S2: E4 - Avaya

2023-06-08 00:40:51

<p>The Betrayal community is growing. From the producers that brought you the critically acclaimed Betrayal limited run series, a new always on docuseries will hit the feed every week. Our lives are all built on an invisible force: trust. But sometimes, the people we trust the most can turn out to be complete strangers. Every week, <em>Betrayal: Weekly </em>will share first-hand accounts of broken trust, shocking deceptions, and the trail of destruction they leave behind.  Hosted by Andrea Gunning, this weekly ongoing series digs into real-life stories of betrayal and the aftermath. From stories of double lives to dark discoveries, these are cautionary tales and accounts of resilience against all odds.</p> <p> </p> <p>Go back and listen to Betrayal Seasons 1, 2, and 3!</p> <p> </p> <p>In Season 1 we follow Jenifer Faison's journey after discovering her husband Spencer Herron's hidden life. A reality TV producer, Jen moved across the country to be with Spencer, a beloved soccer coach and award-winning teacher in Acworth, Georgia. Their seemingly idyllic seven-year marriage abruptly ended when Spencer was arrested under shocking circumstances. Jenifer's quest for closure leads her to confront the truth about her husband through candid interviews with his victims and other affected women. Through these conversations, Jen begins to heal and reclaim her life from the shadow of betrayal.</p> <p> </p> <p>In Season 2, Ashley Lytton, a suburban mom of three in Utah, faces a life-altering revelation about her husband. His shocking crime not only jeopardizes their safety but thrusts Ashley into a relentless quest for justice and protection for her daughter. Through Ashley's harrowing journey, the season exposes a pervasive issue affecting families nationwide, shedding light on a betrayal that undermines our core values and communities.</p> <p> </p> <p>In “Betrayal” Season 3, Stacey Rutherford thought she met her soulmate when she laid eyes on Dr. Justin Rutherford. They fell in love, and it was better than she ever imagined. But this family doctor, beloved father, and cherished husband had dark secrets. He had sworn to do no harm but would resort to any means necessary to save himself.  </p>

1Speaker 1
00:00.00 – 00:21.52

Hi, I'm Molly Conger, host of Weird Little Guys, a new podcast from CoolZone Media on iHeartRadio. I've spent almost a decade researching right-wing extremism, digging into the lives of people. You wouldn't be wrong to call monsters, but if Scooby-doo taught us one thing, it's that there's a guy under that monster mask. The monsters in our political closets aren't some unfathomable evil, they're just some weird guy.

00:22.10 – 00:31.80

So join me every Thursday for a look under the mask at the Weird Little Guys Trying to Destroy America. Listen to Weird Little Guys on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

00:35.12 – 00:40.42

Hi, I am Lacey Lamarr, and I'm also Lacey Lamarr, just kidding, I'm Amber Ruffin, what?

00:40.76 – 00:58.06

Okay, everybody, we have exciting news to share. We're back with season two of The Amber and Lacey Lacey and Amber Show on Will Ferrell's Big money Players network this season. We make new friends, deep dive into my steamy DMS, answer your listener questions, and more the more is punch each other.

00:58.56 – 01:08.88

Listen to the Amber and Lacey Lacey and Amber show on Will Ferrell's Big Money Players Network. On the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts, just listen, okay, or Lacey gets it, do it.

01:10.52 – 01:33.38

Hey, parents looking for a fun, screen-free way to entertain your kids? Check out Live with Lewis Stories. Our podcast offers magical adventures with Levi and Ivy, where they meet unicorns, dinosaurs. They time travel and learn important life lessons like gratitude and compassion. Our stories are perfect for road trips, playtime or bedtime. Tune in to Live with Lewis Stories on America's number one podcast network, iHeart.

01:33.70 – 01:38.08

Open your free iHeart app, search live with Lewis Stories and start listening today.

01:41.04 – 01:46.86

Topics featured in this episode may be disturbing to some listeners. Please take care while listening.

01:51.00 – 02:03.36

They treated me so poorly, me and my mother, it was unfair and it was rude. And I don't want any other child to ever have to go through that ever. I'm asking for you to send me to prison.

02:17.10 – 02:20.20

I'm Andrea Gunning and this is betrayal.

02:25.22 – 02:47.32

On our last episode, you heard the sentencing hearing for Jason Linton. He pled guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor and two counts of voyeurism. His stepdaughter, Avea, made a plea to the judge to send him to prison. Would Jason go to jail or be set free? That decision was in the hands of Judge Mettler.

