police officer confirms Larry King regularly visited Boys Town

A Boys Town police officer says he observed a vehicle registered to Larry King on the Boys Town property many times during his employment from 1985 through 1987. In one instance, he approached his superior to ask about it and was told to “leave it alone”.

Senator Schmit turns evidence over to FBI

After Schmit’s investigation reached a threshold of suspicion, he was told to turn all evidence over to the FBI. Included in the evidence was video testimony from the four primary witnesses (Troy Boner, Alisha Owen, Paul Bonacci, and Danny King). The witness’s testimony quickly leaked to the press and in an odd twist, a hostile media (particularly the Omaha World-Herald) began discrediting the witnesses and portraying them as the criminals. It seemed as if the press were making every attempt to destroy the credibility of the four youth. Soon legal authorities also began to discredit the witnesses claiming their testimony was “a conspiracy of allegations, none of which had any truth to them.”

Lawrence Shmit was devastated by the reaction to the evidence he turned over to them. With regards to the negative media reaction, the investigators found it odd that at least two of the accused sexual predators held high level positions at the Omaha World-Herald newspaper.

Authorities threaten victims with charges of perjury

As pressure to file charges against the accused increased, Troy Boner says he was told by the authorities that if he went forward with his testimony, he “was going to jail” for perjury. Boner says he then realized they believed nothing of what he was telling him. “Out of fear”, he recanted his story and began working with investigators to convince other victims to recant their stories – particularly Alisha Owen who would eventually be charged with eight counts of perjury.

In an attempt to trap Alisha in lies, the FBI worked with Boner to record a conversation between him and Alisha. However, the transcript of the conversation shows that the FBI’s attempt to trap Alisha backfired.

Boner: You concocted this whole thing Alisha Owen: You’re full of S***. Who the hell do you have listening on this phone call? Boner: I have nobody listening to me Owen: I’ll be honest with you, I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing here. Boner: I’m not playing any game here. Owen: I don’t know who you have listening to this phone call or… Boner: You’re being stupid Alisha. I’m not going to go to jail for you… and that’s what’s going to happen. Owen: Why would you go to jail? For telling the truth? Boner: No, for lying. Owen: What have you lied about? Boner: I haven’t lied. Owen: Ok, but then why are you… Boner: Listen. Shut up! Listen to me. You’re not out here being talked to them every day. The pressure is kind of hard.

The suspicious death of lead investigator, Gary Caradori

While the FBI, media, and authorities were attempting to discredit the victims’ testimony, private investigators Gary Caradori and Karen Ormiston say they continued to receive anonymous threats. Ormiston claims that Caradori’s car was tampered with several times, an act that she believes was meant as a threat since the tampering attempts were so blatantly obvious.

On July 11, 1990, during the middle of the investigation, Gary Caradori and his 8-year-old son Ajay were returning from a Chicago All-Stars baseball game aboard a private airplane. Caradori had been pursuing new leads at the time and according to his wife, Caradori told her that while in Chicago, he intended to meet with photographer Rusty Nelson to obtain incriminating photographs of the abuse.

Upon returning from the game, Caradori’s private plan crashed in a remote cornfield, killing both Gary Caradori and his young son. The wreckage was spread over a large area indicating that the airplane had somehow broken up in flight. Federal investigators were never able to determine what tore the plane apart in mid-air.

Strangely, missing from the wreckage (and never found) was Caradori’s personal briefcase which many suspect contained the incriminating photographs obtained from Rusty Nelson. Within 48 hours of the crash, the FBI delivered a subpoena to Caradori’s widow demanding she turn over all of her husband’s evidence related to the Franklin investigation. According to Caradori’s brother,

“I really believe that somebody killed my brother… And may God help those that did that to him, and his family.”

Troy Boner reverse his recantation and sticks to his original story

Troy Boner says that the airplane crash and “murder” of Gary Caradori produced a profound impact on him. Just before the perjury trial of Alisha Owen, Boner recanted his recantation and stuck with his original story. Then six months later, on January 10, 1991, his brother Sean died in an inexplicable gun accident. Boner was convinced he and his family had been sent a warning message. He decided once again, to keep his mouth shut.

The Nebraska legislative investigation is quickly shut down

Shortly after the plane crash that killed Gary Caradori and the gun accident that killed Troy’s brother, Sean Boner, the Nebraska legislative investigation was mysteriously shut down. The Grand Jury threw out the Franklin case labelling it a “carefully crafted hoax”.

Lawrence Schmit quickly issued a report denouncing the grand jury’s conclusion. Despite his objections, two months after his report was issued, the committee was shut down. According to Schmit,

“The message was not lost on most politicians in Nebraska. I think the message that was delivered was if any committee every tries to conduct a thorough investigation again, this same thing will happen… It has shaken my faith in the institutions of government.”

Alisha Owen convicted of perjury

In July 1991, Alisha Owen was convicted of perjury and sentenced to between 9 and 29 years in prison.

“I can’t find a case in the history of this country where some kid got sentenced to 25 or 30 years in prison for something like this. If you were going to pick a “tell sign”, something that says there’s something fishy about this whole thing, it was in the sentencing itself.”

The message was clear – if you dare come forward, watch what happens.

Three months later, Larry King was sentenced for the $40-million-dollar Franklin Credit Union fraud. His maximum sentence was 15 years – 10 years less than Alisha Owen.

John DeCamp fights for the victims – discovers trial video was edited

Shortly after Alisha’s conviction for perjury, John DeCamp, attorney and member of the Nebraska Legislature, joined the victim’s fight. His first act was to ensure Troy Boner knew that the key to staying alive was to expose the truth behind the Boys Town abuse accusattions. DeCamp spent many hours interviewing Boner. Afterward he said,

“I have no doubt that he is now telling the truth, number one, and number two, that he originally told the truth.”

In yet another odd twist, DeCamp found that the tapes of Alisha Owens’ testimony had been edited – the parts of her story that matched Troy Boner’s testimony had been edited out.

“It was clear that parts of their testimony that were edited out, were eerily similar and would have been near impossible to conspire to make up – specific details such as airlines taken during their travels to parties, where they sat, where their flights switched, where layovers were, and how long each leg of the flights were.”

DeCamp prodded Boner and he finally agreed (yet again) to stick with his original story. He agreed to testify against the Boys Town abusers and immediately received a subpoena for perjury. Boner fled and went into hiding.

The subpoena hinted to DeCamp that someone very powerful was at the top of the Franklin scandal. He began investigating Larry King’s political contacts in Washington, D.C. and was stunned at what he discovered.

Paul Bonacci reveals stunning Washington, D.C. involvement in the Franklin scandal – and another witness dies

Despite threats of perjury, Paul Bonacci agreed to continue with his testimony against the Boys Town abusers. He took DeCamp and other investigators to Washington, D.C. where he pointed out the home that Larry King used for the pedophile sex parties. The house was a large, immaculate home on D.C.’s Embassy Row. Bonacci explained that at first, he was flown to the parties a few times each year. Soon, he was being flown to Washington D.C. about once a month. He noted that often times the parties began as legitimate political parties but after many of the politicians had left, the sex party would begin.

Powerful Washington D.C. lobbyist, Craig Spence, proves key to the investigation

Bonacci says one of the abusers had close ties to the upper echelons of American government – powerful Washington lobbyist Craig Spence. According to Bonacci, Larry King took youngsters on midnight tours of the White House with the help of Craig Spence and Secret Service insiders. Insider access, for pedophile predators no less, to the most secure home in the country seemed beyond belief. However, in 1989, the Washington Times confirmed that Craig Spence arranged at least four midnight tours of the White House including one on June 29, 1988, on which he took with him a 15-year-old boy whom he falsely identified as his son. The Times also discovered a Secret Service agent assigned to the midnight shift at the White House had been furloughed. They found that he was interrogated for more than 10 hours as armed agents with search warrants searched his home for nearly two hours.

