GUILTY TX - David Diehl for sex abuse, child *advertiser censored*, Bastrop County, 2010

FBI link child-*advertiser censored* maker to Bastrop Co
Florida arrest caps multi-year FBI investigation

Updated: Tuesday, 13 Apr 2010, 10:54 PM CDT
Published : Tuesday, 13 Apr 2010, 4:14 PM CDT

* Josh Hinkle

BASTROP (KXAN) - FBI agents in Florida arrested a former Austin man they say is the maker of child-*advertiser censored* videos known as "the tent series," featuring the sexual assault of an 11-year-old girl.

David Andrew Diehl, 48, was arrested at his home in Orange Park, Fla., after a five-year investigation into the series. The videos feature the sexual assault of the young girl inside a camping tent and have turned up more than 100 times in FBI *advertiser censored* investigations over the past decade, officials said.

Authorities believe the tapes were made in Bastrop County, Tex., just outside Austin, around the year 2000.

Police have interviewed the victim, now 20, but fear there may be more victims and are searching for others who may have been attacked. They have identified at least one more potential victim, who the initial victim said was assaulted at the same time she was. The second girl does not show up in the video tapes.

The victim told FBI investigators that he didn't threaten them, but that he did say they'd get into trouble if they told anyone.

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Diehl was traced through a Bastrop County, Texas, nudist group known as " Star Ranch ," according to an affidavit for Diehl's arrest. The group - which is not facing any charges in connection with the case - was identified when investigators saw a million-dollar novelty bill in the video and were able to find out that they were made for the group.
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The "tent series" was enormously popular in the underground, child-*advertiser censored* culture, having turned up in cases for more than a decade.

One of those cases apparently happened in Maine, and when an analyst with the Maine State Police started her investigation, she used water bottles and the novelty bill to trace the tape to the location it was allegedly made, the affidavit says.


much more here

http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/texas/alleged-*advertiser censored*-series-maker-from-bastrop

sad that they didnt find her till she was 20

Looks like LE did a great job analyzing clues to track this guy down!!

I love it when they actually find the victim through amazing investigative skills. It's always the smallest details. Kudos to the Maine analyst!!

TM, the Star Ranch has been there for quite some time, hasn't it? I seem to remember talk of it back in the 70's and 80's.

Missizzy said:

I love it when they actually find the victim through amazing investigative skills. It's always the smallest details. Kudos to the Maine analyst!!

TM, the Star Ranch has been there for quite some time, hasn't it? I seem to remember talk of it back in the 70's and 80's.

Click to expand...

Honestly I'd never heard of it til this article....the only 'nude' hangout I'd ever seen/heard about around here was Hippy Hollow on Lake Travis - and that was before I moved to Austin ....I googled for info on Star Ranch & read they've been around since 1957.

I'm gonna ask DBF about it tonite....hard to believe I've never heard about it.

And yeah - how cool that LE never gave up on this case....I'm glad they caught the perv but sad for the girl(s) whose images of abuse will continue to circulate the 'net.

Boy, I'm really digging back in my memory but I seem to remember something else happening at the Star Ranch back in possibly the 70s. Hippy Hollow's still there, isn't it? They should have a historical marker by now!!

I'll do some research too but something is ringing a bell. I grew up in Southern California but spent every single summer from 1958 on (yeah, you can thank my parents for that bright idea) in Liberty Hill at a family ranch. My husband and I moved there when we first got married in 1972 and stayed until 1986.

My guess is that it would have been sometime after 1972 as I doubt if I would have noticed much as a child. I did live through the UT sniper tragedy on a day I was visiting my aunt who worked at UT but I don't remember reading the paper much. I was far too busy whining and trying to stay cool.

Just ran across this thread and wanted to update it:

http://smithvilletimes.com/2010/08/03/man-indicted-in-child-*advertiser censored*-case/

"Diehl is currently being held in the Bastrop County Jail on $1 million bond."

I wish they hadn't revealed to the media how the investigator traced the perp. To me it shows other pedophiles how to avoid detection.

LadyL--I distinctly remember that when I ended up with a bunch of child *advertiser censored* on my computer in 1999, one of the first things that LE pointed out (if you could get your eyes off the child for a moment) was that the electrical plugs were European and not American. Ever since, If I've ever come across any which gets sent on to the FBI, I always notice the little details like that.

An update, long time in coming:

http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/crime/judge-to-decide-child-exploitation-case

Judge to decide child exploitation case
Man accused of making child *advertiser censored* in Bastrop County



AUSTIN (KXAN) - A U.S. District Court Judge is expected to rule Tuesday in a trial against a man accused of making child *advertiser censored* at a Bastrop County nudist resort.

David Diehl, a former Austin resident, faces ten counts of exploitation of a child. Diehl pleaded not guilty. FBI agents in Florida arrested Diehl in April 2010.

