Alleged Child Molester Searched Online for “gay black boys” before September Arrest
Douglas Perlitz
Prosecuters accused Douglas Perlitz of trolling around the internet searching for “gay black boys” prior to his September arrest for allegedly molesting 9 boys at the Haitian charity he founded to assist homeless street orphans Wednesday afternoon.
Perlitz and his lawyer, William Dow, had been seeking bail just hours after Assistant U.S. Attorney Krishna Patel filed a document detailing the findings of a forensic analysis of a laptop seized from Perlitz in Colorado last month.
The report alleges that he used search key-words such as “gay black boys,” “Colorado Haitians” and “Africa boys” until the day before his Sept 16 arrest. The agent conducting the analysis also found more than 100 images, many depicting “younger-looking black males engaged in graphic homosexual activity,” according to Patel.
“This clearly raises additional concerns for detention purposes since these Web pages and forums were being accessed while Perlitz was in the United States,” prosecutors wrote in court papers Tuesday.
Dow withdrew Perlitz’s request to be released on $5 million bond and into the custody of about a dozen friends and relatives Wednesday.
Perlitz was indicted in September with seven counts of traveling outside the US to have sex with children and three counts of engaging in sexual conduct with children while in Haiti.
He is accused of enticing boys at the Project Pierre Toussaint School in Cap-Haitien, Haiti into sex acts by promising gifts.
“In order to entice and persuade the children to comply with the sex acts, Perlitz provided the promise of food and shelter and also provided monetary and other benefits, including, but not limited to, U.S. and foreign currency, cellphones, other electronics, shoes, clothes and other items,” the indictment says.
Perlitz has pleaded not guilty and denies any wrongdoing.
If convicted, Perlitz faces 30 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000, on each count of the indictment.
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#1 by flinch on June 20, 2010 - 11:46 am
Appalling and sickening behavior, of course; yet the headline caught my attention as well. It worries me that internet searches for “boys” in a pornographic context contribute to a prosecution or detention. “Boy” is a common way to say “young man,” especially in gay culture, and does not mean that the searcher is looking for an underage male. Likely hundreds or thousands of adult websites catering to gay men use the word “boy” to denote a certain look, usually that of a man age 18-24. Should this web search be used against this man (who likely was looking for underage boys, not simply young men) would it set a precedent that web searches for “boys” indicate the searcher is seeking child pornography?