News: 2 die in rock python attack

Official cause of death; asphyxiation:
http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/n-b-boy...opsy-1.1400815

Also for those of us here in the US:
http://www.humanesociety.org/news/pr...de-080713.html

Of course the HS is jumping on this....

There is something that all of you need to remember when people question the intelligence of keeping snakes.

YOU don't have to be the Reptile Ambassador to the world. It is OK to say NOTHING. It is OK to tell them that while they are woefully ignorant of the facts, you hold no personal animosity for their willful ignorance. It is OK for you to simply shake your head and walk away.

Sometimes it's the best thing you can do, be silent and leave, especially if you're a hothead. After all, any one of us is seen to represent ALL of us and frankly, there are a LOT of folks who have snakes that I wish either didn't, or simply keep the fact that they did, to themselves.

It's OK to just let it go when you know what the outcome will be, especially when you know the person making foolish statements has NO desire to know the truth.

Well said wilomn. Just like i'll NEVER understand those crazy cat people... Why do they do it...? The world may never know...

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Originally Posted by DestinyLynette

Also for those of us here in the US:
http://www.humanesociety.org/news/pr...de-080713.html

Of course the HS is jumping on this....

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Yeah that didn't take long.

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Originally Posted by DestinyLynette

Also for those of us here in the US:
http://www.humanesociety.org/news/pr...de-080713.html

Of course the HS is jumping on this....

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this doesn't surprise me a bit. they already banned the af rocks. wtf? leave us alone.

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Originally Posted by DestinyLynette

Also for those of us here in the US:
http://www.humanesociety.org/news/pr...de-080713.html

Of course the HS is jumping on this....

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Wait a sec... Burms are banned in the US?? I thought they were the commonly known "good guys" of the big snake roster.

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Originally Posted by Pickenprod

Wait a sec... Burms are banned in the US?? I thought they were the commonly known "good guys" of the big snake roster.

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Not banned, they just can't be transported interstate except in very limited circumstances. You can't even cross state lines to take it to a veterinarian.

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Originally Posted by bcr229

Not banned, they just can't be transported interstate except in very limited circumstances. You can't even cross state lines to take it to a veterinarian.

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Well, that explains it. Eww.

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Originally Posted by DestinyLynette

Also for those of us here in the US:
http://www.humanesociety.org/news/pr...de-080713.html

Of course the HS is jumping on this....

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the humane society will jump in to tell us all about how the non native snakes should not be in this country because the are dangerous and can tax our system....well here is a message to them, you want to talk about a non native predator taxing our system? What about all the illegal aliens that enter this country everyday. They come here take our jobs , dont pay taxes, use our resources, commit crimes and what do we do with them??? Give them citizenship , free health care and welfare. Yes .... please save us from all the vicious snake armies waiting to take over. They wanna make a difference in this country leave the reptiles along ( many tax paying Americans make their living in this trade ) and do something about the illegals bringing this country to its knees!

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Originally Posted by hig

Everyone vote! No account required.

http://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/community/poll-results

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it took me to a "do you play the lotter?" poll..?

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Originally Posted by TheSnakeGeek

it took me to a "do you play the lotter?" poll..?

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Yeah, it's a daily-poll thing. The snake one was yesterday, and I'm sad to see how it turned out :(

The general public really does have no idea about reptiles. Either that, or they didn't read the part about ALL exotic snakes being banned and just assumed the poll meant the really huge ones!

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Originally Posted by bcr229

Not banned, they just can't be transported interstate except in very limited circumstances. You can't even cross state lines to take it to a veterinarian.

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Well, unless you're loaded with gas, drive around nice cop routes, don't have a suspicious car, and follow the rules of the road, quite possibly maybe... ;)

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Originally Posted by pythonminion

Well, unless you're loaded with gas, drive around nice cop routes, don't have a suspicious car, and follow the rules of the road, quite possibly maybe... ;)

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Advocating the breaking of the law isn't really a good idea in light of recent challenges to our hobby.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 4

So frustrating that people are already starting to rally for snake bans. That snake was ALREADY ILLEGAL. Enforcing a new ban is about as relevant as banning house cats because someone's pet tiger got loose. Sigh.

