(Photo from The Melha News, Feb. 2011)
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB) – A Westfield man, who serves as a member of the Melha Shriners, is facing child pornography charges.
Westfield Police Capt. Michael McCabe says that Tuesday night, his department arrested 61-year-old Gardner Whitney of Westfield at a home on South Westfield Street in Agawam.
Court records indicate that Whitney is charged with four counts of possession of child pornography, three counts of lascivious posing a child in the nude, one count of indecent assault and battery, and three counts of photographing an unsuspecting nude person.
No other information regarding the case was immediately available.
Thursday afternoon, Al Zippin from the Melha Shriners told ABC40 that Whitney is a member of the Shriners. He adds in a statement that, “We are gathering information on the situation and our main concern right now is for the family and those people involved.”
Jennifer Fitzgerald, Assistant District Attorney in Hampden County says he did not deny at his bail hearing that he was employed at Suffield Middle School in Connecticut. She also says that during the hearing he objected to a claim that he was teacher there, but rather indicated that he was paraprofessional.
Whitney pleaded not guilty to the charges Wednesday in Westfield District Court and is being held on $25,000 bail. He is due back in court on February 22.
He should no longer be a shriner!
Wow Shriners are to help children. This doesn’t look good.
Perhaps one bad apple spoils a bunch. The actions of one should not reflect the entire organization which does so much for children in need.
Doesn’t matter what organization he is part of. Its disgusting nontheless and he should be keel-hauled
I think his fez was too tight for too long.
He must of been a shriner so he could look at the young kids for his pleasure
Horrible. Disgusting that this pig represents the Shriners and all that they do to HELP children-NOT violate them.
I agree with Steve, that is truly disgusting, however, the whole organization should not suffer for his actions; they help children in need
What a clown! <—–see what I did there?
We can’t bash the entire organization because of one moron. If that was the case we would need to call every teacher a diddler seeing that there are 100s of cases of teacher/student abuse every year.
why am I not surprised? :’(
He was hiding the porn under his hat for all these years.
***
Is not the Shriners fault,you never get to know one person 100% there are pervert teachers,lawyers,Drs,Tv personalities and so on,the job or the school or the Shriners don’t make the person a pervert,a person is a pervert because his own choice wish is nasty! My husband is a Shriner he is a respectful person,if I ever find something wrong like that with my husband I’ll beat the **** #@!%&* out of him,but not the case,there are many good Shriners out there the fact that this man is a nasty pervert is not the Shriners fault,I have not seen him before and don’t want to see him I may go to jail by beating the **** out of him,what an idiot!
Well priests do it why not Shriners
There are evil people everywhere. That muslim “prophet” was a pedophile, too….and he is revered in his culture.
This low life can call himself a shriner but I promise you he does not represent the incredible work that the men and women of the shrine perform. The fact that WGGB insist on showing this scum in his fez is an insult and the picture should be removed.
God bless the Shriners and all they do. Shame on this man.
For some reason I am not surprised by this.
Why did they identify him as a shriner? One idiot shouldn’t ‘ruin a group that does great things for the community.
Will the abuse against children ever end. It is just sad, very sad.
This just makes me sick!
shawnm2 commented on WGGB Springfield:
Be weary of any adult person that loves hanging around children on a regular basis
There are decent persons who love children well with no malice and with respect,but there are others who are Nasty perverts,that’s why you have to pay attention to everything around your kids and never,ever trust no one a 100%! By the way I heard the Shriners already vote him out,so he has been kick out from the Shriners and the Masons are doing the same thing! He is a disgraced and a bad example!
well lets hope the shriners didn’t help cover it up like the catholic church did !!!!
Sent to Ryan Trowbridge ([email protected])
Good morning Ryan,
I wanted to write to you this morning to express my concern regarding this article, specifically the photograph printed with it.
My name is Keri Keane, and I grew up involved with the Melha Shriners, as my father was heavily involved, holding the same position at one point as the man charged in the article. The Shriners, as an organization are one of the most charitable organizations in the world, especially for children. Look at the local Shriner’s Hospital for Children!
As a mother of a 2 year old, I believe what this man is charged with is absolutely appalling and have no sympathy for him or what he is accused of doing. However, printing a photograph of him, wearing his fez, I believe is entirely inappropriate. It shines a poor light on an organization that has a solid history of helping children and their families and your article alone could possibly taint that. The organization had nothing to do with what this man is accused of doing. My father never, ever did or would do what this man is accused of! Why would you think that it is appropriate to disgrace the Shrine name because of this man?
I understand that reporting the news is your job, but choosing that particular photograph was, in my opinion, unnecessary and bordering unethical.
Thank you for taking the time to read my email. I can be reached via reply or at the phone number below if you have any questions or comments.
Sincerely,
Keri Keane
thanks steve, family has a couple shriners, and the good they do as a whole, shouldnt be overlooked due to one man’s actions