Woman Fired For Reporting Library Patron Looking At Naked Boys Online

Here's a link to the story, posted by California Catholic Daily: “They regard child pornography as free speech” - Woman fired for telling police library patron was viewing naked boys on free public computer

Here's the text:

Librarians across the United States should report child pornography to law enforcement despite their supervisors’ reluctance to protect children, said Campaign for Children and Families, a leading California-based pro-family organization.

County librarian assistant Brenda Biesterfeld of Lindsay was fired after disobeying her supervisor’s order not to report a man who was looking at naked boys on the library’s public computer. She called police anyway, who, during his next library visit, caught 39-year-old Donny Lynn Chrisler allegedly viewing child pornography. Chrisler was arrested March 4 on suspicion of violating child pornography and obscenity laws. Police also say they found “kiddie porn” in Chrisler’s trailer home.

Nonetheless, Biesterfeld was fired. “She kind of threatened me,” Biesterfeld said, describing her conversation with Judi Hill, her supervisor. “She said I worked for the county, and when the county tells you to do something, you do what the county tells you. She said I had no loyalty to the county. I told her I was a mother and a citizen also, and not just a county employee.”

Biesterfeld was fired on March 6. A letter from Tulare County Librarian Brian Lewis said probationary employees can be terminated at any time if they don't perform at a level “necessary for fully satisfactory performance in the employee's position.” But a Lindsay city councilwoman said six weeks before the firing that she was told Biesterfeld was doing a great job.

On March 14, the Lindsay City Council sent a letter to Tulare county supervisors complaining about Judi Hill’s “abrupt, demanding and demeaning” phone call to a police captain telling him to call off his pornography investigation because the city had “no business interfering” with library matters.

“The liberals who run the library system in America must stop violating the federal law because they regard child pornography as free speech,” said Randy Thomasson, president of Campaign for Children and Families. “All pornography is immoral, but possession of child pornography is a federal crime. No librarian should fear reporting child pornography to the police, but libraries that fail to report these crimes should be very afraid. Brenda Biesterfeld will get her job back, and more.”

Campaign for Children and Families and Liberty Counsel, a nationwide legal organization, have been in contact with Biesterfeld. Liberty Counsel has agreed to represent Biesterfeld at no charge.

The American Library Association does not teach librarians to report child pornography to the police. Instead, the association has vigorously opposed all congressional efforts to restrict pornography, obscenity and child pornography for more than a decade.

My thoughts:

So, let me get this straight, the solution to all of our problems is more government, right? Isn't that what liberals think, despite examples like this (on a smaller scale) Hurricane Katrina (on a larger scale), which seem to teach the lesson that we can't always depend on government to solve all our problems.

The message library officials sent Brenda Biesterfeld is that she will obey the directives of her liberal overlords, no matter how wrong they may be, or suffer the consequences! Fortunately, the fact that doing as she's told means looking the other way and allowing a child predator to escape detention bothered Brenda Biesterfeld, and she had the courage to do the right thing.

Calling child pornography free speech is spectacularly stupid, not to mention formal cooperation in evil (as doing so is essentially an attempt to defend such activity and obstruct efforts to oppose it).

Any thoughts?

Comments

[Ken]

In some of the Red States, the librarians would have shot the pervert!

[Scott W.]

Brenda Biesterfeld will get her job back, and more.

One can only hope the "more" is putting her in charge of that library. Who would want to go back to work for a bunch like that?

[Joseph-USA]

Randy Thomasson knows whereof she speaks.

I was fired from a Public Library Board of Trustees and that action by Liberal (i.e. Atheistic big government Socialist) government officials, ignited a political blow back and shakeup which absolutely stunned (and significantly hobbled) the entire Leftist structure of government in our State.

Godspeed to Brenda Biesterfeld. I hope she runs for Governor (she might win).

[Brian Michael Page]

They should have arrested Judi Hill for obstruction of justice.
BMP

[Lisa T.]

I wonder if the child rapist in the below article had viewed pornography on a library computer before raping this 6 yr. old boy in the library?

Sex offender accused of raping boy
Judge released man despite prosecutors' warnings
The Associated Press
updated 3:00 p.m. PT, Fri., Feb. 1, 2008
NEW BEDFORD, Mass. - A convicted sex offender who was released from prison over prosecutors' objections has been charged with raping a 6-year-old at a public library while the boy's mother used a computer nearby.

Corey Saunders was arrested outside a homeless shelter Wednesday evening shortly after a librarian saw them together, became suspicious and notified the mother, authorities said.

Already, the case has reignited debate over a state law allowing sexually dangerous predators to be locked up indefinitely even after they complete their prison terms.

