Editor’s Note: I apologize that my work is so dull, dry and boring. I have previously published warnings for readers to get a quad shot 20 oz mocha or an “Annihilator” from Dutch Brothers, since I’m boycotting Starbucks. In an effort to make things more interesting, I’ve borrowed from Dr. Seuss to explain what happened after I asked for the tax returns and 1023 application for exemption for Richard Schair’s nonprofit group, the Circle Fund. Please be warned that this article reports on the disturbing subjects of human trafficking and rape. I consider this an editorial as it provides opinion. And, again, the accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Thank you,

Sandy

The Honorable William O’Kelley, Senior Judge for the U.S. District Court, Gainesville Division, agreed with Plaintiffs A, B, C and D to grant Richard Schair’s motion to suspend their civil case against the former fishing tour operator. Four Brazilian women have alleged in federal court that Schair trafficked them into prostitution, while minors, for his North American fishing clients. This is the first case enforcing the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA) and it appears that Judge O’Kelley wrote his decision with extreme great care, fully aware that he is setting precedent by determining the legal conditions under which the civil case can be reinstated because of Schair’s criminal grand jury investigation, writing:

“A criminal action includes both ‘investigation and prosecution.’ Once initiated, a criminal action remains pending until final adjudication in the trial court. The statute gives no guidance, however, about how to determine when a criminal action is initiated or when a criminal action that does not lead to a prosecution is terminated…The statute also does not specify when a criminal action that does not lead to a prosecution ends…Thus, the statute leaves open the possibility that an investigation could remain pending indefinitely which would effectively foreclose any civil suit arising out of the same occurrence as the subject for investigation.”

Judge O’Kelley then called for updates every 90 days to keep track of Schair’s “pending criminal investigation and/or prosecution.”

Evidence for Schair’s motion to stay included a federal criminal grand jury subpoena, issued on June 25, 2009, to his company for various documents for purposes of the grand jury investigation and a grand jury target letter issued to his ex-wife Amelia Karr, stating:

“according to information that ICE and FBI supplied to (the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Florida), (Ms. Schair) was involved with a company and/or an individual who may have been engaged in child sex tourism in Brazil.”

Schair also provided a Brazilian request for prosecution from the Public Ministry to a Federal Judge in the Amazon district that “denounces” or accuses him and five Brazilian nationals of operating a house of prostitution. (1)

This case began on June 14, 2011 when, for the first time ever, four Brazilian women filed a complaint in U.S. federal court based on the TVPA, alleging they “were victims of sex trafficking…while under the age of eighteen…They were caused to engage in commercial acts by Defendants” Richard Wayne Schair and Wet-A-Line Tours LLC. The case was coordinated by Equality Now, a humanitarian group dedicated to protecting and promoting women’s rights around the world, with pro bono legal services led by attorney John Harbin of the Atlanta law firm of King and Spalding.

According to the U.S. State Department:

“It is a crime for a United States citizen or permanent resident to travel abroad for the purpose of having sex with a minor and it is a crime for a United States citizen or permanent resident to actually have sex with a minor while abroad… It is a criminal activity to knowingly arrange, induce, procure or facilitate for profit the travel of a person when you know that the person is traveling for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with minors.”

Though the case was stayed, Schair filed an answer to the complaint on August 12, 2011, sounding like Bart Simpson’s “I wasn’t there, I didn’t do anything, You can’t prove it” defense. He never denied any of the charges, claiming that the alleged victims aren’t entitled to damages because they “stem entirely from the acts and omissions of other persons and parties over whom Defendants exercised no control.” It has yet to be determined if “other persons” included the 19 members of the Shriners secret sub-group, the Royal Order of Jesters, some pictured partying with underage Brazilian girls. It also has yet to be determined if these Jesters are the same customers being investigated by Brazilian authorities as national leaders call for tour operator reform in the Amazon.

Schair’s other customers include former Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry. In September, 2007, Henry and 23 friends, family and trial lawyers were clients of Wet-A-Line Tours in Brazil, two weeks after a Jester trip. According to this report, Governor Henry’s guests included his chief of staff, Gerald Adams, and an Oklahoma Highway Patrol security trooper, Patrick Mays. The report also lists two-time past president of the Oklahoma Trial Lawyers Association Terry West and continues:

“Also listed are Oklahoma Judicial Nominating Commission member and former Oklahoma Trial Lawyers Association President Jimmy D. Loftis, and fellow attorneys Blake Virgin, John R. Hargrave, John W. Norman, John B. Norman, 2006 Oklahoma Trial Lawyers Association president Brad West, Bart West (Terry West's sons), former Judicial Nominating Commission member William E. Woodson, oilman Paul Hale, Robert D. Bell, Robert L. Bell and Mike Oliver. Hale, Oliver, Loftis, Virgin, Woodson and the Bells also took the 2003 trip based on a report in The Oklahoman at the time. Also listed is Richard R. Dunning, a member of the University of Oklahoma Board of Regents, appointed by Henry earlier this year.”

Now that the case is suspended, Schair claims the complaint should be dismissed because it violates his rights to:

• Procedural due process as provided by the Fourth and Fifth Amendments.
• Substantive due process as provided by the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments.
• Equal protection under the law and are otherwise unconstitutional under the Fourteenth Amendment.
• Protection from “excessive fines” as provided under the Eighth Amendment.

Schair also claims that multiple awards against him and Wet-A-Line Tours constitute double jeopardy and are in violation of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments. Based on all this, he further claims that the womens' claims for punitive damages should be dismissed, that the venue is improper and that the claims are barred by applicable statute of limitations.

This is Schair’s fourth attempt to prove his innocence, or maybe fifth if we count his current efforts to avoid indictment by the Grand Jury in Miami. His three previous failures include:

• Unsuccessfully suing a competitor who claimed Schair provided prostitutes for his clients fishing in the Amazon.
• Unsuccessfully suing Newsvine.com after I reported he’d been indicted by the Brazilian Federal Police.
• Failing to convince a Brazilian Federal Judge to dismiss the charges and indictment against him.

Judge O’Kelley is the same judge who presided over the Schair v Newsvine case, filed by attorney Aaron C. Clark. The Judge granted Schair’s Petition for Removal Libel, Assault, Slander on July 24, 2009.

The Judge more recently agreed that Plaintiffs A, B, C and D could maintain their anonymity after they shared concerns for their safety, charging that Schair and his company “by and through their agents and employees, engaged in international commerce and sex trafficking of children by recruiting customers in the United States to engage in ‘sex tourism’ in Brazil.” Judge O’Kelley issued his order on July 15, 2011, writing that:

“Plaintiffs are four Brazilian women who claim that defendants enticed or coerced them to engage in commercial sex with American customers on tour boats operated by defendants. Plaintiffs also allege that they were coerced into performing sexual acts with defendant Richard Wayne Schair. The sexual acts occurred while the tour boats were located in the Amazon basin. Each plaintiff was a minor at the time of these sex acts; one was allegedly twelve years old. Plaintiffs claim that the disclosure of their identities will ‘subject them to embarrassment, humiliation and ridicule,’ particularly ‘given the prevalence of social media and internet communication world-wide.’ Additionally, plaintiffs allege that since defendants are still actively engaged in sex trafficking in this area, disclosure of their identities could expose plaintiffs to danger…Given the factual allegations in this case, the court finds that at the present time, plaintiffs may file their complaint under pseudonyms and may maintain their anonymity through the Rule 16 scheduling conference that will be held to address the parties’ Joint Preliminary Report and Discovery Plan. The prime fact that compels this decision is that plaintiffs were minors at the time of the alleged sexual coercion. Sexual coercion of a minor is information of the utmost intimacy that warrants special protection.”

Trying to defend himself, Schair continues throwing people under the bus. He threw his ex-wife Amelia Karr under the bus by submitting her Grand Jury target letter as evidence for his motion to stay. In his answer to the human trafficking complaint, his attorney, L. David Wolfe, wrote:

“Defendants deny the allegations contained in paragraph 8 of the Plaintiffs’ Complaint. Furthermore, the vessel AMAZON SANTANA was owned and operated by Lauro Rocha and Jean Phillip Perol as owners of Santana Turismo Ecologico Fishing Safaris, LTDA. Defendant Richard Schair held a security interest in the vessel from mid-2005 to late 2007 as collateral for a loan made to Santana Turismo Ecologico Fishing Safaris, LTDA, for the build-out of the vessel that would become the AMAZON SANTANA. Defendants played no role in the day-to-day operations of the vessel or tours. Finally, the acts alleged by Plaintiffs fail to meet the requirement of ‘coercion’ as set forth in 18 U.S. C. 1591(e)(2)(A-C), and therefore Plaintiffs have not stated a claim upon which relief can be granted.”

Here, he throws his Brazilian business partner Lauro Rocha under the bus along with the head of the official French tourism office and the Chairman of the European Travel Commission, Jean Philip Perol.

Chairman Perol told Elite Travelling magazine:

“My favorite region is the Amazon, and every year I invite friends from around the world to take a five-day cruise up the river on my boat. People from France, the U.S., Mexico, Canada and Brazil all mix together on board, up to 18 people. What happens is people discover themselves, and they all have a little something in common. I’ve done this for three years now, and it’s on board the 100-foot boat that I share with another friend.”

Current Brazilian court records show that Schair’s co-defendant and business partner Lauro Rocha, was served on September 9, 2011.

An online search for “Wet-A-Line” with the Georgia Secretary of State reveals that the corporation was “terminated” last July and that Richard Schair is the CEO of a nonprofit group. The “Wet-A-Line Tours LLC” Certificate of Voluntary Termination has the Secretary of State terminating the company on May 9, 2011, with Schair backdating his signature to July 1, 2010.

According to the Secretary of State, the articles of dissolution must state that there are no actions pending against the corporation in any court or that adequate provision has been made for the satisfaction of any judgment, order or decree that may be ordered against the corporation in any pending action.

Judge O’Kelley granted Schair’s motion to stay because he provided evidence of two criminal actions pending against his corporation in an effort to stay the civil action also pending against his corporation.

The webpage “Dissolving a Corporation” for the Georgia Secretary of State states:

“If articles do not comply with requirements of the Georgia Business Corporation Code they will be returned to the filer for correction. If corrected and returned, the date of dissolution will be the date the articles were initially received.”

Do these ongoing cases prevent Schair from terminating his company? Does this termination create a date from which a statute of limitations can start tolling, counting on the grand jury to drag on until the Plaintiffs’ time runs out? Was his signature backdated so a hypothetical two year statute of limitations would end on July 1, 2012? And does not disclosing the criminal actions against Wet-A-Line Tours mean that the Certificate of Termination filed with the Secretary of State is fraudulent?  

The other filing was for “The Circle Fund,” a nonprofit group listing Richard Schair as CEO. Most philanthropists would proudly list their nonprofit groups on their professional websites and include their charitable associations in their online business listings. 

Schair does not.

The website states:

“The Circle Fund, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit foundation whose mission is to ‘Support the Families that Support Our Freedom’ by providing scholarships for dependents and spouses of service-members that have been killed or severely disabled as a result of their military service.  We believe it is our solemn duty as Americans to honor these great men and women of freedom by receiving their sacrifice with sincere hearts and bringing it ‘Full-Circle’ back to those who are left behind.”

The “About Us” section reads:

“The Circle Fund is a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Foundation that was formed by a select group of business professionals and entrepreneurs who have combined their passion for ‘Supporting The Families that Support Our Freedom’ by proving scholarship grants to the families of our fallen heroes and wounded warriors. Our Leadership Team and Board of Directors consist of military veterans, real estate brokers, CPA's, attorneys, developers, non-profit leaders, and business owners. Due to the experience and expertise of our seasoned professionals, along with our ongoing fundraising efforts through corporate sponsors and individual partnerships, The Circle Fund is uniquely positioned to accept all types of Real Estate assets while providing a philanthropic avenue for receiving the maximum allowable tax benefits according to current Internal Revenue Service codes and regulations.”

Curious is the timing of the group’s formation, considering it’s placement in the following timeline:

April 29, 2009 the Brazilian Federal Police indicted Schair for rape, corruption of minors, operating a network of prostitution and Indigenous violations.

May 5, 2009 I report Schair’s indictment.

June 19, 2009 Schair asks a Brazilian Federal Judge to dismiss all charges against him by applying for habeas corpus.

June 23, 2009 Judge denies Schair’s application, citing his request has no merit.

June 25, 2009 U.S. Attorney’s Office in Miami sends Schair and Wet-A-Line Tours a subpoena to testify before a Grand Jury on July 16, 2009.

June 26, 2009 Schair sues Newsvine.com in Hall County District Court, Georgia over my work.

July 6, 2009 Schair named CEO and Founding Board President of the Circle Fund.

July 28, 2009 Schair withdraws complaint after Newsvine.com changed venue to federal court.

August 3, 2009, Brazilian federal judge accepts case against Schair.

Applicant, Secretary/Treasurer and CFO Chris Brooks explained to the IRS in the “Finances” section of the 1023 application for exemption that:

“Startup expenses will be provided by substantial donations from the founding Board of Directors.”

In contrast, the website states:

“The Circle Fund relies solely on the support of others to maintain its ongoing mission of providing Educational Scholarships to the families of our fallen heroes.”

The Circle Fund’s business plan defines program qualifications as:

“Military service-Member must have served on active-duty in a theater of  combat operations and either been killed (KIA) or wounded in action (WIA) as a result of their military service during Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) from October 7, 2001  and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) from March 20, 2003.”

The marketing plan described the primary market as:

“Families of military service-members killed or wounded while on active duty…Many children and spouses of those killed in action are now facing financial hardships and are unable to meet their educational goals due to the permanent loss of income to the family. Also, many of these injured heroes are facing significant barriers to employment by being unable to continue their military service and unable to find comparable civilian employment in their field of expertise as a result of their disability.”

When a request for the tax returns and 1023 Application for Exemption was emailed to Schair’s agent/attorney, Aaron C. Clark, he responded “Seriously?”

Then I heard from the CFO Chris Brooks and two other attorneys, which in my ten years of asking for nonprofit returns, was the strangest response ever.

Their responses went something like this, thanks to Dr. Seuss.

That Schair I am.

That Schair I am.

I do not know

That Schair I am.

He’s caught up

In cases of

Court house spam.

I do not know that

Schair I am.

The CFO wrote:

“I’ve got a wife.

I’ve got two kids.

I know nothing of

His nonprofit biz.”

One lawyer made

It crystal clear

“I’ve fought the feds

Year after year

To clear his name

In the blogosphere.

I know nothing

Of his nonprofit biz.

I’m just a white collar

Criminal whiz.”

Another wrote:

“I’m just the agent,

Seriously?

I’m that guy

From your history.

Remember when we

Sued Newsvine

Over your work?

I’m just that

Nitwit legal jerk.”

Because he loves

Making legal spam.

He’s at arm’s length,

That Schair I am. 

The tax documents were lawfully provided within 30 days of my request by the nonprofit attorney who helped form the group. According to the group’s 1023 application for exemption, the Projected Statement of Revenues and Expenses anticipated income of $250,000 in 2009, increasing in 2010 to $500,000 and then $1 million in 2011.

On August 18, 2011 attorney Thomas R. Wrobel of NonprofitlegalCenter.com wrote :  

“In response to your request for disclosure of our form 990s please be aware the organization has had minimal activity in the past few years. No 990EZ was filed in 2009 because the organization was below the $25,000 threshold. For 2010, please see attached the receipt for the filing of the form 990N, because the 2010 revenue was below the 990EZ threshold of $50,000. Additionally, attached is the 1023 form you requested.”  

Why did Schair, secretary/treasurer Chris Brooks and agent/attorney Aaron C. Clark go to all the trouble and expense of writing up a business plan and applying to the IRS to create a nonprofit group that currently solicits the following donations? These include:

• CASH - One-Time Cash Gift, Monthly Sponsor, Estate Gift
• REAL-ESTATE - Residential Property, Multi-Family, Commercial Property, Raw Land, Industrial / Warehouse, Manufacturing Plants, Income Property
• OTHER NON-CASH - Stocks / Bonds, Tangible Personal Property, Automobiles, Coin / Stamp Collections

Why does this group appear to have not met their financial goals and performed as promised to the IRS? Has Schair provided any scholarships or grants to family members of dead service members and disabled veterans? Why was the Circle Fund invisible on the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks?

Or was this nonprofit group created as a vehicle to potentially hide assets?

Next: “Zen and the Art of Throwing Others Under the Bus.”

(1)    Schair’s motion to stay and answer to the Plaintiffs’ complaint are contrary to the  findings of the Federal Prosecutor in the Amazon District of the Brazilian Public Ministry:

“The Facts – Richardo Wayne Schair and Jose Lauro Rocha Da Silva, as administrative partners of the Santana Turismo Ecologico company, Fishing Safaris LTDA, owner of the vessels Amazon Santana and Santana 1, in the years between 2005 and 2007, engaged in the illegal activities of sexual exploitation of minors, taking financial advantage of the prostitution of minors.

At the same time period, acting as managers of Richard Wayne Schair and Jose Lauro Rocha Da Silva, the nationals (Brazilian citizens) Juscelino De Souza Motta, Daniel Gerbaldo Lopes, Admilson Garcia Da Silva and Adilson Garcia Da Silva, who worked as interpreters for North-American tourists, executed the recruitment and facilitated the prostitution of minors, making it partially possible, through the economic exploitation of the prostitution of minors.

Thus, all of the denounced (accused) people were associated with this criminal group, which was established to economically explore the prostitution of underage Brazilians in the State of Amazonas, through actions that constitute the following crimes, according to the normative prescription of the time period when the facts occurred:

1)      Sexual exploitation of minors

2)      Rape

3)      Facilitation of Prostitution

4)      Ruffianism

5)      Domestic trafficking of people

6)      Sexual Exploitation of minors.

The United States citizen Richard Wayne Schair, owner of the tourism agency Wet-A-Line Tours, located in the state of Georgia in the U.S.A. promoted (or facilitated) touristic trips of North Americans to Brazil more precisely to the State of Amazonas. Through his tourism agency, he under-contracted (or hired) in that Country, touristic trips for cruising and fishing in the Amazon River, and offered his clients the possibility of sexual encounters, for (financial) renumeration, with Brazilian girls, many of whom were underage.

The letter to the judge continues that the defendants acted under the orders of Schair and Rocha to recruit the girls to work as prostitutes for North Americans during the trip. “Photographic proof and recordings of police missions reveal how Brazilian girls were hired to participate in parties with foreign tourists.” (Editor’s Note: These pictures include members of the Royal Order of Jesters.) It also explains that evidence obtained after searching the boats “attest to the existence of numerous images of Brazilian women in sexual poses within the vessels and in the company of foreign tourists.” It continues that one woman “admitted that on the 2^nd semester of 2006 while being 13 years old, that she was invited by Richard Wayne Schair along with her sister to cruise on the vessel, where she had carnal relations (sex) with Richard Wayne Schair deeming indubitable the practice of the crime of rape.” The request from Federal Public Ministry prosecutors asks the judge to process the accused ones to their final condemnation and requests that the witnesses and victims be summoned to trial.

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Disclaimer: All are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The news about Richard Schair’s alleged involvement with child sex tourism in Brazil has spread around the world since “Allegations Link U.S. Companies to Brazilian Sex Tourism by Barry Meier,” was published by the New York Times on Friday, July 8, 2011.

Different articles in The Brisbane Times, CNBC, The Huffington Post and AOL Travel, show that other journalists are digging into the story.

