Boris Johnson aide jailed over child porn - Exclusive

[Fusions2]

I think this is what makes hearing all this more shocking that to some of us he was a friend. Someone we thought was outspoken, confident, chatty and a friend. Deep down he was obviously a great liar and someone who thought he would never get caught out or that to himself he'd be lucky. He was wrong. He's paying his price but to those who knew him well online, offline and in his family will be paying for it emotionally longer and that is so heartbreaking.

I for one didn't know him well but I had spoken to him via PM a few times when I felt down and I always seemed to back him up in posts. I wish I never had now nor do I wish I had added him as a friend on Facebook. It makes you think twice that this really can happen close to you at any time, anywhere and any place. I hope we never get put through this again and that we can all support each other and let others know we can come out stronger because of it.

As for Al I hope he really learns his lesson the hard way and that he is truly sorry for everything he's done and gets the help he needs. For his own sake and the rest of the world around him.

 

[Blondie Bear]

I don't have a whole lot to add to what Kean and Lyri have already said. I was friends with Al, at least up to a few months ago, and I feel sick and betrayed, as well.

But I'm not back here for me. I'm here to help, in case anyone needs to talk or vent or has any questions or anything at all that they think I can help with. You guys are going to have so many "counselors" you won't know what to do with yourselves. 😉

 

[Kean]

But I'm not back here for me. I'm here to help, in case anyone needs to talk or vent or has any questions or anything at all that they think I can help with. You guys are going to have so many "counselors" you won't know what to do with yourselves. 😉

I forgot to say this in my earlier post but if anyone needs to talk/vent/cuss, whatever, pm me. I don't know if I can help but I can definitely relate to what your feeling 🙂

 

[Lyri]

You guys are going to have so many "counselors" you won't know what to do with yourselves. 😉

Me being one of them.

If anyone wants to talk, you know where I am.

 

[Bluebird]

I know I've not posted on BB in a while, but this is kinda an important thread. What he did is sick, and his self-righteous attitude to helping out others pisses me off a bit. I had him on FB, but I can't say I called him a friend. I can't imagine how his close friends (or former friends now) feel right now. I've always been wary to trust people, and this just proves why I should be.

 

[Mr. Pointy]

I don't think that any of us should have to feel bad about this...none of us has committed his crimes...many of us were taken in by him. Hopefully none of us has been directly affected by his crimes. Those of you who considered that you were close friends should feel no shame...those of us who considered him a nodding acquaintance who was good for some Doctor Who gossip also should feel no guilt or shame. He will pay for what he has done in prison...the way I understand it way over and above the actual sentence...'nonces' are not treated very well by their fellow inmates...and his future does not bode well if he makes it out of prison in one piece.
It's a sad, sorry, sordid affair but it does not reflect badly upon us as a community, merely on one pathetic example of a human being who fooled us for a while.
Like my fellow staff members have already said, if anyone has any concerns or needs to talk or just vent we're all here. Let's just not get into beating ourselves up for something which we have had no control over.

BTW - I'm really pleased to see Keano and Lyri back here again...I just wish it was under better circumstances.

 

[Skytteflickan88]

I can't decide if I'm surprised or not.

I knew he was a bad person, but I didn't know he was evil. He seemed to be friendly to those he choose to, but a jerk to others. I've only read a few posts by him, and exchanged a few heated e-mails, then I stopped reading anything he's written, even tough some members here considered him a friend. I didn't like the way he was nice to some, but not to others.

I guess that should have told me that he had deep problems with his morals.

But I can't blame myself for not seeing this, and I don't blame anyone here, no matter how long you've known him, or how well. Maybe his friendship was real and his talk about having to do what is right was true; He might have been fighting his nature. So you shouldn't feel bad that you didn't see through him. Chances are he really didn't want to be like this. Or maybe he was fine with being the way he was. Either way, you can't blame yourself. And I hope that you won't stop trusting people online. You should always be careful, but remember to not close yourself off (this is assuming that you don't have a lot of RL friends, because then you can talk to them and keep a distance to strangers oneline without losing anything).

A few years ago my "bonus"-cousin, a foster kid of my uncle and aunt for many years went to the police to report my uncle for sexual assult of minor. I have no idea if it was true or not; People always said she was a bad child who lies a lot, and she was always treated like she was guilty before she did anything. I just knew that it might be true, and that she has never acted badly towards me, and that she loves my uncle's children and is very unlikely to want to hurt them, and that in case she had been assualted, she wasn't likely to tell anyone.

