Kyla Kym
03-05-2008, 04:51 PM
I just got through reading this, and I'm just speechless. This is where I go to see the doctor at. That's the only reason this story caught my attention, but after reading it, I just can't imagine how this guy must feel.
Do you all get what I'm getting out of this story? The man tried to help the F.B.I. out and in return they have basically destroyed his life?
Doctor’s past raises red flags in Pike County
By John Balch, Leader staff
MURFREESBORO --- Pike County hospital officials have suspended relations with a physician who was scheduled to have started work this month, after learning of the doctor’s controversial trial in which he was sentenced to federal prison on a child pornography charge.
Dr. Lonnie Joseph Parker, 42, of Eureka Springs was scheduled to begin work March 23 at Pike County Memorial Hospital and the Murfreesboro Family Clinic. The PCMH board of directors approved Parker’s employment in early February. On Feb. 22, PCMH Administrator Rosemary Fritts decided to inform the board of Parker’s conviction and that she had recently learned that he was a Level I sex offender, who would have to register as such once he took up residence in Pike County. The following Tuesday, Parker was suspended.
Fritts admitted she knew of Parker’s past, but said she followed proper procedure when checking Parker’s credentials to practice medicine.
“I queried the National Practitioners Data Bank and the results were ‘no reports found,’ Fritts said in an e-mail to The Nashville Leader Friday. “I also queried the Arkansas State Medical Board for verification of an Arkansas license and found him to have an active, unlimited, unrestricted license in the state of Arkansas.”
Fritts added that the reason she didn’t mention Parker’s past to the board was that she believes he was wrongly accused and convicted.
“Public perception is like a nightmare,” Fritts said. “I just wanted everyone to meet him first then they would know what kind of person he really is and not be judged right off the bat.”
She added, “His past has nothing to do with his ability to practice medicine.”
Parker was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison in 1998. He was found guilty of possessing sexually exploited material involving a minor. Parker was also found innocent of one charge of receiving sexually exploited material and had two other “receiving” charges dismissed after the jury deadlocked on the charges.
Parker’s ordeal began in 1996 when he received an unsolicited pornographic image by e-mail on his home computer in Rochester, Minn. Since the image involved a young girl, Parker said he contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigations to make a report.
Throughout his trial, Parker contended that he was advised to try and get more information about who sent the photo and to notify the FBI if he did. The Arkansas Times reported that Parker was also told that the image was considered evidence.
Parker established contact with the sender and soon the person was offering to sexually share his 13-year-old daughter with Parker. An arrangement was made with the FBI to meet the sender at a motel in Minneapolis. Parker said he was eventually referred to FBI Agent Jim Tucker, who reportedly steered Parker through more transaction with the sender known by his screen name FUNDAD2DTR.
More child pornographic images came via e-mail and Parker was soon in the sender’s computer address book. In the meantime, Parker said he had also been in contact with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) about the images he had received.
Parker was enrolled in medical school at the time and had been offered a job after graduation at the University of Arkansas for Medical Science. When the Parker family left Rochester, he was informed to contact the FBI in Little Rock about the images still on his computer, according to an article from The Arkansas Times.
He did so, and was told to print the images when he could and take them to the FBI office. Parker said he was soon overwhelmed by work and his priorities had shifted from printing and delivering the images.
Back in Minnesota, “Operation Talon” led the FBI to a man in Michigan who had used his computer to traffic illegal material. His seized computer contained Parker’s e-mail address which prompted a visit and search from U.S. Customs Service agents. The agents were not convinced Parker had contacted the FBI about the images on his computer or that he had worked on an investigation.
Parker was indicted in November 1998 on three felony counts of receiving child pornography and one of possessing child pornography.
During Parker’s trial, a Customs agent testified that he had checked Parker’s claim of having contacted the FBI and NCMEC and he had found no record of Parker’s calls. Documentation was produced to verify Parker’s claims but the prosecution focused the jury on the possession charge. He was convicted on the possession charge but was found innocent on one charge of receiving. The jury deadlocked on the remaining two charges which were subsequently dismissed.
