Tuesday, July 11, 2017

Unsealed transcript: The boy in former Joplin pediatric surgeon's bed and what the FBI found in his secret room

Evidence found during a search of a secret room at Dr. Guy Rosenschein's Albuquerque, New Mexico home revealed the former Joplin pediatric surgeon had pictures of naked boys, electronic devices that featured child pornography, and evidence that Rosenschein conducted online chats pretending to be a 15-year-old boy from Missouri who was being raped repeatedly by men.

The information was included in a transcript of a January hearing held in federal court in Albuquerque in an effort to get a federal court judge to release Rosenschein on bond while he is awaiting trial on child pornography charges. The transcript was unsealed earlier this month.

During the hearing, FBI agent Ross Zuercher detailed the early morning raid on Rosenschein's home that led to the doctor's arrest.

When Rosenschein did not answer the door, agents and local law enforcement used a battering ram to knock down the door. When they entered, they saw Rosenschein standing on the upstairs landing wearing a bathrobe "or something of that nature." When he saw them, he ran back into his room.

After calling him out, he eventually surrendered on his own and during the security sweep, they found a 15-year-old boy in his bed in his boxer shorts in Rosenschein's bed.

The boy told investigators he climbed into Rosenschein's bed "because he got cold."

The nature of the boy's relationship with Rosenschein was debated throughout the hearing as the doctor's attorney and the boy's parents said there was nothing sexual going on between the doctor and the teen, who was a former patient. The parents allowed their son to stay with Rosenschein. Though they were not called to testify, it was noted that they attended the hearing to support Rosenschein.

The mother of the boy, who was referred to as John Doe 1, said her son has problems at school and she felt Rosenschein "was a good influence on him," according to Rosenschein's attorney, Peter Schoenburg.

The parents had enough confidence in Rosenschein that they allowed their son to accompany the doctor on trips to various states.

Zuercher testified Rosenschein planned to take John Doe 1 to Spain on a skiing trip.

One of Rosenschein's neighbors, Roy Sisneros, testified that he allowed his children to go places with the doctor and told about various kindnesses the doctor had shown his children.

Under cross-examination, Sisneros acknowledged that he had not been aware that Rosenschein told officers that he had a sexual interest in young boys, that Rosenschein possessed child pornography, or that he participated in conversations in which he discussed "the violent rape of teenage boys."

Much of the information against Rosenschein was uncovered during the execution of a second search warrant.

When Rosenschein moved to New Mexico in 2013, another doctor sold him her house. The doctor told police about a secret room underneath a staircase. Law enforcement officers entered the room through a false wall and discovered a dial safe. Inside the safe were pictures of naked boys dated April 1994 and logs of trips to Cambodia made during that time.

Pornography was found featuring victims who had been identified through a national database of exploited children.and devices that led investigators to the conversations Rosenschein had while pretending to be a 15-year-old boy from Missouri who was being repeatedly raped by men.

The Missouri mention did not surprise the FBI agent, who testified he had received a call from a Missouri police chief who said Rosenschein worked in his city. It was not specified whether the call came from Joplin or from Columbia where Rosenschein also practiced.

It was noted that as of the date of the hearing, many of the devices that had been confiscated had yet to be analyzed.

During closing arguments, Schoenburg, noted that Rosenschein's sister, who also testified, said she would be willing to be responsible for her brother and would have all electronic devices password-protected to keep him from accessing them.

Schoenburg said the parents of John Doe 1 and other parents had never seen any indication that Rosenschein was a threat to their children or had any kind of sexual interest in them.

Schoenberg pointed out Rosenschein, who is being held in a Santa Fe, New Mexico jail, had been threatened by other inmates.

The federal prosecutor, Sarah Mease, noted that Rosenschein has a pilot's license and a considerable amount of money, both of which create doubt that he can be guaranteed to show up for his trial.

Mease also pointed out that neither the parents or Rosenschein's sister had been aware that he possessed child pornography, had admitted to having a sexual interest in young boys, or that he had talked with others about the violent rape of teenage boys. Mease said she was not casting any aspersions about the parents, but that Rosenschein's ability to hide his secrets from his sister and from the parents showed how dangerous it would be to allow him to have bond.

Court records do not show what decision the judge made, but there is no record of Rosenschein being granted bond.

No comments: