Former Pfizer Exec Jailed For Child Pornography
12 CommentsBy Ed Silverman // October 17th, 2008 // 2:21 pm
A former global patent director for the drugmaker has been sentenced to 6 1/2 years in prison for possessing child pornography.
Alan Hesketh, a 61-year old British citizen, was sentenced Friday in federal court in Bridgeport, Connecticut after pleading guilty in July to one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography. Authorities had arrested him last March and charged him with posing as a 28-year-old female named “Suzibaby” while trading hundreds of images of children engaged in sexual acts (back story).
“I’m ashamed and embarrassed to be sitting here today,” he told the Court, according to The Day. “I make no excuses for what I have done and I have enormous regret.”
Hesketh used Google’s now-defunct “Hello” program to exchange hundreds of images of child pornography and to engage in online “chats” about the sexual molestation of children. The former exec was put on leave of absence from his New London research and development office following his arrest, and later fired, the Associated Press notes.
Kim Klausner
How does this relate to issues of pharmaceutical companies’ unethical marketing, subversion of the scientific process and price gouging?
Christopher
As was pointed out previously this has nothing to do with the pharma business and everything to do with the behavior of an individual.
Matthew Holford
It *does* have something to do with the pharma business, because what it tells us is that this particular individual was prepared to exploit vulnerable people, for gain. That’s the generic argument, and that’s a little disquieting. Presumably, though, he was just an isolated individual, and not at all resembling the general culture of the Worshipful Company?
Matt
Ed Silverman
Hi Folks,
We had this discussion last March, when this fellow was arrested. So here’s my response, once again - I attempt to cover a wide mix of topics on this site, including executive changes and doings. And to my mind, that includes items that are about execs. I agree that, on the surface, this episode appears to have nothing to do with Pfizer or patents or pharma.
However, given this fellow’s previous role at Pfizer, it may be of interest to others in the company or the industry what is happening to execs and former execs with positions of influence.
Moreover, since I posted about his arrest last March, it is only natural - from a journalist’s point of view - to follow up with a post about his sentencing.
Regards,
Ed
Christopher
Mercy Matt - you’re torturing that logic. Obviously know where you’re coming from but this is stretching it a bit far…
Matthew Holford
Christopher wrote:
“Mercy Matt - you’re torturing that logic…”
Am I? Do you imagine that a person who was prepared to exploit child sex slaves, for example, would fight shy of intimidating an academic whistleblower? Or sending lawyers to intimidate a patient advocate?
One word might be “psychopath.”
Matt
Christopher
Matt, yes, you are implying much more than is there. It is an enormous stretch - unless you want to - to assume that someone who has such obvious problems also possesses swashbuckling powers that would ‘intimdate an academic whistleblower’ or send in the hounds to ‘intimidate a patient advocate’. On what grounds do you support that, other than an apparent distaste for anything related to the pharma industry?
I am in no way condoning his actions. Equally, I cannot see how on earth you can credibly link this episode with a wholesale condemnation of the industry.
Anyway, have a nice weekend.
Bob
I can’t really say that his behavior can be generalized to say anything about the industry in general or Pfizer in particular.
On an individual level, I would note that his arrogance was only overshadowed by his casual distain for those who were unfortunate enough to need a job in his dapartment after the Pharmacia acquisition.
That he got off on pictures involving the abuse of infants comes as not a huge surprise.
Matthew Holford
Christopher wrote:
“Matt, yes, you are implying much more than is there…”
I’m not sure that I am. The pharmaceutical industry is awash with tales of intimidation, conducted at the behest of, or with the knowledge of, executives. It’s a pattern of behaviour; a culture endemic to the industry (and, if truth were told, to that class of people). This guy was part of that culture, that’s all I’m saying.
Matt
Anne
Why is it that a pharmaman gets sent to prison for pornography, but none of the other pharmamen ever get sent to prison for maiming and killing with their drugs?
Justice in MI
Just to Anne’s question (beyond it being rhetorical): The usual argument why “white collar crime” rarely leads to criminal conviction, and especially if one were to convict several top execs, has to do with the perceived consequences beyond the company. That is, it is argued that removing these people would itself cost the public more than keeping them in place via some combination of fines and remedial action.
I am not agreeing with that argument (I don’t); just reporting it.
Chris
At least they jail execs for child porn. If it’s white-collar crime, the company pays a fine and the execs get off free!