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Former SF Fire Chief Arrested on Ten Child Porn Counts

Sioux Falls Mayor Mike Huether’s pal, fired fire chief Jim Sideras, has been arrested on ten counts of possession of child pornography. So says this press release from the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Department:

Note that the bond on Sideras is $10,000, four times the bond slapped on Ehab Jaber. The court apparently feels that a man accused of possessing child porn is a greater threat than a man accused of making a terroristic threat.

Sideras, like all defendants in America, is innocent until proven guilty. The charges, if they have merit, do not appear to involve any public corruption that would implicate Huether or other city officials.

33 Comments

  1. Roger Cornelius 2017-05-08 22:10

    What’s your point Coyote?

    That is last week’s news!

  2. Marie 2017-05-08 22:39

    Why the comparison to Ejab? Seems out of context.

  3. Cory Allen Heidelberger Post author | 2017-05-09 05:54

    Coyote makes the comparison to be contrary. I make the comparison to point out that, right after the arrests, at the initial point of court consideration, Sideras and his charges warranted four times more bond that Jaber and his charges. Does the court think Sideras is that much more likely to run than Jaber? Is possessing child pornography a more serious crime than making terrorist threats?

  4. Troy 2017-05-09 10:00

    The amount of bond is based not only on the severity of the crimes but also the financial capacity of the accused.

    A $10K bond for a person who had to pledge all their home equity is alot more likely to make sure the terms of bail are followed than a $10K bond for a person worth millions.

    Thus, trying to make inference on your last two questions is a fools game because the most likely factor on the amount is the net worth.

  5. Jenny 2017-05-09 10:26

    Cory was asking a philosophical question, but Troy’s mind is always on money.

  6. Marie 2017-05-09 10:46

    “The court apparently feels that a man accused of possessing child porn is a greater threat than a man accused of making a terroristic threat.” – For me, it sounds like you don’t feel that child porn is a horrific crime. That child porn isn’t as bad as terrorism. Is this what you feel? Maybe it is the courts decision, but the comparison seems to belittle what he did.

  7. Porter Lansing 2017-05-09 10:52

    Hey, hate porn participants, Jackley – Krebs and Novstrup … “Hate porn is just as addictive as sex porn. Be more secretive.” Pornography is about domination. Sex porn shows are about dominating women and children. Hate porn shows are about dominating a group of new comers with different customs. Of course Jackley, Krebs and Novstrup won’t discuss what they felt about the hate speech from Brigitte Gabriel – Founder of ACT for America and Ron Branstner. Analyzing and discussing their porn diminishes the deviant desires and fantasies they went to see Hate Porn for in the first place.

  8. Daniel Buresh 2017-05-09 11:22

    “Cory was asking a philosophical question, but Troy’s mind is always on money.”

    That may be the dumbest thing I have ever read when considering the topic is bail amounts. It has more to do with the ability of the person to pay than it does the crime. Money is exactly what they look at when assigning bail. Your personal attacks are not only immature, but completely illogical.

  9. Jenny 2017-05-09 11:50

    Cory, can you please tell Daniel he’s not following your blog rules? Daniel, Cory will not allow personal attacks and mean comments on his blog.

    I know you and your republicans hate us and Cory, but please follow his rules otherwise you could be another Sibby and Kurtz.

  10. Daniel Buresh 2017-05-09 16:14

    I hate stupidity. There is a reason why a millionaire’s bond will be much higher than a homeless person when they commit the same crime. The idea is to place a burden on them great enough to force them to make their court appearance and not skip town. Tying a bail amount directly back to a specific charge without acknowledging the suspects net worth is stupid. You have to consider both aspects and I would bet MONEY plays a larger role. Sorry if that offends you but it has nothing to do with Repub/Dem.

  11. Jenny 2017-05-09 16:22

    Cory, can you tell Daniel, to be polite, thanks.

    Well Daniel, I dislike ammosexual rednecks like you. (excuse me Cory, but I need to defend myself and others on here.). So you can go take your guns and shove them up your ass.
    There’s a reason why all the democrats have left SD, they can’t stand know it alls like you.

  12. Cory Allen Heidelberger Post author | 2017-05-09 16:51

    Cheap shot, Marie, and off base. I really am asking a question about the relative impacts of different criminal acts.

    My question stands, even though, as Troy and Daniel note, bond does take into account the accused’s financial means, a reasonable position. Is that consistently applied? Is the burden really equal? (And if so, then let’s apply that same thinking to taxation! Income-based bond, income-based tax!)