The HuffPo article “Iriny Lopes, Brazil Women's Rights Minister, Calls For Amazon Sex Tour Investigation” reports that:

“RIO DE JANEIRO -- Brazil is investigating allegations that an American fishing tour operator was using expeditions in the Amazon to cover up the sexual exploitation of underage indigenous girls, the country's minister for women's rights said Monday.

‘The country cannot stand idly by before allegations of this sort,’ Iriny Lopes told the Associated Press.

She said she was meeting with the minister for human rights, Maria do Rosario Nunes, and seeking information from investigators and prosecutors on the case to decide whether to establish a commission to look into the matter.”

The AOL article specifically links to “Brazil Prosecutes Schair & Co. for Running House of Prostitution” and reports that Schair’s customers included a group of Shriners.

This was first reported in “Jesters to Testify About Illegal Drugs, Prostitution?”

As a matter of memberships, one must first be a Master Mason before joining groups like the Scottish Rite, the Knights Templar and the Shriners. One must be secretly invited from the Shriners to join the Royal Order of Jesters. The Jesters are currently under investigation for human trafficking, prostitution and child sex tourism after three of them were caught by the FBI in a human trafficking sting taking an illegal alien sex slave from Buffalo, New York to a Jester party in Kentucky. These included a NY State Supreme Court Judge, his lawclerk and a retired Lockport police captain.

Brazil’s largest news outlet, Globo, reported yesterday (translation by Bing) that:

“The Minister of the Secretariat for women's policies, Iriny Lopes, decided on Monday proposing an agreement between the federal Government and the States of the Legal Amazon to combat sexual exploitation and enhance monitoring of fishing tourism companies in the region. The decision was taken Monday the Minister, after meeting with the Federal Police (PF) and the Prosecutor. The action was taken after the newspaper "The New York Times" report that the American company Wet-to-Line Tours, formally known as fishing tourism, tourist sex packets also sells on Amazon. The G1 tried to contact the company, and waits for response.

To organize the action, the Minister will talk to the Ministers Luiz Sérgio, fisheries, defence, Nelson Jobim, Antônio Patriot, of Foreign Affairs, José Eduardo Cardozo, justice, and Carlos Lupi, labour and the President of FUNAI (Indigenous Agency), Márcio Meira.

In an interview G1 to this Sunday, Iriny said that the priority is to monitor the process so that it is not stopped, as, according to the American newspaper, either the owner of the Wet-to-Line Tours.

For the Federal Public Ministry, the evidence is damning. The criminal action against the company Wet-to-Line, by American Richard Schair, runs in the 4th Vara Federal do Amazonas and is at the stage of service of the five denounced.”

The 24 Horas News has just published “PF investigates 20 Americans suspected of sex tourism” (translation by Bing) and reports that:

“The Federal Police (PF) in the Amazon will investigate more 20 Americans suspected of participating in sexual tourism scheme with indigenous children in the Amazon, on the pretext of sport fishing. An American and five Brazilians have already been denounced by suspicion.

In research, the PF had a list with other alleged American clients of travel agencies. She was on the computer of American Richard Schair, agent of the Wet-to-Line Tours, target of process in the United States on suspicion of sexual tourism exploitation in Brazil.

The Agency also is being processed in Brazil, as well as the Santana ecological tourism-Fishing Safaris, partner in organizing tours in Manaus.

According to PF, packages for fishing, which allegedly included sex tourism, cost $ 4,000 to

$5,000 ($ 6,300 to $ 7,900). The PF said that at least 15 girls were victims of rape and grooming.”

It has yet to be determined if these 20 customers includes 19 Jesters known to have gone on Wet-A-Line tours to Brazil. Fishing guides provided depositions to the Brazilian Federal Police and in the U.S., testifying that the Jesters returned year after year. They also gave pictures to the Brazilian federal police of “Masons” having sex with underage girls.

FOX News Atlanta ran a news report about this earlier today, featuring pictures of Jesters partying with Brazilian girls.

One correction to the FOX News story, typos included, concerns:

“Senior I-team reporter Dale Russell broke this story nearly two years ago and is he has the exclusive report.”

The Brazilian Sex Tourism story was first reported here on March 6, 2008, with six other articles published prior to FOX News broadcasting “Brazil Sex Tourism” on November 23, 2009.

Reporter Dale Russell interviewed a disheveled Richard Schair who proclaimed his innocence over and over, as if he’s above the law; as if he’s got inside connections.

Schair may very well have connections, vested in protecting him and/or keeping him from naming names. Documents filed with the Georgia Real Estate Commission in 1986 show how Schair, though a recently convicted felon, applied for and was granted a Georgia real estate license. One witness who wrote two letters of support and testified at his hearing was former federal prosecutor Larry Mackey, who convicted Schair for moving over three tons of marijuana and cocaine possession in the early ‘80s.

Documents submitted to the Georgia Real Estate Commission include two letters of support from Mackey, plea agreements, amendments to sentencing, a transcript of the entire hearing and the commission’s decision. The transcript tells how Schair was kept in solitary confinement after he turned drug informant. The transcript details how Schair was moved to city and county jails to gather information on other drug dealers in cases from Illinois to Arkansas and Florida. This is how he managed to serve three of a twenty year prison sentence.

Mackey is better known as the federal prosecutor who convicted Oklahoma bomber Timothy McVeigh. He works today in the Indianapolis branch of Barnes & Thornberg LLP, the same firm as Schair’s current Federal White Collar Crime Defense attorney, Solomon Wisenberg.  

Both Mackey and Wisenberg have yet to return calls to answer questions about their client’s recent legal filing or explain why their client, who is under criminal investigation by a Grand Jury, is being prosecuted in Brazil and is being sued by four Brazilian girls for sex trafficking, is talking to the media.

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Yesterday, former fishing tour operator Richard Schair made public a criminal investigation by a federal grand jury into his and ex-wife Amelia’s alleged involvement with child sex tourism in Brazil.

Schair filed a pro se motion in the Gainesville, Georgia federal court to “stay” or stop a civil complaint brought against him by four Brazilian girls who allege he caused them, while underage, to engage in commercial sex acts with his North American fishing clients.

Their unprecedented complaint was coordinated by Equality Now, an international humanitarian group dedicated to fighting the sexual abuse and exploitation of women and girls with pro bono legal assistance provided by the Atlanta law firm of King and Spalding.

The complaint was filed to enforce civil remedies provided by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA), describing the girls as victims of sex trafficking, with one as young as twelve.

Schair’s motion to stay “is a private counterpart to two ongoing criminal actions,” including prosecution by the Brazilian Public Ministry and Grand Jury FGJ 08-304 (MIA) out of Miami, Florida. It is not yet clear if the foreign prosecution is admissible in support of the stay.

Schair’s motion includes a copy of the original Brazilian charging document and documents from the Miami Grand Jury, including a target letter sent to Schair’s ex-wife on December 16, 2010. This request from Assistant US Attorney Marlene Rodriguez asks Amelia to talk with agents because “according to information that ICE and FBI supplied, Ms. Schair was involved with a company and/or an individual who may have engaged in child sex tourism in Brazil.”   

Other grand jury documents include a subpoena to testify, issued to Schair’s former fishing company Wet-A-Line Tours in July, 2009.

An attachment asks for:

• The Schair’s travel records from January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2008
• Photographs of all customers
• Electronic communication, files and contact information regarding all individual customers, corporate entity customers and subcontracted travel agencies

The other document is a request from the Brazilian Federal Ministry to a Federal Judge in the Amazon district asking for the prosecution of Richard W. Schair and five others. The request alleges that from 2005 to 2007, Schair’s fishing trips aboard the Amazon Santana “engaged in the illegal activities of sexual exploitation of minors, taking financial advantage of the prostitution of minors.” The request spells out the charges for which Schair was indicted, including:

• Sexual Exploitation of Minors
• Rape
• Facilitation of Prostitution
• Ruffianism
• Domestic trafficking of people

“Brazilian Girls Sue Richard Schair for Sex Trafficking” explains more about the girls' historic complaint.

“Brazil Prosecutes Schair & Co for Running House of Prostitution” explains more about this unprecedented multi-national human trafficking prosecution.

This is the second time Schair has made public criminal proceedings against him while trying to avoid prosecution. He filed an application for habeas corpus in June 2009, asking the Brazilian federal judge in charge of his indictment to drop all charges against him. This request made public his indictment after a federal police report itemized the charges for which he was originally indicted.  The Brazilian judge rejected Schair’s request, stating his case had no merit.

 “Brazilian Child Sex Tourism Resource and Timeline” explains:

This resource provides links to nine articles that document four different cases involving Atlanta real estate salesman and former fishing tour operator, Richard W. Schair.

The articles detail three legal challenges that totally blew up in his face.

1) Schair sued a business rival after alleging that he provided prostitutes for his fishing customers. As evidence mounted against him, Schair then paid his rival $15,000 to settle out of court. A witness list for the defense named 19 Jesters who were expected to testify about their first hand knowledge of minor prostitution, prostitution and drug use while on one of Schair’s fishing trips.

2) Schair’s failed request for habeas corpus made public his indictment by the Brazilian Federal Police for rape, using minors for prostitution and violating indigenous rights.

3) Schair sued Newsvine.com after I reported his indictment. He immediately withdrew his complaint after Newsvine attorneys moved the case from district court to federal court.

Schair first came to my attention after I published “Jesters Exposed,” the first ever article about the Shriners’ secret sub-group, the Royal Order of Jesters, currently under investigation for sex trafficking, prostitution and child sex tourism.

It has been confirmed that investigators have interviewed the Jesters about their trip/s to Brazil. It has yet to be determined if any of them have been called to testify before the grand jury.

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Prostitution Protected and Facilitated by Officers of the Judiciary and Law Enforcement, “Masons” Pictured Having Sex with Under Age Prostitutes, Jesters Called to Testify About Sex with Minors While Fishing in Brazil, Tax Fraud

Three years of investigating the Royal Order of Jesters has been condensed into a 2,500 word cover story for Namaste Magazine, published out of the UK. Exposed is the Jesters’ darkest secret – hijacking our tax system to party with prostitutes at taxpayer expense.

I want to thank the Namaste’s editor, Carl, for getting it.

He’s been covering the case of Holly Grieg, a Scottish girl who told her Mom in 2000 that her father had sexually abused her when she was only six. As Holly provided more names, it became apparent she was victimized by a pedophile ring with Masonic affiliations. Instead of investigators seeking justice for the Down Syndrome girl, a twenty year cover-up ensued, including efforts to silence Holly’s Mom by putting her in jail.

The coincidence is that Holly's Dad worked in the oil fields of Brazil and flew in and out of Manaus, home of the Brazilian Federal Police’s investigation into the sexual exploitation of minor girls living along the Amazon by North American tourists. The Federal Police interviewed five “Jane Does” who alleged that “Richard” illegally lured them off their reservations to have sex with North American fishermen aboard the Amazon Santana.

This same investigation led to the Brazilian Federal Police indicting former fishing tour operator Richard Schair of Gainesville, Georgia for rape, corruption of minors and operating a network of prostitution.

On April 29, 2011, the Brazilian Public Ministry began formally prosecuting Schair and five Brazilian associates for operating a house of prostitution.

Six weeks later, on June 14, 2011, Equality Now announced that the law firm King and Spalding is representing four Brazilian girls who are suing Schair for sex trafficking. The girls allege he coerced them into prostitution for his clients, with one as young as 12.

After Schair fired two fishing guides for complaining about the underage girls, they went to the Brazilian Federal Police with, among other things, pictures of “Masons” having sex with the underage girls

So, when I approached Carl with a story about dirty cops and corrupt officers of the court who transport prostitutes around North America for sex parties and Jesters who go fishing in Brazil for girls over 13, he wrote back with a deadline.

According to the magazine’s site:

“Namaste is a UK quarterly magazine, also available in North America and by subscription worldwide. Our intention is to provide our readers who have a strong desire to seek the truth, with a diverse collection of thought-provoking and inspiring material...Namaste is a magazine that gives you the opportunity to take that step back to give you a wider view, bring you the news the mainstream media WON’T.”

Namaste is an ancient Sanskrit blessing meaning: “I honour the place within you where the entire Universe resides. I honour the place within you of love, light, truth and peace. I honour the place within you, where, when you are in that place in you and I am in that place in me, there is only One of us."

Individual copies can be ordered here. Thanks in advance for ordering your own copy and supporting Namaste’s commitment to a free press and cutting edge journalism.

All copies of material reprinted or duplicated from "by Sandy Frost" must include the following credit line: From Copyright © 2011 by Sandy Frost. Used by permission. http://sandyfrost.newsvine.com/

Update 7/12/2011: U.S. Congressman Chris Smith, representing New Jersey’s Fourth District, authored the  “Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act (P.L. 106-386)” or TVPA.

Equality Now, a humanitarian group dedicated to protecting and promoting women’s rights around the world, has just announced their coordination of unprecedented legal efforts to represent four Brazilian Indian girls in a complaint filed today in U.S. District Court, Gainesville Division, against former fishing tour operator and real estate salesman, Richard Schair of Gainesville, Georgia. (1)

The complaint alleges that Schair caused the underage girls to engage in commercial sex acts and describes them as victims of sex trafficking, with one as young as twelve.

The complaint further alleges that Schair, “by and through his agents and employees, engaged in international commerce and sex trafficking of children by recruiting customers in the United States to engage in ‘sex tourism’ in Brazil.” Court documents from cases in both the U.S. and Brazil suggest that these customers included members of the Shriner’s secret sub-group, the Royal Order of Jesters, currently under investigation for human trafficking, prostitution and child sex tourism.

The complaint continues that Schair and associates used fraudulent and coercive means to recruit, obtain, harbor and transport “young girls under the age of eighteen aboard the Amazon Santana and used fraudulent means to solicit and coerce Plaintiffs into commercial sex acts with his customers aboard the Amazon Santana.”

According to the Equality Now:  

“Initiated and coordinated by international human rights organization Equality Now, the landmark civil case will be filed by Atlanta law firm King & Spalding. The case is noteworthy because it is the first time that the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) will be used by alleged victims of trafficking to seek damages from a sex tour operation.”

John Harbin, a partner in the law firm, will lead the pro-bono litigation, stating “With this lawsuit, we hope to shine a spotlight on such conduct and the real harm it does to the victims, and to get justice for the victims.”

King and Spalding has been in business for 125 years with over 800 lawyers in offices in Abu Dhabi, Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, Dubai, Frankfurt, Geneva, Houston, London, Moscow, New York, Paris, Riyadh (affiliated office), San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Singapore and Washington, D.C.. According to their website, “King & Spalding represents half of the Fortune 100 and, according to a Corporate Counsel survey in August 2009, ranks fifth in its total number of representations of those companies.”

The U.S. Department of State states:

“It is a crime for a United States citizen or permanent resident to travel abroad for the purpose of having sex with a minor and it is a crime for a United States citizen or permanent resident to actually have sex with a minor while abroad… It is a criminal activity to knowingly arrange, induce, procure or facilitate for profit the travel of a person when you know that the person is traveling for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with minors.”

The girls are seeking damages for trafficking them to engage in commercial sex acts while (1) under the age of eighteen and (2) by means of force, fraud or coercion, in the State of Amazonas, Brazil, aboard the vessel Amazon Santana in an amount to be determined at trial.

Schair was indicted by the Brazilian Federal Police in 2009 for rape, corruption of minors and operating a prostitution network. The Brazilian Public Ministry began prosecuting him and five Brazilians on April 29, 2011 for operating a house of prostitution, story here.

Brazilian attorney, Dr. Washington Cesar Rocha Magalhaes, anchors the legal activity in the Amazon as he represented the girls when they testified in June, 2007 as part of a federal investigation into the sexual exploitation of minor Indian girls living along the Amazon by North American foreign tourists. The girls' statements can be read here.

Dr. Magalhes can be seen in this YouTube video of the Brazilian news Rede Record report “Childhood in Danger” by Carlos Azen. He reported that the FBI had been in jungle villages interviewing the same girls and showed the Amazon Santana fishing boats used by Schair on his fishing trips. The video was posted with closed captions by ECPAT-USA, working to form a global network for the protection of children.

The TVPA was passed by Congress in 2000 to prevent and protect against sex trafficking by punishing the traffickers and protecting the victims.

Equality Now chooses their cases “based on their significance and the prospects of finding restitution for the victims and reshaping the rule of law by setting precedents or highlighting the need for equal protection under the law. Cases are brought to the public’s attention and foster public debate and more widespread rights-seeking. Equality Now is currently supporting three cases through the Adolescent Girls’ Legal Defense Fund.”

Ethiopia - Marriage by abduction, a common practice in parts of Ethiopia, occurs when a man kidnaps a woman or girl, rapes her and then pressures her to marry him. In 2005, following advocacy efforts by the Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association (EWLA), supported by an international Equality Now campaign, Ethiopia abolished the law that provided for exemption from punishment in these cases of abduction and rape, if the rapist subsequently married his victim.

Zambia - The “defilement” or rape of minors is rampant in Zambia. Equality Now has been actively supporting a case involving the rape of a 13-year-old girl by her teacher. Two other teachers confirmed her allegations, and the girl’s aunt/guardian reported the incident to the school. The teacher admitted she was his “girlfriend”, and remarks reportedly made by the head teacher indicated that this was not the first such incident involving this teacher. The teacher went into hiding, and his parents tried to negotiate with the aunt, who refused and reported the matter to the police. The teacher was arrested but was released on bond and has not been prosecuted. As a result, the aunt consulted a lawyer she knew who agreed to handle the case pro bono as a civil matter.

Kenya - The AGLDF is monitoring the case of a young Maasai girl who bled to death after being subjected to Female Genital Mutiliation  in Kenya. The circumciser and the girl’s father were arrested and are facing manslaughter charges. This may be one of the first prosecutions of a circumciser and a parent in the Maasai community. The AGLDF retained a lawyer to help the prosecution bring a successful case (public prosecutors in Kenya are often not lawyers themselves), and we will follow the case until a judgment is rendered.

Taina Bien-Aime, Executive Director of Equality Now explains that:

“This unprecedented case focuses on the criminal links between human trafficking and the sex tourism industry operating from the United States with impunity. We hope it sends a loud and clear message to all sex tour operators in the United States that sex trafficking victims anywhere can bring a case against those who exploit them by pressing for damages in the U.S.”

Equality Now reports that UNICEF estimates about a quarter of a million children are forced into the commercial sex industry in Brazil, the second largest number after Thailand. The 2010 Trafficking in Persons Report by the U.S. State Department reports that officials are concerned about Brazil’s “serious official complicity in trafficking crimes at a local level” and that “police have turned a blind eye to child prostitution and potential human trafficking activity.”

“It is time for the U.S. federal government to take all forms of sex tourism seriously,” Bien – Aime continued, “and apply the law to the fullest extent to punish the perpetrators and protect the victims of American sex tourism around the world.” 

(1) The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 11, states: "Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which they have had all the guarantees necessary for their defence."

All copies of material reprinted or duplicated from "by Sandy Frost" must include the following credit line: From Copyright © 2011 by Sandy Frost. Used by permission. http://sandyfrost.newsvine.com/

The Brazilian Public Ministry filed notice yesterday that federal attorneys are prosecuting the indictment against former fishing tour operator Richard W. Schair of Gainesville Georgia for allegedly operating a house of prostitution. Schair is the only North American among a group of Brazilians charged in this criminal action including Jose Lauro Rock Da Silva, Juscelino Of Souza Motta, Daniel Geraldo Lopes, Admilson Garci’a Da Silva, Adilson Garci’a Da Silva, Silvo Pettengill Neto.

