One – Chicago PD Incite Chicken Film 1977

When Sgt. Ronald Kelly, head of Area 6 youth division, Chicago PD first looked into the child pornography problem alleged to be erupting across America, seasoned Vice investigators from other cities advised him not to bother trying to bust the child porn film makers themselves. “They’re all overseas, that’s where it all comes from”, they told him. But Sgt. Kelly wanted to take down CP film producers, not just confiscate their products, and he was convinced there must be producers in America. Maybe in his own State. Maybe right here in Chicago. And so, Youth Division went on a hunt for made-in-US CP films. Reporters from Chicago tribune were recruited to snoop around in XXX shops, asking about the origin of their products. But they had no luck. Boy hustlers brought in on prostitution charges were interrogated; did any regular ‘johns’ ever ask them to do porno films? Still nothing.

And then, an undercover officer made contact with David Berta and John Bell selling packages of sexual photos featuring local 14 year old boys, on the street. He bought some and asked about films of these or any other local boys? But Berta and Bell had no films. They couldn’t get their Super 8mm cassettes developed safely, so there was no point. (“Sgt. Ronald Kelly of the Area 6 youth division said Sunday that an undercover police officer had bought a packet of dozens of pornographic pictures of Chicago boys”, Hunt 6 men, 20 boys in crackdown – Chicago Tribune May 16, 1977)

Meanwhile, 14 year old Andy Drath was “earning a living” as a boy hustler, a prostitute. According to a claim by Chicago Tribune reporter Michael Sneed at the Sexual Exploitation of Children hearings, Andy had been involved in prostitution from the age of 10. Andy didn’t want to be “on the street” anymore. He wanted a home, a permanent home, but not a random foster home that he would have to share with 4-5-maybe 6 other kids. Andy wanted a home of his own, and of his own choosing.

A recent ‘john’ had asked Andy to move in with him, a young man named David. He had even promised that if Andy moved in, he would apply to be Andy’s foster father and adopt Andy. “Then you can be certain that you have a permanent home, that you’ll never get kicked to the street”, David said. David was a nice enough guy, Andy thought, and he didn’t have any better offers, or any other offers at all. Andy agreed to give it a try, and moved in with David. And David held to his word, he applied to be Andy’s foster parent and was conditionally approved. [“One of the children that was arrested the other day in Chicago was a prostitute for a number of years, He is now 14, and has been a prostitute since he was 10. The boy started living with this man, and I’d say 2 weeks after living with him, the man applied to become a foster parent. He was in fact made a conditional foster parent and the boy was placed in his home”, testimony of Michael Sneed at SEofC hearings],

But not long after that, David asked Andy to pose for some photos. “What kind of photos?” “You know…sex. With your buddy” “Why??” “We can make a lot of money, Andy. Get you all the nice things you want. And just with buddy, I promise, no old trolls”. So before long, Berta and Bell became porn photo salesman.

Sgt. Kelly wasn’t satisfied with pornographic photos of boys. He wanted a CSA images film, and one that was produced locally. So the undercover officer was instructed to buy more photos, and tell Berta and Bell that you are mob connected, that you can get anything developed, and unlimited copies. And he did tell them that. They said, if you can get the film developed, we will make a film with our 14 year old boys. And they made arrangements to meet up after the film was “in the can”.

[“we were able to infiltrate them enough to have one of my undercover people act as a developer for this film and accept orders for this film on the number of copies”, Sgt. Ronald Kelly, testimony to the SEoC Hearings]

“Andy, I need you and buddy to do a film now. Just one, that’s all“

[“The principal figures arrested Saturday were David J. Berta, 32, and John Bell, 19. Police said Berta and Bell used two 14-year-old boys to film a pornographic movie in which Bell also participated. Berta and Bell were charged with taking indecent liberties with a child. Police said Berta and Bell, after making their pornographic movie in Chicago, handed it over to a police undercover agent when he assured them he had syndicate connections and could get it processed without risk”, Hunt 6 Men, 20 Boys In Crackdown, Chicago Tribune 1977]

• Sgt. Kelly of Chicago PD wants to bust a local CP film producer
• His officers can’t find one, so they incite some porno photo peddlers to make one, using two 14 year old boys, one of which is Andy Drath.
• This “chicken” CP film would never have been created, without Chicago PD undercover promising Berta and Bell he would get it developed. Andy and his friend would not have been sexually exploited in this film, without Chicago PD undercover promising Berta and Bell he would get it developed.
• Chicago PD are as responsible as Berta and Bell for the film being filmed, and for the 14 year old boy’s sexual exploitation, and the ‘mastermind” behind it being made at all, is Sgt. Ronald Kelly. Andy was betrayed by David, by Berta & Bell, and by Chicago PD.