Craig Spence’s involvement in the affair seemed to be the investigators’ golden egg. Spence’s true involvement however, would never be known. In early November, only four months after the allegations surfaced, Spence committed suicide inside the Boston Ritz Carlton hotel. His suicide note, written with a black felt-tip marker on the mirror of his room, read:

“Chief, consider this my resignation, effective immediately. As you always said, you can’t ask others to make a sacrifice if you are not ready to do the same. Life is duty. God bless America.”

Washington Times writer, Paul Rodriguez investigates Washington D.C. callboy operations

While in Washington D.C., John DeCamp met with the Washington Times writer, Paul Rodriguez, about a story he had written that year. Rodriguez conducted an undercover investigation that lead to several groups inside a callboy operation running in Washington D.C.. The size of the callboy operation was unheard of. In fact, his investigation revealed it to be the largest male prostitution ring in the city that had ever been uncovered. The sex ring was proven to generate over $1 million per year but according to Rodriguez, there was something that bothered him even more. Despite being the largest male prostitution operation ever discovered in the city, the only people prosecuted were Henry Vincent and three of his “lieutenants”. The operation claimed to have clients that ranged from the White House to Capitol Hill to the State House to large, powerful churches and the media. Oddly, prosecutors never went after any of the clients.

In addition, Rodriguez’s discovery hinted there could be tantalizing ties to the Franklin scandal accusations. He says that his investigation often revealed pedophilia crimes but there was never quite enough to conclusively confirm the illegal sexual abuse of children.

“We couldn’t quite nail it (in all cases) and of course, to accuse someone of high stature, you have to be quite careful.”

Rodriquez says he obtained credit card records, receipts, and a list of clients – about 20,000 documents in all. When prosecutors found out that Rodriguez was accessing the documents, they sealed all related records by court order. The only way to gain access was to obtain consent from the prostitutes, attorneys, and clients that were accused of using the services of the callboy operation. This of course, meant the documents would never see the light of day. Thus far, all attempts to unseal the records have failed.

DeCamp believed a major Washington callboy operation matching the modus operandi and timeframe of the Boys Town accusers was surely no coincidence.

The suppression of Conspiracy of Silence

The Conspiracy of Silence documentary, which exposed the horrific events surrounding the Franklin Scandal, was to air on May 3, 1994 on the Discovery Channel. According to reports, just prior to airing, an unnamed congressmen threatened the TV Cable industry with restrictive legislation. Soon after, the rights to the documentary were purchased by unnamed persons who ordered all copies of the film be destroyed. To date, only a pre-release copy of the show exists. Leaked copies can be found on the Internet.

Aftermath

Troy Boner

Although Troy Boner went into hiding and was not heard from for several years He would later arrive at a New Mexico hospital claiming the Franklin abusers were “after him”. He was immediately admitted and sedated. The following day he was found dead in his hospital room.

Larry King

In April 2001, Larry King was released from prison. It is believed he resides somewhere on the East Coast (likely Virginia).

Boys Town

Boys Town continues to prosper and now has locations in 12 regions across the country: California, Nevada, Texas, Nebraska, Iowa, Louisiana, North Florida, Central Florida, South Florida, Washington D.C., New York, and New England.

Paul Bonacci

Despite being accused of lying and serving prison time for three counts of perjury, Paul Bonacci filed a civil suit against Larry King. He won and was awarded a judgment of $1 million dollars.

Paul Bonacci testimony unexpected assists investigators with a notorious child abduction case

While in prison for perjury, Bonacci’s testimony was further validated by an incredible story that turned out to be one of the most notorious kidnapping cases in the country. In July 1991, just as the sentencing of Alisha Owen wrapped up, news broke in Iowa that Paul Bonacci had given evidence involving the disappearance of Johnny Gosch.

The disappearance of 12-year-old Johnny Gosch

12-year-old Johnny Gosch had been missing since September 5, 1982. On that date, an early Sunday morning, he left for his routine Des Moines Register newspaper delivery route and then disappeared. For nine year, his parents searched the country for him. In late 1990, the Gosch’s got the first major break in years, because of what Paul Bonacci remembered seeing during the Boys Town abuse atrocities.

Recalling Bonacci’s testimony, John DeCamp noted that one of the events Paul described reminded him of the case of Johnny Gosch. He confirmed the similarity of the details of the case and then contacted the Gosch family.

“They advised me that they had had their fill of false leads from people who claimed to know something about their missing boy, and people who claimed to have information for sale but did not seem genuinely interested.”

The Des Moines Register of July 24, 1991 reported on what developed:

“A Nebraska inmate has provided details about the abduction of Johnny Gosch that only someone with firsthand knowledge could have had, his lawyer said Tuesday. Inmate Paul Bonacci’s account “did not match up 90 percent, not 95 percent, not 98 percent, but 100 percent,” John DeCamp said, “I am convinced this kid is telling absolutely the truth- … He never varied on the time. He gave a description of Johnny’s pants, names on his shirt, scars on the body.” DeCamp said he became suspicious of a Gosch connection when he read a transcript of a psychiatrist’s interview with Bonacci in which an “incident” involving a newspaper carrier was mentioned. DeCamp said Bonacci didn’t identify Gosch by his full name. “I went to the library and checked on Johnny Gosch. I wrote to the Gosches and told them I don’t know if there is any validity, but the dates coincide and he talks about someone from Iowa.” DeCamp said John Gosch, the boy’s father, met with Bonacci, “and started getting chills. I believe he believed him,” DeCamp said.”

Johnny Gosch’s father, John Gosch, Sr., did indeed visit Paul Bonacci in prison, unannounced. Sitting down across from him, Gosch asked Bonacci, “Do you know who I am?” Bonacci replied, “You look like — it can’t be — the eyes, you look like Johnny Gosch.”

The World-Herald confirmed on July 22, 1991 that Bonacci knew “some incredible things” about the case.

“There were photographs taken of Johnny prior to the kidnapping. We know this because a woman reported it to police. We’re convinced Bonacci saw those pictures. He accurately described the location, which is not far from our home. He described many things about the pictures which we have never publicly talked about.”

Additional information

Complete Franklin Scandal timeline

The following timeline was assembled by a Franklin Scandal researcher and lists key participants and their purported activities. It has been edited it to reduce space.

12-31-1968 – Franklin Credit Union is established in Omaha, Nebraska.

8-1970 – Lawrence E. King Jr. becomes manager at The Franklin Credit Union.

7-1976 – Accountant Thomas Harvey, of the Franklin Credit Union, discovers the manipulation of the bank accounts. Harvey begins to manipulate the Franklin Credit Union books to cover for the missing money. By the end of 1976 $400,000 was missing from the Credit Union’s bank funds.

1978 – Paul Bonacci attends sex parties with Alan Baer at an apartment at the Twin Towers in Omaha.

12-1978 – Paul Bonacci starts a sexual arrangement with Harold W. Andersen at the Red Lion Inn.

1979 – Paul Bonacci is introduced to Peter Citron at Peony Park.

12-1980 – Paul Bonacci meets Lawrence King in Sarpy County, where he says they preformed satanic ritual abuse.

1981 – An anonymous letter was sent to the National Credit Union association detailing concerns about the Franklin Credit Union. A limited investigation took place; the investigation revealed approximately $400,000 was missing.

8-1981 – Paul Bonacci began going of town with Alan Baer, he would assist Baer in entrapping new children to be used by Baer and others.

1982 – Paul Bonacci was flown to California (Bohemian Grove) to participate in orgies.

1983 – James Daniel (Danny) King meets Lawrence King and Alan Baer at a party.

4-1-1983 – Harold Andersen speaks at the Franklin Credit Union Annual Meeting.

8-1983 – Troy Boner meets Alan Baer thru a friend at Twin Towers apartments.

2-1984 – James Daniel King takes an out of town trip with Alan Baer.