02:48.84 – 03:06.06

Okay, thank you everyone for your input. I've been thinking about this for a while. This is a tough one. When the court makes decisions concerning sentencing. The court really is balancing ways in which the victim can be made whole, which, frankly, is pretty unusual when the victim can truly be made whole.

03:06.98 – 03:09.88

Rehabilitating the defendant is an important factor, and then, of course, punishment.

03:11.48 – 03:34.76

Child pornography is a horrible thing and it victimizes so many young girls and boys, and it's terrible. But the voyeurism charges here are really serious. The position of trust that you held with respect to your stepdaughter and violating that in the way that you did. I agree with Mr Sutton. They really take this case to a different level and warrant some pretty significant punishment.

03:36.70 – 04:16.10

Okay, so, for the crime of sexual exploitation of a minor or second degree felony, the court is going to impose a term in Utah State prison. Not less than one or more than 15 years. And for each count of voyeurism both Class A misdemeanors, the court is going to impose a term in jail not to exceed 364 days. The court is going to order that the two voyeurism counts one concurrent to one another and consecutive to the prison sentence imposed on the sexual exploitation of a minor count and on the second degree felony. The court is going to suspend that sentence and place Mr. Lynn on probation for 48 months to be supervised by APMP. To put it simply, Jason got less than a year of jail time for both voyeurism charges and would need to register as a sex offender.

04:17.16 – 04:38.40

Less than one year, how is that even possible? I really thought this type of crime carried a hefty prison sentence, but that's not the case. We'll get into that later on in the episode. Not to mention the one to 15 year sentence for sexual exploitation of a minor. It was suspended, meaning he wouldn't need to serve it if he doesn't violate probation.

04:40.22 – 04:47.96

After Judge Mettler rendered her sentence, an officer came and handcuffed Jason. He was going immediately to Salt Lake County Jail.

04:50.92 – 05:15.32

Now, Avea, the victim of his voyeurism, could start to catch her breath and not fear seeing him out and about, and Ashley could really start to rebuild. But nothing would be the same as before. Jason was arrested. We wanted to see how Avea was doing after Jason was sentenced. So about a month after the hearing, I met Ashley and Avea at home in Riverton. So nice to meet y'all.

?Unknown Speaker
05:15.44 – 05:17.72

Nice to meet you. Do you guys need a helper? Yeah, of course.

1Speaker 1
05:18.56 – 05:22.94

Do you guys mind just talking into the microphones just so we can do some level checks?

?Unknown Speaker
05:23.58 – 05:24.62

Bop bop, bop bop.

1Speaker 1
05:24.88 – 05:26.62

Just kidding, Okay, your turn?

?Unknown Speaker
05:27.68 – 05:29.12

Bop bop, bop bop.

1Speaker 1
05:30.70 – 05:46.30

Great, It was really nice to meet Avea face-to-face. She's Ashley's mini-me, though she's taller than her mom, but everyone is taller than Ashley. What struck me about Avea was her confidence and her maturity She seemed wise beyond her years.

05:47.14 – 06:21.22

And I just wanted to remind you that. Her court-sponsored therapist supported her participation in the podcast, and she was open with her feelings, starting with Jason's sentencing hearing. So Avea, when I talked to your mom a few months before the sentencing hearing, she didn't think you would go to court. But it looks like you changed your mind why? I had really thought about it. And so when I went in there, I had a whole bunch of things that I wanted to say to the judge and to Jason. And I wanted to at least try and make an impact on it. I didn't want to be just like a bystander.

06:21.32 – 06:22.54

I didn't want to just do nothing.

06:24.36 – 06:37.24

Before he got locked up, I'd be laying in bed some nights and I'd just sit there thinking like, I hope no one's out there. You know, someone's looking, someone's creeping like, you get that feeling, you know? But ever since he's gotten locked up, I haven't had that feeling.

06:38.04 – 06:57.38

I'm really happy you haven't had that feeling because that must have been really scary. It's hard to imagine not feeling safe in your own home, and I really don't know how you processed and navigated that as a teenager. None of us knew how to express like our emotions, because we were all so sad, but we were all, like, so upset about what had happened.

06:57.50 – 07:05.88

And we still loved him, yeah, we still loved him. Like we felt like it was wrong to, because we were like, oh well, he was our dad, like he was my dad, like I loved him.

