Texas Town Reels From Horrific Abuse In Its Midst

[DeSwiss]

Source: Associated Press

Texas town reels from horrific abuse in its midst

By PAUL J. WEBER, Associated Press Writer
2 hours, 19 minutes ago


Patrick Kelly

MINEOLA, Texas - In the windowless front rooms of a former day care center in a tiny Texas community, children as young as 5 were fed powerful painkillers they knew as "silly pills" and forced to perform sex shows for a crowd of adults. Two people have already been convicted in the case. Now a third person with ties to the club, previously known in town only as a swingers group, is set to go on trial Monday not far from Mineola, population 5,100.

"This really shook this town," said Shirley Chadwick, a longtime resident of Mineola. "This was horrible." Patrick Kelly, 41, is charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child, tampering with physical evidence and engaging in organized criminal activity. In all, six adults have been charged in connection with the case, including a parent of the three siblings involved.

Jurors this year deliberated less than five minutes before returning guilty verdicts against the first two defendants, who were accused of grooming the kids for sex shows in "kindergarten" classes and passing off Vicodin as "silly pills" to help the children perform. Jamie Pittman and Shauntel Mayo were sentenced to life in prison. Kelly also faces a life sentence if convicted, and Smith County prosecutors hope for another swift verdict.

Thad Davidson, Kelly's attorney, said his client passed a lie-detector test proving his innocence and worries about getting a fair trial in Tyler, 25 miles southeast of Mineola, which is in Wood County. "I think it's impossible to get a fair trial within 80 miles of Smith County," Davidson said. Mineola, about 80 miles east of Dallas, is a close-knit, conservative bean-processing town of with more than 30 churches. Residents there want to put the scandal behind them as quickly as possible.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080622/ap_on_re_us/sex_club_children

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- I. Have. No. Words. For. This.
========================================================================
DeSwiss


http://atheisttoolbox.com/">The Atheist Toolbox

[anitar1]

1. I have plenty of words for it. But the most important words are

Mandatory death sentences, without appeals, for all child abusers.These filthy bastards take away a child's future. There is no cure for pedophiles and certainly no cure for the damaged children. There is evil in the world and these people are at the head of the list, imo. Speaking as one who suffered abuse.

[Oceansaway]

2. i agree...n/t

[cliffordu]

4. You got here before me. I volunteer to pull the lever.

I used to work with street kids. Without fail every one of them had been subjected to hell itself.

I don't know if any fully recovered.

[izquierdista]

10. Avatar abuse

The Dalai Lama and mandatory death sentences? :crazy: The only way to reconcile that is to use Republican logic.

[Spouting Horn]

35. Avatar abuse!

Che Guevera and against the death penalty?

If that's the case then maybe you should know Guevara himself signed over a thousand death warrants...

[1monster]

21. Disagree big time. Has everyone forgotten so soon all of those child sex abuse scandals of the

eighties which destroyed families and lives ... and they turned out to be complete fabrications on the part of some law enforcement officers and extremely tainted psychologists' evidence gathering from children who were being either intentionally or nonintentionally manipulated?

I don't know the evidence in this particular case, and I don't want to.

But a death penalty carried out is irreversible.

[alarimer]

23. I thought of those too.

I guess it depends on the evidence they had and what the jury heard.

The McMartin case was founded on lies by one or two children, as I recall. Or rather they were encouraged or pressured to lie. I forget the details except that it was a rush to judgment.

[Spouting Horn]

39. Yes, I remember those days

The biggest case at the time was in Dade County, Florida...it turned out to be all lies...and the Prosecution was led by the Dade County Attorney, Janet Reno.

Dozens of adults charged, dozens of lives ruined.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

54. Your choice of things to notice and comment on is... interesting.

[AngryAmish]

41. Some people abused as children do not have long-term negative effects

Depends on the level of abuse and the genetic makeup of kids. Think about it. Are entire generations of Chinese people screwed up because of the Cultural Revolution or Cambodians because of the Khmer Rouge years?

BTW, this story does not ring true to me. It has been proven you can implant memories in children. How much do you want to bet that the initial interviews by the therapists and law enforcement (and many others) were not videotaped? That is what happened in the 80s when this sort of thing was widespread.