  13. Joe Nelson 2017-05-10 02:57

    One count of terrorist threat, class 5 felony.
    Ten counts of child pron possession, class 4 felony.

    So yes, it is a whole class level higher, and ten counts versus one count.

    If we compare the punishments:

    (7) Class 4 felony: ten years imprisonment in the state penitentiary. In addition, a fine of twenty thousand dollars may be imposed;
    (8) Class 5 felony: five years imprisonment in the state penitentiary. In addition, a fine of ten thousand dollars may be imposed;

    Class 4 is punished doubly, but higher felonies increment up by 5 years, eventually doubling, life sentence, and death. There is also the caveat of restitution to victims.

    22-6-1. Felony classes and penalties–Restitution–Habitual criminal sentences. Except as otherwise provided by law, felonies are divided into the following nine classes which are distinguished from each other by the following maximum penalties which are authorized upon conviction:
    (1) Class A felony: death or life imprisonment in the state penitentiary. A lesser sentence than death or life imprisonment may not be given for a Class A felony. In addition, a fine of fifty thousand dollars may be imposed;
    (2) Class B felony: life imprisonment in the state penitentiary. A lesser sentence may not be given for a Class B felony. In addition, a fine of fifty thousand dollars may be imposed;
    (3) Class C felony: life imprisonment in the state penitentiary. In addition, a fine of fifty thousand dollars may be imposed;
    (4) Class 1 felony: fifty years imprisonment in the state penitentiary. In addition, a fine of fifty thousand dollars may be imposed;
    (5) Class 2 felony: twenty-five years imprisonment in the state penitentiary. In addition, a fine of fifty thousand dollars may be imposed;
    (6) Class 3 felony: fifteen years imprisonment in the state penitentiary. In addition, a fine of thirty thousand dollars may be imposed;
    (7) Class 4 felony: ten years imprisonment in the state penitentiary. In addition, a fine of twenty thousand dollars may be imposed;
    (8) Class 5 felony: five years imprisonment in the state penitentiary. In addition, a fine of ten thousand dollars may be imposed; and
    (9) Class 6 felony: two years imprisonment in the state penitentiary or a fine of four thousand dollars, or both.
    If the defendant is under the age of eighteen years at the time of the offense and found guilty of a Class A, B, or C felony, the maximum sentence may be a term of years in the state penitentiary, and a fine of fifty thousand dollars may be imposed.
    The court, in imposing sentence on a defendant who has been found guilty of a felony, shall order in addition to the sentence that is imposed pursuant to the provisions of this section, that the defendant make restitution to any victim in accordance with the provisions of chapter 23A-28.
    Nothing in this section limits increased sentences for habitual criminals under §§ 22-7-7, 22-7-8, and 22-7-8.1.

    http://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/Codified_Laws/DisplayStatute.aspx?Type=Statute&Statute=22-6-1

    But that is just the legal penalties and judgement imposed. If found guilty, which I think is rather likely, he will spend upwards of 100 years in prison and pay $200,000 in fines (plus whatever extra court fees there are, and what ever he pays the lawyer that will defend him). And this is only based off of 10 pictures, I am curious why he is not getting a charge for every picture.

    I honestly think that child pornography is much worse than making a terrorist threat, and exponentially worse than almost any sin in any of Dante’s Nine Circles of Hell. I truly hope that Mr. Sideras feels sorry what what he has done, and seeks forgiveness and redemption. But I also want him to stay in prison for the rest of his life; there is no safe place in society for this level of deviance.

  14. Joe Nelson 2017-05-10 03:09

    But who knows? Jared Fogle had lots of child porn, participated in a scheme to produce and distribute it, and paid money to sleep with 16 year-old’s. With a plea deal, he only got 16 years in prison in Colorado. Maybe Sideras will also do a plea deal, and get off easy.

  15. jerry 2017-05-10 03:23

    16 years in the pokey, getting off easy? The prison population does not take a shine to child porn or molesters and those who are involved with it. That is a life sentence that may not be able to be carried out.

  16. Joe Nelson 2017-05-10 03:31

    jerry,
    Whatever justice finds Fogle/Sideras outside of the law should have no effect on the State’s implementation of justice. Fogle abused, desecrated, and emotional and physically scarred at least 14 children. So yeah, 16 years is getting off easy. I 100% support a minimum life sentence for even one count of knowingly and willfully consuming/producing child pornography.

  17. Cory Allen Heidelberger Post author | 2017-05-10 06:14

    Interesting—it’s not just bond but the criminal penalties that suggest South Dakota views child porn as a more serious crime than making terrorist threats.

