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THE DIRTY BAKER'S DOZEN:
The 13 most controversial "child victim advocates"
By: Derek "The Fallen One" Logue
August 10, 2010, Updated Nov. 14, 2010

INTRODUCTION

Not all people considered "child victim advocates" are the same. This page is long overdue, and I have
struggled over the years about making this page, because many people feel these people are mostly
"untouchable," especially those who lost loved ones. While I sympathize with their loss, this does not give
them a free ticket to lie and mislead the public. The intent is not to "bash" them, but to highlight the
controversy these individuals have created for themselves by their own words and/ or deeds.

PART 1: THE WALSH CONNECTION













#1: JOHN WALSH

John Walsh is the most recognizable face in victim advocacy. He hosts America's Most Wanted, sits on the
Board of Directors for the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), and has almost
singlehandedly catapulted Predator Panic to the top of the list of things America fears. Since he is the
frontrunner in the child advocacy issue, Walsh is considered an "untouchable," and very few people
question anything he says. He was even featured in a DC comic book series called "The Outsiders." Much
like the comics, however, Walsh has given a lot of unbelievable stories and entertaining comments.

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

JOHN WALSH'S CONTROVERSIES:

  1. INFLATING STATISTICS: John Walsh was among the first to proclaim "50,000 missing children
    every year." By the time he testified before Congress on February 2, 1983, he was claiming 1.5
    million missing children annually. He testified this country is "littered with mutilated, decapitated,
    raped, strangled children [1]." There was no proof cited for his ever growing claims. It was not until
    years later, the NCMEC released the NISMART, a study which shows the number of stranger
    abductions was far lower than reported [2]. But by then, the fear had spread. His continued financial
    ties to the NCMEC has not helped matters since they get a cut from Adam Walsh Act funding.
  2. THAT JUNE 2006 INTERVIEW: John Walsh's scariest comments came during an interview for a
    press tour for the upcoming season for his TV show, and the interview occurred around the time the
    Adam Walsh Act was about to be passed. Walsh let out a tirade that shocked those in attendance.
    Below are some of his comments:
  1. "I said I was kidding when I was talking to the Senate and I said they were talking about
    electronic monitoring, which is big and unwieldy for the sex offenders, and that some of these
    guys, no matter what the law in their state was, would have to wear one for 20 years or
    whatever. I said implant it in their anus and if they go outside the radius, explode it and that
    would send a big message. It was a joke. Nobody thought it was funny."
  2. "I'm all for criminals doing their time, all for rehabilitation, all for a second chance." followed
    almost immediately by "I say put the pedophiles down in the yard. Put them in there. Let them
    do the time with the rest of the guys. Let them see what it's like to be terrorized by a 250-
    pound guy."
  3. Things got more heated, though, when a photographer under FOX's employee elected to get
    into an extended and rather intense conversation with Walsh about marking sexual offenders.
    They were on so much on the same page that when Walsh mentioned bracelets for
    perpetrators, the photographer replied, "Not bracelets, not bracelets. The bracelets bulls***.
    The bracelets bulls***, John, you know that. It's BS." Walsh then suggested putting embedded
    GPS chips, to which the photographer said, "I'll say bury it deep inside them, is what I say. I
    don't care how big it is," which earned Walsh's scary reply, "I love your attitude [3]."
  1. JOHN WALSH, MISANDRIST: John Walsh apparently has a problem not just with sex offenders, but
    men in general. John Walsh warns us NEVER hire a male babysitter: "It's not a witch hunt," he says.
    "It's all about minimizing risks. What dog is more likely to bite and hurt you? A Doberman, not a
    poodle. Who's more likely to molest a child? A male [4]." Marc Rudov, who runs the acclaimed anti-
    misandry site "The No Nonsense Man," stated in response we should not trust Walsh around our
    children because by his own logic, he's a potential predator [5].
  2. JOHN WALSH, SEX ADDICT: Perhaps John Walsh's angst is also a symptom of sexual addiction.
    Sometimes people who struggle with a certain issue project their anger at themselves outward,
    targeting those with similar struggles in a "holier-than-thou" persecution. This is known as
    PROJECTION, a rather common defensive mechanism. John Walsh admitted he struggled with sex
    addiction a few years ago on Larry King Live: WALSH: “I think my inability to deal with my problems
    -- I never went to a therapist for 20 years. I think it just -- my own selfishness, my own stupidity, my
    own ego, all of those things, and I hurt my children, and I hurt my wife, and she's a good woman,
    and she, you know, we're working very hard at this I do -- I think [therapy] helps. I think especially
    crime victims, and it's not an excuse, people that have been through an awful traumas, I think
    therapy is a terrific thing, and I thought, you know, I'm the tough guy, I'm the toughest guy, I mean, I
    can deal with this myself -- I couldn't deal with it. And you know, you thinking not hurting somebody,
    you know, women can be an addiction, and you have to deal with it…” KING: “So you understand
    men who have that problem?” WALSH: “Oh, I had it for years and didn't think I had it.” [6]














