EDITORIAL OPINION***
CHILDREN SHOULD NOT HAVE TO TRADE PRIVACY FOR PROTECTION
This is one of the most difficult stories I may ever have to write. The children involved are about to trade their privacy for protection. It is about the failure of a handful of individuals to protect two small children from the alleged sexual, physical, verbal and emotional abuse at the hands of their politically connected father.
The children in the case are so desperate for help that they have made videos of their allegations, naming the people who both abused their trust and failed to protect them... as was their job. If the children are forced to release this video to social media as they are ready to do, then a ten year old boy will have to expose his identity and the fact that he has gotten a sexually transmitted disease (according to the child and documented medical evidence) allegedly from improper touching by his own father. The daughter claims to have had improper touching as well and in the video holds up pieces of paper with the names of some of those who hurt and failed to protect them, including their court appointed law guardian.
These are the words on little slips of paper, the girl holds up one at a time in the video:
Hi!
I'm 13 years old
I love to dance
I have a little brother
He is ten
We need help
We have been hurt
my brother got a bloody nose
We both have gotten our arms (hurt) too
I got a black and blue
and my brother got a
sexually transmitted disease on his butt
I wish Faith Herman CPS worker Lisa Towns
Nancy? Other Cps workers
lots of other CPS workers
& I don't remember names
Thanks to them my dad
Who was the cause of all this
has full custody
I want to go back to my moms
Who did nothing wrong and
she is safe
my attorney-Joy Jorgenson
she wouldn't help us at all
she wouldn't even call my brother in to talk about his
bloody nose and he was in the waiting room
comment below with advice
Thank you!
End of Video
The little girl is planning to release it with her full face showing. The words she wrote on paper and the music playing in the background is the song "Concrete Angel" by Martina McBride.
These are the lyrics:
She walks to school with the lunch she packedIn the video, the thirteen year old girl holds up pieces of paper saying she and her ten year old brother are being abused and that her little brother has a sexually transmitted disease and they need help. With the music playing in the background it is a heartbreaking image and statement. It is devastating to see.
Nobody knows what she's holding back
Wearing the same dress she wore yesterday
She hides the bruises with the linen and lace, oh
The teacher wonders but she doesn't ask
It's hard to see the pain behind the mask
Bearing the burden of a secret storm
Sometimes she wishes she was never born
Through the wind and the rain she stands hard as a stone
In a world that she can't rise above
But her dreams give her wings and she flies to a place
Where she's loved concrete angel
Somebody cries in the middle of the night
The neighbors hear but they turn out the light
A fragile soul caught in the hands of fate
When morning comes it will be too late
Through the wind and the rain she stands hard as a stone
In a world that she can't rise above
But her dreams give her wings and she flies to a place
Where she's loved concrete angel
A statue stands in a shaded place
An angel girl with an upturned face
A name is written on a polished rock
A broken heart that the world forgot
Through the wind and the rain she stands hard as a stone
In a world that she can't rise above
But her dreams give her wings and she flies to a place
Where she's loved concrete angel
Songwriter(s): Stephanie Kay Bentley
Copyright: Songs Of Polygram Int. Inc., Hopechest Music
It must have been more devastating to make. It is the opinion of this reporter that these children should not have had to resort to even making this video and now because no one will help them, they are about to put it out on social media trading their personal privacy for protection. This should not have to happen. So to prevent that, I am going to try to tell their story using just some of the documented evidence the mother has provided to me and somehow get the children help without actually revealing their identities. When you read this, if you will call those involved and give your opinion, perhaps it would force them to protect the children.
THE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR
Because the father in the story is a political figure and has had fundraisers for many high level Suffolk County politicos, in August, 2012 the Suffolk District Attorney's Office asked Judge James Hudson (Riverhead) to appoint a special prosecutor to handle the case of alleged abuse of the children by the father/attorney/politician.
Last Thursday March 28, 2013 a copy of a letter was sent by E-Mail to Freelance Investigations containing information that reveals these children are allegedly not being protected. It was a letter from the mother, sent to the Special Prosecutor in the case, requesting his recusal in the case for "his failure to act and protect" her children. The letter was cc'd to Freelance Investigations as well as to several New York State Bar Associations, the Suffolk County District Attorney, The New York State Inspector General's Office, The New York State Attorney's General as well as several others.