Five Indian girls went to the Brazilian Federal Police in July, 2007, alleging that "Richard" illegally lured them off their reservation to work as underage prostitutes for his North American fishing clients. One girl testified that she was left pregnant at age 13 after one such fishing trip, then, with her baby, was ostracized from her village.

The Federal Police then gathered enough evidence to file public notice of their investigation on August 8, 2007 “that minor Indian and other girls living near the rivers in the regions of Autazes became victims of sexual exploitation by North-American foreign tourists.”

Schair was originally indicted for rape, corruption of minors and operating a prostitution network. His clients included nineteen members of the Shriners’ secret sub-group, the Royal Order of Jesters, currently under investigation for sex trafficking, prostitution and child sex tourism. These Jesters were expected to testify in a related case about their first hand knowledge of sex with minor prostitutes while on one of Schair’s fishing trips, including Samuel “Scutter” Newton, a national Jester director.

This Rede Record newscast was posted to YouTube by ECPAT-USA last October and shows reporter Luiz Carlos Azen questioning the girls.

“How many men did you make sex with on this ship, the Amazon Santana?” Azen asks.

“With two,” one girl answers.

“Would you recognize them?” he asks.

“With certainty,” she answers.

“That nationality was?” he asks.

“Not from here, Brazilians were not.”

“They spoke what language?” he asks.

“They said everything in English,” she answered.

The producer then showed the girls some pictures of the accused, recognizing those who had been aboard the Amazon Santana. One girl said that one of them took her by force to one of the cabins.

“They just forced, understand?” she said. “But I did not do, no because I cried, I squirmed, yelled and he went and opened the door. And later because he was not able, he accused me of stealing from him.’”

The second girl stated “It was for me to use a drug that they were using called marijuana. It compelled me to make sex in a private room in the same motor boat, in a berth.”

“The name of the boat,” Azen asks.

“Amazon Santana,” she replies.

Azen then asks one of the girls “What is the name of your enticer/inveigher/seducer?”

“Richard” she answered.

“That nationality he was?” he asks.

“Wasn’t Brazilian, not. Was of the United States.”

Azen reports that the next girl was interviewed by the FBI.

“Do you know the father of your son?” he asks.

“No,” she answers.

“Then there is a possibility that one of the two Americans is the father?” he asks.

“That possibility exists,” she answers.

“What would you like?” Azen concludes.

“So that they pay,” she answers.

Azen's report that the FBI had been in Brazil interviewing the girls implies close cooperation between both countries.

Will U.S. investigators use evidence gathered on their trip to Brazil to charge Schair or his Jester clients with violating the Protect Act of 2003? Will they be charged with engaging in illicit sexual conduct of any commercial sex act in a foreign country with anything of value given to or received by a person under the age of 18?

According to the U.S. Department of State:

“It is a crime for a United States citizen or permanent resident to travel abroad for the purpose of having sex with a minor and it is a crime for a United States citizen or permanent resident to actually have sex with a minor while abroad… It is a criminal activity to knowingly arrange, induce, procure or facilitate for profit the travel of a person when you know that the person is traveling for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with minors.”

“Brazil Child Sex Tourism Resource with Timeline” provides links to eleven previous articles as well as associated documentation.

All copies of material reprinted or duplicated from "by Sandy Frost" must include the following credit line: From Copyright © 2011 by Sandy Frost. Used by permission. http://sandyfrost.newsvine.com/

Editor’s Note and Disturbing Content Warning: These materials are presented as a public service to educate you about the growing crime of “child sex tourism.”

The U.S. Department of Justice writes:

“Child sex tourism makes its profits from the exploitation of child prostitutes in developing countries. Many children are trafficked into the sex trade…Child prostitutes live in constant fear; they live in fear of sadistic acts by clients, fear of being beaten by pimps who control the sex trade, and fear of being apprehended by the police. It comes as no surprise that victims often suffer from depression, low self-esteem, and feelings of hopelessness. Many victims of child sexual exploitation also suffer from physical ailments, including tuberculosis, exhaustion, infections, and physical injuries resulting from violence inflicted upon them. Venereal diseases run rampant among these children and they rarely receive medical treatment until they are seriously or terminally ill. Living conditions are poor and meals are inadequate and irregular. Many children that fail to earn enough money are punished severely, often through beatings and starvation. Sadly, drug use and suicide are all too common for victims of child sexual exploitation.”

Combine this with secret societies hiding behind burned and crippled children and we have the worst nonprofit fraud of our time; prostitution at taxpayer expense.

Be warned that learning about this might adversely affect you. Five Indian girls told the Brazilian Federal Police how they, as minors, were lured into prostitution for North American tourists, like that group of “Masons” who were fishing in Brazil for Peacock Bass and girls over 13. One girl testified that she lost her virginity and was left pregnant after such a trip. Then, as a 13 year old unwed mother, she and her baby were ostracized from her village.

Those who prey on such poverty must first be Master Masons before joining groups like the Scottish Rite, the Knights Templar and the Shriners. They’re best known for their red fezzes and operating 22 hospitals that now take insurance for previously free medical care for burned and crippled children. A Shriner must be secretly invited to join the Royal Order of Jesters, currently under investigation for sex trafficking, prostitution and child sex tourism.

Three years after reading the girls' depositions, I’m still writing for them, giving them a voice, for which Newsvine.com was unsuccessfully sued. Then, a mainstream media outlet used my work as a resource without citation. Please feel free to use these materials as a resource as long as you provide attribution.

So, what’s up with this underground network of Jesters who use their influence to protect each other? Like I’ve written before, who really cares if these guys want to get snot slinging drunk, gamble their asses off or mess around with prostitutes?

That’s just a weekend in Vegas.

The problem is that the Jesters are tax exempt. Individual Jesters can claim their fraternal and charitable contributions/donations on their tax returns. Their donations go towards their group’s party fund. Then the group deducts the costs of partying AKA spreading the gospel of mirth and merriment. This means that we subsidize the taxes that they don’t pay.

Someone at the IRS somehow granted the Jesters dual tax exempt status for both their 501c10 fraternity and 501c3 charity. Tax returns show that the Jesters' fraternal exempt purpose is spreading the gospel of mirth and merriment. The charitable exempt purpose is a Jester museum that allows their new headquarters building to be a write off. Except the Marion County tax assessor didn’t buy it.

That’s how this all started. “Jesters Exposed” describes how the national office appealed a property tax exemption denial and convinced the tax appeal board that they deserved the exemption because the ROJ is an appendant body of Masonry. Obfuscating charitable apples and fraternal oranges, the Jesters got the exemption.

There are about 23,500 Jesters organized into fraternal "courts" that correspond to the 191 Shriner temples located across North America. These courts write off millions in party expenses year after year while we make up for the taxes they don’t pay, like the property taxes.

Again, partying with prostitutes at tax payer expense.

Thank you for being here,

Sandy Frost

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Starbucks, WA

This resource provides links to nine articles that document four different cases involving Atlanta real estate salesman and former fishing tour operator, Richard W. Schair. The articles detail three legal challenges that totally blew up in his face.

1) Schair sued a business rival after alleging that he provided prostitutes for his fishing customers. As evidence mounted against him, Schair then paid his rival $15,000 to settle out of court.

2) Schair’s failed request for habeas corpus made public his indictment by the Brazilian Federal Police for rape, using minors for prostitution and violating indigenous rights.

3) Schair sued Newsvine.com after I reported his indictment. He immediately withdrew his complaint after Newsvine attorneys moved the case from district court to federal court.

Schair came to my attention after I published “Jesters Exposed,” the first ever article about the Shriners’ secret sub-group, the Royal Order of Jesters, currently under investigation for sex trafficking, prostitution and child sex tourism. Schair had sued a competitor who alleged that he provided prostitutes for his customers. A witness list for the defense named 19 Jesters who were expected to testify about their first hand knowledge of minor prostitution, prostitution and drug use while on one of Schair’s fishing trips.

As the evidence mounted against him, Schair settled out of court by paying the defendant $15,000.

After I reported that the Brazilian Federal Police had indicted him, Schair sued Newsvine.com for libel. Attorneys for Newsvine.com moved the case from Hall County District Court in Georgia to U.S. District Court in Gainesville, prompting Schair to withdraw his complaint.

This list of articles includes links to pertinent documents.

A timeline follows.

Jesters to Testify About Illegal Drugs, Child Prostitution?

Thu Mar 6, 2008 10:35 AM PST

A slander complaint between two former fishing tour operators included a witness list for the defense that named 19 members of the Royal Order of Jesters who were expected to testify about “their first hand knowledge of prostitution, minor prostitution, use of illegal drugs and/or entry into Indian reservations by Schair (plaintiff) and/or his customers.”

Brazilian Fishing Trip Depositions: "Masons" Pictured Having Sex with Teen Prostitutes?

Sun May 25, 2008 3:55 PM PDT

Two fishing guides, previously employed by Richard W. Schair, were deposed by the Brazilian Federal Police as they investigated the sexual exploitation of minor girls by North American tourists. These guides, both brothers, were advised by Brazilian authorities to testify in the United States. These depositions were recorded over three days in Miami as the fishing guides, among other things, identified pictures of “Masons” having sex with teen prostitutes.

Deposition of Adilson Garcia Da Silva, Sunday April 13, 2008, 11am – 6:25pm

Deposition of Adilson Garcia Da Silva, Sunday April 15, 2008, 10:10am – 12 noon

Deposition of Adilson Garcia Da Silva, Monday April 14, 2008, 11:45am – 6:30pm

Deposition of Admilson Garcia Da Silva, Tuesday April 15, 2008, 12:20pm – 7:30pm

Child Sex Tourism: Brazilian Teens Testify About Being Lured into Minor Prostitution for American Tourists

Mon Jun 2, 2008 2:58 PM PDT

Five girls provided depositions to the Brazilian Federal Police on June 13, 2007 and described how “Richard” illegally lured them off their reservation to clean and cook on his fishing boat. They told the police that upon arrival, they were expected to get drunk and perform “programs” that consisted of oral sex, strip and dance contests on the boat with North American fishermen. The girls allege that they were told they’d be paid one rate, but were paid much less of what had been promised. One testified that she was left pregnant after one such fishing trip, at the age of 13.

Brazilian Judge Rejects Jester Fishing Tour Operator's Request for Habeas Corpus

Mon Jun 29, 2009 5:15 PM PDT

On June 23, 2009, Brazilian federal judge, MARIA LUCIA GOMES DE SOUZA, denied a June 19, 2009 habeas corpus request filed on behalf of Richard Wayne Schair. If granted, it would have protected Schair from unlawful detention upon entering Brazil after being charged with rape, corruption of minors and operating a house of prostitution.

Brazilian Federal Police, Amazon division, inquest #410/2007 led to filing legal proceedings against Schair on August 8, 2007 after they had been investigating "that since the year 2000, minor Indian and other girls living near the rivers in the region of the Municipality of Autazes/AM became victims of sexual exploitation by North American tourists."

Federal Court, Amazon District cover sheet can be read here.

Customer list submitted as evidence in Schair’s request for habeas corpus can be read here.

Page 1 of Brazilian Federal Police Report submitted to Judge can be read here.

Page 2 of Brazilian Federal Police Report submitted to Judge can be read here.

Editorial: Schair v Newsvine Illustrates Importance of Reporter Shield and Child Protection Bills Before Congress

Tue Jul 14, 2009 5:12 PM PDT

This article explains the necessity of reporter shield and child protection bills before Congress in lieu of the Richard W. Schair v Newsvine Inc. complaint filed in Superior Court, Hall County, Georgia.

Richard W. Schair v Newsvine Dismissed as Brazilian Judge Accepts Rape & Underage Prostitution Case Against Him

Wed Aug 5, 2009 11:04 PM PDT

Richard Schair's motion to dismiss was granted after Newsvine.com moved his
libel and defamation complaint to federal court. Additionally, the federal judge overseeing Brazil’s own case against him accepted it from the federal prosecutor's office.

Schair v Newsvine Motion of Removal of Action can be read here.

Schair v Newsvine federal court cover sheet can be read here.

Newsitorial: Schair's Failed Application for Habeas Corpus Confirms Indictment, Implicates Jesters

Wed Sep 9, 2009 9:04 AM PDT

A failed application for habeas corpus made public the indictment of former fishing tour operator Richard W. Schair after the Brazilian Federal Police investigated his role in the alleged sexual exploitation of minor Indian girls living along the Amazon.

ABC News Confirms FBI Investigating Jesters for Child Sex Tourism

Mon Apr 5, 2010 11:06 PM PDT

“ABC World News Tonight with Diane Sawyer” has confirmed that the FBI and ICE are continuing their investigation into fishing tour operators who facilitate “child sex tourism." This report includes a blurred picture of a Jester partying with a young Brazilian girl on his lap.

Brazilian News Confirms FBI Investigating Child Sex Crimes, Jesters Pictured w/Victims

Fri Oct 8, 2010 12:11 PM PDT

This Brazilian Rede Record news broadcast aired on October 6 and is described as “Companies That Sell packages of Tourism in the Amazon Promote Orgies.”

"Fashion in Europe, Japan and the USA is the ecological tourism. Who is buying the packages do not want the traditional uses, either adventure. One of the destinations is the Brazilian Amazon. Girls are employed to work on vessels of luxury and are sexually exploited by foreign tourists."

The broadcast offers a closed caption English translation, video of the Amazon Santana and interviews with some of the girls, their attorney and a Brazilian Federal Police officer. He says that the investigation “has already been sent to the ‘Ministerio Publico Federal’ or ‘Federal Attorney,’ there were indicted the owner of the agency in Brazil and the man who sold the trips in the U.S., the American Richard Wayne Schair, who is accused of raping the girl ‘J.’”

The broadcast continues:

“The FBI agents who also investigate the case were in Autazes in the house of this young lady of Indian origin. They found the same poverty level that we are witnessing, a fridge practically empty, they heard dramatic testimony. She states that at 17 she accepted an offer to work on the yacht Amazon Santana. She was convinced by 2 foreigners to have sexual relations. On the trip lost her virginity, and believes that became pregnant of one of them.”

Timeline:

May 11, 2007 – Richard Wayne Schair, owner of Wet-a-Line Tours, sues Philip Marsteller, owner of Amazon Tours, for defamation and libel after alleging his involvement with drugs and prostitution.

July 11, 2007 - Five Indian girls provide depositions to the Brazilian Federal Police, alleging that "Richard" illegally lured them off their reservation to work as underage prostitutes for his North American fishing clients.

August 8, 2007 - Brazilian Federal Police, Amazon division inquest #410/2007 leads to filing legal proceedings against Schair, charging him with rape, corruption of minors and operating a prostitution network.

February 15, 2008 - "Jesters Exposed" published and is the first article ever written about the Shriners' secret sub-group, the Royal Order of Jesters.

March 6, 2008 - "Jesters' To Testify about Illegal Drugs, Child Prostitution?" reports that 19 Jesters named on a witness list for the defense were expected to testify about "their first hand knowledge of prostitution, minor prostitution, use of illegal drugs and/or entry into Indian reservations by Schair (plaintiff) and/or his customers" in the case Schair v Marsteller.

May 25, 2008 - "Brazilian Fishing Trip Depositions: 'Masons' Pictured Having Sex with Teen Prostitutes?" covers depositions provided by Brazilian fishing tour guides who state that the Jesters asked to be called "Masons" and for girls over 13.

June 2, 2008 - "Child Sex Tourism: Brazilian Teens Testify About Being Lured into Minor Prostitution for American Tourists" describes what five "Jane Does" told the Brazilian Federal Police about how “Richard” asked them to cook and clean on his fishing boat but instead were made drunk to then have sex with North American tourists. One testified that she was left pregnant at age 13.

September 15, 2008 - Philip Marsteller was honored at a ceremony held at the Church Center of the UN. He, on behalf of his Peacock Bass fishing business Amazon Tours, Inc., took a public stand against child sex tourism by signing "The Code" AKA Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism. The event was sponsored by ECPAT, which stands for "End Child Prostitution Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes." The signing ceremony honored Marsteller and Amazon Tours for becoming only the sixth American business to take such a public stand against child sex tourism.

December 9, 2008 - Schair pays Marsteller to settle out of court as mounting evidence supports his allegations.

June 19, 2009 - Schair submits an application for habeas corpus to prevent being arrested upon entering Brazil, asking the Brazilian Federal Police to dismiss the indictment against him.

June 23, 2009 - Brazilian federal judge Maria Lucia Gomes De Souza denies Schair’s application.

June 26, 2009 - Schair files libel/defamation complaint against Newsvine.com in Hall County Superior Court, Georgia.

June 29, 2009 - "Brazilian Judge Rejects Jester Fishing Tour Operator's Request for Habeas Corpus" published.

July 14, 2009 - "Editorial: Schair v Newsvine Illustrates Importance of Reporter Shield and Child Protection Bills Before Congress" includes "The big picture here is that Richard Schair is attempting to intimidate other media from covering the breaking news out of Brazil that his request for habeas corpus was denied. Now he could and probably would be arrested upon entering Brazil for the charges of rape, corruption of minors and operating a prostitution network."

July 24, 2009 – Attorneys for Newsvine.com transfer Schair's defamation complaint from district court to federal court.

July 27, 2009 - Brazilian judge issues final denial of Schair's application for habeas corpus because it lacks merit.

July 28, 2009 - Schair's attorney files motion in federal court to dismiss complaint against Newsvine.com.

July 29, 2009 - Schair v Newsvine complaint dismissed in federal court.

August 3, 2009 - Brazilian judge approves the case against Richard Wayne Schair as submitted by prosecutors on behalf of the Brazilian Federal Police, paving the way for prosecution.

Aug 5, 2009 - Richard W. Schair v Newsvine Dismissed as Brazilian Judge Accepts Rape & Underage Prostitution Case Against Him reports that Schair's motion to dismiss was granted after Newsvine.com moved his defamation complaint to federal court.

Sep 9, 2009 - Newsitorial: Schair's Failed Application for Habeas Corpus Confirms Indictment, Implicates Jesters explains how Schair’s indictment became public through his failed application for habeas corpus.

Apr 5, 2010 ABC News Confirms FBI Investigating Jesters for Child Sex Tourism features Diane Sawyer confirming that the FBI and ICE are continuing their investigation into “child sex tourism.” The broadcast pictures a Jester partying with a Brazilian girl on his lap.

Oct 8, 2010 - Brazilian News Confirms FBI Investigating Child Sex Crimes, Jesters Pictured w/Victims is about the Rede Record broadcast reporting that FBI agents were in a jungle village to interview the girl who became pregnant, at age 13, after working as a prostitute for Schair’s customers.

All copies of material reprinted or duplicated from "by Sandy Frost" must include the following credit line: From http://sandyfrost.newsvine.com/ Copyright © 2011 by Sandy Frost. Used by permission.

Update 10/20/10: YouTube video with sub-titles can be seen here.

Update 10/10/10: Unofficial translation follows Brazilian news broadcast of “Childhood in Danger” by Rede Record. It reports that the FBI has been in Brazil investigating the sexual exploitation of underage Indian girls by North Americans. It also reports that the FBI interviewed a victim in her village and provides video of her living conditions. She alleges that she lost her virginity and was left pregnant by one of two North Americans on a fishing trip to Brazil.

Editor’s Note and Adult Content Warning 10/8/2010: Portuguese to English translations done by myself using Yahoo Babel fish and Babylon. They are rough translations of what is in the subtitles. Be warned that the Brazilian news broadcast has sexually explicit pictures.

Thank you,

Sandy

Over two years ago I published “Child Sex Tourism: Brazilian Teens Testify About Being Lured into Minor Prostitution for American Tourists.”

