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Last Updated: February 9, 2010 4:53 PM




Update: Video Report On OPETH Bus Driver's Arrest Available Online - Nov. 15, 2005
WTSP, Tampa Bay's 10 News, has posted a video report on the arrest of OPETH's bus driver Leon Rodney Whitman Jr. (photo, charge report) on charges of several counts of unlawful activity with a minor, computer pornography and interference with custody, all felony charges. Watch the report online at this location. Whitman was being held Monday at Orient Road Jail, with bail set at $33,000, records show.

Tampa Tribune is reporting that authorities are investigating whether Whitman victimized other youngsters after learning a 16-year-old girl was lured to Tampa for sex, police said.

Whitman Jr., 47, kept a digital camera with 240 digital pictures of at least seven other women, some appearing to be underage, aboard the tour bus for the band OPETH, Tampa police Detective O.P. Parrish said.

The band played at The State Theater in St. Petersburg on Saturday night. Members knew nothing of Whitman's alleged activities, Parrish said.

Parrish said he is working with the FBI's Innocent Images Task Force to analyze the photos and a computer found in Whitman's room at the Wyndham Westshore Hotel on West Kennedy Boulevard.

Police arrested Whitman, of Swartz Creek, Mich., early Sunday after a patrol officer saw a 16-year-old walking alone about 3 a.m. near West Azeele Street and South West Shore Boulevard. Upset and despondent, the girl told the officer she was from Flint, Mich., and staying with Whitman at the hotel, Parrish said.

Whitman had met the girl in her neighborhood in the past year and stayed in touch with her, Parrish said. Whitman told her about his job and offered to take her to Los Angeles and Hollywood if she met him in Tampa, according to Parrish.

"From what I gather, she was a very naive girl," Parrish said. "They get promised all these great things: 'I can make you a movie star. I do photo shoots.' "

At the time of his arrest, Whitman had a business card advertising, "Calendar Girls of Florida," Parrish said.

Parrish said the girl lives with her mother, with whom she has had trouble recently. Without a word to anyone, the girl accepted the AirTran Airways ticket Whitman bought her and arrived in Tampa at 3:07 p.m. Saturday, the detective said.

The girl's parents reported her missing, Parrish said. Meanwhile, Whitman took the girl to a CVS drugstore and a Wal-Mart for some small items, including a six-pack of Budweiser, according to Parrish.

Whitman took the girl to the hotel, where he pressured her for sex, Parrish said. "He kept telling her, 'Come on.' She felt pressured because she's in Tampa, she has no money and he's controlling things," the detective said.

Whitman videotaped the encounter and photographed the girl, Parrish said. He also paid her $200. When police found the video camera, the girl told them about the digital camera, Parrish said.

The girl's mother flew to Tampa on Sunday to take her home, the detective said.
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COMMENT |
posted by : billrichardson
11/15/2005 6:48:30 AM

SICK MOTHERFUCKER

COMMENT | so where are the pics of this little hottie?
posted by : Sadochist.com
11/15/2005 7:16:18 AM

Don't we need to examine the "evidence" ? Anyone know the link to the video? I mean come on, someone had to have posted it somewhere..................

COMMENT | HAHAHAH
posted by : stunna
11/15/2005 7:17:11 AM

A ROCK BAND?!?@?!@# A ROCK BAND?!?! ARE THESE NEWS REPORTERS CRAZY?!?!?

Ohhh Man, Opeth would have been like 'WTF' Now we need a new bus driver...

Im From Australia, but ill drive there god damn bus! :D

COMMENT | Oh
posted by : stunna
11/15/2005 7:18:02 AM

That was on the video.. There is a link for the video in there Sadochist

COMMENT |
posted by : Reebz
11/15/2005 7:21:08 AM

"what the problem of fucking a 16 years old??"

it's illegal.

COMMENT | 16yo???
posted by : Maniaco_Beleza
11/15/2005 7:26:16 AM

What is the matter with you ppl?

never had a underage girl beging for some action on your arms?

here in japan there are plenty skirtwearingtrouble searching for long hair gaijins.

and the bitches are the ones carrying digital cameras.

now listening:

kataklysm ...
Hum it is pretty dawn good.

COMMENT | ??
posted by : BreakerMetal
11/15/2005 7:33:02 AM

how the fuck is this music news.

and i must say, clicking on Leon's pic. i was shocked to see a white man with the name Leon Jr.

COMMENT | Hardly surprising
posted by : Loser Number 101
11/15/2005 7:39:36 AM

Disgusting band, disgusting people. Prog wankers will be wankers! I hope this maniac is put behind bars together with the perverts from that revolting "group".

COMMENT |
posted by : poipoipoi
11/15/2005 8:25:03 AM

16 is only legal if you're also 15/16/17/18 -- but the driver is 43.

