Subject: Re: The Michael Aquino Files
From: Alex Constantine <alexx12@mediaone.net>
Date: 2000/09/16
Message-ID: <alexx12-BC806C.21501315092000@nntp.we.mediaone.net>
Newsgroups: sci.psychology.psychotherapy
[More Headers]

In article <20000915204144.18852.00001816@nso-fw.aol.com>,
xeper@aol.com (Dr. Michael A. Aquino) wrote:

> Against unfounded allegations which are extremely
> malicious and which threaten my family and myself?

> Methinks you have a responsibility to neither make
> nor promote such falsehoods in the first place, not to
> play games with the reputations and safety of
> innocent people.

Herr Aquino, the "unfounded accusations" are yours. Your life in
court is a matter of public record, and "innocence" is a peculiar word
to describe a satanic high priest drummed out of the Army for molesting
children. However, you are entitled to entertain any self-delusions you
choose. But the facts, as supported by the record, provide an altogether
different picture:

Satanic cult leader, Michael Aquino's legal Problems

Posted by Karen Jones on February 20, 1999 at 17:41:37:
Overview of the Presidio Case and
Investigations in Northern California
In 1984-85 there were reports of sexual-ritual abuse at Jubilation
Daycare,
operated by Barbara Orr in Fort Bragg, Northern California. This case was
investigated by Mendocino County Sheriff deputies. Eventually some 400
pages of reports were submitted, but the DA declined to prosecute,
resulting in no criminal charges filed against Orr. Due to the fact
there was a history of complaints against the daycare center, some of
which were upheld and one cited a child experiencing unusual punishment,
Barbara Orr ultimately surrendered her childcare license in 1984.

