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With related video

Editor's Note: If you or someone you know has a youth in the Cedar Bridge Military Academy or scheduled to attend, please contact bureau chief Buzz Keough / bkeough@pressofac.com.

TOMS RIVER - The leader of a youth-based military adventure camp is facing charges of possession and distribution of child pornography, Ocean County Prosecutor Marlene Lynch Ford said Wednesday.

Steven T. Baryla, 27, head of the Cedar Bridge Military Academy, was arrested Tuesday and is free on $200,000 bail. As part of his bail conditions, Baryla was ordered to have no contact with minors. He also was forbidden to use the Internet, according to authorities.

Baryla was home Wednesday evening but declined to talk to a reporter. His sister Denise McCullough provided a piece of paper with the name of a Toms River attorney representing her brother. The attorney could not be reached for comment.

"He's innocent until proven guilty," McCullough said.

Neighbors in Toms River described Baryla and his family as nice, quiet and respectful. Those who knew the family were surprised to see police cars and Federal Bureau of Investigation agents at the Wyoming Drive home Tuesday morning.

"He's very nice with the kids. I can't even believe it, I was just talking to him the other day," neighbor Phyllis-Ann Zerbo said.

Authorities also searched Cedar Bridge Military Academy's nearby offices and found evidence of child pornography, Ford said in a news release.

On its Web site, Cedar Bridge describes itself as a "private, faith-based youth-serving organization dedicated to providing young adults with an intense, rewarding experience through military and high-adventure training." Baryla serves as director and first sergeant of the organization.

"We conduct year-round after-school activities for youth ages 11-17 in the New Jersey/tri-state area, as well as summer leadership camps for teens from around the world," the Web site states.

A video of the group's activities shows campers marching in military fatigues, descending sheer walls with only ropes and playing war games in the woods.

The investigation began in Beachwood, Ocean County, when a "concerned citizen" contacted police there, authorities said. Beachwood police sought the assistance of the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office's Computer Crimes Unit. Eventually, both Toms River police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation joined the investigation, Ford said.

Cedar Bridge's administrative offices are located on Route 166 in Toms River. Telephone calls to the admissions office and superintendent's office were not returned Wednesday.

According to its Web site, Cedar Bridge draws campers from New Jersey and beyond.

These are not the first allegations directed toward Cedar Bridge. The family of a previous camper, identified only as M.S., filed a federal civil lawsuit in December claiming the juvenile was assaulted by camp employees, "made to eat his own vomit," threatened with having to clean up feces and dubbed "Puke Bucket" by the staff.

The lawsuit, which names Baryla and Cedar Bridge as defendants, also alleges camp employees made M.S. listen to sexually explicit stories.

M.S. attended Cedar Bridge's two-week residential teen summer camp in York County, Pa., in July 2007.

In a counter-claim, Baryla and Cedar Bridge officials said the lawsuit is frivolous and has caused the York-area Boy Scouts Council to forbid Cedar Bridge from using its campgrounds for the 2009 summer training sessions, causing "traumatic damage to all the children who will not be able to attend."

Regional Bureau Chief Buzz Keough contributed to this report.

22 comments:

• laassttrraax07 (2) posts 4:43 pm

  i am a CMA cadet and all i can say is im sick of all of this talk. none of you people ever met nor know baryla well. he is a great man no matter what you people say. you can't judge someone by what some scummy news says. who are you to pass judgement on someone you don't know. none the less judge someone but some stupid allegations that were on the internet. you are all cruel people to say what you do. to the people that know baryla they back him up 150% because they know that he is a good man no matter the circumstances. he is my idol!!!! i dont care what this news report states nor do i care what any other reports on the internet i will always have the utmost respect of the 1sg baryla. He made me in the person i am today. he turned me from some mean, rude, bad kid to a polite and good kid. i owe him everything. i wouldnt have graduated CMA without his help. encouraging me and always telling me i can do much better. he is one of the greatest role models i know of. im absolutely sick of what all you say about him when you have no clue. you all need to sit back and realize that this man is just like you and me. if this were to happen to you and you were not guilty would you want people to go against you, and just believe what the news says and ruin your life... i dont think so. treat people as you would like to be treated yourself. right now it seems if you were in this situation you would want everyone to ridicule you and put you below them make them feel like scum. i pray for baryla and his family. and 1sg if you are reading this no matter what any of this stuff says all of the cadets from my platoon will always stand by you... -Cdt Marianne Lastra

