I bet he had his poker face on...

(side note, I've previously written about this case, however I've borrowed from both prior posts, in order to give a more well rounded single post here---
previous posts: letters-from-myspace.html
nbc-trades-to-catch-predator-in-for-new.html)


In November of 1995, a then barely known Iranian born California resident was convicted for violations of California penal codes 243.4 D and 647.6. Those charges amount to:

Penal Code 243.4 D--- (d) Any person who, for the purpose of sexual arousal, sexual gratification, or sexual abuse, causes another, against that person's will while that person is unlawfully restrained either by the accused or an accomplice, or is institutionalized for medical treatment and is seriously disabled or medically incapacitated, to masturbate or touch an intimate part of either of those persons or a third person, is guilty of sexual battery. A violation of this subdivision is punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than one year, and by a fine not exceeding two thousand dollars ($2,000); or by imprisonment in the state prison for two, three, or four years, and by a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10,000).

Penal Code 647.6--

(a) (1) Every person who annoys or molests any child under 18 years of age shall be punished by a fine not exceeding five thousand dollars ($5,000), by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by both the fine and imprisonment.

(2) Every person who, motivated by an unnatural or abnormal sexual interest in children, engages in conduct with an adult whom he or she believes to be a child under 18 years of age, which conduct, if directed toward a child under 18 years of age, would be a violation of this section, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding five thousand dollars ($5,000), by imprisonment in a county jail for up to one year, or by both that fine and imprisonment.

(b) Every person who violates this section after having entered, without consent, an inhabited dwelling house, or trailer coach as defined in Section 635 of the Vehicle Code, or the inhabited portion of any other building, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison, or in a county jail not exceeding one year, and by a fine not exceeding five thousand dollars ($5,000).

(c) (1) Every person who violates this section shall be punished upon the second and each subsequent conviction by imprisonment in the state prison.

(2) Every person who violates this section after a previous felony conviction under Section 261, 264.1, 269, 285, 286, 288a, 288.5, or 289, any of which involved a minor under 16 years of age, or a previous felony conviction under this section, a conviction under Section 288, or a felony conviction under Section 311.4 involving a minor under 14 years of age shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for two, four, or six years.

(d) (1) In any case in which a person is convicted of violating this section and probation is granted, the court shall require counseling as a condition of probation, unless the court makes a written statement in the court record, that counseling would be inappropriate or ineffective.

(2) In any case in which a person is convicted of violating this section, and as a condition of probation, the court prohibits the defendant from having contact with the victim, the court order prohibiting contact shall not be modified except upon the request of the victim and a finding by the court that the modification is in the best interest of the victim. As used in this paragraph, "contact with the victim" includes all physical contact, being in the presence of the victim, communication by any means, any communication by a third party acting on behalf of the defendant, and any gifts.

(e) Nothing in this section prohibits prosecution under any other provision of law.

For those convictions,Shahram Sheikhan was sentenced to nine months in jail and five years probation for sexual battery and child molestation.

The piece covering the case which ran in the Contra Costa Times, is no longer available for online viewing with out purchase (copy can be purchased here) , but I was able to request and receive a full copy of the report from them:

