Bill Borgida: Two Counts: Child Porn.

THIS IS OFFICIAL. NOT SPECULATION. HE HAS BEEN CHARGED ON TWO COUNTS. HE'S BEEN SENTENCED.

Short story, the gist if you will, feel free to look into this as much or little as you want, but this type of thing should be known in the community:

Last year Bill Borgida was crossing the border, the border patrol noticed some things that raised red flags, seized his laptop. They found child porn on it, he admitted to having possession of it. He's been charged: Possession and transporting child pornography.

Those are the facts.

 

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WeOwnYou

 

By the way,
I have a long history of encouraging and starting controversy. But in all seriousness, regardless of what roll he's had in the swing scene, who knew him personally, what he's done for you or your friends, however nice he was when you asked him for lesson, or how important you think he was or wassnt.

THIS INFORMATION SHOULD NOT BE IGNORED, CENSORED, EDITED OR KEPT LIMITED FROM OUR DANCE SCENE. THIS SCENE INCLUDES MINORS AND PARENTS. *NEVER* SHOULD ANYONE WORRY ABOUT THE KIND OF DAMAGE THIS WILL DO TO MR. BORGIDA'S REPUTATION.


fiddletree

 

I did a quick search online and couldn't find any articles referencing this... just so that I (and others, I'm sure) know that what you are saying is true, do you have any links to news articles or other reliable references backing up this story?

If it is true...oy yoy yoy. scary. But I won't really believe it til I see it.


WeOwnYou

 

documents free to be found: https://www.recapthelaw.org/


Yehoodi Staff

 

Hi folks,

We at Yehoodi understand that this is a very serious issue that effects all of us in the swing community in some way. While we welcome you to use our site to discuss the situation, it is extremely sensitive and serious. So please choose your words carefully.

We do have to remind you to be mindful of our terms of agreement ( http://www.yehoodi.com/help/terms-of-agreement/ ). Specifically "You agree that you will not threaten or verbally abuse other site users, use defamatory language..." and "You shall not upload to, distribute, or otherwise publish on the site any libelous, defamatory, obscene, pornographic, abusive, or otherwise illegal material."

Thanks for keeping this in mind during this discussion.

Yehoodi.com administrators


GuruReuben

 

Response to fiddletree in post #2 [Show]

I've seen the documents. Since I know what it's like to suddenly have someone you look up to and respect convicted, I don't care to comment publicly at the moment, however you can find the court documents here:

http://dockets.justia.com/docket/court-miedce/case_no-2:2009cr20382/case_id-241795/

Reuben Brown
www.JiveJunction.com
Southern California


WeOwnYou

 

Hello,

I hope your last post was not insinuating that anything that i have posted thus far falls under libel, abusive, false, defamatory or obscene? Regardless, the court documents are public, we placed a link to them on the discussion board for anyone to seek further information on. I know yehoodi has a tendency to delete and censor any discussion that makes you guys feel queezy. But please remember this is child pornography, a very serious offense. There seems to be a ringing theme in our scene for this type of sexual offenders, and the more it is known that this happens, the more that we discuss this, the more its made clear it's unacceptable the easier it will be to stop this from reoccurring.

thanks for not hitting the delete button on the thread.
-josh


Wexie

 

This is a tragedy. For Bill. His friends. And the community. I hope people don't use this forum to push rumors, engage in petty gossip, and try Bill in the court of public opinion. I hope this thread dies quickly.

Edited to add. Too late.


Effervescent

 

WeOwnYou,

For clarity, it's a collective "you".

Taken by a Sicilian -Trazy
Ain't cha! -Eff


WeOwnYou

 

Response to Wexie in post #7 [Show]

Bud, i wish you would have chosen your words more carefully.

You wish for the spread of information of a sexual offender to die quickly? Especially in the nature of child pornography? In a scene where there are HUNDREDS of minors?

Anyone has the right to try Bill Bordiga to their opinion, in any capacity. Even more so now that these are facts and have been made public. He was a public figure,in my scene, in our scene.

Again, there should be no hesitation in spreading this information with regards to what this will, wont, has done to Bill Borgida.


Poke Alex

 

Quote
Again, there should be no hesitation in spreading this information with regards to what this will, wont, has done to Bill Borgida.

As long as the facts are kept clear. They are publicly available and will likely not be clouded by anything on this website.

The staff is just recommending that the users keep the ensuing discussion civil and according to usage terms.

"Chaw, chi-chaw, chi-chaw." - Lindsay Bluth


Zenin

 

Does anyone have a copy of the documents that can be posted here?

The court link provided requires a pay-per-search/view PACER login and the legalize around the system seems to suggest using it for non-court business is illegal?


Jerry

 

I agree. I did a quick google search and found nothing


Swifty

 

Response to Jerry in post #12 [Show]

Quote
I agree. I did a quick google search and found nothing
If you search for "William Borgida" the first two hits on Google are links to the court documents.

