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Video helps police make three arrests
Men in city park charged with lewdness
Thursday, August 14, 2008
SCHENECTADY — Complaints from the public, as well as intricately made videos from an apparent YouTube vigilante, have led to public lewdness or soliciting charges against three men arrested in Central Park, police said. City police, with help from state police, staked out a portion of the park off Fehr Avenue Tuesday morning and witnessed two men masturbating in a public area and another man soliciting an undercover officer, police said. The stakeout came about after complaints in recent weeks but also after police were made aware of videos posted to the YouTube video-sharing Web site by someone apparently wishing to expose the activity. Whoever posted the videos, however, apparently never contacted police directly, police department spokesman Lt. Brian Kilcullen said. Instead, he or she simply posted the videos to YouTube, titling one “Pervert Park,” and set them to music, accusing the men in the videos of being there for sex. Kilcullen said police responded. “Any complaints made directly to us, we’ll act on it,” he said. “The video wasn’t brought to our attention by the person who posted it.” Charged Tuesday with public lewdness, a misdemeanor, were Dominick H. DiGirolamo, 61, of Pyle Road, and Keith Childs, 55, of Henry Street. Childs and DiGirolamo are accused of masturbating near a baseball diamond while in a wooded area of the park, according to papers filed in court. Childs was arrested at 9:42 a.m., DiGirolamo at 10:18 a.m. Also charged, but with violation-level loitering for the purpose of engaging in a prostitution offense, was 76-year-old Lazarus Coppola, of Lenox Road. He is accused of offering to engage in oral sex with an undercover police officer, according to papers. Coppola, Kilcullen said, resembles one of the men targeted by the video vigilante in the online videos. The videos themselves simply show men walking and standing in the area of the baseball diamonds. Some of the men are identifiable through faces or vehicles. The creator of the videos makes the accusations, often in a mocking manner, through subtitles. Music was also added, often corresponding to the video. (The music includes mainstream songs, an apparent violation of YouTube copyright rules.) One video is a first-person shot made by the videographer showing where he or she says everything happens, even showing a men’s bathroom where he or she alleges the activity takes place. Kilcullen said police are unsure how long the activity has been going on. They were only made aware of it recently. The dates of the videos are not included, though their content suggest they were taken last year. The user names were registered as long as five months ago. The first-person video is taken with snow on the ground. Messages sent to the YouTube user names by The Daily Gazette Wednesday were not returned. “Whoever made these videos and posted them to YouTube spent quite a bit of time doing it,” Kilcullen said. “I don’t believe we were ever in communication with him.” Get ALL of our news...Click here to subscribe to our online edition, a complete replica of our print edition.
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July 4, 2009
4:14 a.m. [ Suggest removal ]
Hello Everyone
I am the one who posted the Videos.
I was in contact with the police all the way back in March. A detective took my information via Youtube Email and I had cooperated with him. I had exchanged several Emails and I wrote in details the situation and that they needed an undercover sting, This was way back in March. I had mentioned that the police needed to do this operation and that the public would be well pleased.
My original Youtube site was taken down as there was much protest about my exposing this situation for the public to be aware of this.
The videos were bringing viewers in the thousands, with one video had over 14,000 views in just 3 months. Somehow, without warning, the videos were removed by Youtube probably because of complaint by those who were upset at the negativ exposure to their conduct.
The police have indeed known about this situation for years and have done nothing.
Perhaps the new Police reconstruction will do a better job. Let's give the police our support.
This shows the neccesity of all of us needing to help bring a positive change
with the situations out there.
I personally complained at the park office and with the police in their patrol cars about this particular ongoing problem years ago.
We also need non-police citizens to get involved and to have the right to do so and to be able to offer their assistance to the police in such matters without jeopardy.
The Police need to take the residents willing to offer help seriously and not just keep it within their station doors.
You need to have the security personnel that is already working at Central Park to work full time and have the full backing of the city police.
This is currently Not The Case!