• Fottmon (1) posts 10:44 pm

  Well, I was a Cadet at this academy this same year. I was a "staff" member. We were students as well but we went through the basic training already as our "M.S." has. When I was a "recruit" we were given nick-names and such as well but it helped motivate us to do better. But any way, this M.S. character was never made to eat his vomit, I talked to Sgt. Baryla about this. This kid would fake sicknesses and make himself puke so he wouldn't have to eat the food or do PT. I witnesses this entire thing firsthand b/c the staff ate with the recruits. Sgt. Baryla told me that there are three things he could (and never would) deny us: food, water, and the bathroom. That kid never had to eat his vomit and as far as the "sexually explicit" conversations keep in mind that the staff was full of teenage kids and teenage kids always talk about their "sex stories" and experiences. I talk about this with my friends all the time, so I don't think he was forced to listen but he may have been in the vicinity of the conversation and overheard bits and pieces. As far as the child porn I have no idea where that came from. Steve Baryla is a good man and he was my idol. He is a pastor and he was stern but when you needed to talk about something personal, he switched to Steve and left First Sgt. outside for a while. This is when I asked him about "puke-bucket" and I always talked to him about things going on in the camp b/c I did not agree with everything that was going on. I trust this man and I would trust him with any kids. There are times when people get upset with you and try to exact their revenge, maybe, just maybe, this man "Ziggy" whom the first sergeant kicked out of the camp was angry with him and decided to upload these pictures to his data bases. Who knows what could of happened but Baryla himself. I loved this camp and everyone was like a family. Mr. Baryla was a great man and I would have gone back to his camp every year, but tuition started to sky rocket. First Sergeant, if you read this, this is Cadet Corporal Curry MP (you gave me the handcuffs and an entire box of MREs) I don't know if you remember me, but I hope that these allegations are not true.

• imsolost (1) posts 8:20 pm

  FLjerzeygirl, I am so confused. First of all this thing with Zabrowski you heard from his x wifes friend who posted it on some web site... "HONESTLY" If you were on Judge Judy she would throw you out of her court. "THATS HEAR SAY AND SLANDER" You dummy... Who honestly cares about his past or him he was not arrested. This is not about him. You are just mad because he made a comment to the press so you went and made a nasty dirty comment about him you heard from some third party. Also Mr. Baryla "CMA" because thats who he is... CMA right? If he was not, then camp would have not been canceled. Right? If this thing "YOUR ACADEMY" was as big as it looked on his web site then it would have gone on. He is just one person. Your site makes it look like you guys have like 100 employees. All these phone extentions when you call. Who are you trying to fool here. So are you going to make returns on these people who lost there money? Or are you not? You keep skating around on what you are actually going to do. Just give them there dam money back. You guys are actually going to use the whole it said "NO REFUNDS THING" seriously... Come on... Just for the record where did Mr. Baryla "AKA" "CMA" come up with the $200,000.00 bail? Huh? Enquireing minds want to know... Now I know your gona say mind my own bussiness.. But he is a public figure right? So do tell... Explain that one first... Then as far as the whole porn thing goes... You seem to leave out that there was some sort of "CONTACT" with someone in another town right? Beachwod I believe. Are you going to tell us that was also some one else using his computer? Im sure they have was of tracking this stuff. I may be reaching out on a limb here but I really feel like you have a closer connection with Mr. Baryla than you are leading on about... A family member? Hmmmm.... Again to refresh.... 1) Leave Zabrowski alone. 2) Where did he get the cash for his bail? 3) Do you are he plan on returning the money to these poor parents or kids, because they are the "TRUE" victims here 4) Finally and trust me if he was just looking at porn as you say and it was an 18 and older website. I bet they would not be arresting him. It would be on the website... You dummy... Or are you seriously blind... If he was to get convicted on facts like the arrest im sure made on facts... Will you still think there is some sort of JFK conspiracy going on here or would you accept the decision? It really seems like it was just one shooter from the book depository, No one on the knolls or in the bushes... Sorry

• fljerzeygirl (5) posts 12:48 pm

  I am not sure if my post went up or not, but to be sure that my views are heard I will repost. I am not a kool-aid drinking puppet that has been Barylas girlfriend so there goes another answer to a comment made. The Zambrowski comment came from a post from Donalds ex-wifes friend that stated the reason for the divorce was that he engaged in certain acts that werent becoming of a husband, and from what I understand no they were not minors they were adults also. So if anyone of you were to look at pornography on your computer and someone decided that they didnt like you and reported this behavoir to authorities this could be you, it doesnt matter that you were on a website that has adults but if just one of the people in these so called movies is under the age of 18 even if you dont know you can be charged with having child pornography. I personally dont watch porno movies but there are alot of normal people who do and that doesnt make them bad people it is what they choose to do. So as I said before dont be judge and jury until all the facts are out, I choose to believe in Baryla because I have the right to my opinions as does everyone, but too many people are jumping to conclusions to fast and saying things that are untrue or not proven, like I said before why not let the justice system do the job they are suppose to do and then when all is said and done everyone will have their answers. As for all you parents that are out there who had campers going this year remember that supplies were ordered, campground was paid for so refunds may not be as fast as you would like, but then again there goes the comments of people saying embezzlement, again why not wait till all facts are out before you jump the gun, CMA I am sure is not happy about having to cancel camp, and by their own words it was only done because there was not enough adult supervision once these charges came of light to safley have done so, I see responsibility there, they could have continued the camp without Baryla but they chose not to put any children in danger. So for those of you that think I am brainwashed or a puppet neither is true I just choose to believe in Baryla as is my right, just as you have your rights, Baryla also has the rights to be innocent until proven guilty!!!

• fljerzeygirl (5) posts 12:21 pm

  First of all I am not a kool-aid drinking, brainwashed puppet at all, and I am not Barylas girlfriend either so there goes 2 of the accusations made. As for the comment I made about Zambrowski if you have been reading these post his ex-wifes friend told us all the reason why he and his wife divorced so I am going by what information has been brought to light by all of this. I am just saying that too many people jump to conclusions before they know the full story and by doing so peoples lives are ruined and I am not only talking about Baryla there are alot of other people that are affected by these allegations. I have seen post by children that have attended camp and they are surprised by these allegations, these are children that were there and they didnt

• orderofthehorseshoe (1) posts 8:55 pm

  FLjerzeygirl, I have a question? First of all. I have nothing to do with this in any way shape or form. But when you commented on Mr. Zabroski were these men you spoke of adults? Was it in private? Did it have anything to do with anything related to this case at all, besides the fact you are commiting "SLANDER" and you could get in trouble for that? Are you Mr. Baryla's girlfriend coming to the rescue? If Mr. Zabroski was so bad why was he a employee of this school? Hmmmmm.... Sounds shady to me. As far as I see it the truth is out there and it will come to light. Just give it time. Sounds like this Mr. Baryla is nothing more than a person who uses people who are either down on there luck or have confidence issues. Do you need him or does he need you? I say he was a NERD growing up and spent alot of time with his head in the toilet or being shoved into trash cans with the other nerds. His picture looks like he is a dork. I bet he breast fed for much longer than he needed to. No he preys on people who have issues with themselves. FLjerzeygirl are you having any confidence issues. What does he actually do for anyone or does everyone just hand over there money to this guy. OMG people must be crazy just to send there kid somewhere without doing and investigations. As far as Kool Aid goes. Heck, I love Kool Aid "AKA Bug Juice" all you have to do sweetie is walk away and see if you need him or if he needs you. If he needs you ask your self why? If you need him ask the same question. Does he put you and others down to make himself seem better or stronger? Does he like ORANGE? Does he yell alot to try to scare you or others? Confront him and see what happens. I bet he will not challenge you. Why you might ask? Because he is a bully. Does he like ORANGE? Well it may actually be better than camo. See if a pack of smokes really goes a long way. All I can say is. Hope he is the big man he presents himself to be. As for you FLjerzeygirl you will be fine. The easiest way to forget someone is to meet another. Remember, Jodi has your girlfriend now.