According to the mother, last Thursday, when speaking at a meeting with the Special Prosecutor, Kevin Keating and Detective Bruce Croce of the Suffolk County Police Special Victim's Unit (Detective Croce was assigned to the case in July of 2012) the mother said she has provided them with medical evidence of a sexually transmitted disease her son had gotten last fall. In the document the child admitted his father had been snuggling naked with him and putting his private parts in his buttocks and groin area. The doctor was the only person in this entire case who did the right thing according to the mother. The doctor called Child Protective Services as the law demands when there is a question of sexual abuse.
The daughter told authorities she took the door off the hinges of the father's bedroom to stop him from hurting her and her brother, according to the mother. The daughter says she is also a victim of sexual abuse by the father and is willing to tell anyone who will listen what has happened to her and her brother, according to the mother. In the letter, the mother asks why the Special Prosecutor has yet to interview her children in nearly eight months since he was assigned to the case. The daughter has called the Police to report the abuse, since she and her brother have been put by the Judge in the case in the sole custody of the father since January of this year.
The mother said the Special Prosecutor told her last week he could probably get an indictment against the father if he presented this to the Grand Jury, but then the children would have to go through a long protracted trial, lasting years perhaps. The mother said the children would prefer that to the continued abuse. If they are willing to go public she asked him, "Wouldn't it be better to tell their story to the Grand Jury, because it is sealed"? She said she told him, since he never even bothered to speak to her children, not even once since he got the case over eight months ago, he doesn't know her children at all to make that decision. He doesn't know how courageous, strong and smart her children are and that they would be happy to testify if only someone would listen and then do something to stop the alleged abuse she told him.
The mother also claims the prosecutor lied to her last Thursday, when he told her he interviewed the doctor and he supposedly told the Special Prosecutor that he called the sexually transmitted disease "a simple childhood rash". The mother claims she spoke with the doctor's office immediately after she left the Special Prosecutor's office and they said the doctor never spoke to anyone from the Special Prosecutor's office, nor him, nor did they have any record of HIPA forms being signed and that would have been necessary for any information at all to be released about her son. She said obviously, the doctor would never have called CPS if he thought it was a simple childhood rash and that the Special Prosecutor didn't even consider how the child claims he got it.
The Special Prosecutor was called by Freelance Investigations several months ago and he admitted for the record there was an ongoing and open investigation. He told the mother on Thursday it was still open and asked her if she had any more evidence of the abuse, other than the thirteen year old daughter as a witness, the son's documented admissions of the abuse and the medical report of the son's sexually transmitted disease. The mother said she replied to him... "What more do you expect the children to give you, a videotape of the abuse and a signed confession?" She said he did not respond at that point.
Detective Croce on Thursday attempted to paint the mother as a conspiracy theorist, according to her, asking her if she believed the husband had controlled the police and CPS and the courts to his advantage? The mother believes politics is at the heart of this but denies ever using the word conspiracy. "These are just individuals failing to protect my children, the fact that the system is run by them is just another crime not being prosecuted."
The following is an exact copy of the letter with some names redacted when necessary to protect the identities of the children by connection to the parents. The other names have been left in tact as they are public figures, most are paid by the taxpayers and all should be held to the highest ethical standards.
(letter dated March 28, 2013 From the Mother to the Special Prosecutor )
Dear Mr. Keating:
I have spoken with the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office regarding your failure to do any investigation involving my children, the victims of physical, sexual and emotional abuse at the hands of their father (name redacted).
I was interviewed in the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Government Corruption Bureau for approximately two and a half hours on July 27, 2011. It was regarding an investigation of (the father/name redacted) and various public officials. Headed by Christopher McPartland, and attended by: John Collins, James Burke, Clifford Cid and (my brother), Police Officer (name redacted).
I was asked about the mortgages on my home which was custom built for my family by the Bonavita family. The Bonavita’s also owned the land in Huntington Station that needed a zone change to sell to Avalon Bay for a controversial high-density housing project.
At the meeting in the DA’s Office I was asked about (the father's/name redacted) long term relationships with public officials including; Steve Israel, Gary Ackerman, Steve Levy, Steve Bellone and Gary Melius of Oheka Castle. I was asked about (the father's/name redacted) relationships with Steve Israel and Gary Ackerman as far back as December 1996 when these three were involved in negotiating proposed low and middle-income housing in East Northport.
