Every Cloud Does Indeed Have A Silver Lining

dales · Post by **dales** » Thu Dec 21, 2017 12:14 am

Child sexual abuse promoter among dead in Amtrak wreck
Auburn man killed in derailment identified as child pornography collector

By Levi Pulkkinen, SeattlePI Updated 3:30 pm, Wednesday, December 20, 2017

A man killed in the deadly Amtrak derailment south of Seattle has been identified as an Auburn child pornography collector and an outspoken proponent of child sexual abuse, whose crimes were first detailed in a 2013 SeattlePI story.

The days since the deadly Amtrak derailment between Tacoma and Olympia have seen two of the three fatally injured victims, Jim Hamre and Zack Willhoite, celebrated for their love of trains. Hamre, 61, and Willhoite, 35, were close friends and volunteers on the board of All Aboard Washington, a rail advocacy organization.

Benjamin Gran’s story is more complicated.

A member of an online forum dedicated to promoting the sexual abuse of children, served a federal prison term after he was caught with a collection of child pornography videos.

The Pierce County coroner's office said Wednesday that Gran, 40, died of multiple traumatic injuries sustained in Monday’s crash. His death came six years after child pornography investigators arrived at his apartment door.

Agents visited Gran’s home in July 2011 after investigation launched in the Netherlands targeting “boylovers” identified him as a member of a pedophile group online. Dutch police and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security launched the investigation – dubbed “Operation Rescue” – in 2009 aimed at bringing down the forum. Investigators had by then arrested 12 suspected child abusers and rescued 100 children.

Investigators described Gran as a close friend of Robert Mikelsons, a Dutch man at the center of the ring and a fellow supporter of the movement to legitimize the sexual abuse of children. Mikelsons, Gran and the other BoyLovers.net forum members asserted molestation and rape were healthy for the children they hurt.

Relying on email recovered during the investigation, investigators contend Gran and Mikelsons began discussing their shared interest in child pornography as early as 2004. In those email, Gran admitted to uploading child pornography he produced to the forum.

Having secured a search warrant, agents seized electronics from Gran’s Auburn home. They found child pornography was found on a DVD and other items in the home.

Benjamin Gran's mother described him as "Amtrak's biggest fan." He was identified as the third person killed in the train crash. He served time for child porn possession, but his mother says he paid his debt to society and was on the right path.

YEAH, THE PATH TO HELL

Court papers that would describe Gran more completely remain sealed.

Gran was ultimately sentenced to two years in prison[WTF?] and placed under court supervision for the rest of his life. He was released from federal prison in 2015.

Gran died on the inaugural run on a faster train route between Seattle and Portland, Oregon.

Authorities are investigating the wreck and have said that the train was going 80 mph in a 30 mph zone, derailing south of Seattle and toppling some cars on Interstate 5 below. Dozens of others were hurt, some seriously.

An investigation into the wreck is ongoing.

Long Run · Post by **Long Run** » Thu Dec 21, 2017 12:18 am

Beyond the main post, this was a terrible tragedy. Lots of unanswered questions, like going 80 in a 30 zone. I really liked the prior route along the Puget Sound -- stunning views and only a few minutes longer than this "improved" track. Don't know where to begin counting the losses on this story, other than to agree that this one death doesn't add to the loss column.

dales · Post by **dales** » Thu Dec 21, 2017 12:50 am

Agreed, LR.

Hence, out of a terrible tragedy a small particle of "good".

Word is that the engineer was "distracted" by a trainee he had along showing him the new line. Probably missed the RR sign for a 30mph approach to the overpass.

Automatic train control (which would've slow the loco down) was not engaged.

Look for more to come from the "black box" data recorder.

At least that monster perv will not be able to victimize more children.

Jarlaxle · Post by **Jarlaxle** » Thu Dec 21, 2017 1:07 am

Automatic train control was not INSTALLED.

Maybe I will rethink my Auto Train plan...

RayThom · Post by **RayThom** » Thu Dec 21, 2017 2:39 am

God works in strange and wondrous ways.

I see where he just banished disgraced Archbishop Bernie Law to eternal damnation and hellfire. Sadly, Pope Frankie who I kind of like, is officiating the bon voyage festivities. In the end these guys all toe the party line. The catholic church should have learned by now that redemption is not for everyone.

Bicycle Bill · Post by **Bicycle Bill** » Thu Dec 21, 2017 3:34 am

Gran was ultimately sentenced to two years in prison [WTF?] and placed under court supervision for the rest of his life. He was released from federal prison in 2015.