• ConcernedParent (0) posts 3:35 am

  and please tell me... why would they be jealous of him???? hehehehe hahahaha give me a break!

• ConcernedParent (0) posts 3:22 am

  FLjerzeygirl: I feel sorry for you. Obviuosly Baryla has made you one of his kool-aid drinking, brainwashed puppets. I mean that in the nicest way possible. So many kids and parents bought his line of bull- including me. Fortunately, it has had a good impact onmany kids despite the reality of who he is. Question is, however, do parents really want to take the chance of subjecting thier kids to him? I say NO, and that's my duty as a good, responsible parent. I know Steve has been selling the story that the whole world is out to get him. Truth is, Steve has been out to try to get the whole world and get away with it. After speaking with person, after person, after person- people who have personal and professional associations with Baryla and no associations with each other, I have come to understand who he really is. Im sure he is not sharing with you the stories of his past investigations, lawsuits (yes, that PLURAL), refusals to pay people for their products AND professional services, his true military background, etc., etc., etc. Are you to tell me that everyone of these people have banded together to bring him down because they have nothing better or more important to focus on in thier lives. Perhaps the investigator, the prosecutors office, the PD, the FBI, the DCIS and everyone else are all out to get him too. Quite the Conspiracy Theory, no??? Not to mention that he ows parent WELL OVER $300,000 and no one has seen a dime. Perhaps there's some embezzlement going on here, as well. I don't know. If there is, we will find out. One thing Baryla perhaps didn't each enough of is free thinking. You don't know whether the allegation are false or not, as you state, even if you do BELIEVE they are false. Given all that has come out, why don't you make an effort to at least look at all of the facts and his history before you declare this guy the saviour of New Jersey youth. It's better to be informed and accurate, regardless of whether you find what you believed to be a lie or the truth than it is to be ignorant to a situation altogether. Blind faith might work for God, but Baryla is no god. As for Mr. Zabroski, I don't understand why you guys are trying to smear him. First of all, he's shown a lot of care and compassion for the kids. He was the one that drove to Harrisburg to await any kids that might fly in while CMA made no effort to contact thier parents. They were left behind by CMA and Zabroski went out of his way for them. Whether or not what you say about is true or not, I don't know. And honestly, I don't care. By smearing Zabroski, you smear your christ-child Baryla because it is Baryla that kept him there as a Chaplain for several years. So if Baryla is using a supposedly unmoral and unethical person, as you apparently believe him to be, to be the Chaplain of children, then it is Baryla's lack of character and judgement that you highlight. I dont know if this man is a homsexual, and again, I don't care, but I know there are plenty of homosexuals with values and morals. I don't know any criminals that do. Nor do I know any pedophiles that do. As for Baryla's life and reputaion, and dream and business... well, maybe he will be found innocent of these child porn charges. You never know what will happen in the justice system- even OJ is, by law, innocent. But my opinion is that no one should ever do business with Baryla- with or without children involved. His business ethics are as shady as they come. An I have instance after instance after instance (you can now add another 150 instances to that) to back it up. Knowledge is power. Spit out the kool-aid and take a little taste.

• fljerzeygirl (5) posts 4:16 pm

  First of all to all of you out there that do not know the full story and are going by what you hear from this one and that one, why not let the justice system do their job, I know that in this country you are innocent until proven guilty, but this is going the other way. Steven has had many people who are jealous and want to bring him down, and this is just the way to do it. Allegations are being made that are not true, as time will tell the truth will come out. Also when it comes to anything that Donald Zabroski says I would remember who he is a christian minister by his own words that divorced his wife because he had an affair with 2 men but he wont tell you that now will he, he is a liar who did have access to all the computers at the academy so just watch who you believe. This mans life has been ruined and all that he has done for alot of children is over because someone had a vendetta against him and knew the perfect way to get him back, to me it seems pretty funny that these charges came the week camp was to start. I believe in Steve and hope that the justice system does their job and makes sure that once they clear his name they then can try to repair his life.

