Anything, Everywhere, All at once: Offenders may not be whom you suspect
Tuesday, March 7, 2023 3:00 PM
On March 6, a new docuseries, “Jared From Subway: Catching a Monster,” premiered on ID network and Discovery+. The story of Jared - a a father of two who became famous for losing nearly 250 lbs. by eating Subway sandwiches - exposes sexual deviance, including the link between child sexual abuse and bestiality. This story, like so many oythers, demonstrates that animal and child sexual abuse can happen anywere, anytime, and the offender may be someone you least expect. Read more.
Twenty-three years ago - a literal lifetime for many - a young man named Jared Fogle weighed more than 400 lbs. While he in college, he began a radical diet consisting solely of Subway sandwiches, and was highlighted in an article by Men's Magazine on "Stupid Diets ... that Work!" The article caught the attention of the Subway franchising operation, and for the next fifteen years (2000-2015) Fogle was featured in more thann 300 Subway commercials and personal appearances. Fogle used some of the money he made to create a foundation to raise awareness of childhood obesity, naming his friend, Russell Taylor, as its director.
In 2007 Fogle was on a speaking tour at a middle school event in Florida, where he met a local journalist and radio host Rochelle Herman. Fogle was very comfortable with the journalist and over time made several comments that she found alarming, but she "could never find anything of a deviant nature" in his background. Herman became increasingly concerned, however, by his comments about having sex with underaged girls and was particlarly alarmed after Fogle ultimately asked if he could see the journalists children naked.
Over the next several years, Herman saved texts, notes, and recordings of their conversations, ultimately sharing them with the FBI. Meanwhile, another investigation was brewing that involved Fogle's friend Taylor.
In 2014 a woman and her husband became friends with Taylor and his wife, but the friendship soured when Taylor began sending lewd text messages, sometimes sharing links to bestiality websites. In one such exchange, Taylor asked if he and a woman could come to her home and have sex with an animal.
In 2015 a search warrant was executed at Taylor's home, where investigators found not only child and animal pornography, but hidden cameras used to secretly record more than 400 videos of children in various stages of undress, filmed in his bedrooms and bathrooms. In addition, authorities found evidence that Taylor had traded sexually explicit material with his old friend and business associate, Fogle.
In late 2015 Fogle was sentenced to 15 years and 8 months in federal prison. Taylor was ultimately sentenced to 27 years.
The saga of Fogle and Taylor highlights several truths about the prevalence of bestiality and its link to child sexual abuse:
√ It can happen anywhere, anytime, and be perpetrated by someone you least expect.
√ Depictions of bestiality are often linked to child pornograpy.
√ Child and animal sexual abuse occur with alarming frequency, and are often uncovered by a single concerned citizen.
Child and animal sexual abuse are deviant acts that are almost universally illegal. If you know or suspect such abuse, contact your local law enforcement agency. Don't be deterred by embarassment or fear of not being believed. Investigations take time, but be persistent. And if I can help in any way please feel free to Contact Me.