Unusual PA. Crime Stories

[JPZenger]

Here's two weird recent PA. Crime Stories

Russell C. Mentzer is my nominee for Pennsylvania State scumbag of the year. Although he was found not guilty by a jury, he still was allegedly involved with some extremely bad ethics.

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2009/02/aa_hotline_volunteer_on_trial.html

"Alcoholics Anonymous hotline volunteer Russell C. Mentzer went on trial in Cumberland County Court this afternoon on charges that he raped a woman who had called the hotline for help battling her alcoholism.

The 51-year-old woman testified that, instead of helping her, Mentzer, 45, of Middlesex Twp., had her drink wine until she passed out. She said she woke up naked in Mentzer's bed. Senior Assistant District Attorney Daniel Sodus said Mentzer at first claimed he didn't have sex with the woman. When DNA tests showed he had sexual contact with her, Mentzer claimed it was consensual, Sodus said."

According to the Patriot-News articles, after the woman called the hotline for help to avoid a relapse into drinking, Mentzer convinced her to come to her house. He then asked the woman if she had any alcohol. She said she had a big bottle of wine in her car, and he told her to bring it into the house. She expected he would pour it into the sink. Instead, he convinced her to drink most of it until she passed out. He was charged with having sex with a woman who was in no condition to give her consent.


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http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2009/02/barclay_1.html#more

At the time he was Chairman of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners, Bruce Barclay was accused of raping a 20 year old man in his house. He was able to beat that charge by revealing that he had secretly videotaped his sexual encounters with the man, and therefore could show they were consensual. It still didn't help his political career and he had to resign.

Now Barclay is charged with "wiretapping, unlawful use of a computer and promoting prostitution. District Judge Thomas Placey sent the charges to trial after a preliminary hearing during which a former housemate of Barclay's testified that Barclay, 49, had spied on his computer use. State police also claimed that Barclay used hidden cameras in his Monroe Township home to secretly record other men having sex.

Police and the state attorney general's office in October filed wiretapping and invasion of privacy charges against Barclay that carry penalties of up to 48 years in prison.

Under questioning by Barclay's lawyer, Matthew Gover, Taylor denied telling other people he was considering blackmailing Barclay about Barclay's sexual preferences. Taylor said that he is suing Barclay in federal court for invasion of privacy even though he has signed an out-of-court settlement with the former county commissioner."