07:05.92 – 07:08.26

Like, I loved the guy that he was, but like, I don't know who this is.

07:10.90 – 07:47.18

I put in so much trust into him because my dad wasn't there, and so he had taken on that role of being my dad. So I trusted him so much and I had really let him into my life. And I was just morally mad, though, that he had torn up our family, like he had broke our family. And he had, you know, hurt my mom and my brother and my sister. And what he did to me, I was pretty hurt about. So, a lot of your family members mentioned to me that you were a serious soccer player, but this whole experience just made competing impossible.

07:48.32 – 08:02.14

What happened there? At RSL? You have to have good grades to be on the team no matter what, and you can't miss more than two days of school. Like, there's so many rules and things like that. And if you're going to an athletic school, you're going to be around some cocky-ass people all day.

08:02.38 – 08:26.94

But there was some cool people, Yeah, I mean, yeah, there are some pretty awesome people there. But having to get dressed up every day, you know, that was really hard for me. And so I was so overwhelmed with everything that I just I didn't want to be around people. Yeah, it sounds to me like you just needed a breather, so you switched to an alternative school.

08:27.36 – 08:47.54

And just to be clear for people listening, and just to make sure I'm understanding it right. All that means is it's a school that educates kids differently than a typical public school. Ashley, I know you had a lot of dreams pinned on Aveya Soccer. Were you on board with her? Leaving was that hard for you? I mean, we definitely struggled.

08:47.98 – 08:54.96

Your whole life we've had like this one. Plan. Soccer scholarships California.

08:56.82 – 09:09.84

But I guess what I'm hearing, and I didn't realize. I mean, you didn't want to be around all those people, and then they knew this awful secret. You know, it wasn't just like one thing, it was kind of all of it was so piled up on you, that....

09:09.84 – 09:11.26

Yeah, yeah, definitely.

09:12.88 – 09:27.74

The reason why I wanted to go to Valley was it was a way better alternative for me. I was succeeding a lot more, I was on an honor roll. When you go to an alternative school, too, people are there to get their shit done. There's people that are there that have kids and they're sitting in the daycare.

09:28.00 – 09:49.28

We have a daycare at our school too, we'll have people that have kids and they'll go and do homework and stuff. You could show up and with messy butt in your hair and no makeup, no one would care. That's another reason why I really like Valley, too, is because it's a really non-judgmental area. I kind of felt like I just had to trust what you were doing, even if I didn't think it was the best choice.

09:49.88 – 10:01.52

I wanted you to play soccer and you're a beast. You're amazing on the field. I get that your passion for it's not there anymore, I get it.

10:01.80 – 10:18.02

And you also have a job, right? I work at a daycare, I'm an opener, so I get there at 6 o'clock in the morning. And I basically watch kids from the age 5 months all the way up to 10 years old. I love it, I love my job.

10:19.08 – 10:21.04

Why did you want to participate in this project?

10:22.82 – 10:35.42

When my mother had first told me about this project, I was like, she's crazy. She has lost her mind, something is wrong with her. She is her bat shit crazy. She thinks that she's getting on a damn podcast.

10:36.44 – 11:00.48

And so when she had finally started getting into depth with everything, I actually thought that it was really cool. I want to be able to impact other people, I want to be able to talk to other people. Let other people know that they're not alone in these kinds of situations and that I know exactly how they feel. It's okay to not be okay for a minute. And that eventually you're going to get back up on your feet. There may be road bumps, but definitely get back up on your feet, you know?

11:01.90 – 11:47.26

Ashley, I know you wrote into us on a very bad day. But Avea, I think there are two reasons your mom wanted to do this, put her life out in public, share her story. One is to look for a community because we know this is happening in a lot of other homes. But also because she wants to let you know some things. Right after it happened and Jason went to jail, that whole first month was kind of a blur, I feel like, for all of us. Yeah, it definitely was. But after he got out of jail, do you remember me going over to his grandpa's house to see him?

11:49.04 – 12:13.98

What did you think about that? It just kind of frustrated me, I just didn't understand. Yeah, I think looking back on that time, there's a couple things that I wish I would have done differently, but I didn't. And one of those things is, you know, when he got out, I kind of switched back into wifey mode.