#2: MARK LUNSFORD

Mark Lunsford, like Walsh, had lost a child in a high-profile case, and Walsh basically took this former dirt-
truck driver with a 10th grade education and turned him into a victim advocate. However, unlike John
Walsh, who has rarely faced any real criticism, Lunsford has been plagued with controversy after
controversy. Money management issues, criminal accusations, and controversial words and actions have
plagued Lunsford and the various foundations he has involvement in over the years.

MARK LUNSFORD'S CONTROVERSIES:

  1. FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES: Perhaps the biggest question surrounding Mark was his handling of the
    finances for the now defunct Jessica Marie Lunsford Foundation (the links now carry you to hastily
    built web pages that have not been updated since February). There have been questions regarding
    the custom chopper, tour bus, and money raised by the foundation, all questions just screaming for
    an IRS audit. Having connections to notorious data miner Hank Asher has not helped his reputation,
    either [7]
  2. BITING THE HAND THAT FEEDS HIM: Perhaps the most entertaining of the controversies came
    when Lunsford announced in February 2008 he was going to sue the Citrus County Sheriff's office
    over the handling of his daughter's case. Public outrage ensued, even inspiring a piece of
    legislation specifically aimed at stopping Lunsford from suing the state [8], but the most vocal
    opposition came from a high-profile feud with a local radio personality, "Bubba the Love Sponge."
    During an on-air debate with Lunsford, Bubba said, "You have to wait for your daughter to die
    before you can start raping money from people — I understand [9]." Lunsford eventually dropped
    the suit but by then the damage had been done.
  3. LUNSFORD'S SON CHARGED WITH SEX CRIME: Joshua Lunsford made headlines when he was
    arrested for fondling his teenage girlfriend. Granted, Joshua was 18 and his girlfriend was 14, which
    would fall under "Romeo and Juliet" laws in some states, but Ohio had no such law in place. "We're
    talking about Romeo and Juliet here, not some 36-year-old pervert following around a 10-year-old,"
    Mark Lunsford said [10]. Joshua was given 10 days in jail, a year's probation, but was not required
    to register [11]. Other teens facing similar situations have not been so lucky or connected. Mark
    Lunsford told advocates before a SORNA Congressional hearing his son served ten days, on a plea
    to a felony offense. He said that he told the prosecuting attorney that he would “expose every sex
    offense case where they gave a lenient sentence to a true sex offender if they treated his son like
    one of those predators [12]."
  4. CHILD PORN ON COMPUTER: Not long after Jessica Lunsford's case was in the media, child
    pronography was found on Mark Lunsford's computer. Lunsford denied it, but the files were found in
    the computer's delete bin, meaning they were downloaded. Lunsford did admit he looked at porn,
    and stated, "If you don't like me because I look at naked women, I don't care. I'm not putting a black
    mark on my daughter's name." The police stated the following: "There was no evidence found by
    law enforcement that the computer was used in the manufacturing or production of child
    pornography, only that there were a limited number of items that were viewed," Magrino said. "To
    expend additional law enforcement resources and prosecutor resources to make a case, when
    balancing societal goals. I mean, Mr. Lunsford's been through enough[13]." Had it been anyone but
    a friend of Walsh, things would be different.
  5. PROMOTING VIGILANTE VIOLENCE: "I can't get my hands on the guy that murdered my daughter
    so I've made it my job to make the rest of these sexual offenders and predators' lives miserable, as
    miserable as I can," Mark has publicly stated [14]. Lunsford adopted the slogan "Save a Child, Hang
    a Pedophile" and added it to his biker attire [15].