During this meeting we discussed (the father's/name redacted) obsession with pornography, gambling, and his drug use. I provided the Government Corruption Bureau with pictures of the marijuana and smoking paraphernalia (the father/name redacted) had kept atop his dresser when he resided in our home. I also provided the invoices I had found for Cablevision pornography that amounted to $980 dollars in only a six -month period of October 2010 through April 2011. We also discussed his campaign contributions and business dealings with Steve Levy and fundraisers that (the father/name redacted) had held for Mr. Levy, Gary Ackerman, Steve Israel, Steve Bellone, and Richard Ambro: the Administrative Judge’s clerk and brother of David Ambro, Editor of the local newspaper who has subsequently written several articles praising (the father/name redacted). We discussed Steve Levy’s appointment of his close friend (the father/name redacted) to the Judicial Screening Committee and the fact that Steve Levy’s wife, Colleen West’s claim that the law firm of (name redacted) was one of her largest accounts at Enright Court Reporting, at the same time (the father/name redacted) claimed to the Court in our divorce trial that his business was failing and he was virtually broke and unemployed.
Also discussed was (the father's/name redacted) relationship with Gary Melius, developer builder, of Oheka Castle and (the father's/name redacted) involvement with Mr. Melius’ land use issues. Also discussed was (the father's/name redacted) frequent gambling- gambling that had taken place at Oheka Castle with (name redacted) and (his brother) and various other long term politicians. We discussed Mr. Melius’ discounting of (the father's/name redacted) brother’s wedding held at the Oheka Castle and the fact that (the father/name redacted) had been listed as a principle attorney/trustee of St. Matthews Episcopal Church in Las Vegas Nevada.
After this meeting I was assigned to contact Detective Clifford Cid and asked to provide copies of (the father's/name redacted)'s cell phone records (which at that time were billed in my name) for the information to be investigated regarding gambling, drug use and financial crimes involving (the father/name redacted) and Gary Melius. I faxed the records of (the father's/name redacted) cell phone to Clifford Cid at the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office in August 2011 at which time I was told that the investigation was ongoing and I would be contacted in the fall or sooner if they requested further information.
In November 2011 Steve Bellone was elected as Suffolk County Executive. Clifford Cid called me in late November 2011 saying “something big was going on” but that he would resume the investigation in late January, after the new administration was established.
February 2012 Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota filed suit to repeal the Term Limit for his office, the Suffolk County Sheriff and the Suffolk County Clerk.
Steve Bellone appointed his friend (the father/name redacted) as outside counsel to represent Suffolk County’s position purportedly to uphold the Term Limit. (The father/name redacted) has no background in State Constitutional law, his only cases involving real estate and personal injury for the most part. He lost the case and only charged Mr. Bellone $3,000 dollars according to a statement he made in NEWSDAY. That amounts to about 10 hours of work on this “landmark” case. I believe he purposely was appointed to lose the case and this may be why Mr. Spota refused to prosecute. I never heard another word from Clifford Cid or anyone else from the Suffolk County District Attorney Office regarding (the father/name redacted) and or Gary Melius.
My children have repeatedly complained of escalating abusive and aggressive behaviors they have suffered by their father (name redacted). The children were seen and interviewed at the Child Advocacy Center in Central Islip on July 10, 2012 regarding their complaints of their father's, (name redacted) sexual abuse.
My thirteen-year-old daughter told Detective Croce that her father had been touching her vagina over a period of 3-4 years while in her bed at night and a criminal police investigation commenced. Detective Croce has been given the information regarding (the father's/name redacted)’s history of marijuana use and his unsuccessful attempts to encourage me to try cocaine and has been informed of his extensive obsession with pornography.
On August 24, 2012 Detective Croce gave my daughter his business card and told her to give it to Judge Kent at in camera interview during our divorce trial. He then asked her what the judge’s response was. She told him the judge asked why she thought the detective had asked her to give him the card and she answered,“I guess he wants you to call him”.
On Sept 14, 2012 my then nine-year-old son was seen at a dermatologist for a rash on his buttocks and upper inner thighs. My son reported to the doctor that his father often snuggled with him naked, or with a towel open in front, in bed, after showering and (the father/name redacted) was rubbing his penis on and between my son’s buttocks. Dr. (name redacted) reported this to Child Protective Services as the rash, called “molluscum” is known to be a sexually transmitted disease. (The doctor/name redacted) biopsied the warts and confirmed this diagnosis on Sept 29, 2012. Attached is the correspondence regarding Child Protective Services’ mishandling of this information that I have already sent you.