11/22/1995

Manager gets 9 months for molestation
Byline: CATHERINE HEDGECOCK and CAROLYN MCMILLAN
WALNUT CREEK - The manager of a downtown youth clothing and amenities store has been sentenced to nine months in jail for sexual battery and child molestation involving two teen-age girls he met at the store.
Shahram Sheikan, who goes by the first name Shawn, ran the Diversity store, owned by his family, at 1419 Broadway. The store sells clothing, posters, cards, backpacks and other items geared toward teen-agers.
A jury last week convicted Sheikan of three misdemeanor counts of child molestation for verbal sexual harassment of two girls who were 16 and 17 at the time of the incidents last year. The jury also found him guilty of one misdemeanor count of sexual battery against the younger girl. He was sentenced Monday.
Two other teens testified against Sheikan during his trial, but Sheikan was not convicted on any charges related to them. The jury acquitted Sheikan on two counts and deadlocked on the rest, said Walnut Creek-Danville Municipal Court Judge Bruce Mills.
The girls testified that Sheikan, 26, repeatedly asked them for sex, and became increasingly aggressive after they turned him down. Eventually, he began physically pulling them onto his lap and demanding hugs. In one incident, he put his hands down the younger girl's pants, she said.
"I felt like a piece of meat," she said. "We felt we should stand up for ourselves. I had nightmares about him, and I didn't want other people to have to go through this."
In an interview Tuesday at the County Jail in Martinez, Sheikan said the convictions were "all just a big misunderstanding." The climate of the store was one full of flirtation and sexual innuendo, he said.
"When I first opened the store, we had tons of girls girls and guys who wanted to hang out and be part of something. All day long I would have to hear what guys they wanted to be with. . . they were constantly talking about sex."
He did not deny trial testimony that he tried to persuade the two girls to have sex in exchange for a skateboard, but said he was kidding.
"It was just a big joke and that's why I'm sitting in this hole." Sheikan said. "I am not a criminal. I'm a businessman. I don't prey on young girls."
During sentencing Mills admonished Sheikan for denying under oath that the crimes took place and said Sheikan's testimony was not credible.

That might have been the end of Sheikhan's time in the spotlight for his crimes, and his past could easily have been swept under the carpet. Except that Skeikhan caught the attention of Tom Somach of PokerHelper.com, who proceeded to write a short piece on Sheikan's past, which was picked up by Gambling911.com , Even I have to admit that it's odd for gambling related websites to post about convicted sex offenders, but it just happens that Shahram "Shawn" Sheikhan is a big name in the poker world- big enough in fact that he's appeared on NBC's Poker After Dark.

Some might take this moment to point out that this is the very same network that gave us To Catch A Predator, and my run of the mill commentary on this has been that they must have swapped To Catch a Predator to To Gamble with a Child Molester.

Of course, the story has become more interesting since it first was published, as PokerHelper was on the receiving end of a few words in regards to putting the information out there:

“I am the attorney for Shahram Sheikhan and am writing to you to immediately put you on notice that your previously published allegation about my client is defamatory and untrue,” wrote Las Vegas attorney David Chesnoff in an e-mail. “We are requesting that you immediately print a retraction that he is not a convicted rapist.”

In a news story last week, PokerHelper.com reported that Sheikhan was one of six poker pros appearing all week on NBC’s “Poker After Dark” television show. The story also noted Sheikhan’s criminal past–a sex crime 13 years ago for which he served time in prison, and for which the U.S. government tried to deport him last year to his native Iran.

Even Gambling911 was included in the demands for a retraction:

"The judge knows that Shawn never raped anyone. Rape is a felony, especially against a child, yet the writer states he was convicted on misdemeanor charges. He did not rape a child as the author's piece claims. The poker community knows this, and this amounts to nothing more than a vicious attack on Shawn's character, a man who paid for his mistakes years ago under the guidelines of the law."

Oehring would not comment on the specifics of Sheikhan's case either. Instead, he demanded that Somach's article be yanked from the Gambling911.com website. Somach is one of a series of respected online gambling veteran reporters who allows his content to be reprinted on the G911 site just as Oehring's releases are published on the site as a courtesy to promote his television venture.

A vicious attack on Sheikhan huh? Let's go back to the article printed in 1995- and compare the feelings of one of the FOUR victims, to just how 'vicious' this must be for the Sheik:

Eventually, he began physically pulling them onto his lap and demanding hugs. In one incident, he put his hands down the younger girl's pants, she said.
"I felt like a piece of meat," she said.

Now, if you didn't catch the reference to NBC, or my previous posts on Sheikhan, then you might be in for a interesting twist in this case. It seems that Sheikhan, one of the stars of the Poker After Dark series that airs of NBC, has even been defended by the producer, thinks this is pretty much just insane to be worried about- after all, he's paid for his crime. His profile (linked above) starts out with an interesting slice of information, given his history- I'm not sure if it was the best choice for use as a descriptive of him:

Though a few might heartily disagree, Sharhram Sheikhan, Shawn, to his friends, insists he's a good guy.

