May 30, 2009 3:13 pm US/Eastern
PA Aide Allegedly Asks Boy To Have 'Furry' Sex
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WBZ) ―
Pennsylvania state senate staffer Alan Berlin was taken into custody Thursday night and charged with trying to lure a 15-year-old boy over the Internet into having sex with him, suggesting that they both dress up as furry animals.
Berlin, 40, was a legislative aide to State Sen. Jane Orie. "Berlin, using the screen name Alan 'Panda Bear,' originally discussed dressing up in animal costumes and engaging in various sex acts with the boy," Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett told WBZ's sister station KDKA.
Sources say Berlin identifies himself at a "furry" – a person who likes to dress up as an animal.
At a furry festival in Pennsylvania, participants called it a harmless activity. They say they just like the experience of dressing up and acting like a wild animal. "I actually feel more like I'm coming home, where I can be myself around others who have similar ideas," said one furry.
Prosecutors say during a series of chats, Berlin discussed various sex acts with the boy, including a proposal that Berlin travel to the boy's home in Harrisburg to engage in inappropriate activity with him in the backyard while the boy's parents slept. "Berlin is also accused of attempting to arrange a meeting between the boy and another adult – offering to get them a hotel room if Berlin could take photos of them having sex," said Corbett.
Berlin has been a legislative aide to Senator Orie for two years, working primarily in legislative research.
In a statement, Senator Orie's office said upon learning of the allegation, Orie immediately fired Berlin. "As a former 10-year veteran prosecutor who specialized in prosecuting child abuse and child sexual assault cases and successfully convicted numerous sex offenders, Sen. Orie was shocked and appalled."
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