Mike Lombardo Under FBI Investigation


Editor
02/18/12 09:49pm
100 Comments

YouTube musician and vlogger Mike Lombardo, 23, is under investigation by the FBI for allegedly exchanging inappropriate photos and text messages with underage female fans, The Smoking Gun reports.

The FBI investigation began after a report that Lombardo planned to meet with a fifteen year old girl in New York for New Year’s Eve in 2011. An affadavit is online here.

Note: The FBI is an investigative body. It does not issue arrest warrants or convict criminals: the US Attorney’s office and various bureaus of the criminal justice system do that.

In late December of 2011, the FBI raided Lombardo’s home and seized his computers, cell phone, and hard drives. Lombardo has not been charged at this point. Lombardo’s artist page on DFTBA.com has been removed. Below is a statement from John and Hank Green about the situation:

“Yesterday, a web site reported that YouTuber and musician Mike Lombardo was under investigation for exchanging explicit images with underage fans of his music. Some of Mike’s music has been released through DFTBA Records, a record company we own, we’ve been friendly with him over the three years we’ve known him, and many of Mike’s fans are part of the nerdfighter community. (Mike himself, on several occasions, took pains to point out that he, himself, was not a nerdfighter, for whatever that’s worth.)

Obviously, we were distressed to learn about this, and quickly removed Mike’s page from DFTBA, partly because we don’t want to make any money from this sort of publicity and partly because we didn’t feel it appropriate to continue our business relationship given the situation. (For the past year, Mike has released his music through other web sites, but until today we still sold some of his older work.)

In thinking about this terrible situation, it’s important to remember that no one has been charged with a crime, and that we don’t (and can’t and shouldn’t) know the full story. Crimes are investigated and prosecuted by law enforcement and the judicial system, not by Tumblr. It’s also very important never to blame victims in situations of sexual abuse and assault. We’ve seen very little of that in the conversations about this in our community, and we’re very glad of that, but it bears repeating.

Sadly, some people feel as if their trust in our community has been violated. For most of us, nerdfighteria has always been a place where it’s safe to be nerdy and enthusiastic and *yourself*. For all of us, this has been a reminder that communities—online and off—can never truly be insulated from difficult and painful and reprehensible realities.

The respect that creators are given by their communities is something we consider sacred. It should never be taken advantage of or violated. Seeing that happen has been very painful for us.

However, we have also been stunned by the way this community has come together to support the people affected. As we remained in silent shock last night, it was so inspiring to watch healthy discussions, messages of love, and intelligent thoughts spread across our community. That’s why we could never lose faith in Nerdfighteria, not because bad things never happen, but because people stay strong and loving and supportive and thoughtful in the face of it.

Thank you for being all that you are.

John and Hank”

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  • http://twitter.com/NrdfghterSophie Sophie Lawi

    about time

  • Elsa

    I feel completely and ridiculously disgusted. I don’t understand how someone who is aware of his status as a role model in so many young peoples’ lives could take advantage of that status so wrongfully.

    • http://twitter.com/stripy_tie Ross

      Can we please wait for the facts to come out or even for charges to be brought before we start with the condemnation. All we have to go on so far is speculation and rumour.

      • Erin

        We also have an FBI affidavit. Just sayin’.

        • http://twitter.com/stripy_tie Ross

          I wouldn’t trust the FBI with a sack of rocks. Just sayin’.

          Of course this news had to come out and the public made aware of the accusations, I’m just annoyed by the seemingly automatic condemnation of him by a lot of people online and am utilising your comment section to express that.

          If he goes on to be convicted by a jury of his peers (not to say the system is perfect but it’s the best we have) I’ll be first in line to say how revolting the whole affair is.

  • Claudia Morales

    Thank you for covering this. The story has been out for almost two days now and you guys are the only major fandom figure to even mention it so far.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1418130088 Madeline Wilson

    Please remember that we don’t have all the facts and none of us are in a position to judge. If Mike did the things that have been reported, then that’s absolutely terrible, but we have no way to know whether he did or didn’t. Innocent until proven guilty, remember.

    • Anonymous

      If you’re over 18 and American, you are, in fact, in a position to judge. That’s what a jury of your peers is. No matter your age or nationality, you are allowed to express disgust at the idea of an adult that minors respected taking advantage of said minors, no matter the gender of either parties. Yes, we can all hope that these charges aren’t true – whether or not he’s found innocent – but we have every right to judge. And if the FBI is investigating, then yes, we do have a way of knowing whether he did or didn’t do these things.

  • Alice Wilder

    I’m glad that some fan outlet is acknowledging this finally!

  • Anonymous

    Thank you for not keeping silent on this story.

  • sky

    I know that this should have been shared, but we just dont know all of the facts yet. we shouldn’t automatically assume someones guilty until theres a charge against him. if this isnt true, his life will be ruined by people thinking it is. He’s not automatically guilty just because he’s a famous youtuber

    • http://twitter.com/NrdfghterSophie Sophie Lawi

      having seen chat logs and pictures with some of my friends he tried to do this to, I don’t personally feel bad.

    • Jay

      He’s not automatically innocent just because he’s a famous youtuber, either.

  • Lauren

    This guy was one my idol.
    I hope this is not true.
    I feel so sad.

