An Arkansas judge resigned from his position Monday after county officials found thousands of pictures of naked men on his computer — many of the pictures allegedly of defendants that were taken while they were serving their court-sentenced community service stints at the judge’s house.
Cross County District Judge Joseph Boeckmann was previously accused of giving defendants lighter sentences in exchange for sexual favors, from posing for pictures to performing sex acts. Boeckmann allegedly preyed on young men, giving them community service with him personally instead of jail time.
The judiciary commission, which was formed in November, is in the process of recovering over 4,500 pictures from the judges computer. In a letter to Boeckmann’s lawyers, the commission accuses him of using the community service sentence for his own benefit and on occasion sending checks to the men who agreed to pose nude for his pictures.
“They all depict young men, many naked who are in various poses inside the judge’s home and outside in his yard,” reads the letter. The letter also accuses the judge of taking pictures of men’s buttocks while they bent over to pick up cans on his property.
Judge Joseph Boeckmann smh…. Reason why people don't trust the judicial system.. He is gross and disturbing.
— Ashley Sirah Chea (@AshleySirahChea) May 10, 2016
The commission also accuses the judge of angrily lashing out at defendants who refused to comply with his demands. One defendant recalls the judge sending him a letter requesting him to “spend some time with him.” The defendant saw through the sexual undertones of the note, and denied the judge’s request. When the man appeared in front of the judge in court, the judge fined him and sentenced him to a day in jail instead of the expected community service.
Although Boeckmann previously denied the accusations, he resigned Monday after the photos were discovered. The investigation is purely a judicial investigation, and Boeckmann is currently not facing any charges.
Featured image: ethicsalarms.com
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