2-1984 – Edward Hobbs, a Franklin Credit Union teller who had worked for the bank for five years, writes a letter to the Franklin Board alleging embezzlement at the Franklin Credit Union. The following day Hobbs was fired. Hobbs also supplied a letter to an Attorney and a Legislator. Their response to Hobbs was that “We’ve been watching Lawrence King for some time. We are aware of his living beyond his means. However, the Department can’t do anything because we don’t want to seem like the big bad white guy jumping on the tiny, black credit union.”

4-1984 – James Daniel King meets Lawrence King at Alan Baer’s residence.

7-1984 – Troy Boner meets Lawrence King at the Max Bar in downtown Omaha.

8-1984 – Lawrence King throws a lavish party in Dallas, Texas, after singing the National Anthem at the Republican National GOP Convention.

9-1984 – Lawrence King gets an apartment for Troy Boner at 48th & Dodge, at the apartment King would abuse Boner.

9-1984 – Lawrence King takes Lisa Webb and 15-20 boys from Boys Town Omaha to Chicago for a sex party.

1-1985 – A party is thrown at the Brandeis Building in Omaha, where both Troy Boner and Lawrence King were in attendance.

5-1-1985 – Alisha Owen gives birth to a baby named Amanda Jayne.

6-1985 – Foster children are removed from Jarrett and Barbara Webb’s home after children complain of physical and sexual abuse by the Webbs.

8-1985 – Party at the Woodman Tower Ballroom. In attendance were James Daniel King, Lawrence King, Alisha Owen, Rusty Nelson, and Troy Boner.

11-1985 – Throughout a six-week investigation by Lincoln and Omaha Police thirteen individuals were arrested for child pornography charges. Included in the arrests were: Joseph Burke, Walter Carlson, Winford Fryar, and Leo Weidenfeller, all of which were charged with felonies. Misdemeanor arrests included: Alden Jensen, Ben Bruner, Jon N. Nelsen, Harold Potter, Alvin R. Buehler, Mark Woods, Lawrence Reeves, Harold Miller, and Don Nordboe. Joseph Burke was later sentenced to 2-5 years in prison. Walter Carlson was sentenced 15 months – 3 years. Investigators, however, indicated in reports that there initial six week investigation did not mean the investigation was over, and that half of the pornographic material still had not been viewed by police. Reports though indicated no further investigation took place into the child pornography ring. Later certain investigators of the Franklin Case would question whether or not this case had any ties to the Franklin debacle.

1-1986 – Lisa Webb, who testified to have been abused by the Webb’s was administered, and passed multiple polygraph tests questioning her allegations. However, prosecuting attorney Pat Tripp made a decision not to prosecute the Webb’s.

3-1986 – Julie Walters interviews the Webb girls, after the interviews Walters contacts Pat Flocken regarding the allegations made by the girls. Allegations included instances where Larry King was in attendance at parties in which the Webb girls and other children had been physically and sexually abused.

4-1986 – Paul Bonacci reveals his history of sexual abuse to school authorities. Authorities contacted the Omaha Police, however, no investigation was ever made based on the allegations.

6-1986 – Harold Andersen raised $600,000 to pay for a renovation of the Franklin Credit Union.

6-1987 – Lawrence King donates $16,000 to the Omaha Press Club (a club of Omaha’s business elite).

12-1987 – The Foster Care Review Board begins investigating Franklin related allegations.

3-1988 – The Initial Franklin probe begins.

6-1988 – Omaha Police Department begins to receive allegations from the public concerning Lawrence King photographing young ladies at the Twin Tower Apartments.

6-1988 – The Omaha Police Department receives a report from Kristin Hallberg of the Richard Young Psychiatric Hospital in Omaha regarding sexual abuse and homicide allegations involving Larry King. These allegations came as a response to reports from the Foster Care Review Board on Nelly Patterson*, and her sister Kendra.*

7-1988 -The Foster Care Review Board turns over all investigative information to Attorney General Robert Spire and the Omaha Police Department.

8-1988 – Lawrence King throws a lavish party in New Orleans, after a return appearance to the Republican GOP Convention to sing the National Anthem.

10-02-1988 – Lawrence King donates $18,000 of Franklin’s assets to the D.C. Board of Human Rights Camp Fund, a lobby for gay and lesbian rights.

11-04-1988 – The Franklin Credit Union is closed by the FBI and IRS. After the closing $37,000,000 in secret liabilities were discovered. Originally the Franklin Credit Union ledgers showed $2,600,000 in liabilities.

11-14-1988 – The NCUA files a lawsuit against Lawrence King, contending he diverted money from the credit union for his personal use. The NCUA suit claimed King had used the diverted funds to run his businesses and to pay interest and principal on unrecorded certificates of deposit.

11-18-1988 – The Nebraska Legislature passes a resolution to investigate improprieties at the Franklin Credit Union.

11-21-1988 – The Foster Care Review Board receives additional information from the Richard Young Hospital (Kristin Hallberg) including allegations of cult activities and sacrifices of small children, and sexual abuse.

12-1-1988 – NCUA officials raise their estimate of Franklin’s potential liabilities to $39 million.

12-1988 – Lawrence King admits in an Omaha World Herald article that he suspects the Franklin case involves more than the certificate of deposit allegations, King declined to be any more specific about the allegations.

12-1988 – Lawrence King denies diverting more than $34,000,000 from Franklin’s assets. King followed by asking the court to dismiss the civil lawsuit that had been taken out against him. King also requested for a trial by jury.

12-1988 – The FBI and Nebraska State Patrol contact the Foster Care Review Board and question certain children’s reliability and credibility.

12-19-1988 – Omaha TV news outlets mentioned they were investigating the sex and drugs angle of the Franklin Case. This marked the first time the media mentioned drugs in relation to Franklin matter.

12-25-1988 – The State Foster Care Review Board turns over their report of sexual abuse to the Executive Board of the Nebraska Legislature.

1-10-1989 – The Franklin Committee is formed by LB-5.

2-19-1989 – Senator Loran Schmit meets with Lawrence King. During the meeting King discusses his powerful acquaintances including Harold Andersen and agents of the FBI and Omaha Police.

5-19-1989 – A federal grand jury charges Lawrence E. King Jr. with 40 felony counts. His wife, Alice, was indicted on 12 charges. Three employees of Franklin who sold certificates of deposit on commission were indicted on income-tax-evasion charges.

5-23-1989 – Lawrence and Alice King plead not guilty.

6-13-1989 – Mrs. Harvey and her son, E. Thomas Harvey Jr., Franklin’s chief accountant, each pleaded guilty to one count of embezzling and one count of evading federal income taxes.

6-22-1989 – Omaha Police Officer Chris Carmean testifies in front of the Franklin Committee that the child abuse witnesses are credible.

7-1989 – Nicholas O’Hara of the FBI claims there are no credible witnesses for the Franklin Case.

7-1989 – The Franklin Committee reports that their intent of investigative action is to follow the money trail.

7-1989 – Ernie Chambers, James McFarland, Kirk Taylor, and Jerry Lowe resign from the Franklin Committee in light of the new angle the committee was to take by following the money trail.

7-25-1989 – Concerned Parents Group formed to press local officials in regards to the Franklin Case

8-21-1989 – Gary Caradori hired as Chief Investigator for the Legislature’s Franklin Committee.

11-25-1989 – Gary Caradori interviews victim Troy Boner at the Residence Inn.

12-27-1989 – The Franklin Committee gives copies of taped testimonies to the FBI, which subsequently was leaked to the media.

1-18-1990 – John DeCamp releases the “Franklin Memo,” which included the names of Harold Andersen, Lawrence King, Peter Citron, and Alan Baer.

1-30-1990 – Attorney General Robert Spire calls for a Grand Jury.

2-23-1990 – Sex Charges (unrelated to the Franklin Case) filed against Peter Citron.

3-12-1990 – The Douglas County Grand Jury convened.

