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Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Religion Freelance Youth Pastor Watch

Posted by Dan Savage on Wed, Feb 25, 2009 at 12:03 PM

Alaska:

Taylor Marcus Podkranic, 19, of Chelan, Wash., was indicted last week on a charge of traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, a felony, according to court filings. The papers claim that during his relationship with the girl, Podkranic "tracked her ovulation" in an attempt to get her pregnant.... According to an affidavit filed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, Podkranic met the girl through a mutual friend last summer, when they began "dating" long-distance via the Internet and cell phone.

"Podkranic dismissed her age and told (the girl) how he was amazed at her maturity for only being 12 years old," the charges say.

The girl's mother was concerned and confronted Podkranic, who told her he was mentoring the child religiously, charges say. Because Podkranic was in Washington, the mother thought the relationship was harmless, according to documents. But she later found pictures of her daughter and Podkranic in the girl's Hotmail account, including two in which a man is performing sexual acts on the girl, taken at a Days Inn hotel during Podkranic's Anchorage visit, charges say.

I love the headline on this story at the Anchorage Daily Press: "Outsider charged in traveling to Alaska for sex with teen." Would it make a difference to Alaskans if this rape had been an inside job?

Comments (28) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment

"Would it make a difference to Alaskans if this rape had been an inside job?"

Probably and sadly, yes.

Posted by dwight moody on February 25, 2009 at 12:18 PM

um, stranger moderator, i think the comment @2 needs to be shitcanned asap, no?

was this guy trying to get her preggers as some stupid scheme to stay in the country? an immigration and customs official is quoted, but no context as to why immigration would be involved. ah, the state of journalism in this country these days.....

Posted by ellarosa on February 25, 2009 at 12:36 PM

Wasilla, Alaska already charges victims for their own rape kits. Perhaps they would charge more for out-of-towners?

Posted by Emil Sarcasian on February 25, 2009 at 12:38 PM

Creepers

Was he tracking her ovulation because he was waiting for her first one to start?

Posted by Urgutha Forka on February 25, 2009 at 12:44 PM

Wow. #2 and 4 were so bad they were completely deleted?

Posted by keshmeshi on February 25, 2009 at 12:55 PM

2 was the vilest of pedo porn. never saw 4, but that would be my guess there too.

Posted by ellarosa on February 25, 2009 at 12:57 PM

deport the perv.

Posted by Jesus Fucking Christ on February 25, 2009 at 12:59 PM

@8 - You mean pedo porn has levels? Sorry. Not funny. 4 was pretty disgusting, too, yes.

Posted by Allyn on February 25, 2009 at 1:01 PM

How is it that the 12-year-old went to a Days Inn, without her mother's knowledge and unsupervised?

Fail all over the place.

Posted by EmilyP on February 25, 2009 at 1:01 PM

@11 "Mom, can I go over to Melissa's to do homework?", or more likely, "Honey, I'll pick you up in 2 hours, after your evening Bible study class is over."

Posted by Loved by Jesus on February 25, 2009 at 1:05 PM

Oh, and Dan - not a youth pastor watch story. Disgusting and disturbing, yes, but this has nothing to do with youth pastors. The guy said he was "mentoring" her spriitually, but that doesn't make him a youth pastor by any means. He was not entrusted by her church with her care and education. This story is filed incorrectly.

Posted by Allyn on February 25, 2009 at 1:07 PM

Alaskans--and especially Alaskan newspapers--refer to anyone from anyplace other than Alaska as an "Outsider" from "Outside," always capitalized. It's a very odd and deeply ingrained xenophobia that pops up all kinds of places.

"Tony Knowles' Senate Campaign Staffed With Organizers From Outside," that sort of thing.

So, yes, it matters to them.

Posted by TValley on February 25, 2009 at 1:08 PM

@3 He suspected she was "cheating" on him.

"Podkranic's solution was for (the girl) to prove to him that she was not lying; Podkranic would travel to Alaska and get (her) pregnant," the papers say. "She and Podkranic talked about her menstrual cycle. Podkranic tried to schedule his visit to increase their chances of conceiving."

Posted by @ on February 25, 2009 at 1:10 PM

So it's like a slot machine where the perv, the child, and the child's mom all come up as lemons.

Also, the outsider status matters because crossing state lines to nail a minor is extra no-no.

Posted by Jason Josephes on February 25, 2009 at 1:29 PM

@14

That's why it's "Freelance" Youth Pastor Watch.

Posted by jove on February 25, 2009 at 1:40 PM

@20 - mmmmyeah, even with that, I still don't think it's right to make this about the "youth pastor" apect. There's gotta be a snappy heading for covering pedophiles.