• Baryla_is_a_Fake (1) posts 1:49 am

  CMA Support: First off, I'll commend you for clearly being loyal to someone who you think you can trust and who seems to have earned your respect. It's clear that you speak with conviction, as you support Mr. Baryla. Unfortunately, your loyalties are truly misplaced. Baryla is quite simply a used-car salesman in an Army uniform. Here are some facts: a. He never completed Army Basic Training. b. As a result, he surely was never a Drill Sergeant, nor certainly a 1SG. c. He's not a minister, except perhaps through some mail order matchbook service. d. He was involuntarily discharged from another nationwide and reputable Cadet Corps for falsifying documents and refusal to follow regulatons and orders. e. He has created an empire, whereby he - as a "1SG" - is the center of all authority, giving no one else the authority to make a decision. f. He has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Defense Criminal Investigative Service and New Jersey Department of Youth and Family Services for a multitude of issues ranging from child abuse to misuse of the Post Exchange at Fort Dix. g. He is officially persona non gratis at Fort Dix. h. At one time, he wore an Air Assault Badge, which he certainly did not earn in the Army. This is a violation of the "Stolen Valor Act." This young man is all smoke and mirrors. Although he can come across as pleasant and well-spoken, yet he always has an ulterior motive. In most cases, the motive is to have the parent spend as much money with him as possible. Be afraid of this guy. He's a snake and a fraud. For the good that he has done, he's harmed many others. His "Full Metal Jacket" approach to leadership of Cadets is dangerous and not a reflection of today's Army. We all know that CMA will not continue without Baryla. With what I've learned regarding the facts and circumstances about his arrest, it seems that he's be wearing a different (orange) uniform. I wonder if he'll be so tough under those circumstances. To top it off, using $20k of a non-profit's money to bail himself out is not only illegal, but a real kick in the teeth to those have lost thousands of dollars to this crook. He's going to jail...it couldn't happen to a nicer guy!

• CMAsupport (5) posts 12:43 am

  The staff of Cedar Bridge is doing the best they can in the current situation. When the academy referred to manifests that were taken we were referring directly to the flight information that was only available from one computer, a computer that was taken from the office. Information was made available to families as soon as the staff reached a conclusion as to what had to be done. Due to the allegations that have arisen CMA was unable to have a sufficient number of adults at summer camp. Rather than put the students at risk to the media the adults decided that the lesser of two awful situations was to cancel camp. Information is being passed on to parents in a variety of ways. In addition to the information being posted on the forums an e-mail was sent out to all parents, phone calls were also made to ensure that all students were informed. Concerning Mr. Zabroski, he is in no way affiliated with Cedar Bridge any longer, and many decisions and plans have been made that he was never involved in. Cedar Bridge is working on the refunds for all families; make no mistake we do plan on refunding all of the money to those who had planned to take part in the training this summer. The academy’s concern has always been for the children enrolled in the academy; that is why camp cannot be conducted this year. Please understand that the recruit families are not the only ones affected by this decision. We have countless return campers, not to mention volunteers with the academy that were left in the same position. I understand that you would like more information, and Cedar Bridge is working as hard as possible to determine what to do. As soon as the academy has more information all the parents will be contacted, please try to remain patient.

• CMAsupport (5) posts 12:41 am

  I found this posted and thought some of you posting here should take a look at this.- While it is unfortunate for the parents and kids who intended on going to camp, they will recover, some quicker than others, and move on. Unfortunately 1SGT Baryla wont recover fast and whether or not there is truth in this, his reputation and hard work will be scarred and his life work thrown aside for what could be untruths. I for one, along with our family support and trust him and will NOT allow his reputation to be destroyed in our eyes. Last I heard, a person is inocent until proven guilty and we all owe it to him to not pass judgement without due process. Even then, for what he is accused of, there are a multitude of possibilities as to what happened...many which may have happened without his knowledge. I'm sure our kids never visit sites they shouldnt and never send emails that may have attachments that are not appropriate. I'm sure they never use our computers and do these things...do they. Is it beyond possibility that someone else could do this? Just think before you all condemn a person and an organization that has served us well. -A Cedar Bridge Cadet parent

