Submitted by JR Harris on Wed, 10/16/2013 – 19:32
In yet another case of molestation of 13 year old patients by “volunteers” from rehabs taking them to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, Robert Poizner has been convicted of molesting at least two 13 year old boys while he was a “volunteer” for Pacific Health Systems 1908 at Sweetwater Rd, National City, CA 91950(http://www.healthgrades.com/group-directory/california-ca/national-city/…).
Lawsuit claims National City treatment facility did not protect young patients
Posted: 10/17/2013
Last Updated: 36 minutes ago
Vanessa Van Hyfte
NATIONAL CITY, Calif. – A lawsuit has been filed against a treatment facility in National City after one of its volunteer counselors was convicted of sexually abusing young patients.
Robert Poizner was convicted of 24 counts of sex abuse against children, and two of his victims were 13-year-old patients at Pacific Health Systems, a facility that treats a variety of mental health issues and additions.
According to court documents obtained by 10News, Poizner was a volunteer at PHS and was supposed to be taking teenage boys to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Instead, he took them back to his apartment and molested them, the documents stated.
“The program requires for them to get an AA sponsor … We do a lot of these cases; I’ve seen these predators, it’s unbelievable. They know where to go and which kids they can groom. These are vulnerable kids and they are at their most vulnerable state, and PHS had an obligation to keep these kids safe and they failed in this regard,” said attorney Stephen Estey, who is now representing one of Poizner’s teenage victims.
The suit alleges PHS did not do enough to protect its young patients.
Estey said by law, the facility is required to conduct criminal background screenings on anyone working or volunteering with children. Poizner had several felony convictions ranging from burglaries to three “peeping Tom” charges, where a judge had ordered him to a year in a sex offender program.
“If the facility uses volunteers, they are obligated to screen them and supervise them too, and they did neither,” said Estey.
According to court documents, Poizner offered the boys cigarettes and pornography. He lured the boys to his home, where he gained access to two of their friends, who he also sexually assaulted, the documents said.
Estey said when the boys’ parents raised concerns to PHS about Poizner spending so much time with young boys, but their concerns were dismissed.
“They were told to back off. One parent was told [to] quit being a helicopter parent and let us do their job … if you want your kid to get sober, this is part of the process,” said Estey.
The suit also claims fellow counselors had suspicions as well, but nothing was ever reported.
“The counselors that ran this thing, they witnessed Poizner hugging and kissing on the boys in the parking lot and didn’t say anything to parents,” said Estey.
Poizner was sentenced to 75 years to life in prison.
The civil lawsuit against PHS, which is seeking an unspecified amount of damages, will get underway next week.
Stop13stepinaa's Blog 
SO true. Its very scary, very harmful and we just need to get the word out , tell the truth about AA and its culture and educate there are 7 other free options out there.
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I just wanted to add that I am male and I am repulsed by the above story. I’m glad the (fill in the appropriate expletive) got 75 years in prison, hopefully he will ever again see the light of day. Those poor 13 year olds – scarred for life no doubt. I’m guessing they are going to have all kinds of issues going forward as a result of these attacks. Sickening. Something needs to be done to protect all AA members from the predators in the rooms. This anonymity BS gives predators cover to exploit the weak and the vulnerable.
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The judges and probation officers are fully aware that this sick perverse stuff is going on in Alcoholics Anonymous! They don’t care and that Needs to urgently change! Public Awareness and involvement must happen! I strongly believe if Factual education of all the rape, murder , violent abuse cases that are taking place in Alcoholics Anonymous by their members to their members of nationwide is continually presented to public , that including the judges and probation departments , local rape crisis / victim assistance centers . Insurance companies, CHURCHES where meetings are held and schools , ect , the voices will be heard . What we really need to do is put these judges and probation offices in the Hot Seat’ _ asking them ,”do you have children?” ” ” would you SEND YOUR SON OR DAUGHTER TO A PROGRAM THAT YOU YOURSELF HAVEN’T FULLY CHECKED OUT FIRST?” ” YOUR HONOR KNOWING YOU PLACE RAPISTS , SEXUAL PREDATORS AND VIOLENT CRIMINALS IN THIS ANONYMOUS Program “, I ask again, ” WOULD YOU SEND YOUR PRECIOUS SON OR DAUGHTER to Alcoholics Anonymous ?”
