Over the past decade, he continued to investigate, uncovering new evidence that Jarecki said caused him to question whether justice had been served. According to the victims, fear was another answer. In a letter to Newsday, in which he refused requests for interviews, he referred to his case as "the Great Neck Horror" and said it was the story of a town that "conducted a modern-day witch hunt. We did not exaggerate. The father, Arnold, is the admitted pedophile. About two dozen families flatly refused to allow officers to talk to their children. I didn't think anyone would understand. But most important, the story was told by the Friedmans themselves in a collection of home videos shot before, during and after the charges that was woven into "Capturing the Friedmans," the first feature film of director Andrew Jarecki, which opened to rave reviews Friday. (2) In 1986, Arnold Friedman mail-ordered "Boy Love," a magazine featuring graphic pictures of men having sex with children, which led to a sting operation. Mr. Jarecki denies that he has become an advocate for Jesse Friedman. ("That turned out to be a life experience," recalled Jarecki.) That's one debate Oscar doesn't seem likely to settle. Because the district court's finding that appellant posed a risk of flight was clearly erroneous, we vacate and remand. "I was told if he went to trial, the judge would give three consecutive sentences," Elaine Friedman said. Ultimately, Arnold pleads guilty to the charges against him in the hope of saving his son, but in vain. Unlike other clowns, he usually didn't wear any makeup, yet his showmanship was mesmerizing. HN3 The provisions of 18 U.S.C.S. They found three brothers who had all attended classes with the Friedmans. Trained as a private investigator, he used access to interviewees and records granted him as a filmmaker to conduct his own investigation of the case. "And, though you can't reduce individuals to a single adjective, law enforcement would say that showing them as human beings is unfair. Nevertheless, the documentary's success - including an Oscar nomination - has not all been in the Friedmans' favour. She says the film "is great theater, but don't call it true. We're not the Osbournes. His designation for life as a Level 3 violent sex offender restricts where he can work, live, worship and travel. Jesse could appeal.". It took Arnold Friedman's performance in the home videos folded into the film to lay my lingering misgivings to rest. Director Andrew Jarecki and producer Marc Smerling New Yorkers, both believe their film, the story of a Long Island family left in ruins by a child molestation scandal, is fair to all involved. "He was almost in tears because they took his books. Boys were eventually told to drop their pants. He said he pleaded guilty because he feared that if he convicted at trial, he would have spent life in prison. [When Jesse Friedman pled guilty, he asked for leniency on the basis that he was a victim of his father. Nemser conceded that Friedman "was not telling the truth" when he entered his guilty plea, admitting he abused children. You would not be the first kids who denied there was anything wrong when there was everything wrong. The parents fear the pictures will be circulated among pedophiles and will one day surface and embarrass the children. ", A documentary filmmaker exploring the abuse cases against a Great Neck father and son lifts the curtain on the family's private dramas, Three years ago, filmmaker Andrew Jarecki, having spent a successful decade in the business world, decided to return to movies with a documentary about children's party clowns. Aided by decisive editing and crucial testimony from the central characters, Jones and Hatch, who have since retired, could not be reached yesterday for comment. At screenings of the movie, you've been answering questions from the audience. The court then noted that the crimes for which defendant was indicted did not fall within the list of crimes enumerated under the Bail Reform Act. Arnold, indicted on 107 counts, would later plead guilty to 42 sex crimes, including eight counts of sodomy and 28 counts of first-degree sexual abuse. "When I was married and had babies, I couldn't love those babies," she said in an interview. He explained why lawyers for Jesse Friedman are seeking a new trial for the Great Neck native, whose imprisonment for child molestation was chronicled in the film. David Friedman, the Friedmans' eldest son who provided the family home videos to Jarecki, returned to Great Neck on Friday for the first time since 1988. This information should have been fact-checked before it was posted; most of these items are not matters of opinion and we have identified the correct facts, with citations, in Jesse's legal brief. But certain facts are inescapable: that the day before Thanksgiving in 1987, the father, Arnold, was arrested for possessing child pornography, and that he and his youngest son Jesse were later prosecuted and imprisoned for child sexual abuse. "And, not to overstate the metaphor, but I started to see the police and the judges as these white blood cells that were saying, 'This cell doesn't fit into our community. It made me feel uncomfortable.". Jesse Friedman's plea, which, some said they were "browbeaten" to accept, short-circuited that effort. Once inside, they found hundreds of child-porn magazines, clippings of boys modeling underwear from department store catalogs and photos of scouts wearing only their briefs. When asked for comment, Nassau County prosecutors told "Nightline" their report spoke for itself. Some of the films - of young brothers David, Seth and little Jesse frolicking at the beach, or blowing out candles at a birthday party - have the awkward, poignant, slightly goofy quality of all home