Family Advocates Applaud DOJ for Indictment of Long-Time Porn Peddler
by James L. Lambert and Rusty Pugh
March 18, 2005
(AgapePress) - Pro-family advocates are praising the work of the Department of Justice for busting a major pornography distributor. One group's spokesman commends the actions of the new head of the DOJ, Attorney General Roberto Gonzales, for doing exactly what he said he was going to do.The Justice Department announced this week that a federal grand jury in Dallas, Texas, has issued a 23-count indictment against long-time porn operator Edward J. Wedelstedt of Littleton, Colorado. The indictment alleges that Wedelstedt, through his corporation -- Goalie Entertainment Holdings -- operates porn and adult stores in 18 states through which porn videos, magazines, and "sexually oriented products" are sold, and where individuals purchase access to a "back room video arcade" for viewing pornographic videos.
Named specifically in the indictment are six videos and DVDs the grand jury found to contain obscene material. The DOJ says the contents of those items can be described as "hard-core pornography with patently offensive depictions."
Also named in the indictment were: Vivian Lee Schoug of Littleton, CO; Arthur Morris Boten of Des Moines, IA; James Randal Martinson of Memphis, TN; Jeffrey Mark Parris of Denver, CO; Leroy Moore, Sr. of Arlington, TX; and Beverly Kay Van Dusen of Arlington, TX.
The indictment charges the defendants with racketeering, non-reporting of cash deposits, and interstate transportation and sale of obscene materials. Richard Roper, the U.S. Attorney from the Northern District of Texas, said "this indictment is a result of excellent cooperation between federal, state and local law enforcement ...." And Nancy Jardini with the IRS notes that "the prosecutions of individuals who intentionally conceal income and evade taxes is a vital element in maintaining public confidence in our tax system."
Jan LaRue, chief counsel for Concerned Women of America feels the indictment of Wedelstedt is significant. "This is Mr. Big in the porn industry, and the indictment sends a strong message to the rest of the country," she says. "This is the [indictment] we've been waiting for."
While Phil Burress, president of the Cincinnati-based Citizens for Community Values, agrees the indictment sends a strong message to the porn industry, he believes "it should have taken place four years ago." Burress notes the investigation began seven years ago. "Why has it taken so long for it to materialize?" he wonders.
Burress's organization belongs to the Arlington Group, a coalition of pro-family groups that meet periodically in Washington, DC. Burress, like
other members of the group, feels the DOJ's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) should be more aggressive in prosecuting obscenity and adult hard-core crime. He is calling for the removal of Clinton appointee Drew Oosterbaan, who currently heads up the CEOS. Prosecution of obscenity in this section is key to establishing more controls over an industry which has run wild since the early 1990s.
And while Burress focuses on the CEOS leadership, Randy Sharp of the American Family Association -- whose founder initiated creation of the Arlington Group -- says it is apparent the top law enforcement official in the country is serious about going after smut peddlers. He recalls a recent vow made by Attorney General Robert Gonzales.
"A couple of weeks ago, Attorney General Gonzales said to the American people that he would begin a severe crackdown on the issue of the distribution of obscenity," Sharp says. "This indictment against Wedelstedt simply reinforces what he said."
Wedelstedt, says the AFA spokesman, is one of the "retail porn kings" in America with dozens of outlets all across the U.S. "If you really want the body of obscenity to stop, you want to start at the head," observes Sharp, "and that looks exactly like what Attorney General Gonzales is doing."
According to the Justice Department, each count in the indictment charging substantive obscenity violations, tax fraud and conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The racketeering count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
James L. Lambert, a frequent contributor to AgapePress, is the author of Porn in America (Huntington House), which can be purchased through the American Family Association. He is a licensed real-estate mortgage loan sales agent and can be contacted through his website.
Rusty Pugh, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