#3: MARK FOLEY

Mark Foley is best known as that disgraced Florida Congressman who was involved in a sex scandal
involving teen Congressional pages, but before that he was one of John Walsh's right hand men who
helped spearhead (no pun intended) Walsh's Adam Walsh Act through Congress, and a staunch
advocate for strict sex offender legislation.

MARK FOLEY'S CONTROVERSIES:

  1. HYPOCRISY: Foley is to hypocrisy as Nifong is to malicious prosecution. He sat on the committee at
    the NCMEC and was a vocal opponent of child pornography, including sponsoring a law to outlaw
    use of young models in "suggestive" fashion [16]. Mark Foley also publicly stated the following: "If I
    were, uh, one of these sickos, I'd be, uh, nervous with America's Most Wanted on my trail." And,
    "When you rape a person, when you violate a child, you lose your civil liberties [17]."
  2. "HE WILL BE SORELY MISSED!": Although the scandal is still very fresh in the minds of many
    people, and copies of the lurid chats can be found online [18], the FDLE and the FBI found
    "insufficient evidence" to charge Foley of wrongdoing [19]. Even the NCMEC called him a "hard-
    working, dedicated and effective Congressman" and he "will be sorely missed [20]," which was
    quickly replaced after criticism.
  3. EXCUSES, EXCUSES: Perhaps the most colorful part of the Foley scandal was his creative excuses
    after the scandal took off. Foley admitted himself into rehab [21] and later claimed he was molested
    by a priest, while denying having any sexual contact with children [22].















#4: HANK ASHER

He is probably the one person on this list you've never heard of. Just who is Hank Asher? The short
answer is he's a data miner and multi-millionaire.  He is a major behind the scenes supporter of Big
Brother-type programs, and yes, he's the guy responsible for the MATRIX (the controversial government
computer spy program, NOT the Keanu Reeves movie).

HANK ASHER' CONTROVERSIES

  1. FORMER DRUG SMUGGLER: Asher admitted he was a cocaine smuggler in the 1980s, though no
    charges were ever filed against him [23]
  2. SUPPORTS BIG BROTHER GOVERNMENT: Asher developed the Multistate Anti-Terrorism
    Information Exchange (MATRIX), a controversial program that collected mass data on every
    individual in the USA, raising serious concerns about privacy and making innocent people suspect
    of terrorism [24]. Eventually the MATRIX was shut down [25].
  3. THE TLFO AND MARK LUNSFORD: With the MATRIX gone, Asher had to do something with his
    data mining and the sex offender industry was generating big bucks, so it came as no surprise
    Asher began selling his data mining under the guise of "capturing pedophiles [26]." Asher hired the
    controversial Mark Lunsford to lobby for "tougher sex crime laws" which include his program [27].











PART 2: THE HARPIES

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

  1. They get paid to voice their opinions, even though they're usually WRONG opinions
  2. They get paid to screech like harpies on National TV
  3. They get paid to piss people off













#5: WENDY MURPHY

Wendy Murphy is an occasional legal analyst for Fox News, which is generally considered the worst news
station among viewers. And Murphy is among the worst analysts on the worst station. Many have even
accuse her of misandry. Sadly, for some reason, she is not only highly sought after by news shows, some
people actually give her awards for her antics! This site DID give her an award... a Shiitake Award! By the
way, she is also an adjunct professor at Boston's New England School of Law. My condolences to any
student with her as a teacher! If you want to fail her class, just do a paper on false allegations.

