MAN SENTENCED TO 28 YEARS FOR FILMING RAPES OF UNCONSCIOUS WOMEN

John Xydias drugged various women and graphically filmed his sexual attacks on them. He made himself the star of his own pornographic movies, directing crude remarks at his unconscious victims and occasionally bringing his face in close and leering at the lens.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Marilyn Warren, who viewed a compilation of 17 tapes said he had reduced the women to "sexual rag dolls" who he dressed in lingerie and moved into various positions. She said he carefully planned the attacks spanning 15 years, and by filming the women had "humiliated, degraded and defiled their humanity".

Justice Warren yesterday sentenced Xydias, 45, to serve 28 years' jail, with a non-parole period of 20 years.

Prosecutors have labelled him one of Victoria's worst sex offenders and the nature of his offending "unprecedented".

He pleaded guilty to 86 charges, comprising 25 of rape and 61 of sexual assault, in a series of sex attacks on 11 victims between 1991 and 2006.

Xydias has not been diagnosed with any mental illness, but a psychologist described him as emotionally "disconnected". His face was blank as he stared straight ahead during the 90-minute sentencing hearing.

Justice Warren stated that said Xydias had shown little or no empathy for his victims and, in fact, blamed them for pursuing criminal charges, telling a psychiatrist they were seeking revenge for him not marrying or continuing relationships with them. Others were "rotten eggs" who abused alcohol and drugs, Xydias claimed.

She continued, "You present as an inoffensive, humble and modest individual, yet on the films you are seen to change into a sinister and depraved man whose demeanour and conduct would shock and frighten the community."

He told police the sex had been consensual, despite the women clearly being unconscious on the tapes. Two of his victims were brave enough to turn up to court to see Xydias sentenced. They heard explicit accounts of his attacks, described by Justice Warren as "obscene".

ONCE UNAWARE, NOW TRAUMATIZED

One woman collapsed, crying, into the arms of a supporter, after seeing Xydias, standing in the dock as his penalty for each of the 86 charges was announced. Many of the women, aged between 19 and 39, met Xydias socially and were unaware they had been attacked until they were shown the videos by police. Four remain unidentified.

Victim impact statements by five women revealed their continuing suffering. One woman suffers nightmares and flashbacks after being shown footage of her assault. She has contemplated suicide and has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Another woman said watching the footage was one of the most traumatic experiences of her life. "I had to walk out of the room. I was having a panic attack and couldn't breathe after realising that it was me in the video … I felt dirty, ashamed, disgusted and violated."

...Psychiatrist Danny Sullivan said "a very strong interest in pornography" was a potent factor in the offending. He recommended that Xydias be considered for treatment with anti-libidinal drugs (Michelle Says So: That's a nice word for what is known as a "chemical castration") before his release from custody.


http://www.theage.com.au/national/28-years-jail-for-filmed-rapes-of-drugged-women-20090630-d3sj.html

OTHER INFAMOUS "RAPIST VIDEO PHOTOGRAPHERS"

Andrew Luster, Max Factor Heir and Rapist

Andrew Luster, the heir to the Max Factor cosmetic fortune was a golden child. He had it made from birth. However, Luster took that golden opportunity and threw it away after he developed some very dirty and vile secrets...criminal secrets that he kept on tape in order for him to relive the crime over and over again for his sexual gratification.

Luster lived off his inheritance and never had a real job. He lived along the beach and was a "surf bum" that liked to hang out at bars with women 10-15 years younger than him. He liked them young, helpless, naive and drunk.

His "M.O." (modus operandi) was GHB. He would innocently flirt with girls and drug the drinks he would buy for them. When they were obviously drugged, he would cart them off like a knight in shining armor, but instead of taking them home, he took them to his home. His rape lair.

After the girls were rendered unconscious he would video tape the assaults.

One video showed a 22-year old victim positioned on the bed "limp as a rag doll" in various sexual positions. He was seen inserting objects into her vagina, including a smoking marijuana cigarette, a candle and plastic saber...he sodomizes her." (Source)

Another video showed Luster having sex with a 17-year old girl who was "unconscious and audibly snoring." Luster looks at the camera and repeats, "I dream about this: a strawberry blonde passed out on my bed, waiting for me to do with her what I will." (Source)

Ten other women came forward and accused Luster of the same crime, but the Ventury County prosecutors limited the charges to just three women. He was charged with 88 counts of sexual assault and other crimes.


