Bikers Against Child Abuse

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Bikers Against Child Abuse (BACA) is a motorcycle club which operates worldwide for the sole purpose of empowering abused children. It is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization as designated by the Internal Revenue Service.

Background

BACA was founded in 1995 Provo, Utah USA. The founder; John Paul "Chief" Lilly,^[1] is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a Registered Play Therapist/Supervisor.^[2] BACA is a U.S. Registered non-profit, 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization with permanent and forming efforts in 47 states and 17 countries. In 2013 BACA reported a total revenue of $827,130, assets of $395,007 and no paid salaries.^[3]

Chief founded B.A.C.A. to satisfy a need in working with abused children. According to his own account, those needs were:^[2]

1. A lack of child safety as the common methods often proved insufficient
2. To provide funding for therapy when needed

The organization states that it "exists with the intent to create a safer environment for abused children".^[4]

Flight 577 incident

On Sunday, January 25, 2004, twenty-one members of BACA, including founder John Paul Lilly, were kicked off a Frontier Airlines plane preparing to leave Denver. The pilot of the airplane returned to the terminal due to concerns for the passenger’s safety after multiple BACA members had made physical threats according to a statement by Frontier Airlines spokesman Joe Hodas. "They felt the safety of the passengers was compromised," Hodas said of the decision to kick the BACA members off the flight. "We wouldn't do it if we didn't have to." ^{[5] [6]} The incident occurred when BACA member Darrell Sparti did not approve of how a father sitting in the seat in front of him, was disciplining his child, who had become restless after a six hour delay before takeoff. ^{[7] [8]}

Houston chapter pedophile

Acting on a tip from the Center for Missing and Exploited Children that an AOL user attempted to e-mail child pornography to another AOL customer on September 16, 2007, the Cyber Crime Unit of the Texas Attorney General’s office announced on March 18, 2009, that after an eighteen month long investigation, David Wayne Garvey (a Houston chapter BACA member) was arrested for possession of child pornography. Investigators from the unit performed a raid on his Beach City house May 29, 2008, and after conducting a forensic examination of the computer they seized, discovered images of child pornography on it. They also found such images on CD’s and in e-mails. A Chambers County grand jury indicted him on March 12, 2009, and he faced third degree felony charges. Garvey’s membership with BACA was revoked by the organization as soon as it was alerted by the Cyber Crimes Unit.^{[9] [10] [11] [12]} Garvey was sentenced on March 29, 2011, to 20 years on four counts of “Possession with intent promote child pornography”, Texas Penal Code 43.26(e). ^{[13] [14]}

Texas child abuse scandal

BACA Sam Bass chapter members Daniel Rodriguez and his wife Shirley Ann Rodriguez, were arrested on July 18, 2018, for what law enforcement called, a heinous and outrageous case of child abuse. ^[15] The Rodriguez faced a total of 23 charges. ^{[16] [17]}

All charges are based on the foster children who were in their care. Shirley Rodriguez’ bail is set at $2.1 million meanwhile Daniel Rodriguez’ is $1.65 million. Affidavits against Shirley Rodriguez indicate that between February 7, and October 27 she was seen hitting a child more than two dozen times including several times in the head and face, throwing the child to the ground, kicking the child on the ground and causing the child to get a bloody nose. Against another child, Shirley Rodriguez grabbed the child’s hair before punching her in the face and head several times. Shirley Rodriguez pushed a third child down a flight of stairs causing a cut that required stitches and the child to miss two days of school. One child, who was 15 at the time, stated that Shirley Rodriguez rubbed the child’s genitals while they were in the shower during which time Daniel Rodriguez would stand by with his pants undone and watch them. This happened with two other children as well who were 13 and 11 at the time. Sometimes Daniel Rodriguez would watch this via video. ^{[18] [19]} Daniel Rodriguez had kicked a child 16 times in the legs and punched another child in the head so hard it caused the child to fall and strike a cabinet. In another incident, Daniel Rodriguez forced one of the children, then 15, to engage in sexual contact with Shirley Rodriguez. The children were often starved and on other occasions force fed. A great deal of the abuse which the children endured was captured on the Rodriguez' home video surveillance system. BACA revoked their membership upon their arrest. ^[20]