WENDY MURPHY'S CONTROVERSIES:

  1. WENDY MURPHY HAS NEVER, EVER, NEVER EVER!!! SEEN A FALSE RAPE ALLEGATION.
    NEVER. EVER: "I never, ever met a false rape claim, by the way. My own statistics speak to the truth
    [28]." Should I mention she said this during the Duke Lacrosse case?
  2. DENIES TRUE STUDIES WHILE INFLATING MISINFORMATION:  "Embarrassingly, Harlem also
    claims that recidivism rates for sex offenders are low, citing as definitive proof a widely misused
    study of 10,000 sex offenders that found only '5 percent were re-arrested for a sex crime within
    three years.' Obviously the study tells us nothing about recidivism because it measures only 're-
    arrest' rates. Where 80-90 percent of sex offenses are never reported – much less lead to arrest –
    measuring re-arrests to determine recidivism is like measuring nationwide rainfall by looking only at
    the data from Las Vegas. Even more arrogantly, Harlem dismisses people who claim that 75-90
    percent of sex offenders re-offend, claiming, 'it is not clear where they find such numbers.' Too bad
    Harlem couldn’t locate the wealth of research on recidivism laid out in Dr. Anna Salter’s prize-
    winning work in which she cites studies finding that the average sex offender assaults more than
    100 different victims during a lifetime [29]." Can you spot at least 3 myths in her quote?
  3. MURPHY BELIEVES VIGILANTISM IS NOT THE REGISTRY'S FAULT:  "That some people misuse
    them is no more an excuse to ban all registries than is the fact that some people are welfare cheats
    an excuse to cancel welfare altogether... Harlem is right about a couple of things. Registries should
    contain more information so that a teen sex case isn’t misunderstood as a more serious crime. And
    vigilantism is wrong. But blaming vigilantism on registries is silly. Vigilantes have emerged in sex-
    crime matters in response to evidence that the American legal system has failed women and
    children. When the law doesn’t work as it should, people take matters into their own hands – as
    blacks did in the aftermath of Rodney King – and at other points in our nation’s history when the
    legal system failed to redress racist violence [30]."
  4. MURPHY BELIEVES A SMALL NUMBER OF SEX OFFENDERS ARE ON REGISTRIES:
    "Something like 2% of sex offenders are on the registries. That number should be higher![31]"
  5. MURPHY BELIEVES THE 14TH AMENDMENT IS NOT ABSOLUTE: "In any event, the 14th
    Amendment, like all constitutional rights, is not absolute and must bend in the face of compelling
    state interests [32].
  6. MURPHY HYPOCRITICALLY SUPPORTS RAPE: "I want you to know, I have a new book coming
    out Jane. You want another title? 'Parents Guide to How to Rape a Pedophile with a Pitchfork'; I`m
    going to publish it tomorrow. You know what I`m saying [33]?" Sounds hypocritical to say such things
    while claiming to want to stop rape.
















#6: NANCY GRACE

Unfortunately, Nancy Grace need little introduction. The controversial legal analyst for HLN is a very
divisive host, to say the least. Nancy "Disgrace" (as she's referred to in many circles) is so hated, she has
a website devoted to getting her off the air.

NANCY GRACE CONTROVERSIES:

  1. PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT: Grace's Wikipedia page notes as a prosecutor in Fulton Co.,
    GA, there were multiple cases where Grace engaged in unethical conduct, though she was never
    formally brought up on ethics charges [34]
  2. DUKE LACROSSE COVERAGE: Grace made many vile statements during the Duke Lacrosse case,
    including the sarcastic comment "I'm so glad they didn't miss a lacrosse game over a little thing like
    gang rape [35]!" Wikipedia also note when it was revealed the case was a false allegation, Grace
    had a substitute host for her show that night.
  3. CONDESCENDING: Condescending and false pity are Nancy Grace trademarks, but backfired
    during an interview with famous kidnapping victim Elizabeth Smart in 2006.  During the course of the
    questioning, Smart asked her to stop and stated, "I really am here to support the bill and not to go
    into what — you know, what happened to me." When Grace persisted, a visibly aggravated Smart
    replied, "I'm really not going to talk about this at this time...to be frankly honest, I really don't
    appreciate you bringing all this up." Grace replied, "I'm sorry, dear, I thought that you would speak
    out to other victims, but you know what, I completely understand [36]."