It imagined what it would be like to be a 13 year old Brazilian Indian girl, living with her poor family on their reservation. Then a North American named “Richard” shows up and asks for your help to sweep, do laundry and cook on his fishing boat.

You agree because your family needs the money for food.

When you get to the boat, you learn that your real job, along with other girls, is to drink whiskey and beer and have sex with the “North Americans” on a fishing trip. After they go back home, you are left pregnant, not knowing who the father is.

Three years later, in July of 2007, you find yourself with four of the same girls in the office of the Regional Superintendent of the Federal Police of the State of Amazonas with your mother, a federal police transcriber, an attorney hired to represent you and the Federal Police Chief, who is asking you to tell him what happened. The police take your deposition because they are investigating that minor Indian and other girls living near the rivers in the regions of Autazes became victims of sexual exploitation by North-American foreign tourists.

The girls testify that “Richard” went to the same village every year, luring girls to help him with housekeeping and cooking on his boat, the Amazon Santana.

Two days ago, this Brazilian news broadcast told the same story. “Companies That Sell packages of Tourism in the Amazon Promote Orgies” aired October 6 and is described as:

"Fashion in Europe, Japan and the USA is the ecological tourism. Who is buying the packages do not want the traditional uses, either adventure. One of the destinations is the Brazilian Amazon. Girls are employed to work on vessels of luxury and are sexually exploited by foreign tourists."

The broadcast includes video of the Amazon Santana and interviews with some of the girls, their attorney and a Brazilian Federal Police officer sitting with a box of evidence marked 410/2007. This is the same case number with the same evidence that led the Brazilian federal police to indict former fishing tour operator Richard Schair for rape, operating a prostitution network and using minors as prostitutes.

The news report begins with police sweeping the streets for underage prostitutes. Then we see pictures of tourists on “ecological” trips through the jungles.

Reporter Luiz Carlos Azen then takes us to Manaus with the Amazon Santana and Santana II anchored in the background. These are the same fishing boats used by Schair before he was indicted and denied habeas corpus. This means that upon entering Brazil, he’ll be arrested.

Azen narrates a performance by Amazon Indians after which a spokesman says on subtitle that the girls of the “program” come to the villages. A “program” is sexual services provided by these underage prostitutes.

We are then taken to the office of the superintendent of the Brazilian Federal Police for the Manaus region of the Amazon District and meet Dr. Washington Magalhaes, the attorney who represents the girls who went to the police.

Tears started running down my face as I saw, for the first time, the Indian girls that I have written for. They are shown sitting on a wooden floor with a laptop nearby. They may never know about me or my work or the battles that I and others have fought on their behalf but hearing their brave voices in their face-masked interviews makes it all worth it.

They answer Azen’s questions about having sex aboard the Amazon Santana with those who speak English.

“How many men did you make sex with on this ship, the Amazon Santana?” Azen asks.

“With two,” the girl answers.

“Would you recognize them?” he asks.

“With certainty,” she answers.

“That nationality was?” he asks.

“Not from here, Brazilians were not.”

“They spoke what language?” he asks.

“They said everything in English,” she answered.

The second girl states “It was for me to use a drug that they were using called marijuana. It compelled me to make sex in a private room in the same motor boat, in a berth.” (1)

“The name of the boat,” Azen asks.

“Amazon Santana,” she replies.

Azen then takes us on a quick tour of the Amazon Santana before showing still pictures that include members of the Royal Order of Jesters fishing and partying with the girls. One has a picture of a fisherman in a Jester t-shirt with another Jester sporting a white beard similar to a national Jester officer who lives in Las Vegas. The Jesters involvement is best explained here.

From the article:

“Federal court documents filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Miami Division, related to case number 07-21228, list 19 witnesses who are believed to be members of the Royal Order of Jesters (ROJ) AKA Shriners AKA Masons, who are expected to testify about fishing trips to Brazil and "their first hand knowledge of prostitution, minor prostitution, use of illegal drugs and/or entry into Indian reservations by Schair (plaintiff) and/or his customers."

The witness list can be found here.

Back to the Brazilian news story.

We then meet Roberto Jesus Camara, the inspector in charge of Brazilian Federal Police investigation 410/2007. He and Azen discuss the case of American Richard W. Schair which includes violating the rights of the Brazilian Indigenous.

Azen then asks one of the girls “What is the name of your enticer/inveigher/seducer?”

“Richard” she answered.

“That nationality he was?” he asks.

“Wasn’t Brazilian, not. Was of the United States.”

Azen then discusses the indigenous violations with Dr. Washington and we see a map that shows exclusive Indian reservations and government preserves, protected by law against such trespassing.

Next, Azen takes us to what appears to be a shed but is instead the home of the girl who was left pregnant at age 13 after one of Schair’s fishing trips. We see worldly belongings on a bed and an empty refrigerator.

“Do you know the father of your son?” he asks.

“No,” she answers.

“Then there is a possibility that one of the two Americans is the father?” he asks.

“That possibility exists,” she answers.

“What would you like?” Azen concludes.

“So that they pay,” she answers.

RECORD

Broadcast and unofficial translation follows.

"Childhood in Danger: Companies that Sell Tour Packages in the Amazon Promote Orgies"

10/06/2010

Ecological tourism is the style in Europe, Japan and the U.S.. The purchasers of packages do not want traditional destinations, they want adventure. One of these destinations is the Brazilian Amazon. Girls are contracted to work on luxury boats and are exploited sexually by foreign tourists.

Video

0:00 A police case in the U.S. and Brazil, companies that sell tourism packages of adventure in the Amazon, promote orgies during the sport fishing trips.

00:14 Girls contracted to work on luxury boats are sexually exploited by foreign tourists. That is what reporters Luis Carlos Agnes, Aumari Ribeiro, Jr. and Lumis Umica show in the special segment “Childhood in Danger.”

0:27 The operation in a suburb of Manaus the capitol of Amazonas, is to find minor prostitutes. On this night “counselor tutilar” or Minor Authority were able to locate two, one 15 and one 17.

0:48 Azen: What do you find when you start to investigate the lives of these girls?

Police: The financial situation where they take food home, the money home and they sell themselves. The parents many times know that they are doing this, certainly the majority of the parents have the knowledge that the daughter is putting something in the house and they know that it is in exchange for their body.

1:17 Now the authorities are starting to collect proof that the problem is aggravated by foreign tourists.

1:39 On arrival they see the splendid side of the city, the inheritance from when the city grew because of the rubber barons. But the majority of the tourists also want to explore the jungle and the bounty of the waters.

2:01 The style is now in Japan, Europe and the U.S. is a type of tourism called “ecological tourism” who purchases the package no longer wants to know about the traditional destination, London, Paris, New York, they want adventure.

2:12 One of the preferred destinations is this here the Brazilian Amazon.

2:16 We are navigating on the waters of the Rio Negro river and these boats that you see there are part of this industry of tourism. That attracts people full of money who come from the exterior and who many times trip over the laws of Brazil.

2:32 Now we are on our way to Autazes, 150Km (92 miles) from Manaus. It is the destination of the trips that take the foreigner to the most isolated corners of the Amazon. Where fishing is bountiful.

2:47 It's not the only attraction for tourists, in the middle of the route they experiment with the easy ability to see up-close certain Indian groups.

3:00 In Sao Joao do Tupe they assist this ceremony of thanks for the bountiful plenty that comes from the land and the water.

3:11 But the son of the chief complains that the interests of those who come from the outside is not for the traditions or the beauty of the jungle. They come in the company of girl prostitutes, here in the tribe. So this bothers me some because it looks like we are playing, do you understand?

3:28 What Reginaldo wants to say is that the sexual tourism that has spread along the river communities.

3:35 The port of Autazes is where boats tie up looking for women to service the boats. The offers attract the girls who are faced with the hard economic situation.

3:47 Now the Brazilian authorities were forced to act because of accusation that came from the U.S.

3:56 Washington Magalhes Attorney. They were recruited with promises of work for one week which is what an excursion lasts, work aboard and such, under the promises of $100.00 daily in the end had to submit to sexual favors, exploitation of every order, orgies, images collected by the police themselves or taken by them in CD show that there were actually orgies.

4:23 The attorney who presented the witnesses to the Brazilian Federal Police, he represents 7 river girls, all were minors when the case happened in 2004. “In the case of my clients these/this initial meeting, briefing, reception was in from of the port of Autazes and there they ordered their employees, there are depositions that state this, to recruit actually.”

04:46 Nine witnesses agreed to be interviewed without showing their faces, they are afraid of being retaliated against for denouncing this crime.

5:05 Our producer showed on a computer pictures of some of the accused and they recognize the men that are on the boat. One states that she was taken by force to one of the cabins. “They just forced, understand? But I did not do, no because I cried, I squirmed, yelled and he went and opened the door. And later because he was not able he accused me of stealing from him.”

5:30 This other youngster was 16 years of age says that she was invited to participate in a ride and they got there and saw they are really good looking really and what happened was that they arrived they said that if we did not mind that we would go for a ride, and from there go to the boat for the ride. Was when one touched my hand, others on hands of the other girls and we went away.

5:57 Do you remember with how many men you had to have sex on this ship, Amazon Santana?

Just 2

Would you recognize them?

Certainly.

What nationality were they?

I don't know.

Were they Brazilian?

No.

What language did they speak?

They all spoke English.

06:24 The girl we are going to call “J” was 12 years old when she embarked.

He said that I was to use a drug that they were using called marijuana. One forced me to have sex with him. It was in a room reserved on the actual boat, a suite.

And the name of the boat was?

Amazon Santana.

06:46 The case is also being investigated by the FBI, the American police, because it involves U.S. citizens. Here in Brazil the Federal Police made a search of those 2 boats involved, this over here Amazon Santana and Santana I. That where the crimes would have happened involving the tourists and the minor Brazilians. They are luxurious yachts with various cabins. The packages sell for $4,500.00 in the U.S. without the airfare.

7:25 In the investigation the Federal Police obtained pictures like these and proved that they were taken aboard by crewmembers and the girls.

7:39 “Delegado Roberto Camara” Inspector Camara. The instruction of the investigation was based primarily on the statements of the victims, surveillance of some of these trips, seeing women on the boats utilized by the agency.

The investigation which has already been sent to the “Ministerio Publico Federal” or “Federal Attorney,” there were indicted the owner of the agency in Brazil and the man who sold the trips in the U.S., the American Richard
Wayne Schair, who is accused of raping the girl “J.”

8:23 Azen asks Do you remember the name of your coaxer/seducer?

Richard

What was his nationality?

He was not Brazilian, no. Was from the U.S.

8:36 The investigation shows how the route of sexual fishing operated from 2000 to 2007, at least 20 girls were victims.

Of the clients of the attorney Washington, 5 were Indians.

The investigation has been examining and contemplates the depositions that show, for example, agent of the Indian agency (FUNAI) facilitated the entrance of these
excursions, facilitated paid or not, the fact that it is illegal and irregular because they were in prohibited areas. You can only enter in Indian areas with the consent of the Indian agents.

9:21 Even today in the U.S. companies that sell fishing packages in the Amazon promote exclusive access into Indian areas. In this case the reservations of Tapera, Xeurine, Marmelos Jufari, all in the Amazon.

9:38 In a fishing season that last from August through March, the Federal Police calculates that these companies can make almost $2,000,000.00, a fortune, that almost all stays in the U.S. and that here in Brazil leaves a trail of crimes and abuses.

9:57 Attracted to provide services, in the end, cleaning, domestic services, cleaning the boat, cooking, laundry, in the end they were required to service and offered $100.00 per night & left with R$30.00 or R$40.00 ($15.00-$20.00), the most that they were gifted was R$50.00 ($25.00).

10:19 The FBI agents who also investigate the case were in Autazes in the house of this young lady of Indian origin. They found the same poverty level that we are witnessing, a fridge practically empty, they heard dramatic testimony. She states that at 17 she accepted an offer to work on the yacht Amazon Santana. She was convinced by 2 foreigners to have sexual relations. On the trip lost her virginity, and believes that became pregnant of one of them.

Do you know who is the father of your son?

No.

Is there the possibility that one of the Americans is the father?

Exists.

What would you like to happen now?

That they pay for what they have done.

11:07 They are poor children, children that may have the difficulty of studying, education is precarious and there arrives a foreigner with $$$. Makes it easy. Today tourism must be configured as tourism.

All copies of material reprinted or duplicated from "by Sandy Frost" must include the following credit line: From http://sandyfrost.newsvine.com/ Copyright © 2010 by Sandy Frost. Used by permission.

(1) Schair currently acts as a real estate salesman near Atlanta, Georgia. Information on his previous marijuana convictions can be found here and here.

Updated June 21, 2011 with new articles in Door #3, Door #4 and Door #5.

UPdated March 1, 2011: Door #2 reposted.

UPdated on January 2, 2011: Wikileaks document described in Internal Shriner Report Confirms Corruption? can be found here.

Door #2 has been temporarily taken offline.

Updated on November 18, 2010

Door #1 with "Shriner Retaliation w/a Jester Twist"

Updated Door #5 Jesters and Child Sex Tourism in Brazil on 10/8/2010.

Thank you,

Sandy

UPdated on 9/28/2010 with a map of ROJ courts nationwide. An intereactive version can be found here. Clicking on the marker will provide the name and contact info for each court mapped. It's only half way done but is useful to show regional concentrations.

Thank you,

Sandy

Imagine five doors, like those in "Let's Make a Deal," but in these cases, there are no fabulous prizes.

No one wins.

We hear sirens and see flashing lights as the doors open.

There are no models.

There are instead regulators and law enforcers who, in dark sunglasses, black suits and crisp uniforms, point at piles and piles of evidence.

The following articles are organized into five categories that detail and document why a handful of presumably innocent Shriner leaders and those they do business with should be investigated under the RICO statutes.

It would be almost excusable if these were stand alone incidents and, once discovered, were dilligently cleaned up. Instead these crimes and otherwise corrupt irregularities have occurred in a climate of corruption, fueled by fear and retaliation and led by leaders who either participate, promote or protect, above all else.

Most Shriners are kept in the dark about all of this as they dedicate their retirement years to supporting their network of 22 hospitals that now takes insurance to provide medical care for burned and crippled children. Most Shriners have been brainwashed into blind obedience or are punished, retaliated against and/or sued if they question those leaders who have hidden behind these poor kids to operate a nationwide network of prostitution and profit from their positions of public trust, all at taxpayer expense.

Behind door #1 is Shriners' corruption.

Behind door #2 is how the Shriners used burned children like guinea pigs in a clinical research study so bad it was shut down by the FDA.

Behind door #3 is the Shriners’ secret sex group, the Royal Order of Jesters.

Behind door #4 are details about how three Jesters were busted in a FBI human trafficking sting for taking illegal alien prostitutes from state to state for their weekend parties. Those caught include a former New York State Supreme Court judge, his law clerk, a retired police captain and a retired sheriff.

Behind door #5 are details about how 19 Jesters went to Brazil, asking to be called “Masons” and for girls over 13. The guy who took them has been indicted by the Brazilian Federal Police for rape, prostitution and corruption of minors

Categories follow.

Door #1 Shriners Corruption:

Shriner Retaliation w/a Jester Twist

The Shriners & "Management by Mirth"

Findings 2008: Shriners' Corruption, Jesters' Prostitution

East West Shrine Game Loses Nearly $2 Million Over Four Years, Operating Illegally?

Shriners Retaliate, McGonigal Fired?

Editorial: Shriners Hustle Justin Timberlake, the PGA Tour and NASCAR's David Ragan?

Internal Shriner Report Confirms Corruption?

Mortgage Madness?

Treasurers Meeting Minutes Vanish, Gambling Proceeds Unaccounted For?

The Minimum of Disclosure to the IRS

Above the law? Shriner Treasurers' Minutes

Conflicts of Interest?

Did Shriners Retaliate Against Whistleblower?

Shriners In Hot Water Again?

Door #2 OHRP/FDA Investigations into suspended clinical research study at SHC Cincinnati:

PermaDerm (tm) Timeline, Shriner Skin Study Audit Findings

FDA/SHC News & Unanswered Questions

SHC Study Suspended, FDA Excludes Doctors' Research

FDA Report Details Hundreds of Violations in Shriners' Burn Treatment Study as Product Heads To Market

FDA Warning Letter Sent to SHC Cincinnati Still Unresolved

Bad Medicine?

Shriners Hospital Violated FDA Regs

Door #3 Royal Order of Jesters:

Added 6/21/2011 Jesters Named,  Commentorial: Royal Order of Jesters, Namaste Magazine Cover Story: "Masons Facilitate Prostitution at U.S. Taxpayer Expense" by Sandy Frost

Updated: Copyright Infringement Challenge Settled, Jesters Hide Prostitutes' Expenses, Blackmail Themselves into Secrecy

Jesters in High Places

Shriners Swarm Vegas, Jester Girl Code of Conduct Revealed

Nevada Assembly Formally Welcomed Shriners & Jesters

Tax Returns Reveal Jesters Controlled by "Secret Order of Brothers in Blood," Jester Officer Links National Court to Fishing Tour Operator Indicted in Brazil Child Sex Case

Jester Confesses to Wife He Organized Prostitutes

Royal Order of Jester (ROJ) Resource & Poll

Ex-Jesters confirm "Sam Houston" E-mail

Jesters Exposed

Door #4 Jesters busted in FBI human trafficking sting:

Added June 21, 2011 Fourth Jester Convicted, Former Judge Tills Out of Prison in Three Weeks, Fourth Jester Sentenced

Feds Define Jesters

Retired Deputy Charged in Jester Sex Trafficking Investigation

Editorial: Filings Fly Prior to Tills Sentencing for Jester Prostitution

Shriner/Jester Court Updates, Brazilian Indictment & My Statement to the Buffalo News

Tills' Sentencing Rescheduled in Jester Prostitution Case

Jester Prostitution Updates, Stebick Sentenced

Judge Tills Pleads Guilty, Admits Coordinating Prostitutes with Jester National Representatives

Felony Conspiracy Plea Confirms Investigation into Masonic Sub-group, Royal Order of Jesters

Trowbridge Sentencing Delayed as Jester Prostitution Investigation Links to Sex Trafficking

Judge Central Figure in FBI Probe, the S.O.B.I.B. and the Jesters' Half Million Dollar Weekend Parties

Feds 1, Jesters 0: Court Papers Revealed

Judge Resigns, Police Captain to Plead Guilty as FBI Investigates Royal Order of Jesters for Prostitution

Door #5 Jesters and Child Sex Tourism in Brazil

Updated June 21, 2011  Brazil Child Sex Tourism Resource with Timeline, Brazil Prosecutes Schair & Co. for Running House of Prostitution, Brazilian Girls Sue Richard Schair for Sex Trafficking

"Brazilian News Investigates Child Sex Tourism & Case of Richard Schair, Includes Pictures of Girls with Jesters."

ABC News Confirms FBI Investigating Jesters for Child Sex Tourism

Newsitorial: Schair's Failed Application for Habeas Corpus Confirms Indictment, Implicates Jesters

Richard W. Schair v Newsvine Dismissed as Brazilian Judge Accepts Rape & Underage Prostitution Case Against Him

Editorial: Schair v Newsvine Illustrates Importance of Reporter Shield and Child Protection Bills Before Congress

Brazilian Judge Rejects Jester Fishing Tour Operator's Request for Habeas Corpus
Child Sex Tourism: Brazilian Teens Testify About Being Lured into Minor Prostitution for American Tourists

Brazilian Fishing Trip Depositions: "Masons" Pictured Having Sex with Teen Prostitutes?

