Try as Virginia might to project an image of a modern, at least slightly enlightened and progressive state, some Virginians are working in overdrive to make the state a laughing stock in the national and international media. The latest example comes from the Manassas City police department which had been seeking to serve a search warrant on a 17-year-old boy charged with “sexting” an explicit video to his 15-year-old girlfriend. The plan was to medically induce an erection and photograph it apparently to prove the 17 year old was the individual in the texted material. Now, having made Virginia look utterly stupid and backward, the cretins in Manassas are backing down on their lurid demands. Obviously, some folks need to be promptly fired and the Commonwealth Attorney needs to resign immediately. It is perhaps telling that Manassas is in Prince William County, home of Del. Bob Marshall who seeks to police the sex lives of all Virginians. Here are highlights from the Washington Post on the Manassas batshitery:
Manassas City police said Thursday they would not serve a search warrant seeking to take photos of a 17-year-old boy charged with “sexting” an explicit video to his 15-year-old girlfriend earlier this year.
The teen is facing felony counts of manufacturing and distributing child pornography. As the case was headed to trial last week, Manassas City police and Prince William County prosecutors said in juvenile court that they had obtained a warrant to photograph the teen’s erect penis, in order to compare with the video he allegedly sent in January, according to the teen’s lawyers. When defense lawyer Jessica Harbeson Foster asked how they would obtain a photo of her client while aroused, she said police told her they would take him to a hospital and inject him with a drug to force an erection.
On Thursday, Prince William authorities decided to drop that plan. Lt. Brian Larkin of the Manassas City police said, “We are not going to pursue it.” He said the police planned to allow the search warrant, obtained last week, to expire. He would not say why the decision had been made to abandon the warrant or discuss the reasons for the search.
Larkin referred further questions to Prince William Commonwealth’s Attorney Paul B. Ebert. Ebert did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
Carlos Flores Laboy, appointed the teen’s guardian ad litem in the case, said he thought it was just as illegal for the Manassas City police to create their own child pornography as to investigate the teen for it.
“They’re using a statute that was designed to protect children from being exploited in a sexual manner to take a picture of this young man in a sexually explicit manner,” Flores Laboy said. “The irony is incredible.”
All I can say is "Only in Virginia" - especially conservative areas of Virginia. I hope Prince William Commonwealth’s Attorney Paul B. Ebert is happy that he's made the entire state look ridiculous and backward.
1 comment:
The thing is, Ebert doesn't care. He's been in the national news for other batshit crazy prosecutions, and it makes no difference to him. I'd guess he gets campaign contributions from Marshall, and therefore does his bidding, which is to attempt to police all citizens' sex lives. I was hoping the feds would step in and remind these clowns that their plan was as criminal as any other child porn producer.
I'm glad to see the search warrant will expire without service, but I am still worried about why the girl in question has not been charged with producing child porn, too. There is no lower age limit.
Peace <3
Jay
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