This is a story I’ve been meaning to write for a while. I tried once before, but then there were things that turned up in the news, filling in gaps and changing how I looked at the situation. It is entirely possible that more information might come out and change the narrative again, but with the kinds of stories in the news right now it’s a risk worth taking.
Years ago when I was an undergraduate, long before the internet era, I had a passion for theater. I signed up to crew on a musical, and met this guy. He was good looking, somewhat quiet, and part of the chorus; singing and dancing. After a momentary encounter, he hooked up with someone else and I ended up switching schools. We stayed in touch, and ended up spending some time together for a bit. Then we moved in different directions and have not crossed paths since.
One of the key things was how taciturn he was, only occasionally dropping a personal detail, and never once confirming anything that I had heard about him regarding his sexuality, background, or even any movies he might have made. We had an argument about full disclosure because it was a time when there was no effective treatment for the dread disease, and his only assertion was that he had been careful.
As we came into the age of freely available internet connectivity, I could get an occasional glimpse at what he might be doing; but then it was as if he disappeared. It took me years to figure out that he used aliases, and that brought me to the report of a drama school that he had run, and the accusation of being overly familiar with some of the students. At that time there were texts messages and images on the cell phones; things of a more prurient nature. Googling brought up the report in the local paper of how the drama school had been run, and reactions from the parents along the lines of: “But he seemed like such a nice guy.”
Without tracking down the court case and its disposition, my best guess is that he would have worked out a plea bargain. After all, he has been a photographer as long as I have known him, one with a particular aesthetic: young, rather pubescent-appearing appearing females in all sorts of situations. The sheer volume that he would have accumulated after 20+ years would probably have moved things in one direction.
I look back and realize we were young. It would not have been unusual for a 18 year old to have liked the way a 15 year girl looked, or even to like that look in girls one’s own age. However, in a 40 year old man, it’s disturbing and creepy.
I couldn’t figure out where someone could have gotten the idea to form a school and be so predatory. Perhaps it was something in his childhood, a drama that was being replayed, possible parental neglect? There had been hints from others of a sad past, but we know of so many who turn out just fine, even with abuse.
Then two years ago, one actor spoke out about the drama school run by the actor/designer and how this older man had made it his hunting ground. Others spoke up both with additional details in support of each other. Sadly after years of struggling with the aftermath, one had committed suicide a few years before.
Up until then, there had been no consequences for the older man. He continued to direct, produce, and design theme park attractions. As these and other abuse allegations became public, the older man went on the run overseas, seemingly escaping any legal actions that might be take again him in the United States.
It took me a while to realize that the guy I once knew fit the pattern of the older man, from the acts described, to the grooming of children by starting a children’s drama school. It was even in the same town as the former school run by the older man. I have not been able to confirm that connection, but the town is so small that the schools and theaters are all linked in a small artistic community.
So what does someone who has been charged with child pornography do for an encore? Well, that alias is still very active as a photographer. Facebook and Model Mayhem have active profiles. There are hints that there are ties overseas (London, Paris, Dubai) to clients who appreciate that aesthetic. There is also a clue that there is still yet another alias being used for membership in the acting guilds, but it’s not one that is in public records, linked to him directly.
As a final note, this is still a developing story. I know that at the time we knew each other he had been doing some movie work, but we never crossed paths once I got to LA. By putting this out there, someone may recognize something and be able to fill in details, or know that they were not alone as a victim. Super sleuthing alone, using the internet, has only brought the story this far. Current global clients are hidden behind protected paywalls, passwords, and aliases. As more information linking all of this together comes out, the story will be amended.
