Due to their education, military officers are granted leadership positions. They have the responsibility of influencing soldiers by setting the tone. It is also their responsibility to ultimately decide on the appropriate punishment in the event that a lower-ranking soldier does not comply with a military policy or a civil law and is punished. But what happens to top-ranking members if they are arrested for lapses in behavior? You can find one Air Force officer who can answer that question.
The officer is federally imprisoned after he was caught hiding a camera inside the bathroom of the home of a family member. The officer was trying to capture the family’s children as they showered or used the toilet. The investigation led to more investigations, which revealed hundreds of videos stored on his laptop, including of “prepubescent minors engaged in sex acts” and youngsters using the bathroom at the homes of a variety of friends.
This is where things go awful. Four of the children featured in these videos were younger than 12 years of age. They were related to each other or were within the officer's “custody, care or supervisory control.”
After signing a plea bargain, USAF 1st Lt. Jason Daniel Ort, aged 36, will serve the subsequent eleven years of his God-forsaken existence in a federal prison. He was born in Waldorf, Maryland. Ort, who earned his degree while in active duty, has been a part of the Air Force for 18 years. He was deployed to Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan, as well as serving as a cyberspace officer.
The investigation into Ort's activities began in October 2020, when an adult woman notified authorities at the Onondaga County Sheriff's Office in New York that she had discovered a “black spy camera” in her home. The camera's SD card was investigated and on it was “discovered a video of a minor female using the bathroom and lifting up her dress to wipe herself.” While watching, she observed Ort “entering the bathroom and adjusting the camera.”
Ort was detained on the streets of Syracuse, New York, when he was on leave. He confessed to the sheriff's office that he had hidden the camera inside the woman’s home. He laid his cards out on the table, acknowledging that he was responsible for “placing the camera in several other locations, including in a bathroom facing the toilet at a family member's residence in Pocomoke, Maryland.”
When Ort was asked what prompted him to do something like this, he explained that the reason was to “get off,” but it was clear that the actions he took were “wrong.” Ya think? The sheriff's office inspected the SD card they had seized and found “at least 10 video files depicting minor females using the bathroom and bathing,” all shot at the family's home. The sheriff stated that “the camera appeared to be affixed under the sink, facing the toilet and the shower.” The video showed the private areas of a few of the children. The camera also showed an adult female, with whom he was related, showering. A second laptop was equipped with duplicates of a few of the videos, in case Ort lost the originals. Ort had created a “best of” collection.
Military officer or not, all people are individuals, and we're not all the same. The creeps are everywhere and difficult to identify. This isn't a criticism of any aspect of the Air Force. It's more of a warning to be aware of whom you allow into your home–your relatives, friends, or any other acquaintances. Never let your guard down.