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Let them throw me in jail for SPEAKING OUT’ _ wow what Public media attention that would get! My Children would go nationwide to represent this cause – we’d get the best lawyers whom I can assure you Back us on this sick Sh** going on with these court mandates! My children , grandchildren are victims of these sick members of Alcoholics Anonymous just simply because of their mother/ grandmother being mandated their ! I am not saying I’m proud of getting a DUI , but I did ask the probation department if I could attend another type of recovery other than AA , explaining my reason being that as a child I was subject to these AA rooms because my abusive father was mandated there and drug myself and my siblings there. Subjecting us kids to further child molestation . This probation officer gave me a Choice ‘ _ ATTEND AA or JAIL ! She said if I tried to talk to the judge about it , She would see to it that I did jail time ! She made it very clear that she had that power! — I LATER FOUND OUT THAT SHE WAS AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF AA ! I was Shocked and confused back then , and felt maybe she was right I needed to be there . OMG IF ONLY I KNEW BACK RHEN WHAT I KNOW NOW about the truth of this sick sick cult! Seeing this court respected figure in the rooms I know today , that it only made me more vulnerable !! And this lead to almost my death by an AA member. So YES !!! I will go to Jail if that’s what it takes to Get my voice heard on the Injustice that is going on by Court mandates of Sexual predators, rapists , violent criminals and then at same time mandating our youth there!
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Rob A. Thank you so much for posting/ Yea I think its disgusting. I too want to stop it at a federal level. I have a petition http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/stop-courts-from-sending-1and a video on youtube
AND am making a film to expose it . Lucky you got out. Here are the links
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Hi massive, the film is coming along Beautifully !! As I have stated before ,” you are an Amazing woman with a compassion to help others , and you cause with this project had expressed that to many many hearts! Thank you again !
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I am so glad I am out of AA! I went off and on in the late 80’s to the mid 90’s. A number of events took place in my life in 1996 and I found myself moving back to where I grew up. Suddenly I just let a lot of my past go – and moved on internally. I kept attending AA meetings and more and more I found myself unable to do the program speak and just drifted away. I have my share of strange and creepy AA stories but no 13th stepping either done or me nor did I do any. Something just did not feel right about AA for starting in 1996 and instead of analyzing it, I chose to honor it and now I’m finding online that this was a wise choice. Rob A. Arizona
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I seriously am repulsed and nauseated by this post. Not because it says anything new or provocative; but because I am so mother-fluckin sick of this same sorry, ignorant cow-manure that these people keep repeating over and over and over again. It’s like ancient water torture or something. You do know they are working REAL HARD to keep believing in AA and the “fellowship” right? You do know that the inner voices of deep doubt are why they come to these blogs, read and post…RIGHT?
Okay… I tried to force back my gag-reflex just to read that drivel…
It has the old dank odor of so much hypocritical-typical 12-Step zombie mentality that I could barely even get through it. Lord, I need a Dramamine after reading that crap. I have had such a wonderful experience not hearing or reading anything these fools spout. Anyway… This is why when trolls try to post on my blog I delete it as soon as I peep them. I have heard ENOUGH and far too much from these goats and monkeys…the lot of them.
This tired and heinously erroneous argument about being able to meet bad people “anywhere” is so obviously flawed logic that one would either have to be on drugs, have a wet-brain or be an AA or NA member to be f-ed in the head enough to believe and repeat such a fallacy. Come on!
For the zillionth time (knowing you trolls know this!): The 12 step racket actively recruits people/criminals from jails and prisons to go to the damned meetings. If not for this on-going recruitment the system would die sooner than it is already going to. (And IT IS dying…ho…hum…) Judges send people to the meetings in lieu of increased jail time.
Do we really have to keep telling you this? I mean, REALLY? So you have chosen to seriously, stupidly continue to demonstrate how very obtuse the AA-defending- zombies- are? You really are going to have to give up your vow of “not-thinking” if you are so committed to going onto obviously anti-AA sites and trying to debate real thinking people who do not have to read “approved literature” or go call their sponsor to tell them what to damned think on a daily basis. Ask your sponsor to give you permission to research, Sir!
Are you not supposed to be FREE of the “Debating Society”? Why don’t you at least save your great wisdom and share it with those damned “miracles” sitting at some table with you just waiting with baited-coffee breath to soak up al your Wisdom, Experience & hope…er…whatever the phuck…
Face it. You really are POWERLESS. (But because you have chosen POWERLESSNESS) You are powerless over alcohol. You are self-admittedly powerless over people, places and every damned thing. So ya gotta know; you’re powerless over this blog. Right?
You are not stopping anything. In fact, a wonderful documentary about all of this is currently being finish. We can’t wait for you fools to see it. Did you catch The Katie Kouric Show? HERE: http://katiecouric.com/2013/07/16/why-women-drink-the-exes/
Or the Diane Sawyer feature? http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/secret-life-female-wine-drinker-20592865
Or how about The Wall Street Journal Interview? HERE: http://live.wsj.com/video/the-trouble-with-women-and-wine/04DEDF00-ED60-47BD-8577-48516D8ACC70.html#!04DEDF00-ED60-47BD-8577-48516D8ACC70
Do listen…or don’t. (You likely CAN’T…you are not allowed.)