They have a guy there who is there only part time. I have spoken with him and he is on his own trying to handle the situation in Central Park without proper backup. So this situation with the security man in Central Park needs to be immediately taken into consideration by others than the ones calling the shots currently.
Heck give me a job of helping take back Schenectady to make it safe.
I know how to get things done. I would even volunteer.
Video Justice!
12:16 a.m. [ Suggest removal ]
http://www.topix.com/forum/schenectady/T...
12:33 a.m. [ Suggest removal ]
Here is a Playlist that shows when I originally posted the videos of Pervert Park. Notice how many views they had at the time. One video had over 14,000 views
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=...
The police were also aware of these videos way back in feb - march as I had exchanged Youtube Emails with a detective Sergent and told him in length details of the events. I also had personally talked with patrol years ago. Also a few others that I know had also made complaints. This situation has been going on for years. To try to suggest that I was in anyway involved with this group of Perverted weirdos is something that really perplexes me. I mean where is your intelligence?
I did something in a new way to bring attention to the situation and my method worked. Finally The Public Knows and the Perverts have been stigmatized. Just Do Not be tempted to include me in with them.
Central Park was always a Place that I cherished. I had spent many many many days in Central park with family and friends.
Remember if it wasn't for the videos, Pervert Park, The Mens room Peephole (and the children in the park at risk), would all be in the same state as it always has been through the years.
3:10 p.m. [ Suggest removal ]
John Rizzo, He accuses me of being one of the Perverts.
He writes "to the person who made the annonymous "YouTube pervert" video mentioned in the Gazette article. I believe you are involved, and if so, you are a cretin and a coward."
How Dare You accuse someone who exposes the Perverts and The situation going in Central Park to the public as actually being one of the Perverts themselves.
Mr Rizzo, How do You put 2 and 2 together and come up with minus 3?
This activity in Pervert Park has been going on for Years! Did The Gazette, The News or the police do anything about thison their own?
NO! So, because I am not in your group then I must be one of the enemy.
The Residents of Schenectady have options when The Likes of You who are in position Fail Us.
I did something to help and it took a long time, but finally with enough of the other residents complaining and with enough Pressure, The Story Broke.
I am calling ALL residents of Schenectady who wish to do something positive to make a difference in their community safety to Take Actions and to help make things happen.
We can't just pretend that those who are getting paid and in position are going to do anything anymore on their own merit.
As far as "Pervert Park" is concerned There are Many residents that have known about this for many years. The Park personnel have all been aware of this for many years, I have spoken with them and so have others trhough the years. The police have been aware of this for many years. I have spoken directly with them and so have others. I have witnessed the police driving through and sitting but never even getting out of their patrol cars.
I have been visiting spending time with friends and family and walking the park for over 35 years and it is a cherished place through the years.
I had witnessed a number of events and activities in the park.
For example in The Pervert Park section off Fehr Ave,
I turned in one time, a lunch box that was open with sandwiches and food scattered and a kids shoe to the park office. This was in Pervert Park area right where the men park and enter one of the trails. I voiced my concerns about it to the Park Personnel, that was 4 years ago.
Seems that they werent concerned at all.
3:10 p.m. [ Suggest removal ]
All of the times I had witnessed men mulling about in their obvious persuits and being followed and watched and also having been approached a few times.
having to witness gay pornography and the many used condoms in the dirt right where people walk. I was even told about the peephole by a park worker when the subject came up and it has been there for years. The park personnel would stuff it with paper that was the extent of dealing with the peephole, But the public was unaware of this peephole and the possiblity that they were being watched like that.
It took the actions of a concerned resident to help make changes.
So You label Me a "cretin" and a "coward"?
Hardly Mr Rizzo.
Tell somthing me Sherlock, how many other times have you been completely off the mark and come up with the wrong conclusions in your articles?
12:03 p.m. [ Suggest removal ]
Vigilante, you have supporters!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.topix.com/schenectady/2008/08...