12:14.82 – 12:41.76

And just for clarity, Ashley, you're talking about after Jason was arrested and then released before he pled guilty, so before the sentencing hearing. Yeah, I was trying to manage our family, you know, you and your brother and sister, plus still be his wife. And even like with everything that happened, there wasn't a lot of people in, like your corner, when we should have been.

12:43.42 – 13:05.10

When we found out that this happened, we should have cocooned around you. It wasn't your job to step up and be mini mom while I was having a meltdown. That wasn't your job, and I think us not doing that pushed you away, and I'm so sorry.

13:06.36 – 13:20.08

That wasn't fair to you. That was why I stayed with my dad. He was the only one that was really in my corner. He was the only one that really stood up and asked, Are you OK? You know? That's why I stayed there.

13:22.28 – 13:40.76

And at the beginning of all this, too, it was all such like a big like shock to all of us. It's not a good excuse, though, but no like thing is, too. I really don't remember like everything, you know, I'm telling you right now, mom. Like, we were all in shock, like everyone had the right to be in shock in that situation, and you were definitely in shock.

13:40.82 – 13:47.40

And I was, too. I'm not mad at you. I'm really, I'm really not mad at you. Maybe you're not right now.

13:48.74 – 14:01.28

Well, maybe someday you might be, though maybe someday I will be. There's also maybe a point where I'm not ever going to be mad at you, like, this is not your fault. I'm telling you like from this point right now, like in my life, like, I'm not mad at my mother whatsoever.

14:01.28 – 14:08.70

Like, I'm beyond proud of my mother, beyond anything. I love you. I love you BFF forever.

14:13.78 – 14:47.44

Hi, I'm Molly Conger, host of Weird Little Guys, a new podcast from Cool Zone Media on iHeartRadio. I spent almost a decade researching right wing extremism, digging into the lives of people. You wouldn't be wrong to call monsters, but if Scooby-doo taught us one thing, it's that there's a guy under that monster mask. I've collected the stories of hundreds of aspiring little hitlers of the suburbs. From the Nazi cop who tried to join ISIS, to the National Guardsman plotting to assassinate the Supreme Court, to the satanist soldier who tried to get his own unit blown up in Turkey, the monsters in our political closets aren't some unfathomable evil.

14:48.06 – 14:58.72

They're just some weird guy you can laugh, honestly, I think you have to. Seeing these guys for what they are doesn't mean they're not a threat, it's a survival strategy.

14:59.76 – 15:09.74

So join me every Thursday for a look under the mask at the Weird Little Guys Trying to Destroy America. Listen to Weird Little Guys on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

15:13.96 – 15:28.36

Welcome to the Cino Show. I'm your host, Cino McFarlane. I'm an addiction specialist, I'm a coach, I'm a translator, and I'm God's middleman. My job is to crack hearts and let the light in and help everyone shift the narrative.

15:28.72 – 16:06.28

Whether your get-down is sex, drugs, alcohol, love, addiction, self-hate, codependency or anything else for that matter. I want to help you wake up, and I want to help you get free. I want to help you unleash your potential, overcome obstacles and achieve your goals. Most importantly, I don't want you to feel alone. So, join me on the Cino Show, where each week we'll feature a compelling individual with an even more noteworthy story that will be sure to inspire and educate. Listen to the Cino Show every Wednesday on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

16:09.02 – 16:09.50

Hello.

16:11.22 – 16:17.24

Everyone, I am Lacey Lamar, and I'm Amber Ruffin a better Lacey Lamar Boo.

16:17.62 – 16:34.74

Okay, everybody, we have exciting news to share. We're back with season two of The Amber and Lacey Lacey and Amber Show on Will Ferrell's Big Money Players network. You thought you had fun last season? Well, you were right. And you should tune in today for new fun segments like Sister Court and listening to Lacey's Steamy DMS.

16:34.84 – 16:38.34

We've got new and exciting news. That's my husband.

16:44.56 – 16:55.72

You gotta watch us, no, you mean, you have to listen to us. I mean, you can still watch us, but you gotta listen. Like, if you're watching us, you have to tell us. Like, if you're out the window, you have to say, Hey, I'm watching you outside of the window.

16:56.18 – 17:05.06

Just you know what? Listen to the Amber and Lacey, Lacey and Amber show on Will Ferrell's Big Money Players Network, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

17:14.94 – 17:42.76

At the beginning of this series, I told you that we had received several letters about families being destroyed because the husband was looking at illegal images of children online. Like Jason and I will freely admit, before we really investigated, I assumed these offenders are put away for a long time. I really thought the law threw the book at them. They were off the street, but when I met Ashley and other women who reached out, I learned that isn't necessarily the case.