Of course, ICE didn't think that it was insane, as they attempted to have him deported last year because of the convictions. Documents from the deportation case are in the links below.
http://lostinlimaohio.googlepages.com/show_case_doc1.pdf
http://lostinlimaohio.googlepages.com/show_case_doc2.pdf
http://lostinlimaohio.googlepages.com/show_case_doc3.pdf

The case for deportation was, according to sources 'in the know' lost mainly because the courts which held his conviction only keep records for 10 years before destroying them. Currently more than one person is in search of any trace of the entire case that might remain, but ICE's case against him has been dropped until further findings.

But that's not the poker players entire story- interestingly enough, it seems that the "Sheik" as he refers to himself on his myspace page, was also responsible for a wreck that took the life of an elderly woman:

One of the two deaths attributed to the storm was the result of an auto accident just after 11 a.m., when a car hydroplaned in the northwest part of the valley.

A Mercedes, driven by Las Vegan Shahram Sheikhan, 29, was traveling at speeds too fast for the slick road conditions on Buffalo Drive just north of Charleston Boulevard, Metro Police said.

The Mercedes slid across the raised center median of southbound Buffalo and struck a Lincoln traveling in the northbound lanes, police said.

The female passenger, 91-year-old Dorathy Ohriner of Las Vegas, died at the scene, the Clark County Coroner's office said today. The Lincoln was driven by Neil Ohriner, 66, also of Las Vegas, police said.

Sheikhan and Mr. Ohriner were taken to University Medical Center with moderate injuries.

I don't know about you, but when I read that Sheikhan 'insists he's a good guy', I have to wonder if he's wearing his poker face as the words come outta his mouth.

Special thanks to Gambling911.com and PokerHelper.com for exposing what just might be the Sheik's worst hand.

Birds of a feather...

A 16 year old girl was seen during school hours walking alone by a police officer. The officer attempted to stop the girl in order to find out if she was truant, and the young girl proceeded to cry and run off. After a short pursuit- the officer was able to catch the girl who then went on to tell a horrific story.

The victim said she was walking in the 8600 block of Cinderella Drive when a Jeep Cherokee pulled up, a man pointed a gun at her and said, "You need to come with me," according to police.

She said she was driven to a house, taken inside, ordered to take off her clothes, then all four raped her, according to police.

When they left her alone in a bedroom, she climbed out the window and escaped, she told police.

Three men, LaBron Miller, 28; Alan Alley, 26, and Dwayne Miller, 29; were taken into custody, while police continue to search for a forth suspect.

Full story..

New tool in the fight against child porn

I swear they come out with the neatest ways to reel in the pervs these days- honestly, who'd ever thought that we'd have a child porn tracking cat??? (Think cadaver dog, only with child porn and a cat).

A cat snooping around its new apartment found a hiding place where the previous resident hid a stash of child pornography, police said.

The woman who owns the cat noticed it could stick its head in a gap between the pantry and ceiling, then a friend reached into the gap and found DVDs containing child pornography, according to an arrest warrant.

Woman with incredy-cat took CP to police, who tracked down the perv it belonged to, Luis Jimenez a 24 year old freak who used to rent the apartment.

Someone toss that cat a bone... errr, um, maybe some catnip or a toy mouse... at least toss it something good!

Best defense strategy ever..

Well, it might not be the best, seeing as how it failed to convince a jury- but it certainly should get points for being original.

Man gets arrested because police believe he is a flasher they've been trying to catch. He decides to 'use his manhood' or in this case, lack of- to explain why he just couldn't be the flasher in question.

Michael Carney, a married 41-year-old father of two, claimed he was too embarrassed about the size of his manhood to expose himself to women - and showed the jury at Teesside Crown Court photos as proof.

Jury convicted him even counts of outraging public decency and four counts of indecent assault despite the 'under developed' evidence.