    I agree with Joe that the state should not count on criminal violence committed by fellow inmates to supplement its justice. I would even argue that the state has an obligation to protect prisoners from prison rape and other abuses at the hands of fellow inmates. Joe’s key phrase is “outside of the law.” Prisoners’ molesting a man convicted of child porn is no more acceptable than my throwing rocks at Joop Bollen’s house each day.

  18. Troy 2017-05-10 07:06

    Jenny,

    Do you not see the disconnect?

    You impugn me personally by saying I only care about money when the question was specifically about the DOLLAR AMOUNT of bond.

    You point was properly described as stupid.

    You took the statement personally and asked Cory to protect you.

  19. Jenny 2017-05-10 10:02

    You’re the one disconnected from humanity, Troy. All your party cares about is how much money you can make and how you can screw over the poor. I don’t know how youcanproclaim yourself as Catholic and talk about about your Catholicism on Cory’s blog when you don’t follow its Doctrine.

  20. Jenny 2017-05-10 10:03

    I wouldn’t be surprised if the rotten stink of corruption that has taken of SD will let this Sideras creep off easily.

  21. bearcreekbat 2017-05-10 10:22

    The term “child porn” elicits a deep emotional response because of our inherent desire to protect children from harm. The term is a bit ambiguous, however, since it encompasses some of the sickest behavior in producing the “child porn” by exploiting infants and pre-pubicient children as well as 17 year old teenagers who take dozens of naked selfies with their I-phones. All constitute the manufacture and possession of “child porn,” but I doubt that anyone here thinks each perp deserves the same punishment, nor that teenagers’ selfie photos are the equivalent of photos of little kids . Sideras is no 17 year old, but without knowing the actual nature of the “child porn” possessed by Sideras, as well as how he acquired it, it seems a bit improvident to attempt to assess the appropriateness of the bail decision. Presumably the Court knew exactly what Sideras is alleged to have possessed and that knowledge factored into the bail decision.

  22. bearcreekbat 2017-05-10 10:29

    Suppose, for example, Sideras had a sexual relationship with a 17 year old, which is legal in South Dakota. Suppose further that the 17 year old decided to email naked selfie-photos to him, so he ended up with 10 photos on his phone. While possessing these photos is a crime under the statutes that Joe identified, such circumstances might distinguish Sideras’ crime from other “child porn” crimes, while other factors, such as community ties and lack of any criminal record could convince the Court that a lower bail is appropriate.

  23. Jenny 2017-05-10 10:31

    He had pics of naked 2 and 3 yr olds, bear.

  24. bearcreekbat 2017-05-10 11:14

    Thanks Jenny. I did not see that information in the news release in Cory’s post. Is there another source available online with more detailed information?

  25. bearcreekbat 2017-05-10 11:38

    Thanks Joe. That information in the Argus certainly takes Sideras out of my older teen hypothetical.

    It has always puzzled me why lawmakers treat the possession of consensual photos of older teens as “child porn” while allowing much older adults to engage in actual consensual sexual activities with these same older teens. It would seem more logical to either raise the age of consent to 18 or lower the age for “child porn” to just below the age of consent, which in SD is 16.

    As for the stuff Sideras allegedly possessed according to the Argus article, it looks really bad for him and it now surprises me that bail wasn’t set higher, especially considering the allegations of possessing pre-pubicient rape depictions.

  26. Rorschach 2017-05-10 12:39

    The one thing that’s clear here is that Cory’s attempt to somehow find blame on Mike Huether’s part was entirely premature and without merit.

  27. Joe Nelson 2017-05-10 12:53

    Rorschach,
    How? Cory was simply using factual statements, calling him a pal of Sideras, then saying there is no evidence of further corruption at this time.

  28. Troy 2017-05-10 12:54

    Ror,

    You were one of the few who counseled caution with regard to speculation and commentary. There is a lesson here.

  29. Monty 2017-05-10 13:45

    To my knowledge, this is the second current or former SF firefighter to be charged with possession of child pornography. I hope the Mayor will now consider a national search for a new chief to ensure that personal friendships don’t impede any further investigations.

  30. Cory Allen Heidelberger Post author | 2017-05-11 11:58

    Ror, as Joe notes, I wasn’t making an attempt of that sort. I was noting the possibility that there could be political implications, but I made no claim that lacked merit.

    And as you can see in the text in the post above, I do not attempt to extend that earlier thesis. I note that the possibility of political implication appears much lower given the details now in the press.

Comments are closed.