Background Disaster! Need helpful advice...

[VincentHanna]

Hello.

Thank you for reading my post.

I am in a unfavorable situation with a Southern California PD. I was DQ'd by this PD and it was for two reasons. The first is no big deal so I won't even mention it, the second is a big deal and is completely embarrassing to talk about.

I decided, however, to come onto these forums because I value the opinion of the members of this site and hope to gain some help as to how I should fix my situation.

I will be as straightforward as possible. I was in an interview room with my BI and another police officer. The interview was going along fine when out of the blue the BI asked me if I had ever seen a pop up ad for "child pornography".

I said that I may have seen one before but that I wasn't sure. The BI then asked me to think about it, so I then said, "yes, that I had seen one". Why? I don't know. I can't remember, and in my mind I figured "hey, if I had seen one it's no big deal, it's a pop up ad and not a website I intentionally visited."

Then my BI asked me if I clicked on it in order to open it. To which I replied...."NO."

Then my BI kept persistently asking me what the ad looked like and if I could recall what it consisted of. I told my BI I couldn't remember, I closed it immediately after it popped up as I am NOT into that kind of thing.

The BI relentlessly and persistently asked me if I could recall anything over and over again until I finally just gave them details of ANYTHING I could try to remember. What I couldn't remember I guessed and when it was all said and done I found myself describing something I may not have ever even seen at all. I did this because the BI just wouldn't take "I don't remember" for an answer.

Shortly after the interview was completed.

As soon as I walked out of the room and got into my car I realized what had just happened to me. I simply crumbled under the pressure and anxiety of the situation. I was beside myself and completely shocked with what happened. I was cooperating completely and then all of a sudden I was being probed about illegal pornography.

Almost 7 months later this department finally gets back to me. I received a call from my Case Manager telling me that I was DQ'd for having "visited child pornography websites".

Now, I just want to say this before anyone replies. I have never visited a child pornography website nor would I ever. I have younger female siblings and the idea of this makes me completely sick to my stomach.

I am trying to apply elsewhere and have told these departments about my experience with this particular department and it has become a stigma on my name that I cannot overcome. Moreover, I have been looking into sponsoring myself through an academy but I was advised to resolve this issue before I commit.

Is there any way I can go back to this department and correct these findings? By the way, I never filed an appeal because the letter I received stated that it would result in my being disqualified if my appeal was denied. Which is fine but then it went on to say that almost all appeals are denied and then you are completely banned from applying again. It's now too late to file an appeal I believe and besides I already withdrew from the process.

I know that I made a huge mistake. I should of stuck with the truth and said, "I may have seen one yes, but I don't remember what it looks like because I closed it immediately."

Any advice or suggestions on how to clear my name with this PD?

Thanks for your time, I appreciate it.

[BD380]

What else were you DQ'd for? Obviously it's more than "no big deal", since it was bad enough to DQ you for it.

[FutureLE]

Do pop-ups even exist for child porn?? I didnt think anything illegal was allowed to be a pop-up ad...Maybe Im wrong..

Either way, sounds like you are screwed... Your credibility has been burned IMO..

BTW-- You said you "withdrew from the process" , how is that possible if you were DQ'd?

[GB0610]

Its pretty common for Depts to allow applicants to "withdraw" from the process in leiu of being DQ'ed. There are a number of reasons why they allow folks to do that. It allows them an out legally and allows the applicant to save face, both in his/her mind and when they go to apply at other Depts. But really, its all semantics.

To the original poster: All anyone here can really tell you is to stick to your guns at the next dept you apply with. Explain to them exactly what you explained on this board. No one can give you a definite answer as to what their response will be. Keep up the fight if its what you really want.

[k85o911]

ok dude, if i were you i would just forget about the job. you messed up a bit with your answer but it happens to all. it happened to me when i was asked a fireams question which they also cornered me with. they do it on purpose and you fell for it. but to let up in on something my good friend was asked if he was ever naked so he said that when he was 15 he jumped with his friends into his pool. then they asked him if he ever stole, and he said he took a pen from his job 10 yrs ago. He got a DQ saying " he exposed himself to minors" and " stole from work". i guess that was a lesson for him and im sure u learned as well. good luck with other jobs!

[LanJai]

ok dude, if i were you i would just forget about the job. you messed up a bit with your answer but it happens to all. it happened to me when i was asked a fireams question which they also cornered me with. they do it on purpose and you fell for it. but to let up in on something my good friend was asked if he was ever naked so he said that when he was 15 he jumped with his friends into his pool. then they asked him if he ever stole, and he said he took a pen from his job 10 yrs ago. He got a DQ saying " he exposed himself to minors" and " stole from work". i guess that was a lesson for him and im sure u learned as well. good luck with other jobs!

Really? Do they DQ you because you stole a pen from work 10 years ago??? By the way, how should you handle the situation when they keep pressuring you? what should the original poster should have done?

[PhilipCal]

Vincent, while I understand the pressure you found yourself under, you should never admit to conduct you're not guilty of. I gather from your post that you saw a "pop-up" add for child porn. If that was true you say so. If you did not visit the site, you say that as well,and you stick to it. Your post indicates you were goaded or coerced into making a reply which wasn't true. The Case Manager in reviewing the file is only signing off on an admission you made. Not much else he/she can do. If you've missed the deadline for filing an appeal to the DQ, you're probably out of the running for that particular agency. You also mentioned you were DQ'd for something you feel is no big deal. That may be, but it was apparently big enough of a deal for the department to DQ you. My sense is that you're not precluded from applying at other departments. What you're going to have to do though, is fully disclose the reasons for both DQ's. This information will be verified, so be truthful. Once again, never admit to conduct you're not guilty of.

[imallset2]

Vin,

I am going to say keep the faith.

as you can see from two other examples posted on this board some law enforcement agencies (municipal/county police) have reputations for DQing people for items such as this. i have been through the process with various agencies (local/county/federal) and while I have told all the same information i have had results all over the place...but overall i have gotten many more jobs then not in the end.

what you need to do is just fully explain what you believe happened. also the first event that was "no big deal"....well even if the agency was willing to look past the pop up ad this other event may have sealed the deal.

i would consider expanding the geographic scope of your job search. if you are a strong candidate (college, military, etc) find somewhere that is doing some hardcore recruiting now in order to get people. agencies that need qualified bodies are sometimes willing to at least listen to your explaination and may decide favorably. also i know of several agencies that would ask you about it on the polygraph or voice stress and take it from there.

I see you are in OC, CA. i have heard they are pretty hardcore about backgrounds in that neck of the woods with a good number of applicants that allows them to be like that. consider portland, or (who pays relocation money) or scottsdale, az who just launched a national recruitment campain.

[Outshined]

I have never, ever, ever, seen a child pornography pop up. Not in 46 years. Something is wrong here.

[StateChamp]

I have never, ever, ever, seen a child pornography pop up. Not in 46 years. Something is wrong here.

He could have downloaded a song from a peer-to-peer site or something similiar in nature in doing so also downloaded spyware(without his knowledge) or some other kind of trojan along with the song or other file that caused the pop-up.

It happens more than you think, depends on Who, what the person is doing on the computer. Not defending this individual just laying out the facts what could of caused the pop-up.