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Originally Posted by Kodieh

Advocating the breaking of the law isn't really a good idea in light of recent challenges to our hobby.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 4

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I must apologize for my horribly timed joke then.
I don't condone breaking federal law in regards to the Lacey Act to any readers out there.

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Originally Posted by pythonminion

I must apologize for my horribly timed joke then.
I don't condone breaking federal law in regards to the Lacey Act to any readers out there.

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I got where you were going, just a little too soon. ;)

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 4

If you wanna stay updated, subscribe to NERD on fb.

Guess they're doing a toxicology right now. Cause of death was aphixiation.

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Originally Posted by norwegn113

the humane society will jump in to tell us all about how the non native snakes should not be in this country because the are dangerous and can tax our system....well here is a message to them, you want to talk about a non native predator taxing our system? What about all the illegal aliens that enter this country everyday. They come here take our jobs , dont pay taxes, use our resources, commit crimes and what do we do with them??? Give them citizenship , free health care and welfare. Yes .... please save us from all the vicious snake armies waiting to take over. They wanna make a difference in this country leave the reptiles along ( many tax paying Americans make their living in this trade ) and do something about the illegals bringing this country to its knees!

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You do understand you yourself are an illegal alien if you go back far enough?

Everyone outside of Africa is.

Please place intolerance in it's proper historical perspective and do not spread it on this site. We do not want to have to move this thread to the restricted quarantine section as the topic could be vital to us all.

Stay on topic, remember the family friendly nature of the site and let's try and find a positive way to limit the damage to the hobby as a whole.


dr del

Things are getting messy on Y! Answers after a HSUS activist posted.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...7143735AAswqgU

So here is the Good Morning America segment. Again, news media getting things wrong. They showed some blood pythons along with the rock pythons, and equated the African rock python to an albino Burmese that was found in the shed in Florida.

http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs...2704.html?vp=1

I'm seeing a lot of emphasis on the "neglect" that snake keepers obviously subject their charges to. "Hadn't been fed in a week/ hadn't been fed in a month"! Oh no! The poor, hungry, perfectly on schedule... well-fed... uh. Umm.

I feel like making a general factsheet for the public, letting them know that snakes do not eat every day, among other things.

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Originally Posted by Pickenprod

I'm seeing a lot of emphasis on the "neglect" that snake keepers obviously subject their charges to. "Hadn't been fed in a week/ hadn't been fed in a month"! Oh no! The poor, hungry, perfectly on schedule... well-fed... uh. Umm.

I feel like making a general factsheet for the public, letting them know that snakes do not eat every day, among other things.

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That isn't a bad idea at all.

I am sure that many people do not realise with a thermostat, one can with a fairly sound mind go on a weeks vacation and not have to worry about your pet. That alone is nothing to sneeze at.

Really once you get your husbandry requirements down, I can't think of many pets easier to care for.

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Originally Posted by Pickenprod

I'm seeing a lot of emphasis on the "neglect" that snake keepers obviously subject their charges to. "Hadn't been fed in a week/ hadn't been fed in a month"! Oh no! The poor, hungry, perfectly on schedule... well-fed... uh. Umm.

I feel like making a general factsheet for the public, letting them know that snakes do not eat every day, among other things.

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That is a great idea!!

I've been trying to reason with people all day on Yahoo! They refuse to listen to facts and just give in to their fears and believe all the sensationalism of the press and HSUS. I heard a report not long ago that things didn't add up with the autopsy and the Mounties are now looking at the Pet shop/apartment owner. Maybe people people just shouldn't jump to conclusions.

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Originally Posted by Pickenprod

I'm seeing a lot of emphasis on the "neglect" that snake keepers obviously subject their charges to. "Hadn't been fed in a week/ hadn't been fed in a month"! Oh no! The poor, hungry, perfectly on schedule... well-fed... uh. Umm.