The chick lives in like Michigan or something and traveled all teh wya to Florida, adn the mother didnt even KNOW -- arrest that parent!

COMMENT |
posted by : nightsideclipse
11/15/2005 8:31:32 AM

i'm surprised opeth haven't come out yet to say anything on the situation

COMMENT | the guy is 31 years older than her
posted by : BreakerMetal
11/15/2005 8:44:46 AM

hes 47, shes 16,
he should be castrated , simple and to the point

COMMENT |
posted by : Almari
11/15/2005 9:03:22 AM

I hope someone shoots that pervert to the head!!!!! What the fuck!

COMMENT | haha bus driver
posted by : skinheadfreak
11/15/2005 9:21:41 AM

I DONT GIVE A CRAP ABOUT THE BUS DRIVER ME I LIKE OPETH NOT THE BUS DRIVER OR THE 16 YEARS OLD GIRL GOOD FOR THEM IF THEY WANT TO HAVE SEX ITS THE MOST NATURAL THING ON EARTH I MEAN I WONT BANG ANY 16 YEARS OLD CHICK MYSELF BUT HEY WHAT DO YOU WANT ITS NOT MY LIFE

COMMENT | Stunna
posted by : Sadochist.com
11/15/2005 9:37:04 AM

I was referring to the videos he took of the girl.

Mmmm...... young girls are like veal, sweet, tender & so succulent.

COMMENT | OK BUT THIS IS NOT REALLY ROCK/METAL NEWS
posted by : mrpunchy
11/15/2005 9:47:58 AM

NEXT WE'LL HAVE POSTINGS OF BRITNEY SPEARS' BABY AND LINKS TO FREE PARIS HILTON PORN?

FUCK THIS. JUST STIRRING SHIT FOR NOTHING OF BBMOUTH MATTERS. FUCK THIS.

COMMENT | HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
posted by : blahblahmouth
11/15/2005 9:48:13 AM

I FUCKING LOVE IT. ANOTHER CANNONBALL IN THE SIDE OF THE PATHETICALLY OVERRATED OPETH SHIP.
FABULOUS

FUCK OPETH

COMMENT |
posted by : deathtomusic
11/15/2005 9:57:07 AM

WHAT HAS THIS GOT TO DO WITH OPETH ???

COMMENT | HAHA!
posted by : sads
11/15/2005 10:03:09 AM

if any of you fucking retarded fellas that are in your 40's had a 16 yr old thrown at you then game over. this girl is a classic emo idiot. runs away from the family who she probly cannot stand.

sex with a 16 yr old is legal in my country, as is many others. this is being made a stupid ass issue by american press, and for gods sake its the FUCKING BUS DRIVER. THE FUCK CARES, SHE KNOWS SHE'S FUCKING THE BUS DRIVER AND NOT THE SINGER.

unless blabbermouth posts pics of this girl then this is a crapass issue

COMMENT | It's entertaining that's all I care about.
posted by : DMIZE
11/15/2005 10:22:51 AM

If a bus driver (M101, 102, 0r 103) grabs my ass I'll cut them with my metrocard.

COMMENT | what are you all, 15 years old?
posted by : daemond
11/15/2005 10:28:41 AM

guys, age of consent laws vary by state. btw, american press isn't making a big deal out of it - it's a local tampa news report for crying out loud. it only made blabbermouth due to it having something to do with Opeth.

COMMENT |
posted by : Loudnessguy
11/15/2005 10:42:20 AM

Lets hope he gets to meet his new cell mate very soon......Ben Over.

COMMENT | I'm suprised
posted by : boggin
11/15/2005 10:58:02 AM

I'm surprised no one acknowledged how classic it was when the guy was getting arraigned and the other indictees were threatening him in the background! That shit was awesome

COMMENT | Isn't it ironic...
posted by : Dredd001
11/15/2005 11:43:53 AM

That the video for the Grand Conjuration has a creepy old pervert, much like Mr. Whitma?

COMMENT | can someone clarify?
posted by : devin_metal
11/15/2005 12:05:24 PM

in the charge report, one of the offenses is "computer pornography". does this mean that it's against the law to have porno material on your computer?!? doesn't make any sense to me...

COMMENT | Is the over - 18 female population of Tampa that ugly?
posted by : hurricane hugo
11/15/2005 1:09:51 PM

Importing some underage girl into the death-metal capital of the world seems pretty fucking stupid; I thought Florida was full of hotties.

blessed be.

COMMENT | Maniaco_Beleza
posted by : HellPatrol
11/15/2005 1:22:56 PM

"here in japan there are plenty skirtwearingtrouble searching for long hair gaijins.

and the bitches are the ones carrying digital cameras."

Funny shit!!!