    • filmfan41

      I am Sooooo glad… that I don’t know him from Adam. I have heard none of his songs, and I know how much good there is in Nerdfighteria, and coming out of Nerdfighteria. (AND HE SAID EARLIER HE WASN’T A NERDFIGHTER)… so… although we all have flaws (not that felony’s should be lightly treated as flaws (and not that he’s necessarily guilty of a felony) ) …. I have my hopes… un-dimmed… and I hope those who focussed on this part of the DFTBA-related community… can soon find other things/people in which to place their hopes. Best wishes to all involved, and not involved… and especially to those who feel disappointed. Best wishes. Rise again, and hope, please. “… to strive when your arms are to weary…”. DFTBA.

  • Amy

    Ok, how about we all don’t jump to conclusions about something we have no idea about. None of us have the full story, or really any story, for that matter. Don’t just say stuff like this and assume he’s guilty when we have barely any facts. Moreover, remember he hasn’t been CHARGED with ANYTHING. People are already starting to assume he’s guilty, but OF WHAT?? A crime that at this moment he hasn’t been accused of committing? You can’t be guilty of something without a charge. So, it’s not even there, it hasn’t even gotten to that point. If he is charged and found guilty, that would be horrible but I am not going to be ignorant enough to sit here and judge him when the FBI has not even accused and charged him of a single thing and I think it’d be nice if others could do the same.

    • NoOne

      PREACH!

    • Claudia Morales

      Innumerable girls have come forward, all of whom have in some way been victimized by Mike and who believed they were the only ones until this story let out. That, as well as his being removed by DFTBA Records, his lack of response, and a few things his friends said that were vague then but make sense now, all point to one thing. Sorry.

      • Amy

        Really? “Innumerable?” Aside from the 3 mentioned. Are all these girls you’re referring to credible or are they spouting off BS to get attention when this came out?
        As for DFTBA, they’re a company. They have an image. He hasn’t been charged but it doesn’t look good on their reputation. While I don’t agree with their decision to remove his page, it makes sense that they would and that does not point to his guilt.
        Why would he respond? To people poking their noses? People he doesn’t know? Why why he respond? Would you? Especially since this is an investigation? Not a trial. Not discovery for a trial. But an investigation to see if there is anything there to charge him with?
        What vague things from his friends?
        Sorry to disappoint your eagerness to immediately think he’s guilty, but there is really nothing pointing at anything except the fact that there is no information to base ignorant assumptions off of.

        • http://www.facebook.com/people/Cheryl-Studdy/620645572 Cheryl Studdy

          Amy, honey, perhaps “innumerable” in the literal sense was the wrong word, but don’t you think three victims are three too many? The articles I’ve read clearly state that the FBI seized the girl’s phone and found the pictures in question and the explicit texts.

          Game over. He looses.

          • Amy

            You’re right, innumerable certainly was the wrong word. Of course, 3 are too many, if it happened. I’ve read the same things you have, I’m sure, but I’m not accepting them as fact because honestly, if they had found that on her phone, they’d be doing a lot more than just investigating. He’d be charged by now if all those articles are true and he’d be going to trial.
            I will not defend him if I know what he’s being accused of is true, but I certainly won’t stand by and watch assumptions be made on virtually zero facts and far too much gossip and speculation.
            So, no hun, the game’s not over. It hasn’t even begun.

            • http://www.facebook.com/people/Cheryl-Studdy/620645572 Cheryl Studdy

              Special Agent Fredrick Bragg swore in an affidavit that this evidence was found on her phone. I’m sure he’s not throwing his career away in order to falsely persecute a 23-year-old youtuber.

              I don’t think it’s so unusual for some time to pass before formal charges arise. Also, I think it’s entirely possible, probably even, that there ARE formal charges that haven’t yet been made public.

              But I do understand your point about not assuming he’s guilty until we’ve got more information. It’s difficult to do that because the details of the article don’t allow much room for doubt, and it’s incredibly disappointing because he was a highly respected Nerdfighter!

              I still say game over.

              • Amy

                Have you seen this affidavit? I haven’t seen that article so I don’t know if they included the affidavit but in stories like these sites do falsely claim that an affidavit from one official or another has been given. I don’t know if this one is legit.
                All I’m saying is to not assume. I really don’t think the article allows much room to believe it. I don’t see anything in it that is factual enough to spawn all these assumptions.

                I don’t agree with you, but at least you can see that we shouldn’t be judging without more information.

                • http://www.facebook.com/people/Cheryl-Studdy/620645572 Cheryl Studdy
                • http://twitter.com/LiterallyLuke Luke K

                  What I think we really need to do is, like you said to presume that he is innocent until proven guilty. We don’t, as you say, have the facts.

                  But nor should we blind ourselves to the facts if they do come out. It’s a horrible thing to happen, but we have to keep an open mind, not close it because we refuse to believe something or because a few articles mentioned it.

                  Isn’t that what nerdfighters do?

                  • Amy

                    I completely agree with you. I don’t want to jump to conclusions but if the facts come out that it is true, I’m not going to deny it. It would be a horrible for the community and more importantly for the victims. I just don’t like to see people jump to conclusions when we don’t have the facts.

