"One of thousands of patrons of the crowdfunded anti-child trafficking film Sound of Freedom was recently arrested and charged for child kidnapping, according to a court filing and social media posts....St. Louis Metropolitan Police confirmed to Newsweek that Marta, 51, from Chesterfield, Missouri, was charged on July 21, and was arrested on July 23."

https://www.newsweek.com/sound-freedom-funder-fabian-marta-arrest-child-kidnapping-1817498

This seems to fall under the "he who smelt it dealt it" headline.

My thinking is that what flies in Mexico and Central America doesn't fly here.

Blood-sucking vampire bats?

I don't think I follow you. The guy arrested appeared to be from USA and the film was from USA. I didn't see where he kidnapped someone.

I couldn't tell if he kidnapped someone while working with the organization or contacts in other countries from it.

He donated to the film's production. I'm thinking he donated to make people not suspect him of being capable of that kind of thing. He doth protest too much? Maybe the kidnapping was purely a financially motivated action. Anyway, it'd disgusting and tragic.

Fabian Marta was arrested in St. Louis, so I'm assuming that the kidnapping occurred there.

Tim Ballard, the man who founded OUR, conducted all of his "rescues" outside of the U.S., often south of the border in Mexico and Central America. The criticism has been made that his methods would not fly in the U.S. They certainly would not hold up in American courts. Hence my comment. If Marta tried the same methods here, IMO he might very well have run afoul of the law.

I'm sure that more details will follow.

Oh, yes. I see now. Agree.

I'm wondering if people should start being more careful to check where money is coming from in general. So much nowadays comes from nefarious sources for various things that can come back and bite in big ways.

(I'm not saying this specifically for this instance with the film.)

It's unfortunate the film now has the name of a kidnapper in the credits that roll at the end of the film because he was a donor. They couldn't have known the creep was helping them probably.

No, but given that Tim Ballard has already come under criticism for his methods. the fact that one of his investors has been charged with child kidnapping is a very unfortunate association.

I'd like to read more. The first line, quoted by the OP, deflates the sensationalism, though.

Fabian was one of thousands of donors. When crowdfunding, anybody can invest in a project. So the link to the film is tenuous, at best.

There are no details about the case in the article, other than the fact that he's going to enter a plea of not guilty. So it will be interesting to see the details of the case.

Getting arrested in St. Louis. That simply means that he was found in St. Louis.

This is a windfall for those who seek to discredit the film and Ballard, though.

https://www.kmov.com/2023/08/04/chesterfield-man-charged-with-accessory-child-kidnapping-donated-anti-child-trafficking-movie-newsweek-report-claims/

"A probable cause statement against Marta, 51, alleges he helped somebody who had unlawfully taken her children and interfered with the return of the two children to their lawful parent “by refusing to allow police access to the residence and impeding the kidnapping investigation.”

The probable cause statement says the children were taken from an address near Midtown in St. Louis City and taken to an address in the Fountain Park neighborhood about 10 minutes away. It alleges Marta helped harbor the children at the Fountain Park address. Both children are under 14 years old."

Hmmmm. Maybe he's sort of a zealot on the issue and wants to save kids- even ones who don't need to be rescued.
At least this makes me think he means well and is not a perv himself.

Or he's a simp.

You all know, of course, that there are exactly zero believing LDS members who will ever know about this.

UPDATE: Marta is a landlord to a woman who was involved in a custody dispute with her aunt. Marta was allegedly providing living arrangements to said woman and her child, the former who is involved in rehabbing the rental property.

https://deadline.com/2023/08/sound-of-freedom-child-kidnapping-charge-angel-studios-response-1235455255/

Hmmmm... Landlord to a woman who was involved in a custody dispute. He was not charged with kidnapping. He was charged as an accessory. It's really interesting how stories unfold.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/08/2023 03:06AM by T-Bone.

Now T-Bone, you know quite well that if you are charged as an accessory to a crime, things are not going to go well for you. It doesn't matter if you were sitting in the driver's seat of the getaway vehichle while your buddies were robbing the bank. You will be held equally accountable.

