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submitted 3 months ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world

A powerful former North Dakota lawmaker pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to a charge that he traveled to Europe with the intent to pay for sex with a minor.

Ray Holmberg, 80, of Grand Forks, admitted in court that he had paid young male masseuses, with some of whom he had sexual contact, during multiple visits to the Czech Republic, though he said he did not know for certain how old they were.

Holmberg was indicted in October 2023 for travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual activity and receipt and attempted receipt of child sexual abuse material. The Republican served more than 45 years in the North Dakota Senate before resigning in 2022.

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[-] nkat2112@sh.itjust.works 61 points 3 months ago

Republican, but you already knew that.

[-] overload@sopuli.xyz 12 points 3 months ago

Every single time! Statistically significant for sure.

[-] OlinOfTheHillPeople@lemmy.world 9 points 3 months ago

So are all the people involved in the coverup. The deeper you dive into this story, the grosser it gets.

[-] Bakkoda@sh.itjust.works 9 points 3 months ago

Conveniently left out of the headline

[-] FirstCircle@lemmy.ml 34 points 3 months ago

North Dakotan (rural values!, family values!), and of course Republican, enjoys gay sex with children. This is what they (Republicans) mean when they talk about how much they love kids.

[-] Varyk@sh.itjust.works 16 points 3 months ago

The age of consent in the Czech Republic is 15 years old, so minors there are even younger than you might be thinking.

[-] girlfreddy@lemmy.ca 9 points 3 months ago

The amount of Republicans getting caught doing sick shit is astounding to me. Like is being a paedophile some kind of precursor to becoming a right-wing politician???

[-] Snapz@lemmy.world 7 points 3 months ago

There's only one thing the gop loves more than LOUD projection and that's abusing kids. The party of the grand ol' pedophiles


  • NOTE: I'm reaching the character limit on Reddit posts, so here's a website with a list of about 1000 of these republican shit stains on humanity.
[-] girlfreddy@lemmy.ca 3 points 3 months ago

The last link takes me to the Daily Kos homepage, so here's the link by itself. https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/10/23/1806673/-Republican-Sexual-Predators-Abusers-and-Enablers-Pt-1.

Scroll down to the bottom and there are 31 pages, 25 names/sources per page.

[-] Varyk@sh.itjust.works 6 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

It's difficult to find an explanation for the partisan support of objectively harmful conservative political movements like restricted health care(public/”free” healthcare is cheaper, saves time, is sustainable) unless(Occam) they care much more about themselves than others and they place their comfort and desires above the comfort of others.

That type of person, who will actively vote against helping others for no practical reason, is the type of person who would victimize a child for any selfish "reason" like their own sexual gratification.

If it benefits them, they don't care what happens to their victims or anyone else.

That tendency fits perfectly into the conservative political mindset.

It's the conservative mantra: "me first, and to hell with the rest of 'em!"

[-] gramie@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 months ago

I think that you are reading too much into it. The reason they vote against the public good, like universal healthcare, is because they are paid lots of money to do so.

[-] Varyk@sh.itjust.works 3 points 3 months ago

after they become politicians, sure.

This was more about why so many people who become conservative politicians end up getting caught for victimizing others.

the victimizing type of person is naturally drawn toward a group of people that care about themselves or money more than the community or even other people.

If you want to be a politician to make things better for everyone, you join the progressives, but if you want to be a politician to make things better for yourself only, then the conservative party and its values is the obvious group.

[-] oktoberpaard@feddit.nl 5 points 3 months ago

In many countries the age of consent depends on the context. By the looks of it, the Czech Republic is one of those countries:

The age of sexual consent in the Czech Republic is 15.

Additionally, the section of the Czech penal code 40/2009 Sb. covering "crimes against family and children" contains § 202 which criminalizes a "seduction to sexual intercourse" of any persons under 18 years by any promise or provision of payment, benefit, privilege or profit, for sexual intercourse, masturbation, exposure or similar behavior.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ages_of_consent_in_Europe

[-] LarmyOfLone@lemm.ee 1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Yeah the law is more concerned with abuse of power dynamic so relations between <18 year olds and teachers, doctors or otherwise parental guardians or tutorship or use of money or other "seductions" are illegal.

[-] drspod@lemmy.ml 13 points 3 months ago

male masseuses

masseurs

[-] BigMacHole@lemm.ee 11 points 3 months ago

This is PROOF that DRAG QUEENS are bad for our kids!

[-] SeaJ@lemm.ee 10 points 3 months ago

I didn't really need to look it up but did in case the answer was surprising. It's not surprising. He is a Republican.

[-] Snapz@lemmy.world 9 points 3 months ago

R

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[-] Burn_The_Right@lemmy.world 3 points 3 months ago

Conservatives are a hive of child predators. No wonder they are so obsessed with children.

[-] MediaBiasFactChecker@lemmy.world 0 points 3 months ago
this post was submitted on 09 Aug 2024
173 points (99.4% liked)

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