by Elizabeth Vos, Disobedient Media:

Allegations of sex abuse that began with Harvey Weinstein on the West Coast have incrementally shifted towards facets of the political, economic and media spheres of the U.S. Eastern seaboard. A surge in public willingness to come to terms with the stark reality of abuse perpetrated by members of the establishment suggests that it is time to re-examine the testimony of survivors who have previously come forward with allegations.

Disobedient Media spoke with Greg Bucceroni, a survivor of sex trafficking, who described his experiences in an alleged child sex ring in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s that primarily targeted troubled young boys on the East Coast. The network was said to be comprised of known human traffickers, abusers and producers of child pornography with ties to organized crime who openly associated with prominent political figures, including some who have been accused of indiscretions in the past.

While Bucceroni has been attacked by certain media outlets for his statements in 2012, Disobedient Media’s investigation into his claims found them to be highly credible. Bucceroni’s assertions are corroborated by media reports, emails published by Wikileaks, FBI documentation of mafia activity and testimony from a congressional committee hearing obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests.

Despite Bucceroni’s previous press interviews regarding his claims of abuse, a large portion of what Disobedient Media learned from him has never before been made public. Bucceroni’s story is particularly significant because his allegations reveal the intersection of political clout, organized crime and a systematic abuse of children that transcends political affiliation.

Mr. Bucceroni’s statements to Disobedient Media and other outlets ultimately provide a narrative of vulnerable youth who were sexually targeted by wealthy philanthropists, politicians and organized crime networks, often through charitable institutions.

Disobedient Media is the first outlet to confirm a connection between Bucceroni’s testimony and a nationwide criminal enterprise that trafficked underage sex workers and produced child pornography. This particular network was documented in 1982 by the New York State Select Committee On Crime. The committee’s report covers the time period in which Bucceroni describes being trafficked. After reviewing additional FBI documents, Disobedient Media can validate significant claims made by Bucceroni, and raise serious questions regarding currently active members of the political establishment.

Bucceroni initially gained public attention after his testimony was published by the New York Daily News, in 2012. The outlet’s report describes Bucceroni’s claims that he was a “child prostitute” associated with a pedophile ring that included former Philadelphia businessman, Ed Savitz, philanthropist Samuel Rappaport,  former Penn State coach, Jerry Sandusky, Coach Phil Foglietta, and former Wharton School of Business professor, Lawrence Scott Ward. Ward is currently serving a prison sentence for trafficking in child porn and smuggling photos and videos of himself having sex with a teenage Brazilian boy. Others involved with the abuse, according to Bucceroni, included Dennis Hastert, Lawrence King, and even former DNC Chair, Ed Rendell among others.

The Philadelphia native told Disobedient Media that he was initially motivated to come forward with his experiences in 2011, after the Sandusky pedophilia scandal emerged, because a friend of his had been raped by Sandusky as a minor. Bucceroni told us that his friend later committed suicide.

As Bucceroni told Disobedient Media, that he, himself, had been used as a child prostitute by infamous alleged pedophile Eddy Savitz. Bucceroni alleges that Savitz operated in conjunction with philanthropist Sam Rappaport, abusing a large number of troubled boys who were easily accessible through the South Philadelphia Boys Club.

In the wake of abuse allegations leveled at Sandusky, Reutersdescribed the Coach’s use of a charity he founded to procure specifically at-risk children, stating, “The Second Mile, [is] a charity for disadvantaged youth that prosecutors say founder Jerry Sandusky used to find his child sex abuse victims.” Reuters’ observation provides a sobering parallel to Bucceroni’s description of the South Philadelphia Boys Club as a pool of particularly vulnerable boys who Savitz easily accessed and victimized.

Bucceroni explained that he was a ‘juvenile delinquent,’ and that he was one of many other ‘troubled’ young boys prostituted by Savitz to influential pedophiles like Sandusky and Dennis Hastert in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. Bucceroni’s statements to Disobedient Media indicated that influential pedophiles would typically target children who were financially and emotionally vulnerable to create a dependence on drugs or financial support, and that this often took place under the guise of philanthropy.

Bucceroni told Pundit Press that he was first introduced to Ed Savitz through social campaign events on behalf of prominent Democrat Ed Rendell during his bid for Philadelphia District Attorney.

Although Savitz was eventually arrested for alleged sexual abuse of minors, The Daily News reported that Savitz died of AIDS just before the beginning of his trial in 1993. The New York Times wrote that authorities recovered 5,000 images of child pornography from Savitz’ residence. Additional reports stated that 200 bags of dirty underwear and socks were also recovered, along with 100 photographs taken at a “storage facility.”

The New York Times added that Savitz had first been arrested on charges of sexual abuse of minors in 1978, but that Savitz’ record was expunged after completing a brief stint in rehab.  The Savitz case recalls the infamous Belgian Dutroux scandal. Like Marc Dutroux, Savitz appeared to be a middleman amongst an extensive ring of child abusers, rather than a lone predator. Bucceroni claims that as a result of being trafficked by Ed Savitz, he interacted with a number of prominent figures ranging from Dennis Hastert and Tom Foglietta to Lawrence King, all of whom engaged in pedophilia. Bucceroni told Disobedient Media that these interactions often took place at official political events. Bucceroni recounted that children were exploited for sexual acts in after-parties once the political event ended.

Bucceroni told Disobedient Media that Lawrence King, central figure in the Nebraska Credit Union scandal, would host trips to “take kids from the South Philly Boys Club to Washington D.C.” Bucceroni explained that he was never tortured by Savitz or Lawrence King and was not personally aware of others being tortured but that Savitz used the “honey approach rather than vinegar.”

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