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Retired Marine is guilty of child sex tourism
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More from Local NewsA retired Marine Corps captain from Oxnard was convicted Thursday by a federal jury in Los Angeles of traveling to Cambodia to have sex with underage girls, the U.S. Department of Justice reported.
After a three-week trial, Michael Joseph Pepe, 54, was convicted of seven felony counts of engaging in illegal sexual conduct in foreign places, the Justice Department reported. He faces up to 210 years in federal prison when he is sentenced in September.
Pepe, arrested in June 2007, is the fifth person prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for so-called child sex tourism under a 5-year-old federal law.
During Pepe's trial, six girls testified that he bound, drugged and raped them while he was living in Cambodia, prosecutors said.
The girls were 9 to 12 years old at the time.
A defense attorney argued that the assaults were committed by a prostitute and her boyfriend who had access to Pepe's house, the Associated Press reported.
— From staff reports
Posted by HateMachine on May 30, 2008 at 3:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Absolutely disgusting, what a disgrace to his family and the Marines. I am glad that he was convicted. Our community is safer now knowing this pedophile and repulsive human being is locked up.
Throw away the key I say!
Posted by AnnaWhaat on May 30, 2008 at 6:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I PRAY that they really sock it to him!!!! LIFE IN PRISON!!!!!!! He is a sick ,pervert. God Bless these little girls!!!!!!!!
Posted by lhernandez on May 30, 2008 at 6:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I only have one thing to say "PIG"
Posted by SUEBABY on May 30, 2008 at 7:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Furthermore, if you're going to be busted for sex crimes, make sure your last name ain't PEE-PEE....
Posted by oxnard40 on May 30, 2008 at 7:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Ladies and gentlemen interestd in sex tourism, please follow Mr. Pepe to Cell Block D for unlimited sexual conduct in any foriegn place you choose. Big Bubba will show you the way. He is going first.
Posted by Ms_California on May 30, 2008 at 8:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Oh this story makes my skin crawl! How can someone even consider this to be acceptable behavior with a child! Those poor girls... and I bet they didn't have anyone to turn too with this either. Some people... well Mr. Pepe have fun being the 9-12 year old girl in prison!
Posted by BeaHappi on May 30, 2008 at 9:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
SUEBABY...LOL!
This is absolutly disgusting and unforgivable. He is a disgrace to humans. The atrocities that take place when adults take advantage of children...I can't even imagine how anyone could do such things and then live with themselves.
Children in poor countries have close to nothing and do things that would never enter our minds in order to survive. My daughter is almost 8...close in age to the youngest of these girls. It sends chills down my spine thinking about what these little girls have gone through.
Mr. Pepe may you rot in hell.
Posted by lhernandez on May 30, 2008 at 9:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Oh I just thought of another word For him "filthy pig"
Posted by Jacksprat on May 30, 2008 at 9:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)
He is wrong and will have a hard time in prison, however there is some thing wrong when the people in that country will let these type come to visit. they know what they are comming for and how many of the little kids have been put in this sitution by their family. that in it self is a crim. We stop the men from going there but that does not stop the men from other places. We should work with those counties to improve things so that the little kids ore not put in these spots
May this man rot in jail, but we need to catch more
Posted by BeaHappi on May 30, 2008 at 9:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
jmcgaw3046...agreed! This is just the tip of the iceberg of how children are used to "help" their families.
Posted by BeaHappi on May 30, 2008 at 10:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I have a better one...how about 'deceased?'
Posted by FedUp on May 30, 2008 at 10:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)
they need to work on busting the "travel agents" who book these types of tours as well. it is disgusting how other cultures dont even frown upon this type of behavior. especially if it is putting food on their plates at night.
not that this makes it any better, but I wonder if these kids and their families were offered amnesty for their testimony?
with that said, this guy will certainly pay the price in jail. no amount of military training will help him now. thank goodness for that!
