A Waste of Human Potential

People can be convinced to do just about anything, given the right conditions. You don't have to be stupid to allow yourself to fall into a trap. In fact, it often takes someone of high intelligence to be convinced to do some really bizarre things (think cultists who commit suicide together). Check out this Associated Press story by Jeff Karoub about Steven Demink, a very evil man who convinced some mothers to do some evil things. Please don’t think I’m excusing the mothers.

In real life, Steven Demink didn't have children, a college degree or a lasting career. Online, prosecutors say, he presented himself as Dalton St. Clair, an attractive single father and psychologist — a fantasy image authorities say the Michigan man used to persuade mothers across the country to commit unspeakable acts on their children.

Demink, 41, of Redford Township [Michigan, I’m thinking], preyed on single mothers for more than a year, prosecutors say, convincing them to sexually assault their children as a form of therapy. After pleading guilty Monday to six charges related to the sexual exploitation of children, Demink faces 15 years to life in prison when he is sentenced in June.

How was he able to do this?

Demink's alter-ego was a single father of a 14-year-old girl, prosecutors said, and he posted pictures of male models as his headshots.

It's a good thing he really didn’t actually have children.

In some cases, court documents say, Demink promised the women a date if they followed through with his directions.

Playing on desperation for a walking ATM can get you far.

Since authorities arrested him in October, seven children were rescued and at least three mothers have been arrested. Prosecutors say all of the children are now safe.

Isn't that a little like saying that an arson burn victim is now safe because she is no longer on fire?

Authorities say Demink chatted with mothers from New Hampshire, Florida, Idaho and elsewhere, persuading them to engage in sexual acts with their children and send images via e-mail or through a live web stream. The children ranged in age from 3 to 15.

Of course Florida had to be part of this. So many strange stories involve that state.

Demink told U.S. District Judge Gerald Rosen that before his arrest, he worked as a car salesman for about six months and before that for about five years at a local bank.

As if people didn't hate bankers and car salesmen enough already.

He said he completed a U.S. Customs and Border Protection training program in 2002 and worked for the Immigration and Naturalization Service for about a year.

That explains a lot.

As part of his plea agreement with prosecutors, seven charges against Demink were dropped.

I'm assuming the plea agreement was meant to spare victims a trial?

In one case, Demink started online chats with an Oregon woman about the sexual development of her 8-year-old autistic son, according to the plea agreement. He told her to engage in sexually explicit conduct with her son as a way to teach him about sex, prosecutors say, and she did so while Demink watched on a web camera.

You wonder how someone could fall for this, but people fall for all sorts of foolishness. I'm sure if we could be taken through how this happened step by step, we'd have a better understanding of how the mother could have suspended her judgment enough to do this. A lot of it could be the power we give to psychologists.

A Teton County Sheriff's Office report from December 2009 said the Idaho woman met "Daltonst28" on an online dating site called singleparentmeet.com. She told police she performed sex acts on her young son as directed by her online male friend.

The woman's mother, Eileen Schwab of Idaho, said she knows little of how Demink convinced her daughter to follow his orders. She said her daughter was "depressed and lonesome" after her divorce.

Good for Schwab. She decided to protect her grandchildren and the children of others over her protecting her own daughter from legal consequences.

Demink's attorney, Timothy Dinan, said his client "has expressed a lot of remorse" for what he did and has taken responsibility by pleading guilty.

He's probably just sorry he got caught. What a waste of human potential.

I'm glad law enforcement isn't letting the mothers off of the hook. I do wonder if the charges would have been the same and if the news article would have been the same if the sexes were switched - if this had been about some women convincing single fathers to molest their daughters.

Learn how to think clearly, critically, and discern. Don't blindly accept whatever "experts" tell you. Ask them to explain how they came to their conclusions. Some very intelligent and educated people have believed some very wrong things. Look for contradictions. And if something doesn't pass the smell test, think very hard more than once about it.

Is Something Fishy in Salmon, Idaho?

Is Kristina Ross a lesbian who was trapped in a man's body? Consider this article, that first describes Ross as a woman. Laura Zuckerman reports for Reuters.

An Idaho judge has set bond at $100,000 for a Boise woman police say posed as a physician and duped at least two other women into having their breasts examined by her at Boise-area nightclubs.

I have all of my medical work done at nightclubs.

Kristina Ross, 37, remains in Ada County Jail in Boise on two felony counts of practicing medicine without a license.

My libertarian side thinks people should be allowed to genuinely help others without a license, as long as they don't claim to have a license. Potential patients can always ask for credentials, and private organizations can test and recommend doctors. But the law is the law. Is this really practicing medicine without a license, or is it assault, or is it a TSA screening?

Police say Ross introduced herself to victims -- one at a downtown Boise bar and the other at a nightclub in a Boise suburb -- as a plastic surgeon named Berlyn Aussieahshowna, a name that turned out to be bogus.