                • Erin

                  Dude, here’s the link to the affidavit. It was linked in the article. http://i.cdn.turner.com/dr/teg/tsg/release/sites/default/files/assets/mikelombardowarrant.jpg

              • http://twitter.com/stripy_tie Ross

                He isn’t a Nerdfighter, he’s said that lots of times before.

                What he did have were numerous and strong links within the community. I use the past tense because those are probably history at this point regardless of what happens at the trial.

                An affidavit signed by an FBI agent isn’t the same as a confession signed by Mike.

                Sure, it’s all pretty damning at this point and i wont be surprised if it’s all as every bit as true as it looks to be.

                I just want it to be confirmed officially and for Mike to convicted by a jury of his peers before we burn his career to the ground.

                Can everyone please remember that it’s innocent until proven guilty.

                • http://www.facebook.com/people/Cheryl-Studdy/620645572 Cheryl Studdy

                  This is an affidavit signed by an agent who saw this evidence on the victim’s phone. No confession needed.

                  • http://twitter.com/stripy_tie Ross

                    The word of an FBI agent means nothing more to me than the word of a bum on the street.

                    That it has equal value to a signed confession by the accused is frankly laughable.

                    The truth has value and that can solely be determined and enforced by a court of law.

                    • Melissa Anelli

                      Hey, so, Ross, I’m not speaking for LeakyNews rightnow, just for me. But I want to tell you that we need to appreciate the FBI. I have been in a pretty difficult and unique situation before (nothing to do with this thing) that seemed to have no solution, and the FBI was the only (and I mean only, we tried everything) body of authority who did anything about it. Because of the tireless work of at least one FBI agent, a precedent has been set and I have been freed up from fear in many ways. (I will talk about this publicly as soon as it’s all settled.) In fact I haven’t even quite grasped, fully, how much the FBI has helped my life, yet. So, I hate, really despise, casual dismissal of FBI agents. They are brilliant and work hard for public safety. They are owed at the very least the benefit of the doubt.

                    • http://twitter.com/stripy_tie Ross

                      replying up top.

                    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Cheryl-Studdy/620645572 Cheryl Studdy

                      The difference is that if he lied, it’ll be verified incredibly quickly and he’ll be fired. I’m absolutely positive he’s not taking that risk. The idea that he is lying is laughable.

            • Kelly

              What would they do besides investigate, I might ask?

              • Amy

                Charge him with something. Whether it’s sexual assault of a minor, harassment, whatever. An actual charge that shows they have enough facts to accuse him of something in a court of law.

                • Melissa Anelli

                  What a lot of people may not realize in this: All the FBI DOES is investigate. They cannot arrest, or charge. They make their case to the US Atttorney’s office: that is the affadavit, which is listed in the post. The US Attorney arrests. That will likely happen very shortly.

                • http://twitter.com/lilypad145 lilypad145

                  FBI stand for Federal Bureau of INVESTIGATION. Investigation, not prosecution. That responsibility rests with DAs.

        • Katy Westhoff

          There are lots of girls on tumblr who are coming out, which is very brave of them to do, considering how many people like you are very willing to accuse them of “spouting off BS.” That’s representative of our society as a whole. As many as 60% (and probably more) cases of sexual assault go unreported, and of those reported cases, 15 out of 16 rapists will not see a jail cell (http://www.rainn.org/statistics).

          • Amy

            Did you even read what I said? I asked if the girls were credible or if they were spouting off BS. Don’t try to twist what I said when my actual comment is sitting right here, please.
            Yeah, it’s very brave to come forward in such situations. My point is that I’m not about to it here and believe some random girl off tumblr with no proof. Are there facts to show that these girls (aside from the ones mentioned in the article) are telling the truth? That’s my point. That’s what I asked. If you’re going to respond, at least read what I wrote and don’t accuse me of saying something I didn’t. Thanks.

            • Kelly

              WOW. You could be a little more polite about this.

              • Amy

                I’m polite when others are polite to me. I’ve been discussing this on here with someone else and we’ve managed to have a civilized conversation. Pardon me for not taking well to her accusing me of something I didn’t say, after prefacing it with ‘people like you.’

                • http://twitter.com/lilypad145 lilypad145

                  Swearing, even in abbreviation, is not how anyone in normal society defines behavior that is “polite.” You could say “nonsense” or “that is ludicrous,” and I would automatically be less inclined to see you as flaming, which is how the initial comment was received b y me, at least. This is a subject that is going to give rises to a lot of rage, either for people who support Mike or people who are appalled by the idea of this alleged behavior. How can people not be incensed by such a repulsive topic. However, if you mind your language people will take you more seriously.

                  • Melissa

                    Hey guys, let’s try to keep it civil here. This is a hot button topic and we will all benefit from a little calmness. :)

                • Kathryn

                  Mike has YouTube, Twitter and Tumblr. He could have very easily denied the allegations to his fans if he felt he was innocent.

                  He hasn’t.

                  • Awkwardasian

                    not taking sides or anything…but how can he reply to anything if all his electronics have been seized…?

          • http://twitter.com/LiterallyLuke Luke K

            Look, forget the statistics for a minute and let me explain a little bit about tumblr culture. People post stuff there for attention, to gain followers. That’s not to say that it’s all unture, it’s saying that some people are bound to be crying wolf. It’s always the case when things like this happen.