I don't think that the fact that Marta was renting to this woman adds much to the story. According to the KMOV article linked above,

"A probable cause statement against Marta, 51, alleges he helped somebody who had unlawfully taken her children and interfered with the return of the two children to their lawful parent 'by refusing to allow police access to the residence and impeding the kidnapping investigation.' The probable cause statement says the children were taken from an address near Midtown in St. Louis City and taken to an address in the Fountain Park neighborhood about 10 minutes away. It alleges Marta helped harbor the children at the Fountain Park address. Both children are under 14 years old."

https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/chesterfield-man-gave-money-sound-of-freedom-film-arrested-accessory-child-kidnapping-charge/63-6b3d8e62-474d-400c-919b-b08f842d526a

"Fabian Marta, 51, of Chesterfield, Missouri, was arrested on July 23, 2023. He was charged with accessory to child kidnapping, a Class A felony, on July 23 and released on July 24 on his own recognizance.

Police say Marta helped another man "harbor" two girls in an apartment on July 21, 2023. The girls were taken from their mother by an unnamed suspect and kept in the apartment. Police say Marta prevented the girls from returning to their mother by stopping the police from entering the apartment."

Another story about this guy

https://www.riverfronttimes.com/news/hartmann-st-louis-sugar-daddy-fabian-martas-kidnapping-arrest-draws-attention-40616554

"
Fabian Marta, 51, stands accused by Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore of “accessory child kidnapping,” a Class A felony. The complaint alleges that Marta assisted a woman referred to as “Suspect 1” in harboring her children at an apartment building he owned “knowing she had taken them illegally” from a lawful parent. It accused him of “refusing to allow police access to the residence and impeding the kidnapping investigation.”

I won't vouch for the more salacious claims in there

[|] Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> "Fabian Marta, 51, stands accused by Circuit
> Attorney Gabe Gore of “accessory child
> kidnapping,” a Class A felony. The complaint
> alleges that Marta assisted a woman referred to as
> “Suspect 1” in harboring her children at an
> apartment building he owned “knowing she had
> taken them illegally” from a lawful parent. It
> accused him of “refusing to allow police access
> to the residence and impeding the kidnapping
> investigation.”

This is a bad look for Marta.

100% speculation here, but it sounds like the police went to investigate a tip, and Marta said, "Unless you have a warrant, you aren't coming in." When you see that he was charged with impeding the investigation, it just screams retaliation for telling the cops "no". Authoritarians can't stand that.

> When you see that he was charged with impeding the
> investigation, it just screams retaliation for
> telling the cops "no". Authoritarians can't stand
> that.

You know who else can't stand that? Victims of crimes.

From my second link above, the “salacious bits”

“But the more interesting local angle of the story is Marta’s connection to controversial Rockwood School Board member Jessica Clark, who was elected in April 2022. Clark’s claim to fame was that she was the first person elected to a school board after proudly holding the title, “Sugar Baby.”

It turns out, from all appearances, that Marta was her first “Sugar Daddy."

In a since-deleted Facebook post dated February 10, 2020, Clark – posting under the name “Jessica Laurent” – displayed photos of herself with Marta. Under the heading “Jessica Laurent is with Fabian Marta,” there was this:

“On this day last year, I walked into this weird-ass party and met that weird-ass man (heart emoji). Now we spend our days being weird all day. It was pure magic. Cheers to the sweet life.” On the same day, Clark/Laurent also posted an invitation to “Sugar Ball” – “the finest sugar party experience” – at a place called “Elmo’s Love Lounge” in University City.“

“Perhaps it’s a sign of my advanced years that sugaring is a phrase with which I wasn’t familiar until Clark burst on the scene. I’ve tried to get up to speed, and here’s the best definition I was able to find from a law firm online:

“Over the past decade, an unconventional method of dating, known as sugaring, has become more and more popular. Sugaring is when a younger woman and an older, wealthy man form a relationship where the man, the sugar daddy, gives the woman, the sugar baby, money and gifts in exchange for the time they spend together.