Methodology

External videos
How Do Bikers Unite Against Child Abuse and Empower Children? - Badd Bob - TEDxCincinnati

As a child therapist, Chief worked directly with children of abuse. He watched helplessly as many of the children would again be confronted by the perpetrator or were experiencing social anxieties due to the abuse they suffered. Drawing from his own childhood experiences, Chief knew children were safe around bikers and that the bikers would protect them. Skirting the rules of therapy, Chief invited some 40 bikers to a child's house for a barbecue. Later that day, the child's mother called to report that for the first time in months he was riding his bicycle around the neighborhood.^[21] Using the progress the child had made as an example, Chief approached his biker friends about organizing and working together for the sake of abused children.^[2][22][23]

The group operates as a body of bikers, with an agency referral making primary contact with the child and the case, before involving the members. Referrals from outside established agencies are first referred into the system before the BACA responds with any type of contact. The referrals come most often from therapists working with the child, a child advocacy group, a guardian ad litem or a county attorney or assistance district attorney.^[24] The groups then organized a collective ride, only if the child and their family invites the organization to come and make contact along with clinical endorsement by the child's therapist. Many times before the child is contacted the group will meet ahead to establish the rules, the background of the case and who will be meeting them. Rules meeting the child can be no hugging or touching the child until they initiate it, and no crying in front of the child.^[25]

Once they make contact with the child they then present the child with a road name which is what the child is referred to by members to protect them^[1] and vest with the groups logo affixed to it. The logo for the organization is symbolic in many ways with the white representing the innocence of the child, the red is the blood that has been shed, the black represents the dark times the child has gone through, and the skull and crossbones is death to child abuse.^[26]

After contact is established it is cemented by assigning two bikers; one male, and one female normally, who live near to the child, to act as primary contacts for the child and their family. The two bikers then continuously visit the family in the two months after first contact and notify the BACA child liaison of any specific needs the child might have, other members as well as the primary contacts are encouraged to pass by the child's house to remind the child of their presence and protection.^[24] The child is also given the names and phones numbers of the two members assigned to them, and told that anytime that they feel scared or threatened they can call the bikers who will meet with them and/or stand guard until the child feels safe.^[1] The members may also attend court proceedings for the children, escort them to school or errands, or help in any other way the child may need.^[27] The members can help the child's legal guardians to navigate the child-welfare system and how to file different legal documents such as restraining orders and guardianship documents.^[25]

Membership

There are two types of BACA members, individuals can be either a supporter, who are still in a probationary period of approximately one year with a local chapter and a member who have proven to be dedicated, participated in 90% of all activities, passed an NCIC background check and are known to the body of the chapter.^[24]

Anyone who desires to be involved with BACA must first be a supporter in good standing for a minimum of 1 year. Before becoming a supporter a person must be at least 18 years of age, fingerprinted and have an extensive background check performed according to federal^[1] and local laws and customs and must own or have access to a motorcycle. Disqualifying events include convictions for domestic violence and child abuse.^[28] Other events may disqualify an applicant as determined by the Chapter Board (CB). Once completed the background check is reviewed by the CB for approval. Upon unanimous approval, the applicant is granted Supporter status within the local chapter.

Supporters are identified by the small oval worn on the front of their "cut" as local laws allow. As a Supporter an individual is expected and required to attend at least 80% of all mandatory events as well as all other events as available. These events can include court appearances, child rides and monthly meetings and BACA 101. BACA 101 provides training on the Policies and Procedures of the BACA organization.

Those who are members of the group, have nicknames that they utilize while working with the child in order to work around the traditional methodology of defense attorney's who subpoena everyone in the child's life and can leave them alone in the court room.^[29] No member is allowed to be alone with a child, that is being supported by the group.^[27]

References

External links

• Official website
• Video Introduction
• Professor Leads BACA Crusade
• Bikers Guard a Girl's House Night and Day