• ConcernedParent (0) posts 12:00 am

  TO CMA PARENTS: I RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM ANOTHER ANGRY PARENT WHO WAS INFORMED BY PHONE (2 DAYS AFTER THE DECISION WAS MADE) THAT CAMP HAD BEEN CANCELLED. WHEN THEY ASKED FOR A REFUND, THE PARENT WAS TOLD THAT REFUNDS WOULD BE CREDITED TOWARDS NEXT YEARS CAMP. FOR MOST OF US, THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. IF YOU HAVE LEARNED SOME OF THE FACTS ABOUT BARYLA OR ARE IN THE LEAST BIT UNCOMFORTABLE WITH HIS ACTIONS, ALLEGATIONS, AND THE SAFETY OF YOUR CHILD, YOU ARE PROBABLY NOT WILLING TO SUBMIT YOUR CHILD TO THE CARE OF HIS CAMP NEXT YEAR, OR EVER. WHAT DO YOU DO? FIRST, DONT BOTHER CONTACTING HIS LAWYER THEY REFERRED US TO. HE REPRESENTS BARYLA ONLY, NOT THE CAMP. HE WONT GIVE YOU ANY INFORMATION, HE DOESNT WANT YOUR PHONE CALLS, AND ONLY RECENTLY LEARNED THE CAMP EVEN EXISTED. SECOND, IF YOU PAYED BY CREDIT CARD, CALL YOUR CC COMPANY AND DISPUTE THE CHARGE. NORMALLY IT WOULD BE TOO LATE, BUT SINCE THE SERVICE WAS NOT RENDERED AND NOT SCHEDULED TO BE RENDERED UNTIL THE NEXT FEW DAYS, THEY WILL ALLOW YOU TO DIPUTE IT. Do Not Wait Until It Is Too Late. Do It NoW!!!CANCEL YOUR HOTEL RESERVATIONS AND FLIGHTS. KEEP ALL OF YOUR RECIEPTS FOR GEAR, TUITION, FLIGHTS, ETC. THIRD, EMAIL ME AT CMA.PARENTS.UNITE.@GMAIL.COM AND/OR JOIN THE PARENTS-OF-CMA FACEBOOK PAGE (NOT CREATED BY ME) AT: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Parents-of-Cedar-Bridge-Miltary-Academy-Cadets/118356089135?ref=mf . THIS IS SO THAT WE MAY HAVE A WAY OF CONTACTING YOU. I HAVE BEEN CONTACTED BY MANY PARENTS, BUT THERE ARE AT LEAST 100, SO THERE ARE MANY MORE TO BE FOUND. THE INVESTIGATOR IS LOOKING INTO GETTING THE CONTACT INFORMATION TO ME ONE WAY ANOTHER BUT I MAY HAVE TO FILE AN OPEN DISCLOSURE REQUEST IN ORDER TO DO SO. THAT MAY TAKE TIME. CONTACT US ASAP. FOURTH, WE WILL BE SEEKING LEGAL COUNSEL AFTER THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND TO FIND OUT WHAT OUR OPTIONS ARE. IF WE HAVE A WAY TO CONTACT YOU, WE CAN LET YOU KNOW THE RESULTS OF THAT. WE NEED TO KNOW HOW MANY PARENTS WANT TO CONSIDER THE LEGAL OPTIONS OF RECOUPING ALL MONIES, INCLUDING TUITION, FLIGHTS, FEES, UNIFORMS, SUPPLIES, ETC. LASTLY, THE U.S.ARMY CORPS OF CADETS HAS OPENED THEIR DOORS TO CMA ENROLLEES. THEY HAVE ABOUT 30 SPOTS OPEN. THEY ARE FAR MORE REPUTABLE, AND FROM WHAT I CAN TELL, WELL SUPPORTED BY THE US ARMY, AND HAVE FAR BETTER FACILITIES. I AM NOT AFFILIATED WITH THEM, THIS IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT, ITS AN OPTION. ALWAYS DO YOUR HOMEWORK. THERE ARE FEES, ETC, BUT THEY HAVE OFFERED TO WAVE THEIR $200 LATE FEE FOR OUR KIDS. FOR SOME OF US, IT MAY NOT BE AN OPTION FINANCIALLY. BUT IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO LOOK INTO IT, LOOK AT http://www.goarmycadets.com/military-adventure-camp.php "AN OSTRICH WITH HIS HEAD IN THE SAND IS JUST AS BLIND TO OPPORTUNITY AS HE IS TO DISASTER." CMA.PARENTS.UNIT@GMAIL.COM

