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(Milwaukee JOURNAL SENTINEL www.jsonline.com)
Note: New Berlin is a suburb of Milwaukee, located to the southwest.
New Berlin student charged with blackmailing students into sex acts in Facebook deception
By Jacqui Seibel and Mike Johnson of the Journal Sentinel
Updated: Feb. 4, 2009 3:02 p.m.
New Berlin - Describing a pattern of manipulation and deception using the social networking site Facebook, the Waukesha County district attorney today announced sexual assault charges against a New Berlin Eisenhower student who authorities say coerced male students into sexual encounters.
Anthony R. Stancl, 18, posing as a female on Facebook, persuaded at least 31 boys to send him naked pictures and then blackmailed some of the boys into performing sex acts under the threat that the pictures would be released to the rest of the high school.
All 31 boys attend New Berlin Eisenhower High School.
The sexual assaults occurred in the high school bathroom, the high school parking lot, the public library restroom, Valley View Park, Malone Park and at some of the victims' homes.
At least seven boys were forced into performing sex acts. The 31 males range in age 13 to 19. The youngest sexual assault victim is 15.
The investigation into Stancl began after bomb threats on Nov. 12 and Nov. 13 led to the closure of Eisenhower Middle and High School on Nov 14. The sexual assaults occurred throughout 2008.
District Attorney Brad Schimel said that while the closure of school due to the bomb scare was costly and inconvenient, the charge "pales in comparison" to what investigators learned later. As police were investigating the bomb threat, which included confiscating Stancl's computer, one victim came forward, he said.
The boy, who was 15 at the time of the assaults, said he was repeatedly forced into sexual acts with Stancl, according to the complaint. Stancl took pictures of every encounter. Stancl was able to coerce the boy into repeated sexual acts by telling him the girl he met on Facebook would release the pictures to the rest of the school if they didn't continue to meet.
The boy went to his parents, and then the police after Stancl asked the boy to get nude pictures of his brother. The boy refused to get his brother involved.
More than 300 naked photos and movie clips of New Berlin boys and another 600 professionally made pornographic movies involving children were found on the computer, Schimel said. The computer contained 39 folders that were labeled using the boys' names or their screen names. The folders held pictures and movie clips of the boys.
Authorities believe there are more victims and are urging them to come forward, Police Lt. Mike Glider said.
The resulting investigation also turned up computer evidence that Stancl pulled images of females on their Facebook pages and used them to persuade male students to e-mail nude photographs to Stancl, according to the criminal complaint. Stancl then used the photos as blackmail for sexual encounters, the complaint says.
A criminal complaint filed today charges Stancl with the bomb threats plus repeated sexual assault of same child (at least three violations of first or second degree sexual assault), possession of child pornography, second and third degree sexual assaults and five counts of child enticement.
The maximum penalty if convicted on all charges is nearly 300 years in prison.
Stancl made his initial appearance in court this afternoon and was ordered held on $250,000 bail.
"In this court's 7 1/2 years on the bench this is the most horrific complaint the court has ever reviewed," Waukesha Circuit Court Commissioner Laura Florian Lau said. "The defendant is facing 293 years if convicted on these 12 counts. . . . This is a crime allegedly that involved many, many, many victims. The court is extremely concerned as to whether defendant will return to court."
As a condition of bail, Stancl cannot have access to any computers, cell phones or Internet capable devices. He also was ordered not to be on any school grounds, including school parking lots, and is prohibited from entering the New Berlin Public Library, where he is accused of using computers.
Lau ordered him to have no contact with minors and no contact with any of his victims.
During Stancl's court appearance, Schimel said that in the days prior to Stancl's arrest a victim told authorities that he found a note on the windshield of his vehicle, presumably from Stancl. The note said, "I know what you told police." It included statements that "this wasn't going to end up well as a result of that," Schimel said.
Stancl's attorney, Craig M. Kuhary, said that Stancl has cooperated with authorities during the investigation and is not a flight risk.
He said that Stancl has been expelled from New Berlin High School.
After the hearing, Kuhary declined to comment to the media, except to say that so far only one side of the case has been disclosed.
A preliminary hearing for Stancl has been scheduled for Feb. 26.
On Nov. 14, two bomb threats resulted in the closure of New Berlin Eisenhower Middle and High School.
The first threat, "Bomb 11/14/08" was found scrawled on the wall of a boys bathroom on Nov. 12.
On Nov. 13, school administrators received an e-mail that stated, "Good luck tomorrow. Boom. It won't be your average one either. It will be one that is manned. Not by me, but by those who follow me. New Berlin Eisenhower High School."
Police learned the e-mail was sent from a computer in New Berlin Public Library.
Stancl was taken into custody on Nov. 14 by New Berlin police after he admitted he played a role in e-mailing a bomb threat to the school, police said. According to the criminal complaint, he didn't do anything to place a bomb in the school but decided to send the e-mail to "make it a better story," the complaint says.
He was released from police custody that day after authorities decided that he didn't pose a threat to the public then Stancl was taken into custody Monday afternoon.