Chuckie... he's back

We've talked about Chuckie before. He's the deranged lunatic that confessed to kidnapping and murdering 10 year old Katie Coleman. Only, Chuckie Hickman didn't kidnap, rape or kill Katie... he just wasted police time and energy claiming to have done it- ultimately buying time for the real killer- Anthony Stockelman- to remain free.

A while after falsely confessing to Katie's murder, Chuckie found himself in real trouble, when he was charged with a Class B felony charge of child molestation. Seems that while he wasn't a killer- he was still a pervert. When Hickman was sentenced I commented that there is one thing a defense lawyer can spew out that is a sure sign that the public is being screwed: "It turns out to be a pretty decent deal except for the sex-offender registry,", yep old Chuckster got a plea deal, and it really was a sweet deal- unless of course you're a member of the general public with an expectation that the justice system actually punishes bad people... in that case you just got screwed. The charges against him could have put him away for 6 to 20 years... but he didn't get anything close to that, and now it seems he's (drum roll) free again.

Source-- 23 year old Charles "Chuckie" Hickman confessed to police that he murdered 10-year old Katie Coleman in 2005, but it was a false confession.

He later pleaded guilty to molesting a 13-year old two years earlier. Hickman served two years for that crime and was released Friday from the Plainfield Correctional Facility.

Nothing like letting a sicko back out on the streets. And of course, after just two years of having him put away- I'm sure that everyone is feeling just jiffy about welcoming this scum bag home. WOO HOO! Way to go Indiana! I swear, sometimes I think people will never learn.

Even in jail, they're still animals

A convicted sex offender who is currently serving a sentence for "criminal sexual conduct with a minor" seems to be this week's proof that an animal is still an animal even if it's caged.

George Salisbury, who will likely be spending more than his current 15 year sentence in jail, attacked a female guard after midnight last week, corning her in a locked room. Three other inmates, who heard the guards screams for help were able to break into the room (I'm not touching that, but I'm sure you can see where I could say something) and rescue her. She was taken to the hospital to be treated for injuries- the primate in question was transfered to another prison.

Officials said Salisbury faces criminal charges in the attack on the officer.

Full story..

NBC trades To Catch a Predator in for new show ' To gamble with a child molester'

Personally, I've always like the To Catch a Predator series... but something tells me that the new version... To Gamble with a Child Molester isn't going to be one of my favorites.

NBC’s late-night TV show “Poker After Dark” this week features as one of the poker-playing participants a convicted rapist whom the U.S. government tried to deport.

Actually, the 30 something Iranian poker player isn't a full fledged rapist, just a child molester, convicted of misdemeanor sexual battery against a 17-year-old girl in 1995.

Oh, that makes me feel so much better...

sources (links fixed sorry!):
Here, here and best of all....
his myspace account.....

"It just hurt me ... it hurt me,"

Those are the words that most of us would expect to hear from the victim of a vicious rape, but it seems that this time around, a vile scum bag has opted to try to gain sympathy for himself by pulling the words outta his ass and tossing them around as if we are to believe them.

Accused rapist Ryan Huppie broke down in court today as he testified about seeing himself on the TV news wanted for viciously attacking a woman.

"It just hurt me ... it hurt me," blubbered Huppie, saying he had always lived his life with the belief you should never hurt women.

Huppie, who took the witness stand in his own defence at his attempted murder trial, also choked back tears as he spoke about trying to hang himself after being charged.

"What happened with this whole situation, it's ... it's ... it really bothered me. It hurts me cause I can't see myself doing this to anybody."

It's really bothered him? So, what should we give him a tissue, pat him on the back- maybe even offer a hug and then let him be on his way? This man, this low life pile of human waste wants people to feel bad for HIM? Ya gotta be kidding me.

Court has heard the then-33-year-old victim had serious lacerations to her throat, face, back of her neck, arm and chest, and two of her fingers were nearly severed

She was terrorized, and raped... and this monster is the one trying to hold back tears? Right.

A load of wash, with a sex assault on the side

You know, the headlines fail to surprise me anymore. Honestly... if we plan to continue to allow scum bags out of the prisons, then we must be willing to be prepared for reading cases where the offenders have broken the law again.

