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Retired police officer and “international expert on occult crime” Don Rimer is at it again, hosting another seminar on occult crime for over 100 people, most of them active police officers. This time, he seems to be empowered by the popularity of the Twilight films and the HBO series True Blood, both of which involve vampires – but he hasn’t given up on connecting role-playing games with terrible crimes.

The real problem here is that ritual crimes really do exist, and police investigators could benefit from some real-world advice on how to solve them. But Rimer isn’t the one to give that advice - not when he makes claims like this one:

"Fantasy role-playing like Dungeons and Dragons … and vampire gaming are alive and well," said Rimer. "There are people who take gaming to another level, one that results in deaths and suicides. In the world of gaming, there is evil."

Vampire gaming, in particular, will often lure people, then send them out on a quest that involves blood or sex, sometimes with deadly consequences, said Rimer.

These sorts of claims come straight from the satanic panic of the 1980s, and have no place in the 21st century. Anyone claiming to be an “international expert” on any kind of investigation should have a clear concept of the difference between causation and correlation, something that Rimer sorely lacks. Sadly, as long as Rimer can find a paying audience, he will continue to spread this misinformation in situations where he could be doing some actual help.

If you live in Virginia (especially the Newport News area), you may wish to consider writing a letter to the editor of your local paper, or even contacting your local police department and asking if they are planning to host one of Rimer’s seminars.

Read the full article here: [article | archive]

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