TWO – pervs rounded up, asses covered

[“Chicago police arrested a Park Ridge dentist Monday on charges of filming a pornographic movie involving children.
The dentist, identified as Dr. Lloyd William Lange, 42, was the fourth man arrested in a crackdown on child pornography and child prostitution begun Friday by Area 6 youth division officers.
Police charged that Lange filmed a pornographic movie involving two 14 year old boys that was produced by Berta, 32, and Bell, 19, both of Chicago. Lange was charged with taking indecent liberties with a child one of the 14 year olds who appeared in the film and with contributing to the sexual delinquency of a minor.
In addition to Lange, Berta, and Bell, police have under arrest David Welch, 26, the foster father of one of the 14-year-old boys involved in the pornographic film.
Welch was charged with taking indecent liberties with a child after the boy told police he had sex with Welch on three occasions. Police also have take into custody two 14-year-old boys, one of them a participant in the movie, and are looking for the second 14 year old involved in the film”, Dentist Seized In Sex Raid, Chicago Tribune, May 17, 1977]

So now, Chicago PD have charged the cameraman Lange, the director David Berta, the adult sex performer Bell, the pimp providing Andy and his friend – Andy’s foster father David Welch, and have both 14 year old boys in custody, grinding them for statements against the men. Andy complies, naming six men as ‘having sex’ with various boys. But there’s one person still to be named. The person ultimately responsible for all the CSA occurring in context of the filming, by causing the film to be made, the person whose idea it was to have someone make such a film. But…oops! That person would be Sgt. Kelly. Can’t say that, when they publicly brag about bagging child porn producers. Fortunately for them, the perfect patsy for them has been sitting in Cook County Jail all this time…John Norman! Everyone will believe Norman could mastermind a CSA film from his jail cell, just have to claim all the others take orders from him – that they belong to his ‘operation’.

Andy Saves His Betrayers

In the end, Andy is the only witness against the CSA film gang, and against Welch. Did I mention that Andy revealed a sexual relationship with Welch? Resulting in charges? We haven’t talked about the second film yet. Welch was so inspired by the Berta-Bell filming, and believing the group could get films developed, took Andy to a motel to shoot a second film. It just so happened, that Chicago Tribune reporters were doing ride-along with Sgt. Kelly’s officers, and they were surveilling Welch at the motel, with Sneed and Bliss looking in. Michael Sneed tells the disgusting story in “Clown and Candyman”. How she watched Andy having sex with “a much younger boy” as Welch filmed them. She watched these children having sex! Until the officers kicked in the door and arrested Welch.

With a little help from the Tribune, Sgt. Kelly will now brag that he succeeded, he found and took down a “child porn producer” ring, right there in Chicago! (All he had to do was incite some men to form one, so he could arrest them all for being one. What’s that called, again? Entrapment or something?) [“In other cities, police have confiscated films, but we have arrested the participants…that’s never been done before”, Dentist Arrested In Child Sex Filming, Chicago Tribune, May 17 1977]

Now all that Sgt. Kelly needs, is to see them all convicted. But he’s not going to get his wish, because Andy has other plans. It’s time to set his own path, and take it wherever that may lead him. Far away from here. San Francisco sounds good…

Without Andy, the sole witness for the prosecution, the case against the film crew and against Welch for abusing Andy, collapses. They never will be prosecuted. No one will be convicted. It was all a pointless waste of Youth Division resources, that should have been employed in tracking down the missing teen boys, now under John Wayne Gacy’s floorboards.

There will one day be a letter from a San Francisco lawyer trying to get Andy’s guardianship transferred from Chicago, and that will be the last that Illinois ever hears of Andy. For 36 years.

RIP, Andre “Andy” Drath!