“The phenomenon often draws comparisons to prostitution. Both prostitution and sugaring involve exchanging money for intimate services. While sugaring does not always include sexual acts, it is often part of the arrangement. Those who are involved in sugaring often differentiate between prostitution and sugaring by emphasizing the dating aspect of sugaring. They say that prostitution is flat out exchanging money for sex, and being a sugar baby is more similar to being in a consensual, adult relationship where your partner supports you financially.”

https://thenetline.com/who-is-fabian-marta/

“ Fabian reportedly met his partner, Jessica ‘Laurent’ Clark, at one of his ‘sugar’ parties. He successfully lobbied, Jim claims, to have her elected to the Rockwood School Board. She ran a ‘Sugar Boot Camp’ that taught ladies how to conduct themselves at ‘Sugar’ parties.

‘Sugar party’ hosts advertise them as ways for the youth to earn money by engaging in platonic relationships with older, wealthier people. However, anti-sex trafficking advocates claim these parties are conduits into sex trafficking. Marnie Becker, the director of Stolen Youth, a non-profit that works to eliminate child sex trafficking, wrote on The Imprint:

“Sugaring is when an older person, usually a male, offers payment to a younger person in return for companionship. Really, it’s being veiled as prostitution, because it’s rarely just for companionship — usually there is the expectation [of] sex. It’s becoming more common and normalized. It’s all over the internet, social media — you see the hashtag ‘#sugardaddy’ or ‘#sugarbaby,’ and it’s become very normalized.”

A video where she advertises her “sugar daddy boot camp”

https://www.google.com/search?q=Jessica+Laurent+Clark+sugar+daddy+bootcamp&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:1bff65c4,vid:hbAGoBVm_xc

According to this

https://www.ebaumsworld.com/articles/sound-of-freedom-financier-arrested-on-charges-of-child-kidnapping/87429416/

“ Rockwood County, MO school board member Jessica ‘Laurent’ Clark, girlfriend of credited ‘Sound of Freedom’ funder Fabian Marta used to run ‘Sugar Boot Camp’ where women and girls—no age requirement—can ‘learn to be unforgettable,’” he alleged, adding several snaps of the pair and screengrabs of the event.”

** no age requirement **

[|] Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> From my second link above, the “salacious
> bits”

Thanks for the info. That's a bad look for Marta.

It would be gross if it involved young women, but if it involves minor women, it's reprehensible.

It sounds to me like he picked up the woman and children at one location, transported them to another, harbored them, and refused the police access to them. Sure, he might be able to require that the police have a warrant for entry. But he'll still be in a world of hurt.

summer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I don't think that the fact that Marta was renting
> to this woman adds much to the story. According to
> the KMOV article linked above,

Doesn't add much to the story? It completely changes the story. We've watched the narrative go from kidnapping to accessory to kidnapping.

And "investor" in the film, implying that he funded the film, to one of many who contributed to a crowdfunding campaign.

Well, I see it differently than you do. I think the important takeaway, however, is that Marta may have gotten his idea for how to conduct himself in this instance from how Tim Ballard conducts his raids -- which, as I have pointed out elsewhere, may fly in other countries, but not here.

summer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Well, I see it differently than you do. I think
> the important takeaway, however, is that Marta may
> have gotten his idea for how to conduct himself in
> this instance from how Tim Ballard conducts his
> raids -- which, as I have pointed out elsewhere,
> may fly in other countries, but not here.

We do see it differently. I don't see any connection between Marta and Ballard, other than what has been verified. Marta donated to Ballard's project. That's been verified. Whether Marta got any ideas from Ballard is speculation. That hasn't been verified.

Like I said, I'm not invested in whether Marta is a saint or a monster. I'm just waiting until the evidence comes out. And charges are not evidence.

I'm willing to speculate about what happened, but I'll make an effort to distinguish between speculation and fact.

I just saw the post about sugaring. I'll have to read up on that.

>>>I don't see any connection between Marta and Ballard, other than what has been verified.

Well, he agreed with whatever Ballard was doing enough that he forked over money. That's a bit of a connection IMO.

The underlying message seems to be that you can ignore laws when you have your own higher agenda to go around saving people. I think his heart may have been in the right place, but not so much his brain.

I see a connection, too. Ballard inevitably attracts people who favor vigilantism, and some probably see themselves as potential or actual vigilantes. Then you add the attention and applause aroused by the movie and it's highly likely that some idiot decides to do it on his own.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/08/2023 06:40PM by Maude.