            Also, it’s not that hard to come out on tumblr. Ultimately, tumblr is a persona that you make. Most of the time it’s a real one, but other times it can be fictional. Also, coming out on Tumblr is not the same as say, coming out in front of 100 people about the same topic.

            • Hal

              You don’t get to say “it’s saying that some people are bound to be crying wolf. It’s always the case when things like this happen.” That’s such crap. It’s assuming that for every allegation of sexual assault, there’s a fake one to follow, and that just isn’t statistically supported. These are victims we’re dealing with here. Kindness, understanding, and support are what we should be offering. Not. Skepticism.

              • http://twitter.com/LiterallyLuke Luke K

                Yes we are dealing with victims, which is why I agreed with you. I’d appreciate if you wouldn’t disregard that. I’ve dealt with people who’ve threatened suicide before, and I can tell you that in every single case there will always be someone who makes false claims for the purposes of attention. We offer support, yes, but at the same time we have to, in our minds, take the stories with a pinch of salt. Same thing here.

  • Kira902k

    So glad this has been acknowledged here. Thank you. This is absolutely disgusting. :(

  • http://alexdaymusic.com Alex

    Holy shit!

  • http://twitter.com/stripy_tie Ross

    What? just what?

  • Shauna

    I don’t know what to think right now. One side of me, the side that always looked up to Mike, bought all his music, emailed him, got him to sign my ukulele, marvelled in his talents, wants to believe that this isn’t true. There’s another side of me that is slowly accepting the fact that it could be and it’s such a horrible feeling to have one of the people you really looked up to turn out to be so very different from the person you believed they were.

  • http://twitter.com/DFTBelleA Belle Fulton

    This just. . . asdfghjkl. My heart feels extremely heavy. I have always really respected him and his opinions. He was also my favourite artist. And now, this happens. I don’t want to believe it, I wish it weren’t true, but my mind is telling me it is. I feel a little lost now. I hope the victims are doing well. My regards are sent to them, and if they are reading it, they must know they aren’t alone. x

  • 19yearslater

    That is horrifying. I like some of Mike’s older stuff, but I feel sick that I’ve supported him now. I think I will delete it from my iTunes. It won’t change what’s happened of course, but if I listen to his music now I’ll think of this. I sang along to him just last summer in concert. Even if he’s judged innocent I can’t believe nothing happened. This is the FBI, I trust John and Hank’s judgement, and apparently he’s not been giving comment which is even more suspicious. I felt a little gross hearing about DanRad using fangirls, it’s worse with ML. Those girls aren’t to blame. They were abused and there is no reason for it.

    • http://twitter.com/LiterallyLuke Luke K

      I’m not putting the blame on the girls, but in fairness, they should have known better. They weren’t braindead. Also, can I just say that even if he is guilty of this it doesn’t change his music. I mean, look at MJ. People still supported him after he was accused of child abuse. Same thing here.

      If you liked his music, or you looked up to him, you can still do that. One bad point discolours but doesn’t destroy someone’s good point. Granted it’s a fairly major point, but even so. Having said that, I didn’t really listen to him much nor did I watch his videos.

      • 19yearslater

        It does ruin it for me, because the good point was that those songs were genuine. They aren’t anymore. I think it’s disgusting when people support bigger celebrities after something like this, too. It’s not just for DFTBA artists. And if you are condemning young girls for falling for his perversion, even a little bit, please go and read Lauren Fairweather’s blog. I am truly saddened that this is just another post trying to be PC about saying that it’s okay for Mike to still be the artist he was before and that underaged female fans should see things like grown women and men.

        • Awkwardasian

          …not taking sides but it seems reasonable that he’s not commenting because all his electronic devices have been confiscated…therefore, he cannot reply

          • 19yearslater

            I believe he was asked for comments that he didn’t give, though? Either way I don’t trust him.

        • http://twitter.com/LiterallyLuke Luke K

          I’m not saying that underaged female fans should see things like grown men and women. At no point did I say that, so I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t twist my words. What I was saying is that SOME of them should have been old enough to know better. We live in a world where this kind of information is common, and where it’s impossible to escape stories of rape and child abuse. However, as someone above me acknowledged, if they were never taught the dangers of meeting people from the internet, then yes, there is no fault on them. If they were, however, they did this at their own free will. Having said that, the accused in this situation abused his power and that would have influenced them. I acknowledge that. We’re speaking in hypothetical though. Nothing has been proven yet, and only 2 sites have posted about this story (to my knowledge)

          I am completely against this kind of behaviour. However, I draw a line between an artist’s professional work and their personal life. In this case the line is blurred and distorted, however, the music is still the music. The artist is irrelevent to me. However, not everyone is like that and so I am deeply sorry for the loss of someone that you truly admired. I can only imagine how betrayed I’d feel if someone I looked up to was accused of something like this

          • 19yearslater

            I was merely replying to the fact that you said they aren’t brain dead. Did you read Lauren’s post? There’s a lot of space between brain dead and the ability to be reasonable in this kind of situation. I didn’t look up to Mike, I thought he was a talented person who was basically my equal. But he’s not. I don’t draw a line between personal and professional, for example Harry Potter wouldn’t be quite as good if Jo wasn’t the person she is.

