Doctor-Rapist Gets 25 Years

A Grady, Georgia emergency room doctor,  Adam Wayne Lebowitz, 50, was sentenced to 25 year, 8 month in prison for sex with two minor boys which Lebowitz  videotaped.  The videos were located on the doctor's computer by investigators.  Further evidence recovered in the investigation--which began when authorities picked up sexually suggestive text messages sent to a 15 year old boy, included condoms and lubricants.  This guy was planning further sexual assaults.

Lebowitz was HIV positive and instead of cooperating with federal investigators by providing them as promised with the names of others who were exposed to HIV, the doctor attempted to flee according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 

A number of years ago, the son of a law professor that I know was receiving text messages from a local high school teacher. Although not explicit, the text messages suggested meeting with the teacher and touched on adolescent development issues that sent red flags to the father and to me.   At my suggestion the professor and I met with the FBI. 

While it may seem like social networking has created these crimes, I'm convinced that social networking: texting, Facebook, Twitter, and wi-fi technologies created forensic fingerprints that did not exist previously.  These technologies reveal crimes and criminals that in prior years would not have been detected.

TMI?

The Baltimore Sun is reporting that local judges are dealing with the problem of smart phone technology and social networking as it relates to keeping jurors insulated from news accounts and social media sites like Facebook. 

Recently, Baltimore mayor Sheila Dixon was prosecuted for bribery and embezzlement as it related to the taking and use of "gift cards" from a former boyfriend/developer that were variously said to have been donated for the needy.  She was convicted of misdemeanor embezzlement and is due to be sentenced January 15th.  In a motion for a new trial, Dixon is citing to juror misconduct that included 5 jurors "friending" one another on Facebook, during the trial and talking about the case online.  Ouch.

Here's the deal, when you are selected for jury duty, your entire focus is supposed to be on the testimony and evidence, what the Judge allows you to hear and consider, not what you develop outside of the courtroom.  That jurors are talking about the case among themselves and others is jury msiconduct.  That smartphones and social networking sites facilitate this is a real problem.  Sounds to me like Mayor Dixon is going to get a new trial.

For more:  http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/anne-arundel/bal-md.ar.tmi13dec13,0,2858534.story