17:45.16 – 18:10.28

Even as I record this episode, Jason is halfway through his sentence and will be out in the community in the not-too-distant future. And you might be asking yourself, Why should I care? Jason Litton isn't my husband or my son or my brother? Here's why you should care. There aren't enough prisons in the world to hold all the people who are looking at this material.

18:11.02 – 18:31.42

It's insane. These offenders are in your neighborhood and mine. They are blue-collar, white-collar doctors, lawyers, construction workers, teachers, clergy, police officers. They encompass every walk of life. I didn't realize how uninformed I was on this topic.

18:31.42 – 19:02.44

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received over 29 million tips just last year alone from online companies like Facebook, Google and others that detect these images. And here's something else I learned. Even the words child pornography are a problem. As I reached out to law enforcement and talked with people who work with victims, I discovered that they use the term child sexual abuse material. So why haven't I heard this term before?

19:03.02 – 19:20.20

Probably because it's not in the media, it's not good. Clickbait. A headline that says Local coach arrested for child porn is going to get a lot more traction than local coach arrested for child sexual abuse material. Just the way it is, but here's why it matters to victims.

19:21.00 – 19:37.78

Online pornography usually refers to adults who have consented to be filmed, but that's never the case. When the images depict children. It is abuse. These are pictures of crimes that have already been committed. Children can't legally consent to sex.

19:38.16 – 19:52.50

They can't consent to having images of their abuse recorded and distributed, so child sexual abuse material is a more accurate description. But it's also a mouthful, so often the term CSAM is used for short.

19:55.34 – 20:16.04

Look, no one ever imagines that someone they love would do this. I feel for victims like Avea, I feel for mothers and wives, just like Ashley, I feel for anyone whose life is upended by discovering a family member is involved. So I really wanted to know, why is CSAM so prevalent and lurking under the radar?

20:16.64 – 20:41.04

And what is law enforcement and the justice system up against to keep families like Ashley's safe? In the 90s? Child sexual abuse reports were predominantly handled by the U.S Postal Service, who was responsible for intercepting. Things like magazines and that type of contraband that would be sent around. That's Gabriel Dance. He's a reporter for The New York Times.

20:41.44 – 21:34.34

And in 2019, he and his colleague Michael Keller published a groundbreaking investigative series called Exploited, which documented how CSAM has exploded. Along with the growth of the internet and social media. What we know is that with the advent of cell phones and the internet. There was both the opportunity to produce material much more easily, and also the opportunity to distribute that material much more widely. The internet also provided the opportunity for people with similar interests to get together, learn from each other and create online clubs. Which is fine when you're talking about baking or car repair. But this is an underground that shares information on CSAM, how to acquire it, produce it and hide it. Average citizens are downloading and viewing this material.

21:35.14 – 21:38.32

Some states get 3,000 cyber tips a day.

21:39.94 – 21:42.12

New York Times reporter Michael Keller.

21:44.26 – 22:11.48

One question that we heard a lot was, Well, what's the big deal? They're just sharing images? Why is that so bad? Why should someone be punished for that? And in speaking with survivors of the abuse, we really understood that. It is the ongoing trade in imagery that makes this that much more serious and harmful to the people involved.

22:11.48 – 22:46.54

We spoke with two sisters anonymously who were abused by their father, who couldn't show their faces. Because there are people online trying to find them and track them down, and it prevents them from living a normal life. And that is due to the ongoing trade in the images, well past the actual abuse. These are people who have had some of the worst crimes you could possibly imagine, documented and shared for the pleasure of other people.

22:49.02 – 23:27.22

This goes on constantly, dozens upon hundreds of cases, where you have these images and collections, and trading images and bartering them like, they're baseball cards. And it's those run-of-the-mill offenders that I am so concerned about. Because they're not getting the attention in court or according to state law that I believe they should. During my tenure as a United States attorney, we were getting some pushback from federal judges of why are you bringing these cases? People looking at pictures.

23:27.90 – 23:49.84

You know what's the big deal? This is in federal court? And so we thought that was a misunderstanding and that we need to communicate better to the judges what we're talking about. You can probably imagine Ashley's surprise when she first learned what kind of justice Jason would be facing. The prosecutor made it sound like he's not going to go to prison.