LUSTER THE NARCISSIST SOCIOPATH

"My life has been ruined because police and prosecutors jumped to conclusions...They're doing this to punish me for my lifestyle, which doesn't fit in with their conservative values...They allowed the case to go forward to boost their careers." (Source)

Luster even called one of his victims "a total nut" and a "fun loving nymph". "If the DA files charges, it's going to a jury, and she's going to look like a fool. I'm going to get a top-notch lawyer and she'll get cross-examined and ripped to pieces." (Source)

According to Dr. Judy Kuriansky, a clinical psychologist, "When you have sex with an unconscious person, it means that you cannot emotionally tolerate the exchange that is necessary with a real person--dealing with feelings and needs and giving back to the person...it is infantile, hostile and shows inability to respect women...you are the boss and power. Women do your bidding and cannot complain. You can do anything you want and not suffer the consequences."

"Luster's repeated behavior was compulsive to the point of being out of control--indicative of a 'real personality disorder", Kuriansky stated. (Source)

The trial began on December 16, 2002, and just before the holidays, the judge ordered a two-week recess.

When the trial resumed in January Luster was GONE.

But the trial went on without him. On January 21, 2003, the jury took two days to reach a guilty verdict. Luster was found guilty on 86 counts of rape, sexual assault and poisoning. "The judge sentenced Luster to consecutive six-year sentences on each of the 20 rape counts, plus four for poisoning--a total of 124 years in prison." (Source)

"DOG THE BOUNTY HUNTER"--WHERE IS LUSTER?

In 2003, a tip came from an American tourist claiming to have seen Luster living in Puerto Vallarta and hanging out at the clubs going by the name of "David Carrera". The fugitive only lasted six months on the lam, and was apprehended on June 18, 2003, by the infamous bounty hunter, Duane "Dog" Chapman.

Luster now spends the rest of his days in California's Wasco State Prison.

Hopefully Luster is someone else's "fun loving nymph" now!


http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/criminal_mind/sexual_assault/andrew_luster/1.html

MICHELLE VILBORG: OVERBOARD OR FOUL PLAY?

More stories are coming ot everydayabout some cruise ship mishap. Nothing gets solved and everyone is reported to have "fallen off the ship".

For the past four years I have been exploring the dark side of "vacation paradise"...the luxury cruise. Over the last few years, major media coverage has come out about these unsolved incidents and covered infamous cases such as the young, handsome honeymooner, George Smith.

The most baffling thing to me? Cruise Ships ARE NOT REQUIRED to report crime that occurs on their vessel. They are free and clear once they pass that international waters border. Travelers assume "I'm American! I have my rights!"

Sorry to tell you, when you leave the United States, you HAVE NO RIGHTS.

I have absolutely made the conclusion that the cruise business covers up crimes and doesn't investigate throughly and does what they can to make them go away.

SEE INTERNATIONAL CRUISE VICTIMS WEBSITE

(BAY MINETTE, Ala.) June 24 - He was on a cruise with his wife when she disappeared. Now, a Bay Minette man is telling his side of the story. 50-year-old Michelle Vilborg is believed to have fallen overboard from the Mobile-based "Holiday" cruise ship, last Monday night.

A cruise to Cozumel was how the Vilborg and her husband, Swede, wanted to celebrate their 30 years together and celebrate Michelle's 50th birthday.

"It was a spur of the moment thing, just something that we did," Swede Vilborg said. "I hugged her, told her I loved her," Michelle's son, Eric, said. "She danced to the car and was, you know, excited to go."

Around 11 p.m., on the couple's first night aboard the Holiday, Michelle disappeared. Swede recalled the last moments he saw his wife. She was going to jump in the shower He was going to sleep.

"I'm laying in the bed, I can hear the water turn on, and I dozed off," Vilborg said. Vilborg said he woke up 45 minutes later and Michelle was gone.

"Personally, I think there is foul play involved," Vilborg said. "Someone knocked on the door. She is gullible. I honestly believe that's what happened. I don't know why she didn't wake me up or push me or say somebody is here."

He says someone heard a splash. Officials told everyone to go back to their rooms.