• laassttrraax07 (2) posts 11:55 am

  i attended CMA and i am none the less shocked by all these accusations. I would of never guessed something like that would happen especially by SGT Baryla. During camp there was nothing that would lead anyone to believe that Baryla would do something like that. I always thought of CMA as the best experience ever. I don't regret attending CMA and nor should anyone else.

• MilitaryAdvCamp (2) posts 10:37 pm

  To those young people and parents affected by the closing of Cedar Bridge's program, please take a look at http://www.goarmycadets.com/military-adventure-camp.php . The U.S. Army Cadet Corps, Inc. IS NOT IN ANY WAY ASSOCIATED WITH CEDAR BRIDGE. We would just like to give the young people a chance at participating in a quality program this summer.

• ConcernedParent (0) posts 2:14 am

  For the parents of CMA recruits and cadets: You have NOT been given the full story. This is worse than you think. CMA has ignored us, lied to us (Yes, it's a fact, they HAVE lied!!!) I have spoken with Zabroski, the Investigator, and several parents. This was NOT an isolated allegation, and it wasn't simply a picture that came across or sent... it was, as my sources tell me, an ONGOING conversation. Cedar Bridge is not concerned with refunds after closing camp, nor were they concerned about contacting parents. They claimed investgators took all of thier computers and documents, hence, they could not contact us. THAT IS A LIE! Investigators siezed Baryla's computer and copies of documents. They want to reopen Cedar Bridge under a new name and keep the money coming in. They had new recruits on flights from overseas and didnt even notify the parents that camp was closed and that they would have no one to meet them at the airport! I have opened an email account for parents of recruits and cadets. We need to see what our legal options are to recoup our money. cma.parents.unite@gmail.com

• ConcernedParent (0) posts 1:58 am

  I am a parent of a recruit who was enrolled to attend camp this summer. I understand that a lot of people are backing Mr. Baryla on this issue; even I, who has not met him, was not quick to rush to judgement and was even considering sending my child, so long as the accused was not going to be at the camp and I could feel sure my child was safe. This is no longer the case. The facts are getting sketchier by the moment. I have no doubt that this has camp has been a great experience for a great number of kids an dI believe that they had no reason to question the integrity of Mr. Baryla. However, I have spoken with the now resigned Chaplain, several parents and the Investigating Detective. Here is what I've found: The Academy has cancelled this year's camp. They have not made an effort to reach out and contact parents of cadets to inform them of this. They wont even answer thier phones- AT ALL! They have, in fact, LIED. They claimed that investigators took all of their computers and documents during the search which left them with no cotact information. THIS IS A LIE! Investigators DID not take all the computers and they only took COPIES of thier information! They do have a computer in their office with everyone's contact information AND the hard copy enrollment packets! Children are on flights as I type from OVERSEAS, with no one to meet them at the airport! Parents who are aware of the situation are scrambling to recover their children! And we don't even know if all parents are aware as the only way of knowing is to check the camp forums of which not all parents use or are even registered to use. Mr. Baryla's concern right now???... How to reopen the camp under a new name and keep the money coming in!!! That was the main topic of their meeting! As for his alleged activities... Investigators stated that it does not appear that anyone else at the camp was involved, no does it appear that the image was of a minor involved with the camp or that it occured there. What they DID say was that their definition of child porn is that of a minor under the age of 16 engaged in sexual activity, and that they do not serve search or arrest warrants if the individual "appears to be around the age of 16". That says something. They also state that this is NOT linked to the ongoing lawsuit with the minor referred to as "puke bucket", and that they were not even aware of the lawsuit until the reports came out. My sources tell me that Mr. Baryla was caught via an ongoing series of very explicit messages; that the investigators were notified and posed as another person; that he was caught, esentially, red-handed. Investigators have not confirmed that, but that is what I'm told. What the prosecuters DID confirm is this is not the first allegation of child porn against Mr. Baryla, though they could not state why charges were not filed in the previous instances. Another issue, though not of terrible concern to me, is the validity of Mr. Baryla's military experience. The investigators allude to the notion that he never served. Others close to him are also questioning his history. However, he has claimed to others that he holds the rank of 1st Sgt in the Army. As a veteran myself, I can tell you that that is NOT POSSIBLE at the age of 27. Could he be an E-6 at age 27? Sure. An E-8? No chance. As for our money... we hve spent THOUSANDS, I'm estimating around 3 thousand myself, on tuition, fees, flights, ball tickets, gear and supplies, etc. etc. Are we going to get a refund??? Well here's what the Academy says: "counsel is in the process of figuring out financials until CMA can get back on its feet. This will be decided and disseminated in the near future. CMA too has a lot invested to include all equipment, uniforms, and non refundable payments to our camp property. Please be patient as we work through this." Yeah, I'm sure... we wont hold our breaths!