#7: ROBIN SAX (KATZENSTEIN)

There is good news and bad news. The good news is there is a book written for idiots to learn about the
criminal justice system. The bad news is it was written by an idiot who has even less knowledge of the
criminal justice system!

ROBIN SAX'S CONTROVERSIES

  1. ADVOCATES REMOVING CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS OF SEX CRIME DEFENDANTS: Double
    Jeopardy, and the right to face-to-face confrontation with witnesses, basic rights under the US
    Constitution, would be repealed in Robin Sax's world [37]. If you're accused of a sex crime, not only
    would you not be allowed to defend yourself, if by some chance you are acquitted, you will always
    be subject to a re-trial for the same accusation from you were acquitted from.
  2. DENIES TEENS ARE LANDING ON REGISTRIES FOR CONSENSUAL SEX WITH OTHER TEENS:
    Sax denies that teens are being branded sex offenders for life for consensual sex with other teens
    simply because she CLAIMS she never prosecuted such a case. "For example, a person over 18
    who had sex with a 10-year-old will be prosecuted differently than an 18-year-old having sex with a
    15-year-old. Something in your gut tells you that this is a different situation, and the law treats it
    differently as well." Notice she still states she prosecutes the latter. "In a case with only a three-year
    age difference and where the perpetrator is an otherwise upstanding member of society, there is no
    way that a first-time young 'perp' would have to register as a sex offender for life. On the other
    hand, a 40-year -old having sex with a 15-year-old would be eligible for registration for life - and with
    good reason! [38]." Notice she still calls the teen lover a "perp."
  3. DENIES HARM CAUSED BY REGISTRIES: "The problem with sex offender lists is not necessarily
    the lists themselves but how we are using the lists, updating them, deciphering what they mean, and
    insuring that the 'worst of the worst' are not only listed on this list but are actually being monitored...
    But the answer here is not getting rid of the registries. The answer is revamping the registries,
    making them consistent from state to state to insure that the information on the lists is meaningful to
    everybody... We sometimes forget that even the people we know, our neighbors, can be a danger
    to us if we don't have all the information. If we keep the registries and use them correctly, we will all
    be a lot safer than if they didn't exist![39]" While Robin Sax recognizes there have been some
    negative results of the registries, she minimizes the harm the registry itself causes. Social ostracism,
    vigilante violence, and a false sense of security are the most basic negative consequences of a
    public registry. It is hard to educate people on the proper use of the registry when you're one of the
    main reasons people abuse the registry in the first place, Robin!
















#8: JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL

I had to laugh when I read the subtitle of Jane's book "I Want." An "honest" life? I guess truth in advertising
laws do not apply to TV Harpies. Jane Velez-Mitchell, like Nancy Grace, also has a website dedicated to
getting her off the air! Her TV show "Issues" should be renamed "Tissues," as in Toilet Tissue, because it
is painfully obvious she is full of shit.

JANE'S CONTROVERSIES

  1. MISREADS STATISTICS: Jane says in one article, "According to a 2003 Department of Justice
    study, 78 percent of imprisoned sex offenders had prior arrests and 28 percent had prior arrests for
    sex crimes[40]." The actual DoJ study on page 11 found only 14% of federal prisoners have prior
    sex offense arrests [41]. How did she get it so blatantly wrong?
  2. FEAR-MONGER/ MYTH-MONGER: Like the rest of the Harpies, Jane feeds us all the stereotypical
    myths already covered in my SO Myths fact guide. Jane had made many boldly inaccurate claims,
    such as high recidivism rates, claims a convicted sex offender killed Adam Walsh, stranger-danger
    is the primary source of sexual abuse, and all sex offenders are rapists/ pedophiles [42].
  3. BLIND SUPPORT: Jane is the only media hound to support the controversial lobbyist group
    Surviving Parents Coalition, headed by Mark Lunsford, and their "Ride For Their Lives" rally, a
    scheme to raise a million dollars to lobby for laws already on the books [43].

