In 1987, the U.S. Postal Service intercepted a child pornography magazine from the Netherlands that was addressed to Arnold Friedman of Great Neck, New York. They contacted the authorities and an investigation into Friedman was started immediately. At his home, a collection of child pornography was found by investigators. a discovery that was made all the more disturbing when they learned that Friedman was a computer science teacher who tutored students in his home. Authorities immediately suspected him of sexual abuse.
Friedman's response to the investigation, and to the preparations for his trial, was to film everything that went on in his home in the lead up to his trial. Allowed to remain at the family house whilst preparing for his trial, he took multiple videos that were never intended to be shown to anyone, but were intended to record his experience in the minutest detail. Soon, his son, Jesse, was also charged with child molestation. This created many arguments in the home; Arnold's wife, Elaine, was seen to be unsure of her husband's innocence; she urged him to confess so that their sons would be protected, and later she divorced him.
Ultimately, Arnold Friedman confessed to multiple sodomy and sexual abuse of a minor charges, but claimed that he did so only so that the police would leave Jesse alone. Jesse confessed also, claiming that he was not guilty of the charges but that he wanted to avoid prison. Although an Alfred plea would have made more sense to a man claiming innocence, he also used the fact that his father had abused him sexually as mitigation for his acts; he backed this up by telling investigators that his father had told him and his brother that as a young teen he had abused his younger brother, Howard. Jesse's defense was that, simply, he didn't know any better. Surprisingly, Arnold admitted abusing both of his sons to Jesse's attorney, but denied molesting the kids who came to his computer classes.
Found guilty and imprisoned, Arnold Friedman committed suicide whilst in jail. Jesse Friedman was released from Clinton Correctional Facility in 2001 after serving thirteen years of his original sentence. Responses to his release were mixed; his own attorney had hired a psychologist to interview him many times, but the only conclusion the expert could draw was that Jessie was a narcissist who would throw anyone under the bus if he thought it might do him any good.