            • 19yearslater

              Also, do I need to point out that Mike himself didn’t draw the line between personal and professional? He met the girls since they were fans of his music? He blurred the line, so will I.

              • http://twitter.com/LiterallyLuke Luke K

                Yes, I pointed out that he blurred the line…

                They weren’t brain dead, and yes, they were easily led. But let’s stand by the facts. It hasn’t been proven that any of this actually happened. We’re going on the word of some people who weren’t even intimately related to the case, a *friend* of one of the victims.

                Also, we don’t know the circumstances of the relationship. It’s a given that she was 15, but the line there could have been blurred if she always told him that she was older. It was irresponsible of him to believe her/them (however, according to other posters one should always give people the benefit of the doubt). It’s still wrong what he’s suspected of, but lt’s try to keep an open mind about these things

          • Erin W

            Just because someone is taught something doesn’t meant they yet fully understand it. If people understand everything as soon as they were taught it, we’d have way less issues with people not using condoms, people continuing to smoke even though it kills them, people not working out, etc. etc. etc. Sure, as an adult, you are making your own decision for yourself, but as a child- you hear the information but do not fully understand or appreciate it to the fullest yet. and yes, highschoolers are still children. close to adult, some more than others, but still children. Which is why there are laws in place to protect them until they have reached a point that our society as a whole had agreed upon as an age where they can make their own decisions.

            If your issue, then, is that 15 years olds should “know better” and be able to consent, then you should be griping about the laws of consent in our country, not this situation. However, I think you will meet much resistance to any change to that effect, given the amount of research showing contrary to your statement that people should “know better” at that age.

            • Literallyluke

              Sorry, I forget sometimes that not everyone can be at the same levels of maturity. I mean that sometimes a 12 year old can be more mature in situations that an adult would be. So I apologise.

              My attitude towards this is changing, and as I noted earlier, I spoke to a girl who was taken advantage of when she was 15…and she doesn’t seem braindead.

              You’re right, I don’t know these people. I can’t judge how much of an informed decision that they could have made. I was merely assuming that they had some understanding of security online. However, I can see how it would be easy to let down that security when confronted with someone you admire, trust, maybe even have a bit of a crush on (as is, we all know, common at that age)

        • http://twitter.com/LiterallyLuke Luke K

          Amending my earlier reply. I’ve spoken to someone who was “taken advantage of” when they were 15, and so my viewpoint has slightly changed. I still maintain that the 17 year old should have known better though, or were simply doing it at their own free will.

          Also, I’m friends with someone who knew Mike personally (and she’s 15/16) so please don’t imply that I don’t care. I am worried about her, in a friends way in case anyone decides to imply otherwise. However, I think that she would be intelligent enough not to fall in a trap like this, if such a trap even existed.

        • Erin W

          absolutely agree on the gunuine factor- that’s why I do not enjoy another DFTBA’s artist music (because the only thing i really like about it was the supposed genuineness).

          Also, another comparision would be why people don’t want to support Chris Brown still after his attacks on Rhinana. When someone’s character is shown to be so totally lacking, you don’t really want to support them, because it’s like you’re saying it’s okay; people try to separate the two (just like they want to separate politicians from their private behaviors- affairs, etc.), but the fact is, it speaks highly about the level of personal character they have, and someone’s character tells you how much they are going to respect *you*, too. if they don’t respect those close to them, why would they respect you, their consumer? and why would you want to support someone who doesn’t respect you?

  • Helen

    I’m so painfully uncomfortable with this entire situation. I know this isn’t something that would/should define nerdfighteria as as whole, but it reminds me just how big and scary the internet actually is. YouTube “celebrities” are just one corner of the internet, but, thankfully, it’s a mostly happy corner. I’m vastly disturbed by this.

    • http://twitter.com/LiterallyLuke Luke K

      In fairness, just because someone becomes popular on YouTube doesn’t mean that they’re above this behaviour. I’d like to think that, for the most part they are though. Mike was not a nerdfighter. In fact, as John and Hank posted on Tumblr, he took great pains to point out that he wasn’t one.

      • Erin W

        I do not follow or now much at all about Mike, so when I heard that he’s always taken great effort the point out he’s not a nerdfighter, that spoke almost as much to be about his level of character as these accusations do. I mean, why would you not want to associate with nerdfighters?!

  • Mackenzie

    Thank you for not being afraid to post such a truthful and helpful post so people can bettter understand what happened.

    • Mackenzie

      *better

  • Kathryn

    Mike tweeted this the other day: “You can be a douchehammock and make good music. You can also be kind and make terrible music. I know both types.” He couldn’t possibly have been talking about himself, could he?

  • http://twitter.com/stripy_tie Ross

    @Melissa I’m sure some of them are wonderful people who work purely for the furthering of justice, what I meant is that I take everyone’s word at the same level regardless of their job or social status. It’s just the only way for me personally to be sure that I’m never unfair to someone or even give someone credence where it isn’t due.

    It definitely sounded like I was mocking the FBI and that wasn’t what I intended to do, well, in that post anyway.

    I hope all your problems have been worked out to your satisfaction and that it’s all sorted. It’s shitty that it took so long.