Still, think that we have no impact and are about to shut-up because trolls like you say so? You probably do, eh?
Anyway, if after all of that you still feel compelled to recite dogma and indoctrinated non-thought…Call your sponsor…Do some service work…Get your ass to a meeting…Go read some program approved literature, don’t think, don’t drink and don’t get into grown folks business.
We are done with ye ole 1939 Bill W. plagarized version of Old Oxford Group Religion re-hash into a cult and multi-million dollar con game against the American people and the world.
IT’S OVER!
Damn…
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He looks like he fits right in at 12 step meetings.
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Oh my 😦 http://en.gravatar.com/frunobulax57#pic-1
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Perverts drink and do drugs. And they lie about wanting to stop all of it. What has AA or any rehabilitation organization got to do with that?
It’s also a good bet there are way more sex predators who eat at McDonald’s than go to AA meetings, who drive Hondas, than go to AA meetings, who work for Newspapers, have silver amalgam fillings and fish on chartered party boats, than go to AA meetings. Why not organize an outcry against those? Because the cause is bull-shale that’s why.
Did you know that most murders wear denim? Most cancer victims have spent time in healthcare facilities. It’s true. Let’s solve the cancer problem and prevent killings by attempting a ruckus against Wrangler and the hospitals!
Do you get the point?
Humans are creepy. And they are all over the place. They are in Weight-Watcher meetings, workplaces, clubhouses, bars and country clubs. They are in churches, in supermarkets on police forces and on blog-sites. — and guess what? Very many of them also abuse substances and can be found in places where substance abusers gather. Like recovery meetings. It isn’t their ‘hosts’ who have created them. They are already cretins and vile criminals.
You really need to deal with that.
The urge to self-validate requires a worthy and CREDIBLE cause. This isn’t one. The “public” you are trying to incite with the effort is too sensible, and so it will go nowhere.
For this reason you will not cause the damage AA you are hoping for (That grudge glares like an emergency flare on a dark road. Man you have GOT to get a handle on that) You also will not move a single legislator nor even prevent a single abusive and immoral act committed amongst spiritually sick un-recovered ‘addicts’ who hang out in church basements.
Citing AA, you’ve misidentified the villain. Sick people do sick things – to themselves and to others – the do it wherever they are and with whoever is available sick enough to play along and fall for it – and the blame game ought to seek the indictment of the REAL culprit–THEMSELVES, taking responsibility for their own sick behaviors – not others. (Reality Check)
~ djs
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Your kidding right?
No where on earth is like AA. Where you are told you are powerless, broken and have a spiritual bullsh**T malady.
For wolves sto go into a meeting preying on young new members is sick! Only the church is similar. If people in prison did the shit to each other that AA members do they would be beaten up, raped or murdered. In AA they hide behind anonymity.
Looks like you are a stepper making money from the cripples. Get off my site. You are not a victim. You have the nerve to come here and say that women and men and CHILDREN who are victimized by assholes …AA members have aprt in it?
FUCK YOU ! Your banned .
Gabrielle Glaser wore a critical book about AA and was on Katie Kouric and Diane Sawyer and there will be more news covering the Karla Brada murder.
There are lawsuits pending and the anti AA movement is growing at such a speed while so is SMART RECOVERY < SOS AND MODERATION which btw is approved by the courts .
You will not have a chance to reply. You will be deleted if you try. You are just another jerk saying its ok to 13 step a newcomer. No you are worse!!!!!.
This man Sexually abused children you fuckhead and you are saying this is ok.
Children are being molested where…… Really? NIce lawsuit that would be.
Maybe you should read the whole Lawsuit which you can find on the http://www.orange-papers.org
HE WAS an AA member using that to get access to these boys. It states in the case that he pretended to be a sponsor…..EVEN A Judge saw this. He got 75 years in jail!!!and The treatment Center is being sued as well which it should be.
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You need to check yourself. You have diarrhea of the mouth. Check you facts before you respond to anything let alone coming to this blog and bring your AA cultism! (Which you are!) We are not dazzled by your friend Bill W’s antiquated wisdom! You are the proof of just how brainwashed you steppers are! Blind deaf and most certainly dumb.
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hi charmoh- Welcome and thanks for the sane post!
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frunobulax57,
Are you really claiming that it is OK for 13 year old’s to be sexually assaulted being taken to AA meeting because it happens “everywhere.” I think you need a reality check yourself. If McDonald’s saw a trend they would do something about it. AA is doing nothing.