Posted by Allyn on February 25, 2009 at 1:43 PM

@20, sorry - had another thought. If I held someone at gunpoint and slapped some handcuffs on them, repeated the Miranda thing, and said I was a cop, the news story upon my arrest wouldn't be about a cop gone bad, but rather about some lunatic deranged psycho.
So, this isn't a story about a youth pastor (even "freelance"), it's a story about a lunatic deranged psycho.

Posted by Allyn on February 25, 2009 at 2:04 PM

RE: 21,22

or a fundie mormon

Posted by Allyn on February 25, 2009 at 2:05 PM

I wonder if this is that guy from Chelan who posts on the Times blogs ....

Posted by Will in Seattle on February 25, 2009 at 2:09 PM

Now all the comment numbers are messed up.

Posted by Urgutha Forka on February 25, 2009 at 2:25 PM

someone should delete @21

Posted by infrequent on February 25, 2009 at 2:40 PM

Considering how many Alaskan girls and women are raped by Alaskan men, they're probably worried about the competition.

Posted by Greg on February 25, 2009 at 2:40 PM

11
Makes no nevermind,
we make'em up as we go-
this is Slog, after all.

Posted by Dam Savage on February 25, 2009 at 3:25 PM

If the Alaska Independence Party continues on its secessionist path (cf. Todd Palin), an "Outsider"-induced pregnancy might mean dual U.S.-Alaska citizenship down the road, rather than undivided loyalty to the Sovereign Nation of Alaska. This may also be why, in part, Sarah Palin took a very risky journey back to Alaska from Texas AFTER her fucking water broke in order to give birth to Trig in the "homeland."

Posted by rob on February 25, 2009 at 3:42 PM

@(now 17) Allyn

While your point is mildly true for a cop because they're government officials (but isn't a vigilante just a freelance cop?), think about it from a different standpoint: being freelance literally means doing something independently, or contractually. Freelance writers, designers, etc. This guy was "youth pastoring" independently, or "freelance." The article says the guy was (at least in pretense) mentoring the girl spiritually, much like a youth pastor would. Yet he wasn't associated with a church, so he was doing it freelance. I don't see what the issue is. Technically, Dan is right in categorizing it this way.

However, I do agree with you in that it's still definitely "a story about a lunatic deranged psycho." :)

Posted by jove on February 25, 2009 at 10:21 PM

i grew up with this man. We went to school together, and were best friends, up until about a year ago. then he started changing drastically. When we were friends, you would have never thought of him doing something like this, but i guess so. I remember when he met this girl he had to me, but he had told us that she was "soon to be 18" and that she was stalking him. I believed the first part, but not the second. He is more of the stalker type. I feel very badly for this girl, and i would love to see tay be put to justice. Hes smart enough that what he did was wrong, and the fact that he still did it disgusts me. shes young, and he preyed on the young and innocent girl. Granted, she should have not gotten involved with him, but that faults mainly on him. Id like to see him burn for this. Im so glad that i distanced myself from him when i did. Monster

Posted by RC on February 26, 2009 at 6:26 PM

The "Victem" Ashley is nothing but a lying whore. I knmow this for a fact since her myspace just RECENTLY was changed to "TAYLORS WIFEY! I LOVE YOU!" Oh, and I know the girl from the site, Teenchat she use to go into Juggalo's and cyber with everyone, not to mention she claimed to have a son then later admitted she was lying and wanted a child really bad. She tried to get a 25 yr old male date her and got upset when he rejected her because of her age. She even tried to accuse him of harrassing and trying to get her e friends to hate him. This little girl isn't innocent, Taylor was wrong about going to see her and making up a lie just so they can fuck, so not saying he is innocent. They're both guilty. The mother didn't "find" the pictures, Ash showed them to her mother after crying WOLF when Taylor left her for another female who was closer to his age. Ashley tricked Taylor, "If you break up with me, I'm tell everyone you made me think you were the one." And that was before the sex. Those pictures, Ashley HAPPILY sent to her Net Friends, we all deleted them. She was bragging how she fucked him and gave him head. And the mother upsets me aswell, she lets her "12/13" yr old daughter take pictures of her breast with men's names written on it? Take pictures of her holding Booze? They have mental problems which is a true fact. The mother shouldn't even be able to raise this girl. Oh and if you hear the rumor about her getting pregnant by Taylor then having an abortion, it's bullshit because they've tried to say at six weeks pregnant they did the DNA test and it matched Taylor. Which is funny as heck. Ashley didn't get her WAY so now she is making him pay.

This should me a soap. xD

Love, Ashley's ex best friend. Psycho. <3.

Posted by Psycho Doll on March 31, 2009 at 11:11 PM

regarless,he is a nothin ass piece of shit that preyed on a child..he knew what the hell he was doin...when he gets to the big house,he will c what it feels like to be takin advantage of...he will be somebodys bitch...

Posted by speedy128844 on April 26, 2009 at 8:06 AM