Oakridge man faces sex abuse charges

[bflynn]

Not to make light of the situation being discussed, but sometimes you just have to wonder -

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/05/06/officer-who-led-air-force-sex-assault-response-branch-accused-groping-in-va/

And

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/05/03/female-air-force-trainer-sentenced-in-sex-scandal/?intcmp=obnetwork

[johnnyb47]

Ligt Appreciation Crowd

I've got to go with either Star Trek or "Shiny Flashing Lights on High Speed Emergency Vehicles".

Am I close?

[Eclipse]

Sounds like you nailed it - wasn't that more fun?

[johnnyb47]

Sounds like you nailed it - wasn't that more fun?

No. I would rather read what you type and jump to conclusions like everyone else.
It wasnt hard to find either.
I started reading and noticed the links and references to Emergency Lights all over the place and thought to myself, "Oh... he's one of THOSE guys....."
And then it hit me.

[NIN]

You mean a candidate for Hamsexy?

[bflynn]

I'm still not getting it - when I googled "light appreciation crowd", I got next to nothing.  "Light appreciation" gave me all kinds of differnt hits, from christmas lights to antique streetlights, but nothing on star trek

[NIN]

I'm still not getting it - when I googled "light appreciation crowd", I got next to nothing.  "Light appreciation" gave me all kinds of differnt hits, from christmas lights to antique streetlights, but nothing on star trek

"Whacker"



Repeat with various decals (Skywarn, ARES), etc.

[bflynn]

Were these his cars?

They look like storm chaser cars that have all that equipment packed into it.

[NIN]

Those are examples of people who are "whackers" or are "into their lights."  Those are not actual photos of the guy in question.

CAP guy I knew (also found to be a major fake) used to refer to the guys in volunteer departments as "hoopies" ("cuz they're always hoopin' around with their lights and sirens") or "catchup dicks".

[NIN]

If nothing else it serves as a reminder why (insert deity, lifeforce, or dimensional prefect) gave us spider sense, and we need to heed it when it tingles. There also might be some room for discussion regarding periodic re-checks on background, or perhaps re-checking anytime a member aspires to be  commander of a unit or an major activity (such as an encampment).  Both jobs are important enough within CAP's structure to warrant it, and those with nothing to hide should have no concerns.

I guess I get the "those with nothing to hide should have no concerns" part.  But as someone who has done (what I hope is) a pretty good job of living my life in that "If it was on the front page of the paper, could I defend myself?" way, why do I need to continue to prove that I'm doing things right?  My actions, my methods and my leadership should, if I am doing things right, stand on its own merit and demonstrate that there is no issue.

I was a squadron commander at 23, then again around 30, and then 33 and again at, uh, what 40?  I had no kids in the program.  I overheard a parent ask one of my seniors "Doesn't he have kids in CAP?" one night.  I felt a little insulted, because at the time my kids were about 3 and 5.  I'd been in CAP for a long time (probably 24 years at that point) and took my duties seriously. I think the implication was that I was pedophile trolling for kids cuz I didn't have any kids of my own in the program, as if somehow having kids in the program would make one immune to potential abuse..

I've said this before, and I will say it again on this subject:  much of this is a cultural issue and requires leaders to act as leaders and members to act as (much as I hate this word in this context) "fiduciaries" of our cadets. 

When someone preys on a cadet, they are NOT operating in a vacuum.  Many of their actions are seen and not reported, or seen and ignored as "OK" when most of the time what they are or were doing is completely against the rules.  They're having inappropriate conversations with cadets, they're in closer than appropriate contact with cadets, there are instances where you see them "outside their lane" as it pertains to cadets. All of this adds up and if you let it continue, people become inured to what is right and suddenly "wrong" becomes "normal."

I fell victim to this in 1998: I moved to a new wing and I went to my first squadron meeting in the new place and introduced myself to the commander.  (I showed up in blues on a BDU night, walked in with my Michigan wing patch on and people were like 'Who the hell is this guy?'..LOL)  At the end of that first night, the unit commander says to me "Hey, can you give Cadet Bagodonuts here a ride home?"

"Uh, what do you mean, sir?"

"Well, he lives up by where your apartment is, him and his mom live about 1/4 mile before your place on that same road."

"Yessir, but what about cadet protection?"

"What do you mean?"

"I can't drive a cadet alone in my car, sir."

"Oh, sure you can, I do it all the time. His mom is a senior member, she's fine with it."