[mike_c]

42. anyone else you want to kill in the name of righteousness...?

I was once abused too, so that card won't justify state supported murder as far as I'm concerned. Punishment, yes. But how many innocent people are already on death row?

I realize child abuse is a topic that gets real emotional, real fast, but that's just mob mentality. We do not have to join into the murder-as-revenge business in order to seek justice, no matter what harm was done.

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. Could this be another McMartin case?

Their community thought that was horrific too.

[lolly]

5. Good Point.

The article didn't mention what evidence they had--perhaps they do have a good case.

But the town they describe (conservative, lots of churches) was exactly the type of place that spawned the witch-hunt/satanic day care panic of the 80s. People's lives were ruined. Some spent years in jail, went in debt with legal fees, and had their reputations destroyed. Parents had children taken away from them. And most weren't already "suspect," like a group of "swingers" would be.

Obviously, I'm NOT defending sexual abuse of children, so DON't start flaming me and saying I'm protecting child abusers. But I would like to know more.

And this happening in Texas (can anyone say "Tulia Texas drug raids?") doesn't reassure me.

[DeSwiss]

11. It could very well be.....

....and they always do.

[progdonkey]

12. Yeah, it could go either way for me...

From the story and the quotes given, I can completely see this as another hysteria story. The complaint came from one of the girl's foster parents, but you have no idea what the circumstances are that brought out the allegation. (I could be wrong, but specifically in the McMartin case--but also in those "satanic ritual" stories--it was a similar single allegation, followed by a lot of made-up testimony.) And the other kid said that "people do nasty stuff in there." Consensual sex among adults is "nasty stuff" as far as kids are concerned--of course, the question then is where the kid got that opinion: first-hand knowledge or rumors among kids that were actually fed to the first girl by her foster-mother.

It doesn't mean that this case isn't factual, but there's a definite precedent for this all being a load of horseshit. The idea that conservative Christian Texans would make this type of stuff up because they don't like swingers is much more believable to me.

[tishaLA]

20. my first thought too

I suspect some of these people--people who go to swingers clubs, etc.--are easy targets. This case seems dangerously close to a repetition of that one.

[WolverineDG]

31. Where's the CPS tank & SWAT team? nt

[proud2BlibKansan]

34. LOL

Let's make a call!

:sarcasm:

[slackmaster]

44. That was the first thing that entered my mind when I read the headline

Time will tell.

[sarcasmo]

6. Saw this story and my jaw dropped. Why would anyone allow their kids to be raised in a daycare?

Haven't we seen enough of these stories.

[Imalittleteapot]

8. Because they have to work, maybe?

[DeSwiss]

13. Daycare...

...is a reality of modern life for a working family. And its cost makes it difficult if not impossible for most parents to afford. I'm sure they no doubt "lowered" their charges for "care" to induce some people to leave their kids there.

- But apparently that wasn't necessary for everyone....

[Marrah_G]

30. Maybe because most mothers have to WORK.................

[nodehopper]

49. my class privilege...let me show you it

some people have to work, and have to put their kids in daycare. so that they can, you know, provide food and shelter for those children.

[Skittles]

52. "allow"?

are you nuts? Surely you know it's not a choice for most people.

[BlueJazz]

7. I'm against the Death Penalty (and always will be) but cases like this...

...test my resolve... :(

[DeSwiss]

9. Mine too. n/t

[progdonkey]

14. see post re: McMartin case above...

That's why we shouldn't have the death penalty. Ever.

People are wrongfully convicted by corrupt, ignorant, and/or biased juries all the time. Just because the innocent person was wrongfully convicted of raping a child instead of writing a bad check doesn't make them any less innocent.

[BlueJazz]

16. Oh...I agree absolutely. n/t

[lolly]

15. Could be bad or good sign

Says the jurors deliberated about 5 minutes (!) before coming up with a verdict.

Either the evidence was unshakeable, or they had their minds made up from the beginning.

Where did the get the Vicodin--is there any record on this?

Who interviewed the victims, and how were they interviewed?

Was the man pictured the one who ran the day care? And did people really leave their children in a day care with him?