Vilborg does not believe his wife committed suicide or that she fell overboard. He also says he had nothing to do with her disappearance. "Are you serious?" Vilborg asked. "Of course not. That's the craziest question I've ever heard. I fell asleep for 45 minutes. That's my crime right there. I fell asleep for 45 minutes. I didn't wait for her to come to bed. I just fell asleep. It's the only time I cannot account for."

Michelle's body has not been found. Her son, Eric, just wants to know what happened to his mother. "I feel a little bit of hope," he said. "Nobody has found her. Maybe some small boat picked her up. You hope that, but you know it's not true. It's hard to lose one of your best friends and your mother at the same time."

The Coast Guard called off the search for Vilborg last Thursday after combing an area the size of Delaware 70 miles southwest of Pensacola, Florida.


http://www.nbc15online.com/news/local/story/Husband-Says-Wife-Possibly-Thrown-from-Carnival/_zArBFUqfkmz1gZEsMHiUg.cspx?rss=217

GUEST BLOGGER: ANGELA DOVE SHARES HER FAMILY'S PERSONAL ANGUISH

Guest blogger: Angela Dove, author of No Room for Doubt: A True Story of the Reverberations of Murder (Berkley/Penguin 2009).

Before Jacquelyn MacDonald’s daughter was killed, she led a fairly normal life. She was a retired nurse, a grandmother, a small British woman with an even smaller voice. But when her older daughter, Debi Whitlock, was killed in a brutal and baffling murder in 1988, Jacque says, “I became the mouth that learned to roar.”

Debi Whitlock was killed in her Modesto, California home with a knife from the kitchen while her 3-year-old daughter slept undisturbed only a few feet away. There was no sign of forced entry, no sign of struggle, and the investigation soon stalled. But Jacque needed answers. She launched a one-woman crusade to find Debi’s killer—and succeeded. Nine years after the murder, Jacque’s efforts resulted in the capture and conviction of her daughter’s killer. Meanwhile, she started helping other survivors through her local television and radio show, “The Victim’s Voice,” which is now broadcast to millions of homes throughout California’s Central Valley. In 2007 Jacque received the National Crime Victims’ Service Award, and next month she’ll be recognized by Arnold Schwarzenegger with the California Governor’s Award for Advocacy.

I was honored when Jacque asked me to write her story, but I had some reservations. Debi Whitlock had been married to my father when she was murdered. She was my stepmother and the mom of my younger half-sister, and I was the last person to see her alive.

Now an award-winning columnist in NC, I began researching the homicide investigation and how Jacque had supplemented those efforts. It was during that process that I discovered the many solid reasons my father had been the top suspect to his wife’s murder. Dad had died in 2001, but for years before his untimely end I had sensed his anger and sadness. And secrecy. Now I had the missing pieces of the puzzle: when Jacque MacDonald, the avenging mother and hero of these events, finally found justice for her daughter, she had also cleared my father’s name.

My book, No Room for Doubt: A True Story of the Reverberations of Murder, is a daughter’s account of how one act of violence shattered lives, made heroes, and continues to affect change in the world.

No Room for Doubt is available at bookstores nationwide and on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0425225887/sr=1-1/qid=1236204310/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&qid=1236204310&sr=1-1&seller

For more information, visit www.AngelaDove.com

Angela Dove

TYLER HAYES WEINMAN--A FUTURE SERIAL KILLER?

Serial Killers such as Jeffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy, David Berkowitz, and Albert DiSalvo (The Boston Strangler) are known to have killed and tortured animals as children before moving on to their human victims. Obviously, there are many factors that lead someone to murder or serial killing, but that constant link is animal abuse.

It has been researched and noted by the FBI that there is a correlation between serial killers and animal abuse/torture. They have linked animal cruelty to domestic violence, child abuse and serial killings.

A study done by North Eastern University and the Massachusetts SPCA found that people who abuse animals are five times more likely to abuse humans than people who do not.

A majority of people on death row for murder admit to having abused animals as children.

(Source)

MIAMI - A South Florida teenager was arrested early Sunday and accused of killing and mutilating the cats of his neighbors — a disturbing string of deaths that has horrified residents and shaken animal lovers in two Miami-area communities.

Tyler Hayes Weinman, 18, was taken into custody at a party, police said.

"In the past month, residents in the Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay neighborhoods have reported finding more than two dozen cats killed and mutilated. Some of the dead cats were missing fur — neighbors said some had been skinned — and appeared to have been cut with a sharp, straight instrument, police said.