Let me see .... a man has been killed, but it's no great loss because he had been convicted of possession of child pornography.  And even though the article from whichever right-wing rag that you cut-and-pasted clearly indicated that he had been brought to justice, tried and found guilty, sentenced (although I do agree it sounds like he and his attorney cut a deal), and served that sentence, YOU seem to feel that he had not paid sufficiently and that his death in this accident was only right and proper; God the Father, the Ultimate Arbiter, handing down a decision which could not appealed or plea-bargained.

And then you post a parenthetic "WTF" and add a marginal comment about how he was on "THE PATH TO HELL" — in red and all caps, no less.  WTF yourself!?!  Or did I miss that part of your bio where it said you had been ordained and now had the power to decide who deserves absolution and who does not?

And just as an aside — what did the other two dead passengers or any of the injured do to deserve their fate?  Or were they just collateral damage; a case of God not caring about others so long as He gets His point across?

How about other people who run afoul of your overly-developed sense of morality?  People like drunk drivers or pot smokers (especially in light of the tidal shift in favor of legalized medical/recreational use of marijuana) or the victims of the current 'sexual harassment' witch hunt ... individuals whose reputations are being besmirched and ruined, individuals such as Garrison Keillor, who became an 'unperson' (reference to Orwell's "1984") so far as Minnesota Public Radio was concerned based on a single allegation of impropriety.  I suppose he "had it coming" too, right?

I wonder what it's like being you — perfect, unblemished, without flaw or foible, no skeletons in your closet or potentially embarrassing incidents in your past.  I sure hope it's comfortable up there, ensconced in your ivory tower.  But as Buzz Lightyear told Woody in the first "Toy Story" movie, "You are a sad, strange little man, and you have my pity."

-"BB"-

Joe Guy · Post by **Joe Guy** » Thu Dec 21, 2017 4:12 am

A man killed in the deadly Amtrak derailment south of Seattle has been identified as an Auburn child pornography collector and an outspoken proponent of child sexual abuse

I agree with dales that the train took one person to his proper destination.

dales · Post by **dales** » Thu Dec 21, 2017 4:39 am

biker billy opined:

....from whichever right-wing rag that you cut-and-pasted....

The SF Chronicle known nation-wide for its far-right slant on the news.

FOOL!

I wonder what it's like being you — perfect, unblemished, without flaw or foible, no skeletons in your closet or potentially embarrassing incidents in your past. I sure hope it's comfortable up there, ensconced in your ivory tower.

Actually it's wonderful here in NorCal (although we could use some rain).

As far as the other sanctimonious crap your posted.........................BITE ME!

Bicycle Bill · Post by **Bicycle Bill** » Thu Dec 21, 2017 5:26 am

dales wrote:biker billy opined:
....from whichever right-wing rag that you cut-and-pasted....
The SF Chronicle known nation-wide for its far-right slant on the news.

FOOL!

I didn't see any reference to the 'SF Chronicle', just the byline "By Levi Pulkkinen, SeattlePI" — the Post-Intelligencer, I suppose, a formerly real newspaper that is now only an online shadow of its former self. Perhaps the next time you put someone else's words in your mouth you could remember to give proper credit where credit is due.

-"BB"-

RayThom · Post by **RayThom** » Thu Dec 21, 2017 5:44 am

BB, are you awkwardly trying to tell us something? I wouldn't advise you to pursue this any further. If I'm not mistaken there are "mandated reporters" who regularly log on to this site. It could be your undoing and you might end up wishing you were on that fateful train ride to oblivion.

Joe Guy · Post by **Joe Guy** » Thu Dec 21, 2017 5:44 am

A little research shows that Levi reporter really knows his shit.

RayThom · Post by **RayThom** » Thu Dec 21, 2017 5:54 am

Joe Guy wrote:A little research shows that Levi reporter really knows his shit.

He might have been killed had he not landed on a soft surface that broke his fall.

datsunaholic · Post by **datsunaholic** » Thu Dec 21, 2017 9:46 am

I think the investigation will pretty much come up with what has already been stated0 the engineer lost situational awareness. I wonder how many times the engineer ran that route in practice, in the dark? The tracks run along the freeway on one side and a forest on the other. In the dark, there's very few identifiable landmarks in that stretch. Though the Mounts Road crossing should have been a clue. Since no one engaged the brakes, it looks as if no one was actually controlling the train.