How long did this go on? Were there no other clues?

[alarimer]

24. I was on a jury for a fairly open and shut case and I refused to make a quit verdict.

My first vote was not guilty simply because I wanted to talk it over. It was not as serious as this case, however. But juries are supposed to deliberate, which to me means take their time and not make a decision right away. 5 minutes sounds like they had already made up there minds. I've decided that if I am ever on another case I will do the same thing as I did before. Because it is a serious thing, deciding if someone committed a crime or not and shouldn't be based on how much you want to get out of there or whatever.

[Art_from_Ark]

28. I agree

Five minutes is way too short a time to reach a verdict

[DBoon]

17. when I see something so horrific that it calls for the death penalty

I know I need to step back, think about what is being claimed and how real it is, think about what it means to have the state put someone to death, and consider the process of justice.

The I am not so sure the knee-jerk reflex of "put them to death" is the right or just thing to do

[lolly]

18. More weirdness

From Yahoo article:

Permanent custody of the three siblings was given to John and Margie Cantrell. This week, prosecutors in California charged John Cantrell with sexually assaulting a child in the state 18 years ago. Margie Cantrell said her husband is innocent.

So, custody of some of the children involved was given to a man who himself faces charges--albeit from 18 years ago?

And they performed before crowds of 50-100 people? But neighbors remember seeing "more than a dozen cars" parked there at night--did the 100 people carpool? And were the people bringing kids there at night? If it happened during the day, didn't somebody notice? Other parents dropping off/picking up kids all day would have seen something. Or was this just a home day care with these 4 kids? But if so, where would the 50-100 people have fit?

At the very least, it's a very poorly written article without enough information about the case.

[DeSwiss]

19. This is what the print press has devolved into....

...and what passes for a news story these days. I agree, poorly written.

[lolly]

22. More info

Here's an article with more info:

http://www.tylerpaper.com/article/20080327/NEWS01/803270327

Apparently it wasn't a daycare--it was an empty building that was leased out to the "Swinger's Club."

One of the parents of the children involved was in the club, but it's still not clear why/how the other children were brought there. If it wasn't a daycare, it sounds like they were all complicit?

[readmoreoften]

27. Some strange quotes in there. Nothing said has fully convinced me.

"The girl said Pittman would beat them often with a paddle and described once when they were spanked for playing tag and running in the house. They were forced to pull down their pants when he spanked them. She said she was grounded for three weeks because she wore a sweater to church he had told her not to wear."

Hate to say this, but this is not unusual discipline. The guy sounds like a dick but this quote is really pointless to the article.

Also. Are vicodin "silly pills?" I though vicodin would be sleepy, passed out pills given to 6 year olds.

There are video tapes. So I expect there is video evidence, right? Why haven't we heard about this? People who use DV video cameras have master tapes that they upload into computers. Computer files? Master tapes?

The kids say they "burned their costumes" so they wouldn't get caught. Any "burnt costumes" located? What would a remnant of a "burnt costume" consist of? What kind of costume would be evidence of pedophilia? Little girls wear sequined clothes all the time. Halloween costumes could be pretty elaborate.

This story rings way wrong to me. Certainly one or even all of them could've be abused by one of these guys. But I'm not buying the whole afterschool special 100 person filmed sex show as of yet.

[ozball]

29. texas reel

An Australian Atheist says:
I thought America was supposed to have good “Christian” moral
standards and was busy with its army delivering sexual
sexual liberation for Aghanistans women in order to stop abuses by
the “Muslim” Taliban.
Who will liberate america fronm sexual abusers ?

O.K.so this is just one more small town in Texas.A state that
claims it also had problems with a “Mormon” sect and child
abuse.
So just how widespread is child abuse in America?

perhaps its simply
“normal” now and so nobody is surprised?

Is it the same in other small towns ,ongoing regular public
events ,untill finaly some Mother actualy complained ?

Is it any
wonder many in amerika and the world say no longer "god bless
america"-but like reverand Wright say -“goddamm america."
poles up the asses or string em up stuff.

A sick society.

So you had better bring back the army and national guards from Afghanistan. they got a lot of work to do acting in like a Taliban in Texas for the fundamentalists in texas.