"It's shocking to think that someone who lives right here and is our neighbor could do something like this," said Thomas Shad, whose small black cat, Miss Kitty, was among those killed. Shad, whose house is near Weinman's, said he had suspected a local resident might be behind the killings, which were first reported in May.

Police said they have been watching the house where Weinman stays with his mother, and neighbors said he was taken to the police station for an interview on his prom night a few weeks ago.

HE MISSED THE PROM--A RUINED MAN FOR LIFE?

Weinman was still wearing a tuxedo when officers whisked him away that night, they said, and he missed the dance."If they do get the wrong guy and it's not him, they've ruined his life as it is right now," said 19-year-old Kyle Hantzis, who lives next door to Weinman.

Twice arrested as a juvenile

Hantzis, who said his father dates Weinman's mother, called the teenager quiet and well-spoken. Authorities said Weinman was spending his summer doing odd jobs, and an online profile on Facebook.com says that he graduated from Miami Palmetto Senior High this spring.

By Sunday afternoon, there was already a group on the popular social networking Web site which listed its name in all capital letters as "Tyler Weinman Cat Mutilator! Justice For Miami Cat Mutilations!"

Police said Weinman was twice arrested as a juvenile, though they said they could not provide details about his previous run-ins with the law. Hantzis said he had a hard time picturing the teen as a serial cat killer."I don't think, the way he acts and his demeanor, I don't think he could physically do it."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31354464/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

RELATED STORY--A VERY DISTURBED TEEN

GOOD SAMARITAN BEHEADED AFTER HELPING MAN

Robert Cope, charged with second degree murder

FORT MYERS, Florida - A homeless man beheaded a good Samaritan who had given him a place to stay, south Florida authorities say.

Lee County Sheriff's deputies went to 70-year-old Charles Rogers' apartment Thursday and found his body in his wheelchair. His head had been placed near the front door.

A home health care provider identified 55-year-old Robert Cope as the man who had been staying with Rogers, police said. Neighbors say Rogers was a good Samaritan-type who often helped people.

Authorities said they found Cope's shoe prints at the scene and he had blood on his shoes when they arrested him.

According to a sheriff’s report, Rogers’ caretaker saw him Wednesday and there was a man named Robert at the home. On Thursday morning, Rogers was fine and said Robert was sleeping in another room. One of Rogers’ friends contacted deputies around 1:50 p.m. and they arrived at the apartment to find Rogers dead.

According to a Lee County Sheriff's Office report of the incident, Rogers' head was severed from the body, which was seated in a wheelchair in a separate area of the house. The head was found near the door of the apartment. The majority of the blood spatter and stains were in the kitchen area of Rogers' two-bedroom apartment. Bloody shoe prints were seen on the kitchen floor, the report states.

"Blood patterns on the floor indicated that the body had been dragged from the kitchen area to the area of the residence where the body was located," according to the report by Deputy Michael Carr.

Rogers lived alone and because of medical problems hadn't been able to work for three years, according to the complainant.

Dee Marton lives down the street from Rogers and said he was a caring and well-known person in the area.Marton fought back tears as she described her friend."He would do anything for anybody," she said of the man friends knew as Chuck. "He had a heart of gold." "He couldn't do a lot of things, but you couldn't tell him that," she said. "He thought he could do anything and everything in the world, and he would give you the shirt off his back."

She said she doesn't feel safe knowing something like this can happen."I just wonder that if this can happen to him, am I safe?" she said. "I don't know, I just don't know.""Everybody knew him," she said. "He would take his electric chair and go up and down the road. He was a friend to everybody."

Marton said she doesn't know Robert Cope, but said she was aware there was a man staying with Rogers during the past few days.

"All I know is that he shouldn't have been there," she said. "Chuck was the kind of person that if he found someone that needed help, he would help them. "She said she never imagined something like this could happen to someone as kind as Rogers." Chuck didn't have any money," she said. "He had nothing. He was about as poor as dirt, but he loved his life, and he was happy. And to think somebody could come and take it away from him like they've done, I just don't understand it."

Rogers' best friend, Leslie Kowalski, of Fort Myers, said that Rogers' "dreams were bigger than his body or his strength — his heart was even bigger."


http://www.news-press.com/article/20090529/CRIME/90529010/1075

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31003967/