23:50.42 – 24:06.48

And the most time that he's going to do is probably six months in jail. That was pretty normal for this type of offense. And I'm like, Are you kidding me? The punishment just didn't seem to fit the crime. This doesn't just upset victims.

24:06.80 – 24:36.78

It also demoralizes law enforcement. Riverton Detective Jason Rue was one of the first who looked at the hidden file and had to view the evidence. It frustrates me, especially with these kind of crimes. It's a lifelong sentence for these victims, and not just the victim, but the victim's mom, or the victim's dad, or whoever else might know this in the family. And you're letting them out in six months to a year, with probation for four.

24:37.06 – 25:13.58

That means basically someone's coming to check up on them every now and then, asking if they're doing okay. And if you're waiting for the federal government to jump on the problem, don't hold your breath. We found systemic failures in responding to this rising problem. And one of the big things was the failures of the federal government to live up to its own promises that it made around 2008 to develop a strong national response that involved creating a high-level position at the Department of Justice.

25:13.88 – 25:56.36

It required analyzing the issue every few years and creating national strategy reports. And it required creating a funding mechanism for state and local investigators dedicated to doing these investigations, called Internet Crimes against Children Task forces, there is at least one in every state. And what we found was that the government had not really followed through on its grand plans. You know, these reports have risen, arrests have gone up slightly over the years, but federal funding to these special task forces has largely remained flat.

25:56.96 – 26:42.50

The high-level position at DOJ was never fully created, the strategy reports that were supposed to come out on a regular basis. There's only been two of them over the last decade. So we found failures, not just with the tech companies, but also with the government to solve a problem that it's known about for over 10 years. And as a response to our reporting. Senator Ron Wyden introduced a bill that was supposed to create nearly 200 positions at federal law enforcement. Allotting a total of $5 billion over 10 years to address exactly this problem, and as far as I know, that bill's gone nowhere.

26:43.62 – 26:56.18

So our elected officials in Washington aren't living up to their promises. And people like Ashley and the rest of us are here scratching our heads at offenders like Jason. Thinking you'll be out in months. Is that really okay?

27:00.36 – 27:34.08

Hi, I'm Molly Conger, host of Weird Little Guys, a new podcast from Cool Zone Media on iHeartRadio. I've spent almost a decade researching right-wing extremism, digging into the lives of people. You wouldn't be wrong to call monsters, but if Scooby-doo taught us one thing, it's that there's a guy under that monster mask. I've collected the stories of hundreds of aspiring little hitlers of the suburbs. From the Nazi cop who tried to join ISIS, to the National Guardsman plotting to assassinate the Supreme Court, to the satanist soldier who tried to get his own unit blown up in Turkey, the monsters in our political closets aren't some unfathomable evil.

27:34.68 – 27:45.30

They're just some weird guy and you can laugh, honestly, I think you have to. Seeing these guys for what they are doesn't mean they're not a threat, it's a survival strategy.

27:46.34 – 28:06.24

So join me every Thursday for a look under the mask at the Weird Little Guys Trying to Destroy America. Listen to Weird Little Guys on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to the Cino Show, I'm your host, Cino McFarlane. I'm an addiction specialist.

28:06.48 – 28:26.00

I'm a coach, I'm a translator, and I'm God's middleman. My job is to crack hearts and let the light in and help everyone shift the narrative. Whether your get-down is sex, drugs, alcohol, love, addiction, self-hate, codependency or anything else, for that matter, I want to help you wake up and I want to help you get free.

28:26.00 – 28:52.92

I want to help you unleash your potential, overcome obstacles and achieve your goals. Most importantly, I don't want you to feel alone. So, join me on the Cino Show, where each week we'll feature a compelling individual with an even more noteworthy story that will be sure to inspire and educate. Listen to the Cino Show every Wednesday on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

28:57.10 – 29:06.26

Hello everyone, I am Lacey Lamar and I'm Amber Ruffin, a better Lacey Lamar. Boo. Okay, everybody, we have exciting news to share.

29:06.52 – 29:24.08

We're back with season 2 of The Amber and Lacey Lacey and Amber Show on Will Ferrell's Big Money Players network. You thought you had fun last season? Well, you were right. And you should tune in today for new fun segments like Sister Court and listening to Lacey's Steamy DMS. We've got new and exciting guests like Michael Beach.

