Last week, Florida’s Hillsborough state attorney elections bubbled to national prominence when incumbent Republican Mark Ober found his lead diminishing amidst a variety of revelations concerning how bad Ober is at his job. The most grotesque were his attempts to wiggle out from the charges that his office not only dropped the ball, but did so egregiously in the case of a 15-year-old who was allegedly sexually abused by an older man from out of state for almost three years.
Alex Pelzer, 26, allegedly forced a Tampa teenager to become his sex slave and met her in D.C. and Maryland hotel rooms for sadistic encounters.
The woman’s family were able to get her case to the media and subsequently the pressures on the state’s attorney’s office were great enough to force action. Ober is running against Democrat Andrew Warren—who brought up this inconvenient fact during a luncheon the other day. Ober’s response was tone deaf and strange, but revealed a sad truth that millions of women around the world have known now forever: most of these authority figures don’t really believe much in rape—they mostly believe in the concept of the wanton woman.
I have a picture of what I call a “sex slave.” And by no means...do not read between the lines, this young girl...this man has committed a crime so don’t read between the lines here. She was with him voluntarily. She flew to see him.
A few media outlets were contacted yesterday, myself included, by someone claiming to be from the family of the young woman, now 18. Included in the email was a letter, reprinted below, in which she explains, in no uncertain terms, how brutally culpable Florida state attorney Mark Ober is in the handling of a case like hers.
Dear Mr. Ober,
It is often considered a baffling thought as to why women so often do not report crimes of a sexual nature. The idea being that reporting will bring protection to the victim, that it will bring closure, and that justice will be served. Prior to my time with you and your administration I would have thought the same things, and assumed these women would unanimously be better off for reporting. Unfortunately, now more than ever, I understand.
The fact is Mr. Ober, that as a result of my time with you and your administration I have felt judged, ridiculed, blamed, dismissed, and uncared for time and time again. I have had people look at me and say that I gave consent in a scenario where consent could not be given. I have been asked more times if I “enjoyed it” than the amount of times I was asked of how it hurt. I have spent months living in fear of my case again being swept under the rug, and that the trauma of reporting though this system would have all been a waste. Because despite you saying you “know the facts” and that you now acknowledge a crime was committed, you closed my case. You closed my case and said there were no charges to be pressed, and that there was nothing that could be done for me. After months of being thrown from detective to detective, fighting just to get updates and a call back, I was told no wrong was committed and that I would have been too easy to blame. I was pushed away, and I was not worth your time. It is only thanks to BTLS Radio, and WTSP Channel 10 News that you even took a second look. Making it truly frightening to think of all the other victims you’ve surely turned away, that did not have the resources I did to continue to push their case forward.
The sad truth is Mr. Ober, that after my experience with you if I were ever assaulted, raped, or anything of the nature again and you were still my States Attorney I would not report it. Because I have felt more exploited through the experience of having you as my only outlet to justice than I had in the entire time of the crime that brought me to your door in the first place. I say that not as a plea to women who have not reported to hide their victimization, but to highlight how thoroughly you have failed me and my family, and surely so many more women before my time. I have merely been lucky enough, if one can even call it that, to be one of the few to make it through. Because with you in office, so few do.
So you may say what you want about me, and my case, to whatever forum or paper or news outlet comes your way. There’s not much harm you can do anymore. But I will still stand every day and say with all assurance that your time in office must come to an end. Because no victim deserves to be treated the way I have been. Because every victim needs to be able to come out of this stronger than before. Because no victim deserves to have to be represented by you. Because you do not deserve this job, you do not have my trust, and you will not have my vote. It is my sincere hope that others will commit the same.
Regards,
The Girl You Will Not Forget.