3-19-1990 – The Douglas County Grand Jury starts the Franklin abuse trial.

3-29-1990 – Lawrence King is declared incompetent to stand trial.

4-19-1990 – Harold Andersen testifies before the Grand Jury.

4-26-1990 – Mayor P.J. Morgan testifies before the Grand Jury, stating that he was “outraged” by accusations against him involving the Franklin Case.

5-14-1990 – Gary Caradori takes videotaped statements from Paul Bonacci.

5-15-1990 – Former World-Herald columnist, Peter Citron pleaded no contest to two felony charges of fondling boys. He is later diagnosed as a mentally disordered sex offender requiring treatment.

5-25-1990 – Judge Murphy orders for a blood test on Alisha Owen’s baby.

7-11-1990 – Gary Caradori and his son, Andrew, are killed in a plane crash in Aurora Illinois.

7-23-1990 – Peter Citron sentenced to 3-8 years for sexual assault.

7-23-1990 – Media Polls taken in Omaha show that 70-90% of the population polled believe there is a cover-up that has taken place in the Franklin matter.

7-23-1990- Paul Bonacci is indicted on 3 counts of perjury.

7-23-1990 – Alan Baer is indicted on felony charges of pandering.

7-23-1990 – Alisha Owen is indicted on 8 counts of perjury.

7-24-1990 – The Grand Jury throws out the Franklin Case, labeling it as a “carefully crafted hoax.”

7-26-1990 – Alan Baer pleaded innocent to pandering charges, and is released on a signature bond.

8-8-1990 – Paul Bonacci and Alisha Owen enter innocent pleas to their perjury charges.

8-17-1990 – John DeCamp files a suit against the Douglas County Grand Jury.

11-07-1990 – Lawrence King is now called competent to stand trial.

1-4-1991 – John DeCamp’s suit against the Grand Jury is dismissed.

1-11-1991 – The Nebraska State Legislature refuses to continue the Franklin Committee’s investigation after losing important chairs on the committee.

2-1-1991 – John DeCamp files a Civil Rights suit on behalf of Paul Bonacci, against the Catholic Archbishop of Omaha, Lawrence King, Peter Citron, Alan Baer, Harold Andersen, Michael Hoch, Kenneth Bovasso, and other Nebraska persons and institutions.

2-11-1991 – Lawrence and Alice King enter a plea bargain to stay out of open court.

5-1992 – John DeCamp publishes The Franklin Cover-Up.

7-1-1993 – Alice King completes her prison sentence in Dallas, Texas.

7-5-1993 – Lawrence King had paid $25.00, and his wife Alice had paid $10.00, thus far, after agreeing to pay $41,800,000 in the plea bargain they had entered in 1991.

5-3-1994 – The Discovery Channel, was to air the Yorkshire documentary Conspiracy of Silence, about the Franklin cover-up, however, the documentary was pulled off the air at the last minute, and purchased by an unknown buyer.

2-14-1999 – Paul Bonacci wins a judgment of $1 million against Lawrence King, John DeCamp had represented Bonacci in his lawsuit against King.

11-1999 – Alisha Owen is denied a hearing to commute her sentence in order to set her free.

1-2000 – Lawrence King drops an appeal to the $1 million judgment against him.

4-10-2001 – Lawrence King is released from prison after serving less than 10 years of his 15-year sentence.

Spring-2003 – Troy Boner arrives at a New Mexico hospital; he was sedated upon admittance, the next day he was found dead in his hospital room.

Conspiracy of Silence (unaired documentary) Transcript

The following is a complete written transcript of the unaired documentary Conspiracy of Silence. Although the documentary never aired on public television, leaked copies of a pre-release version leaked to the public.

