Ex-Subway Pitchman Jared Fogle Recorded Talking About Preying On Children
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Recordings released Thursday captured former Subway pitchman Jared Fogle talking about how he preyed on children.
As CBS2's Vanessa Murdock reported, Fogle was recorded secretly by Rochelle Herman-Walrond, who befriended him and became an FBI informant.
The daytime talk show "Dr. Phil" obtained the recordings and aired them on Thursday. They are enough to make the skin crawl.
Fogle: "I like all ages. That's the thing I mean. I like all of them. You know."
Herman-Walrond: "Well, what makes it different, I mean, from one age to another? Why does…"
Fogle:: "Well, it depends which -- who is ready for what. You know, who's going to give you the glance. You know what I mean."
Herman-Walrond is a former radio host who interviewed Fogle and became suspicious when she overheard him say he found middle school girls attractive. The recordings spanned five years.
Fogle: "And we just start sharing stories, and then, you know, we get a little closer, and a little closer, and a little closer, and before you know it, you know it's -- you know, it just -- it just starts to happen.?
Herman-Walrond: "So it's not that hard to do?"
Fogle:: "No, not at all."
Herman-Walrond said she could not take it anymore when Fogle mentioned her two young children upon a question about whether he thought any kids were "hot."
Fogle: "What if we, what if we put a camera in your kids' room, would they be OK with that?:
Herman-Walrond:: "Yeah."
Fogle: "Yeah?"
Herman-Walrond:: "Uh-huh."
Fogle: Would you rather have it in your son or your daughter's room?
Herman-Walrond:: "Oh, I don't know, that would be, you know…"
Fogle: "Which one do you think would be better?"
Herman-Walrond:: "I don't know."
Fogle: "You tell me."
Dr. Phil McGraw asked Herman-Walrond how she felt when Fogle made the remarks.
"Disgusting. I felt like I was so dirty," Herman-Walrond said. "I had to be two separate people to continue with this investigation."
But horrifying though they were, Dr. Phil emphasized that the tapes have value.
"What makes this so valuable is this is the playbook of a monster, because he's teaching her, he's therefore teaching all of us -- all the parents -- what to look for," Dr. Phil said.
Forensic psychologist Dr. N.G. Berrill said there are certain behaviors seen in Fogle's remarks that parents should watch out for.
"(Predators) develop a feel for kids," Berrill said. "They develop a feel for children's vulnerabilities."
Berrill said child predators such as Fogle develop an expertise at including themselves in a child's life. He said there are certain behaviors that might give parents a sign that adults are up to no good.
"Excessive touching, excessive intimacy, private jokes -- those types of things might raise some questions about who exactly is this person, and why are they ingratiating themselves the way they are with my kid?" Berrill said.
Berrill also advised that parents be on the alert for changes in behavior – whether children seem upset, are having nightmares, or are acting secretive after encounters with a particular adult – as well as whether children share secrets with that adult.
Berrill said if something seems strange, it is always better to check it out and find that things are OK, rather than believe because of someone's status, they are above behaving inappropriately with kids.
Fogle agreed to plead guilty this past summer child pornography and claims that he traveled to pay for sex acts with minors while he stayed in upscale hotels in New York City.
WEB EXTRA: Read The Government's Accusations | Read The Plea Agreement
According to a document released by prosecutors in Indianapolis, the allegations involved minors who appeared in pornography and two who participated in sex acts. In all, 14 alleged victims were involved.
Fogle has agreed to admit to one count of traveling to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor and one count of distribution and receipt of child pornography.
Fogle and federal prosecutors are still discussing a prison sentence, but they have agreed it will be five to 12 1/2 years. Fogle also agreed to pay $1.4 million in restitution to the 14 minor victims, who will each receive $100,000, according to a document filed ahead of an expected court appearance. He must also register as a sex offender.
Fogle's fame and fortune started when he was a college student and went from 425 pounds down to 180, crediting subway sandwiches and exercise. He was the public face of the company for more than 15 years -- a period in which its number of locations tripled, making Milford, Connecticut-based Subway the world's largest restaurant chain.
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