"Jesters" To Testify about Illegal Drugs, Child Prostitution?

All copies of material reprinted or duplicated from “by Sandy Frost” must include the following credit line: From http://sandyfrost.newsvine.com/ Copyright © 2010 by Sandy Frost. Used by permission.

While acknowledging his crimes, he claimed that Internet chat postings in which he bragged about abusing other boys as young as 4 were the equivalent of playing a role and did not reflect his true personality.
"I'm not that person," he said. "I'm not that monster."
Corliss' trips allegedly were arranged by John Wrenshall, a Canada native who immigrated to Thailand and has been charged in an 18-count federal indictment. Two Alabama men who accompanied Corliss, Mitchell Jackson and Burgess Lee Burgess, have already pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 6 1/2 years in prison.

Sweden creates a working model to fight child sex tourism.

These guys admitted to going overseas to have sex with kids and their sentences might get reduced for testifying against the guy who organized the trips. Makes you wonder what's going on behind the scenes as this could happen to former fishing tour operator, Richard Schair. Remember, he was indicted by the Brazilian federal police for using underage Indian girls as prostitutes to lure customers, like members of the Royal Order of Jesters, to his fishing business.

According to the DOJ, Mathias was charged in an indictment filed on Oct. 27, 2009, with one count of conspiring to engage in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place and traveling in foreign commerce for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct; six counts of offering to buy a child in order to depict the child in child pornography; six counts of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity; three counts of traveling in foreign commerce for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct; and four counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place.

I was puttering around the other night and got the urge to find the Jesters most recent tax returns.

I found them on Guidestar and armed with a yellow highlighter, sticky notes and legal pad, began scanning the categories, dollars and answers reported.

My brain started screaming "WTF?" until I got up and started pacing around as I couldn't believe what I was reading.

You'd fall asleep.

I was nearly running in place.

Over three years ago, I was contacted by a Shriner who'd been working with a former IRS agent. He asked me to investigate his own because expert analysis of Shriner tax returns revealed "discrepancies."

This all started with allegations of the misuse of charitable donations, retaliation and tax fraud.

We're WAY beyond that now.

So, the Shriners sued these guys, my sources, for defamation after one claimed the charity was being investigated by the state of Pennsylvania. The Shriners, among other things, named me as a secondary party of interest and used "production of documents" in an attempt to get their paws on otherwise protected communications between me and the whistleblowers to see if they were telling me what to write and/or if they were writing articles for me.

What an insult.

Then, I began wondering "What are the Shriners so desperate to hide?"

The lawsuit was settled out of court and today, you're reading about the Shriners' secret sub-group, the Royal Order of Jesters and prostitution.

I've been at this since April, 2006, digging into all sorts of documents as well as countless tax returns and have reached a bizarre conclusion that ends, for the first time, at a dead end.

Well, except for an unfounded rumor.

Based on officers named on tax returns as well as in a secret directory, my bizarre conclusion is that:

The Shriners are controlled by their secret sub-group, the Royal Order of Jesters. And Jester tax returns reveal that the Royal Order of Jesters is controlled by their secret sub-group, the Secret Order of Brothers in Blood or S.O.B.I.B.

I have no idea what this means except for the possibility that the Shriners are controlled by a bunch of guys who belong to a nationwide group described by a U.S. Attorney as having members who get prostitutes for their weekend meetings.

Or if the unfounded rumors are true, the Jesters are controlled by a bunch of guys who have a thing for menstrual blood. Or girls. Or maybe both. But really, I have no idea as this is just a wild rumor.

Interestingly, the Jesters report on their latest tax return that they spent over $13,000 on "Rituals."

What we do know is that three Jesters were convicted after getting caught in an FBI human trafficking sting for taking illegal alien prostitutes to their weekend parties.

One of those caught, a former judge, will soon be heading to federal prison for 18 months. He pleaded guilty to violating the Mann Act and got a reduced sentence for cooperating with an investigation into the Jesters for the sexual exploitation of minors and travel out of the country for those purposes.

He's a S.O.B.I.B. too.

We also know that the former fishing tour operator who took 19 Jesters fishing on the Amazon was indicted by the Brazilian federal police last April for allegedly providing underage prostitutes for his North American fishing clients.

Per "Newsitorial: Schair's Failed Application for Habeas Corpus Confirms Indictment, Implicates Jesters" :

"A failed application for habeas corpus has made public a court file that details the evidence for which former fishing tour operator Richard W. Schair was indicted by the Brazilian federal police as they investigated the sexual exploitation of minor Indian girls living along the Amazon. The file includes a client manifest that names three members of the Shriners secret sub-group, the Royal Order of Jesters (ROJ)."

Schair had sued a competitor for defamation for alleging his involvement with prostitution. A witness list for the defense names 19 Jesters who were expected to testify about their first hand knowledge of fishing trips to Brazil and sex with underage prostitutes. Eye witness depositions in the case testify that the Jesters asked to be called "Masons" and asked for girls over 13.

One must first be a Master Mason to join groups like the Scottish Rite, the Knights Templar and the Shriners.

One must be an invited Shriner to join the Royal Order of Jesters.

And at this point, I have no idea about how a Jester joins the S.O.B.I.B. or what they do at their meetings other than meet as "Brothers in Blood."

As evidence mounted against him, Schair paid the defendant $15K to settle out of court.

One guy on the witness list, Samuel "Scutter" Newton of Las Vegas, Nevada links this case to the Jester National Court, as he's listed on their 2007 tax return as an officer.

A comparison of the Jester's national officers to a secret directory reveals that eight out of nine national officers are also members of the S.O.B.I.B., including Newton, who is named on both.

All the officers listed on the Jesters' 2006 tax return are also in the S.O.B.I.B. and all but two listed on the 2005 tax return are in the S.O.B.I.B. including:

William Siders

Robert M. Haynes

John T. Stafford

James M. Lake PRD

Taylor E. Best

Gary Martin

Dennis R. Schueler

Raymond Grannis

Paul A. Stradman

John T. Stradtman

Robert C. Davis

Alex Rogers - Business Administrator

Now, back to the tax returns.

Nonprofit groups file tax returns like everyone else because they're corporations, just nonprofit. That means they don't make any money and no one is supposed to benefit. These groups get these tax breaks because they're supposed to benefit society like helping the needy or finding homes for animals.

The Jester's exempt purpose is:

"Promoting fellowship and fraternalism and extending assistance and good cheer to others."
"Management by Mirth" reports that:

* Eleven out of twelve of Shriner Hospitals for Children (SHC) trustees are Jesters.

* Fourteen out of twenty one of those listed on the SHC 2006 tax returns are Jesters.

* Nine out of fourteen of those listed on the 2006 fraternal tax return are Jesters.

This could help explain the hospital's financial woes that nearly led to closures. Which, for those faithful Shriners who have dedicated their lives to supporting the hospitals, was worst case scenario. The last Shriner national convention saw a vote to keep the hospitals open as well as throw out former SHC CEO, Ralph Semb.

An internal investigation investigated Semb and Imperial Treasurer Gene Bracewell and, among other things, recommended that they be reprimanded for lobbying on behalf of a fundraiser who kept $43 millin out of $47 million raised for the hospitals.

Last I knew, both were Jesters and Semb's pictured here in the S.O.B.I.B. directory.

Now, the Shriners are made up of two nonprofit components, a 501c10 fraternity made up of members and a 501c3 charity of 22 hospitals that provide free medical care to burned and crippled children.

Same for the Jesters, who somehow convinced the IRS to grant them a 501c3 charitable classification for operating a "museum" out of their new headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The Marion county assessor rejected the Jesters application for a property tax exemption because they didn't buy it but on appeal, the exemption was granted because executive director Alex Rogers convinced the tax board that the Royal Order of Jesters was an appendant group of Masonry.

So, what kind of a museum lists it's worth as $1.4 million but has no employees, phone or computers; nor does it pay for utilities?

The museum's directors all are in the S.O.B.I.B. including:

Hugh Libby

Ray Thagard

George Burt

Ray Grannis

James White

Henry Everett

Here's the S.O.B.I.B. Toast:

"A Few Good l\len and A Few Good Times"

To the Chap who seeks

Those of his kind

Who treasure the drink

And savor the wine.

An Evangel of Mirth

Time and again

Found in the company

Of a Few Good Men.

A Toast to the One

Who reveres the food.

Cursed by his wife in "surly" mood

For quite often he's mocked

By those who malign

That Fellow who cherishes

A Few Good Times.

So here's to our Order

And those we call Brother.

To the bond that binds us

One to the other.

For there are "Traveling" groups of admirable intent

With glossy mottos and rhymes

But as for us, it's the simple notion

Of a Few Good Men, and a Few Good Times.

A copy of the S.O.B.I.B directory, including members' pictures and contact information, can be found here.

All copies of material reprinted or duplicated from "by Sandy Frost" must include the following credit line: From http://sandyfrost.newsvine.com. Copyright (c) 2009 by Sandy Frost. Used by permission.

Former Judge Ronald Tills is being sentenced tomorrow for pleading guilty to violating the Mann Act. He was caught with two others in a FBI human trafficking sting for taking illegal alien prostitutes to weekend meetings of the Royal Order of Jesters so their Master Mason brothers could have sex.

The Jesters, like their parent organizations, the Shriners and Masons, are nonprofit groups, so it's like partying with prostitutes at taxpayer expense.

In his defense, pre-sentencing memoranda and letters of support have been submitted and are available on the United States federal court record system AKA PACER.

A few things bear discussion here but let's first review what happened.

The FBI had been watching four massage parlors near Buffalo, New York that were fronts for prostitution except that the girls working there were Asian illegal aliens. As agents watched and listened to phone conversations, they heard then Judge Ronald Tills calling the boss lady for appointments with the girls and to giving advice on how to keep them from talking because one had discovered that if she was arrested, she could become a legal resident.
Not only did Tills frequent the prostitutes, he began taking them to weekend meetings of the Royal Order of Jesters, a secret sub-group of the Shriners.

Yes, the Shriners.

They're best known for their red fezzes and driving goofy little cars in parades as they raise money to support their network of 22 hospitals that provide free medical care to burned and crippled children.

Most people can't wrap their heads around the fact that this secret group, the Jesters, descends from Freemasonry, a group of men who try to make themselves better while preaching brotherly love, tolerance and family values.

So, Judge Tills was busted with two other Jesters who have already been sentenced to probation, fined and must now register as sex offenders.

He's being sentenced tomorrow, Friday, August 7 and most likely will spend about two years in the slammer.

Either way, if he's in prison or somehow sentenced to probation like the other two, he's pretty much screwed.

Or maybe the better way to put it is marked for death.

Why?

As a judge, he sentenced many of the guys he might be hanging out with if he's sent to prison. His pre-sentencing memorandum states that he's had quadruple bypass surgery, has high blood pressure and is in poor health overall.

No one will need to shank him.

All they'll have to do is scare him to death.

I've been investigating the Shriners for over three years now and one of the most shocking things I've learned is that their bylaws state that Shrine law does not include the law of the land. And, like the Masons, if their secrets are revealed, bad things will happen.

Masonic secrecy vows state "I swear... binding myself under no less a penalty than that of having my throat cut from ear to ear, my tongue torn out by its roots..."

The Masons swear to protect each other and even lie except in the cases of murder and treason. Other than that, anything goes. If you break them, they will cut you in half and burn your intestines and scatter you to the wind or something equally warm and fuzzy.

The Shriners will pierce your eyeball with a three bladed knife and flay your feet and send you out to walk the burning sands.

Judge Tills has cooperated with the government's investigation into the Royal Order of Jesters for sex trafficking and child sex tourism, much like the articles that have been written about Richard Schair, the former fishing tour operator who's close to being prosecuted in Brazil for rape, operating a prostitution network and corruption of minors. Schair came to my attention because he filed a defamation lawsuit against a competitor who produced a witness list in his defense that named 19 members of the Royal Order of Jesters who, as Schair's customers, were expected to testify about their first hand knowledge of sex with minor prostitutes.

Tills' pre-sentencing memorandum states that when he joined the Royal Order of Jesters, "the group's practice of inviting women, called 'Jester girls,' to the meetings for sexual activities was already a long-standing tradition. Every few years, a letter was sent out advising members that women should not be brought to Jester functions, but everyone knew that the letters were window dressing and not to be taken seriously. Indeed, women always were at Jester functions. The behavior was not isolated to the Buffalo group of Jesters. In fact, it was reported to have occurred at Jester meetings across the country. The motto taught to newcomers 'What you hear here, what you see here, stays here when you leave here' evidences the sort of activity expected at Jester meetings."

According to the memorandum, the judge recognized that what he saw at the time as friendship and camaraderie in a national organization really was morally bankrupt and often criminal. The judge arranged for women to travel to the various Jester meetings not to make money for himself or even for the organization but only because it was part of his "job description" as the Director of the Buffalo Chapter of the Jesters.

Judge Tills is the first to testify this extensively against this group and for doing so, is risking his life.

His attorneys probably should have asked for witness protection because there are 24,000 Jesters wishing he'd never been born.

Or if you look at it another way, Tills may have helped uncover the biggest front for prostitution ever, with over 20,000 potential "Johns" neatly recorded in membership rosters filed away at national headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana. If these Jesters didn't participate in or arrange for the prostitution, they at least knew about it and, as such, are accessories who should have reported these crimes.

Instead, these Master Masons have protected each other.

Tills cooperation has opened up the floodgates and if the FBI continues investigating, they will find Jesters as deputy directors of law enforcement commissions, high ranking elected officials and even among their own.

One would think that there would be a huge outcry among the leaders of Freemasonry for the Jesters bringing such shame and bad PR to their doors. But the problem is that many of them attend the same weekend prostitution parties and even arrange for the girls to be there, just like Tills admitted to.

There is a good part in all of this and that is he's getting help for his alcoholism.

This next Saturday, I will celebrate 27 years of sobriety.

I know that we do things we're not proud of while drunk.

One of the most interesting things from Tills' memorandum is a letter from a service coordinator who works with Alcoholics Anonymous.

This is an unusual break from tradition but speaks highly of Tills dedication to living sober one day at a time. It's guys like this, who hit rock bottom, who can help other alcoholics recover more than anyone else.

More than doctors and chemical dependency counselors, it's the reaching out to another alcoholic, sitting down with them and a cup of coffee and letting them know they're not bad, just sick, and by going to meetings and living lives of service and gratitude, there is hope for recovery.

The United States position is that Tills didn't take prostitutes across state lines once or twice, like the other two he was caught with, but that he did it for years and should spend a couple years thinking about it in prison.

But what about his cooperation to help investigators uncover a nationwide network of prostitution that is part of the biggest nonprofit fraud of our time?

Even the U.S. Attorney's office describes the Royal Order of Jesters as an organization that "maintained chapters throughout the United States, including in Western New York, and it was the custom of these chapters to host periodic meetings, usually on weekends, for their members. At most of these meetings, some members of the organization would be tasked to arrange for the presence of women at the meetings, for the specific purpose of utilizing the women to engage in sexual intercourse and other sexual activity with the organization's members in exchange for money."

Judge Tills has risked his life and the lives of his loved ones by standing up to a group of men who want to see him dead for betraying their dirty little secret.

Remember, the Jesters are invited from the ranks of Shriner leaders who ruthlessly retaliate against those who expose the fact that they have long abused their positions of public trust for personal gain.

Yes, Judge Tills should indeed pay his debt to society.

But society will be better off if he's made an example of by suffering in public as the one who exposed the Royal Order of Jesters instead of spending the rest of his life locked away to suffer in silence.

.
All copies of material reprinted or duplicated from "by Sandy Frost" must include the following credit line: From http://sandyfrost.newsvine.com. Copyright (c) 2009 by Sandy Frost. Used by permission.

Richard Schair's motion to dismiss was granted last Friday after defendant Newsvine moved his
libel and defamation complaint against the MSNBC online subsidiary to federal court.

And last Monday, August 3, the Brazilian federal judge overseeing that country's own case against him accepted it from the federal prosecutor's office. This is a step closer to Schair being prosecuted in South America after the Brazilian federal police charged him with rape, operating a house of prostitution and the corruption of minors.

The Brazilian federal police began investigating the sexual exploitation of minor girls by North American foreign tourists in early 2007. Part of this investigation included the depositions of five "Jane Does" who testified that a North American named "Richard" illegally entered their Indian reservation and hired them to to cook and clean on his fishing boat. The girls, who were 13 to 16 at the time, discovered that they were to instead drink whiskey and have sex with his clients.

On June 26, 2009, Schair sued Newsvine in Hall County, Georgia for libel and defamation, complaining that my investigation of a similar lawsuit he filed against a competitor had somehow damaged him.

Coverage of that lawsuit began in March 2008 after reporting that Schair, a former fishing tour operator, sued competitor Philip Marsteller for alleging Schair's involvement with drugs and prostitution.

This became part of my three-year investigation into Shriner corruption as a witness list for the defense identified 19 members of their secret sub group, the Royal Order of Jesters (ROJ).

The defense took depositions from two of Schair's former fishing guides who substantiated Marsteller's allegations. They also described photos of Jesters having sex with underage prostitutes.

Prior to this, the same two witnesses had been encouraged by both the Brazilian federal police and officials at the U.S. embassy in Brasilia to report these crimes as well as testify about them in the United States.

In December 2008, Schair paid Marsteller $15,000 to settle out of court.

Precisely two years after the date of being charged, online entries in the Brazilian federal court system indicate that both the prosecutor's office and the judge overseeing this case have been working closely to prosecute a North American for these crimes. The system has also been tracking entries related to Schair's recent request for habeas corpus, including a link to previously sealed records of his 2007 charges, making them available to the public for the very first time. The latest entries note the judge's final decision to deny Schair's application because it has no merit, clearing the way for his immediate arrest upon entering Brazil.

It has yet to be determined if Schair's clients, including the Jesters, are being investigated by Brazilian authorities.

The FBI, however, is currently investigating the Royal Order of Jesters for sex trafficking and child sex tourism after catching three of them in a human trafficking sting over a year and a half ago.

All three pleaded guilty to violating the Mann Act for taking and/or conspiring to take illegal alien prostitutes across state lines to weekend Jester parties. They include a former New York state Supreme Court judge, his law clerk and a retired police captain. The last two were essentially put on probation, fined and ordered to register as sex offenders. The judge will be sentenced this Friday for admitting, among other things, that he worked with top Jester officers to coordinate prostitutes for a national ROJ meeting in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.

The judge's July 29, 2009 pre-sentencing memorandum states that when he joined the Royal Order of Jesters, "the group's practice of inviting women, called 'Jester girls,' to the meetings for sexual activities was already a long-standing tradition. Every few years, a letter was sent out advising members that women should not be brought to Jester functions, but everyone knew that the letters were window dressing and not to be taken seriously. Indeed, women always were at Jester functions. The behavior was not isolated to the Buffalo group of Jesters. In fact, it was reported to have occurred at Jester meetings across the country. The motto taught to newcomers 'What you hear here, what you see here, stays here when you leave here' evidences the sort of activity expected at Jester meetings."

According to the memorandum, the judge recognized that what he saw at the time as friendship and camaraderie in a national organization really was morally bankrupt and often criminal. The judge arranged for women to travel to the various Jester meetings not to make money for himself or even for the organization but only because it was part of his "job description" as the Director of the Buffalo Chapter of the Jesters.

The Royal Order of Jesters is a clandestine sub-group of the Shriners.

The Shriners are one of many sub-groups of Freemasonry.

Once a man is accepted into his local Masonic lodge and completes three degrees, he then becomes a Master Mason who can then join other "appendant" or sub-groups like the Scottish Rite, the Knights Templar and the Shriners.

The Shriners are best known for their red Fezzes, driving goofy little cars in parades and raising money to support their network of 22 hospitals that provides free medical care to burned and crippled children.

One must first be an invited Shriner before joining the Royal Order of Jesters. In other words, all Jesters are invited Shriners who must first be Master Masons, so, all Jesters are Master Masons.

To further clarify things, the following timeline tracks Richard Schair's perfect storm.

May 11, 2007 - Schair sues Philip Marsteller for defamation and libel after alleging his involvement with drugs and prostitution, complaint here.

July 11, 2007 - Five Indian girls provide depositions to the Brazilian federal police alleging that "Richard" illegally lured them off their reservation to work as underage prostitutes for his North American fishing clients.

August 8, 2007 - Brazilian Federal Police, Amazon division inquest #410/2007 leads to filing legal proceedings against Richard Wayne Schair, charging him with rape, corruption of minors and operating a prostitution network.

February 15, 2008 - "Jesters Exposed" published. This is the first article ever written about the Shriners clandestine sub-group, the Royal Order of Jesters

March 6, 2008 - "Jesters' To Testify about Illegal Drugs, Child Prostitution?" published three weeks later. This reports that 19 Jesters named on a witness list for the defense were expected to testify about "their first hand knowledge of prostitution, minor prostitution, use of illegal drugs and/or entry into Indian reservations by Schair (plaintiff) and/or his customers" in the case Schair v Marsteller.

May 25, 2008 - "Brazilian Fishing Trip Depositions: 'Masons' Pictured Having Sex with Teen Prostitutes?" published. This describes depositions that include how the Jesters asked to be called "Masons" and for girls over 13.

June 2, 2008 - "Child Sex Tourism: Brazilian Teens Testify About Being Lured into Minor Prostitution for American Tourists" published. This describes what five "Jane Does" told the Brazilian federal police, including one who testified that she was left pregnant at age 13.

December 9, 2008 - Schair pays Marsteller to settle out of court as mounting evidence supports his allegations that Schair is involved with drugs and prostitution.

June 19, 2009 - Schair submits an application for habeas corpus to prevent being arrested upon entering Brazil.

June 23, 2009 - Brazilian federal judge Maria Lucia Gomes De Souza denies Schair’s application.

June 26, 2009 - Schair files libel/defamation complaint against Newsvine in Hall County Superior Court, Georgia.

June 29, 2009 - "Brazilian Judge Rejects Jester Fishing Tour Operator's Request for Habeas Corpus" published.

July 14, 2009 - "Editorial: Schair v Newsvine Illustrates Importance of Reporter Shield and Child Protection Bills Before Congress" published. I wrote "The big picture here is that Richard Schair is attempting to intimidate other media from covering the breaking news out of Brazil that his request for habeas corpus was denied. Now he could and probably would be arrested by the federal police upon entering Brazil for the charges of rape, corruption of minors and operating a prostitution network."

July 24, 2009 - Newsvine files to transfer Schair's lawsuit to federal court in Gainesville, Georgia.

July 27, 2009 - Brazilian judge issues final denial of Schair's application for habeas corpus because it lacks merit.

July 28, 2009 - Schair's attorney Aaron Clark files motion in U.S. federal court to dismiss complaint against Newsvine.

July 29, 2009 - Schair v Newsvine complaint dismissed in federal court.

August 3, 2009 - Brazilian judge approves the case against Richard Wayne Schair as submitted by prosecutors on behalf of the Brazilian federal police, paving the way for arrest warrants and possible extradition.

It now appears that Brazilian authorities are serious about prosecuting those charged with child sex crimes but is the United States?

Here's an article about a similar case except instead of illegally luring 13 to 16 year old girls off their Indian reservations, this individual got them from orphanages for his wealthy clients.

He'll be spending up to 8 years in Club Fed for doing so while facing a civil suit for "helping to finance an online child-sex ring and develop its English-language Web site to attract wealthy international customers."

The questions now are:

"Will U.S. authorities work as hard as their Brazilian counterparts to successfully put together and prosecute cases against Richard Schair and the Royal Order of Jesters for prostitution, sex trafficking and child sex tourism without being influenced or pressured to do otherwise?"

"Will a civil suit be brought against Richard Schair and/or the Royal Order of Jesters to find justice for and compensate those living lives forever lost?"

"Will the IRS suspend the Royal Order of Jesters nonprofit status and call upon other agencies to investigate them for authorizing such trips as well as for being a front for a national prostitution network?"

All copies of material reprinted or duplicated from "by Sandy Frost" must include the following credit line: From http://sandyfrost.newsvine.com. Copyright (c) 2009 by Sandy Frost. Used by permission.

Leaders from the Society of Professional Journalists spent yesterday and today on Capitol Hill advising our nation's law makers why they should support a federal version of the reporter shield law.

From this SPJ press release:

"There are currently two federal shield law bills pending in the Senate, S. 448 and H.R. 985, both known as the Free Flow of Information Act. H.R. 985 passed the House earlier this year, and both have been placed on the Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for markup once Judge Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation hearings are complete... A federal shield law would protect reporters and the sources who come forward with sensitive information. Without the guarantees a federal shield law would provide, people may be less likely to share information vital to a well-informed citizenry."

S. 448 provides "a bill to maintain the free flow of information to the public by providing conditions for the federally compelled disclosure of information by certain persons connected with the news media."

Another important bill making its way through congressional committees is HR 2737: The Child Protection Compact Act of 2009.

This "provides United States assistance for the purpose of eradicating trafficking in children in eligible countries through the implementation of Child Protection Compacts, and for other purposes. The Child Protection Compact Act of 2009 authorizes the Secretary of State, through the Ambassador, to provide assistance (grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts) for an eligible country with a significant prevalence of trafficking in children that enters into a Child Protection Compact with the United States to support policies and programs to eradicate the trafficking of children."

Congressional findings call for the immediate elimination of the worst forms of child labor including "the use, procuring or offering of a child for prostitution, for the production of pornography or for pornographic performances."

The findings continue:

"The sexual exploitation of minors is a global phenomenon. The International Labour Organization estimates that 1,800,000 children worldwide are exploited each year through prostitution and pornography."

Passage of these two bills would protect sources who provide information to journalists investigating crimes like child sex tourism.

Case in point.

On June 26, 2009, former fishing tour operator Richard Schair sued Newsvine in an attempt to intimidate other media from reporting that he was recently denied habeas corpus by a Brazilian judge.

You can read the complaint here.

Now he'll probably be arrested upon entering Brazil after the federal police charged him on August 8, 2007 with rape, corruption of minors and operating a prostitution network.

For those of you who have followed along the past year, you already know that the FBI is investigating the Shriners' secret sub-group, the Royal Order of Jesters, for prostitution, sex trafficking and child sex tourism.

For those of you not familiar, here's the short version.

In March, 2003, I began investigating the nonprofit claims of a group made up of retired spies. After three years of what seemed like hand to hand combat, they finally posted their compliance documents online.

A month later, in April 2006, a Shriner whistleblower asked me to investigate his own for misusing charitable donations and tax fraud.

On February 19, 2009, two years into exposing Shriner corruption, I wrote and published the first ever article about the Royal Order of Jesters.

Three weeks later, I reported that 19 Jesters were named on a witness list for the defense in a defamation lawsuit between two Peacock Bass Fishing Tour operators. These Jesters, Schair's clients, were expected to testify about their first hand knowledge of prostitution, minor prostitution and illegal drugs while fishing in Brazil.

The plaintiff, Richard Schair, of Wet-a-line-tours, sued Philip Marsteller of Amazon Tours on May 11, 2007 for defamation and libel per se after alleging that Schair provided drugs and prostitutes for his clients as they fished the Amazon.

Three days later, Dan Herbeck of the Buffalo News broke the news that a New York state Supreme Court judge resigned because he and two other Jesters were caught in a FBI human trafficking sting for taking illegal alien prostitutes across state lines to weekend stag parties in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Florida and Canada.

Memberships go like this.

One must first be a Master Mason before becoming a Shriner. The Shriners are known for providing free medical care to burned and crippled children in their 22 North American hospitals.

One must be an invited Shriner to become a member of the Royal Order of Jesters, somehow classified by the IRS as a nonprofit or tax exempt group with the exempt purpose of just having fun by spreading mirth and merriment.

No kidding.

Court documents in these cases point to investigations by both U.S. and Brazilian authorities into child sex tourism involving members of the Royal Order of Jesters as well as those who allegedly facilitated it.

Back to Richard Schair.

He settled with Marsteller out of court on December 9, 2008 after mounting evidence seemed to render his case unwinnable.

But that didn't stop him because Schair again sued for defamation and libel per se, this time using my articles to threaten Newsvine.

Again.

This second lawsuit continues to draw unnecessary attention to and media scrutiny of Schair's denials as he claims he's been damaged by articles that describe evidence produced in his own defamation lawsuit and provide links to federal court records that show on August 8, 2007, the Brazilian federal police charged Richard Wayne Schair with rape, corruption of minors and operating a prostitution network.

The complaint whines:

"Rather than generate an unbiased article Frost instead unscrupulously quotes from alleged witness affidavits and witness lists."

My online bio clearly states that I am biased against corruption and those who exploit children, sexually or otherwise.

Schair's attorney, Aaron C. Clark continues:

"The material quoted was created in respect to a pending lawsuit and Frost was fully aware that such information was in no way objective or accurate."

Schair and his attorney imply that Marsteller somehow fabricated depositions provided by five "Jane Does" to the Brazilian Federal Police as well as depositions provided by two fishing tour operators. The girls' depositions share the same case number cited in Schair's charges, first made available to the public on June 23, 2009.

These charges became available to the public after Schair's application for habeas corpus was denied by the judge overseeing his case. This means that Schair can now be arrested upon entering Brazil for the previously described charges.

The complaining continues:

"Frost sifts through the deposition material consciously cherry picking material that fits her version of reality."

Here's my version of reality.

I'm an award winning investigative journalist and author who gives voice to the voiceless and by doing so, has singlehandedly exposed the biggest nonprofit fraud of our time.

As a Native American mother and grandmother, my instinct is to try and help these Brazilian Indian girls from being further victimized by those sworn to uphold the highest standards of brotherly love and virtues common to honest, hardworking family men.

I've written before that as far as the Jesters go, who gives a rip if anyone wants to mess around, get snot slinging drunk or gamble your ass off. But to do so as a nonprofit group now under investigation for child sex tourism is not acceptable by anyone's standards.

And, yeah, I hit the wall after reading what those five Indian girls told the Brazilian federal police; that from age 13 to age 16, they were illegally lured off their reservations by a north American named "Richard" who tricked them into being prostitutes on his fishing boats for other North American tourists.

One testified that she was left pregnant after one such trip at age 13.

You can read their depositions here.

Depositions from two fishing guides were taken by the defense after they had similarly testified to the Brazilian federal police and officials at the American embassy in Brasilia about witnessing some of these 19 Jesters, who asked to be called "Masons," having sex with minor prostitutes since they claimed that these guys asked for girls over 13.

Back to the Buffalo FBI investigation into the Royal Order of Jesters.

In contrast to Schair, who continues to draw unnecessary attention to himself with his legal bullying and braying repeated denials in the face of official court charges, one man is cooperating with federal investigators as he, through the Western New York Human Trafficking Task Force, is providing cooperation into the investigation of the Royal Order of Jesters for sex trafficking and child sex tourism.

That guy is former New York state Supreme Court judge, Ronald Tills. The other two Jesters who were also caught with him have, like Tills, sucked it up and pleaded guilty to violating or conspiring to violate the Mann Act and have already been sentenced.

Court documents in Tills' case paint the picture of a once powerful mover and shaker who joined a group that relied on its members to protect each other and after he was caught running prostitutes across state lines, was directed to get treatment for alcohol abuse. He probably did these types of things while drunk with power and whatever else.

God knows this is certainly no excuse but I'll be sober 27 years this upcoming August so I understand that we do things we're not proud of while intoxicated.

So, I have compassion for the guy.

One of the most shocking things I've learned about Shriner leaders is the ruthless retaliation with which they come after those who question them or try to expose their corruption.

This is probably the reason that Ralph Semb was ousted as CEO and Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Shriners Hospitals for Children at the last Shriner convention, held over the Fourth of July in San Antonio, Texas.

It looks like Tills was thrown under the bus and left to twist in the wind by his "brothers."

I'm surprised he's still alive.

Kinda like testifying against the mob.

Part of Masonic vows pledge to protect their brothers to the point of perjury except in cases of murder and treason.

Many thought that retired police captain John Trowbridge got off light after being put on probation and put on the New York state sex offender list.

Prison time for him would have been a death sentence.

Same for Tills.

Tills' pleading guilty has provided public records in the federal court's document system AKA PACER that paint a picture of a nonprofit organization gone way wrong.

Don't get me wrong here.

Tills admitted to doing bad stuff but from where I sit, he's risking his life to expose a group of men who are hiding behind burned and crippled children just so they can party with prostitutes at tax payer expense.

Tills' case also provides unprecedented access to the secret inner workings of the Royal Order of Jesters to include how he coordinated prostitutes with national officers for a national meeting in Canada. He's probably provided enough evidence for the IRS to, at the very least, jerk their nonprofit status.

The Senate Finance Committee, by the way, needs to open hearings into nonprofit corruption with a focus on the Shriners and the Jesters as they've known about this stuff for over a year.

The big picture here is that Richard Schair is attempting to intimidate other media from covering the breaking news out of Brazil that his request for habeas corpus was denied. Now he could and probably would be arrested by the federal police upon entering Brazil for the charges of rape, corruption of minors and operating a prostitution network.

Since suing in federal court didn't work out so well, Schair filed against Newsvine where he lives, in Hall county, Georgia, hoping for blind justice.

This is why both the Free Flow of Information Act and the Child Protection Compact of 2009 must become law else the press be intimidated from working with whistle blowers who want to rid the world of such ugly crimes against children.

All copies of material reprinted or duplicated from "by Sandy Frost" must include the following credit line: From http://sandyfrost.newsvine.com. Copyright (c) 2009 by Sandy Frost. Used by permission.

Adult content warning and disclaimer: Linked court documents describe acts and images of an adult nature and were legally and lawfully obtained while publically available on the United States Federal Court PACER system. Linked documents have been available online since initial publication and remain unchallenged. Portuguese to English translation done by Yahoo Babel Fish.

Sandy Frost

Monday, June 29, 2009

On June 23, 2009, Brazilian federal judge, MARIA LUCIA GOMES DE SOUZA, denied a June 19, 2009 Habeas Corpus request filed on behalf of former fishing tour operator Richard Wayne Schair of Gainesville, Georgia. If granted, this would have protected Schair from unlawful detention upon entering Brazil after being charged with rape, corruption of minors and operating a house of prostitution.

Brazilian Federal Police, Amazon division inquest #410/2007 led to filing legal proceedings against Schair on August 8, 2007 as they investigated "that since the year 2000, minor Indian and other girls living near the rivers in the region of the Municipality of Autazes/AM became victims of sexual exploitation by North American tourists."

Until recently, Schair operated Wet-A-Line Tours that provided Peacock Bass fishing trips along the Amazon. On May 11, 2007, he filed a defamation lawsuit against competitor Philip Marsteller, owner of Amazon Tours, after he alleged Schair was involved with illegal drugs and prostitution. As evidence seemed to support these allegations, Schair withdrew his complaint and settled out of court on December, 9, 2008.

Evidence included depositions from two Brazilian fishing guides who, in February, 2008, went to the Brazilian Federal Police and the American Embassy in Brasilia to testify about and provide pictures of Schair's clients having sex with underage Indian girls. Both were encouraged to further testify in the United States in mid April, 2008, provided depositions for the defense.

From his Tuesday, April 15, 2008 deposition, current PACER document 83-3, Admilson Garcia Da Silva was asked:

Q: Did you ever witness any of the Wet-A-Line customers engaging in sex acts with these women that were on the Wet-A-Line boats? (PP30)

A: Yes

Q: What did you see?

A: I saw five, five of them, five and five men and two of the women were minors.

Q: I'm sorry. You said you saw five men and five women and two of the women were minors. Is that what you said.

A: That's right.

Q: And what did you see the men and women doing with each other?

A: There was one woman having sex with a man and the other - the other woman only gave them a blow job. (PP 34)

On Tuesday, April 15, 2008, Adilson Garcia Da Silva was asked in current PACER document 83-2:

Q: Who asked you to purchase drugs for Wet-A-Line's customers? (PP56)

A: Mr. Richard would ask, would ask me to buy.

Q: What did he specifically ask you to buy?

A: Every time he would go to Brazil, he would ask me to buy.

Q: What did he specifically ask you to purchase?

A: It was marijuana. As a matter of fact, before I left, he wanted to order marijuana. He wanted more.

Q: What are - did you ever hear anything that occurred on the Wet-A-Line boats that you thought were somewhat unusual with respect to customers having sex with these prostitutes? (PP 89)

A: Yes.

Q: What were some of the things that you saw from these customers with these prostitutes?

A: Oral sex during the day, especially, and the strip at night. Dancing and exaggerated drinking, drugs. (PP90)

Q: What is the youngest age that you're aware of girls being prostitutes on Wet-A-Line boats? (PP100)

A: They said that there were 18, but some of them were 16, 17.

Q: What is the youngest age that you're aware of a girl being on the boat as a prostitute?

A: My brother would pick up a group of girls in Autazes, and would take by boat to an American. One was 13, one was 14, and there was one who was even 9 years old. (PP101)

Q: Was there ever a certain age group that you were asked to retain the services of meeting, a certain age group of females that you were ever asked to retain the services of while working at Wet-A-Line tours for specific - for a specific group of customers? (PP 23)

A: Yes. They always wanted the young ones.

Q: Was there ever a specific age group that you were asked to hire for a specific group of customers?

A: They would ask from 13 up. (PP 24)

Q: Was there a specific group of customers, of Wet-A-Line customers that you were aware of that wanted a certain age group of women?

A: It was more so the group of Masons (sic) that would ask for that.

Q: And was that the group of people that are indentified in the pictures that you have provided in this case?

A: Yes

A witness list for the defense named 19 Masons who were also members of the Shriner's secret sub-group, the Royal Order of Jesters or ROJ. The Shriners are best known for their network of 22 hospitals that provide free medical care to burned and crippled children and have been the subject of investigation here since June, 2006 for their lack of nonprofit transparency, disclosure and accountability.

The first ever article written about the ROJ can be read here.

"Jesters Exposed" details a complaint that asked the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Texas to investigate the Jesters for:

- Actions which disgrace Masonry

- Indulging in the intemperate use of intoxicating liquor

- Gambling

- Profane swearing

- Willfully abandoning their families

- Cohabiting with lewd women

The investigation yielded no prosecutions.

"Jesters To Testify about Illegal Drugs, Child Prostitution?" can be read here.

This article names those 19 Jesters who were expected to testify about fishing trips to Brazil and "their first hand knowledge of prostitution, minor prostitution, use of illegal drugs and/or entry into Indian reservations by Schair (plaintiff) and/or his customers."

These include:

William Dewane Meeks, address unknown.

Ferrel Harrison Adams, Jr., ROJ Court #24, Albuquerque, NM.

Robert Rex Lee, M.D., ROJ Court # 76, Wichita, KS.

Robert Rex Lee, II, ROJ Court #76, Wichita, KS.

Thomas Raymond Lee, address unknown.