Besides, the Taliban don’t want hollywood culture and gays kissing everyday on TV anyway, all the everyday American “normal” stuff, beauty competions for “sexy” tiny kids, leading to child murder and all the rest of modern American culture.

[nodehopper]

50. are you insane?

[Hannah Bell]

25. it's phooooo-ney.

moral panic everywhere. lock up your children, there are so many pervs out there!!!!

yeah, it's so easy to make 5-year olds follow a script.

phooooo-ney.

rampin' up the shockn'awe.

[fascisthunter]

45. what's phoney again?

"....rampin' up shockn'awe"? What are you getting at?

[Hannah Bell]

48. the story is phoney. 5 year olds in sex shows, with hundreds of

people from a small town watching, the dead body that disappeared, the whole story stinks of phoney.

but pedophilia is the new communism, the media publishes this crap & the public jerks their knee like pavlov's dogs.

[Skittles]

53. it absolutely does sound ridiculous

reminds me of what was it, the McMartin daycare thing a long time ago? I thought that souded ridiculous at the time too. I certainly hope so.

[readmoreoften]

26. I'm sorry but how do 50-100 people show up for child sex shows in a town of 5000

How do you pick jurors in that situation? You're talking about 2% of your entire community involved in live kindergarten sex shows. How would that situation exist for--like--longer than 5 minutes?

Is this going to be like the McMartin Daycare scare where the kids were "fed to dinosaurs" and "flown on jet planes to jungle safaris"? Not that evil doesn't happen--a lot--but they only took 5 minutes to convict based on what evidence? That the dude looks creepy?

I'm still skeptical. The verdict of a Texas Hangin' town doesn't mean much to this Texan.

[lolly]

32. True

Yes, I didn't even notice that angle. 100 people here in LA wouldn't be that big a deal, but in a town of 5000--well, everybody would've known someone involved.

And then, as I said before, the neighbors were upset because there were "over a dozen cars" some nights. Say 15. 3-7 people per car? Do pedophiles have Rideshare programs? So the 50-100 person stuff doesn't make sense.

The second article tells more about the victims' testimony, and one girl says she saw a woman beaten and her body was dragged out and never seen again. Who was this? Any missing people in town?

It's just all very weird--and very weird that none of the news outlets that repeated the same "hidden abuse" wire story never looked into any of this before running the story.

On edit: from post above--"She said she was grounded for three weeks because she wore a sweater to church he had told her not to wear."

She was grounded for 3 weeks? So was this her mother or guardian? All the kids were related, so this was in their home and had nothing to do with daycare. And all this came out after the children were removed from their parents' homes (their parents were the "swingers?") and put in foster care and started misbehaving.

[yardwork]

33. What actual evidence is there for this?

This sounds so much like the hysterical cases of the past. There was one in North Carolina that, coincidentally, involved a man named Kelly. A lot of people think it was a total frame-up.

[Xenotime]

36. Why does this shit seem to come from Texas?

[Taverner]

43. Because Florida and the rest of the Confederacy had the day off

[jespwrs]

37. Have fun being a hardcore sex offender in prison!

I think that's worse than the death penalty and a fitting sentence.

[lolly]

38. Especially if it's all a crock of sh**

Or even partially a crock of sh**.

[jespwrs]

40. Duh

I never said or intended to imply they should be locked up before a thorough investigation and a fair trial.

[Maine-ah]

46. this is the kind of shit that scares me.

I know most day cares are just fine. BUT you never know. This is why I refuse to put mine in day care, and I work nights and my husband works days just so we don't have to.

Friggin' bastards.

[lolly]

47. It WASN'T a day care

One of the odd things about this article is that we were all left with the impression that the children were in a day care--but after piecing the two articles together, it appears that this took place in a building that had formerly housed a day care center. The building was leased to a "swingers" club, and it appears that these 3 (4?) children were brought to the "swingers club" by their parents or other relatives or something (not at all clear about that).

[Maine-ah]

51. ahh, thankyou for the clarification.

the article certainly left me with the impression that this was a daycare.

:hi:



still, doesn't change my impression of the people though. Friggin' bastards.