movies. However, since there is no question that justice has been served, this film causes new harm to the victims and further muddies the public perception of the realities of child abuse. The recently released DVD includes that much more information. Galasso answered. Arnold's father hustled a living buying and selling auto parts. Because Judge Costantino's implied finding that Friedman posed a risk of flight was clearly erroneous, we reverse and remand. The videos were not made with the intention of showing them to the public, but the film incorporates some of this footage, which consists of family dinners, conversations, and arguments. Jesse Friedman was released in 2001. But here's the problem, filmmakers say: Telling a story, any story, demands a dizzying number of difficult, subjective editorial choices. [I have deleted the surname of the state's witness because he received a youthful adjudication and has a sealed criminal record.]. [No child's testimony in the case ever stated that they participated in sexual games. The latest sign of our collective denial is the nomination of a seriously flawed film for an Oscar. "He kept it deep inside. [She] said that her son Gary happens to have one of the disks but that he had gotten it from another kid, not from Mr. Friedman. The Palmers lived in the house from 1950-2009, commissioning Wright's protg, John H. Howe, to build the adjacent teahouse following Wright's death in 1959. "I think he was crying for Jesse, who might have to spend 18 years in jail, not for our kids," said one man whose son was abused. [This is false. Perhaps the lesson here is that the term "unbiased documentary" is an oxymoron. Kevin O'Regan, Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Andrew J. Maloney, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, John Gleeson, Assistant United States Attorney, of Counsel, for Appellee. ", Retired Det. At least two headline-making cases, respectively involving the McMartin Preschool in California and day-care teacher Kelly Michaels in New Jersey, eventually fell apart when the accuracy of children's testimony was questioned. If the film takes home an Academy Award tonight it's nominated for Best Documentary Feature there will be rejoicing in some quarters but dismay in others. You were children when this started. And it is probably not fair to describe it only in terms of these policy questions. "I had no friends and no interests except M&Ms, marshmallows and TV." Jarecki pointed specifically to a comment by detective Galasso in the movie, recalling "foot-high stacks" of pornographic material found in the Friedmans' living room. "We know he did order the magazine, and we found out later that he did molest these two children up at Wade River. "Kenneth Doe specifically and categorically stated none of things attributed to him -- none of the complaints, none of the allegations -- made by him ever happened. "Jesse's indication [that] he wanted to go to trial forced a greater effort to solidify what we had and to build on what we had," Onorato said. ], 8. In the plea bargain, Jesse Friedman gave up the option of appealing the case and was promised the sentence imposed. It was an unorthodox change of direction for a successful businessman in his late 30s, but Mr. Jarecki could also afford to pick and choose his subjects, without fearing financial backers who might limit his independence. According to [her] this kid who gave her son the disk had never taken the class. My father had already pled guilty, and I had no way to prove it didn't happen. On May 13, 1988, Arnold was sentenced by Nassau County Court Judge Abbey Boklan to a concurrent 10 to 30 years in prison for sodomy, sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child. Six years ago the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a New York law making it a felony to sell child porn, and 13 states even bar its possession. And there was the standoffish oldest son David, who became a celebrated birthday clown in Manhattan but who was secretive about his personal life. So, on Oscar weekend, those questions have come off the movie screen and into court, thanks to this highly unusual post-plea, post-sentence change-of-venue motion. and found child pornography, pornographic computer discs and lists of children enrolled in computer classes in the home. Nathan became interested in the case when she read abstracts, which included statements from police investigators. When Elaine saw one of Arnold's child porn magazines she didn't register what it was until she looked again. 1987), where the defendant had been a fugitive for close to four months on the very charges for which he was incarcerated and his fugitive status had ended by capture, a serious risk of flight was shown. The parents of five of Arnold Friedman's victims have talked at length about the case in recent months. Fourteen of the victims' relatives, many of whom have come to court each time Friedman appeared, sat together in three front rows of the courtroom. "I asked Jesse, do you remember me hugging you at all? It was a journey that had begun in his childhood. Arnold Friedman died, apparently a suicide, in prison in 1995. "I'm very suspicious," she added. A registered sex offender, he is hoping that evidence revealed in Jarecki's documentary will help him obtain a trial in which his guilty plea will be retracted and his conviction overturned. Although Boklan said incriminating records from court proceedings are now confidential, she added the two men confessed their guilt in open court. A film that pretends to be neutral in order to reinforce a biased viewpoint can be more powerful than one that openly takes an advocacy position. "I've thought of prequels and sequels," he said. He bought a scarf and some records and then