Authorities allege Saunders lured the boy into a secluded corner of the library and raped him. New Bedford police Lt. Jeff Silva said the boy did not scream because he was paralyzed by fear; Saunders demanded the boy's address and threatened to rape him again, Silva said.

"I think what shocked us the most is how bold this was," Silva said. "It was 5 p.m. in a very busy library. What kind of monster attacks a kid? How is this guy out on the streets?"

Saunders, 26, was convicted in 2001 of indecent assault and battery and attempted rape on a child for attacking a 7-year-old boy in a foster home where he was placed. He was released about a year ago by a judge even though prosecutors and three psychologists said he was likely to strike again.

Bristol Superior Court Judge Richard Moses denied a motion by the district attorney's office to keep Saunders in custody under what is called a civil commitment. The law, which mirrors those in several other states and federal court, allows authorities to postpone releasing sex offenders who are deemed still dangerous when their prison terms end, and move them to mental hospitals instead.

Opponents object that such laws unfairly keep inmates incarcerated longer their sentences, essentially punishing them to ease the public's fear that they'll attack again. A federal judge in North Carolina agreed in September that the federal version was unconstitutional, though the matter has not been resolved in the courts.

Moses cited Saunders' low IQ, his history of being sexually abused as a child and his lack of sexual offenses in prison as reasons to let him out. Also, a psychologist for the defense said Saunders was not likely to attack again.

The judge is not allowed to comment on a pending case.

Saunders was being held without bail. He is charged with rape of a child by force, indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 and enticing a child.

His attorney, public defender Lee Fortier, did not immediately return a call seeking comment Friday.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22956688/

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[anthony]

I used to work in the university library here, as a security guard. Finding these perverts, and believe me there are many, was one of my little joys.

crazies, homeless, and perverts just some of the fun you'll have at your local library.

[ann]

Just imagine how many perverts have gotten away with this despicable behaviour at the Lindsay library before Brenda arrived. If the supervisor had been the nosy library yenta like we all grew up with in Catholic schools in the 60 and 70's, he would have been thrown out on his ear. Her supervisor's statements is typical of the biddy who has carved out her territory and nobody will tell her how to run her library.

[Warren Anderson]

In a word - censorship. Yes, censor pornography. Let's return to a sense of community standards derived from a Judeo-christian ethic and stop apologizing for seeing more in Man than instinctual urges. Any common sensical person knows that pornography is a malignant, cheap, demeaning work that reduces humans to mere animals. Art, by contrast, elevates the human form and arouses wonder, versus mere arousal. Those who deny the negative effect of smut on the population are the same people who ignore the effects of drug abuse on families of loved ones seized by addiction. "Low-bar" thinking has made the common (wo)man a bag of hormones incapable of exercising self control. Pornography is a dangerous drug, and it should be outlawed like any other drug.

[K T Cat]

Linked!

[Jimbo]

How exactly librarians confused their job title with libertinism is beyond me. I suppose stocking the shelf with the Anarchists' Cookbook and the like is fine. I wonder if they'd stock a book called "Bombing Your Local Abortion Mill"? I'll bet freedom only extends to sexual deviants. (For the record, I disagree with both!!)

I have heard consistent complaints from people about libraries refusing to stock certain books from conservative authors...Robert Spencer's book on Islam comes to mind. Where's freedom of choice then? Devo must be rolling in their graves!!!

[Donna Worth]

Saying all librarians and libraries are left-wing pornography pushers is just as bad as me calling all Catholics right-wing book burners and zealots. Labels do not solve any problems.
Your inflammatory rhetoric in no way accurately reflects most librarians or libraries. You don't want to address the heart of the matter, which is men who like to look at filthy pictures, you'd rather make librarians into the bad guy. Most librarians are women and it's much easier to demonize women.

[Lori]

@Donna Worth: women librarians who don't want to address the "heart of the matter" (as you call it) ARE demons, and don't need help from any of us being characterized as such.

[Jessica]

Reading some of these blogs are just nonsense. This being a Roman Catholic Blog I would expect people to actually think of the facts and not judge a person on what they have heard from the media. Most educational people would come to a reliazation that the media only puts out what gives them the best ratings. So how dare people go on to a religous blog site and have the nerve to call someone a demon, when it souldn't be their place to judge. all I can say is know the facts and hear both sides of the story before you start judging someone. so about all this nonsence of judy hill being a demon, or should be arrested is just rediculous. For all you ignerate people who think such ludicris things may God be with you because if you are that stupid to sit there and believe all that the media has to say and judge someone when you don't even know all the facts, then you need all the help you can get.