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Parent speaks out on CPD investigation

Posted December 10, 2014 10:00 pm

By Pete Spitler The Herald Tribune

CHESTER -- Another parent came forward on Thursday in regard to the Chester Police Department's ongoing investigation of complaints levied against the conduct of an unnamed 16-year-old Chester High School male student.

Clinton Griffith, whose 11-year-old son was one of the victims targeted in this case, said his son received unsolicited pictures of the juvenile's penis on Nov. 8 and Nov. 24 as part of a Facebook conversation that began on Aug. 25 and didn't end until the victim blocked the juvenile on Nov. 29.

"At first, (the juvenile) just wanted a shirtless picture, that was a no big deal," said Griffith. "Then it went into my son moving in with him when he got out of school, to talking about his belly to talking about if he was circumcised.

"It just progressed and progressed and progressed."

Griffith provided copies of the conversations to the Herald Tribune and they are similar to those experienced by other victims.

At first, the conversation started off harmless with typical teenager discussions of video games and the recent Griffith family move to West Frankfort.

But, similar to the other victims' reports, the conversation took a darker turn in early November.

On Nov. 8, at 11:01 p.m., the juvenile sent a message asking whether the victim "had abs or r u skinny." Two minutes later, the juvenile asked the victim to send him a shirtless picture.

At 11:06 p.m., the victim complied and sent a picture of his chest and abdomen to the juvenile. No other body parts were exposed at this time.

At 11:08 p.m., the juvenile asked the victim about his belly button and a minute later, asked if he is circumcised, adding "And I'm not gay."

"I feel the parents need to know," Griffith said. "So that they can go through their kids' Facebook, go through their kids' messages, any social media.

"How many parents, like me, for instance? My boys have social media and a lot of times, I don't look at it."

At 11:13 p.m., still on Nov. 8, the juvenile told the victim he would use his mother's phone to attempt to send a picture of his penis to the victim. The victim was asked to reciprocate, but told the juvenile "no."

The juvenile then asked if the victim had Snapchat and would send the picture through that service. The victim declined again.

The juvenile continued to consistently ask the victim - who repeatedly told the juvenile "no" - for a picture of his penis and eventually sent the victim his own shirtless picture at 11:28 p.m.

Finally, at 11:40 p.m., the juvenile sent the victim a picture of his penis anyway.

"You can't let this go," Griffith said. "The parents have to know. How many (victims) are there? We don't know."

No Facebook messages were exchanged between the two until Nov. 24. The juvenile told the victim he can live with him if he wants to after high school or college.

The juvenile then asked the victim yet again to send a picture of his penis, emphasizing he is not gay. The juvenile later asked the victim if he wanted to see the juvenile's penis because "maybe it will change ur (your) mind."

The conversation and requests got more graphic until the victim stopped responding completely on Nov. 28.

The juvenile made repeated attempts at contact until the conversation ended with the juvenile's final message at 11:01 a.m. on Nov. 29., again asking for or willing to send pornographic pictures.

"Parents beware, it can happen to anybody," Griffith said.

Griffith said an officer with the Chester Police Department interviewed the juvenile on Wednesday.

"That is when (the officer) made him re-access his Facebook account so where the pictures would show back up," Griffith said.

Phone calls to Chester Police Chief Ryan Coffey were not immediately returned.

Chester District 139 Superintendent Chris Diddlebock told the Herald Tribune he still has not been told anything officially.

"No one was interviewed at our schools on either side or at either school," Diddlebock said. "It may have happened after school or at a different place, but I talked to both principals and both assistant principals and nobody came in at either school."

Diddlebock said if parents notice anything suspicious or believe anything inappropriate is happening then to contact the CPD.

Griffith said he has notified his lawyer, Jason Coffey, of the situation, who then informed Randolph County State's Attorney Jeremy Walker.

"This is scary because how far could it have went? Without anybody saying anything?" Griffith said. "You're talking up to a seven-year difference with some kids."

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