at 5 p.m., he called home. Had I known of this information before, I would have been able to use it at trial and prove my innocence. Jarecki omitted incriminating evidence that might have made you think differently about Jesse and Arnold. Both Friedmans spent time in prison. If this flawed documentary film has a certain "haunting" brilliance, as many movie critics have said, you are what haunts it. Jesse Friedman served 13 years in prison and was released in 2001. dismissed, 479 U.S. 978, 107 S. Ct. 562, 93 L. Ed. Two years ago, as an adult, he admitted he had lied to end what he found to be relentless pressure. A Great Neck teenager accused of sexually abusing boys who attended computer classes given by his father in their home pleaded guilty yesterday to 25 counts of sexual abuse in exchange for a promise of 6 to 18 years in prison. I did not observe Arnold or Jesse Friedman engage in anything even remotely akin to sexual conduct, and I have no reason to believe such events occurred. "It is a sensitive time for the case because it is pending in front of the court, so I'm not sure if it's smart for me to be commenting," Jarecki wrote in an e-mail response to questions Newsday posed earlier this month. Nemser said filmmaker Andrew Jarecki gathered evidence that Jesse Friedman could not, because he didn't have the resources after his arrest. And these efforts have paid unexpected dividends, leading investigators to two dozen alleged child molesters. We did not lie. Jarecki fails to mention that the Friedmans pled guilty so none was sought. I want you to know that I believe in your innocence. Its still important.. His father and mother had been arrested, she said. On the basis of interviews by director Andrew Jarecki that reveal new information about the case, son Jesse Friedman - paroled after 13 years in prison - is seeking to have his guilty plea on 245 charges of sexual abuse vacated by the court that sentenced him when he was 19. IV 1986). They just treated him so unfairly.". Having seen "Friedmans" in January at the Sundance Film Festival - where it was selected best American documentary - a colleague told me she was convinced that the movie's audiences would conclude "something happened" in Great Neck during Friedman's after-school computer classes. He described them as a Mayberry-like force of officers who "spend a fair amount of time listening to the wind blow through the curtains.". But last week, with voting on the winners near a decision, two of the victims of Jesse and Arnold (Jesse, now 34, served 13 years; Arnold died in prison) published an open letter to the Academy recommending a different view of Jarecki's work. 19-year-old Jesse, the youngest of the three Friedman sons was also among the accused. He came to present Sofia Coppola with the best director award for "Lost in Translation"; his date was Zoe Cassavetes, the daughter of late director John Cassavetes and actress Gena Rowlands. Both Arnold and Jesse Friedman pleaded guilty to dozens of counts of child molestation in 1988. Arnold's motion from prison to have them returned (as well as the names and numbers of numerous victims) was denied. Galasso also strongly rejected the idea that interviews with the children were designed to coax preconceived answers. They were fascinated with themselves," said Jarecki. "I saw a huge, huge amount of anger that was harbored inside his heart towards Arnold Friedman and his son Jesse, and to Ross Goldstein," said the father. He knows the brother of one of the kids who was involved in the charges. The ex-wife never went in there, either. Of these, 13 would later testify before a grand jury to substantiate criminal charges against Jesse Friedman, his father, Arnold, and another teenager. "But then Andrew did his homework. By law, he has to register every 90 days as a "violent sexual predator" under Megan's Law and must do so for the remainder of his life. Please ring Arnold at (718) 529-2086 . They re-enrolled in what was an elective program. The police questioned scores of students, all boys, who were urged to bear witness to repeated sexual victimization in the Friedman basement. We would have no hesitation in having the newest member of our family learn computers from you when he becomes old enough. He had first caught the eye of authorities after. "We don't want to put these children on the stand if we can avoid it," said Andrew Maloney, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. According to Kaplan, he fits much of the classic pattern. One of the unindicted co-conspirators claims in the same section that he and the fifth man were falsely accused by Goldstein.) Inmate Information - Location/Status/Legal Dates/etc. Yet the film takes a skeptical attitude toward believing children and misinforms the public about both the Friedman case and child abuse in general. Jesse Friedman served 13 years in prison and was released in 2001. "Jesse is guilty and you are going to ask me how I know," he said, according to the report. See United States v. Salerno, 481 U.S. 739, 107 S. Ct. 2095, 2102, 95 L. Ed. Of the hundreds of children that authorities believe the Friedmans abused over the years, it was these parents' sons who endured police lineups and testified before as many as three grand juries. RETURNING TO THE SCREENING ROOM: Last night, the Tribeca Film Institute christened its new Tribeca Cinemas screening venue -- formerly the Screening Room -- with a preview screening of Russian film "The Return." "While I know these claims are untrue, I respect their right to make them, and I believe it is likely that they continue to believe these events took place.". Panaro confirmed that Onorato pressured Jesse Friedman on the subject of the photos and tapes before agreeing to the deal. Jesse Friedman even detailed the