A registered sex offender is back behind bars, charged with sexually assaulting a woman at a coin-operated laundry.
more stories like this

Eric Searles, 45, was arrested Saturday night by Loudon police, who stopped him for several traffic violations, police said.

Police had been looking for him since Jan. 4, when a woman reported Searles followed her from a homeless shelter where both had been staying and raped her at the laundry.

Here's an idea- let's not play catch and release with this sick monkey this time... let's just keep him in the cage behind bars where he belongs.

Politician Calls Muhammad a 'Child Molester'

It seems there is a politician tossing around the old 'if the shoe fits..." way of thinking.

I'm all for that.

Susanne Winter, a right-wing politician with the FPÖ party running for a city council seat in the city of Graz, blasted Muslims on Sunday, saying that "in today's system" the Prophet Muhammad would be considered a "child molester," apparently referring to his marriage to a six-year-old child.

Augh, proof that sometimes politics are truthful.

No Pants 2K8

Just had to share this- just in case one of you innocent people walk onto a train and are startled to death by the sight of hundreds of people parading in their undies, you won't be able to complain that I didn't warn you. Beware Boston:

More than 300 people have signed up to ride the trains in their underwear this Saturday night in a stunt they're calling "No Pants 2K8," according to the Patriot Ledger.

It's a group prank inspired by a comedy troupe that does the same thing in New York.

And, just cause you're not in Boston- don't start feeling to safe from this overwhelming show of human skin... it seems that the idea might be spreading.

*note, I get the joke, I see the humor in this... but I'm labeling the damn thing under 'exposed' anyhow. I just know someone's grandmother is going to board that train and be in store for the shock of her life.

There must be something in buses

I really thought that the school bus driver stopping to make an appointment with a hooker while kids were on board was about as bad as thing as I could except to hear/ read anytime soon. But, leave it to Trench to send over another bus related case, only this one is much much worse.

Deputies allege that Brandon Bass was engaging in a sexual encounter with a 13-year-old female on a Tensas Parish school bus as it was traveling through Concordia Parish on December 15th.

Now, I have no idea what a 20 year old man was doing on a school bus to begin with, I'm crossing my fingers hoping that he wasn't the driver, or employed for the school somehow. But, if neither of those two options remain- he's either a student or has no damn good reason to have been on the bus to begin with. Anyway you look at it- it's not good.

What's just as concerning in this case is that this was witnessed by other students on the bus, and only came to light after one of those students informed her parents. So much for any adult with moral obligations actually keeping an on what was going on during the ride.

Continue reading,

I believe they are commonly referred to as parental controls...

But regardless of their tech name- I'm seriously suggesting that you either take away the computers- or remove the internet or CD/DVD players. At the very least- spend some of the taxpayers money on something worthwhile- like a nice program to restrict the access the non inmates have on the computer.

There is no acceptable reason for any of these predators to have child porn, let alone four of them.

Restrictions at the Special Commitment Center for sex predators on McNeil Island haven't been able to totally block pornography.

In the past two years, at least four of the residents have been charged with possessing illegal pornography and officials are investigating several others.

Killer Hotdog

My friend Trench really knows how to make a girls day: just send her a link to a story that starts off with the headline "Child molester inmate dies after choking on hot dog".

It seems that some sicko (Frederick Fretz) who had been serving time (a 20-year sentence) for kidnapping and molesting children decided to wolf down a hotdog... and choked to death on it. There's soooo many jokes I could make here, but I won't. At least not in this blog post- after all, someone is dead, and we shouldn't laugh about that.

Even if he was a worthless scum bucket who preyed on little children, and deserved to die.

Man loses special friend, sues jail

A perverted primate who spent four years in the slammer for "carnal knowledge of a 16-year-old girl" has decided to sue the jail he once called home after losing his pecker.

A former Terrebonne Parish inmate alleged that jail doctors failed to diagnose cancer until it was too late to save the affected body part.