Many children from this daycare center entered therapy with Pamela Hudson
LCSW, who later described her experiences with these traumatized
children and her abrupt introduction into ritual abuse in her published
overview describing several cases, as well as a chapter in the book,
*Treating Survivors of Satanist Abuse*, edited by Valerie Sinason, 1994.
The Presidio case is also briefly described in the *Journal of
Orthopsychiatry* 62(2), April 1992. In 1987 charges were filed twice
against Gary Hambright, one of the Presidio daycare staff. These charges
were ultimately dismissed against Hambright due to many factors,
including jurisdictional confusion (crimes appeared to take place on and
off base, explained in the news article "Army of the Night"), the
prosecutor choosing which kids were to testify (many of whom were deemed
too young to qualify as witnesses, didn't have clear findings of
molestation or who were describing rituals which made the attorney's
uncomfortable), and some victim-witnesses being transferred to other
Army bases. Some parents to this day don't understand why their kids who
were older, who had clear findings of sexual molest and could identify
their perpetrators, weren't called to testify. Gary Hambright reportedly
died of AIDS a few years later.
At that time, Michael Aquino was a Lt. Col. in the Army Reserves and a
purported member of Army military intelligence. He has been and is the
leader of his own satanic cult/"church", the Temple of Set, for 20 years
which the Army was aware of. He was stationed at the Presidio Army Base
in San Francisco and was investigated by the San Francisco police for
child molest allegations in 1987. A _Newsweek_ article dated November
16, 1987 entitled, "The Second Beast of Revelation' Claims of Satanism
and child molesting", is typical of just one of dozens of news articles
describing the case as it made national and international news.
Interestingly, Aquino's mother (who is now deceased) was noted to be a
Temple of Set high priestess and the owner of a building rented to an
organization
that helped families find daycare.
As described in appellate documents, SFPD dropped their investigation in
August1988. In September 1988, after meeting with officials involved in
the now closed SF investigation, the Criminal Investigation Division
(CID) of the Army began investigating Aquino in multiple jurisdictions,
including Mendocino and Sonoma Counties in Northern California. Their
investigation also included alleged victims from the Jubilation Day Care
Center/Fort Bragg (Orr Case) and elsewhere.
The CID taped their interviews with the children and some of them
identified
Aquino from a video lineup of men dressed exactly like him. Some of these
children who had described ritual molest, murder and cannibalism on
videotape had testified against Charlotte Thrailkill and Daryl Ball
during an 18-month preliminary hearing which ended approximately Sept.
1988 - (Case #14750-C Santa Rosa) The children said on CID videotapes
that the people who hurt them were part of a "devil worship club." The
parents held a news conference describing these allegations. The
psychological trauma these children experienced was described in an
article summarizing the results of the plea-bargain and sentencing of
Ball/Thrailkill.
Michael Aquino notes these are the allegations as I've framed them to be
but he states there was no merit to them and the Army didn't believe
them either. However, this portrayal of the Army's position is in stark
contrast to their actual stated position as described in a transcript of
the hearing on the motion to dismiss dated May 31, 1991. It is also a
mystery as to why there is only one child listed in the alleged victim
block of the report but the word "children" is used frequently
throughout the documentation. The details of the Army Argument also
gives more information about the case as well as the Army Exhibit list
which includes the ordering information for these documents at the end
of the page.
Aquino sued the Army in part because they refused to remove his name
from the titling block or amend their report stating he was the subject
of an investigation for sexual abuse and related crimes. The court
document notes that several members of the Army thought there was
probable cause to "Title" Aquino with offenses of indecent acts with a
child, sodomy, conspiracy, kidnapping, and false swearing.
Aquino tried to charge a Captain, the father who reported his child's
alleged abuse and whose child's name appears in the victim block of the
report, with "conduct unbecoming an officer." Due to that, Aquino was
titled for false swearing, in addition to "indecent acts with a child,
sodomy, conspiracy, and kidnapping." He also filed complaints against
the SFPD, therapists involved in the case, journalists and CID
investigating officers.
The Titling [which standard is probable cause to believe offenses have
been
committed] remained and the Report of Investigation was issued 3 month
after the criminal statute of limitations ran, according to the
appellate document dated Feb. 26, 1992 that upheld the lower court's
ruling. The document also notes that the investigation "resulted from
relevant considerations and was not tainted by consideration of
officer's satanist religious beliefs and pressure from United States
Senator." Aquino's damage claim and exhibit list also describes, in
part, his loss of retirement benefits and the evidence of his separation
from active duty.
There were never any criminal charges filed against Michael Aquino. Some
of the details of the Army-Aquino case would not have been made public
except for the fact that Aquino's lawsuit against the Army placed these
documents within the public domain, as well as the two published reports
and internal documentation.
But the military will not release the Report of Investigation or any of
the other items shown on the exhibit list due to the Privacy Act. Aquino
disputes much of what's stated in the documents but refuses to provide
any information to the contrary.
The Army bestowed a multi-million dollar settlement on the alleged child
victims at the Presidio.
As follow-up to what various parties have done since the Presidio
investigation:
-Col. Rafferty, who was the Commander of the Presidio Army Base, became
CEO of the Neptune Society that offers cremation services.
-Linda Blood, an ex-member of the Temple of Set, wrote a book about this
case called _The New Satanists_ 1994. She and Time-Warner publishers
were sued by Michael Aquino in 1994 (Case# C943779 SC) and the court
case was dismissed with prejudice in Feb. 10, 1995 after a settlement
agreement was reached between them that Linda Blood's lawyer states was
made to save on court costs.
- In June 1994, a woman named Lillian Rosoff claimed she was a cult
member of Aquino's organization and she filed a restraining order
against him because he reportedly harassed her when she wanted to leave.
In Sept. 94, he reached a confidential settlement agreement with her and
claimed she was never a member of his group.
- In the early 1990's a young man named Paul Bonacci came forward with
allegations about Michael Aquino and violent cult mind control abuse.
- In 1995, Cathy O'Brien and Mark Phillips wrote a book called _Trance
Formation of America_, alleging child abuse and mind control at the
hands of
Michael Aquino. Mr. Aquino doesn't seem to mind the allegations in this
particular book and has made no effort to stop its publication or
distribution, which has prompted me to ask him on several occasions
whether he also co-wrote it as a misinformation ploy.
- Throughout the years 1997 to the present, Michael Aquino has been
filing
frivolous, harassing lawsuits against parties who are involved in the
publishing of this information (Electriciti Internet Company - dismissed
twice) or alleging he would sue them for "defamation" (Tripod Web pages
1/28/99), and has done his best to censor anyone who posts this,
claiming they are guilty of internet "criminal stalking."
-In Sept. 98, Charlotte Thrailkill was named the first violent female
sexual
predator in the State of California and she was sent back to a mental
hospital after violating her parole.