I feel like making a general factsheet for the public, letting them know that snakes do not eat every day, among other things.

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Originally Posted by Raven01

That isn't a bad idea at all.

I am sure that many people do not realise with a thermostat, one can with a fairly sound mind go on a weeks vacation and not have to worry about your pet. That alone is nothing to sneeze at.

Really once you get your husbandry requirements down, I can't think of many pets easier to care for.

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No kidding! People are very ignorant about the needs of a snake, compared to more common pets like dogs and cats.

I keep seeing people say, "Why would you want a snake? You can't take it for a walk, you can't cuddle with it, you can't watch tv with it." What I want to know is why these are automatic criteria for what makes a "pet"? What if someone doesn't want an animal they can walk or cuddle? What if someone wants a critter they can just watch and admire? I'll tell you one thing... I have quite a few critters of my own, and they have their own unique needs, but one thing I LOVE about the snakes is the fact they do not need attention. I can watch them, I can handle them, but they aren't going to miss me or complain if I don't spend hours every day with them. My goats... they start screaming at me the moment I come home from work (mama goat wanting her grain and to be milked, baby goat just wanting attention). After I feed them and give them scratches, they scream at me some more when I walk away because I didn't spend enough time with them! I love that snakes don't care about that. ;)

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Originally Posted by sorraia

I keep seeing people say, "Why would you want a snake? You can't take it for a walk, you can't cuddle with it, you can't watch tv with it."

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Fish, the answer is fish. They are normal and make people go... oh.

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Originally Posted by sorraia

No kidding! People are very ignorant about the needs of a snake, compared to more common pets like dogs and cats.

I keep seeing people say, "Why would you want a snake? You can't take it for a walk, you can't cuddle with it, you can't watch tv with it." What I want to know is why these are automatic criteria for what makes a "pet"?

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^^This^^

Well said.

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Originally Posted by sorraia

No kidding! People are very ignorant about the needs of a snake, compared to more common pets like dogs and cats.

I keep seeing people say, "Why would you want a snake? You can't take it for a walk, you can't cuddle with it, you can't watch tv with it."

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I've gotten this from people a lot in the past too. My short answer is that they're like fish without the water. People seem to get it then.

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Originally Posted by sorraia

No kidding! People are very ignorant about the needs of a snake, compared to more common pets like dogs and cats.

I keep seeing people say, "Why would you want a snake? You can't take it for a walk, you can't cuddle with it, you can't watch tv with it." What I want to know is why these are automatic criteria for what makes a "pet"? What if someone doesn't want an animal they can walk or cuddle? What if someone wants a critter they can just watch and admire?

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AMEN! I hear that all the time. Another thing that's really getting to me today reading some of the comments is how people think that anyone that has snakes is some kind of anti-social head case. I read one comment where a person said that snake owners should get some mental help because only a person that had a mental illness could want or identify with a snake. I had to stop reading for awhile because my blood was boiling.

In Canada a large python (no details released on what species but obviously a Burmese or a reticulated or something) escaped into the ventilation system and went upstairs and killed two children on a sleepover at their friends house. The family who owned the snake lived above there pet shop. The snake was accused of "attacking the children" my views however are different i mean obviously these two poor children have died for a reason but what hard evidence is there to back the fact this snake killed them as you all know a snakes defence is to strike and bite. Not to constrict as i think constriction is mainly linked with feeding my snakes would never constrict me as defence. I think the snake may have slithered over them and killed them in there sleep by accident nothing more. It is a tradjedy but this is what i hate because people will now go off and fear all pythons and its really bad. Its such a shame this has happened and wish it didnt

You can find many people's thoughts and opinions on this in the following thread:

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...-in-Boa-Attack

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Originally Posted by CrystalRose

AMEN! I hear that all the time. Another thing that's really getting to me today reading some of the comments is how people think that anyone that has snakes is some kind of anti-social head case. I read one comment where a person said that snake owners should get some mental help because only a person that had a mental illness could want or identify with a snake. I had to stop reading for awhile because my blood was boiling.