• BAlbertson (1) posts 10:47 pm

  I'm not sure how much truth there is to this incident. There have been many attempts in the past to defame Sgt. Baryla. I was a Cadet for awhile, and I spent a lot of time around the other Cadets, and adult attendants and the Sgt. himself, over numerous weekends, weeks, days, and camps. I have never heard wind of or noticed any odd reactions from other Cadets. Nor have I myself been violated in any manner. So I can state for a fact that no Cadets had anything to do with this, to my knowledge. As for the "Abuse" it is not often for Cadets in Training to get labeled with shameful nick-names, based on their negative actions, but I do not believe a boy was made to eat his own vomit. Cedar Bridge doesn't do things like that. I wouldn't condemn the Sgt. until more information is allowed.

• pixie1 (57) posts 1:37 am

  "LaBrock" I could not agree with you more. Thank God that there are still people like yourself that see the problem in viewing child pornography. Pornography also in anyway is connected with human trafficking, this can both be with children and adults. See the problem is that people do not educate themselves. They don't bother to read up on things the FBI has exposed about these people, and I use that term loosely. Also there are certain public servants that have been involved in this kind of behavior. Can you imagine if a police officer involved in "Pal" or "Explorers" participates in such behavior as this?? Well let me tell you they are closer then you think and they should and will be exposed. And before anyone complains that I am "bashing" good public servants, I am not, they know who they are and the good ones will help expose the bad.

• LaBrock (1) posts 11:45 pm

  "njdlmkr but looking and thinking are way different from doing." Are you freaking insane????? A grown male is charged with looking at child pornography and has access to children all day long, and this is the intelligent comment you come out with???? It does not say what child porn was looked at. What if it was pictures of the children under his care? What if it were pictures of your child, niece, nephew, nieghbor??? And to be set at such a high bail too...you know that wasn't an "oops, i didn't realize that ONE picture was child pornography", there was child porn and probably a lot of it, espcially for the FBI to be involved... And this is why a guy getting off on looking at 5 year girls naked won't get any jail time, but Bernie Madoff steals money from adults gets 150 years!!! Shows where the laws set priorities. I'm disgusted!!!!!

• njdlmkr (292) posts 9:12 pm

  I'm going against the grain here, and probably ruin my chances of ever being elected, but similar to DUI traffic stops ... no crime was committed. You have a couple of beers, have not been in or caused and accident, but get stopped by a cop and you’re screwed. Here, there’s a $200,000 bail? And please, I am not into child porn but looking and thinking are way different from doing.

• Advocate (50) posts 7:46 pm

  Never surprise at who is caught with Child Porn..so many people are into this illegal and sick thing..parents educate yourself on this and protect your children from becoming part of this kind of crime.

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