The PTC system was only partially installed. Scheduled to be operational in the spring. A lot of the blood is on the hands of the bureaucrats that pushed to open this non-essential line before it was actually ready. While this accident has nothing to do with the Mayor of Lakewood's statement that it's more dangerous, he IS correct as it will result in more serious accidents. While it reduces the chance for train-on-train collisions, the sheer number of at-grade crossings through heavy commercial, retail, and residential areas vs inaccessible shoreline of the old route will cause far more vehicular and pedestrian incidents.

rubato · Post by **rubato** » Thu Dec 21, 2017 12:17 pm

How long does t take a train to get to 80 mph from 30 mph ( the correct speed)?

More than a minor mistake.

Yrs,
Rubato

Jarlaxle · Post by **Jarlaxle** » Thu Dec 21, 2017 1:51 pm

No-for much of tbe route, 80mph IS the correct speed.

Big RR · Post by **Big RR** » Thu Dec 21, 2017 2:17 pm

that's what I heard, as well as that this 30 mph section was one of the few low speed zones. Even without the PTC, I would think it would be fairly simple to install an audible couple of miles before the slow zone--even something as simple as installing an rf generator and receiver could work and would make sure the engineer had sufficient warning.

FWIW, there is a lot of good technology available for trains--I was in Spain last month and rode their bullet train from Barcelona to Malaga (around 900 miles) in around 5 hours with the stops. It generally averaged over 200 mph according to the indicator in the cars, and braking was smooth (and, I'd bet, run by computer) at the stations. It seems pretty silly not to have that same technology installed in our trains, as it would be far easier to reduce speed quickly from 80 mph, but, like everything else) we ignore our infrastructure.

At 200 mph one could get from NY to Orlando in about 6 or so hours (Miami maybe in 7; Washington DC or Boston in a little over an hour; even Chicago would only be around 6 hours) which is pretty competitive with flying when you take into account how early you are told to arrive at the airport because of security lines, and the train is much more comfortable, but I doubt we'll get anything like that here.

BoSoxGal · Post by **BoSoxGal** » Thu Dec 21, 2017 2:52 pm

Of course we won’t, because there is no big corporate train lobby in D.C. From what I’ve read, it sounds like much of this new line was driven by small time political corruption, giving contracts to favored donors, etc. to complete the necessary work.

At least two decent train lovers dead, countless others injured and family members affected, an engineer who will be the pilloried scapegoat of the broken system. Meanwhile our rail system will continue to be an international embarrassment - yes, it’s still safer than driving, but it’s a joke all the same.

I used to be proud to be an American, but anymore it’s very difficult to be. The tax scam legislation and the looming ‘entitlement’ ‘reform’ make me sick to the core. Our country has seriously fucked up values and we aren’t really a democracy anymore, we’re an oligarchy. All the political TV pundits are just putting on a show - live-streaming on the walls of the cave.

Jarlaxle · Post by **Jarlaxle** » Thu Dec 21, 2017 7:19 pm

90% of passenger rail in this country is a fossil from 1930 and should have been euthanized decades ago.

dales · Post by **dales** » Thu Dec 21, 2017 9:17 pm

Jarl, your profound ignorance about rail travel is showing.

Guinevere · Post by **Guinevere** » Thu Dec 21, 2017 9:26 pm

Big RR wrote:that's what I heard, as well as that this 30 mph section was one of the few low speed zones. Even without the PTC, I would think it would be fairly simple to install an audible couple of miles before the slow zone--even something as simple as installing an rf generator and receiver could work and would make sure the engineer had sufficient warning.

FWIW, there is a lot of good technology available for trains--I was in Spain last month and rode their bullet train from Barcelona to Malaga (around 900 miles) in around 5 hours with the stops. It generally averaged over 200 mph according to the indicator in the cars, and braking was smooth (and, I'd bet, run by computer) at the stations. It seems pretty silly not to have that same technology installed in our trains, as it would be far easier to reduce speed quickly from 80 mph, but, like everything else) we ignore our infrastructure.

At 200 mph one could get from NY to Orlando in about 6 or so hours (Miami maybe in 7; Washington DC or Boston in a little over an hour; even Chicago would only be around 6 hours) which is pretty competitive with flying when you take into account how early you are told to arrive at the airport because of security lines, and the train is much more comfortable, but I doubt we'll get anything like that here.

BigRR - I worked on the "high speed" rail project for Amtrak when it upgraded its facilities for the Acela train. As you know, for the Northeast Corridor, the limiting factor is space. Not only are there no long stretches to gain speed, there isn't even enough space to expand the ROW to make higher speed safer. In some spaces the tracks are so narrowly confined they are down to only one track per direction and very curvy.

But yes, we should have invested a lot more money and time into our public transit infrastructure. It's such a shame.

Plan B Forum