Sex Video Played at Ex-Judge’s Trial

After the skinny, barely pubescent Russian boy stripped naked, former [New Jersey] Superior Court Judge Stephen W. Thompson told his sex-tour guide that everything would be fine.

"We'll be okay," Thompson said. "Why don't you go down to the bar... we'll be fine."

For the next 40 minutes, Thompson videotaped his 2002 encounter with the boy in a Russian hotel. More than half of that tape was played for jurors in federal court in Camden this morning, the second day of Thompson's trial on child pornography and sexual exploitation charges. Prosecutors followed up the tape by showing several clips from the pornographic films seized from Thompson's Avalon home and displaying dozens of still images from his collection of 6,000 photos of child pornography.

Thompson's attorneys, who plan to argue an insanity defense, did not challenge the evidence or offer any cross-examination. Lead attorney Edwin Jacobs did not even attend court this morning.

The former judge plans on presenting an insanity defense. He was wounded in Vietnam, and his "right leg was amputated at the hip and his genitals were mutilated." He also suffered brain injuries. His lawyer said "his obsession with young boys was a misguided attempt to recreate his 'lost virility.'"

Misguided, indeed. Details here from Philly.com. Additional details about the case are here.