Slade Sohmer, 44, a former editor-in-chief of a video-focused news website, The Recount, has been charged with possessing and distributing child pornography.
On October 17, during a search at Sohmer’s residence in Otis, the Berkshire Law Enforcement Task Force confiscated a phone containing hundreds of child pornography images and videos, as per an affidavit presented in court. Among the disturbing contents, a video allegedly recorded by Sohmer of a minor being raped was found, according to Berkshire Eagle.
Some of the photographs, more than 1,300, and videos in Sohmer’s collection show kids as young as 3 or 4 years old.
Along with the photos, police also found text messages that were reportedly sent by Sohmer and shared details on how to kidnap and rape a child. Those troubling conversations, according to Berkshire Assistant District Attorney Marianne Shelvey, added “a level of extreme cruelty” to the case.
Shelvey told TheWrap that this is “one of the most egregious cases” she’s ever seen.
Sohmer was released after posting a $100,000 cash bail with strict conditions that prohibit any contact with minors and prohibit his use of the internet.
“Unfortunately, the nature of these charges do not allow them to ask that he be held without bail,” Shelvey said.
Sohmer was charged with two counts of possession and two counts dissemination of child pornography. His attorney, Andrew Levchuk, has not issued any comments regarding the case.
Sohmer was previously celebrated for discussing sexuality with elementary kids. In a now-deleted article, far-left Buzzfeed wrote an article praising Sohmer regarding his conversation with a bunch of fourth graders.
Sohmer wrote this on his Twitter in 2018, per Buzzfeed:
So here’s a fun little story: I spent the morning in my mom’s fourth-grade classroom, this being a perfect confluence of Teacher Appreciation Week and Mother’s Day. The plan: to discuss writing. Outside of that, I don’t have much in common with 10-year-olds, so I was nervous.”
I get there and the kids are PSYCHED.
Here’s a new adult!, someone who wants to talk to them!, someone who knows their teacher too! So we go over to the group corner, and the 20 of them sit cross-legged in a semi-circle looking at me in the chair.
I have each kid go one-by-one and tell me their name and one thing I should know about them. It was adorable. A couple of kids LOVE dinosaurs, some LOVE wrestling, surfing, skateboard tricks, cool stuff. Fun so far. We’re feelin good. But then they start peppering questions at me
“Do you live in an apartment?”
I do, I say.
“Who do you live with?”
And now I’m like … am I … do I … what do I … am I about to come out of the closet to these kids? At this point I looked to my mother, who kind of nodded and mouthed something like
“go ahead.” So I said, “I live with my boyfriend.”
Slade Sohmer, editor of left-wing news site “The Recount” was previously celebrated for discussing sexuality with elementary kids.
He was just arrested and charged with possessing and disseminating child p0rn. pic.twitter.com/z4OuFpDQsI
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) November 14, 2023
Source material can be found at this site.