Note: New Berlin is a suburb of Milwaukee, located to the southwest.
New Berlin student charged with blackmailing students into sex acts in Facebook deception
By Jacqui Seibel and Mike Johnson of the Journal Sentinel
Updated: Feb. 4, 2009 3:02 p.m.
New Berlin - Describing a pattern of manipulation and deception using the social networking site Facebook, the Waukesha County district attorney today announced sexual assault charges against a New Berlin Eisenhower student who authorities say coerced male students into sexual encounters.
Anthony R. Stancl, 18, posing as a female on Facebook, persuaded at least 31 boys to send him naked pictures and then blackmailed some of the boys into performing sex acts under the threat that the pictures would be released to the rest of the high school.
All 31 boys attend New Berlin Eisenhower High School.
The sexual assaults occurred in the high school bathroom, the high school parking lot, the public library restroom, Valley View Park, Malone Park and at some of the victims' homes.
At least seven boys were forced into performing sex acts. The 31 males range in age 13 to 19. The youngest sexual assault victim is 15.
The investigation into Stancl began after bomb threats on Nov. 12 and Nov. 13 led to the closure of Eisenhower Middle and High School on Nov 14. The sexual assaults occurred throughout 2008.
District Attorney Brad Schimel said that while the closure of school due to the bomb scare was costly and inconvenient, the charge "pales in comparison" to what investigators learned later. As police were investigating the bomb threat, which included confiscating Stancl's computer, one victim came forward, he said.
The boy, who was 15 at the time of the assaults, said he was repeatedly forced into sexual acts with Stancl, according to the complaint. Stancl took pictures of every encounter. Stancl was able to coerce the boy into repeated sexual acts by telling him the girl he met on Facebook would release the pictures to the rest of the school if they didn't continue to meet.
The boy went to his parents, and then the police after Stancl asked the boy to get nude pictures of his brother. The boy refused to get his brother involved.
More than 300 naked photos and movie clips of New Berlin boys and another 600 professionally made pornographic movies involving children were found on the computer, Schimel said. The computer contained 39 folders that were labeled using the boys' names or their screen names. The folders held pictures and movie clips of the boys.
Authorities believe there are more victims and are urging them to come forward, Police Lt. Mike Glider said.
The resulting investigation also turned up computer evidence that Stancl pulled images of females on their Facebook pages and used them to persuade male students to e-mail nude photographs to Stancl, according to the criminal complaint. Stancl then used the photos as blackmail for sexual encounters, the complaint says.
A criminal complaint filed today charges Stancl with the bomb threats plus repeated sexual assault of same child (at least three violations of first or second degree sexual assault), possession of child pornography, second and third degree sexual assaults and five counts of child enticement.
The maximum penalty if convicted on all charges is nearly 300 years in prison.
Stancl made his initial appearance in court this afternoon and was ordered held on $250,000 bail.
"In this court's 7 1/2 years on the bench this is the most horrific complaint the court has ever reviewed," Waukesha Circuit Court Commissioner Laura Florian Lau said. "The defendant is facing 293 years if convicted on these 12 counts. . . . This is a crime allegedly that involved many, many, many victims. The court is extremely concerned as to whether defendant will return to court."
As a condition of bail, Stancl cannot have access to any computers, cell phones or Internet capable devices. He also was ordered not to be on any school grounds, including school parking lots, and is prohibited from entering the New Berlin Public Library, where he is accused of using computers.
Lau ordered him to have no contact with minors and no contact with any of his victims.
During Stancl's court appearance, Schimel said that in the days prior to Stancl's arrest a victim told authorities that he found a note on the windshield of his vehicle, presumably from Stancl. The note said, "I know what you told police." It included statements that "this wasn't going to end up well as a result of that," Schimel said.
Stancl's attorney, Craig M. Kuhary, said that Stancl has cooperated with authorities during the investigation and is not a flight risk.
He said that Stancl has been expelled from New Berlin High School.
After the hearing, Kuhary declined to comment to the media, except to say that so far only one side of the case has been disclosed.
A preliminary hearing for Stancl has been scheduled for Feb. 26.
On Nov. 14, two bomb threats resulted in the closure of New Berlin Eisenhower Middle and High School.
The first threat, "Bomb 11/14/08" was found scrawled on the wall of a boys bathroom on Nov. 12.
On Nov. 13, school administrators received an e-mail that stated, "Good luck tomorrow. Boom. It won't be your average one either. It will be one that is manned. Not by me, but by those who follow me. New Berlin Eisenhower High School."
Police learned the e-mail was sent from a computer in New Berlin Public Library.
Stancl was taken into custody on Nov. 14 by New Berlin police after he admitted he played a role in e-mailing a bomb threat to the school, police said. According to the criminal complaint, he didn't do anything to place a bomb in the school but decided to send the e-mail to "make it a better story," the complaint says.
He was released from police custody that day after authorities decided that he didn't pose a threat to the public then Stancl was taken into custody Monday afternoon.