Sailor suspected of e-mailing nude photos

The Free Lance-Star ^ | 02JUL05 | KEITH EPPS

[QwertyKPH]

Sailor suspected of e-mailing nude photos

July 2, 2005 1:06 am

By KEITH EPPS

A 25-year-old sailor is accused of inadvertently sending nude photos of himself to local police.

He thought he was sending them to a 13-year-old girl--who turned out to be Spotsylvania Detective Barry Stocks, said sheriff's Maj. Michael Timm.

Robert Whalen, who was stationed aboard the USS Eisenhower in Norfolk, is charged with five counts of sending pornography over the Internet to children and five counts of using a computer to transmit pornographic pictures to children. He was arrested Thursday and is being held at the Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond.

Whalen is the 15th man this year to be snared in the Spotsylvania online trap for suspected sexual predators, Timm said.

Stocks and other officers go online pretending to be a 13-year-old girl. Invariably, Timm said, someone makes contact over the Internet and begins sexual dialogue.

The online chat Whalen is accused of participating in took place the afternoon of June 24, Timm said. Stocks had been online about 10 minutes when he was contacted.

Timm said Stocks made it clear that he was a 13-year-old girl. He said Whalen sent naked pictures of himself to the e-mail address Stocks gave him.

Stocks contacted Naval Criminal Investigative Service and drove to Norfolk Thursday to interview Whalen.

After Navy officials got Whalen off the ship, Stocks showed him the pictures and took him into custody.

Whalen is at least the third military man caught in the Spotsylvania sting this year. Others showed up for an arranged meeting with the "girl," according to police records.

Timm said detectives have told him that every time they go online posing as a child, someone takes the bait.

To reach KEITH EPPS:540/374-5404kepps@freelancestar.com

[QwertyKPH]

Score another one for the good guys.

[goldstategop]

I wonder who is so stupid to send a nude photo of themselves to someone they haven't even met? And I can tell you women would consider it gross and beneath a guy's class to get - ahem - buff pictures of him in e-mail before there's a relationship. It suggests the fellow has a screw loose somewhere. So the cops caught a loser in the Navy? Go figure.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[canalabamian]

A 25-year-old sailor is accused of inadvertently sending nude photos of himself to local police.

Now thats self-incrimination! HAHA! Some sleazy lawyer will probably use it to get him acquitted.

[GSlob]

Since he was sending his photos not to children, but to an adult detective [despite thinking otherwise at the time] - wouldn't they have to re-formulate the charges? Say, "attempted sending pornography over the Internet to children"?

[garbanzo]

He thought he was sending them to a 13-year-old girl--who turned out to be Spotsylvania Detective Barry Stocks, said sheriff's Maj. Michael Timm.

Repeat after me - "it's a not a 13-year-old girl...it's probably a cop...it's not a a 13-year-old girl...it's probably a cop..."

The scary part is that there is probably a non-zero success rate otherwise people wouldn't keep trying.

[goldstategop]

Well... its not kiddie porn but a 25 year old seeking a relationship with 13 year old girl is definitely statutory rape. There's your first sex offense right there. What is it with men seeking out teen-age Lolitas I'll never understand.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[goldstategop]

Some people's stupidity just has to be marveled at. You would think they would know better than to ruin their own lives. I guess some get a thrill out of seeing whether they can cheat fate.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[Khurkris]

wheres the picture of the naked fat guy at his computer?

[QwertyKPH]

Unfortunately this stupid creepy character got into the Navy. Port towns have enough trouble with "normal" carousing and public drunkeness. They don't pedophiles and sexual predators to boot.

[GSlob]

"There's your first sex offense right there. "
Well, it is not my sex offense, but his. And statutory rape would occur if he did get into a relationship with 13 yrs old girl, which he did not, although he tried. That's why I suggested charging him with an attempt versus actual crime. Besides, one could throw a book at him for an attempt, too.

[ozarkgirl]

I'm glad they caught him, what a creep!

This happens quite often. I know someone who's dad did this type of work(police officer). I'm glad they are out there protecting our children. Just coincidental this perp happened to be in the Navy.

[Mark was here]

Since he was sending his photos not to children, but to an adult detective [despite thinking otherwise at the time] - wouldn't they have to re-formulate the charges? Say, "attempted sending pornography over the Internet to children"?

Good thing all the home burglaries in Spotsylvania have been solved, so this Detective Barry Stocks is keeping busy creating new crimes for him to solve.

Thank good Barry Stocks was not an arson investigator.

For Barry the choice was simple solve real crimes that take hard work, or be a hero.

[jimboster]

Don't you ever kind of wonder about the cops who are pretending to be 13 year old girls?

[Mark was here]

good = God

[ozarkgirl]

Don't you ever kind of wonder about the cops who are pretending to be 13 year old girls?

I don't. It's just another assignment in the sex crimes division. That would be like saying, don't you wonder about the cops that investigate rape? I understand what you're saying but someone has to do it. I suspect they would only pick very stable and trustworthy individuals to do this job.

[Oztrich Boy]

A 25-year-old sailor is accused of inadvertently sending nude photos of himself to local police.

Wrong tack. The argument should be that any reasonable man would realise this person claiming to be a "13 year old Gitl" was a really a cop. But my client is suffering from a psychological compulsion to send nude photos to cops (psychiatrist will testify to same)

[cpdiii]

The guy they caught is without doubt a sorry piece of sh--. However, I have reservations about the methods used to entrap him. There is enough real crime on the Internet in relationship to sexual predators. I think their time could be much better spent going after guys that "have done something." When law enforcement uses entrapment, where does it stop?

Remember the Justice Department under Janet Reno? Imagine all law enforcement with a similar mind set.

[iconoclast]

For Barry the choice was simple solve real crimes that take hard work, or be a hero.

I find your reaction quirky to say the least ... almost what one might expect from the mother of the little pedophile in the sailor suit.

I can think of no crime where prevention is more blessed than after the fact solution.

[Drew68]

What is it with men seeking out teen-age Lolitas I'll never understand.

Actually, men have sought after teen-age Lolitas throughout recorded history. It has only been in recent years that the practice has become illegal.

[Loud Mime]

What he did was so stupid that one wonders if he learned anything.......