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I'm avoiding going back to the articles and reading comments for precisely that information! I have 10 snakes in my house, as well as a host of other critters. No one would be able to pick me out from a crowd, and pin me as a snake owner just by looking at me or even talking to me. Only way they would know is if I specifically mentioned it. I don't have any piercings other than my ears (and only one hole each), no tattoos, my hair is dyed one color and it's a natural looking auburn, nothing spectacular or unusual about me. I imagine most of "those" people who think of snake owners believe them to be part of the "fringes" of society, wearing certain clothes, coloring their hair different colors, tattoos and piercings everywhere, etc. Nothing wrong with any of those things, but those aren't what define a person's likes or dislikes when it comes to the animals they keep!

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Originally Posted by Archimedes

You can find many people's thoughts and opinions on this in the following thread:

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...-in-Boa-Attack

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Merged :gj:

Don't know if this has been posted yet, but just saw this on a facebook friend's feed. I think it's actually a pretty decent article!

http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/08...python-attack/

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Originally Posted by sorraia

Don't know if this has been posted yet, but just saw this on a facebook friend's feed. I think it's actually a pretty decent article!

http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/08...python-attack/

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Oh wow, look how nice and thorough it is!

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Originally Posted by sorraia

Don't know if this has been posted yet, but just saw this on a facebook friend's feed. I think it's actually a pretty decent article!

http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/08...python-attack/

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Wow, an actual 'news' article. Refreshing.

I smell a fish it doesn't make sense a snake goes in a room and kills two kids but doesn't eat them. I can see it maybe getting one and maybe if its big enough eating him but to go and just kill. For one thing in the time that it took to kill the first one the other kid would wake up from the noise and be screaming. No way it would get the second without a lot of noise. Someone killed those kids and blamed it on the snake. Autopsy will tell

1.1 pastels, 1.0 lesser, 0.1 spider, 1.3 norm. 1.0 fire 0.1 RTB 0.0 sav. Mon.

Very sad tragedy that two boys lost their lives. Rather aggravating that it only takes one bad keeper to sully the reputation of the hobby. It is truly amazing how one incident can affect the lives of so many across the globe.

Welcome to the modern world, where the fate of many is decided by few.

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Originally Posted by sorraia

I'm avoiding going back to the articles and reading comments for precisely that information! I have 10 snakes in my house, as well as a host of other critters. No one would be able to pick me out from a crowd, and pin me as a snake owner just by looking at me or even talking to me. Only way they would know is if I specifically mentioned it. I don't have any piercings other than my ears (and only one hole each), no tattoos, my hair is dyed one color and it's a natural looking auburn, nothing spectacular or unusual about me. I imagine most of "those" people who think of snake owners believe them to be part of the "fringes" of society, wearing certain clothes, coloring their hair different colors, tattoos and piercings everywhere, etc. Nothing wrong with any of those things, but those aren't what define a person's likes or dislikes when it comes to the animals they keep!

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Sounds just like me. I have dogs and cats and what people would consider "normal" pets. I don't stand out in a crowd. Been happily married for almost 17 years. Live in a small town etc. When I do mention to people I have snakes they seem shocked then they tell me I don't seem like the "type". It just really gets on my nerves.

It's like my neighbor. He has a harley,Has tattoos and looks like what most people seem to consider the average "biker". He's told me people have actually crossed the street when they see him coming. However he and his wife are THE nicest people I know. He and his wife both do Pug rescue and he carries their one elderly pug when she gets too tired to walk. One day I had a knock on my door and it was him. They had gone to a pet expo and brought back a whole bag of free dog treat samples they had picked up for my dogs. Just really nice people. Stereotypes for any reason just suck.