PART 3: THE PRETENDERS

There is no shortage of people claiming to be child victim advocates for a variety of reasons, such as to
earn profits, gain notoriety, or even to get revenge or engage in legalized vigilante violence. Unfortunately,
often they get a lot of attention for their trouble.















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

There is already a plethora of information on the controversial vigilante group "Perverted-Justice" at the
counter site "Corrupted-Justice," but the focus of this section is not so much "Pee-J" as it is about the
defunct NBC quasi-reality series "To Catch A Predator (TCAP)." TCAP has been influential in many ways,
pretty much all bad. The only "good" that came out of TCAP was that it proved the vast majority of those
caught in these stings were first time offenders, as well as people not fitting the tired "dirty old man in the
wrinkled trenchcoat" stereotype. Unfortunately, this out-of-control and unrealistic portrayal of sex stings
has stuck in the minds of those who watched the program for years after the show was canceled in 2007.

TCAP/ CHRIS HANSEN/ PERVERTED JUSTICE CONTROVERSIES

  1. WRONGFUL DEATH LAWSUIT: Probably the most damning part of the show came when police
    decided to try to raid the home of a man who did not show up to the sting operation. During the
    attempted raid, the man committed suicide. One of the cops involved in the raid stated, "That will
    make good TV." The family of the man sued NBC, who settled the suit while still denying wrongdoing
    [44].
  2. UNETHICAL CONDUCT: It was reported that both the NBC coordinators of the show and even
    members of law enforcement on the show engaged in unethical conduct. Among the accusations--
    improper payment to law enforcement, police officers humiliating suspects by using excessive force
    and waving rubber chickens in their faces after the arrest, and Pee-J withholding entire chat logs
    from show producers. The show gave ample incentive for using trickery to entice individuals to show
    up at the sting house [45].
  3. BOTCHED CASES: Every single case in Murphy, Texas was thrown out due to "amateur"
    involvement, namely, Perverted Justice [46]. Perverted Justice also refused a judge's order
    requiring the group to allow their computers to be searched in another criminal case [47]. During
    one case thrown out in Riverside, CA, Superior Court Judge Dallas Holmes bluntly stated "I don't like
    the smell of this case," and described the testifying Pee-J member as "odd," "weird," and "repulsive"
    [48].
  4. PERVERTED JUSTICE A "DANGEROUS CULT/ MOVEMENT": Perverted Justice is listed under the
    Rick Ross Institute of New Jersey's list of Dangerous Cults and Movements [49].
  5. LAWSUITS AGAINST PERVERTED-JUSTICE: Perverted Justice has been sued at least twice for
    harassing individuals they have targeted. In 2006, a default judgment was awarded to a man
    harassed by Pee-J members [50]. In 2008, a lawsuit was filed in Arizona after Pee-J members
    harassed a woman and listed her on their "Wikisposure" website [51].












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

The entire operation at PFML is like looking at a train wreck. It looks familiar but everything is damaged
and scattered everywhere and distorted. I well covered this group in my critique of Victim's Rights Groups,
but PFML makes the list for single-handedly creating one of the most persistent myths about sex
offenders.  PFML is known mostly for aggressively selling their various programs and obtains grants for
more of their questionable programs. If they muff up simple studies, I wonder how they'll fare with their goal
of their own private registry?