Point is, I blamed myself. I hardly knew my uncle, he was just a relative I saw once in a while, and he always had a scary determined manner that always freaked me out. But I still blamed myself. I can't say that get's easier with time, to live with knowing a potential rapist, because he died of cancer a short while after. Guilty or not, he died in horrible pain, and in a way that gave me closure, so I can't know what some of you are going through. I just know that even tough you should feel pain, because of hearing of children being abused should disgust you, you should be able to live with your missplaced trust.

I know that I'm a newbie here, and that this might sound shallow, and that you'd rather speak to someone you know you can trust in a time like this, but I want to tell you that I'm willing to listen i case anyone feels like talking. I know how very hard it is to not being able to talk to anyone about things like this.

 

[Emzzie]

Although I barely knew the guy, it scares me that a few months ago I was posting with him and others about the subject of bullying. It makes me really sick that he had such strong opinions on that and yet we find out he did something so disgusting like this. I really cannot imagine how his former close friends must feel right now. All I can say is that now I'm really worried about the safety of BB for me and other kids. I never thought this sort of thing would happen here....
I also want to mention that I am very happy that Kean and Lyri have returned. Although I missed you two the first time, I arrived just after you left and the members here were all talking about how fantastic you were and how much they missed you. I hope you both will stick around so I can get to know you 🙂

 

[Black Eye Guy]

This was really shocking news, I was friendly with him when I first got to BB, but not in a long time, but it's really scary stuff,

I definitely think people don't need to be ashamed of anything, it's hard to truly get to know people in real life, with the internet as your medium between friendship it is so much harder. But it definitely makes it hit home that you have to be careful about who you connect with and share your details with. It's definitely a good idea to remember various social networking sites allow you to restrict access to your friends, so you don't have to share all details and pictures.

It is nice see familiar faces on the boards, but agree with Mr. P that I wish it was under better circumstances, but it was really nice of people to come back to offer support - I think thats a true reflection of the community on here!

And I think it goes without saying at this point that, if anyone does need anything or wants to talk they can contact anyone on the staff via PM, The head mods have private forums you can speak to them directly (in the Buffy Boards School of Slayers and Demon Hunters section), if any of the newbies want to speak with us about worries there is the newbies section which only new members have access to and don't forget offline help also, schools and colleges will have guidance councilors you can speak with, and with this area (unfortunately) ever expanding, you shouldn't feel embarrassed or ashamed if you need to go to them, and most importantly just be safe!

 

[ckg927]

Great posts, all.

All of the venting is well-received, but sometimes the short and sweet route will suffice.

As a certain cranky doc once said..."Everybody lies."

 

[Tasha]

I've already discussed this subject too with other BB'ers, It truly disgusted me when if found out about this,

I cannot believe how i had spoken to him for while in the past about t.v shows, etc,
I know he was very unliked on the boards at times, as he was a bit mean on particular subjects, but to think that he was really a sick sick pedophile is just repulsive.

People like that should be shot, i hate how they blame it on an 'illness' , and sorry but his excuse was useless and pathetic, he knew what he was doing, i hope his family never look at him again, he should get longer in prison,

I feel sorry for people who knew him way longer, and trusted him, also with him on people's facebook whilst access to pictures of their children.

It just sickens me and I'm truly sorry.
When i read that article, i was so shocked and disgusted.


I realize everyone has to just try and forget about him, and move on , and also beware of sharing really personal information via online. I hope everyone can forgive and not blame themselves for someone who they believed was genuine. It could happen to anybody. I hope everyone can move on. :/

 

[Angels baby101]

Oh my gosh, Seriously i'm so surprised by this I mean I talked to him every now and then on here and I think a few times on MSN... Luckily before I had my son... I mean dont get me wrong there were times I didn't like him very much because of how he acted here on BB but I just kinda shrugged it off on him having his own opinions and I respected him for that but here I sit reading this crap and all that respect I had for him is completely gone and i'm just sick to my stomach at what he's done, 6 months is not enough time and I'm extremely glad he's been taken off of BB.... I'm not going to go into anymore than this but what he's done is extremely wrong and I definately think he needs to be locked up in a mental institution for a while after jail.... he really really needs that and FAR FAR away from any computer and children...

 

[BuffyElevated]

Very well said, BEG. I don't feel ashamed, per say, but I feel mad at myself for not seeing the real him, you know? 🙁
And I defintely agree that it's wonderful to have some
people back who haven't been here in a while, and I hope they decide to stay, even if te reason they're back is not a great one. 🙁

This was really shocking news, I was friendly with him when I first got to BB, but not in a long time, but it's really scary stuff,

I definitely think people don't need to be ashamed of anything, it's hard to truly get to know people in real life, with the internet as your medium between friendship it is so much harder. But it definitely makes it hit home that you have to be careful about who you connect with and share your details with. It's definitely a good idea to remember various social networking sites allow you to restrict access to your friends, so you don't have to share all details and pictures.

It is nice see familiar faces on the boards, but agree with Mr. P that I wish it was under better circumstances, but it was really nice of people to come back to offer support - I think thats a true reflection of the community on here!

And I think it goes without saying at this point that, if anyone does need anything or wants to talk they can contact anyone on the staff via PM, The head mods have private forums you can speak to them directly (in the Buffy Boards School of Slayers and Demon Hunters section), if any of the newbies want to speak with us about worries there is the newbies section which only new members have access to and don't forget offline help also, schools and colleges will have guidance councilors you can speak with, and with this area (unfortunately) ever expanding, you shouldn't feel embarrassed or ashamed if you need to go to them, and most importantly just be safe!

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

Wow"¦ I don't know what to say. Needless to say, I'm shocked.

I knew Al pretty well. As with Lyri, he was the first person I "met" here on BB. There where times we disagreed and clashed on occasion, (check out our epic thread about Buffy's choice in "The Gift", here: The Slayer made the correct choice - Buffy-Boards ) and he wasn't always the nicest guy, but regardless, he was one of my first friends on here. After he got banned, I added him as a friend on FB and have talked to him on occasion since then.

I'm disgusted and absolutely infuriated by this news. What the hell is wrong with people?! 43 videos were found on his computer. What a total sicko.

As Frankie mentioned, I too remember that thread he posted about his molesting roommate. I posted something similar to Frankie's comment in that thread, expressing my awe at what I thought at the time was admirable and brave move on Al's part.

Boy, did he have us fooled, eh? I remember another thread he posted on here regarding a possible Buffy-Boards London Meetup. If I remember correctly, he volunteered his own apartment for the festivities. What a piece of trash this man is. It's appalling to think that some younger members might have considered going to his place for the party. *shudders*

I remember Kean saying she didn't feel comfortable meeting people from the boards, unless it was public (or something to that effect). Smart move, girl! 🙂

Anyway, in the end, I am just so very sorry that he all have to deal with this.

As Nix said, it's true "“ no one should trust anyone on here. That is the unfortunate truth. NEVER give out your address to anyone you meet online. All and all, we have a great community on here that is better then most other forums, I think. Just be mindful that anyone could say anything and claim it as the truth.

I guess it's a dumb thing to say, but I just want you all to know that you can trust me. I am who I say I am, I promise 🙂

P.S. It's nice to see Kean and Lyri back, even if it's only for a temporary stint and for such a disturbing occasion.

---------- Post added at 01:17 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:11 PM ----------

Huh, I didn't read this properly, I didn't realise it was Edmund Blackadder. Guy disliked Firefly so I can't say I'm surprised that he was amoral.

I remember him and I having a pretty heated debate regarding Firefly...

 

[anyatara]

As I've said to those I've previously spoken to about it, it's really freaked me out; made me pretty upset, actually.

When I was being bullied, Al helped me. Sure he wasn't always the nicest member of the boards to everyone, but he was a friend to me, as I class most of you. It just makes me feel stupid, like I shouldn't trust people I know online, but I do. I trusted him, and I'm truly shocked. Disgusted? Maybe a little, but mostly; it's a shock to the system. It's a scary thought, thinking that anyone here could be anyone (If that makes sense). I've been coming on the boards since I was 11/12, and I've known him since around the time I first came on here. It really shows that you don't really know who you're talking to. Scary.

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

I am thoroughly repulsed. Al was on my friends list on Facebook, with access to pictures of my kids. When I read that article my blood ran cold. Al once told me my oldest daughter was "gorgeous" and now I have these fears that he was "obsessed" with her as he was with child porn. *shudder* I'm hoping he'll get the shit beat out if him in prison and learn his lesson. However the sad fact is that many like him never do. But at least those of us who were friends with him now hve learned a lesson that you really should be careful about who we trust and let into our lives.

Wow, Brittany...that is so freaking creepy what he said about your daughter. *shudders* Ew. Seriously. Little did you know that he got off on that stuff. Totally disgusting. This whole thing must be so much scarier for people who are actually parents...if I had a child, and found out that someone was getting off to pictures of him or her...I don't know what I'd do. I'd probably flip out, seriously.

Also, I think I can speak for all the "older" people on here when I say that we love our younger members, and are very protective of them. Please, if ANYONE says anything weird to any of you, please please tell one of us. This forum is so great in so many ways. One of them being that we all look out for each other. Let's keep it that way 🙂

 

[Tasha]

Wow, Brittany...that is so freaking creepy what he said about your daughter. *shudders* Ew. Seriously.

I know i feel sorry for you Britt 🙁 and for everyone here who knew and trusted him.
P.s Wow at over 13 people viewing this thread at the same time.

 

[Revolver]

It's funny how sometimes first impressions can be more accurate than a more informed analysis of a person. When I first started posting here, I thought Al was kind of a jerk. After awhile though, I came to think he was just a guy who had strong opinions and wanted to voice them. Sometimes he could go too far, but I honestly thought he was just a little misunderstood. He often made me laugh, and even when I disagreed with him, one thing I'd have never have called him was boring. I was never facebook friends with him, but I had one or two exchanges with him on facebook via other people's statuses.

Then someone sent me news of this. And all I can think was that I was closer to the truth when I first started posting here. I never suspected he was into child porn or anything, but then again who advertises that? It goes without saying that this whole thing is repulsive (but let's say it anyway). It's just insane that something like this happens.

I think I have more to say but not right now.

 

[Buffy Summers]

Now that I'm back from vacation I thought I would say a little something about being safe on the board.

I know we get a lot of flack from people about our "family friendly" stance, but we do strive to make a safe place for younger members (and all members for that matter) to post. Something like this happening is pretty much our worst nightmare. If anyone feels that Edmund Blackadder/Al behaved inappropriately towards them, please speak to me privately. Thankfully so far we haven't had any inclination that any abuse has occurred here, and for obvious reasons we did keep a close eye on him while he was here and, like many of you, never got any wind of something like this going on.

Again, I cannot impress upon you all strongly enough that you must put your own safety first when online. I get teased a lot because I will not use my real name online, and ask those who do know it to not use it on the main board. Faith and I knew each other for 4 years before we met up in person, and still, we made sure we spoke on the phone beforehand, I spoke to her mother (lol), and we met up in a very public place. You cannot take any chances when your safety is concerned.

I know members who have left the board because we privately spoke to them suggesting that they be careful in the relationships they were forming online. But please know, that the staff here has only the safety and best interests of you members at heart.

PLEASE if someone says or does something that makes you feel uncomfortable or gives you pause, come to a staff member. We can sort out with you if it's something that you need to be concerned about or not. We will of course keep your anonymity, and you don't have to worry about getting someone else in trouble. If they've not done anything wrong, they don't ever need to know you spoke to us. Promise.

And as always, if you don't feel comfortable speaking to us about something, please find a trusted adult - parent, grandparent, counselor, teacher - and talk to SOMEONE about it. Don't keep silent or try and deal with it on your own.

I also just want to reiterate that Edmund Blackadder has been banned from here and After-Darkness for several months now, he won't be back, and should he attempt to return he will not be allowed back.

 

[Tueuse de Vampires]

I was so shocked when I first read that.

Back when I came to BB, I didn't really like EB all that much (cos he could always be so much of an SOB), but I did sort of have respect for him for really having his opinion and sticking with it. That's why I added him on msn and started talking to him a lot. And really, when I was still in high school, we talked a lot. He even had my home phone number and everything. Well, then this summer, with the BB meet, me and Sara went to London and were of course thrilled to meet him in person.

Looking back, it all feels so very bizarre and surreal. He bought drinks for us (DoI, paperdoll and me, that is), joked around with us, took us clubbing, made sure we all got bak home safe. On the last day, I remember when Sara and I met him and his friend again for some drinks and then Sara and the friend spent some solo time together, Al and I were just sitting in the hotel lobby on the couch for hours, having some drinks and talking about some pretty private stuff. As I read in ne of the articles, back then (in August), he already had this whole case at his hands. I keep asking myself how it's possible that he, who, in real live, was actually quite the nice guy (not really like online), could do such a thing. Of course there's tons of people in the world who put on their nice pokerface and fool everybody, while in reality they do such contemptable things, but it just adds an extra creep factor if you really know these people.

I'm sure I'm by far not the one who has been worst affected by this (that's the parents among us, plus some people who really have known hi for a loooong time), but still I just can't believe it. I've been reviewing some of his posts last week, and if you read them, with the information we have now, it's really just eerie. Like when somebody posted about this case where a 15-year-old got persecuted for taking nude pictures of herself and sending them to a 27-year-old guy. Al's reaction was that that 27-year-old should be sent to jail. Pretty ironic read now. I do wonder if he sort of wrote this, and the whole vigilance thread, because he was knowing how wrong it was and was just sort of judging himself. I don't really know how to better express what I mean, does anybody get what I mean?


For those of you who think 6 months is way too short a time in prison for him: the real punishment in cases like this, imo, is not the jailtime. It's the contempt people will great you with in the future, your declined chances on the job market, all the people who won't even look at you anymore. And looking at how people here have been reacting, I think in that respect he really has his real punishment ahead of him when he gets out of prison.