A man accused of sexually assaulting nine boys with physical or mental disabilities told a judge that having sex with children is a sacred ritual protected by civil rights laws.
Phillip Distasio, who said he is the leader of a church called Arcadian Fields Ministries, represented himself at his pretrial hearing Wednesday. He is charged with 74 counts including rape, pandering obscenity to minors and corrupting another with drugs.
“I’m a pedophile. I’ve been a pedophile for 20 years,” he said in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Wednesday. “The only reason I’m charged with rape is that no one believes a child can consent to sex. The role of my ministry is to get these cases out of the courtrooms.”
What is there to say about this guy?
He ran an online Yahoo Group called class cutters — his “youth outreach” program — “…group parenting initiative that uses existing community resources to meet the needs of both unique and typically developing children by creating a self-directing, least-restrictive learning environment.
My guess is that this was his local online dragnet to try to find “consenting children”.
He also started a blog at MySpace; but, that’s already been taken down.
Yeah that’s honey, sex with 3 hot blonde babes at the same time is a ritual, yeah, that’s it.
Three words, WTF.
One large bullet and one modest hand gun and I can solve all his problems.
Another reason I support the death penalty. I just wish this guy was in line for it.
Well, I’m certain he’ll be getting plenty of constitutionally protected ass-rituals in prison!
It’s terrible how people will hide behind religion. What if I started a religion demanding people to send me tax exempt money. I could also buy some of the best property in town and refuse to pay a cent of tax on it. Just think of what that could lead to.
#6 Yes, but won’t it seem contradictory?
The RR will use Religious Rationalisations to rape the Internet because a sick’o used Religious Rationalisations as a defense.
But then, who said these people weren’t a bit bent.
That guy looks like someone perfect to wear the name “Susan” in prison.
I like how the Myspace reference caps of the entry. Fantastico!
Sounds like he has a good legal case. Who are you to tell him who he can or cannot have sex with? “Liberty presumes an autonomy of self that includes freedom of thought, belief, expression, and certain intimate conduct. The instant case involves liberty of the person both in its spatial and more transcendent dimensions.” Lawrence v Texas All you complainers are just bigots not willing to grant him his civil rights.
“The right to swing my fist ends where the other man’s nose begins.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
Considering a child of 13, and autistic how can the child make an informed choice of consent?
I agree, there should be no crime without a victim. However, this one has a vicitm (or in this case something like 74).
4 Another reason I support the death penalty.
Same here. Sadly, only the latest of many reasons I support it.
5 Well, I’m certain he’ll be getting plenty of constitutionally protected ass-rituals in prison!
One can but hope…
11 Lawrence v Texas
Resolution of this case depends on whether petitioners were free as adults to engage in private conduct in the exercise of their liberty under the Due Process Clause.
Nice try…
My guess is that this was his local online dragnet to try to find “consenting children”.
Scary. Reminds me of when I read how Wayne Williams had posted signs in Atlanta which listed a phone # for talented youths to call to see about getting a break into the entertainment business.
Utah had it right with Gary Gilmore – give us a chance to be on the firing squad. I’m in.
Of all the regulars on this blog, AB CD you really surprised me with this one. Lawrence involved consenting adults. A minor is generally incapable of consenting.
The guy is sick. If there is one thing I learned in my foster parenting class, it was about pedophilia and child abuse. Most perpetrators do it because they crave power and a child is usually weak enough to succumb to the predator.
WKW, I did miss your usual bit of wit, and I too fear you will be proven correct.
Curiously he does have the look of a religious man.
What would Jesus do? Kill him slow and with much pain.
Huff’s Crime Blog has a bit more background on this sicko:
http://huffcrimeblog.com/?p=314
What amazes me is that he was able to get away with his criminal behavior for so long. Reading his website I’m very surprised that any parent is going to believe in his brand of hippie-dippie feel good BS.
http://members.cox.net/pateticus/
He’ll be in solitary confinement for 40 years. But if he is ever caught out of his cell, he will be raped and then beaten to death.
To # 3, 4, 5, 9, 13
Your hatred and blood lust is despicable. Your desire for vengeance belittles you.
We remove dangerous individuals from society to protect ourselves from them. To the extent that we use that process to hurt the perpetrators we diminish ourselves. You are exhibits A-E, and you are very small, indeed.
