Posted on 07/24/2008 11:43:38 PM PDT by MovementConservative
Deputy Assembly Speaker Neil Cohen is being investigated for alleged possession of child pornography, according to two of his Democratic colleagues who said they brought the matter to the attention of law enforcement.
In a joint statement, Sen. Raymond Lesniak and Assemblyman Joseph Cryan (both D-Union) confirmed they alerted authorities to the possibility Cohen (D-Union) had child pornography on his computers.
"As the facts became apparent in our office, we notified the appropriate agency and will continue to assist in any way possible," Lesniak and Cryan said. "While it was our proactive steps that led to the investigation to this point, we are appalled at what has transpired."
At least one of Cohen's computers from the Union Township legislative office the three lawmakers share was confiscated by the Attorney General's Office, according to three sources who have been briefed on the investigation. Two of the sources said a legislative staffer initially discovered the images, then notified Lesniak and Cryan. The sources declined to be indentified because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation.
"Both of us have known Neil Cohen for more than two decades," Lesniak and Cryan said. "We know him as a compassionate, caring individual but if the allegations prove true, clearly there was a side to him neither of us knew. We have been instructed to not make any further comments regarding this very serious matter."
Sources said Cohen was under psychiatric care Thursday night. He could not be reached for comment.
--snip--
Among the more than 100 laws Cohen has sponsored is one that created a 24-hour hotline for members of the public to report computer crimes, including child pornography. He also co-sponsored a law that retroactively removed immunity from churches, schools and other charities that negligently hire employees who sexually abuse children.
(Excerpt) Read more at nj.com ...
Remains to be seen if this will hurt his chances for re-election.
Dems...doing the right thing...in New Jersey...augh, what is the world coming to???
Last time I lived in NJ Union County tended GOP. Not so much anymore, I guess.
They turned him in because they were thinking about how it would affect the party in a key election year.
Union County hasn’t gone GOP for President since 1988. It’s like a good chunk of the state turned into Boss Hague’s Jersey City of old.
Perhaps if Hastert, Frist, and some of those other GOP members of congress had been more aggressive weeding out the Mark Foley's and Larry Craig's from their ranks, the Republican brand wouldn't be as damaged as it currently is. I'd be willing to bet those complacent dopes know about other Larry Craigs in their ranks and are turning a blind eye to it. Hastert and Frist were poor leaders of the GOP.
Naah, if we had done that, we just would’ve been pilloried for running our gay members out of office. They get us coming and going. No, the real problem is that we forgot about enacting a Conservative agenda. Hastert and Frist (my former Senator) were shockingly poor party leaders.
Forgot to add, Frist now wants to be Governor of my state. If it hadn’t been for Fred Thompson intervening, his seat, like Hastert’s would’ve fallen to the rodents. I ain’t gonna vote for him ever again.
They turned him in b/c they share a legislative office----and the offending computer----and could also be charged with possession (maybe distribution) of child porn.
Lesniak, like Cohen, is also an older unmarried legislator, the only guy to give McGreevey a job after the gay American quit the governorship. He later fired McGreevey.
So I’m thinking it’s a safe bet the pics were of little boys.
Heheh——you could say that.
What job did Lesniak give McGreevey?
Sorry, jogged my memory after I posted... for others to read:
He was first hired as a lawyer at Lesniak’s firm, but he was fired by the senator after the job became public and critics said it posed serious conflicts of interest because many of the law firm’s clients had dealings with state government while McGreevey was in office.
Yup, that’s it——thanks for the link.
Separated at birth?
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