K2 Radio News: Flash Briefing For February 8th, 2018 – Morning

A WASHINGTON STATE MAN ARRESTED LAST MONTH TRAVELING WITH TWO TEENAGE GIRLS HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH SEX TRAFFICKING.

FEDERAL COURT RECORDS SAY SIXTY-THREE-YEAR-OLD DAVID PETER VIER HEARD THE CHARGE DURING HIS INITIAL APPEARANCE IN U.S. DISTRICT COURT IN CHEYENNE ON WEDNESDAY.

U.S. MAGISTRATE JUDGE KELLY RANKIN ORDERED VIER, IN THE CUSTODY OF THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, HELD WITHOUT BOND.

IF CONVICTED, VIER FACES 10 YEARS TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT.
LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES SAY VIER WAS ARRESTED WEST OF GREEN RIVER ON INTERSTATE 80 ON JANUARY 20th, AFTER THEY RECEIVED A REPORT FROM A LITTLE AMERICA EMPLOYEE ABOUT TWO GIRLS IN A RESTAURANT HIDING FROM A MAN.
EARLIER THAT DAY, AN UNIDENTIFIED PERSON FROM KANSAS REPORTED THE GIRLS WERE BEING TAKEN FROM WASHINGTON TO KANSAS.

OFFICERS FOUND THE GIRLS AND VIER AT THE RESTAURANT.

VIER WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY AND QUESTIONED, AND THE 12- AND 14-YEAR-OLD GIRLS WERE PLACED IN PROTECTIVE CARE.

THE GIRLS TOLD OFFICERS THEIR MOTHER RECENTLY HAD KICKED THEM OUT OF THEIR HOUSE IN SEATTLE, AND THEY MET VIER AT A STORE WHERE THEY WERE ASKING FOR RIDES.

HE TOLD THEM HE WOULD TAKE THEM TO THEIR GRANDMOTHER IN KANSAS ONLY IF THEY WOULD BE HIS SEX PARTNERS, BUT THEY THOUGHT HE WAS JOKING.

WHILE THEY WERE TRAVELING VIER TOLD THE GIRLS HE WAS GOING TO HAVE SEX WITH THEM WHEN THEY ARRIVED AT LITTLE AMERICA.

THE GIRLS AGREED THEY HAD TO RUN WHEN THEY ARRIVED BECAUSE THEY FEARED THEY WOULD BE SEXUALLY ASSAULTED.

AFTER VIER'S ARREST, LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS SEARCHED HIS PICKUP WHERE THEY FOUND HANDCUFFS AND OTHER RESTRAINTS, KNIVES, AND BOTTLES OF ANESTHETICS.
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A WORLD-RENOWNED ADVOCATE FOR A WIDE-OPEN INTERNET, A SONGWRITER FOR THE GRATEFUL DEAD, WYOMING NATIVE AND FORMER CATTLE RANCHER FROM PINEDALE DIED IN HIS SLEEP WEDNESDAY.
SEVENTY-YEAR-OLD JOHN PERRY BARLOW WAS THE SON OF REPUBLICAN REP. NORMAN BARLOW AND GREW UP ON THE 22,000-ACRE BAR CROSS RANCH NEAR PINEDALE.

A 1995 PROFILE IN PEOPLE MAGAZINE SAID HIS YOUNG HELL-RAISING BEHAVIOR CAUSED HIS PARENTS TO SEND HIM TO THE FOUNTAIN VALLEY MILITARY ACADEMY IN COLORADO SPRINGS WHERE HE MET GUITAR PLAYER AND FELLOW HELL-RAISER BOB WEIR.

IN 1965, BARLOW AND WEIR GRADUATED FROM FOUNTAIN VALLEY.

WEIR MOVED TO SAN FRANCISCO TO CO-FOUND THE GRATEFUL DEAD.

BARLOW MOVED TO CONNECTICUT TO ATTEND WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY, MAJORED IN COMPARATIVE RELIGION, GRADUATED IN 1969, TRAVELED AND LIVED IN INDIA BEFORE RETURNING TO THE U.S. IN 1970.

WEIR ENCOURAGED HIM TO WRITE LYRICS, AND PENNED ABOUT 30 SONGS FOR THE DEAD INCLUDING “MEXICALI BLUES" AND "THROWING STONES."

HE RETURNED TO THE RANCH IN 1971 TO CARE FOR HIS AILING FATHER WHO DIED IN 1972, AND HE OPERATED THE BAR CROSS UNTIL THE LATE 1980S.

WHILE RUNNING THE RANCH, HE BECAME FOND OF COMPUTERS, AND THAT LED TO HIS INTEREST IN INTERNET FREEDOM.

IN 1990, HE CO-FOUNDED THE NONPROFIT ELECTRONIC FRONTIER FOUNDATION TO PRESERVE ONLINE CIVIL LIBERTIES.

HE WAS IN HIGH DEMAND AS A SPEAKER AND A WRITER, AND WAS A CO-FOUNDER OF WIRED MAGAZINE.

HE IS SURVIVED BY HIS WIFE AND HIS THREE CHILDREN.
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GILLETTE, WYO. (AP) - A CREW IS WORKING ON SANITIZING AND DISINFECTING BARNS AT A MULTI-EVENT FACILITY IN GILLETTE AFTER REPORTS OF A HORSE VIRUS...

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THE NATRONA AND TETON COUNTIES' SHERIFF'S OFFICES, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, ARE INVESTIGATING SIMILAR BOMB THREATS RECEIVED TUESDAY IN WYOMING AND ELSEWHERE NATIONALLY.

NATRONA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE SPOKESMAN SERGEANT AARON SHATTO SAID WEDNESDAY THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT DOESN'T BELIEVE THE THREATS POSE A DANGER TO THE PUBLIC.

THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE RECEIVED THE REPORT OF THE THREAT AT 7:35 P.M. TUESDAY, BUT SHATTO DECLINED TO GIVE DETAILS ABOUT THE THREAT INCLUDING THE LOCATION.

THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE ACTIVATED ITS BOMB TEAM AND SEARCHED THE UNIDENTIFIED AREA.

SHATTO ALSO DECLINED TO SAY WHETHER THERE ARE ANY SUSPECTS IN THE CASE OR WHO OR WHAT WAS THE OBJECT OF THE THREAT.

MEANWHILE, THE TETON COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE RECEIVED A SIMILAR THREAT, AND SIMILAR THREATS HAVE BEEN REPORTED ELSEWHERE.