In 1993, a film crew from Yorkshire Television in the U.K. led by producer Nick Grey and Director Tim Tate went to Omaha, Nebraska in the U.S.A. to make a documentary about an alleged pedophile ring. Funded by the Discovery Channel in the U.S.A, their proposed film would first be broadcast in the U.K. and Ireland as part of Yorkshire Television’s documentary series: “First Tuesday.” A U.S. broadcast would follow. In Omaha, the film crew discovered the machinations of a vast operation functioning throughout the country providing children to the wealthy and the political establishment for molestation, drug trafficking, and blackmail. A year later in 1994, the documentary “Conspiracy of Silence” was to air in the U.K. but—during final editing with first broadcast approaching—the Discovery Channel inexplicably reimbursed Yorkshire Television the half million dollars it cost to make. To this day, the documentary remains “unaired.” What follows is an unpolished yet coherent, rough cut of that documentary: A Republican from the Midwest, Lawrence E. King, is serving a 15 year prison sentence for a multimillion dollar fraud. But financial crime is only half the story. This is the true story of Lawrence King. It is the story of an evil at the heart of America, of a cover-up at the highest level. One man is attempting to uncover the full story. John DeCamp is among the most highly decorated Vietnam veterans. A former Republican state senator in Lincoln Nebraska, he is now a lawyer fighting the evil of Lawrence King’s network. John DeCamp: “It’s a web of intrigue that starts in our holy of holies, Boys Town Nebraska, one of the most respected institutions in the United States, and spreads out like a spider web to Washington, D.C., right up to the steps of the nation’s capitol, the steps of the White House, involves some of the most respected, and powerful, and richest businessmen in this United States of America, and the centerpiece of the entire web is the use of children for sex, and drug dealing, and drug couriers, the compromising to politicians, the compromising to businessmen, but worst of all the corruption of key institutions of government that have the duty and responsibility to make sure these things never happen.” Made famous by an Oscar winning film, Boys Town Nebraska is America’s favorite children’s charity. It was founded in 1917 by Father Edward Flanagan. Monsignor Hupp, former executive director, Boys Town: “Boys Town was started to be a home for orphans. It was after World War I. And since then, society has changed and the problems of the boys have changed. And so now, it’s a question of taking care of homeless, abandoned, neglected, abused boys, and now girls also.” With cash reserves of five hundred million dollars, Boys Town is the richest square mile in the world. It has been granted the privileges of an incorporated town, a Catholic diocese, and a school district for five hundred boys and girls. One third of its annual income is raised from public donations solicited by begging letters and promotional videos. Boy’s Town promotional video: “I’m Father Val Peter, caretaker of Father Flanagan’s dream and the executive director of Boys Town. ‘Does Boys Town really exist?’ people ask me. You bet it does.” “Located in the heartland of America, Boys Town youth have come from many backgrounds and locals. As they graduate, they shall seek new adventures and head for different places, but always, they shall carry with them the spirit of Boys Town. If you’d like to help Boys Town, send your tax deductible gift to Father Val Peter, Boys Town, Nebraska 68010.” John DeCamp: “Boys Town for me was the first thing I ever heard of when you think of institutions that you respect. Believe it or not, I was there for a while when I was a young boy. Probably worldwide, there is no other institution other than Boys Town that has done so much good for so many children over such a long period of time so successfully. When an institution like that gets contaminated [for] purposes of abusing children instead of protecting children, then you’d better, if you’ve got any decency at all, do something about it or at least get it cleared up.” John DeCamp lays the blame for the contamination of Boys Town on the one-time leader of the National Black Republican Council, Larry King. John DeCamp: “Larry King was the fastest rising black star of the entire Republican Party of the United States during all of the 1980s. And he was also one of the most evil individuals in this country in terms of being a dealer of children, in terms of being a thief, forty million that they documented that he stole, and in terms of using, and compromising, and corrupting one after another politicians.” The base for his network was a small people’s bank in Omaha, Nebraska, the Franklin Federal Credit Union. Larry King was its general manager. Larry King: “Thank you. This is especially an exciting day for me.” Noel Seltzer, former Franklin Credit Union executive: “Mr. King was a very charismatic person. When he came in to the Credit Union, he was brought in because the Credit Union was actually failing. He did everything to build the Credit Union.” King courted the leaders of Omaha’s wealthy business district. Banks, industry, and charities placed millions of dollars in King’s hands. From 1979, Larry King developed close commercial ties to Boys Town, and Boys Town youngsters were sent to work for his companies. Noel Seltzer, former Franklin Credit Union executive: “Boys Town had quite a few accounts at Franklin Credit Union. Those were considered very valuable accounts. They were handled exclusively by the bookkeeping department. But on the average of once a month or once every two months, we always seemed to incorporate a person from Boys Town.” King used Boys Town as a source for young boys for his business, and for sex and drug orgies. Paul Bonacci was a victim of King’s abuse. He was also sent by King to lure Boys Town youngsters off campus. Paul Bonacci: “We used to just drive around, go up toward the home … scavenger hunts, picking up some of the kids, you know, just kind of win their confidence, become friends with them for a while, start inviting them to the parties. The kids were ten years old or older.” In 1986, King’s plundering of Boys Town by staff to the chief executive, Father Val Peter. Subsequent testimony proves that he carried out his own investigation but that King’s victims refused to talk. Carol Stitt, Director, foster care review board: “Nebraska has a very clear statute that child abuse allegations should be reported to authorities. They shouldn’t be reported to the principal of a school, director of a facility, they should be reported directly to either Child Protective Services or law enforcement. An internal investigation at Boys Town would have no status. I mean, in other words, that evidence that was collected may be something that could augment, but it certainly could not take the place of, an investigation, a criminal investigation.” Interviewer: “Could you understand why a very detailed report from a social worker employed at Boys Town identifying children and identifying their alleged abuses never saw the light of day, nothing happened with that?” Monsignor Hupp, former executive director, Boys Town: “No, I couldn’t understand that because had I known that, I wouldn’t put up with that, but is that—something like that happened? I don’t know. In retrospect, I regret having any association with Larry King. Had I known it at the time, it would never have happened.” Despite the investigation, Larry King remained free to feed his pedophilic parties with child victims. But in 1988, a routine review brought the Boys Town cases to the attention of Nebraska’s state foster care review board. Carol Stitt: “In the information presented to the foster care review board, either via the telephone reports, the personal reports, or the reports we reviewed, Larry King’s name was consistently present as someone that the youth were making allegations against. I turned that information over to authorities and nothing happened. I would say we handed over at least a foot high amount of material. Generally speaking, the allegations were ignored.” Omaha police now accept that Larry King may have been abusing children, but it’s most senior detective claims that he never received any evidence. Police Detective: “It is certainly possible that Mr. King was involved in illegal acts with children. If there was sufficient evidence of those types of allegations he would have been prosecuted by the county’s attorney’s office.” Carol Stitt: “For me it was very clear that the case was not investigated, not pursued, because of the alleged perpetrators.” Those perpetrators named by the children formed a ring of rich and powerful pedophiles in Omaha, men from industry, politics, the media, even the police. Besides Larry King, ringleaders were department store billionaire Alan Baer, and the celebrity columnist of the Omaha World Herald newspaper, Peter Citron. With the judicial system apparently paralyzed, Larry King’s business and political empire grew. He courted the Republican Party nationally and plundered Franklin’s accounts to finance a luxury lifestyle of limousines, private planes and palatial homes, three in Omaha and one in Washington, D.C. Franklin’s records show he spent ten million on jewelry, flowers, and private planes. And his lavish spending bought him a charmed life. John DeCamp: “Larry King was constantly heralded, cheered, applauded in the news media as the great businessman that’s helping the poor people, the black community of Omaha.” But King’s extravagance attracted the attention of the Internal Revenue Service. As a result, on April 11, 1988, the Franklin Credit Union was raided and closed by the FBI. King was arrested and a federal investigation showed he’d stolen forty million dollars from Franklin. But the FBI’s inquiries were secret and evidence of King’s sex ring was quickly covered up. In November 1988, Nebraska’s state government set up a parallel investigation into the Franklin financial collapse. A legislative committee was formed. Its chairman was the Republican head of Nebraska’s banking committee, corn famer and state senator Loran Schmit. But the money trail led quickly to the original allegations of child abuse, and almost immediately, anonymous threats began. Loran Schmit, senator of Nebraska: “I received a phone call on the floor of the legislature. The caller didn’t identify himself, but he said, ‘Loran, you do not want to have an investigation of the Franklin Federal Credit Union.’ And I asked who I was speaking to and they said, ‘that doesn’t matter, but you shouldn’t have that investigation.’ And I said, ‘Well, why not,’ and he said, ‘It will reach to the highest levels of the Republican Party, and we’re both good Republicans.’” Carol Stitt: “The night before we testified before the legislative committee, I did receive a phone call at home that said, ‘If you speak, you won’t live to regret it.’” Undeterred, Schmit’s committee hired professional investigators, Karen Ormiston and Gary Caradori. Senator Loran Schmit: “When we hired Mr. Caradori, I was very specific to him. I said, ‘We do not want you to bring to the committee rumors, innuendos, nothing that cannot be backed up with facts.’ I said, ‘Bring to the committee that which we can take to the prosecutor.’” On the streets of Omaha, Gary Caradori and Karen Ormiston found new victims of King’s pedophile network. Every new youngster told the same story as those from Boys Town, covered up three years earlier. Karen Ormiston (private investigator): “They were telling us about prominent people in Omaha and elsewhere that were abusing children at parties.” Senator Loran Schmit: “The prominent citizens’ names that originally came up were of concern to me because I knew many of those individuals, and I, very frankly, was shocked to have those names show up on the list.” Ormiston and Carradori recorded their new witnesses on video tape. A victim of abuse since he was eight, Paul Bonacci was present at many of Larry King’s sex parties. [Recorded Interview by private investigator] Gary Caradori: “Who were some of these people that would come to these parties?” Paul Bonacci: “Larry King.” [other names inaudible] Media personality Peter Citron procured some of his victims from Boys Town. Bonacci: “The kids he liked were mainly around the age of probably about eight and thirteen. It was mainly fondling and oral sex with them. He did have some anal sex, but he usually did that with the older kids.” But Citron’s abuse of Paul Bonacci involved ever more sadistic parties. Bonacci: “He would tie me up and have some of the kids perform sex on me. They would burn me with cigarettes.” Caradori: “Whenever you were tied up, was there anybody else present other than you, Peter Citron and Larry King?” Bonacci: “Yes. It was Alan Baer sometimes, Larry King, Paul Morino, … also Troy Boner. Troy was there.” Troy Boner was seventeen when he was introduced to the pedophile parties by Alan Baer. Troy Boner: “He lifted me up, moved me over to the bed, said ‘Let’s get on the bed,’ … as they say, sixty-nine position.” Troy Boner: “Alan Baer was a sick f___. He didn’t care. He wanted sex, nasty, you know, I don’t even know if you can call it sex. And he’d take it any way he could get it, pay for it, he liked to, but if he had to take it by force, he would. Larry King was the same kind of sick f___ Alan Baer was, except Larry Kind was more violent, more sure of himself. I would see him f___ a ten year old boy in the a__ until he bled. He’d push him down, and then go out and meet with decent people.” King would also provide underage girls for abuse. Alisha Owen was fifteen when she attended her first party. Alisha Owen: “I met some guys there that were from Boys Town. It was at that party that I met Larry King. At the time that I met Larry King, I did not know he was Larry King. It was the first time I’d ever met him.” Alan Baer and Larry King frequently hosted the child sex parties in penthouse apartments at the Twin Towers luxury block. Owen: “A lot of it was me handcuffed with my hands behind my head and my feet tied, and them doing different things. … Most of the time, Larry King took pictures quite a bit during that time.” Ormiston: “We were appalled. Appalled. It was incredible what these kids went through, I think.” Boner: “I was shocked when I walked in. There was a kid, I would say about fifteen years old out in the middle of the room. I was standing in front of him. He was bent over and the other guy was like reaching under him, … while a guy who Jeff told me was a police officer was shoving beads up his rectum. Boner: “Everything from just touching to a huge squash stuck into you, in your a__, heat, hot things poked at you and stuck in you. I got those scars in my arm one night at a party where Larry King was. He had brought somebody in—I don’t remember clearly who it was. Wanted to see how strong of men we were or something, and have us push our arms together. King has these same scars. You push them tight together and then you light cigarettes, and as soon as they get burning, you just drop them down between your arms and you just let it burn. They made us stand there naked and touch each other by holding our arms together and let it burn. It’s on film someplace. I mean they filmed it burning.” Owen: “And those of us that didn’t like to be involved, and didn’t want to be involved, were threatened.” Interviewer: “And who would do these threatening remarks?” Owen: “Larry King. When they threatened, ‘I can go find somebody that will kill you or that will kill your family,’ you didn’t tell anybody.” Boner: “Larry King was also here. He came in and we drank and did cocaine. I didn’t do much. He turned me on to it—Larry King did…. He didn’t like me because I would get high on drugs and I would question him about it. How can you do this? Once I asked him, he wanted me to s___ on him. And I did, gladly. I even said to him, ‘You stupid f_____.’ You’re paying me, how can you get into that? I got beat up by it. I came home here a lot of times beat the s__ for misspeaking, my tongue so to speak and just telling him how I felt sometimes.” Bonacci: “Drugs was a strong part of how they got control of some of the kids, because that’s what some of the kids were there to get. They would do the sexual acts and then be provided with cocaine or whatever type of drug they wanted.” Boner: “Heroin was my drug of choice. Till this day, I remain an addict, you know.” Ormiston: “Larry King was, I would say, the center of transporting the children around the country. The airplanes were usually leased in his name. They were paid for by Larry King.” Owen: “We met them in Pasadena. Larry King was there. There was three boys that I had seen at one of the receptions. I was almost positive they were Boys Town boys, almost positive….They were young.” Senator Schmit: “Boys Town came up frequently during the investigation. But we found it very difficult to get information on Boys Town. I was not able to get any information on my visit there and Mr. Caradori could not get information either.” Four years on, Boys Town remains unwilling to discuss its involvement with Larry King. We asked for an interview with chief executive Father Val Peter. But Boys Town’s public affairs officer refused: “I would have to give you a flat no. I’m just going to tell you at this point that we will not participate with you. We have no interest in talking to you folks. It is something we don’t even care to delve into.” [An in-person visit to the office of Val Peter by interviewer] “We’re here because we have to give Father Val Peter and Boys Town every opportunity to talk to us about the very serious allegations.“ Boys Town Employee: “Turn your recorder off. Please step outside.” Interviewer: “Why is it Boys Town is unwilling to discuss your relationship with Larry King? Boys Town Employee: “We don’t have a relationship with Larry King.” Interviewer: “I’m afraid papers that we possess show that Boys Town had a relationship with Larry King.” Boys Town Employee: “I suggest you be very careful about what you report.” By the spring of 1989, so serious were the child abuse allegations by the Franklin committee, that its chairman, Senator Loran Schmit, sought the advice of his lawyer, John DeCamp. He told Schmit to turn over all the evidence to the FBI. Immediately, the videotaped testimony was leaked to a hostile media. Ormiston: “The media immediately started discrediting the witnesses. The witnesses came across in the media, in the Omaha World Herald especially, as the criminals.” Carol Stitt: “The last three victim witnesses were demolished by the press, particularly the Omaha World Herald. The paper never looked for information that would support any of the allegations. The whole purpose of the allegations was to destroy any credibility these youths may have.” Bonacci: “I’ve heard that people said that Caradori coached me and that he told me what to say. But the fact was that I didn’t meet Gary Caradori until way after I’d already talked to the Omaha police about the abuse and had named all the same people. They didn’t ask me very much about Larry King or even Alan Baer at all. They treated the allegations I made about the people who abused me almost like a joke.” Police Detective: “The information did not come our way. It was given as I said to the FBI and Nebraska State Patrol. They conducted their own investigations of the information. The stories were of such significance that the investigators first wanted to prove the accuracy of the stories. As they set about the investigation of the three, initially three, then a fourth person that were telling the stories, as the investigation developed, it became obvious to investigators that the information was not accurate, that in fact, it was an entire conspiracy of allegations, none of which had any truth to them.” Senator Schmit: “I was very disappointed with the way the FBI and law enforcement treated the victims. They in fact, turned them into the offenders, so to speak. And instead of taking the evidence that was delivered to them by the victims, and interrogating the persons who the victims identified, they seemed to bear down and try to get the victims to change their story.” Troy Boner was brought in for questioning by the FBI. Boner: “The FBI’s attitude was just, no, these kinds of things don’t happen. From the first interview when I went and realized they don’t believe a f___in’ thing I’m saying you know. I mean, they were just appalled, but I realized what that look in their eye was back then. It was fear. It was fear, you know. I mean, I had witnessed first-hand things that would, you know, destroy this city, people, position. It’s not going to be believed, they said. It will not be believed. You will be found guilty of perjury. I mean, they weren’t telling me maybe. They were saying