COMMENT |
posted by : Metalthrall
11/15/2005 1:49:31 PM

What a lucky guy.

COMMENT |
posted by : Emperor Mordred
11/15/2005 2:04:05 PM

"he was a bus driver that worked for a ROCK band"
clearly the media is lying once again!

why are they talking like it's a fact he did other criminal activities? (the tip of the iceberg thing)
shouldn't the media be objective or are these American standards?

COMMENT | see that charge sheet?
posted by : Skinless Bloodbath
11/15/2005 4:49:32 PM

thats some hefty dues there chief. im 22 and i could never fuck a 16 year old, but i will say there are some 16 year olds who certainly dont look it, and they have to show off the goods. and you are quite wrong about this guy being michael jacksons friend, if that were the case it certainly wouldnt be no 16 year old GIRL.

COMMENT | Damn...
posted by : stunna
11/15/2005 5:52:48 PM

Damn! Im going to Japan!
haha

COMMENT |
posted by : Emperor Mordred
11/15/2005 5:56:15 PM

haha, don't forget to show the pictures afterwards stunna:-)

COMMENT | well....
posted by : Seclusion
11/15/2005 6:07:56 PM

what bothers me is that I think alot of people are missing some of the real issues of this whole case.

First of all, what Leon did was wrong. But it wasn't just wrong bceause she was underage. What truly made his actions wrong is the fact that he lured a girl to Florida under false pretenses, and pressured her into sex. Everyone wants to focus on the age factor and I can understand why, but it bothers me to think that people would be more excusing of his behavior if the girl was 19 rather than 16. Then they'd say "well this girl should have known better". Frankly, in the year 2005, there's no reason why a 16 year old girl shouldn't have known better as well. Everyone likes to use the words "this little girl" and this "child", but she's not a child anymore. There is alot of fault here that needs to be placed on the shoulders of the mother, I'm sorry to say. From the report, it sounds as though this girl had a troubled relationship at home with her mother, followed by the fact that the girl was able to get out of the house and fly to Florida apparently without the knowledge of the mother. Parents cant just sit around and hope for the best anymore with their sons and daughters, they need to not only pay closer attention to what they're doing and where they're going, but also they need to educate them better, because a 16 year old girl nowadays is not some pigtail wearing, lollipop licking little baby. By age 16, the pressures of sex, drugs, gangs, social acceptance, working a job, etc., have all come into the picture. I feel badly that this girl was victimized the way she was, but the more society continues to view people her age as being naive innocent babies, the more these kinds of incidents are going to occur, because obviously some parents arent sitting down and helping their kids open their eyes to the realities of what's out there and how to deal with it properly.
And another thing that people are going to have to face up to the facts about, is that men don't often change their views just because of age. A 45 year old man is just as likely to find a young girl sexy just the same as he did when he was 19. Usually what changes a man's perspective on this, are a certain level of maturity and more likely the fact that they have kids themselves. But as we know, many 45 year old men don't have kids, and many of them don't mature in the same way as others do. Older men find young girls sexy, period. (And when I say young, I'm not talking pre-teen or something, that is bonafide pedophilia, period.)
Leon is obviously a sexual predator, and his methods and behavior are wrong and illegal. Add to it the fact that she is not of legal age, and he's just flat out wrong. I do think he should get locked up for this, for sure. It just worries me that this is going to continue to happen to girls of ALL ages (yes, many women who are much older than this girl get lured in by the same pretenses) as long as these girls continue to be neglected and not properly educated on the realities of life by their parents. Stop treating little Jonny or Janey like they're babies, and start treating them like they should be treated....young men and women on the verge of adulthood, who already have to deal with many of the harsh realities of life, and could use a little counseling and guiding by their parents!

COMMENT | to those who know jack shit
posted by : StooTattoo
11/16/2005 12:50:55 AM

many people said some pretty fucked up things on this forum. what you know of the situation is what the media has let you know. but there is a lot more to it than you know. opeth had nothing to do with it. they were just as pissed off as the girls parents to hear this shit. the girl is a dumb bitch. who the fuck jumps a plane to go stay with some old ass bus driver you dont know. and as for the driver. i hope he fuckin dies. he did some fucked up shit to that girl (as dumb as she is). Opeth and their crew have to endure this shit in their name when they were basically the only innocent ones in the situation. she freaked. they found out she was a runaway and the truth came out. the band didnt know her. they didnt even like the sight of her. and the sight of her raised many many questions. hours later the dickhead was arrested. so to anyone who has some bad shit to say about the band being part of it or fucked up pervs or anything of the sort. fuck off. you know shit about shit. this is a shock to all involved but 2. the driver and the girl. opeth is a great band and an incredible group of dudes. my condolences to whoever has to deal with this bullshit. you and i know who you are. good luck guys. see you soon.



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