Former chief United Nations weapons inspector Scott Ritter was arrested in a Pennsylvania sex sting in November on a litany of charges involving a lewd Internet conversation with a person he thought was a 15-year-old girl.
Ritter, 48, allegedly masturbated in front of a Web camera while he was engaged in conversation in an Internet chat room with an undercover cop posing as the teenage girl. He declined to discuss the charges Thursday when reporters visited his New York residence.
“I said there would be no comment,” Ritter said, according to the Albany Times Union. “Why don’t you guys just go away?”
Heh… No no Scotty boy; they’re gonna hang around…
The chief U.N. weapons inspector in Iraq from 1991-98 and harsh critic of the war in Iraq, Ritter is accused of contacting the “girl” while using the handle “delmarm4fun” last February.
Ritter, of Delmar, N.Y., allegedly told the girl, “Emily,” that he was a 44-year-old man from Albany, N.Y., according to an affidavit of probable cause.
The undercover officer then told Ritter he was a 15-year-old girl from the Poconos region of Pennsylvania, at which point Ritter asked for a picture in addition to one “Emily” had posted on her account, according to the affidavit prepared by Barrett Township Police Det. Ryan Venneman.
Ritter then sent a link to his Web camera and began to masturbate while it was focused on his genitals, according to the affidavit. The former U.N. official then allegedly provided his cell phone number.
“He then continued to masturbate on web cam and he again asked how old I was,” the affidavit continued. “He was advised again that I was 15 years old. He said he didn’t realize that I was 15 years old and turned off his web camera. He stated that he didn’t want to get in trouble.”
Ritter then allegedly told the “girl” that he fantasized about having sex with her, to which the officer replied, “guess u turned it off [no problem].”
Ritter then asked the girl if she “want[ed] to see it finish” before reactivating his Web camera and ejaculating, the affidavit read.
What a fine upstanding citizen, right?
Now, the takeaway question.
Seeing as Mr. Ritter was hailed for his “character” as he flip flopped around like a dying salmon on a hot rock during the Iraq war’s early days, and contradicted his own findings as weapons inspector, how are we meant to judge his character now?
And if this story is indeed true (and come on, would the police go public with it if they weren’t 100% sure?), how is this such a small story compared to the mere soliciting, of an adult, by someone like Larry Craig, or cheating on one’s wife with another adult (insert any politician / celebrity here).
I think we can safely stop pretending that Scott Ritter has character now, either way.