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Originally Posted by sorraia

Don't know if this has been posted yet, but just saw this on a facebook friend's feed. I think it's actually a pretty decent article!

http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/08...python-attack/

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This article needs to be passed around like crazy. THIS is what people need to read, not the ones making out pythons/snakes to be serial killers.

It doesn't help that Animal Planet and Nat Geo make all these anti exotic animal shows that usually portray the owners as mentally disturbed.

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Originally Posted by norwegn113

the humane society will jump in to tell us all about how the non native snakes should not be in this country because the are dangerous and can tax our system....well here is a message to them, you want to talk about a non native predator taxing our system? What about all the illegal aliens that enter this country everyday. They come here take our jobs , dont pay taxes, use our resources, commit crimes and what do we do with them??? Give them citizenship , free health care and welfare. Yes .... please save us from all the vicious snake armies waiting to take over. They wanna make a difference in this country leave the reptiles along ( many tax paying Americans make their living in this trade ) and do something about the illegals bringing this country to its knees!

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The most ecologically injurious and numerous non-native predator is the common house cat.

Let's see them impose a ban on them.

/s

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Originally Posted by RoseyReps

This article needs to be passed around like crazy. THIS is what people need to read, not the ones making out pythons/snakes to be serial killers.

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This needs to be passed around, too.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...pent-cage.html

Somebody explain to me all the photos of nearly naked little boys frolicking in his shop.

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Originally Posted by Kensa

Very sad tragedy that two boys lost their lives. Rather aggravating that it only takes one bad keeper to sully the reputation of the hobby. It is truly amazing how one incident can affect the lives of so many across the globe.

Welcome to the modern world, where the fate of many is decided by few.

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"The tyranny of the minority" is the phrase you're looking for, I suspect.

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Originally Posted by Salamander

"The tyranny of the minority" is the phrase you're looking for, I suspect.

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Tyrannidem minoritas

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Originally Posted by Salamander

This needs to be passed around, too.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...pent-cage.html

Somebody explain to me all the photos of nearly naked little boys frolicking in his shop.

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Yep I was waiting for something like that. After seeing that I think we all can conclude what happened here. I think this case can be closed and our little creepo molester needs to be locked up.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/08...python-attack/


the article is quite good, but i already found two mistakes, both related to the fact that 3 nations, namely Burma, Liberia and the USA, have not yet adopted the metric system.

"Hatchlings are 6cm in length". i guess they mean 6 inches? a typical cigarette is 8cm long, 6cm seems awfully small. but then, 6 inches also seems small.

"Snakes longer than three feet are prohibited pets in most provinces and municipalities in Canada". Take that, no corns or BPs for you! Umm, no, its 3 meters. I wonder how many people now get called by friends being told: "hey, i just read your corn snake is illegal to keep, its longer than 3 feet, isnt it?"

Journalists, sometimes you just want to grab them, shake them, and shout some facts in their faces. My message for this one would be: "Use the units from the original source if you want to use the same numbers or do a crrect unit transversion, you idiot!". Its still the best article about the event ive seen so far. But really, what did he think when he took the 3, deleted the word "meters" and replaced it with the word "feet", and that from a guy working in Canada for a canadian paper? Canada adopted the metric system long ago.

This case grows more and more sickening...

I'm not saying this guy didn't do it...in fact, I'm sure there is foul-play her. But those pictures aren't something that I would, as a parent, immediately think "OMG MOLESTER!".
I've got tons of pictures of my kids running around like that, doing something goofy. It's what parents do. And when they don't have a bathing suit, guess what works just fine? Undies!

Does that mean this guy ISN'T a molester? Nope. I just hate seeing people ASSume because of pictures like that. These kids were over all the time, and supposedly "Like family" with his own son/himself. So these pictures don't prove to me that he was some evil child molester.

That being said, he probably is, and I just wasted my breath.

I just hate seeing people hung out to dry for this kind of picture, when 15-20 years ago no one would have thought ANYTHING of it. Hell, we used to run around in undies in the backyard splashing in mud puddles. Does that mean my parents were molesters? :rolleyes: