Victims created by pursuit of

[al]

The following is article from nearby city regarding recent police activity and the fallout

 

From The Providence Journal (Prov, RI)

 

1.23.2002 00:05

Suspect in video store roundup kills self

 

• Stewart Denton, chairman of the Plainfield, Conn. Planning and Zoning Commission, apparently hanged himself at home, the police say.

 

 

 

BY BOB JAGOLINZER

Journal Staff Writer

 

 

JOHNSTON -- One of the men arrested last week in the theater of an adult video store on Hartford Avenue apparently committed suicide Sunday night.

 

Plainfield, Conn., police yesterday confirmed that Stewart Denton, 55, was found dead in a shed in the rear of his property. A state medical examiner ruled that he died of asphyxiation, caused by hanging, according to the Norwich Bulletin. Denton was chairman of that town's Planning and Zoning Commission. Plainfield police said there were no signs of foul play and that the death was an apparent suicide. The matter remains under investigation.

 

Denton was charged by Johnston police with disorderly conduct and loitering for indecent purposes. He was to have been arraigned today in District Court in Providence.

 

The police alleged that he was one of seven men who fondled themselves and each other in the theater of Amazing Express, an adult video store at 1530 Hartford Ave.

 

They were arrested following an investigation by undercover police, who were sent to the store after learning of illegal activity there, Police Chief Richard Tamburini said.

 

Scheduled to appear in District Court today are Joseph T. McGrath, 68, of 43 Gaspee Point Drive, Warwick; Paul R. Lichtenberger, 49, of 35 Peck Hill Rd., Scituate, and Alan M. Reisch, 48, of Arlington, Mass., who were charged with disorderly conduct and loitering for indecent purposes. The men are also accused of trying to entice the undercover police to join them. There was no one else in the theater besides the seven men and the officers, Tamburini said.

 

Also scheduled to appeartoday are Greg Renshaw, 41, of Woodstock, Conn.; Edward V. Sherman, 57, (According to Johnston police he gave his address as 31 South Main St., North Attleboro, Mass. However the police there said there is no such street in North Attleboro. There is a South Main Street in neighboring Attleboro.) and Christopher Scott, 30, of 1 Bill St., Cumberland, all of whom were charged with disorderly conduct.

 

Scott is a math teacher in Cumberland who has been on the faculty for six years. School officials there said yesterday that he has been suspended with pay pending the outcome of the charge.

[Matt_Vancouver]

unfuckingbelievable

 

Reading this made me sick to my stomach. This 'news' paper is reporting a suicide, possibly linked to the arrest and public release of a suspects identity, and yet they reprint all of the information on the other 'suspects', including their addresses!! Why is that necessary? So that, hopefully, the other 'deviants' will commit suicide as well? Or better yet, so that everyone knows where they live, therefore they are open to attacks, persecution or property vandal? (which of course they deserve, being the sick individuals they are. After all, they were in a backroom, where chances are, the only other patrons would be there for the same reasons; mutual, consentual sexual release between adults.)

What motivates these 'deviants' to destroy our society by maturbating and fondling another CONSENTING adult, especially in a place where ONLY adults are allowed, and where adult movies are played for 'educational' purposes? (I'm assuming the book store was an adult bookstore with private video booths in the back, and not a Barnes and Noble)

 

Don't allow this kind of shit to happen, you have the power to change it. I don't know what the situation is like in the US, but in most Canadian cities, there are liason commities between police departments and the gay community, typically with at least one officer in charge of communicating known issues with the rest of the dept. Things like cruising spots, gay bashings and understanding appropriate dealings with crimes aimed at gays, are discussed. Usually an understanding is reached regarding known cruising spots, and, for the most part, assuming extreme discretion is used, they are pretty much left alone.

It is possible to change the laws about 'sexual offences', which I'm assuming this book store incident, falls under. Consentual gay sex, in a discreet location, should not be a crime, and if that isn't plausible, then at the very least, it shouldn't be considered a crime that allows for the release of private information made public. (again assuming that 'sexual offenders' information is publicly released)

Matt(living in the 16th century?)

[Losgatan]

RE: unfuckingbelievable

 

This really is sick. Thank God I live in the SF Bay Area. :-(

[Guest DCescortBOY]

i'm a bit surprised that they actually gave full address info. here, you'll sometimes see streets given, or blocks (for example, the 1700 block of Q st NW) but never the actual house number. odd.

[+ deej]

I agree with you, Ethan. Very odd. And illegal, I suspect.

[Guest DCescortBOY]

RE: unfuckingbelievable

 

are you claiming that these people have a RIGHT to have sex in public?

 

hmm... and i have no reason to expect to be treated fairly here?

 

 

interesting priorities, matt.

[BuckyXTC]

>i'm a bit surprised that they actually gave full address

>info. here, you'll sometimes see streets given, or blocks

>(for example, the 1700 block of Q st NW) but never the

>actual house number. odd.

 

I realize Providence isn't a small town, but this kind of stuff is reminiscent of the police blotters that often run in small town newspapers. Because they don't have anything of significance to report, every arrest is reported in detail. I, too, find it very offensive and wrong. In a city the size of Providence, I would surmise that you have a newspaper owned by some virulent homophobe who wants to do as much as possible to punish gays for victimless crimes, hence revealing their addresses. Really, really sick!

[Guest jeffOH]

I also think it is disgusting to publicize the names of men arrested for a minor misdemeanor. Why don't newspapers do a real service and publish names/pics of people who've broken into cars or some other crime that really affects the public.

 

Here in Columbus, OH, the major daily newspaper runs escort ads. On any given day there are 50 or more escort ads. The Columbus Dispatch,

of course, wouldn't run the names of people arrested for prostitution.

So, the Vice Squad started publicizing the names and EXACT addresses of those arrested(both the johns and the prostitutes)on the city access channel at the end of the Public Safety Journal show, which runs several times a week. But, I doubt that alot of people see it

since it's public access.

 

JEFF

jeff4hire@aol.com

[Matt_Vancouver]

shades of grey

 

>are you claiming that these people have a RIGHT to have sex

>in public?

 

 

that is a huge generalization. I was merely saying that sex between two consenting adults, in a place where noone is going to be exposed to it, that isn't there for the same purpose, should not be treated, or reported the same way as child molestation, for example

matt(riding the middle)

[Guest DCescortBOY]

that's pretty cool, because the dispatch is the most conservative major newspaper in the midwest!

(i know the wolfes... i used to live in CMH)

[Guest jeffOH]

>that's pretty cool, because the dispatch is the most

>conservative major newspaper in the midwest!

>(i know the wolfes... i used to live in CMH)

 

That's right you did used to live here. I haven't advertised in the

Dispatch for over a year. They charge nearly double the regular classified ad rate and you now have to have a min. 3-line ad, which,

if you run it every day for a month, is nearly $500. It's all about the money. They're probably the biggest pimp in the country.

 

JEFF

jeff4hire@aol.com

[Guest DCescortBOY]

CMH dirt

 

the same family that owns the dispatch used to own the building that the garage was in.

and one of the prodigal sons was a big drag queen.

 

(gossip column)

[Guest Java]

What also disgusts me in this case is that this information is being printed, first, on people CHARGED with an offense, not convicted, and second, that even under Megan's laws, addresses are only given to the public for those most likely to reoffend - again after a CONVICTION and assessment of the offense and the offender. I hope someone sues that paper big time!