The Arizona Republic yesterday portrayed former Detective Chris Wilson as victim of exaggerations and misunderstandings, not a real suspect in repeated episodes of child sexual abuse. They must not have read the same charging documents I saw, where he pleaded guilty to sexually abusing those boys in detail. Maybe they didn't know he was stalking young activists at Occupy, too, building trusting relationships with them while treating most of the rest of us like criminals.
Hey, Republic: There's a reason this man has been portrayed the way he's been portrayed....some people did their homework - some of your people, even. Nice of him to let you interview him - look, he even gave you a pretty photo to use, instead of that one where he's a scowling cop or an accused criminal in his undershirt.
This is nothing but a staged PR stunt, set up by Campos, who is using the Republic to attack the victims in full view of potential jurors out here, of course, to save his client. Campos is alleging that the kids were the ones who led this poor, noble, naive, trusting, navy veteran dog-loving decorated police detective astray, seducing him into what was really nothing more than an exercise of "poor judgement". Children, I guess, are the ones who can't be trusted when they report sexual abuse, and the policeman is unquestionably still the good guy here - how pathetic.
This bastard had to be court-ordered to even give up a sample of blood to see if he could have passed HIV or any other disease to the kids. His attorney argued that the kids could have been the ones who gave him and STD. The Republic mention that when they argued that this suspect wasn't "big into the gay scene" (which is defined in stereotypical terms of going to gay bars and drinking). Nope - Wilson just picked up children at work to have sex with...).
Why would such a swell guy refuse his victims' request to be tested, anyway? The only thing he regrets, apparently, is losing everything he loves by getting caught, for which we are supposed to have sympathy - never mind the harm he has has caused by his actions - to his victims, first, as well as to the trust of the larger community and the credibility of the Phoenix Police.
Here's the letter I submitted for the AZ Republic's editors today complaining about this article below - we'll see if they have the honesty to print it:
"Yesterday's article about former Phoenix Police Detective Chris Wilson was disturbing. It presented him as a poor, misunderstood character who is deserving of our sympathy now that he's facing ten counts of child sexual abuse and stuck in jail pending trial. The reporter described his daily suffering, noted how this decent Navy Veteran spent his 44th birthday in jail, and even asserted that that he isn't promiscuous as if it was some kind of relevant fact, making him less likely to be guilty of the crimes he confessed to. She framed the charges against him as "allegations", putting "child molestation" in quotes as if it may not have really happened. She gives voice to the defense's argument that it wasn't really child abuse if the victims are already "experienced" with older men (what??). She leads readers to suspect that poor Detective Wilson was seduced, manipulated into being their friend, and is now being prosecuted as a result of these devious, sexually-active "young adults". In so doing, your reporter just helped a sociopath who confessed to molesting two children put his victims on trial. Shame on her and your editorial staff for letting Wilson use the Republic this way."
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Christopher J. Wilson
Courtesy of Robert Campos
“I focus on what kind of life I have and what kind of future I have, which is pretty much non-existent,” Wilson says. “My life is over. Every day I think about it.”
Since his Aug. 7 arrest, the former Phoenix police officer spends his day in a 12-foot by 7-foot cell, facing 10 felony counts of sexual conduct with two underage boys. The Arizona Republic does not name victims of sexual crimes.
Wilson is housed alone for his protection in the administrative segregation unit of Lower Buckeye Jail in Phoenix. He is confined to his cell 23 hours a day, only allowed outside for an hour a day to a small recreation yard, where he says he looks at the freedom he used to have.
“What I want the public to know about me is I am not a monster as the media is portraying me,” said Wilson, who spent his 44th birthday in jail. “I didn’t use my position to groom these individuals. I am just a normal person, trying to live my life.”
Wilson is accused of having two sexual encounters with a 17-year-old and once with a 14-year-old boy. Wilson worked as a liaison to the Valley's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and met his accusers through his job, police has said.
Wilson, who is openly gay, was a 14-year veteran with the Phoenix Police Department receiving glowing annual reviews from his supervisors.
Wilson said he chose law enforcement because he loved serving the community. He also served four years in the U.S. Navy and a brief stint as a detention officer with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.
Wilson told The Republic on Wednesday that he “wasn’t big into the gay scene,” drinking alcohol or going to gay bars.
Instead, Wilson, who’s had steady boyfriends, preferred mountain hiking or catching a movie with friends.
According to court records, the mother of the 14-year-old boy learned of the encounter and contacted the authorities.
The family of the 14-year-old has since filed a $10 million notice of claim, the first step toward a lawsuit, against the Phoenix Police Department, Wilson and Assistant Chief of Police Tracy Montgomery.
It alleges that the department and Montgomery were negligent in the supervision of Wilson, which resulted in the “sexual molestation” of the 14-year-old, who is traumatized.
City spokeswoman Toni Maccarone said the claim is under review and could not comment further.
Wilson said he was not a boyfriend or dated the older boy, who was living on his own.
Wilson said he did buy three suits and shirts for the older boy for work because someone had done the same for him when he was a struggling police reservist in Colorado.
“I did this out of my own good will,” said Wilson, who added he didn’t expect anything in return. “We were just friends.”
His attorney Robert Campos would not let Wilson discuss any specifics about the allegations.
Though Wilson acknowledged to police he knew both boys were underage and took the blame, Campos said Wilson neither admits or denies the allegations.
He also said that Wilson’s statements to police during his interrogation may not be admissible but declined to go into detail.
During Wednesday’s interview, Campos hinted at the strategy he might pursue to defend Wilson in court.
Campos characterized the two boys as “young adults” who have some culpability, not victims. Campos painted the two boys as far more mature than their age and experienced in relationships with older men.
Campos said the encounter, although unlawful, was one of mutual consent. He said the media have portrayed Wilson as a pedophile going after young children or grooming them a long time for sex.
“Certainly that is not the case here,” Campos said.
Instead, “it appears from our perspective (the two boys) set this up” and “they had already in their minds the potential of having some kind of relationship with my client,” he said.
Campos said Wilson was not blaming the victims but “he is saying they aren’t blameless.”
“My client used poor judgment,” Campos said. “And he was quite cooperative with the authorities but cooperation does not equate with justice in our system and that is a huge problem.”
Wilson says he regrets what has happened.
“I would have done things different,” he said. “Losing everything that I love hurts.”
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