Parker’s request for a new trial was denied and he told The Leader Friday his appeals “are pretty much exhausted.”
Parker has been steadfast in maintaining his innocence, and while awaiting transfer to prison he appeared on the Montel Williams talk show and declared he had been wrongly convicted. He also has a website that contains various articles and testimonials about his ordeal. The website can be found at:
www.drlonnieparker.com
Parker said he realizes his past is a concern but he insisted that hospital officials knew up front for deciding to hire him.
“I’m certainly in favor of full disclosure,” he said.
Two things that Parker said helps his claims of innocence are the facts he had his medical license reinstated “unrestricted” in 2005 and that he received an honorable discharge from the military while in a federal prison. Parker had served in the U.S. Marine Corps and was a captain in the U.S. Navy medical corps.
“I’m the only person in the history of the United States to receive a general discharge under honorable conditions while serving time in a federal prison,” Parker said.
According to a letter from the Sex Offender Assessment Committee dated Oct. 18, 2007, Parker’s documentation showing he contacted the FBI and Minnesota was noted when he was assessed at Level I, the lowest level assigned to sex offenders. The letter also acknowledged Parker’s profession as an emergency room physician, and that his specialty “will be treating minors.”
Parker has been employed a Eureka Springs clinic for more than two years where he said his relation with the staff, patients and community has not suffered from the initial and understandable concern about his past. Fritts said Parker has medical staff privileges at the Eureka Springs Hospital and that all his references were contacted and were “all favorable.”
Parker said he viewed going to work in Pike County as a career move.
“In Murfreesboro, there is an opportunity to have a career as opposed to a job.”
Public meeting scheduled
Parker will get another chance to tell his side of the story on Sunday, March 9 during a public meeting that will take place at 2 p.m. in the Murfreesboro High School Activity Room.
Fritts said that Parker requested the meeting after learning that the subject of his conviction had been addressed by the board and was being discussed publicly.
http://www.nashvilleleader.com/articles/2008/03/05/news/04news.txt
Do you all get what I'm getting out of this story? The man tried to help the F.B.I. out and in return they have basically destroyed his life?
Doctor’s past raises red flags in Pike County
By John Balch, Leader staff
MURFREESBORO --- Pike County hospital officials have suspended relations with a physician who was scheduled to have started work this month, after learning of the doctor’s controversial trial in which he was sentenced to federal prison on a child pornography charge.
Dr. Lonnie Joseph Parker, 42, of Eureka Springs was scheduled to begin work March 23 at Pike County Memorial Hospital and the Murfreesboro Family Clinic. The PCMH board of directors approved Parker’s employment in early February. On Feb. 22, PCMH Administrator Rosemary Fritts decided to inform the board of Parker’s conviction and that she had recently learned that he was a Level I sex offender, who would have to register as such once he took up residence in Pike County. The following Tuesday, Parker was suspended.
Fritts admitted she knew of Parker’s past, but said she followed proper procedure when checking Parker’s credentials to practice medicine.
“I queried the National Practitioners Data Bank and the results were ‘no reports found,’ Fritts said in an e-mail to The Nashville Leader Friday. “I also queried the Arkansas State Medical Board for verification of an Arkansas license and found him to have an active, unlimited, unrestricted license in the state of Arkansas.”
Fritts added that the reason she didn’t mention Parker’s past to the board was that she believes he was wrongly accused and convicted.
“Public perception is like a nightmare,” Fritts said. “I just wanted everyone to meet him first then they would know what kind of person he really is and not be judged right off the bat.”
She added, “His past has nothing to do with his ability to practice medicine.”
Parker was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison in 1998. He was found guilty of possessing sexually exploited material involving a minor. Parker was also found innocent of one charge of receiving sexually exploited material and had two other “receiving” charges dismissed after the jury deadlocked on the charges.