On October 15, 2012, I was informed by E-Mail from Emily Constant of the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office that you had been appointed as a “Special Prosecutor” and that all information regarding the sexual, physical and emotional abuse of my children should be directed to you to investigate and prosecute.
I find it disconcerting that after all the information requested of me regarding (the father/name redacted) and his personal relationship/ business dealings with Gary Melius that you have been appointed to prosecute and your office is in a building owned by Mr.Melius.
When I met with you November 8, 2012 you said you had not interviewed the victims, my children, but you did praise the court appointed forensic psychologist Jennifer Flynn Campbell and the Child Protective Service workers who each failed to protect my children. I have also attached the correspondence regarding CPS workers; Bethrina Mccray and Lori Towns and their mishandling of my children’s complaints and the documentation regarding Jennifer Flynn Campbell and her history of unlicensed practice prior to her obtaining her license. She was diagnosing and recommending psychotropic drugs, committing a fraud upon the court allowing her to be called a Doctor in court when she was only licensed to drive a car and to SCUBA dive. She did this prior to the law allowing students to be mentored and train in the courts.
Today I am providing you with the correspondence between (the father/name redacted) and my daughter’s court appointed counselor, Jane Albertson Kelly, PhD. As a mandatory reporter of child abuse, Dr. Kelly has ignored and suppressed my daughter’s persistent actual claims of sexual, physical and verbal abuse from her father. The correspondence progressively shows clearly that Dr. Kelly is led by (the father/name redacted) to steer and direct (the daughter's/name redacted)’s counseling sessions based on the E-Mail complaints (the father/name redacted) makes regarding me. Although now I am being wrongly blamed for this, (the daughter/name redacted) has recorded the sessions of her own volition, as well as her conversations with the Law Guardian, Joy Jorgensen and her father as he fights with her and continuously berates me.
My Legal Aid attorney in family court has submitted the E-Mail correspondence between Joy Jorgensen (the children's law guardian) and my daughter, which my daughter sent to both Detective Croce and myself. Ms. Jorgensen is no longer representing the children as the correspondence shows that she actively misrepresented the children’s wishes and failed to provide for their safety and welfare. I have submitted a formal complaint to the Bar Association and the Judicial Grievance Committee regarding Joy Jorgensen’s failure to protect my children and their rights. In fact when they asked for no overnight with their father and for supervised visits, she actually increased their overnight visits
I have been in contact with James Saladino and Kathleen of Judge Hudson’s chambers who have informed me that you were appointed to this case on August 2, 2012 and almost eight months have passed, and you have failed to even interview my children who are the victims or to speak with the doctor who made the report of the sexually transmitted disease to CPS. There is no excuse for your disregard of my children it is disgraceful.
Since then the children have been placed in the sole custody of their abuser. On Jan 22, 2013 My daughter (name redacted) was attacked by her father while dressing for school, he was touching her bra and pushing her. When she threatened to report his behavior at school, he threatened to destroy her credibility and make her a truant. He threatened to file a pins (Person in Need of Supervision) petition and did not allow her to go to school that day in order to prevent her from reporting his behaviors.
He followed through with this threat kept her home from school causing her to call the police. The children are so desperate for help they have made a video and intend to go public with their plight using various social media. I have discouraged this as my children should not have to trade their privacy for protection. The reason this is an issue is because you and the other professionals paid to protect my children have failed to do so and instead have chosen to protect their pedophile politically connected father.
The father (name redacted) has said to me and the children if he goes down he will take down several highly ranking political figures with him. He claims he knows where the political bones are buried. Many of these politicians have participated in nefarious activities with (the father/name redacted) over the years and he said he intends to release that information to the public if anyone goes after him. He claims that he is untouchable and you and every person who has failed my children have only served to embolden him in this belief. Your failure to even interview my children in 8 months that you have had this has resulted in his gaining sole custody of my children and I am now on supervised visitation. This is disgraceful as there have never been any accusations by anyone that I have mistreated or neglected my children in any way.
Now I am forced to pay for visitation as my children continue to complain of sexual, physical, verbal and emotional abuse by their father. Eight months has passed and it has forced me to go to Judge Hudson to have him ask you to do the job you have been appointed for. He recently sent you a letter asking you to do just that.