Invesigators believe Diehl is the maker of child-*advertiser censored* videos known as "the tent series," featuring the sexual assault of an 11-year-old girl...."

and

"...Authorities believe the tapes were made in Bastrop County, Tex., just outside Austin, around the year 2000. Police have interviewed the victim, now 20, but fear there may be more victims and are searching for others who may have been attacked...."

more at link

Strange, I've lived in the Austin area since '99 and have motorcycled and camped in Bastrop (Lost Pines State Park), and have never heard of this colony. And I know some of the more colorful folks around here, too, who would know about a place like this!

BTW, Lost Pines is named that because of the many loblolly pines growing in the Bastrop area, that shouldn't be growing there - some of them somehow got here from East Texas. It is a beautiful area and has a lake, etc. - I'm sure if another nudist colony was going to be established around here, that is a pretty and rural area to do so.

Hippie Hollow is still going - it is not a colony, but a nudist-optional area of Lake Travis just outside Austin.

Disgusting that someone decided to take advantage of that peaceful place to violate children like that!

I guess I'd forgotten about or either didn't know about the two younger girls.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/ar...-child-*advertiser censored*-case-1003673.php

Judge convicts Texas man in child *advertiser censored* case

"A judge has convicted a 49-year-old Texas man on child *advertiser censored* charges for making videos of himself engaged in sexual conduct with girls as young as 3...."

and

"Diehl remains in federal custody and faces up to 20 years in prison per count at sentencing in April.

Prosecutors say Diehl admitted taking videos of an 11-year-old girl and an 8-year-old girl engaged in sex acts inside a camping tent at Star Ranch in Central Texas. Diehl also made videos of himself engaged in sex acts with the 8-year-old and a 3-year-old girl at his home...."


More at link

Reen--I lived in Liberty Hill from 1972-1986 and we used to visit over in Bastrop all the time. Hippie Hollow was in full swing in the 70s. I can't put my finger on it but I swear that there was some sort of scandal involving a nudist camp in Central Texas when we lived there. I've researched but can't find anything. Maybe it was just a rumor or maybe it was real info about the Star Ranch. There's a great site for those who have been abused at nudist/naturist camps or colonies:

http://www.nostatusquo.com/ACLU/NudistHallofShame/

NOTE: I always attach this warning when I link to this site. There is a black and white photo of a naked toddler walking away from the photographer on the homepage with the caption, "Welcome to the Nudist/Naturist Hall of Shame". Just a head's up. No other photos of children that I've seen...just perps and lots of horrid stories. You'll note that many posters complain about the fact that known pedophiles just get asked to move on rather than reported. Sounds a bit like a few other groups we know of. I believe that any family considering this form of recreation read up on this site. These stories are the remembrances of children who lived this life and walked away with scars. They deserve to be listened to, IMO.

Here's the link to the Star Ranch. They're still touting wholesome and safe fun for the whole family:

http://www.starranch.net/

There's even a children's section:

http://www.starranch.net/amenities-services/childrens-recreational-building.html

And I see they've added a helipad. They've been in operation since 1957 so it's likely I just heard whispers about a very real place. I was pretty young and naive back in the 70s.


ETA: I see that the helipad was added for "medical emergencies". And here I was worried about visitors just dropping by to help out with the kids--who have their own clubhouse where "kids can be kids"....naked. I'm so jaded.

One can even become a permanent resident:

Warning: There are photos of members on this site, in their chosen form of undress. I saw no children. I guess there's a reason for that as that might be construed as child *advertiser censored*. However, for a $10 gate fee, anyone can come and view naked children.

http://www.truenudists.com/locations/sahnoans-at-star-ranch-star-ranch/

This site also states that they welcome families, single men, single women and children.


ETA: So, ummmm. OK, we've got men and women of all sizes and shapes here displayed in their altogether. I clicked on one guy (you know me, I have to click). A guy named HxxxxxxTX is a "stout man" and quite proud of his physique. He says he's a webmaster and free lance photographer. He mentions that one can't converse on this site but to come over to another site as he's cammin'. Can someone please explain to me how any mother or father thinks it might be a fun outing for the kids to run on over to The Star Ranch for the day and see Uncle Hxxxxx? Please fill me in......

Bam. 50 years for the creeper. Something also about an informant. I didn't read too long because I don't want to look at his mug anymore.



http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/crime/man-gets-50-years-for-making-child-*advertiser censored*


Poor girl. Thinking of her and hoping she is getting help.

The devastation that one "person" caused so many comes out in court.

"He put a giant "F" on my forhead" one of the mother's of his victims said. "I failed my child".


http://www.statesman.com/news/local/diehl-gets-50-years-in-child-molestations-1931950.html


Remorseless and cursing the prosecutor this "person" was told to "just walk" by guards as he struggled.