If you use Recap The Law tool linked to above, there is no charge to access the documents. Recap the Law is a project from Princeton & Harvard Law that hosts public records from the PACER system and doesn't charge users a fee to download.

Information about PACER is on Wikipedia here.

4^(1/2) = Rainbows


dontmeanathing

 

.


Wexie

 

Response to WeOwnYou in post #9 [Show]

Child pornography is very serious and not to be taken lightly. In no way does asking people to exercise restraint and judgement change that fact. It should be noted, Bill has not been accused of being inappropriate with a minor. Let's not use innuendo to suggest he was a predator of any type.

Bill has been a valuable member of our community for many years. You don't know the details of what happened. All you are left with is speculation, hyperbole and histrionics.

What I do know, is many people from all corners of this community stood by Bill during this process. Including people who are very sensitive to the profound damage that child pornography brings on society and those children who are abused and damaged in the process of it's creation.

I understand how people like Ruben, will feel horribly let down. That is totally understandable. I feel let down.

He did something wrong. He is paying for his crime. Please folks, let's just leave it there.


Poke Alex

 

Any discussion comment regarding non-documented facts of the case should be taken with the typical internet salt.

(edited)

"Chaw, chi-chaw, chi-chaw." - Lindsay Bluth


Marcelo

 

No. I won't leave it there.

We are a community that has to deal with the ramifications of what's happened. As someone from a community that has dealt with not one, but two child molesters (I know Bill has not been accused of being a child molester, bear with me) who had HUGE roles in that community, I think the single worst thing you can do is "leave it there."

When Mo Jones got arrested there was all sorts of crazy speculation, but what emerged from the original cloud of speculation and snark was an honest discussion about the role of adults in the community to keep an eye out for minors and for people who may be in inappropriate relationships with them.

I know Bill hasn't been charged with doing anything with a minor in our community, but let's be clear - child pornography is a SERIOUS situation, and the charge affects us. It doesn't happen in a vacuum. To simply end the discussion out of some abstract respect for the privacy of someone convicted with a serious crime, the details of which are public record, is to deny the community the chance to process this information and to have the discussion that needs to be had. Part of the problem with sex crimes is that people are already hesitant to talk about things as is, there's no need to clamp down what could be an honest and frank discussion that allows people to process this very intense and personal situation.

Bill had a lot of friends who might be feeling disgusted, grossed out, shocked, but also conflicted because it's someone they know and it's hard to reconcile what they know with what they're reading in the court docs. Our forum should be a place for them to talk to others about their feelings and to engage other members of the community in real self-reflection. That to me is far more important than the privacy of a single man who is already convicted of the crime.

We need to talk about this and process this. As long as the discussion is civil, thoughtful, and honest I don't have any problem with this thread being a hundred pages long. It's important. If you want to refrain from posting because you have different priorities (which is fine) feel free not to participate, but don't deny us the very real need to talk about this with our peers.


Wexie

 

That's fair in it's own right Marcelo. The community does have a right to process. My concern is that "processing" on Yehoodi tends to become toxic. And that, more than anything, is what I'm hoping will not happen.

This is a complicated, horrible situation. I'm hoping people try to be responsible and fair. Given the history around here, that is highly unlikely. And that is why I took the position I did.


Wockin Wobin

 

I think what the yehoodistrators are concerned about is that this discussion forum not turn into what some others have when emotionally charged subjects are brought up. Discuss facts, sure, discuss the impact that the particular type of crime can have, or has had in other cases, discuss the impact that finding this out about Bill has on us.

For an example of what we really DON'T want to see in Yehoodi, see the insanity posted on http://www.topix.com/forum/city/long-beach-ny/TBUKNODR8OSV1EC19/p10.

I have confidence that, while even swing dancers and yehoodites have their own idiosyncracies, this is basically a community that is of above average intelligence and loves one another, and no regular member of it would be caught inciting hate or making one thing into something that it's not.

Keep it civil and the community will benefit from the discussion.


ShagBaby

 

I agree with Marcelo. This should be discussed. With a super-hot-button topic like kiddie porn, however, one must be very, VERY careful to state nothing but:

1) One's own feelings, and
2) Well-documented facts from reliable sources.

Rumors fly on topics such as this, and it must be borne in mind that Bill is NOT the only person who could be hurt if innuendo and unfounded speculation are mixed willy-nilly with the facts.


OpeningMinds

 

I can't seem to get past the Pacer login requirement, even though I have installed the Recap tool. I'm not registered with Pacer. What do I need to do to view these documents?

WeOwnYou said Bill had been charged, which the document headings show to be on August 12, 2009. He also said Bill had been sentenced - to what?

"Change your thoughts, and you change your world" - Norman Vincent Peale.


7and8

 

Response to Wexie in post #15 [Show]

Wexie, you said: "Child pornography is very serious and not to be taken lightly. In no way does asking people to exercise restraint and judgement change that fact. It should be noted, Bill has not been accused of being inappropriate with a minor."

Child pornography IS being inappropriate with a minor, even if the child isn't standing there in the room with him. If child pornography was appropriate behavior with a minor, it wouldn't be illegal to begin with.

While I don't know the intimate details, I do trust the Federal government to understand the laws regarding child pornography.

As a teacher (not a dance teacher), I can tell you that if I were convicted of a Federal offense regarding child pornography, I would NEVER be able to get a job teaching children in any sort of reputable situation. Why should it be different for someone teaching dance? It shouldn't be, unless the people who hire him don't understand the bigger picture.

Personally, I think it's bizarre that anyone would have a problem having an open dialogue regarding this. We are dealing with the safety of children here. It's certainly worth a good talk through.


Racetrack

 

I'm somewhat in shock after reading this thread, and still collecting my thoughts, but I think I agree with what Marcelo just posted.

We all have to be sensitive to each other (we're ALL in shock, I expect). But we also have to be sensitive to the need for the community as a whole to deal with incidents like this (which WILL happen again in the future, unfortunately) in a way that keeps its members as safe as possible.

We need to be particularly aware of our obligation to protect the youngest members of our community from even the possibility of harm as best we can. The fact that some people enter the lindy community very early in life (I have a son that became active in it at the age of 8, for example) means that we can't just let an issue like this pass without comment and some serious discussion regarding how we deal with it - along with some serious thought to what level of sensitivity to Bill Borgida's situation is appropriate, whether or not he can still remain a part of this community, and if so, under what circumstances and obligations.

We also have to be particularly sensitive to people who have had close relationships with Bill Borgida as an instructor, mentor, and founder/leader of a prominent dance troupe. Many of us know one or more of these people personally and must regard them as friends going through an incredibly hard time. It will take time for these people to sort through their feelings and decide how to deal with them. They will need our support - which sometimes may involve simply giving them their space and only offering help if and when they ask for it.

"A revolution without dancing is a revolution not worth having" - V


YellowSchoolBus

 

I agree with Marcelo. The attitude of "it's too shameful to talk about" is only going to to bring more gossip and negatively to Bill's reputation. I understand that this is a sensitive situation, but factual discussion is not going to add fuel to the flame. On the contrary, sensible discussion will give light to what actually happened and prevent future occurrences.


zabette

 

Wow, this is very shocking. I guess the good news, if you can call it that, is that he was caught and didn't continue doing this.


BluesForCP

 

Response to zabette in post #25 [Show]

I am not too shocked. I'll leave it at that.

Nothing guarantees that a person who partakes of child pornography, or any other inappropriateness with a minor, will stop unless serious intervention takes place.

He needs help. I hope he gets it. For everyone's sake.


pocotell

 

I'll be the first (edited: actually, someone beat me to it!) to dive into discussion (and hoping that my honesty doesn't border on toxic or unfair):

I'm surprised about this, but only slightly. Bill has been known to have somewhat inappropriate relations with the younger members of the community, which I've seen first-hand. I have no idea at all if he engaged in illegal behaviors - past this child pornography charge - but his actions have always been questionable.

Still, Bill has had a profoundly positive effect on the dance community - many of our favorite dancers today (Skye Humphries, Ramonda Staffeld, etc. - the Minnie's Moochers from Ithaca) learned how to dance from him. And I learned a lot from a couple workshops I took from him when I first started dancing.

But as a young woman, I've honestly always kept a healthy distance.

"If music be the food of love, play on!" - Shakespeare


Wexie

 

Response to 7and8 in post #22 [Show]

Jen, when I said he was not accused of being inappropriate with a minor, I meant with anyone in person, in a predatory manner. There is a huge and profound difference between the two.

One of the problems with sex crime laws, is they are often too broad and sweeping to the point of ridiculousness. For example, you can't put 19 year kid who has a 17 year old girlfriend in the same category as a 40 year old man who is sleeping with a 17 year old girl. Yet they are often treated the same.

Child pornography has similar no tolerance approach. There are people who traffic and trade in child pornography. They have voluminous collection usually involving pre-pubescent children. On the other hand, you can have some idiot who downloads a few pictures teenage girls, and he/she is treated the same in the eyes of the law. The psychological makeup of the two perpetrators is completely different. For example, the likelihood that the former will actually cross the line to having relations with children, is very high. With the latter, it is very unlikely. That's one of many differences.

As I said it is a complicated topic. Let's be careful of oversimplifying and making assumptions.


7and8

 

It's illegal to be in possession of child pornography...not that complicated.


WeOwnYou

 

Response to Wexie in post #28 [Show]

Wow, I'd love to hear at what level or what under age child pornography is less horrible than the rest? Care to share how we should lighten up on certain offenders, and what kind of punishment they should or shouldn't get. I'm curious. :-).

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