Ya think?

The two women told Boise officers they believed Ross was a physician because of her apparent medical knowledge, and they agreed to undergo what they thought were breast exams, which happened at the bars.

This reminds me someone my father told me about, who would go shoot pool with a buddy and would tell his buddy about his day at work – making it sound like he was a gynecologist. Only he wasn't any sort of doctor at all. But that wouldn't stop women from approaching him and asking him questions about their body - which was, of course, his intent.

As part of her ruse, Ross gave the women the telephone number of a real licensed plastic surgeon in Boise, the state capital, authorities said.

Staff at that medical office became alarmed at the number of calls they received from women in recent weeks attempting to confirm appointments or surgeries with a Berlyn Aussieahshowna, according to charging documents.

"Dr. Assieahshowna isn't here, but you can see Mike Hunt or Richard Peters Johnson." Sorry. Couldn't resist.

Medical workers on Tuesday alerted Boise police about the pattern, and they later arrested Ross.

If Ross had picked a different number, the ruse could have continued.

Now the story gets really interesting...

The suspect's gender is unclear. Idaho court records show that Ross was arrested for petty theft in the spring and that the arrest warrant was issued to a Kristoffer Jon Ross.

The Idaho Statesman website reported that Ross has a previous criminal record as a man but identifies herself as a woman and was booked into Ada County Jail as a female.

So that is why Ross knew so much and was so interested. Ross is apparently man by birth who now claims to be (identfies as) a woman (transgender).

It is so easy to get scammed - for money, too. David Lazarus, who covers consumer issues in the Los Angeles Times, recently had a warning about the "emergency scam" – which is one I'd heard about before. Read on.

Hey, Trust Me!

I'm fascinated by con artists, fakes, frauds, and scammers who mostly rely on human nature to pull of their scams. For example, they simply behave as though they belong some place that they don't and thus gain access they shouldn’t. Perhaps they’ve created a false background for themselves, especially with apparent connections to the rich and powerful. Sometimes, they "fake it until they make it". I've actually encountered a few con artists of this sort in-person – thankfully, I haven't lost any money or credibility to them.

I know of one that got caught in his lies and exposed and disappeared off the face of the planet, but only after gaining access to restricted properties and rubbing elbows with industry titans.

I know of another who is still going strong. He sells stuff online, and most customers seem to be happy, though every now and then I'll come across someone who didn't get the products for which they paid. This guy used a fake background and nonexistent business partners to launch his business. Actually, as far as I can tell, he is doing some good work, but I can't help but look at his work and think about how it was all enabled by fraudulent claims this guy made about himself.

Another person I know creates different personas for himself and appears on game shows, "reality" television, and entertainment news segments where he can keep his face concealed (providing "scandalous" information). I already knew to be skeptical about what I see on television that is supposedly "real", but now I know even more.

You see these tactics to a lesser extent with guys who are just looking to score with some woman they don't know. For example, my father told me of a guy who would go shoot pool with a buddy and would talk with his buddy as if he was a gynecologist. Women he didn't know would approach him to discuss their personal situations, and of course one thing would lead to another...

I bring this up because recently, Richard Winton had an article in the Los Angeles Times about a con artist.

Los Angeles police detectives said a smooth-talking con artist has used an elaborate scheme to steal thousands of dollars in cash and belongings from a salsa band, one of Israel's top basketball teams and Mexico's Chivas soccer team.

Investigators allege that the man used websites and social media to learn about visiting teams, artists and tourists' movements in downtown Los Angeles, then charmed his way into their private hotel rooms and suites when the visitors were away.

"These out-of-town visitors are often unfamiliar with their surroundings and are often carrying lots of cash," Police Lt. Paul Vernon said.

And, of course, the visitors think the con is with the facility or host, and the facility or host thinks the con is with the visitors.

This is a little like crashing a wedding. The groom's guests will think you know the bride, and vice-versa. I heard a caller to a radio show say he and his buddies would hook up with women by noting in the news when a young person around their ages had passed away, showing up at the services, and then pretending to have been friends of the deceased. Grieving young women, already emotional and looking for comfort, feel a connection to another mourner. And how many of us know all of our friend's or coworker's or cousin's friends?

These people take advantage of people having their guards down, confusion, and unfamiliarity – as well as people wanting to believe well of others and not wanting to seem rude or mean or step on the wrong toes. Sometimes, like a lot of "psychics", these people are very good at reading body language, facial expressions, tone of voice, and taking hints from your appearance, and picking up things you've said in front of them that you don't even remember you said.

Whether meeting a potential love interest, going on vacation, throwing a party, or hiring someone, there are ways to safeguard against this sort of thing, and sometimes, we should. Con artists range from silly to murderous.