A Shriner - known for his charitable work with children - is now accused of having a thousand graphic images and video of child porn.
Ray Highsmith is in federal custody, accused of downloading the illegal files off a website and saving them on a home computer.
An ear to ear grin topped with a red-fez. That is how most people at Khedive Shrine Temple would likely remember Ray Highsmith, their potentate, or leader, in 1995 and an active Shriner since.
Court documents uncovered by News Channel-3 reveal a different side to the 68-year-old, one that suggests that in his time away from helping burnt children as a Shriner he collected pornographic pictures of children at home.
Through billing records, federal agents say they found out that Highsmith had a membership to a child pornography website and that he later admitted to having two memberships.
When investigators seized his computers, they say they found even more proof - a thousand- pornographic pictures and seven videos. Some of them portraying sadomasochism.
NewsChannel 3 also had a hard time tracking down anyone who would defend the former leader of Hampton Roads Shriners.
An attorney listed in court documents didn't return a message we left for him, and back at the temple, members told said only the group's current leaders could take to us, but they're out of town.
The investigation into highsmith started in 2007. After his arrest, Highsmith was released on bond earlier this year. He was also told to keep away from the Internet and anyone under the age of 18. But just last month, Highsmith's bond was revoked when he didn't show up for court and he was arrested again. A judge has since ordered Highsmith to undergo a psychological evaluation.
Ray Highsmith is in federal custody, accused of downloading the illegal files off a website and saving them on a home computer.
An ear to ear grin topped with a red-fez. That is how most people at Khedive Shrine Temple would likely remember Ray Highsmith, their potentate, or leader, in 1995 and an active Shriner since.
Court documents uncovered by News Channel-3 reveal a different side to the 68-year-old, one that suggests that in his time away from helping burnt children as a Shriner he collected pornographic pictures of children at home.
Through billing records, federal agents say they found out that Highsmith had a membership to a child pornography website and that he later admitted to having two memberships.
When investigators seized his computers, they say they found even more proof - a thousand- pornographic pictures and seven videos. Some of them portraying sadomasochism.
NewsChannel 3 also had a hard time tracking down anyone who would defend the former leader of Hampton Roads Shriners.
An attorney listed in court documents didn't return a message we left for him, and back at the temple, members told said only the group's current leaders could take to us, but they're out of town.
The investigation into highsmith started in 2007. After his arrest, Highsmith was released on bond earlier this year. He was also told to keep away from the Internet and anyone under the age of 18. But just last month, Highsmith's bond was revoked when he didn't show up for court and he was arrested again. A judge has since ordered Highsmith to undergo a psychological evaluation.
Copyright © 2009, WTKR-TV
6 comments:
And - sadly - there is this that happened recently in Montreal....
http://montreal.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20090529/mtl_surkis_child_porn_charges_090529/20090529?hub=MontrealHome
So, what your saying is that this appears to be more than just a "Catholic" problem?
Not of course that we are and should be held to a higher standard!
David
It certainly is a societal problem in the sense that churchmen live in society...
The key question seems to be: are churchmen influencing society, or are they allowing themselves to be influenced by it?
thank you
thank you
a
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