Former radio talk show host Bernie Ward will be sentenced in federal court in San Francisco Thursday for sending child pornography over the Internet.
Ward, 57, a former host on San Francisco's KGO radio has admitted to one count of e-mail distribution of child pornography in May and will be sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker.
Ward is a former priest, and the father of four children.
The defense has asked for the minimum sentence of five years for the liberal talk host; the prosecution has asked for the nine year maximum, saying Ward's conduct was "amoral" and "universally unacceptable."
In a filing last week, Ward's attorney, Doron Weinberg wrote that Ward admits to the seriousness of the offense, but contended that five years is sufficient punishment.
He said Ward's involvement in child pornography began as research for a
book but "lost its focus, at least in part because of the influence of
alcohol." The offense has had a "devastating" effect on Ward's family
and his career, the attorney said.
Ward has admitted he engaged in sex chats with an online dominatrix and
sent her pictures of children engaged in sexual activity.
You would think that it would occur to celebrities doing all this research on child abuse to start with the published literature instead of kiddie porn and chat rooms on the Internet. But hey, I'm not a celebrity author (or alcoholic), so what do I know about research methodology?
Posted by: YellowPup | August 26, 2008 at 10:38 AM
Very, very sad. So unusual to see a progressive with a sex crime. Usually it's Republicans with boys. Must be Ward's repressive Roman Catholicism. Those priests can't stay away from the chilluns. Religion is such a trap.
Posted by: Vera | August 26, 2008 at 10:50 AM
...sorry, yet again about your judgement of character there sparky (& aliases).
Posted by: Duffman | August 26, 2008 at 11:12 AM
When police seized Ward's computer, what they found was much worse than they expected. Ward had thousands of pics and videos of child porn, including rape and torture of children. There is no place deep enough in bowels of Hell for an obese scumbag like Bernie Ward.
Posted by: orcas | August 26, 2008 at 02:42 PM
When police seized Ward's computer, what they found was much worse than they expected. Ward had thousands of pics and videos of child porn, including rape and torture of children. There is no place deep enough in bowels of Hell for an obese scumbag like Bernie Ward.
Posted by: orcas | August 26, 2008 at 02:43 PM
When police seized Ward's computer, what they found was much worse than they expected. Ward had thousands of pics and videos of child porn, including rape and torture of children. There is no place deep enough in bowels of Hell for an obese scumbag like Bernie Ward.
Posted by: orcas | August 26, 2008 at 02:44 PM
Bernie Ward stinks
Posted by: orcas | August 26, 2008 at 02:45 PM
Bernie Ward stinks
Posted by: orcas | August 26, 2008 at 02:45 PM
Bernie Ward stinks
Posted by: orcas | August 26, 2008 at 02:45 PM
Yah, one less perverted Liberal on the radio. Hopefully forever. Will anyone hire him when he gets out?
Posted by: nevets | August 26, 2008 at 10:20 PM
Ward often could call the bullshit of people like W.Bush better than anyone on radio, but over years certain things started grating on me with this guy. I notice he was just terribly meanspirited and a hateful bully to anyone who dared disagree. There was just something off about the guy. The truth about him is more horrible than could be imagined.
Posted by: Tommy008 | August 26, 2008 at 10:40 PM
Has he been fitted for a cell size? Now that he's learned about the "sex fairy, he might soon learn about the 'tooth fairy' after encountering his prison mates.
It must be hell for Bernie spending his last night at home sweet home with the wife and kids in anticipation of tomorrow's sentencing and shackled bus ride to the big house for a big, yet unknown, chunk of the rest of his up there in age life.
I hope, contrary to the guidelines, that he's be sent to his room on limited rations for a year or two, or whatever "pleases the court." I feel sorry for his wife and kids who (we must not forget) will also suffer as a consequence for dad's gross misbehaviors.
As a public figure there's a huge public humiliation factor that should be factored into the punishment he's experiencing in consequence of his admitted transgressions.
It seems that more than one public figure who suffered an overwhelming humiliation and loss of public respect and prestige was ballast enough to spare them prison time, or at least it sure seems that way.
Posted by: John | August 28, 2008 at 01:10 AM
Seven years in the slammer !
Posted by: KS | August 28, 2008 at 07:02 PM
Ward was sentenced yesterday to 87 months imprisonment followed by a lifetime of supervised release.
Posted by: most wanted woman | August 28, 2008 at 11:25 PM
Poor Sparky.
Posted by: nevets | August 28, 2008 at 11:37 PM