29:24.22 – 29:36.84

That's my husband, Daphne Springs, Daniel Thrasher, Peppermint, Morgan J, and more. You gotta watch us, no, you mean, you have to listen to us. I mean, you can still watch us, but you gotta listen.

29:37.04 – 29:51.68

Like, if you're watching us, you have to tell us, like, if you're out the window, you have to say, Hey, I'm watching you outside of the window. Just, you know what? Listen to the Amber and Lacey Lacey and Amber show on Will Ferrell's Big Money Players Network, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

29:58.54 – 30:16.72

So in Mr. Litton's case, on paper, his crime of conviction carries a penalty of one to 15 years in the Utah State prison. Did he get that? No? And in lieu of that, he was given days in jail and a term of probation.

30:17.72 – 30:49.36

You probably remember that Jason's plea agreement tied the judge's hands pretty much. And while John Huber thinks his sentence falls short, he supports plea bargains. Especially in cases like these. I think there's a public view that plea bargain is a bad word, that that's a sham and a shame, it's just a reality. But it is also true that in cases of child sexual abuse, that there is a reluctance to press every case to trial.

30:50.26 – 31:27.22

Because what is the impact of calling a child witness to the stand? To be asked questions in an open courtroom about such intimate victimization? And what does that cost for a victim and their family? And at the time of sentencing, Sam argued vigorously for the most jail time possible, considering the existing plea deal. In my opinion, that was one step beyond just the child pornography possession, and just one step below an actual hands-on sexual offense with a child.

31:28.24 – 31:47.30

And so it's obviously very concerning, it's extremely troubling behavior. And somebody in this defendant's position also occupies what Utah law calls a position of special trust, and that's an aggravator under Utah law. And so I felt that this was a case where the judge should consider imposing a very significant amount of jail time.

31:47.82 – 32:12.40

But he also emphasized the overarching goal of the DA's office isn't just throwing offenders in jail. The system's interested not just in imprisoning offenders or putting people in custody and locking them away. Sometimes punishment for punishment's sake is appropriate, but the system generally tries to avoid that in favor of rehabilitating people. We don't want this to happen again. So what does it take to do that?

32:13.28 – 32:37.10

At the end of the day, we're dealing with people's freedom and we're dealing with the trauma that's been inflicted on victims. And the system can't go back and fix something that happened. But the system is often limited in what it can do. The system is designed very much to be limited because we don't want innocent people being convicted, so the system balances that.

32:37.10 – 33:06.94

And it's a group of people balancing imperfect questions and imperfect solutions and terrible situations. But not everyone agrees. That is this hope and a prayer philosophy. That he will change his ways in the days of probation and some days in jail. That he will not re-offend when he is released back into the community, that hope and a prayer is exactly what it ends up being.

33:09.24 – 33:38.60

What about the community, what about his victims, the child victims who were violated by his conduct? How much does that cost to put that risk back on a family, that risk back on the community at large? What is the amount of money that it's worth? If he does re-offend that in that 1 to 15 years? He could have or should have been in the Utah State prison, according to the laws of the State of Utah.

33:39.24 – 33:58.44

He's not, he's out. Since Sam Sutton mentioned rehabilitation, I was curious about what kind of court mandated treatment was required of Jason or someone in Jason's position. This is important to me because I want to know what information Ashley will have and Avea will have. For example, how does one measure rehabilitation?

33:58.44 – 34:15.98

How can one know if rehabilitation is successful? I think this is important to know when you need to make decisions to keep your kids and family safe. His court appointed attorney refused to speak with us. In fact, no one in the public defender's office would speak to our production, so we tried another avenue.

34:16.36 – 34:50.56

So my name is Joel Kittrell and I'm a criminal defense lawyer. Based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Joel spent five years in the public defender's office before going into a private criminal defense practice. He explains what steps and programs returning citizens have to go through in order to enter back into society. Their therapy would include both individual psychotherapy, group therapy focusing on victim empathy. And then something that's interesting that a lot of people may not know is generally you've got to be able to pass polygraphs.

34:50.56 – 35:39.04

While polygraphs aren't admissible in court, as we all know, you can't pass a polygraph. That you haven't viewed child images or haven't acted on these impulses. Then you may not finish the therapy classes that are required of you or the treatment that's required of you. You know, there'll be some type of overview with adult probation and parole and his parole officer, that will be making sure that he completes that. If he say, just quits going or says, this is not for me, then a warrant would likely issue and you'd probably be sent to prison. And unfortunately, he would have lots of company. There will never be a shortage of people looking at child sexual abuse material. Because in the past 20 years, the problem has evolved to a place that is beyond epidemic.