Parker’s ordeal began in 1996 when he received an unsolicited pornographic image by e-mail on his home computer in Rochester, Minn. Since the image involved a young girl, Parker said he contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigations to make a report.
Throughout his trial, Parker contended that he was advised to try and get more information about who sent the photo and to notify the FBI if he did. The Arkansas Times reported that Parker was also told that the image was considered evidence.
Parker established contact with the sender and soon the person was offering to sexually share his 13-year-old daughter with Parker. An arrangement was made with the FBI to meet the sender at a motel in Minneapolis. Parker said he was eventually referred to FBI Agent Jim Tucker, who reportedly steered Parker through more transaction with the sender known by his screen name FUNDAD2DTR.
More child pornographic images came via e-mail and Parker was soon in the sender’s computer address book. In the meantime, Parker said he had also been in contact with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) about the images he had received.
Parker was enrolled in medical school at the time and had been offered a job after graduation at the University of Arkansas for Medical Science. When the Parker family left Rochester, he was informed to contact the FBI in Little Rock about the images still on his computer, according to an article from The Arkansas Times.
He did so, and was told to print the images when he could and take them to the FBI office. Parker said he was soon overwhelmed by work and his priorities had shifted from printing and delivering the images.
Back in Minnesota, “Operation Talon” led the FBI to a man in Michigan who had used his computer to traffic illegal material. His seized computer contained Parker’s e-mail address which prompted a visit and search from U.S. Customs Service agents. The agents were not convinced Parker had contacted the FBI about the images on his computer or that he had worked on an investigation.
Parker was indicted in November 1998 on three felony counts of receiving child pornography and one of possessing child pornography.
During Parker’s trial, a Customs agent testified that he had checked Parker’s claim of having contacted the FBI and NCMEC and he had found no record of Parker’s calls. Documentation was produced to verify Parker’s claims but the prosecution focused the jury on the possession charge. He was convicted on the possession charge but was found innocent on one charge of receiving. The jury deadlocked on the remaining two charges which were subsequently dismissed.
Parker’s request for a new trial was denied and he told The Leader Friday his appeals “are pretty much exhausted.”
Parker has been steadfast in maintaining his innocence, and while awaiting transfer to prison he appeared on the Montel Williams talk show and declared he had been wrongly convicted. He also has a website that contains various articles and testimonials about his ordeal. The website can be found at:
www.drlonnieparker.com
Parker said he realizes his past is a concern but he insisted that hospital officials knew up front for deciding to hire him.
“I’m certainly in favor of full disclosure,” he said.
Two things that Parker said helps his claims of innocence are the facts he had his medical license reinstated “unrestricted” in 2005 and that he received an honorable discharge from the military while in a federal prison. Parker had served in the U.S. Marine Corps and was a captain in the U.S. Navy medical corps.
“I’m the only person in the history of the United States to receive a general discharge under honorable conditions while serving time in a federal prison,” Parker said.
According to a letter from the Sex Offender Assessment Committee dated Oct. 18, 2007, Parker’s documentation showing he contacted the FBI and Minnesota was noted when he was assessed at Level I, the lowest level assigned to sex offenders. The letter also acknowledged Parker’s profession as an emergency room physician, and that his specialty “will be treating minors.”
Parker has been employed a Eureka Springs clinic for more than two years where he said his relation with the staff, patients and community has not suffered from the initial and understandable concern about his past. Fritts said Parker has medical staff privileges at the Eureka Springs Hospital and that all his references were contacted and were “all favorable.”
Parker said he viewed going to work in Pike County as a career move.
“In Murfreesboro, there is an opportunity to have a career as opposed to a job.”
Public meeting scheduled
Parker will get another chance to tell his side of the story on Sunday, March 9 during a public meeting that will take place at 2 p.m. in the Murfreesboro High School Activity Room.
Fritts said that Parker requested the meeting after learning that the subject of his conviction had been addressed by the board and was being discussed publicly.
http://www.nashvilleleader.com/articles/2008/03/05/news/04news.txt