Shame on you for wishing not for the end of pain and suffering, but for MORE pain and suffering. Revolting, mindless, and animal.
Oh come on, the use of adults is just an arbitrary term, and there’s no reason the courts shouldn’t support this guy’s case. Yeah Mike I saw that Lawrence used the word adults several time, but there is no reason given for that inclusion. Just an excuse for denying this man’s civil rights.
Re. Chemical Castration, didn’t you know that’s cruel and unusual punishment?
Re. Death Penalty, it isn’t just vengeance, etc. It’s also self protection for society. There are certain people that no matter what you do, they are always going to be a threat. If you leave them around, then you condone what they do when they escape…
I believe that castration with a blunt instrument is a sacred ritual.
…so now we know where pee wee herman is…
He sounds clever. We need to be sure his crime does not go unpunished by abusing the “system” to his advantage — if the evidence against him is correct.
He’ll have fun in prison.
Objections to the death penalty are just people letting their emotions get in the way of justice.
@20: Hey Thumper…
While I believe that most crime shouldn’t be punished under the eye-for-an-eye mentality, why should child rape be given this privilage?
There are some crimes that just can’t be punished/rehabilitated from properly without pain. This sick freak doesn’t deserve to die, he deserves to suffer. And once properly castrated, he can rejoin society in the service industry job (Taco Bell, McDonalds, etc..) of his choice.
Can you propose a better solution?
@20.
I NEVER shoot people out of hate, anger or blood lust.
It interferes with my aim…..
The fact is of all the despicable crimes in history, the people who commit this one ARE NOT FIXABLE. We’ve lost too many children to horrid and terrifying deaths trying to prove otherwise.
#20
Of course you are right. The pro-death penalty crowd is morally corrupt. And generally, what we know about pedophiles merits not death or incarceration, but serious research and medical help…
But this guy isn’t just sick. He’s brazen about it. He knows what he’s doing. He’s cuckoo. A religion? I sacred right? He’s not the guy who can’t control this urge… He likes it and he’s up front about it.
I need to put on my ear buds and turn my back on the situation. That way I won’t be morally obliged to interceed when the pro-death penalty crowd takes care of this problem.
20 We remove dangerous individuals from society to protect ourselves from them.
And then leave them in a cage – like an animal, to survive amongst other animals – for the rest of their “lives”.
For me, life in prison – without possibility of parole – is cruel and unusual punishment.
Shoot me in the head, inject me with that “painful” coctail, but don’t leave me to rot under your rug – out of sight, out of mind – while you congratulate yourself on being “humane”.
The only thing worse is what they do to Charlie Manson – make him go to a parole hearing every 7 years, even though everyone including Charlie knows he will never be released.
Nice “twist of the knife”, that is… 🙂
This is so very hard to say, but bquady, #20 is correct. If we inflict pain on another and smile with satisfaction at it all, are we any better? Yes, it is very difficult NOT be emotional when a scumbag like this comes to light. But, damn it, I will NOT debase myself to the level that he is. If we are to have justice for all, it can’t be justice for everyone except the scum sucking, dirt bag, child molesters.
#29, Mike. Perish the thought that any of us ever find ourselves in that predicament. Who would feed my dog?
Thank you for your lame, embarrassing defense of your blood lust, everyone.
Now I understand the appeal of this story to you sick, animal, barbaric, inhuman, torturing sadists. You think that you have found a case where it seems “responsible” to be as horrible a person as possible. It feels so good, to indulge in your little decapitation fantasies, your prison-torture dreams, to feel that wonderful firing-squad unity, and to claim that this time it’s RIGHT. We just HAVE to use these tools to protect ourselves, and it’s NOT because we enjoy it, oh no!
And so it seems you bloodthirsty hordes have this in common with this criminal; your self-serving rationalizations for what you know in your heart is horrible and inhuman just make you look more wretched.
It’s so sad to hear you profess your principles (“Ordinarily, torture is wrong!”) and then repudiate those principles at the first sign of a really bad guy! Why have principles at all? Or rather, if those principles can be bent, are they principles? Or are you just another thug who wants to beat the world into the shape you want? You are the latter, and you are despicable.