A mayoral appointee who was positioning himself to run for Dennis Zine's District 3 City Council seat resigned his leadership post Wednesday after admitting he collected child pornography on his home computer.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa issued a statement saying the resignation had been accepted.
Chatsworth Patch learned midday Wednesday that the FBI raided the Tarzana home of Al Abrams, 63, the unpaid president of the Board of Neighborhood Commissioners (BONC).
Blaming a "split personality" as a result of surgery for a tumor on his spine, he said his other personality, using the name BoyWonderUSA, trolled online for sexual photos of children as young 4.
"That other person was watching kiddie porn," he told KCBS.
“It is what my split personality decided to do. That’s what happens when you have tumors,” he said.
A court affidavit filed by the FBI said Abrams' home was searched Friday for "any records, documents, applications or materials ... that identify any minor visually depicted while engaging in sexually explicit conduct,'' the Los Angeles Times reported.
Abrams' wife Linda, chair of the Valley Interfaith Council, backs up her husband, saying to KCBS, “Absolutely, I do.” She confirmed that he was in terrible pain.
He has two adult daughters.
He was not arrested, but his computer was confiscated by the FBI.
No one has been charged and the investigation is continuing, FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller told The Times.
"I'm not a criminal," Abrams told KCBS.
BONC is the city's seven-member supervising agency for the nearly 100 Neighborhood Councils and assists the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment.
Abrams, who served on BONC since 2008, owns a public relations consulting firm and worked on ballot measures in Agoura Hills, Westlake Village and Walnut Creek, and claims to have worked on campaigns for Robert Kennedy, Al Gore and Jimmy Carter. He's a founding member of the Tarzana Neighborhood Council.
He also served on the board of trustees of the Mirman School for the Gifted where he was chair of the Facilities and Building Committee.
-- City News Service and KCBS contributed to this report.
John J. Nazrian
A predator is a predator... no matter what made him do it.
Is he no longer a preditor because he was caught???? Whatever we are capable of is what we are capable of. He needs to be taken off the streets and his wife needs serious counseling since she made such a statement in his defense. Sad situation. Not arresting him ? Much sadder.
Why exactly is this guy not being arrested? Oh, because it was part of a political move to get him unseated, not to serve justice. Ok, got it…. Politicians have ulterior motives for everything they do? I would like to know how they found him, who gave the order to go get him, why they are not arresting him and if they are able to find out that he collects kiddie porn, then why don't they go out and get the others. I think there is a lot more to this story than just this guy being a predator. Give us more Doug Kriegel.
He got appointed to a commission because he impressed the right people. He wasn't caught up in this due to some political motives, mainly because he is not a politician. it probably does have something to do with the big bust on the child pron ring. They haven't arrested him yet. They took his computers to see if the IP's they traced were to his computers. If they were, as this idiot predator slime ball admits, then he will be arrested. If anything, since this is the FBI, they are probably doing what they do to all low level criminals, negotiating a deal before they arrest him so they can avoid a long drawn out case. Or hopefully, they're giving him time to commit suicide. People who abuse kids, and watching child porn IS abuse, shouldn't be allowed to live freely, growth or no growth.
Thank you.
For starters his story is NOT buyable. A growth on the spine?! What's his doctor's name? Goldstein is still waiting. And this won't happen to me because I don't like to look at little girls and boys naked. I don't like to abuse kids. YOUR FRIEND Al does. He belongs in jail just like any other child predator.
"I would only hope that you all personally experience a similar fate..." Why would you wish this on others? Shame on you.
in our society and the judicial system is so lenient on sexual predators!)
Most don't seem like they'd harm a flea!