Self-admitted pedophile arrested after violating standing restraining order
WESTWOOD Self-professed pedophile Jack McClellan was charged Tuesday with violating a court restraining order after he was arrested one day earlier near a day care center at UCLA, and then again on campus hours later.
McClellan — who has posted photos of little girls on a now-disabled Web site, but has never been arrested for a sex crime — pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charge.
The 45-year-old, who has told reporters he is living out of his car somewhere near Venice, was jailed on $150,000 bail and is due back at the Airport Branch Courthouse on Aug. 28 for a pretrial hearing, authorities said.
McClellan, who was spotted last month walking through the children’s section of the Main Library in Santa Monica, was arrested twice on Monday by UCLA police after violating a restraining order barring him from stalking, photographing or getting within 10 yards of any children in California.
The first arrest was made around 1:40 p.m., when officers at the university were called to the Infant Development Program after McClellan was observed in the area in possession of a camera, said Nancy Greenstein, public information officer for the UCLA Police Department.
The Infant Development Center is essentially a day care center for children anywhere from 3 months to 3 years old, Greenstein said.
McClellan was arrested without incident for violating the restraining order, which was issued on Aug. 3. McClellan was released on his own recognizance and ordered to appear in court on Sept. 13. He was also given a stay away order for UCLA.
Additionally, local police agencies, including the Los Angeles School Police,were advised of his presence in the area, Greenstein said.
The second arrest came a few hours later, around 10:20 p.m., when McClellan held press interviews on the UCLA campus, a violation of the stay away order. He was booked for willfully and knowingly reentering the campus within seven days after being directed to leave. McClellan was taken to the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station for booking.
McClellan first started making news in March with his pedophile advocate Web site, “Seattle-Tacoma-Everett Girl Love.”
At the time, McClellan lived with his parents in Washington and was known by law enforcement throughout the western part of the state as someone who visited fairs, parades and parks to photograph children. However, he never broke any laws and had no arrest record. His Web site, which was described as a “how-to” manual for pedophiles, has since been shut down.
Santa Monica Police Chief Timothy Jackman issued a bulletin in late July warning parents to be on the lookout for McClellan after he was spotted by a parent at the Main Library. McClellan told reporters that he was thinking of suing the SMPD for issuing the bulletin, which included two headshots, his license plate number and a description of his car.
The circulation of the flyer was seen as an unusual step since McClellan was not under investigation at the time. The flyer is careful to simply warn parents of McClellan’s presence in Santa Monica and that he has given numerous interviews in which he admits to being a supporter of pedophiles and an advocate for reforming laws prohibiting adults from having sexual relationships with minors.
Since the flyer was released, stories about McClellan have been featured in national news outlets such as CNN and The New York Times.
In the interview with the Times, McClellan told a reporter that he moved to Los Angeles, where he was born, because he had been run out of Washington state.
He also said Southern California had many “world-class children’s attractions … (like) Disneyland, festivals and whatnot,” according to the Times.
McClellan refers to himself as a pedophile, but says he has never actually sexually touched a child.
Groups are working to have laws changed so that anyone who posts a picture of a child on a Web page with sexual content could be prosecuted.
Anthony Zinnanti, one of the attorneys who filed for the restraining order, said that he’s angered by McClellan’s latest venture and planned to file for a contempt of court.
“Mr. McClellan is a sick man,” said Zinnanti, who filed the case along with his partner on behalf of their young daughters. “This latest incident shows that Mr. McClellan is dangerous and has no impulse control. He needs to be stopped.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 15, 2007. Read the original PDF.