35:39.40 – 36:08.60

It's a public health crisis. We spoke with people who said that as early as 2000, tech companies knew this was a very serious problem and we're doing nothing to solve it. 2009, When they introduced scanning technology, we knew that it could be effective in helping stem the problem. Still, tech companies were not using it.

36:08.96 – 36:52.84

I would say, if you talk with most technology policy people, their answer would be technology companies don't have that much pressure to get rid of harmful content on their platform. You can't sue them for what someone posts or sends through their platform. Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act shields technology companies from any liability for content that users post. So for now, law enforcement has to rely on tips those companies give to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. But the tips from known social media sites are only part of the story.

36:53.40 – 37:12.42

There are plenty of hidden places on the dark web to find CSAM as well. Teams of detectives and child advocates are dedicated to finding these offenders. Amazing, wonderful people are cracking the codes of hidden websites on the dark net and shutting them down. And one of the biggest and most dangerous of those came crashing down in 2019..

37:15.06 – 37:36.32

On the next episode of Betrayal, we'll meet a Utah wife and mother who found out her husband was one of its subscribers. I just started screaming, I remember, just dropped to my knees and started screaming. And later on season two of Betrayal, another mom makes a daring escape. I packed that bag and I just got in the car and I went straight to the airport.

37:41.12 – 37:45.82

If you would like to reach out to the Betrayal team, email us at BetrayalPod at gmail.

37:45.82 – 38:09.40

Com That's betrayalPod at Gmail.com. To report a case of child sexual exploitation, call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's Cyber Tip Line at 1-800-the-Lost. If you or someone you know is worried about their sexual thoughts and feelings towards children, reach out to Stopitnow..org. In the United Kingdom, go to stopitnow..org..uk.

38:10.12 – 38:22.36

These organizations can help. We're grateful for your support, and one way to show support is by subscribing to our show on Apple Podcasts. And don't forget to rate and review Betrayal. Five-star reviews go a long way.

38:22.76 – 38:50.44

A big thank you to all of our listeners. Betrayal is a production of Glass Podcasts, a division of Glass Entertainment Group, in partnership with iHeart Podcasts. The show was executive produced by Nancy Glass and Jennifer Faison, hosted and produced by M.e. Andrea Gunning, written and produced by Carrie Hartman. also produced by Ben Fetterman, Associate producer Kristen Melchiorri. Our iHeart team is Allie Perry and Jessica Kreincheck. special thanks to our talent Ashley Linton.

38:51.32 – 39:04.80

Audio editing and mixing by Matt Dalvecchio. Betrayal's Theme, Composed by Oliver Baines. Music Library provided by MyMusic. And for more podcasts from iHeart, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

39:09.66 – 39:30.86

Hi, I'm Molly Conger, host of Weird Little Guys, a new podcast from Cool Zone Media on iHeart Radio. I've spent almost a decade researching right-wing extremism, digging into the lives of people. You wouldn't be wrong to call monsters, but if Scooby-doo taught us one thing, it's that there's a guy under that monster mask. The monsters in our political closets aren't some unfathomable evil, they're just some weird guy.

39:30.86 – 39:40.90

So join me every Thursday for a look under the mask at the Weird Little Guys Trying to Destroy America. Listen to Weird Little Guys on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

40:00.86 – 40:17.86

Dive into my steamy DMS, answer your listener questions, and more the more is punch each other. Listen to the Amber and Lacey Lacey and Amber show on Will Ferrell's Big Money Players Network, on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts, just listen, okay, or Lacey gets it.

40:17.98 – 40:18.24

Do it.

40:19.84 – 40:37.92

Hey, parents looking for a fun, screen-free way to entertain your kids? Check out Live with Lewis Stories. Our podcast offers magical adventures with Levi and Ivy, where they meet unicorns, dinosaurs, time travel and learn important life lessons like gratitude and compassion. Our stories are perfect for road trips, playtime or bedtime.

40:38.60 – 40:47.32

Tune in to Live with Lewis Stories on America's number one podcast network, iHeart. Open your free iHeart app, search Live with Lewis Stories and start listening today.

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