Man's Fantasies Began After He Abruptly Stopped Effexor
Summary:
Paragraph 10 reads: "In 2007, Waldman worked as a web developer at the CBC in Winnipeg but has since been dismissed. Dr. Shelley Uram, a psychiatrist who met with Waldman, found his 'bizarre Internet exposure morphed into bizarre sexual interest.' She noted he'd been taking the antidepressant Effexor and said the onset of his fantasies came after he abruptly stopped medication. Waldman has been deemed a low risk to reoffend, and Uram found he showed 'extreme empathy' for victims of child sexual abuse."
SSRI Stories note: Withdrawal, especially abrupt withdrawal, from any of these medications can cause severe neuropsychiatric and physical symptoms. It is important to withdraw extremely slowly from these drugs, often over a period of a year or more, under the supervision of a qualified and experienced specialist, if available. Withdrawal is sometimes more severe than the original symptoms or problems.
A convicted Winnipeg sex tourist is back on the streets after closing the books on his international legal saga.
Doron Waldman, 38, was released from jail Friday, giving him his first taste of freedom in nearly three years. He pleaded guilty earlier in the day to possession of child pornography and was sentenced to the equivalent of 46 days of time already spent in custody.
Crown and defence lawyers agreed Waldman shouldn't face further time behind bars because his Canadian crime stems from the same case for which he was punished in the United States. "The Americans already took into account the Canadian content," defence lawyer Greg Brodsky told the Free Press.
Waldman was arrested in Arizona in November 2007 following a police sting operation. He'd made arrangements to go to Mexico to have sex with underage boys and was charged with travelling with the intent to engage in sexual activity with a minor.
Days later, RCMP seized a computer from Waldman's home that revealed he had accessed 1,496 images and 23 videos of porn involving boys between the ages of seven and 15.
Waldman began trading emails in August 2007 with a person "whom he believed to be a purveyor of children for sexual activities." Police say he sent a US$60 down payment to "secure his reservation" in October 2007 and agreed to pay a total of $600 "for the opportunity to have sex with children over a six-day period."
An undercover agent posed as the would-be sex trafficker and had several online chats with a man believed to be Waldman. Waldman's lawyer had claimed he was set up by police, who were waiting for him at the Tucson airport. Police say he had four cameras wrapped as gifts and US$1,400.
Waldman pleaded guilty in Arizona last year and was sentenced to 20 months in jail, in addition to 17 months of time already served. His sentence expired last month and Waldman remained in a Texas prison until he was deported to Canada last week on his outstanding charge.
"He's been in awful American prisons for a long time. I think he wants to just hug his family," Brodsky said.
In 2007, Waldman worked as a web developer at the CBC in Winnipeg but has since been dismissed. Dr. Shelley Uram, a psychiatrist who met with Waldman, found his "bizarre Internet exposure morphed into bizarre sexual interest." She noted he'd been taking the antidepressant Effexor and said the onset of his fantasies came after he abruptly stopped medication. Waldman has been deemed a low risk to reoffend, and Uram found he showed "extreme empathy" for victims of child sexual abuse."
His name will be added to the sex-offender registry.