Update: Here’s the full scoop on Bernie Ward’s charges and the evidence against him. Nope, doesn’t look like Bernie Ward was just doing research.
Bernie Ward has been a naughty, naughty, boy. He’s being prosecuted on Federal charges of the possession of child pornography. Bernie Ward is best known as a liberal radio show host so this won’t, of course, be good for his career.
The specifics of the allegations against Bernie Ward, 56, remain under seal. A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s office in San Francisco did not immediately return a call.
Ward, frequently called the "lion of the left" for his staunchly liberal views, hosts a nightly news talk program on KGO-AM 810 as well as a program called GodTalk on Sundays. He produced an award-winning series that explored allegations of financial and sexual misconduct in the Archdiocese of San Francisco, according to the KGO Web site.
Ward has plead not guilty to the charges, of course:
KGO nighttime talk show host Bernie Ward was indicted in federal court on Thursday on two counts of child pornography using the Internet, the radio station reported. Ward, a former Catholic priest, host two shows for the station, on Monday from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. and the Sunday morning show called "God Talk."
Ward’s lawyer, Doron Weinberg, said his client, 56, pleaded not guilty to the indictment before a federal magistrate in San Francisco on Thursday.
He said Ward is due to reappear in court in late January before U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker for a status conference and scheduling of a trial date.
His defense appears to be that he was doing research for a book. On, titter ye not, hypocrisy:
Popular radio talk show host and former Catholic priest Bernie Ward surrendered to authorities Thursday, after being indicted on federal child pornography charges.
Ward, 56, hosts a nightly news talk program on KGO-AM 810, as well as the religion program "Godtalk" on Sundays. The specifics of the indictment remain under seal, but KGO’s Web site says Ward was indicted on two counts of using the Internet to obtain child pornography.
Ward’s lawyer told KGO the alleged pornography involves research Ward did more than four years ago for a book.
"He was doing research," said Jeanette Boudreau, Ward’s business lawyer. "For him to be charged this way for what probably amounts to a technical violation of the law is a tragedy."
The thing is though, whether you’re handling such pornography while researching a book or not, it’s still a crime. The crime is handling the pornography, not the reason you’re doing it.
The 56-year-old local
personality – the host of a nightly news talk program on KGO 810 AM as
well as "God Talk" on Sundays – says he was doing research.
But on Thursday, Ward was indicted by a grand jury on two federal
counts of Internet child pornography – allegations that he possessed
and distributed images using his computer.
Ward’s attorney, Doron Weinberg, said Thursday that for the past
three years, he and other attorneys have been trying to convince the
federal government that Ward is not a sexual predator, that he was
simply doing research for a book on hypocrisy in America and was not
engaged in anything more.
"The government knows that Bernie was doing this for an
investigation he was doing for a book," said Weinberg, who appeared in
federal court as Ward’s lawyer and arranged the posting of a $250,000
bail bond. "But the government believes he violated the letter of the
law, and they have gone ahead and prosecuted him."
…
The possession of child
pornography alone is a felony, without regard to intent, according to
federal statutes. Federal law allows for the accidental discovery of
three images or less to be forgiven, as long as the matter is promptly
reported or that the images are immediately destroyed. There is no
indication that Ward took such steps.
The minimum penalty is five years per image.
Yowser, that is a tough penalty.
Here’s how the local TV station reported it:
And here’s a wire story on the whole Bernie Ward matter.
The best comment is at IMAO.
Child pornagraphers, who suffer a bad image everywhere, especially
red states, today issued a statement regarding the arrest of liberal
talk show host Bernie Ward. "We want people to know that just because
we dig child porn, that it in no way makes us want to host a
progressive radio show."
Many in the industry feel that being linked to this type of
situation bodes badly for child pornographers. Said one spokes man with
the National Association of Child Pornagraphers, "Sure, they can hide
behind the First Amendment, but if people start to think that you’re
something OTHER than a child pornographer, then it could hurt your
career in the long run."
Leave a Reply