  • Courtney

    To the people who are saying these girls “should have known better.” The thing is, when you’re a young girl and someone who you look up to takes notice of you, it’d be hard to think clearly. You’re not going to think, “this is an adult taking advantage of me.” No, you’ll think, “wow, this is someone I really admire, and he wants me, of all people.” If this is all true, and I’m finding it impossible to believe that at the very least the FBI raid part is, then Mike used his little bit of fame to take advantage of younger girls. And this upsets me because Mike was always one of the good guys. He was incredibly sweet at his shows, his music was good, and he was always willing to have a conversation with a fan. And the fact that he had been dating someone loved in this community, and she introduced many of us to him, just makes me sick. She never deserved this, she’s even said that yes, he did cheat on her. I’ve lost all respect for Mike. I’m not saying I’ll throw out his music, because it’s still very good. I still like it. But he’ll never be the nerdy piano nice guy again.

  • http://www.facebook.com/jrg1990 James Gordon

    Speaking as someone who respected Mike as an artist and as a person – he was even one of the first people I ever got to interview as I got into entertainment journalism – I am shocked by what has come out in the last 48hours.

    Mike was a role model to many and what he did – if indeed he did do what has been alleged (and it’s looking increasingly likely he probably did) – is a complete abuse of everything that this fandom stands for: Love, Respect and friendship.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Kevin-Reigh/1296573155 Kevin Reigh

    Sending, receiving, or forwarding sexually explicit messages, photos, or images via cell phone, computer, or other digital device is illegal if the sender/receiver is underage and the pictures are of underage individuals. This is resulting in child pornography charges being filed against teens across the nation. If you have done this, you are have committed a crime and could be punished, even if you did not know about the law. Learn the laws- there are limits until someone becomes 18. http://crimeprevention.crimereports.com/2009/12/02/sexting-its-illegal-and-dangerous/

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Kevin-Reigh/1296573155 Kevin Reigh

    Furthermore: ‘Sexting’ or sending nude images in cellphone text messages if any party is underage, can bring a charge of distributing child pornography.
    http://www.usatoday.com/tech/wireless/2009-03-11-sexting_N.htm

  • http://benchpressabear.tumblr.com Joan

    My respect to you, LeakyNews.

  • Awkwardasian

    Things to think about (while I try not being biased):
    1. Mike is NOT a nerdfighter; and Hank & John’s decision to drop him/his music from the label furthers the concept that one should not be embarrassed, overly saddened, angst, flaming, etc. about being a nerdfighter (yay! our image is not diminished-much?)

    2. Why is he not commenting/ replying on his fb, yt, twitter, tumblr? -well, putting 2 and 2 together…his computer/laptops and phone has been confiscated; it’s probably not wise for him to get another laptop or phone anyways. And even if he was able to access the internet say via a laptop at the apple store…well as youtubers we all know the heated debate, trolls, and negative comments that would arise from it.

    3. The victims: guilty or innocent? – while some people are saying they should have known better, there are others who take on the psychological view of how they are not fully developed and were probably emotionally attached or thought they could trust him (because he was their role model?). To this I say, wait for the verdict. Yes, it is true that these victims should have known better, and why would you trust someone you THINK you know. BUT science can work in either direction…and it brings up the question: didn’t your parents warn you about the internet? I mean this is not e-harmony and I do really believe our current and future generation are susceptible to maturing at an early age (this can be a good and bad thing). So maybe the victims were not taught about the bad people on the internet, maybe they were naive…or maybe they just are emotionally unstable, or something…I don’t care if you know these victims personally, as in I don’t know if you are telling me the truth and even if you are related, you should not be sharing these personal details anyways- for credibility sake from all parties involved.

    4. Mike IS INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY…until then please do not gossip; this will only fuel the fire. Oh and…take it as you will…but, the investigation started sometime December 2011 (just a fact before someone tries to prove a point as to why it looks like he is innocent or guilty).

    5. By logging on to the internet, people assume the responsibility and accept the consequences (or they should, anyways) of what come out of it (it being the activities, including but not limited to chatting, exchanging info,etc.). So be careful about meeting people from the internet- though most of the Youtube and Nerdfighter community is awesome and supportive, you never know when someone is a poser…I suggest people watch the movie “Cyberbully”- it may seem cheesy at first, but there is a lesson to be learned (watching it with your parents is optional, I mean I wouldn’t because it may just make them paranoid).

    6. Speaking of meetings/meet-ups…if you go to one or even Vidcon, please do not spread rumors about other youtubers (including those that know Mike personally). Just be classy and be careful! Trust your gut instinct; if you feel uncomfortable, just excuse yourself out of the event/situation- I can almost guarantee that no one will be offended.

    7. I’m starting to lose faith in our nation’s security system (well mostly the police who give out erroneous tickets, but that’s besides the point) and I know people have mixed feelings about it as well. That being said…let them do their job in investigating (that’s what the i in FBI stands for) and you carry on with your life; also another point brought up, the FBI does not prosecute.