abuse during a 1989 interview broadcast on national television. Arnold and Jesse Friedman were victims of America's third great witchhunt, the massive anti-sex panic that gripped the nation in the 1980s. It is my hope that by presenting this information now, I will be able to overturn my conviction and clear my name.". He pleaded guilty to that charge Feb. 8 and was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark A. Costantino. However, he had already been sentenced. "I never sexually assaulted any child ever," he said. Mom says that she and my Uncle Howard reconnected after many years of not speaking to each other. When Elaine saw one of Arnold's child porn magazines she didn't register what it was until she looked again. The court papers laid out some of the interviewing methods that Jesse Friedman's attorney, Earl H. Nemser of Manhattan, claims were coercive. Jesse Friedman, a student at the State University at Purchase, is charged with multiple counts of sodomy, sexual abuse, endangering the welfare of a child and using a child in a sexual performance. And maybe Jesse Friedman lies in his statements in the film, "Capturing the Friedmans." Whatever the truth, the documentary captures a real story filled with very real pain. Make a life-giving gesture Friedman has asked a court to review evidence in his case, one of the most notorious in the history of New Yorks Long Island, contending that prosecutors coached and intimidated child witnesses into making false allegations. Admittedly, arguing the Friedmans' innocence is complicated by the fact that Arnold Friedman was a pedophile. About 200 people responded to the offer. Director and co-producer Andrew Jarecki has been criticized by law enforcement officials, the boys who testified, and those close to them for allegedly manipulating crucial facts and leaving others out entirely to enhance the dramatic effect of the film. It also claimed new evidence of Jesse's guilt: "The Review Team discovered signed and sworn statements from three additional boys, who gave detailed accounts of sodomy and sexual abuse committed against them by Jesse Friedman. Had I known of this information before, I would have been able to use it at trial and prove my innocence. Find the obituary of Arnold Friedman (1941 - 2020) from Los Angeles, CA. Silberg explains that sex offenders use a variety of grooming techniques to make their victims feel complicit in their own abuse. Oscar-nominated documentaries usually don't grab much attention amid all the megastar, big-budget films up for awards. Diagnosed in his preteen years, Gregory said he has persistent rectal bleeding from the abuse. Onorato said he just wanted parents to know all the things that could possibly go wrong if they proceeded to trial. . Now they worry that videotapes will come back to haunt them. Jesse Friedman had been charged in three indictments with more than 200 counts. During his research, Jarecki learned that David Friedman's brother, Jesse,[3] and his father, Arnold, had pleaded guilty to child sexual abuse, and the family had an archive of home movies. The Associated Press/San Francisco Chronical - January 27, 2004, 18. Nevertheless, the bookish thirty-something whose story formed the heart of the award-winning documentary, Capturing the Friedmans, is both of those things and quite a bit more. (Goldstein is not named in the film, but it is said in one of the DVD extras that he declined to be interviewed. Mr. Jarecki thinks that the police were signaling that a deal could be orchestrated. He pled guilty to 3 counts of first-degree sodomy. The smile gleaming on his tired face is captured on video by his eldest son David, who keeps fidgeting with the zoom dial. "There was an older sister who died suddenly of what they called at the time blood poisoning. There was never any sense that anyone else was ever going to see these tapes.". What can I tell you? Arnie." I said, `What am I - a bad mother?'". It's not hard to surmise that something horrible happened in that house on Picadilly Road. Friedman's attorney, Mark Gimpel of Manhattan, would not go into specifics of the case but said, "There was a series of suggestive techniques, including hypnosis, that were consistently used by law enforcement during this investigation. This kid signed a statement, according to Gary's mother, stating that he had been shown or had seen two pornographic computer disks. It is my hope that by presenting this information now, I will be able to overturn my conviction and clear my name. I'll spend every last dime of my father's life-insurance money if that's what it takes, but I'm not going to quit.". "To them this is not wrong," says detective Eller. Mr. Jarecki dismisses the idea that his film confirms the cliche of clowns hurting inside, behind the makeup. But, in a later interview, one man whose son had been victimized said he was not pleased with the deal. "I have known for at least seven months that there was a motion that was going to be filed, and at that time I predicted that it would be filed close to the time the video and DVD would be coming out. He died of heart. He came to the profession of a painter rather late in life and did not devote himself to his art on a full time basis until 1933, at the age of 59. A recent article in Slate took him to task for making a "studied decision to minimize the historical context of the charges for dramatic effect," and failing to fully disclose the evidence that so clearly supported Jesse. INDUSTRY MOVES: Susan Wrubel has joined Paramount Classics as VP of acquisitions and co-productions in Los Angeles. Or propaganda for a pedophile? "Overwhelmed by feelings of guilt and shame, many boys hide what has happened to them. His mother, in tears as the judge spoke, didn't challenge that assessment.