(Note: Moms & dads are, usually, "fine" with these kinds of things, right up until it is discovered that their kid is being sexually abused by the person they were "fine" with, and then, suddenly, its really "not fine."  Odd, huh?)

"Sir, I am NOT giving a cadet I don't even know a ride home solo in my car."

Now, I should have had a red flag that there was something funky going on in this squadron and with this squadron commander, but I didn't really pay that much attention. I chalked it up to "Well, that must be how they interpret the CPP here.."  What I should have done was probably call the wing commander and say "hey, uh, I think there is a CPP violation in progress here." But I was brand new to the wing, and I knew that if I was wrong, I wouldn't do any of that "Win friends and influence people" stuff by narc'ing out the unit commander to the boss on the first night in the wing.

(Note: the commander was not abusing anybody, but the wanton flaunting of the CPP was just one symptom of other issues with the unit.  Two or three weeks before I took over that unit about 18 months later, the unit AEO took a bunch of cadets on an AE trip to an air museum. By herself.  I mean, jeez, she was in her 70s and probably was Jimmy Dolittle's crew chief at one point, but it was indicative of the permissive situation under the old commander that had permeated all ranks and the unit culture that the AEO didn't even KNOW that it wasn't OK to take cadets on a trip to an air museum 2 hrs away all by herself.  The acting commander, the former DCC, didn't even *get* why that was wrong, either.  After the change of command, when I finally got all the half-completed finance paperwork from the finance officer, nearly a month after the finance report was due, I noted that the acting-commander had given the AEO a blank squadron check to cover the entrance fee to the museum. It was written to "CASH."  *sigh* CPP, finance regs, etc.  You name it, people didn't know the right way to do it, even.. that was a fun way to start a command tour. Took me 5 years, but we were wing squadron of merit 3 times and region squadron of distinction once...)

[Duke Dillio]

In response to the OP, the guy was sentenced to five years prison and three years of probation and was required to register as a sex offender:

http://projects.registerguard.com/web/updates/28224930-46/sierakowski-program-civil-patrol-chanti.html.csp

Having spoken to the squadron commander at the time, as I understand it this guy was brought in to help start up a school program in Oakridge.  Oakridge had received some form of government grant and an Oakridge flight was created and assigned to the nearby squadron (I am leaving out the names of the affected units on purpose..) which consisted mostly of this school program and some other local members.  At some point, it was discovered that this guy was running a website catering to pedophiles and that he had video taped the victim in question for the website.  There were apparently several other vicitms as well.  When the charges came down, some reporter looking to make a name for themselves reported that this guy was the commander of the local CAP unit, which he was not.  Col Bishop immediately suspended him and when he plead guilty in June (He was charged in April) his membership was immediately terminated (one of those cases where the paperwork was already completed and waiting to send off.)

It is also important to note that he was chosen to help with the school program because of his previous military experience (he was an AF NCO at some point.)  He passed the FBI check with no problem.  I don't know that there is anything that CAP could have done differently in this case lest we subject our new members to a psych screen which may or may not have fingered this guy.  By all accounts that I have heard, there weren't any tingly sensations or spidey senses going off.  He was a married father with kids and probably seemed like the ideal candidate for CAP membership.  Unfortunately, he was just one of the ones who slipped through the cracks...

[Eclipse]

...this guy was brought in to help start up a school program in Oakridge...

Right there is one of the biggest mistakes CAP makes on a regular basis - no one should be "brought in" to start anything.  If you're not already a member, with a track
record of success, you shouldn't be starting or commanding anything.

We "bring in" these people with no history or experience, and then wonder why they fail(ed), or worse.

[Duke Dillio]

^^^  I may have miscommunicated that a bit.  He was already a member as I understand and he was "brought in" from the local squadron to help get the program started.

[Private Investigator]

...
I fell victim to this in 1998: I moved to a new wing and I went to my first squadron meeting in the new place and introduced myself to the commander.  (I showed up in blues on a BDU night, walked in with my Michigan wing patch on and people were like 'Who the hell is this guy?'..LOL)  At the end of that first night, the unit commander says to me "Hey, can you give Cadet Bagodonuts here a ride home?"

"Uh, what do you mean, sir?"

"Well, he lives up by where your apartment is, him and his mom live about 1/4 mile before your place on that same road."

"Yessir, but what about cadet protection?"