    -I don’t know what else to say. Sorry for the grammatical errors and what not, but hey I’m not an English major lol. I just thought that this may help explain, if not clear up, this foggy situation with what little information that has been released. If you have read all or most of this, thanks for reading it, whether or not you agree or disagree with this post. This is my take. I do think that we should support each other. Whether you’re friends with the victims, team mike lombardo, or just a friend of the interwebz, please show support at this time, but please do not bash the other party- it’s tasteless and will only make it more difficult and confusing in getting your point across. Don’t be a bully, be a helping hand …and DFTBA :)

    • Justie

      The victims should have known better? Seriously? I can’t believe people are saying this kind bull. Young impressionable girls are not to blame for an adult’s manipulation.

      • http://twitter.com/LiterallyLuke Luke K

        Young, yes. Impressionable, yes. Braindead, no. However, if they were never taught about the dangers, then no, they can’t be blamed. That said, we don’t know the whole facts so we can’t make any more than an assumption.

        Awkwardasian, that was a brilliant post. If only more people thought like you did. I agree completely on the security aspect. Personally, I’ve always taken security seriously, and would never try to compromise another’s. That said, I’ve gone to a lot of gatherings and it’s been fine so far, and even plan to throw myself out of my comfort zone this summer and go to one in England, to meet nerdfighters who I know online. However, security has been paramount over the years, as it should be for anyone else who reads this.

        Note to anyone who may reply: while it was only an irrelevant piece of info, I am aware of the risks of meeting people from the internet. However, I am an adult and as such as entitled to make these decisions. So let’s not use it against my arguments, yes? When you’re over 18 you can make the same decisions if you want

        • Awkwardasian

          thank you. I was just trying to present both sides of the story. and i agree with you…I mean that is why most things/events say you have to be a certain age to participate or otherwise get parental consent; though it might seem like an obvious fact to us, some people forget about it. lol

          • Hal

            These girls were minors. It is not their responsibility not to get sexually assaulted by someone they looked up to, it was that someone’s responsibility not to take advantage of minors. Even if you consider Mike innocent until proven guilty, those girls are not on trial here. They are innocent victims, they did NOTHING wrong and that is all there is to it. There is no lesson to learn here about being wary on the internet, the lesson here is “do NOT take advantage of minors.”

            • http://twitter.com/LiterallyLuke Luke K

              The lesson is also to be aware that there are people who will not follow that rule. Look out for yourself, don’t always expect the other to be doing it for you.

              He is innocent until proven guilty. We’re going on the word of one news source (and Leakynews, which essentially summarised the article), and the limited facts gleaned from an investigation in progress since about December

              I’m no fan of Mike. I know someone who was friends with him, but I never really listened to his music or watched his videos. However, famous on YouTube or not, I do believe in not presuming something of anyone, until the cold hard facts are present and irrefutable.

            • Awkwardasian

              yes, this is an interesting perspective. again me trying to see both aspects of what people may think (its not necessarily my view, so I’m neither for nor against) but yes some people will agree with you in saying that older people should not be taking advantage of minors (especially people with slightly higher rankings- ie celebs, etc.) but there are people who say that the victims (they are called victims in this case because they did not necessarily do the illegal part) should have known that what they were doing was wrong, if i’m not mistaken i believe the girls were 16 or 17yrs old not 8 or 9…
              -to me I can see it go either way. I’m only trying to present both sides/ play devil’s advocate if you will for both teams.

              • Erin W

                The rational going on here is the typical response most laypeople have whenever they hear about any form of sexual assault. They create reasons and ways the problem could have been prevented, they say “oh, well, if the victim had ___ then it wouldn’t have happened” “If that girl hadn’t dressed that way, if she had been more aware when she was walking back to her car, i would have been carrying mace, I would have left the situation immediately, etc. etc. etc.” and on it goes.

                Why do we do this? Because we feel the need to distance ourselves from the situation, to come up with reasons why that couldn’t or wouldn’t happen to us, because it is an uncomfortable reality that sometimes people are taking advantage of or assaulted when they have done nothing wrong.

                Sure, there is a valid reason for why you feel the need to make this argument, one that is backed up by tons of research into the issue, but it doesn’t change the fact that attitudes like this do nothing to support or help people in these types of situations, or improve the overall safety of the country.

      • Awkwardasian

        yes that is what some are saying I’m guessing because they are near the age of becoming “adults” I think if they were say 10yrs old many more people would be against Mike

        • Erin W

          trust me, as a 23-year-old, imagining one of my peers hitting on a 15-17 year old is disgusting. I like hanging out with high schoolers, but they are young. they act young, they seem young. For the 15-17 year old they might not feel the difference, but the 23-year-old should know better. The 23-year-old KNOWS that they are taking advantage of a vulnerable person, because the 23-year-old has been there and remembers what it was like. And if a 15-17 year old tries to come onto a 23-year-old, they should know better than to accept their advances. Because they know that they will be taking advantage of a vulnerable person. It’s the same concept of taking advantage of a drunk person who is too out of it to know what’s going on. Sure, you can do it, and maybe you won’t feel guilty about it if they’re throwing themselves on you, but it doesn’t make you okay, and a better person should turn them down. Think Heath Ledger, 10 Things I Hate About You. Sure, Cat was pissed when he shut her down that night, but it was the mature and wise thing to do.