I appreciate you claiming that McDonald’s is much more dangerous and contains more rapists and murderers than AA. It really shows how dangerous AA is. McDonald has 68 Million people a day going to it in 119 countries with over 34,000 restaurants worldwide and they employ 1.7 million people. McDonald’s does have problems but when you consider that AA claims to have 2.3 million members in 171+ countries (even though it only tracks 68) you can easily see that McDonald is much more safer. Convicted felons don’t get mandated by a judge to go to McDonald’s. While murders are tragic, there have been very few murders and rapes in McDonald’s (http://www.mcmurder.com/) which is an organization that is 30 times the size of AA. Look at this blog and count the problems in AA, if AA was safer than McDonald’s there would be 30 times the number of problems in McDonald’s but that is not the case. In other words, McDonald’s is 30 times (that is 3000%) more safer that AA. I suggest you take a good look at what you are saying.
“The 13th Step, the Film” A documentary about sexual, violent and financial crimes in 12 Step AA that you don’t see, because AA members cover it up, hide it and claim it doesn’t happen in their group.
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-13th-step
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Speaking of Self-Validate …You cry out that your TRAPPED ‘ trapped in a flesh that’s eating your Mental ability to accept who you are ! Your struggling with your own Cause to self -Validate what you can’t accept about yourself instead of Running from the uncertainties or asking why me Why? Get the education you need to flaunt you beautifully ( outwardly as well as inwardly) Your self-ACCEPTANCE -grudge Glares _like an Emergency that not even Bill or Bob had the Courage to address in the BIG BOOK of Anonymous !
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You fail to realize that AA and NA actually embraces and invite sex predators and violent felons to their meetings. No one is too creepy or dangerous. AA has not put in any safety regulations to protect the minors or other vulnerable members the also invite to the same meetings. McDonalds does not allow 13 stepping and sex abuse in stores. AA does allow it. Most businesses and organizations have a set of safety regulations. AA voted to do nothing to protect members from rape, 13 stepping etc.
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I think you need an English lesson….
mo·lest transitive verb \mə-ˈlest\
: to harm (someone) through sexual contact : to touch (someone) in a sexual and improper way
: to bother or annoy (someone or something)
Full Definition of MOLEST
1
: to annoy, disturb, or persecute especially with hostile intent or injurious effect
2
: to make annoying sexual advances to; especially : to force physical and usually sexual contact on
— mo·les·ta·tion noun
— mo·lest·er noun
Examples of MOLEST
He was sent to jail for molesting children.
It was illegal to molest, capture, or kill any of the animals in the park.
You dont have to be a child to be molested. Fool…
Your banned. Get off my site!!!
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You will be reported to the FBI. ANyone who says such a thing must be a sexual predator as well. You are an idiot as well.
Have you no compassion for children? You must be a sociopath. A sick sick AA male member of alcoholics anonymous!!!!!!!!!If
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The individual is a ‘Trapped uncertain self -hatter Mess!
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He is defending predators. Sick, sick sick….
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I’m not really sure you can actually molest someone over the age of 12. I mean, a 13-year-old should have enough sense to say “No.” or “Get the f*** off me, you faggot.”
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Hey Massive, Why don’t you offer your services as an expert witness against AA to the lawyers for the kids? Using the pamphlets and your knowledge and the movie they would easily get a conviction. By the way…. are you going to put this latest case in the movie? It would be great to interview the parents.
50-80
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I called him. Lets see what happens! 🙂
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This story curdles my stomach.
I think AA should also be named in the lawsuit because they were going to an AA Meeting and because AA encourages treatments centres to send people there. Just look at the AA World Service website and do a search on ‘Treatment’ all the info is there for a lawyer to include AA http://www.aa.org/lang/en/results.cfm?results=treatment+
I swear to God…. If I lived in the States….. I would start picketing AA World Service….. Hey???? Maybe this is a good idea? A vigil or walk of remembrance for all the people harmed by AA? Seriously….. I would walk in that type of march. I would drive my car down to New York and do that. Just imagine the parents and family with picture of their loved ones.
I wish my time wasn’t so limited at the moment…… I’m so glad I am not part of AA any more. Do I drink now? Nope. I don’t want to poke the bear. Am I happy to have my life back. You betcha!
50-80
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And also the concept of “sponsorship” pushed on people by AA made it very easy for this pervert to get these kids alone. Sponsorship is a perversion of its own, especially when it takes a pedophile and puts them as an authority over a kid, with plenty of “alone time” built into that system.
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Bcm-this aspect of AA needs to exposed and gotten rid of ! It’s a very disempowring way to say ” you never know what to do ” go ask some other idiot
I have some great women sponsors that just talked their experience
But I think that was rare.
The situation with these teens is very very dangerous
And criminal
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I wish you lived in the states too!
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