"What do you mean?"

"I can't drive a cadet alone in my car, sir."

"Oh, sure you can, I do it all the time. His mom is a senior member, she's fine with it."

(Note: Moms & dads are, usually, "fine" with these kinds of things, right up until it is discovered that their kid is being sexually abused by the person they were "fine" with, and then, suddenly, its really "not fine."  Odd, huh?)

"Sir, I am NOT giving a cadet I don't even know a ride home solo in my car."

Now, I should have had a red flag that there was something funky going on in this squadron and with this squadron commander, but I didn't really pay that much attention. I chalked it up to "Well, that must be how they interpret the CPP here.."  What I should have done was probably call the wing commander and say "hey, uh, I think there is a CPP violation in progress here." But I was brand new to the wing, and I knew that if I was wrong, I wouldn't do any of that "Win friends and influence people" stuff by narc'ing out the unit commander to the boss on the first night in the wing.

(Note: the commander was not abusing anybody, but the wanton flaunting of the CPP was just one symptom of other issues with the unit.  Two or three weeks before I took over that unit about 18 months later, the unit AEO took a bunch of cadets on an AE trip to an air museum. By herself.  I mean, jeez, she was in her 70s and probably was Jimmy Dolittle's crew chief at one point, but it was indicative of the permissive situation under the old commander that had permeated all ranks and the unit culture that the AEO didn't even KNOW that it wasn't OK to take cadets on a trip to an air museum 2 hrs away all by herself.  The acting commander, the former DCC, didn't even *get* why that was wrong, either.  After the change of command, when I finally got all the half-completed finance paperwork from the finance officer, nearly a month after the finance report was due, I noted that the acting-commander had given the AEO a blank squadron check to cover the entrance fee to the museum. It was written to "CASH."  *sigh* CPP, finance regs, etc.  You name it, people didn't know the right way to do it, even.. that was a fun way to start a command tour. Took me 5 years, but we were wing squadron of merit 3 times and region squadron of distinction once...)

Colonel, I can relate to that. Great read indeed. Problem Squadrons usually have lots of problems and CPP is basically black and white so I do not understand why people "do not get it".

[Private Investigator]

Having spoken to the squadron commander at the time, as I understand it this guy was brought in to help start up a school program in Oakridge.  Oakridge had received some form of government grant and an Oakridge flight was created and assigned to the nearby squadron (I am leaving out the names of the affected units on purpose..) which consisted mostly of this school program and some other local members.  At some point, it was discovered that this guy was running a website catering to pedophiles and that he had video taped the victim in question for the website.  There were apparently several other vicitms as well.  When the charges came down, some reporter looking to make a name for themselves reported that this guy was the commander of the local CAP unit, which he was not.  Col Bishop immediately suspended him and when he plead guilty in June (He was charged in April) his membership was immediately terminated (one of those cases where the paperwork was already completed and waiting to send off.)

It is also important to note that he was chosen to help with the school program because of his previous military experience (he was an AF NCO at some point.)  He passed the FBI check with no problem.  I don't know that there is anything that CAP could have done differently in this case lest we subject our new members to a psych screen which may or may not have fingered this guy.  By all accounts that I have heard, there weren't any tingly sensations or spidey senses going off.  He was a married father with kids and probably seemed like the ideal candidate for CAP membership.  Unfortunately, he was just one of the ones who slipped through the cracks...

Duke, thanks for filling in the blanks.

[Duke Dillio]

No problem...  As you can imagine, command was very very quiet about this whole thing...

[bflynn]

It's better to have facts.  People will make them up if they're not readily supplied. 

[JeffDG]

No problem...  As you can imagine, command was very very quiet about this whole thing...

And that's a lost opportunity to learn from something going wrong.

If you sweep issues under the rug, the rug gets lumpy, and now you can't see why.

[Eclipse]

Just as we are supposed to do AARs on incidents and missions, situations like these would be excellent training sessions
for UCC, SLS, and even maybe CPT training. Discussing how things evolve into "bad" helps everyone.

[Майор Хаткевич]

As a personal rule, I don't add cadets on social media unless I really want to/they request it, and are over 18. Reason being of course that at my age I have pictures at parties where adult beverages/tobacco may be present. Nothing wrong with that, but I don't need younger cadets seeing that side of it. In fact, that VA poser woman would have been a red flag for me personally due to her...interests, and having a ton of cadets accessing her posts.