          Sure if it was 10 year olds, it would be a whole new level of disgusting, but a 15 year old is just as bad in my opinion. I was so vulnerable at 15. We all are.

      • Evan Groman

        How on Earth do you know he manipulated them? What if they MANIPULATED HIM? What if the teenage girls were like HURRDURR MIKE DO YOU WANT TO SEE ME NAKED and he was like, well, not particularly.. and then they kept insisting and he was just like yeah, fine, whatever, and went along with his urges? And everyone was fine and happy until the teenagers’ parents found out or something and then they outed him. That could be the case, and the teenage girls are just as guilty as he is in that regard.

        Regardless, you have to realize that 1) Mike is probably not a pedophile, and thus we’re not exactly talking about 10-year-olds here, the girls were probably 15~17 if anything, and thus 2) they are REALLY NOT THAT YOUNG AND IMPRESSIONABLE. I’m seventeen, I live with seventeen-year-olds on a daily basis at school, and I’ve lived with fifteen and sixteen year olds over the past two years. Not one of them was stupid enough to do something like this without wanting to. Just because they’re young does not mean they should not be held accountable for their actions.

        • Justine

          Evan, are you a teenage girl? You sound like you are a male, so you have NO idea what it is like to be one. I suggest all of you go look at Melissa’s tumblr on the subject as she makes her point more eloquently than I could…

          • Evan Groman

            You don’t have to have a vagina in order to understand the mind process of one of the possibly least intelligent group of people on the planet.

            • Justine

              In the end, it doesn’t matter what you think because a 23 year old soliciting sexual photos or initiating sex from minors is a criminal offense according to US law. This will be my last post as those convinced against their will are of the same opinion still…why waste the energy?

              • Evan Groman

                I could say the same to you, I think you’re being absolutely idiotic. I’m willing to waste my energy, though, because it actually takes no serious amount of energy and that’s a ridiculous statement.

                But the point remains that he will get arrested, and it’s shit, but ohwell.

            • Erin W

              Wow, really? Really? You just said that the girls should be smart enough to know better, and then call them the least intelligent group of people?

              Moving past your ignorant and intentially offensive comment, I think anyone who has ever been a teenage girl can attest that it is a time filled with self-doubt, insecurity, massive amounts of peer-pressure and desire to fit in during a time when self-control and strong moral conviction in the face of overwhelming pressure is weak.

              There are reasons age of consent was set. You talk about people maturing more quickly now, when the opposite is actually true; given our extending schooling years, it is actually taking longer for most people to reach an age of real psychological maturation (self-worth, self-conviction, etc.) Sure, when people are IN that stage of life, they THINK they are old and wise and mature, but trust me, add even 5 years on to it, and you look back on those years and realize how young and niave and immature and unwise you still were.

  • Jessy

    The victim-blaming stuff going round in response to this is getting really really sad and upsetting.

  • Jean_leanny

    I honestly don’t see the problem (though I do not know the whole story). In many other countries, in less than a year’s time, this would have been perfectly legal and NORMAL, as some countries are not idiots and realise that by 16 you know how to say yes and no as you wish.
    Obviously if these girls did not want to be taking part, or if they were being harassed or abused, that is different, but sending pictures consentually, I see no problem. As I say, in many countries, a few months on, this would be perfectly fine. A 17 year old dating a 25 year old is completely fine, so why is this so terrible? The age gap is the same.

    • filmfan41

      Uh. That’s not what our culture maintains. We have determined an age of informed consent, and they youths are (by our culture AND our law) entitled to the protections of youth, and (not that this relates to anyone named Mike because the facts are in on that case, except that he’s declared himself not a nerdfighter), anyone who treats youth otherwise has broken the social contract, and risks loss of many of our societies privilileges, like… uh… freedom. Good thing we have a judicial system, and good thing we have a press that (for all its errors) can serve to remind us of valid concerns, EVEN IF THE SPECIFICS are in doubt… the concerns are valid. Great letter from John and Hank, I thought. Thanks for sharing that.

  • Confused :/

    I’m a little bit confused, where does it say anything about sexual assault? It only mentions sharing photos and texts and arranging to meet?

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  • kat

    Mike Lombardo was a dick. I had the “pleasure” of working with him during ensemble rehearsals at Berklee. I’m not surprised at his charisma/rhetoric that must have made him attractive to girls, and am only a tiny bit surprised at what he’s gone down for. Seriously. Working with him made you feel like shit, and it wasn’t in a fun “let’s just trash talk each other in fun and games” type of way that most of us musicians can and will do amongst ourselves. It really was a, “why yes, I’m implying that I think you’re an idiot, and I don’t care. Yay, me!”

    We tried to work with him. He was very talented that I recall, don’t get me wrong. But we tried. And yet, with our every attempt, he’d manage to make us all shut down and go quiet…keep to ourselves…just play our tunes. It wasn’t very enlightening or helpful to do this; it was just…sort of suffocating.

    So I’m enjoying this. Call me whatever you may like…but he was NOT the friendliest person I knew of at Berklee compared to the rest. I don’t know how he gets along with others…I still don’t, really, but I know he wasn’t getting along with my group in that ensemble at the time, and we just wanted to stay out of his way when he’d throw taunts at us to put us down.

    …hahhhhhahahhahaha.