March 24

Events

• Current events

• 1976 - "I am not very expert on girls." - Bernard Law Montgomery, who has been described as the finest British field commander since the Duke of Wellington and who played a major role in the Allied defeat of the Nazi Axis during the Second World War died on this date. Montgomery was a man who had a passion for prepubescent boys and had very close associations with a great many of them during his lifetime. Ronald Hyam , in his book called Empire and Sexuality,wrote of Montgomery that he was "not in the least attracted to men but he was emotionally involved with small boys," that he had a "deep-rooted tenderness for boys," and a "relentless generosity to his pre-pubertal proteges." Montgomery told one 16-year-old boy once "I often wish you were twelve again." Hyam also wrote that seeing "the naked body of a boy seems to have been the limit of 'sexual aim' for him." In 1965, at age 78 and as a member of the House of Lords, Montgomery gave a speech on a law proposed to legalize homosexuality. He tabled an amendment proposing that the age of consent be raised to 80. He said that by then one would be able to pay off the boys out of one's old age pension. He was probably being sarcastic, although senility is another possible explanation.

• 1986 - You GO girl! - NBC chose none other than sex therapist Ruth Westheimer to counsel children on sex in Main Street, an afternoon program aimed at teens and pre-teens that aired on this date. Westheimer, who pulls no punches when it comes to the truth about sex, told the children on the show, who appeared to be ages 13-17, that any age is okay to start having sex if they feel like it. NBC re-ran the hour-long show on prime-time the following June. Frothing-at-the-mouth reactionaries were outraged that no "expert" (by which they meant a minister, teacher, parent, or social worker) was put on the show to present "traditional moral views," i.e. that sex is evil and should be reserved for marriage. They complained that "abstinence," "marriage" and "family" were "words absent from this NBC sex advice show for children." Sounds like NBC must have done something right, then.

• 1999 - The truth too hot for publication and sale? - A Philadelphia radio talk show host pressured the Philadelphia gay and lesbian bookstore to remove all materials on intergenerational sex (e.g., books, newsletters). The owner yielded, but protested in a press release issued on this date that "I have thought it interesting, that so many gay men I know report having had positive sexual experiences with adults when they were boys." Reacting to this comment and the controversy surrounding the Rind meta-analysis, two journalists for a Philadelphia gay publication conducted interviews at various gay youth centers with male teen volunteers who had had sexual relations with men. Their results supported the bookstore owner's observation: most of the nine volunteers reacted positively and none reacted negatively. Rejecting the notion that they had been abused, the tees instead identified various psychological, emotional, and educational benefits that the relationships conferred.

• 2000 - "You want to take pictures of my sponge bath? Ok!" - Former Bay City Roller's drummer, Derek Longmuir, narrowly avoided a prison sentence after being charged with possession of child pornography. The 49-year-old was sentenced on this date and ordered to perform 300 hours of community service. Longmuir claimed that the indecent films, videos and photographs (some of which showed children) belonged to an American friend. He did admit to making indecent photographs of children at his home. Police received a tip and found the pornography following a raid. In 1990 he started training to become a nurse after helping out voluntarily at the Sick Children's Hospital in Edinburgh. He qualified in 1993 and worked at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary at the time of his arrest. He had said of his new career: "It's hard but fulfilling." After his conviction he retained his right to work as a nurse, despite an official caution from the UK Professional Conduct Committee of the UK Central Council for Nursing Midwifery. The panel listened to evidence from witnesses and Longmuir himself for more than three hours, before reaching their decision.

• 2001 - It does not pay to have friends in low places - In Pensacola Florida a sheriff's deputy was fired on this date because of his friendship with Ricky Chavis, a convicted child molester charged with harboring Alex and Derek King, who were at the time under arrest awaiting trial for killing their father. Deputy Reggie Jernigan was fired, ending a 23-year law enforcement career, for violating regulations against associating with criminals and engaging in conduct unbecoming an officer. "His close personal friendship with Ricky Chavis is unacceptable and has caused extreme embarrassment to the community, his fellow officers and to this agency," Escambia County Sheriff Ron McNesby said. An internal investigation disclosed Jernigan frequently visited Chavis' home and neighbors said they often saw his patrol car there. Jernigan told investigators Chavis did car repairs for him but they also socialized. About half the time when he visited, teenagers and young adults were there playing video games or working on their bicycles, Jernigan said. He said he saw Alex King there 10 or 15 times and his brother about five times. Jernigan told investigators he never saw Chavis do anything illegal although he had suspected he used marijuana.