there’s no way. You go on with this story—you’re going to jail. I mean that was said to me direct. Just out of fear, I came to recant the story, out of fear.” Troy Boner agreed to recant his video-taped testimony and state instead that his evidence had been invented. Next, the FBI used Troy in an attempt to trap Alisha Owen into recanting her evidence about Larry King’s ring of powerful pedophiles. The phone call, recorded by the FBI on March the 9, 1990, proves conclusive evidence for John DeCamp. [Phone recording] “This is Special Agent Michael F. Mott. Following will be a consensually recorded telephone call between Troy Boner and Alisha Owen.” Owen: “Hello.” Boner: “Hello.” Owen: “Hi.” Boner: “Hey, what’s going on?” Owen: “I’d like to ask you that.” Boner: “Talk to me.” Owen: “No, you talk to me. I want to know why you’re lying. Why are you lying?” Boner: “What are you talking about? Owen: “That’s what I’m asking you.” Boner: “You’re calling me why I’m lying?” Owen: “Yeah.” Boner: “You concocted this whole thing, Alisha.” Owen: “You’re full of s___. You’re full of s___. Who do you have listening on this line?” Boner: “I have nobody listening to me! I’m listening to you and I’m hoping you’d give me some f___in’ answers.” Owen: “I’ll be honest with you. I don’t know what games you’re playing.” Boner: “I’m not trying to play a game.” Owen: “And I don’t know who you have on this phone call….” Troy: “You are being stupid, Alisha. I am not going to go to jail for you, and that is what is going to happen.” Alisha: “Why would you go to jail? Jail for telling the truth?” Troy: “No, jail for lying.” Alisha: “What have you lied about?” Troy: “I haven’t lied.” Alisha: “Ok, but then why are…?” Troy: “Listen—shut up! Listen to me. You are not out here being talked to every day. The pressure is kind of hard.” DeCamp: “You literally have to have bricks for brains to take on the FBI in this country and that is exactly what you would have to do to do this properly. THEY NOW, IN MY OPINION, IN MY INVESTIGATION, ARE THE ARCHITECTS OF THE COVER-UP.” We asked the FBI for an interview about its investigation of the Franklin Scandal. FBI Agent: “Murray Homequest for the FBI here – we feel it would be inappropriate for us to comment. We worked this with the Omaha police department. We just don’t feel it would be appropriate for us to make comments.” As Gary Caradori and Karen Ormiston sought out new witnesses on the streets of Omaha, they found themselves under constant threat. Karen Ormiston: “Gary was threatened several times. His vehicles were tampered with. I would think whoever tampered with them, it was a scare tactic because it was so obvious that they were being tampered with.” Gary Caradori’s brother: “Gary got– there is one piece of evidence I know he got that he even said he got one step ahead of them this time. He told us about this book, it was like addresses, telephone numbers, names. He said if they knew he had it, they’d kill him.” On July 11, 1990 Gary Caradori and his 8 year old son AJ were flying home from Chicago. They had watched the all-stars baseball game and Caradori had been pursuing new leads. [Newsreel] “Investigator from the National transportation Safety Board are in Harold Cameron’s Corn field trying to determine what caused this private plane to crash killing its 2 occupants.” The bodies of Gary Caradori and 8 year old AJ were found in the wreckage. [Newsreel] “National transportation Safety Board investigators say wreckage from the crash is apparently strewn over a 3/4 to 1 mile long stretch in this field. The fact that this wreckage is scattered over a large area certainly demonstrates that it did break up in flight. The exact mechanism of the breakup yet is still unknown.” The Federal Investigation was never able to discover what tore the plane apart. Karen Ormiston: “There are things missing from the plane. His brief case is missing. Again we will never know what all was missing because I don’t know what he had with him. I don’t know what he did in Chicago. He may have had information that he was coming back with.” Within 24 hours of the tragedy, FBI agents impounded all records of the investigation. Gary’s widow, Sandie, is still unable to come to terms with her loss. Sandie Caradori: “As a mother, I don’t want to ever think that somebody murdered my child, let alone my husband, but I think if you’d ever talk to any parent, be it a mother or father that has ever lost a child, I mean the worst thing that you can think of is that somebody would want to murder a child.” Gary Caradori’s brother: “I really feel that somebody killed my brother. And inside me, I know somebody killed by brother. If somebody can help us out or… somebody knows something. May God help those who did that to him and his family.” Gary Caradori’s death pricked Troy Boner’s conscience. He promised Sandie that he would recant his recantation and tell the truth. Troy: “I wanted to set the record straight. I was going to do it and would, you know, the truth would come out, and somebody would be held accountable for his death. And then at the funeral I had seen FBI guys, you know, and they looked at me. You know, I was supposed to meet Senator Labedz? and Schmit for lunch after the funeral, and that is when I decided, I told my mom, ‘You know, we’re not going to do the lunch, we are going to hightail it out of Lincoln now.’” Karen Ormistan: “The effect of Gary’s crash on the investigation, I think, in effect, put an end to anybody else coming forward with sensitive information like this.” Carol Stitt: “That is when I was finished, because I figured out if they murdered Gary and his son, there was nothing that would stop them, there was no piece of paper, there was nothing we could come up with that was going to get anything done.” Under pressure from the FBI, Troy Boner agreed to tell a Douglas County Grand Jury investigating Larry King that he and Alisha Owen had concocted the entire child abuse story on payment of $500.00 bond. Troy Boner was to be the star witness against Alisha Owen but he grew uneasy about maintaining what he claims were the lies fed to him by the FBI. But when his brother Shawn died in and inexplicable gun accident, Troy and his family were convinced that he was sent a warning message. Troy: “You know, they killed him just flat outright, somehow, professionally, made something happen, you know, to shut me up.” Troy’s mother: “The purpose of Shawn’s death—to instill fear, and it worked.” Troy: “Do I feel guilty about my brother? Yes, I do. That’s where all this is coming from. This is where the energy is coming from that I’m getting to do this. It’s for him because it should have been me there instead of him. Really. I mean, I’m not trying to make anybody feel bad, but I mean he was brilliant and innocent. You know, it should have been me. He had so much to give, I have taken so much. You know, it should have been the other way around.” Troy’s mom, Loni Boner: “I can’t explain to you what it feels like to lose a child. But when you see the pain your kids have because of that, it’s much worse [crying]. I can’t do anything for them. I can’t take that pain away for them.” Senator Loran Schmit’s legislative committee issued a report denouncing the grand jury. Two months later, it was disbanded leaving Schmit a broke man. Senator Schmit: “The message was not lost on most politicians in Nebraska. I think the message delivered was if any of the committee ever tries to conduct a thorough investigation again, the same thing will happen. It has shaken my faith in the institutions of government. I used to be a firm believer that the system would work and that people who did things wrong would be punished. And we discovered victims who claim to have been abused and who the grand jury acknowledged had been abused, but they did not try to find out who had abused those individuals. Instead, they convicted Alisha Owen of perjury and that’s from my point of view.” In July 1991, Alisha Owen was convicted of perjury. Her sentence was between 9 and 25 years. DeCamp: “I can’t find a case in the history of this country where some kid got sentenced to 25 or 30 years in prison for something like this. If you were going to pick a—what I call a tell-tale sign, something that says something’s fishy about the whole thing—It was in the sentencing itself. For some reason they had to send a signal to every kid who was a potential witness (my opinion again) a signal so loud and clear: ‘If you dare to come forward, if you dare to talk, watch what happens.’” Three months later, Larry King was jailed for the 40 million dollar fraud. He was given a 15 year sentence – 10 years less than Alisha Owen. John DeCamp is now the only man fighting to help Larry King’s victims. He has become the lawyer for Paul Bonacci and Alisha Owen. DeCamp: “I live in Nebraska. Hell, I was born here, raised here, I have 4 kids growing up here. Like it or not, it’s my heritage, you know? If it’s a dirty cesspool that I’ve got to live in or look back on that I left, that ain’t good. The real cost, if I were going to say, to my family has been the fear and intimidation that has put some of the kids—a couple of the kids are really frightened and really had some sleeping problems over it—you know, hear this or that. That‘s been the real concern I’ve had. In the face of mysterious threats, John has turned for advice to his friend and onetime boss, former head of the CIA, Bill Colby. DeCamp: “Bill Colby told me, better than anything, the one thing that the bad people can’t afford is publicity, and knocking you off right now or doing something obvious to one of your kids would bring them more trouble than it’s worth.” Bill Colby: “I said you have to consider the possibility of some danger to not only your reputation, but to your person. I mean, people do react rather violently to some kinds of charges, or particularly if they’re true, there is more apt to be a negative reaction than if they’re false. If they’re false charges, than they can be reacted to in a normal way, by a libel suit or whatever. But if there’s truth in it, there can be a danger in that situation. We’ve seen that happen in other cases.” John DeCamp has arranged to meet Troy Boner, the young man he sees as the key to the cover-up. DeCamp: “He is in great danger. The reason is he carries the secret, so to speak. He served his purpose for the FBI and others by committing the lies that put the seal on the cover-up. His greatest safety probably lies in