Don Anderson, ROJ Court #24, Albuquerque, NM.

Douglas Allan Boynton, ROJ Court #161, President, 2005, Long Beach, CA.

Norman Lee Broschous, Peoria, IL.

Robert George Duncan, ROJ Court #161, Long Beach CA.

Phillip Carl Spellens, ROJ Court #161, Secretary, 2005, 2006, Long Beach, CA.

Claude William "Bill" Grimes, ROJ Court #168, Tyler, TX.

Carl Wayne Mixon, Sr., ROJ Court #36, New Orleans, LA.

Walker Jenkins, ROJ Court #161, Long Beach, CA.

Samuel Emmett "Scutter" Newton, Jr., ROJ Court #181, Las Vegas, NV.

Roy Edward Pennington, ROJ Court # 36, New Orleans, LA.

Roy Edward Pennington Jr., ROJ Court #36, New Orleans, LA.

Edward Beynroth Schwimg, Address unknown.

Edward William Sparks, Address unknown.

Harry Howlett Waldron, ROJ Court #90, Jacksonville, FL.

"Brazilian Fishing Trip Depositions: 'Masons' Pictured Having Sex with Teen Prostitutes?" can be read here.

This describes depositions that identify pictures of "Masons" having sex with underage girls.

These articles were published around the same time that Dan Herbeck of the Buffalo News broke the news about how three members of the Royal Order of Jesters were caught in a FBI human trafficking sting as they took illegal alien prostitutes to weekend Jester bashes in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Florida and Canada.

These Jesters included a former New York state Supreme Court judge, his law clerk and a retired police captain. All three pled guilty to violating the Mann Act, with the law clerk and retired police captain being sentenced to house arrest and probation. The judge's sentencing date has been extended to August 7, 2009 for providing proactive cooperation with respect to the unlawful transportation of individuals for prostitution or other sexual activity prohibited by law, and that includes sex trafficking, sexual exploitation of minors or any international travel for that purpose."

"Royal Order of Jester (ROJ) Resource & Poll" can be read here.

This describes the Jester national court's nonprofit status and how they reported to the IRS on their 2007 tax return that they spent nearly $600,000 on one of their weekend bashes.

That's about $12K a minute, which is over four times the per capita income of $2842.36 per Brazilian.

"Child Sex Tourism: Brazilian Teens Testify About Being Lured into Minor Prostitution for American Tourists" can be read here.

This article makes it clear that there is no direct link between these Brazilian Indian girls and those Jesters who were also clients of Richard Schair and Wet-A-Line Tours. It reports that five "Jane Does" provided depositions to the Brazilian Federal police on June 13, 2007 and alleged that a North American named "Richard" illegally entered their Indian reservation to lure them into prostitution aboard his fishing boat, the Amazon Santana. The girls testified that two were 13, two were 14 and one was 16 at the time of first contact with "Richard."

One of the 13 year olds reported she was left pregnant after one such fishing trip.

According to the U.S. Department of State, child sex tourism (CST) involves travelling out of country to pay for sex with children. This results in "mental and physical consequences for the exploited children, that may include disease (including HIV/AIDS), drug addiction, pregnancy, malnutrition, social ostracism, and possibly death."

United States citizens or residents who engage in sexual activity abroad with a child under 18 and/or those who organize such trips can face up to 30 years in prison.

Two time offenders can be sentenced to life.

And there is no statute of limitations.

Specifically, from the Department of Justice:

"Those who profit from victimizing children and adults in the sex trade are only one half of the problem. The other half is those who patronize this exploitive industry. Federal statutes hold those who travel to do so, and those who benefit from arranging that travel, accountable. For example, 18 U.S.C. § 2423(b) prohibits traveling across state lines or into the United States for the purpose of engaging in any illicit sexual conduct (which includes any commercial sex act with a person under 18) and carries a 30 year maximum sentence, while 18 U.S.C. § 2423(c) prohibits an American citizen or national engaging in illicit sexual conduct outside the United States and carries a 30 year maximum sentence. 18 U.S.C. § 2423(c) does not require that the citizen have traveled outside the country with the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign country. 18 U.S.C. § 2423(d) prohibits arranging or facilitating, for financial gain, another person's travel to engage in illicit sexual conduct and carries a 30 year maximum sentence."

All copies of material reprinted or duplicated from "by Sandy Frost" must include the following credit line: From http://sandyfrost.newsvine.com/ Copyright © 2009 by Sandy Frost. Used by permission.

Warning: Extremely disturbing graphic content.

Editor’s Note: This is the third of three articles related to how 19 members of the Royal Order of Jesters were called as to testify for the defense in a federal lawsuit about their alleged firsthand knowledge of minor prostitution while on a fishing trip, apparently one of many, to Brazil. The Royal Order of Jesters is a non profit group made up of 24,000 invited Shrine leaders, who must first be Master Masons. Included in the court documents are statements from five Brazilian Indian girls who allege they were “victims of sexual abuse perpetuated by a group of foreign tourists, North Americans.” The girls' statements are available to the public through the federal court information system, PACER. There is no direct link between these girls and the Jesters. Let me repeat that. There is no direct link between these girls and the Jesters, however two Brazilian fishing tour guides testified in their depositions in the same case that they saw “Masons” having sex with teen prostitutes. Additionally, all the girls testified that they were recruited every year by the same man, an American named “Richard,” during the same time of year that he took the Jesters on their fishing trips to Brazil. Creative liberties were taken to tell this story through the eyes of the girls.

The Associated Press reported last Friday, May 30, 2008, that:

“A retired Marine captain was convicted Thursday of having sex with pre-teen girls while working as a teacher in Cambodia. A federal jury found Michael Joseph Pepe guilty of seven counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in foreign places. The federal law targets people who go overseas for so-called child sex tourism. During trial, six girls who were between 9 and 12 at the time of the abuse testified that Pepe drugged, bound, beat and raped them. Pepe was arrested in Phnom Penh in 2006 by Cambodian police investigating the sexual abuse allegations. Pepe, 54, of Oxnard, faces up to 210 years in prison when he is sentenced in September.”

Unfortunately, child sex tourism is in the news.

Here are details of how it works, from those alleging they have been so victimized.

Imagine that you are a poor 13 year old Brazilian girl living with your poor family on your poor people’s land; the Indigenous Area AKA your reservation. A North American illegally enters the Indigenous Area, asking for your help on his tourist fishing boat, namely sweeping, laundry and cooking. You agree because your family needs the money. Your mother and step-father are scared because they have heard the stories about what has happened to “the others.” Against all hope, they wave and watch as you and nine other girls go off with this American stranger.

When you get to the boat, you learn that your real job is to drink whiskey and beer and have sex with the foreigners who are in your country on a fishing trip. After the foreigners have sex with you and go back home, you are left pregnant, not knowing who fathered your baby.

Three years later, you find yourself sitting in the office of the Regional Superintendent of the Federal Police of the State of Amazonas with your mother, a federal police transcriber, an attorney hired to represent you and the Federal Police Chief, who is asking you to tell him what happened. The police want to know because they are investigating that minor Indian and other girls living near the rivers in the regions of Autazes became victims of sexual exploitation by North-American foreign tourists.

This girl’s deposition and the depositions of four others were taken by the Brazilian Federal Police on June 13, 2007. The Police Chief also hears the others tell him how the same stranger went to the same village every year, luring girls to help him with housekeeping and cooking on his boat .

Instead, the American hires the under-age girls during the tourist’s fishing season. The girls are not paid what was promised for “programs” that consist of oral sex, strip and dance contests on the boat with the American fishermen. The girls allege in their depositions that they were told they’d be paid one rate, but were paid much less of what had been promised.

The second girl tells the Federal Police Chief that she is coming forward “spontaneously” to report that she was the victim of sexual abuse perpetuated by a group of foreigner tourists, North Americans, who, when she was 14, in August of 2005, came to her village to entice her to provide her cleaning services on a boat. She said yes because she needed the money.

When she boarded the vessel with her 16 year old sister and other girls, she learned that she would have to have sex with the foreigners, besides having to pose nude in pictures. She spent a week on the boat, having sex with two foreign tourists, who also paid her for sex. She tells the Federal Police Chief that every year, the same American takes the same tourists to those prostitution programs because many other girls have also been taken to such programs. Every year during the tourist’s fishing season, in August and September, the boat enters the indigenous Area and that the Americans hire the girls, always promising that it is for domestic labor.

The third girl is 18. She is also sitting in the office of the Regional Superintendent of the Federal Police of the State of Amazonas. Also present are her attorney, the Federal Police Chief and transcriber. She has an incomplete elementary education, is of indigenous culture and is a member of an ethnic tribe. She is also reporting that she was the victim of sexual abuse perpetuated by a group of foreigners, North Americans, who, when she was 16, in September, 2005, enticed her to participate in sexual programs.

At the time she was spending her week in school, she was asked to provide domestic services on a boat of tourists. After she gets there, the foreigners take pictures of her and the other girls and invited them to work on the boat, promising to pay two hundred or three hundred Reais for two to three days of work. This translates to about $120 - $180, USD. She accepted the offer because her mother was very ill and needed the money for health treatment in the city of Manaus.

Like the others, when she boarded the vessel, she learned she would have sex and to drink whiskey and beer with the foreigners. The first time she spent two days and two nights on the boat, she had to have sex with three foreigners. On the second time, she spent two days and one night with one foreigner.

She tells the Police Chief how there were about fifteen to eighteen other girls taken on board for the sexual programs. She also describes how the same American and his boat comes every year during August and September during the tourists’ fishing season to the Indigenous Area and that the Americans hire the girls, always promising that it is for domestic labor. She supposes that some of the girls know that the program is about sex and some other girls don’t. Last year, in 2006, she was called by the same American but refused to work those programs.

The fourth girl is in the same office with the same people on the same day to answer questions asked by the same federal police. She says she is appearing spontaneously to report that she was also a victim of sexual abuse perpetuated by a group of foreign tourists. At the time, she was 16 and was accompanied by her sister who was 14 years old. Like the others, she testifies that she was hired to perform domestic labor but after boarding the boat, learned that in reality she would have to have sex with the foreigners.

On that occasion, she spent two days on the boat, she had to have sex with one foreign tourist who went by the nickname “CARECA” (bald). She was promised to be paid $100 Reais, but received only $35 Reais. Translated, she was promised about $60 USD but was paid only $20. She says that approximately ten girls were taken on board for sexual programs and that every year, the same American, takes the same tourists to those prostitution programs, because she knows that many other girls have also been taken to such programs. As far as she knows, the same boat enters the Indigenous Area and that the Americans hire the girls, always promising that it is for domestic activities during the months of August and September, during tourism fishing season.

The fifth girl testifies that she was first contacted in the year 2000 by the same American who organizes tourist excursions inside the indigenous areas of Autazes and from that year on, she began to participate in the sexual programs with foreign tourists, always on the same American’s boat. She said that the same American appeared every year in the region to conduct his excursions and, consequently, the prostitution programs.

This girl then explained how the same American used her to contact other girls of the villages as well as from the city of Autazes. She said he promised to pay her one amount, not only for having sex with the foreigners, but pay her based on the number of girls she recruited, but he never paid what he promised. She stated that in 2006, she again participated in “Richard’s” programs but that she only spent one night on board because she had a problem with him because “he was drunk and could not perform sexually” with her.

When she demanded that she be paid, he locked her in his cabin. After much crying, “Richard” paid her half of the $100 Reais he promised. This translates to being promised $60 USD but only being paid about $30 USD. She also stated that sometimes “Richard” rents the bar and fast-food venue “Dois Irmaos,” which means “Two Brothers,” in the city of Autazes, where she works, to take the girls there to perform striptease.

This is the end of the girls’ depositions, which can be found here.

"The Facts About Child Sex Tourism" is available from the U.S. Department of State here.

"Child Sex Tourism" is available from the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the U.S. Department of Justice here.

A group fighting the commercial sexual exploitation of children, ECPAT, has a website here. This site also provides information on the third World Congress Against Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents, to be held November 25, 28 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

According to the conference organizers:

"The sexual exploitation of children and adolescents is a global reality and the problem is growing. Eliminating this horrific practice, and protecting children and adolescents from it, is a challenge all countries in the world must meet together. Following Stockholm 1996 and Yokohama 2001, Brazil will host the World Congress III Against the Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents in Rio de Janeiro...Over the last decades ECPAT International has been a lead partner in mobilising and supporting the processes and follow up action of the previous two World Congresses, ensuring that these events served as a mechanism to secure commitment and strengthen global action against the violation of children’s rights."

All copies of material reprinted or duplicated from “by Sandy Frost” must include the following credit line: From http://sandyfrost.newsvine.com/ Copyright © 2008 by Sandy Frost. Used by permission.

Adult Disclaimer: This story contains sexually-oriented adult content which may include written references to nude adults, adults engaging in sexual acts, and other materials of a sexually-explicit nature. Permission to read this article is strictly limited only to consenting adults who affirm that they are over 18 years old, that you intend to read the sexually explicit material in the privacy of your own home and that you are familiar with your local community standards and that the sexually-explicit materials which you have chosen to read from this Website are well within the contemporary community standards of acceptance and tolerance of your community for sexually-explicit materials of that nature.

Editor’s Note: This is the second Adult Disclaimer used in this series. The first prefaced “Above the law? Shriner Treasurers' Minutes, Part 10,” published on November 16, 2006 and can be read here.

What began as a federal libel/slander lawsuit between two Brazilian fishing tour operators has led to the possibility that “Masons” on such a fishing trip participated in child sex tourism and minor prostitution. The term “Mason” is used here because that is how two Brazilian fishing guides, called as witnesses for the defense, referred to members of the Royal Order of Jesters identified in their recent depositions.

This is the second of two articles explaining what court records have thus far revealed in this legal battle, described here.

The first article, “Jesters to Testify about Illegal Drugs and Minor Prostitution?” explains how 19 members of the Royal Order of Jesters, who went on a sanctioned fishing trip to Brazil, were also called as witnesses for the defense. The witness list can be read here.

The article also referred to statements from “Jane Does” 1 – 4, one of whom testified to Brazilian federal police that she was 13 and allegedly left pregnant after such a trip. The girls’ statements can be read here.

These same four girls, two who were 16 at the time, with the others being 13 and 14 years old, have also been called as witnesses for the defense.

Brazilian authorities took the same girls’ statements as part of their investigation into a criminal report that “since the year 2000, minor Indian and other girls living near the rivers in the region of the Municipality of Autazes/AM became victims of sexual exploitation by North-American foreign tourists.”

Two fishing guides, who previously worked for the plaintiff, were deposed by the Brazilian federal police to describe what they witnessed as part of this same investigation into the international crime of “child sex tourism.” These guides, both brothers, recently spent three days in Miami with attorneys from both sides, interpreters, a videographer and both parties as they testified about what they witnessed as well as identified those in pictures of “Masons” allegedly having sex with teen prostitutes, some underage.

These groups are related. Once a man becomes a Master Mason, he can then join other groups such as the Scottish Rite, the Knights Templar and the Shriners. Once a Master Mason joins the Shriners, he may be invited to join the Royal Order of Jesters, a secret sub-group whose sole purpose is to “spread the gospel of mirth and merriment.”

The red-fez wearing Shriners are best known for “having fun & helping kids” while the Shriners Hospitals are best known for providing free medical care to burned and crippled children. This investigation is not about those faithful Shriners who have devoted decades to support the hospitals and put smiles on the faces of the burned and crippled children. This investigation is about the Shriners’ lack of non profit disclosure, accountability and transparency in addition to asking why the Shriners intimidate, silence and sue those who ask about crimes instead of prosecuting those who commit the crimes.

Having said that, this is not the only prostitution scandal involving the Royal Order of Jesters. The Buffalo News is continuing to report how three Jesters were caught by the FBI in an illegal-alien prostitution sting, including a retired New York supreme court judge, his law clerk and a retired police captain who pleaded guilty to one felony count of taking prostitutes across state lines to Jesters’ parties.

Back to these depositions. They were recently made public through the PACER system that provides information and documentation about federal court cases.

Relevant parts of these depositions will provided here, edited for clarity, however they also provide a glimpse into legal tactics resembling hand-to-hand combat that could well be found in a John Grisham novel.

The first deposition, 61 pages, was provided by Adilson Garcia da Silva on Sunday, April 13, 2008. He describes how he became a fishing guide, his work history, how marijuana was allegedly obtained for the plaintiffs’ clients then began describing how girls, from age 13 on up, were lured into prostitution from Brazilian Indian reservations for the fishing trips’ clients. The girls, he said, were hired to provide “programs” that consisted of “oral sex, strip and dance contests.”

The attorney for the defense is “Question”. Adilson is “Answer.”

Question: Did any of the girls tell you that they engaged in sex with Wet-a-Line clients?

Answer: Yes

Question: Did they describe to you specifically what type of sex that they had with the Wet-a-Line customers?

Answer: All types.

Question: Did the girls tell you that they were involved in different types of sex acts with Wet-a-Line customers?

Answer: Yes

Question: Did you ever witness any Wet-a-Line customer having sex, whether it was traditional sex or oral sex, from one of these prostitutes?

Answer: Yes

Question: If you could describe for us some of the types of things that you were told by, either saw or told by these prostitutes as to what specifically was occurring on these Wet-a-Line boats?

Answer: I would see it on the boat that they were practicing oral sex. We would be fishing and sometimes we’d go by and they were practicing oral sex.

Question: Did the girls -- did you ever see or hear anything from the girls, these prostitutes, that they came to you or did they come to you and say that they did anything unusual with any of the customers?

Answer: Well, a sex that I had never seen, was to shove a ball in the behind and I, you know, they would say that and I heard it.

Question: Was there a certain set or group of people customer-wise that participated in these sex acts with customer, excuse me, with the prostitutes, or was it just general customers that came aboard the boat?

Answer: No, they were groups who came exclusively to do that type of thing.

Question: And were those groups mainly American men?

Answer: Yes

Question: Can you describe for us -- I mean I know you indicated earlier that at some point in time the Amazon Santana, I believe you referred to it as, and the Santana I were joined together for the women and the men to get together. What would a typical night be when the boats would join together?

Answer: You know, party, drinking, strip, sex, drugs, everything.

Question: Do you know the ages of some of the girls that were on the boats with these customers, Wet-a-Line customers, at the time that you worked for Wet-a-Line?

Answer: Yes

Question: What were some of the ages of the women?

Answer: They would always say they were of age, but they were never of age.

Question: Did you know for a fact that they were not of age?

Answer: Some, yes. Some were not of age.

Question: When you say of age, are you referring to 18 or is it a different age?

Answer: Yes, from 18 up, it is of age.

Question: And is it your understanding that there were girls that were under 18 that were hired to be on these boats as prostitutes.

Answer: Yes

Question: What is the youngest age that you’re aware of girls being prostitutes on the Wet-A-Line boats?

Answer: They said they were 18, but some of them were 16, 17.

Question: What is the youngest age that you’re aware of a girl being on the boat as a prostitute?

Answer: My brother would pick up a group of girls in Autazes and would take by boat to an American. One was 13, one was 14, and there was one who was even 9 years old.

Question: Were the girls that were brought on the boats, were they given alcohol?

Answer: They would drink.

Question: Okay. Sir, I have provided to you what has been marked as Composite Exhibit B, Defendants’ Composite Exhibit B. If you can take a look at the photographs, please?

Answer: I have already looked at them.

Question: Okay. Are these photographs true and correct copies of pictures that you have taken in the past?

Answer: Yes

Question: The first picture, which is Bates labeled, on the top, 00655 for identification purposes. Do you recognize the girl in this photo?