Posted by stave1 on May 30, 2008 at 11:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)
jmcgaw3046 Thank you for your research into this area of Deviant human behavior. Most americans have no idea what happens outside of their neighborhoods or social circles. That is another reason why this type of behavior succeeds. It makes me wonder what happened to him-Where was his childhood fracture? It truly takes a village to raise a child.
Posted by RedTail on May 30, 2008 at 11:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Eeew, what he did is disgusting. I'm just waiting though for his family and friends to get on here saying how everyone is unfair to him, it was a mistake, he needs to be forgiven blah blah blah.
Posted by StayInSchool on May 30, 2008 at 1:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
FedUp, I don't think anyone made money from his actions, he is a rapist. They prosecuted under the sexual tourism law because they cannot charge him with rape.
Posted by AnnaWhaat on May 30, 2008 at 2:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
jmcgaw3046 ,We must have watched the same show on 20/20. I think that was it. Most of these small children as young as 5 years old are trapped in this. They have no parents. Grown women run this house. Then claim its a foster home. Then these small children are put into prostitution just to have a place to live. They did an undercover sting on this working with Cambodia. They crashed the place and got about 40 children out. A few did escape before they could be rounded up. They had NO idea the Americans were there to help them. ITs really sad...........
And I hope this guy rots in prison for the rest of his life!!!!!!
Posted by mamaof2 on May 30, 2008 at 4:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)
What on earth is wrong with this guy? How could someone do that to little girls?! This man should get his you know what chopped off. What a sick pervert.
Posted by onapproach on May 30, 2008 at 7:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I think it's disgraceful that a U.S. Marine is giving our tourist business to another country's economy!
Posted by maryemapa on June 1, 2008 at 7:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I find it interesting that the headline used "Retired Marine" as if him being a Marine had something to do with this tourism. Was he on active duty when this happened? How long had he been out? What's the point of pointing out he was a Marine - to cast dispersion upon the Armed Forces? Granted what he did was horrible, but I do get weary of the media feeling they must point out the military background of the person, as though that had something to do with his perversions. Had there been more to the story other than what is actually posted above, we might know the answers to these questions.
Posted by AnnaWhaat on June 1, 2008 at 8:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I don't think posting he was in the service makes the service look bad. Being in the Service may have taken him to foreign lands where this type of behavior happens. I would NEVER look down on any Armed Service as a whole dut to one individual.
Also when they air'd the show on 20/20 , I think it was....... an American Doctor made numerous trips over there for the same thing. I do think the Government knows what is going on. Perhaps they get money. After all they believe a cop tipped them off the home was about to get raided. Its really sad. I hope and pray they continue to rescue these children. And the ones they did get out are in a safe place now.
Posted by onapproach on June 1, 2008 at 10:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)
maryemapa said: to cast dispersion upon the Armed Forces?
Cast dispersion? What on Earth does that mean? LOL
Posted by LivinInPoorMansPV on June 2, 2008 at 10:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Just think of how many men are getting away with this evey day, all around us.
We need more video vigilante's!
Posted by West_to_East on June 2, 2008 at 1:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
WOW Livininpoormanspv how direct can you get. Do you dont realize females do it as much and pimp out little girls more than MEN. Think this, males don't show females them the ropes and show them how easy they get money, females do. But to the topic
Why let him live. Waste of my tax paying money, I would rather pay for a Klu Klutch Klan member to be in jail than a guy who had sex with girls from age of 9 to 12. He will be killed in a matter of months to year anyway.
Posted by LivinInPoorMansPV on June 2, 2008 at 2:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Good point W2E
Although if men didn’t live there lives to constantly seek out sexually encounters, woman & girls would have nothing better to do then go to school and better themselves intellectually
Posted by onapproach on June 2, 2008 at 7:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Posted by LivinInPoorMansPV on June 2, 2008 at 2:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Although if men didn’t live there lives to constantly seek out sexually encounters
- - -
Gee, was I supposed to be doing this? I didn't know. Guess I've been offtrack most of the time working and shxx.
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