doing exactly what he knows he should do—that is exposing the whole thing, taking one final last chance and telling the truth. Troy: “My fears are that, you know, I am not going to be believed again. It is just going to be a whole other kind of exploitation like it was last time, you know. And afraid that that’s going to happen, or that I might end up dead or a loved one might end up dead again. I want this to go forward and have something done so that all those other kids who a lot more worse things have happened to can come forward and see that action can be taken because there are a lot of other kids out there that things happen to them, a lot worse that happened to me.” DeCamp: “You have to, if you want to protect yourself and your life and your family’s life both now and particularly in the future, is to use the institutions of government that have been set up to protect you, and make them work. That means you go into Federal court, you go after the people that have done this cover-up, and you expose it so there is no longer any percentage on their part in eliminating you because the secret is out.” Troy: “That’s why we’re here today, to let it out.” DeCamp: “I have no doubt that he is now telling the truth number one, and number two that he originally told the truth. Potentially they could decide to charge him with perjury because now he is telling that ‘They forced me to lie. I did lie at Alisha’s trial. I did lie before the grand jury. I did it because the authorities were forcing me to do it. And I was scared for my family, my brother had been killed when I tried to back out the one time.’ Potentially they could charge him with perjury this time.” Alisha Owen is out of prison and on bail while DeCamp appeals against her perjury conviction. As he prepares for a court hearing new evidence of the cover-up emerges, and once again, it involves Troy Boner’s evidence. Alisha: “The tapes that were shown to the Grand jury had been edited Everything that matched Troy’s statement…” John DeCamp: “Was shown them.” Alisha Owen: “That matched mine, were edited out. And I think maybe one of the things we want to do is show to the judge specifically how, where these little five minute segments of, ‘Look, this tape says this,’ and show him, ‘It isn’t in this tape, and this is the tape the grand jury saw.’” John DeCamp: “I’m going to attempt to get these tapes, and we’ll see what happens next.” But to obtain the evidence DeCamp must approach some of the very officials he believes were involved in the cover up, the county attorneys’ office which ran the grand jury. DeCamp: “In the good old Alisha Owen case, 127194, I’m trying to get the evidence, the tapes and the transcripts of Troy and Danny, Troy Boner.” Office Clerk: “That might be downstairs. We had that up here once.” DeCamp: “Yeah—I think there’s two tapes, there should be, because I understand, and the transcript of them. But if I could get them, I could start reviewing them and figure out maybe a little bit on what’s happening on some things.” Office Clerk: “Check with the county attorneys, they have all the bills up there. Robert…” DeCamp: “Let me guess, Robert Sigler has them.” Robert Sigler is the prosecuting attorney fighting to send Alisha Owen back to prison. After lengthy negotiations, DeCamp emerges with the tapes the grand jury never saw. [Recorded video of Troy Boner’s interview by Priv. investigator, Gary Caradori] Troy Boner: “I went with $4,000, about $4,000 of cocaine.” Gary Caradori: “Okay, and what airline?” Troy Boner: “I flew out of American.” Gary Caradori: “Okay, and did you go direct?” Troy Boner: “No, there was a stopover in Van Bu… No, there was a stopover in Dallas, Fort Worth.” Caradori: “So you went from where to where to where?” Troy Boner: “I went from Omaha to Dallas, Fort Worth, like an hour and then—a big, big plane from Dallas to Los Angeles.” Caradori: “Alright, did anybody go with you?” Troy Boner: “Alisha Owen.” DeCamp: “If these indeed were left out of the grand jury proceedings, then I am totally shocked and angry beyond words. Here it is, so to speak, the smoking gun, that they can go out and verify—the corroboration. In other words, the linkage to King that was denied. Cover-up, organized, planned, deliberate cover-up.” The courthouse Wahoo, Nebraska: the hearings begin. Alisha Owen is ready to testify, so too is Paul Bonacci, but there is no sign of Troy Boner. DeCamp discovers that Robert Sigler has sent the young man a threatening subpoena. Fearing arrest for perjury, Troy has gone into hiding. In court, DeCamp successfully pleads for another adjournment. The county attorney’s office begins to search for Troy Boner, but Robert Sigler won’t say why. Interviewer: “Can I ask you whether you are about to charge Troy Boner with perjury?” Robert Sigler: “Oh, no comment on that.” Interviewer: “Why, is it, I wonder, Mr. Sigler, you’re a public official, aren’t you? Mr. Sigler, is it true you are about to charge on Troy Boner with perjury?” Robert Sigler: “No comment!” Interviewer: “Mr. Sigler, if you do not charge Troy Boner with perjury, does that mean you accept what he is saying is true?” Robert Sigler: “No comment.” Interviewer: “Why are you trying to have Troy Boner summoned to this hearing, Mr. Sigler?” Robert Sigler: “No comment.” Interviewer: “Why no comment, Mr. Sigler?” Robert Sigler: “No comment.” DeCamp: “Every victim witness who stepped forward in any way, or even was a potential witness that somebody heard about, has either been killed, put in jail under some theory or other, terrified or run out of the state, discredited. Every perpetrator, every perpetrator, even the convicted ones have been treated as conquering heroes. Obviously, the FBI was protecting something a lot more significant than a bunch of old pedophiles having improper relations with little boys. They were protecting something a lot more significant than a bunch of drug peddlers. They were protecting, in my opinion, they were protecting some very prominent politicians, some very powerful and wealthy individuals associated with those politicians and the political system, up to and including the highest political people in this entire country.” In search of answers, John DeCamp goes to Washington to investigate Larry King’s powerful connections in the nation’s capitol. Paul Bonacci has come too. Larry King threw child-sex parties at his five thousand dollar a month Washington house. Paul Bonacci was one of the victims. Paul Bonacci: “Larry king’s house down in Washington, D.C. was, it was a nice house. It was on what, I guess, I believe was Embassy Row, because that’s what they kept talking about. There were a lot of flags from different countries when you drove around in the area.” DeCamp: “So tell me Paul, how often did you come here?” Paul Bonacci: “I was about 14 about 1981, and at first it was about 3 or 4 times the first year. After that, it was about once a month, after 81.” DeCamp: “And who brought you here?” Paul Bonacci: “Larry King brought me here.” DeCamp: “And this is the actual house where you…” Paul Bonacci: “Yes.” DeCamp: “And what? You were used for sex there?” Paul Bonacci: “Yes. In some of the parties when they started off were straight political-type parties with no sex. And then when some of the men had left, some of the politicians had left, the ones that had planned, they had planned on engaging in some type of sexual activity, that would come after the party. Some of the kids would be held downstairs in some of the rooms where if they acted up or if they started freaking out because of the drugs that they were on, they would put them in a room that they couldn’t get out of and they would lock them in.” DeCamp: “Were there drugs at these parties?” Paul Bonacci: “Yes.” DeCamp: “What kind of drugs?” Paul Bonacci: “Anything you wanted—cocaine, heroin, speedballs…” DeCamp: “You’re telling me those things were at these parties where you had Larry King and prominent politicians?” Paul Bonacci: “Yes.” DeCamp: “Were they readily available to anybody at the party?” Paul Bonacci: “They—at the after parties, they were readily available for anybody. Beforehand, they did it more upstairs than they did it anywhere else. It was kind of in the back rooms.” DeCamp: “Were any attempts ever made that you know of to expose this situation?” Paul Bonacci: “As far as I know, nothing’s ever been done, and most of the people that were in there had already been, I guess you can say, compromised.” King’s partner in sex-crime was powerful Washington lobbyist, Craig Spence. He took youngsters like Bonacci on midnight tours of the White House. DeCamp: “So you were in the White House then?” Paul Bonacci: “Yes.” DeCamp: “And how did you gain access?” Paul Bonacci: “Well, I came down with Larry King, but Craig Spence was the one that arranged the trip for us, and it was kind of a gift for our services that we were doing.” DeCamp: “How many times were you on this kind of a trip?” Paul Bonacci: “I came to it on two times.” DeCamp: “Two times. And were you used for sex on those occasions?” Paul Bonacci: “Not till after we left.” DeCamp: “After you left the White House?” Paul Bonacci: “Yes.” DeCamp: “What time of night?” Paul Bonacci: “It was usually around midnight. To me it was just kind of weird being in the White House at that time of the night, and getting to go into places that the guy was telling us that nobody gets to go to. And we’ve seen, I’ve seen rooms in there that I’d never even heard about. Craig Spence and Larry King had a couple of groups, one was called ‘Bodies by God,’ and they had the callboys, and there was another group that was started by Larry King which was called the ‘Golden Boys,’ which was kids that were usually under the age of approximately ten.” On the trail of Craig Spence, DeCamp finds the investigative reporter who exposed Spence’s callboy network, Paul Rodriquez of the Washington Times. Paul Rodriquez: “We had uncovered a series of allegations from some minors that led me to a callboy operation here in Washington.” DeCamp: “That sure fits with, you know, with the boy Paul Bonacci, and he tells a tale of being brought to the White House on occasion, kind of as a reward for the kid.” Paul Rodriguez: “Craig Spence’s dad committed suicide. He had advanced stages of aids. He was an aid’s carrier and he killed himself. This was the thing that always bothered me. They claim it was the largest male prostitution ring in the city that they’ve ever, ever had uncovered. It was a mi