Friday, January 25, 2008

Blankenship still trying to get out of conviction on internet sting case


Former O'Sullivan Industries official Gary Reed Blankenship filed an amended motion to vacate his sentence Jan. 9, according to McDonald County Circuit Court records.

On Jan. 27, 2005, Blankenship, 57, Neosho, was arrested following one of Diamond Police Department officer Jim Murray's internet sex stings. Murray entered a chat room pretending to be an underaged girl. Blankenship propositioned the "teen," arranged for a meeting with her to have sex, then was arrested when he arrived and was charged with eight counts of possession of child pornography, one count of enticing a child, and one count of promoting obscene material to a minor.
On Oct. 19, 2006, Blankenship pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography and promoting obscenity. He was sentenced to eight years in prison. Five months later, despite the fact that Blankenship was the one who entered the guilty plea, he filed an appeal.
Judge Kevin Selby ruled on March 29 that Blankenship, a former high-powered executive, could proceed as a pauper, meaning the taxpayers are paying for a public defender to represent him.

No hearing dates have been set.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Why is it always the former O'Sullivan employee? Where did he live? Where was he from? How long did he work in Lamar & how long did he work the job before that one?

Anonymous said...

He was from Neosho, and a former Sunbeam employee as well. It does bother me that I as a taxpayer have to pay for his appeal. Keep up the work Big Jim.