My children are on the verge of putting their video on social media – and they reveal the abuse and name the people who failed them and beg for help. They may be forced to do this, but they should not be forced to trade their privacy for protection. Judge Hudson’s staff has agreed this may be their only way to get help. It is a disgrace that my ten-year old son should have the only option of revealing the extremely personal details of the sexually transmitted disease he contracted from his father rubbing his naked penis on his buttocks according to his statements to the dermatologist and confirmed by biopsy report in order to get help.
What more would it take, what is necessary in your eyes, what more evidence should be required of my children…a signed confession by the abuser alongside a videotape of the abuse?
Children are told to tell a trusted adult if they are abused, to date they have asked for help from:
Their doctor, law guardian, the police, Child Protective Service workers, their counselors, the forensic psychologist, friends, friend’s parents, Judge Kent and anyone who would listen… actually everyone they could ...except for you. You haven’t even bothered to speak to them in eight months. According to the dermatologist you failed to contact him either regarding his report. If you had spoken to my children when you got this case in August, my son may not have been exposed to the sexually transmitted disease he contracted from (the father/name redacted) by September.
If you do not intend to do your job and immediately prosecute this case and speak to and protect my children, then I respectfully request that you immediately recuse yourself so that someone may do the job you have failed to do as my children should not have to suffer another day unprotected at the hands of their abuser.
Thank You,
The mother/name redacted
The children are poised to release all this information in their video to social media, giving up their privacy because no one in authority will help them. It should be noted that although Freelance Investigations has been documenting this story for over two years, this reporter has never spoken to or met either of the children. This story is based entirely on documents provided and telephone interviews conducted by Freelance Investigations.
The fact that these children were forced to make this video is disgraceful and beyond reprehensible for those adults involved that have failed them. These children are brave and bright and willing to speak the truth. There is documented evidence of the abuse the boy claims he has suffered. The fact that Mr. Keating, the Special Prosecutor got this case assigned last year on August 2, 2012 and has never even spoken to the children/victims is shameful. What could possibly be the excuse for this? When asked in January, he refused to discuss the details of the case, except to admit the investigation was ongoing.
If a Grand Jury would indict the father, then the children would be out of danger at least while the long process of the trial goes on. The mother said Mr. Keating told her Thursday, he was sure he could get an indictment if he brought it to a Grand Jury with what he has now, but he didn't want to subject the children to the long trial and too many interviews, so he hesitated to indict the father for that reason. According to the mother she said in response, that her children are ready to release a video to the public because no one is doing anything and they are smart and strong, you wouldn't know that because you have never spoken to them.
The mother said she has begged anyone who will listen to help her children. If the mother's and children's allegations are true, then the people who failed these children will have to clean hell someday.
The least the system should do is err on the side of protecting the children who are currently in sole custody of their alleged abusive father ,while according to the Special Prosecutor , the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office and the Police there admittedly is still an open and ongoing investigation of the father. The father should be on supervised visitation with the children, not the mother who has never been accused of any neglect, maltreatment or anything but being a protective loving mother.
The children have begged to go home with the mother, but now only see her with a supervisor at an exorbitant cost and they are not allowed to discuss any of these issues at the visitation. This is barbaric to do to children.
The mother said the Special Prosecutor, Mr. Keating, told her last Thursday that she was being too dogged in her pursuit of charges against the father for the abuse. He said this as if it were a bad thing, according to her. Any mother who was not dogged in her pursuit of protection of her babies would be derelict of her motherly duties.
The children need immediate protection... that is the only salient point here.
Contact Information is listed below for some of the officials involved in the case (if you would care to give them your opinion of their handling of this case you can refer to the case as the"You know who you are case...")
Kevin Keating: Special Prosecutor (516) 222-1099
Kevin@kevinkeatinglaw.com
666 Old Country Road Suite 501
Garden City, New York 11530-2016
Detective Croce: Suffolk County Police Department; Special Victim's Unit (631) 852-6184
Judge William Kent III, Suffolk County State Supreme Court (Gave sole custody of the two children to the father in January, despite medical evidence of sexual abuse and claims by children of abuse,,,forced the mother into paid supervised visitation when never a complaint against her has ever been made. Father arrested for violation of court order of protection, charged with criminal comtempt, according to the mother. ) (631) 853-5471