Christopher Medice, 40, said he first noticed symptoms while serving a six-month term for failing to register as a sex offender.

Medice said he reported the pain, discharge and bleeding to correctional officers and medical staff. After he was released, he said, doctors at the LSU system hospital in Houma diagnosed penile cancer and told him that amputation was necessary.

Seriously, am I suppose to have pity on this one? Am I? Cause I'm thinking- it all goes back to being his fault. Had he kept it to himself, rather than spreading it around in a game of 'have sex with minors', then he wouldn't have been in jail for those four years, and may have actually been able get medical treatment he needed. Although, most likely not. Doctors suck these days, and it's likely that the cancer would have went untreated for one lame excuse or another. Either way, it's his fault he was in jail, his fault he lost his little man, and his fault he's a perv.

Pointless side point offered by Lilo: 'they all ought to lose the pecker when they get caught putting it where it don't belong'.

Special thanks to Trench, who knows how I enjoy the 'sex offender got his' stories.

A&E Presents Season Seven of 'The First 48'

As a special interest, I thought I'd share the following information from A&E on a show that you all will want to be sure you tune in for:

(image takes you to site)
A&E REAL LIFE SERIES - THE FIRST 48 – RETURNS FOR A SEVENTH SEASON

CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED SERIES ADDS TWO NEW CITIES TO ITS ROSTER PREMIERING THURSDAY, JANUARY 10 @ 10:00PM

New York, NY – December 10, 2007 – This winter, A&E is bringing back the critically acclaimed Real-Life series, THE FIRST 48 for more action-packed drama. Season Seven of THE FIRST 48 premieres on Thursday, January 10th at 10:00PM/9C.

THE FIRST 48, the highest rated non-fiction justice series in cable, comes back strong promising to bring viewers behind the scenes of real-life investigations with unprecedented access to crime scenes, forensic processing and interrogations. The series, which follows homicide detectives in real time during the first critical 48 Hours of a murder investigation, adds Minneapolis and Tucson this season to its already impressive roster of the nation's top police departments, including Miami, Memphis, Dallas, Kansas City, Cincinnati and Detroit.

First Episode Synopsis

In Memphis, Sergeant Connie Justice investigates the murder of a 32-year-old tattoo artist shot to death during a robbery. The victim's husband, who survived the robbery, only knows the suspects' nicknames.

Armed with stencils of tattoos the customers received before the robbery, Sergeant Justice must identify and track down the multiple suspects.

PREMIERE: January 10 at 10pm/2am ET and PT
LENGTH: 1 hour
PRODUCED BY: Granada Entertainment USA for A&E Television Networks

---


Find more videos like this on coalition of crime bloggers


Check out more clips of the show

Suspected Rapist Shot

Officer Richard Martinez wasn't just 'doing his job', because in reality the HPD was off the clock, though still wearing his 'raid jacket'. But his actions just go to prove that being a police officer- looking out for the safety of others, catching the bad guy- isn't a 'clock in and clock out' career. It's a way of life, that continues even after your day job ends.

Officer Richard Martinez, 27, was flagged down by a nude woman about 1 a.m. while he was working a part-time security job at the apartments in the 8700 block of Broadway, Houston police said.

The woman informed the off duty officer that she had been sexually assaulted, and was able to point out a man fleeing the scene. That's when Martinez went into action, in an attempt to capture the suspect.

Martinez, who was wearing an HPD raid jacket, identified himself and ordered the man to stop. A struggle began when the officer caught up to him in the complex. "The suspect became very violent," said HPD spokeswoman Johanna Abad.

The suspect knocked Martinez to the ground, then attempted to hit the officer with his flashlight, police said. Martinez's pistol fell out of the holster during the struggle.

"He (Martinez) felt for his gun on the ground (and) picked it up," Abad said.

Martinez fired his pistol once, striking the suspected rapist. He was taken to Ben Taub General Hospital, where he underwent surgery and was expected to survive, said HPD spokesman John Cannon.

The comments on the story are just as interesting as the story itself, so pop over to catch them.