LAURA AHERN/ PARENTS FOR MEGAN'S LAW CONTROVERSIES

  1. A HUNDRED THOUSAND MISSING SEX OFFENDERS: One of the most prevailing myths used to
    justify tougher registry laws is the 100,000 missing sex offenders myth. Supposedly there are
    100,000 people out there that are supposed to register and have not, and this number has
    remained a constant since 2002, despite constant compliance checks run by the US Marshals. The
    origin of this myth is a severely flawed study by PFML released in 2002. Essentially the study was a
    telephone interview with each state, many of them did not actually keep statistics on non-compliance
    and gave only rough estimates at best, and 19 states did not participate [52]. Like Chris Hansen's
    Goldilocks number, this number was conjured out of thin air.
  2. QUESTIONABLE ASSESSMENTS: PFML's myth creating study was followed by a self-created
    "report card" of state's compliance with Megan's Law. Florida's registry was given one of the only
    "A+" ratings in the report card. However, Florida's registry was embarrassed when it was discovered
    over 540 dead offenders on the registry, in addition to 807 deported, 7,173 out-of-state, and 8,260
    incarcerated registrants [53].












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

An otherwise typical South Florida lobbyist, Ron Book has become one of the most hated advocates ever.
He created an international embarrassment for the city of Miami by creating the Julia Tuttle Causeway
camp. Ron Book's daughter, Lauren, runs her own child victim advocacy group, Lauren's Kids. She follows
the lead of her father without question.

RON AND LAUREN BOOK'S CONTROVERSIES

  1. RON BOOK, EMPEROR OF "BOOKVILLE:" Ron Book is best known for being the lobbyist that
    pushed for the 2500 foot Residency laws in Miami-Dade County, FL, which led to the creation of the
    Julia Tuttle Causeway sex offender camp. The residents of the JTC camp renamed the camp
    "Bookville" in "honor" of Ron Book. Book, who is also head of the local homeless trust, held off
    giving assistance of any kind to the residents. Book eventually had the camp dismantled and moved
    the residents into a temporary shelter, but soon many of the residents found themselves back out
    on the streets after Book cut off the assistance. In interviews, he is unapologetic for causing the
    international embarrassment [54].
  2. RON BOOK'S SHADY PAST: Ron Book is quick to point fingers at others, but Ron Book is also a
    convicted criminal as the result of an illegal campaign funding scandal [55]. If criminals cannot be
    rehabilitated, as Book says, what does that say about Ron Book?
  3. LAUREN BOOK: Lauren Book, like her dad, promoted residency restrictions which caused the JTC
    debacle. She also started the recent trend of the long trips to raise money [56] (or as they call it,
    "awareness"), while not entirely honoring their feats (Book did not walk all 500 miles, plus her dad
    took the lead in some of the pictures taken during the walk). This trend was followed by Mark
    Lunsford and the Surviving Parents Coalition's "Ride for their lives" later that year.











#12: WWW.FAMILYWATCHDOG.US

Family Watchdog gets a standing endorsement from Oprah Winfrey, so that should give you an idea of
how slanted the website can be. They technically are not advocates; in reality, Family Watchdog (FWD) is
a privately run registry and mapping service. This watchdog is not a very good dog, and much like many
dogs with rabies, should be put to sleep.

FAMILY WATCHDOG'S CONTROVERSIES

  1. STEVE RODDEL, PRESIDENT OF FWD, PROMOTES VIGILANTISM: "[Roddel] added that if a
    convicted sex offender is displaying high-risk behaviors, like hanging out at parks and schools with
    a puppy, that person should be confronted and made aware that he is being watched. Tell them you
    know who they are, and, ‘You are not going to do it on my watch,’ ' Roddel said. 'I wouldn’t
    necessarily call it overreacting[57]'." Instead of saying "call the cops," Roddel says you should get in
    his face and intimidate him instead.
  2. DAMN, THAT WAS QUICK: Family Watchdog must have some super reading abilities because they
    boasted of debunking the 300+ page Human Rights Watch report a mere 24 hours after the report
    was made public. Said Roddel: "The Human Rights Watch report is full of gross inaccuracies,
    innuendos, un-cited statistics, anonymous anecdotes and contrived facts.  It is unfortunate that the
    leadership of an organization like Human Rights Watch would recklessly gamble its reputation and
    credibility as well as our nation's public safety by submitting this patently flawed report as a serious
    response to a serious problem. The worst possible result is that Americans, their legislators and
    public policy makers will mistakenly assume this document was well researched and unbiased.  After
    careful review, the document presented is quite the contrary. It omits facts and distorts truths, while
    injecting fictional anecdotes, myths and red herrings in their place.  I call on the American public to
    join me in demanding Human Rights Watch immediately cease distribution of this irresponsible,
    intellectually dishonest and factually flawed propaganda and join in a constructive public discourse
    of the relevant facts and issues [58]." Roddel has a serious case of pot versus kettle.
  3. INVASION OF PRIVACY: Family Watchdog has initiated a program to make all court records
    available through their website [59]. It doesn't work but the thought of a private business collecting
    such information is a scary proposition indeed.









