In Feb, Trump campaign worker indicted for distributing child pornography. I wonder

[pnwmom]

Last edited Sat May 15, 2021, 05:52 PM - Edit history (4)

who he was distributing it to? I wonder if he'll take anyone else down with him.

Like a Senator he was working for.

This story is horrifying. Babies are involved. Don't read it unless you have a strong stomach.

ON EDIT: There appears to have been another man from the same group of 18 defendants who was arrested in November 2020. I posted about that in another thread: https://www.democraticunderground.com/100215434834

[SECOND EDIT: The man indicted in November worked for Turning Point USA. Turning Point USA is based in Arizona -- one of the two locations associated with the indictment in November and with Ruben Verastigui's indictment in February.]

Here is the prosecution's February motion for Ruben Verastigui's pre-trial detention. It says the defendant is being investigated both in AZ and in D.C. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.227132/gov.uscourts.dcd.227132.4.0_1.pdf

https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/former-trump-campaign-aide-and-staunch-pro-life-advocate-charged-with-receiving-distributing-and-possessing-child-pornography/

Former Trump Campaign Aide and Staunch Pro-Life Advocate Charged With Receiving, Distributing, and Possessing Child Pornography

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) on Friday announced that a former aide to President Donald Trump was arrested in Washington, D.C. and charged with receiving, possessing, and distributing child pornography.

Ruben Verastigui, 27, who worked on Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign, was previously employed as a senior digital strategist for the Senate Republican Conference and Republican National Committee. He was also the digital media coordinator for the anti-abortion group Students for Life of America. He left the Republican Conference in July of 2020 to become the communications manager for the nonprofit group Citizens For Responsible Energy Solutions.

Verastigui was taken into custody following an 11-month investigation by MPD’s Youth and Family Services Division, the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit, the Northern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and Homeland Security Investigations. The arrest was first flagged by journalist Jared Holt, who also posted several horrific and disturbing excerpts from the criminal complaint filed.

SNIP

Verastigui later invited the other person to come to D.C. “for the purpose of sexually abusing a minor.”

https://www.thedailybeast.com/former-trump-and-gop-aide-ruben-verastigui-charged-with-child-pornography-offenses?source=articles&via=rss

Court documents allege that while working for Republican senators, Ruben Verastigui distributed, received, and possessed images of child pornography.

Court documents obtained by The Daily Beast say that Homeland Security special agents came across Verastigui while looking into a group of at least 18 people who were trading child porn on a website that remains unnamed “to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation.”

SNIP

The court documents also allege Verastigui sent naked photos of himself to the group chat. Those photos were taken in his kitchen, and the court documents note that a tattoo of words written in script can be seen on Verastigui’s left arm.

An Instagram photo Verastigui posted of himself leaning on the Speaker’s Balcony of the U.S. Capitol in 2019 shows the script tattoo. During a search warrant execution on Friday, Verastigui admitted to being active on the child porn site, the court documents said


https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/02/06/ruben-verastigui-child-porn-charges/

He also worked as a digital strategist for the Senate Republican Conference as recently as July, meaning some of his alleged offenses took place while he was a congressional staffer. A conference spokesperson told The Washington Post in an email: “We have just learned about this investigation and arrest. The individual has not worked at SRC since July 2, 2020.”

Before that, congressional records show that Verastigui worked as a digital director for the GOP staff of the U.S. Joint Economic Committee in 2018. A spokesperson for former committee chairman Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

A LinkedIn page for Ruben Verastigui says he also worked as a senior designer for the Republican National Committee in 2017 and 2018, designing social media ads for the Trump Make America Great Again Committee and Donald J. Trump for President. A committee spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

[blm]

1. Guess QAnon really doesn't care about it as they claim.

[pnwmom]

2. Or maybe they knew they were doing it so they figured Democrats must be, too. n/t

[DBoon]

4. or if they made an obviously fictional claim about democrats ...

.. then the reality of their crimes would not seem so bad

[blm]

7. ✔️

[thucythucy]

11. Or figured the best defense is an offense:

throw out these charges at others to deflect scrutiny of their own crimes.

[malaise]

3. It is all projection with these criminals

Accuse others of what you are doing

[blm]

8. ✔️

[yardwork]

9. Yes. It's been like this fir decades.

To find out what dirty tricks and criminal behavior the Republicans are up to, just listen to what they accuse others of doing.

It can't be a coincidence that so many of their bizarre conspiracy accusations involve pedophilia.

[malaise]

12. As we say fling a stone in a pig pen

Who bawl loudest get lick

[yardwork]

17. I never heard that!

[Budi]

5. Pic. Have a look at him.. speaking at an Anti-abortion rally

In all his Republican self righteous glory! 🖕🏼🤬

[soothsayer]

13. Of course, he needs unwanted babies to molest

[ShazzieB]

6. The cognitive dissonance here is epic.

He's both a staunch pro-life advocate" AND a receiver, distributor, and possessor of child pornography?

The cognitive dissonance here is epic. I'm getting a brain cramp just thinking about it.

[pnwmom]

10. And the fantasy he masturbates to is killing babies!

So I guess he doesn't want abortions because that will mean fewer opportunities for him????

[Grokenstein]

14. Hold on to your lunch. Daily Beast article

https://www.thedailybeast.com/former-trump-and-gop-aide-ruben-verastigui-charged-with-child-pornography-offenses

In a group chat on the site, Verastigui went by the username “Landon” and the handle @somethingtaken, according to investigators.

The court documents detail a very disturbing chat on the site in which Verastigui told another user that “babies” were his “absolute favorite.”

“Well like I said babies are some of my biggest turn-ons and beast,” Verastigui wrote in the direct message, per court documents. “Young rape… Fuck I love all that.”

Verastigui sent further messages about wanting to view “hardcore” videos however The Daily Beast has withheld them due to their graphic nature.

When he was sent a video file showing an adult sexually penetrating a child, he replied “FUCK YES!!!”

[BComplex]

15. No. You've gotta be kidding.

Nobody would ever say that! Not really!

I think I'm going to puke.

[pnwmom]

16. And that's not the worst in the indictment. nt

[OAITW r.2.0]

18. Those that accuse, usually do.