Jack McClellan

Jack McClellan is a self-proclaimed pedophile and pro-pedophile activistFact|date=August 2008 who became embroiled in a series of controversies beginning in June 2007 Fact|date=May 2008 over his visits to and website advising other pedophiles on public venues and events where young girls were or would likely be present, as well as his photographing of such venues and events in the US states of Washington, and more recently, California and Oregon. He has been featured on multiple national news programs because of his views and legal battles surrounding his beliefs and opposition to them. After a shortly-lived relocation to Portland, Oregon, McClellan moved back to Los Angeles. [http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/339460_blogger14.html "Pedophile blogger leaves Portland after unwarm welcome"] , "Seattle Post-Intelligencer", November 13, 2007] Shortly later, he relocated back to Portland.

Websites

McClellan has run multiple websites where he documents his experiences and findings. While he resided in Washington state he ran "Seattle-Tacoma-Everett Girl Love" and later "Los Angeles Girl Love" after moving to California. One of his sites was taken down by his Internet service provider, while his first site was voluntarily taken down after pressure from the local community.Fact|date=May 2008

He later put his website back up, in as of October 2007, detailing Portland area festivals and events. [http://www.pdxgl.info/ "Portland Girl Love," Jack McClellan's website] ] [http://www.annabelleigh.net/messages/411566.htm Girl Chat, "I finally got my site back up -- sort of", posted by Jack McClellan on Friday, October 5 2007 at 04:15:59am] ]

Allegations

McClellan has been considered a person of interest in the murder of a 10 year old girl in Washington. This was because an intersection in the area where the girl disappeared had been listed in his past website "Seattle-Vancouver Street Prostitution Guide" and one he had visited in the past. [http://www.crimelibrary.com/news/original/0807/2701_mcclellan.html "Police Eye McClellan in Unsolved Washington Murder"] , "truTV Crime Library", August 27, 2007]

Timeline

On August 4, 2007, a California judge issued a temporary restraining order to prevent McClellan from being within convert|30|ft|m of a child at any time in the state of California.Fact|date=March 2008

On August 14, 2007, McClellan was arrested on the University of California, Los Angeles campus on suspicion of violating his restraining order by sitting in a daycare facility for children aged three months to three years. He was told by campus police not to return. Later, after being released on his own recognizance, he was arrested on charges of trespassing while being interviewed in a campus parking lot. [cite news|title=Self-Described Pedophile Is Arrested Twice|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/us/15pedophile.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=jack+mcclellan&st=nyt&oref=slogin|work=New York Times|date=August 15, 2007]

On August 21, 2007, McClellan was released after Los Angeles prosecutors dropped the charges against him. Prosecutors found that the judge issuing the temporary restraining order against him had failed to set a necessary hearing and had not properly notified McClellan. [http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=local&id=5592898 Associated Press (via ABC) "Charges Dropped Against Self-Proclaimed Pedophile"] ]

On August 24, 2007, a judge narrowed the restraining order and issued a permanent injunction that prohibits Mr. McClellan from coming within convert|30|ft|m of schools, playgrounds and other places where children congregate. In response to this McClellan stated he will leave California, calling the rulings "Orwellian". [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/27/us/27pedophile.html Man Who Put Girls’ Photos on Internet to Exit a State] ; Associated Press; Published 2007-08-27; Retrieved 2007-08-27]

Upon moving to Portland, local police officials were aware of McClellan's presence, but he was not required to register with authorities because he is not a convicted sex offender. McClellan said he will no longer take pictures of children because he now "sees it from the parents' side." [http://www.oregonlive.com/oregonian/stories/index.ssf?/base/news/1189059985269180.xml&coll=7 "Admitted pedophile moves to Portland"] , "The Oregonian", September 06, 2007]

He resurfaced in Portland in March 2008 and has been excluded from both Powell's City of Books & The Grotto, an outdoor Catholic shrine. [http://wweek.com/editorial/3419/10685 "Pedo-Exile A notorious Portland pedophile gets 86’d from Powell’s Books and The Grotto."] ]

In reaction to McClellan's activities, California Assemblyman Cameron Smyth has introduced a bill to make similar actions a criminal misdemeanor. The bill would make it illegal to engage in surrograte stalking, "the act of publishing photos, physical descriptions, and/or locations of children with the intent that another person uses that information to commit a crime against a child". [ [http://www.hometownstation.com/local-news/smyth-mclellan-clarita-2008-04-29-15-53.html Smyth Surrogate Stalker Act Clears Committee - Hometown Station KHTS AM-1220 ] ] [ [http://www.the-signal.com/news/article/1630/ Pedophile bill clears hurdle in Legislature ] ]

Internet reaction

After hearing about McClellan on the news, blogger and webmaster Ron Tebo created the website "JackMcClellan.com". Tebo says that his fight against McClellan is personal, partly in reaction to his own molestation at the hands of a neighbor when he was six years old. Tebo uses his site to keep Internet users up to date about McClellan's activities and whereabouts. Before starting the site, he contacted McClellan and had several e-mail conversations with him. Their relationship is complex, as Tebo refers to McClellan by his first name. [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/07/30/earlyshow/living/parenting/main3110525.shtml Dad Fights Web Site That Eyes Young Girls] ; CBS news.com; published 2007-07-30; retrieved 2007-08-29] The two have appeared on television programs together, and at one point Tebo actually defended McClellan on The Steve Wilkos Show against what he described as a bullying studio audience and talk show host. [http://oldsite.the-signal.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=49992&format=html A Change of Heart for Jack?] ; Holt, Jim; The Signal; Published 2007-08-08; retrieved 2007-08-30] Ron Tebo later changed the site so that rather than focusing on Jack McClellan, it provides links for child safety, to KidsHealth and NetSmartz .org articles.

References

See also

* Pedophilia
* Pro-pedophile activism
* Anti-pedophile activism