#13: JUDY CORNETT

Out of the thirteen victim advocates listed, Judy Cornett is the most disturbing, mostly because she
brazenly harasses former offenders in person and gets away with it. It seems to be widely accepted in
Florida, though Cornett represents a disturbing trend, namely, regular people turning into self-styled
vigilantes. Unfortunately, since this woman has received a certain degree of notoriety for her actions,
there are a number of copycats out there who are also out harassing registrants and getting in trouble for
it.

JUDY CORNETT'S CONTROVERSIES

  1. IF YOU LIVE BY THE SWORD, THEN...: Judy Cornett does not shy away from admitting her hatred
    for registrants and the fact that she brazenly harasses them, bragging of her exploits on her blog
    and on her Twitter account. "Sex Crimes against children is ZERO TOLERANCE, offenders need no
    mercy....Death is the only resolution....Prison??? Our tax dollars...I can think of better ways to spend
    our money...what about death for the predators and put the money that would of been used
    supporting these sickos and rehabilitate the survivors [60]." FOLLOWED HIM YESTERDAY, HE
    TOURED BEACH...SICKO, BUT HASNT COMMITTED A CRIME...EYES ARE ON HIM! HE'S UP TO
    NO GOOD [61]! "Cornett has little time for critics who say such scrutiny of sex offenders who have
    completed their prison sentences impedes their ability to assimilate back into society and lead
    productive lives. And she has little sympathy for those who become victims of vigilantes, such as the
    two sex offenders who were fatally shot in Maine last month [62]."
  2. YOU DIE BY THE SWORD: Judy Cornett has devoted her life to harassing local registrants, getting
    on TV, and getting attention for herself, but somewhere along the way she did not seek help for her
    son, who went on a downward spiral towards a life of crime. Ultimately he landed in prison, serving
    25 years for attempted murder. "Flores was sentenced Wednesday on charges stemming from a
    home invasion that occurred June 26, 2008. Prosecutors said Flores and two co-defendants —
    Matthew Edward Wilsky and Kristen Marie Mangum — entered a home in a neighborhood west of
    Busch Gardens to take prescription drugs. The trio struggled with residents Terry and Lora Holmes.
    Prosecutors said Flores fired a shotgun into the Holmes' bedroom, striking Lora in the hand and
    Terry in the side. Both survived, but Lora Holmes is partly paralyzed in her hand, prosecutors said.
    The three fled to a Pasco County hotel with about $1,000 in cash and pills they had stolen from the
    Holmeses. Cornett said Flores never had proper psychological treatment after his rape and
    abduction and often self-medicated. 'I can't blame 100 percent on it, but I can definitely say it has
    been a strong contributing factor,' she said about her son's rape and lack of proper assistance
    [63]." His past does not excuse the fact he committed a serious crime.

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  31. Quote from "Stossel" Show, mentioned at Radley Balko, "Cable News: Where Being Loud Make Up
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  54. See Derek Logue, "Julia Tuttle Causeway." Once Fallen, 2010.
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  61. Twitter post on July 21, 2009, http://twitter.com/#!/JudyCornett
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