Answer: Yes

Question: Who is she?

Answer: This is Malu, or so called M-A-L-U.

Question: When were these pictures that are in Composite Exhibit B, when were all of these pictures taken?

Answer: This one was last year.

Question: When last year?

Answer: I don’t know the month. I don’t know exactly the month but I think it was September.

Question: Of 2007?

Answer: Yes

Question: And was anyone else around you when you took these pictures, other than the two people that are identified in the picture?

Answer: There were.

Question: Who else was around you when you took this picture?

Answer: Two American fishermen and two girls, prostitutes.

Question: Was Malu hired as a prostitute at the time that you took this picture?

Answer: Yes

Question: Was -- what looks to be a gentleman next to Malu, do you know who that person is?

Answer: Yes I know.

Question: Was a he a customer of Wet-A-Line?

Answer: He was, he was a fisherman, a Wet-A-Line’s fisherman.

Question: How old was Malu at the time you took this picture?

Answer: She was 17.

Question: And were these girls hired to be on board this boat, on this day that you took this picture, to be prostitutes?

Answer: Yes

Question: The next picture, 00663. Can you identify any of the individuals in this picture?

Answer: Yes

Question: Where did you take this picture?

Answer: It was on the upper part of the boat at the beginning of dinner.

Question: A Wet-A-Line---

Answer: In the beginning of the party.

Question: Was it on a Wet-A-Line boat?

Answer: Yes

Question: Do you know who the males are that are identified in the picture?

Answer: These are the ones that they all called him Bob.

Question: Did they call both of these males Bob?

Answer: Yes. One would call this one Bob, and the other one also called the other one Bob, and I didn’t know who Bob was.

Question: Were they Wet-A-Line customers?

Answer: Yes

Question: Who were the females in the pictures, in this picture, excuse me.

Answer: These are the same ones that were in the other pictures, Malu and Kelly.

Question: And were these girls hired to be on board of this boat, on this day that you took this picture, to be prostitutes?

Answer: Yes

Question: How often did you see these two Bobs on the Wet-a-Line boats?

Answer: They came every year. Every year they would come. The last time was now, last year.

Question: When last year?

Answer: It was September, the month of September.

Question: Is that when you took this picture?

Answer: It was.

Question: Turning to the next picture, 00664, can you identify any of the individuals in the picture?

Answer: I don’t know their names, but they were the boat’s clients.

Question: Do you know if they came with a certain organization?

Answer: The manager said that they were Masons. I didn’t know what Masons were. To me, it was like a religion, like a belief.

Question: Was it your understanding that there were certain Masons that came on these tours?

Answer: Right.

Question: Do you know what a Mason is?

Answer: I didn’t know what it was, but now I know that it’s an organization of people that are all over the world.

Question: Do you know if all these individuals in this picture were identified to you as being Masons?

Answer: Yes, it was a group.

Question: Were the two people in the prior picture a part of the Mason group?

Answer: It was the same group. For sure it was the same group.

Question: The next picture, 00668, did you take this picture?

Answer: Yes

Question: Do you know any of the individuals in this picture?

Answer: This one here, I know only by name, and he’s an American. I forgot his name. I forgot, but I know him by name.

Question: Is this Don Anderson?

Answer: That’s right. That’s the name. Don Anderson. He was the leader of the group, the chief of the group.

Question: Do you know the two females in this picture?

Answer: They were the ones who would be accompanying them from the same group.

Question: Why did you say that the gentleman listed in this picture was the leader? What made you think that he was the leader of the group?

Answer: Because the manager would tell us that he was, you know, the chief, the leader.

Question: Did these girls at the end of this night indicate to you that they were with this gentleman?

Answer: Yes

Deposition of Admilson Garcia da Silva, Tuesday April 15, 2008.

The attorney for the defense is “Question”. Admilson is “Answer.”

Question: Did you ever witness any of the Wet-A-Line customers engaging in sex acts with these women that were on the Wet-A-Line boats?

Answer: Yes

Question: What did you see?

Answer: I saw five, five of them, five women and five men, and two of the women were minors.

Question: I’m sorry. You said you saw five men and five women and two of the women were minors. Is that what you said?

Answer: That’s right.

Question: And what did you see the men and women doing with each other?

Answer: There was one woman having sex with a man and the other -- the other women only gave them a blow job.

Question: Sir, I had asked you before we took a break what you saw the women engaging in with the men and if you could describe for us what you saw -- in this particular instance that you’re referring to what you saw at that time on the Wet-A-Line boats.

Answer: Exactly. So there were five men with five women, two of them were minors. And they did all types of, you know, sexual acts. And I took pictures but I -- I took pictures but I don’t have them here.

Question: Did you take pictures of what was happening with these men and women at the time you saw them performing sex with each other?

Answer: Yes

Question: How did you know the ages of the females that were on the boat at the time?

Answer: They told me.

Question: Did the girls appear very young to you?

Answer: Yes, they were girls. They were young girls. Because girls for us is very young.

Question: Now you have children that I believe you said are in the age range, or two of them are 14 and 12, correct?

Answer: The boy is 14, and the girl is 12.

Question: The girls that were hired for services on Wet-A-Line tours, did some of the girls look in the age range of your own daughter who is 12 years old?

Answer: Yes, they were small girls.

Deposition of Adilson Garcia da Silva, Tuesday, April 15, 2008.

Question: Was there ever a certain age group that you were asked to retain the services of meeting, a certain age group of females that you were ever asked to retain the services of while working at Wet-A-Line tours for specific – for a specific group of customers?

Answer: Yes. They always wanted young ones.

Question: Was there ever a specific age group that you were asked to hire for a specific group of customers?

Answer: They would ask from 13 on up.

Question: Was there a specific group of customers, of Wet-A-Line customers, that you were aware of that wanted a certain age group of women?

Answer: Yes, there was.

Question: Which group was that?

Answer: It was more so the group of masons that would ask for that.

Question: And was that the group of people that are identified in the pictures that you have provided in this case?

Answer: Yes

Adilson’s depositions can be found here and here.

Admilson’s deposition can be found here.

All copies of material reprinted or duplicated from “by Sandy Frost” must include the following credit line: From http://sandyfrost.newsvine.com/ Copyright © 2008 by Sandy Frost. Used by permission.

Federal court documents filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Miami Division, related to case number 07-21228, list 19 witnesses who are believed to be members of the Royal Order of Jesters (ROJ) AKA Shriners AKA Masons, who are expected to testify about fishing trips to Brazil and:

“their first hand knowledge of prostitution, minor prostitution, use of illegal drugs and/or entry into Indian reservations by Schair (plaintiff) and/or his customers.”

The libel/slander complaint was filed on May 11, 2007 by Richard W. Schair and Wet-A-Line Tours, L.L.C., plaintiffs, who allege that they were libeled and slandered by Amazon Tours, Inc., defendant, owned by Philip Marstellar, President.

The complaint alleges that Amazon Tours, Inc.:

“has developed a great deal of animosity towards his business competitors including, in particular, Mr. Schair and Wet-A-line Tours, L.L.C. and that defendant’s animosity has manifested itself on many occasions, and most recently in the Miami International Airport where he made and/or published defamatory comments and false accusations about Richard W. Schair and Wet-A-line Tours, L.L.C. to the public and, upon information and belief, to government agents.”

The causes of action include slander, slander per se and tortuous interference with business relationship, for which Schair is seeking compensatory damages in excess of $75,000. The complaint alleges that Amazon Tours, Inc. told a group at the Miami International Airport that Schair was smuggling drugs and was using the yachts that the clients stay onboard in Brazil to move illegal drugs and that they should avoid booking any tours with the Wet-A-Line Tours, L.L.C. because of Schair’s “drug connections.” It also alleges that defendant “knowingly made a false and defamatory report to the Homeland Security Department for the purpose of injury to Schair by causing him embarrassment in front of his clients.”

In response, Amazon Tours, Inc. answered the complaint by stating that the business did not make false statements against Schair, that Schair is not entitled to any relief due to the “doctrine of unclean hands,” and demanded a jury trial. Amazon Tours, Inc. submitted a Defendants’ Pretrial Witness List on December 20, 2007 that lists the name, address and phone number of those so called and the subject of expected testimony. Of the 57 witnesses named, 19, or one third of them, are believed to be members of the Royal Order of Jesters.

The Royal Order of Jesters is a secret fraternal group made up of invited Shriners who, in turn, must be Master Masons. The ROJ and Shriners enjoy the benefits of being classified by the IRS as both non profit charity and fraternal groups.

The Jesters' motto is:

"I am a Jester. What I see here, What I hear here, Shall stay here, When I leave here."

The Royal Order of Jesters was investigated by the Grand Lodge of Texas in 2005 after they received a complaint alleging that:

• Prostitutes were available for Jesters to have their way with

• Brothers had sex in front of other brothers

• Brothers held oral sex competitions

• Potentates, Chaplains, Attorneys, Judges and Past Masters were Jesters

• Sex, illegal gambling and alcohol were the preferred order of business

The complaint asked the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Texas to investigate the Jesters for:

• Actions which disgrace Masonry

• Indulging in the intemperate use of intoxicating liquor

• Gambling

• Profane swearing

• Willfully abandoning their families

• Cohabiting with lewd women

The investigation yielded no prosecutions as those questioned kept quiet.

The U.S. District Court witness list explains that each:

“was a customer of the plaintiffs who fished with the Plaintiffs in Brazil during approximately late August/September 2007. Based on the Wet-A-Line Tours, L.L.C. website, he is believed to be a member of the Royal Order of Jesters as were all other participants on this trip. He is expected to testify that there were twenty Jesters who paid for their trip and that he was one of the nineteen that ultimately participated. He is expected to testify that two boats were supplied by Plaintiffs, one for the Jesters and one for twenty or so girls who accompanied the Jesters. He is expected to testify that the ‘activities’ of the Jesters that week and the nature and extent of services provided by and/or arranged by Plaintiffs or Plaintiffs representatives. He is also expected to authenticate the many hours of videotape and still photographs taken by Defendants of the Jesters’ ‘activities’ during the ‘fishing’ trip. He is expected to identify by way of photographs and association the members of the Jesters group, the identity by name or by description of the girls aboard, the ages of the girls aboard and the exact nature of the activities viewable in the video tape.”

Those witnesses believed to be Jesters include:

William Dewane Meeks, address unknown.

Ferrel Harrison Adams, Jr. Albuquerque, NM.

Robert Rex Lee, M.D., Wichita, KS.

Robert Rex Lee, II, Wichita, KS.

Thomas Raymond Lee, address unknown.

Don Anderson, Albuquerque, NM.

Douglas Allan Boynton, Long Beach, CA Court #161, President, 2005.

Norman Lee Broschous, Peoria, Illinois.

Robert George Duncan, El Bekal Shrine, Long Beach CA Court #161.

Phillip Carl Spellens , El Bekal Shrine, Secretary, 2005, 2006, Long Beach, CA, Court #161.

Claude William Grimes, Redondo Beach, CA.

Carl Wayne Mixon, Sr., New Orleans, LA.

Walker Jenkins, Long Beach, CA.

Samuel Emmett Newton, Jr. Address unknown.

Roy Edward Pennington, New Orleans, LA.

Roy Edward Pennington Jr., New Orleans, LA.

Edward Beynroth Schwimg, Address unknown.

Edward William Sparks, Address unknown.

Harry Howlett Waldron, Jacksonville, FL.

Tax records for the associated ROJ courts #76 (Wichita, KS), #24 (Albuquerque, NM), #161 (Long Beach, CA), #36 (New Orleans, LA) and #90 (Jacksonville, FL) show that, in some cases, over $100,000 is spent annually on “travel, conventions and meetings” so the non profit Jesters can “hold annual events which were devoted to fraternalism and spreading the gospel of mirth and good cheer” while claiming these trips as deductions at tax payer expense.

These tax returns are available at www.guidestar.org.

The Wichita Court #24 reported to the IRS that they spent $122,102 in 2006 for the exempt purpose of “recreation, entertainment and companionship.”

The Albuquerque Court #24 apparently does not file tax returns as none are available through Guidestar.org.

The Long Beach Court #161 reported to the IRS that they spent $82,543 in 2006 as “benefits paid to members.”

This group’s tax return also reports that the books are in care of Phillip Spellens, Secretary, who also signed the return. The same Jesters court reported to the IRS that they spent $69,840 in 2005 as "benefits paid to members" and that Doug Boynton was President.

The New Orleans Court # 36 reported to the IRS that they spent $101,214 in 2006 on “conferences, conventions and meetings” while failing to list an exempt purpose. The same group reported to the IRS that they spent $106,218 in 2005 for “conferences, conventions and meetings” while, again, failing to list an exempt purpose but instead writing “Hurricane Katrina” at the top of this less than complete tax return. The same group reported to the IRS that they spent $145,600.39 in 2004 for “conferences, conventions and meetings” while, again, failing to list an exempt purpose. Listed, however, was the expense of $4,777.50 for hats.

The Jacksonville Court #90 reported to the IRS that they spent $80,397 in 2006 on “conferences, conventions and meetings” while failing to list an exempt purpose. They also spent $79,984 in 2005 and $83, 250 in 2004 while failing, again, to list an exempt purpose.

Also named on the witness list are Jane Does, 1 – 5, who each “has personal knowledge of prostitution, minor prostitution, use of illegal drugs, and/or entry into Indian reservations by Schair and/or his customers.” Jane Doe is described as a minor recruited and/or coerced by Plaintiffs and/or Plaintiff’s representatives for prostitution services for certain of the Plaintiffs’ customers in Brazil during approximately the year of 2000, 2004 and 2005.

Five girls gave statements to Brazilian federal police officers who are investigating “minor Indian and other girls living near the rivers in the region of the Municipality of Autazes/AM who became victims of sexual exploitation by North-American foreign tourists.”

These girls told the Brazilian Ministry of Justice, Federal Police Department that they were, at the time of the alleged minor prostitution, aged 13, 14, 16. One of the 16 year olds stated that her 14 year old sister was also recruited. All the girls state they were lured onto the fishing boat by someone named "Richard."

The 13 year old reported that she was a victim of sexual abuse perpetuated by a group of foreigners, North Americans, who asked for her services aboard their fishing vessel, the Amazon Santana. She was told that her job would consist of doing “the general services of the vessel, such as sweeping, laundry and assisting in the food preparation.” She accepted because her family needed the money and after boarding the vessel with other girls, learned that “she would have to have sex and to drink whiskey and beer with the foreigners.” She also told authorities that she spent three days and three nights on the vessel and that each day she had sex with a different foreigner and that she became pregnant during this occasion not knowing which one of the foreigners was the father and that after the birth of her son, she and her Mother were thrown out their home.

Girl 2, aged 14, states that in August, 2005, “Richard” promised to pay her R$200 (Two hundred Reais) but was paid only R$50. This translates to being promised $119.76 but instead paid $29.94 per night. Girl 3, aged 16, states that in September, 2005, “Richard” promised to pay her R$200 to R$300 for 2-3 days work but was instead paid R$80 the first day and R$50 the second day. This translates to being promised $119.81 - $179.71 and instead being paid $47.92 and $29.95. Girl 4, aged 16, states that in August of 2005, she and her 14 year old sister were promised by "Richard" to be paid R$100 per night but were instead paid R$35 each night. This translates to being promised $59.88 per night and instead being paid $20.95.

These statements allege the crime otherwise known as “child sex tourism.”

President George W. Bush told the UN General Assembly in September, 2003 that:

“There's a special evil in the abuse and exploitation of the most innocent and vulnerable. The victims of sex trade see little of life before they see the very worst of life -- an underground of brutality and lonely fear.”

The U.S. Department of State states:

“Child sex tourism (CST) involves people who travel from their own country to another and engage in commercial sex acts with children. CST is a shameful assault on the dignity of children and a form of violent child abuse and violence. The commercial sexual exploitation of children has devastating consequences for these minors, which may include long-lasting physical and psychological trauma, disease (including HIV/AIDS), drug addiction, unwanted pregnancy, malnutrition, social ostracism, and possibly death.

Tourists engaging in CST often travel to developing countries looking for anonymity and the availability of children in prostitution. The crime is typically fueled by weak law enforcement, corruption, the Internet, ease of travel, and poverty. These sexual offenders come from all socio-economic backgrounds and may hold positions of trust. Previous cases of child sex tourism involving U.S. citizens have included a pediatrician, a retired Army sergeant, a dentist and a university professor. Child pornography is frequently involved in these cases; and drugs may also be used to solicit or control the minors.”

The State Department also reports that:

“Over the last five years, there has been an increase in the prosecution of child sex tourism offenses. At least 32 countries have extraterritorial laws that allow the prosecution of their citizens for CST crimes committed abroad. In response to the phenomenon of CST, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the tourism industry, and governments have begun to address the issue. The World Tourism Organization (WTO) established a task force to combat CST. The WTO, the NGO End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes (ECPAT), and Nordic tour operators created a global Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism in 1999. As of June 2005, 200 travel companies from 21 countries had signed the code (see www.thecode.org.). Many governments have taken commendable steps to combat child sex tourism. For example, France’s Ministry of Education and travel industry representatives developed guidelines on CST for tourism schools and state-owned Air France allocates a portion of in-flight toy sales to fund CST awareness programs. Brazil implemented a national awareness campaign on sex tourism.”

“In 2003, the United States strengthened its ability to fight child sex tourism by passing the Prosecutorial Remedies and other Tools to end the Exploitation of Children Today (PROTECT) Act and the Trafficking Victim’s Protection Reauthorization Act. These laws increase penalties to a maximum of 30 years in prison for engaging in CST. Since the passage of the PROTECT Act, there have been over 20 indictments and over a dozen convictions of child sex tourists. The Department of Homeland Security has also developed the ‘Operation Predator’ initiative to combat child exploitation, child pornography, and child sex tourism. The United States is also funding the NGO World Vision to conduct major public awareness and deterrence campaigns overseas that include public service announcements, internet messaging, brochures, posters, and billboards.”

Child sex tourists are defined as:

“Typically males and come from all income brackets. Perpetrators usually hail from nations in Western European nations and North America. While some tourists are pedophiles that preferentially seek out children for sexual relationships, many child sex tourists are ‘situational abusers.’ These are individuals who do not consistently seek out children as sexual partners, but who do occasionally engage in sexual acts with children when the opportunity presents itself.”

World Vision, an agency funded by the federal government to fight, among other things, child sex tourism, states that:

“The United States has risen to take legislative action against the growing evils of child sex tourism. In 1994, Congress established 18 U.S.C. § 2423(b), which is aimed towards prosecution of child sex tourists. Section 2423 (b) criminalizes traveling abroad for the purpose of engaging in illegal sexual activity with a minor. Currently, successful prosecution under § 2423(b) requires the government to prove that an alleged child sex tourist from the United States formed the intent to engage in sexual activity with a child prior to meeting the child and initiating sexual contact. In other words, a defendant is only punishable under § 2423(b) if he has the intent, while traveling, to engage in sexual activity with minors. The federal government has successfully utilized § 2423(b) to target several child sex tourists. Current proposals to eliminate the intent requirement may broaden the government's prosecutorial power by allowing the government to prosecute United States citizens who engage in sexual acts with children while abroad, regardless of when they formed the intent to do so.”

Penalties, upon conviction, include fines and up to 30 years in prison and, if previously convicted of a sexual crime involving a minor, life in prison, unless the death penalty is imposed.

The complaint can be read here.

The statements given to the Brazillian Federal Police by the girls claiming to be victims of child sex tourism can be read here.

The witness list can be read here.

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