Los Angeles Times
GOLDEN, Colo. – At home, Internet sleuth Julie Posey has logged into rooms with names such as “dadanddaughtersex” and “littlgrls.”
Many of her correspondents wanted only to fantasize, which is not against the law. But some wanted to arrange meetings for sex, which can result in prosecution for attempted child molestation in some states.
One was Thomas Ormsby, the Denver computer consultant. Posey ran across Ormsby two years ago after spotting Web ads he had posted. “Early teens wanted,” said one. “I’ll molest you by e-mail,” said another.
Posey drafted a response, posing as a troubled teen. For authenticity, she sprinkled her e-mail with punctuation errors.
“my name is Kendra and I’m 14,” she wrote. “if you want you can write to me … but you might not want to talk to me because my friends say that i am a geek and i am dumb.”
Ormsby replied, starting what became a daily e-mail exchange. It took some time before the subject turned to sex. But when it did, Ormsby engaged in some violent fantasies. In one, Ormsby described a sex session he claimed to have had with an 11-year-old.
As their correspondence continued, a pile of candy bar wrappers grew beside Posey’s computer. Next to the heap lay a list of Kendra’s personal details to help Posey sustain the charade: the teen-ager’s hometown (Golden, Colo.); her favorite sport (soccer); her favorite subject (science).
Finally, Ormsby arranged to meet Kendra at a McDonald’s restaurant, asking her to wear black spandex tights and high heels. Undercover officers sat in wait.
In October 1999, Ormsby pleaded guilty to attempted sexual assault of a child. Last year he was sentenced to three years in prison.
But to hear defense attorney Seth Temin explain the case, Ormsby was the true victim.
During his e-mail correspondence with Posey, Ormsby was encouraged to discuss sex at every turn, Temin said. When Ormsby wasn’t forward enough, Posey kept pushing. And it took two weeks of e-mails to persuade him to meet.
Ormsby pleaded guilty, his lawyer said, only because he was terrified that if prosecutors took the case to trial, he risked a sentence that, when served, would require him to remain on parole for the rest of his life.
To Temin, his client’s downfall illustrates how easily Internet crusaders such as Posey can encourage others to believe they can fulfill fantasies they would otherwise keep locked away.
“It’s common for people on the Internet to fake personas,” Temin said. “Should we be peeking into people’s bedrooms like that?”
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