Broker admits indiscretions at teen party

[Man Haters]

Another example of the extreme anti-male bias that now pervades our society.

The girls get free booze and parties and have a good time. The guy goes away to prison for 20 years and has to register as a sex pervert after that. The girls will probably sue him and take whatever money the family has too.

They are old enough to know hwat they were doing. This was a bad prosecution and the wrong people will be punished.

[CPJ]

I like how they refer to mike as "Father of 4" thats funny, no mention of the 4 different young mothers to these children and no mention of any wife, Also no mention of all the other years his house was a "party house" for young girls... like the last 10 years, this is nothing new, just finally a group a girls with courage to do the right thing, this guy is a cereal child molester period, he is good at it and has been at it for quite sometime people, honor student or slut, his man does not care.

[St Paul Citizen]

He is an absolute pathetic human being. All parental rights should be taken from him, and he absolutely should have to register as a sex offender. What kind of disgusting creep preys on his daughter's friends??? His poor children....

[Workaday Oakdale Brother]

Glad that this man wasn't a Brotha!

[Reality Check]

I can't imagine what his children are going through. Being a teenager is tough enough, without the fall out of a terrible father figure. Hopefully the mother's of his kids can get them away from the situation and help them move on. Kids don't pick their parents, and it is very sad. His daughters have lost the most here. Moving away from the Stillwater area would be the best for everyone.

[Mary]

Alcohol is causing the moral decay of our nation! We should get rid of this unnesasary vise. It is obvois that these wh orelets and this pervert are part of the reason for our nations downfall. God maybe will foregive these w horelets for drinking and engaging in these activities but I doubt he will look aso fondly on this molester! We need to outlaw these activities so our children will grow up with a moral and Christian atitude!

[to man haters]

these girls were at their friends house hanging out with her not him. get your facts straight before you make assupmtions!

[reality]

So, by all means blame the victims, blame me.
We went out and had some good times, I wouldn't deny that. But, just because some of us got hurt along the way...Does that mean we deserved it? Because we knew we weren't exactly putting ourselves in the best position? Our risks were minors, or drinking and driving, but we avoided those risks by being in our best friends' home- where we felt safe, and didn't feel like there was any need for cops to show up, or any need to drive anywhere. Not one of us thought that we could have someone slip something into the drinks that Mike made, because he was the adult. He knew what he was doing, right?
So if that's the opinion of society, that children (growing up, seeing new things every day, easily influenced by our elders, still in high school, maybe a job, but still dependant on our families) can't screw up, but adults (even if they chose the "hot shot" life with 4 different children with four different women as well as a home and job) can, then I think the world would be in some trouble.
Adults choose to be parents, in doing so they also choose to be an influence on their children. As structured and stable life that Mike manipulated everyone in believing, it wasn't.
I'm not commenting to bash other people's comments. Everyone carries on through life with their own opinions.
So, here's mine:
Mike hasn't changed a bit. You would think that at court the other day he'd at least have some manners. Not to the judge, not to anyone.
He has no mercy, no regret, no sympathy, no understanding, no learning, no pain, no feeling.
Through the past 9 months i've tried to understand why Mike is the way he is. Maybe he's had a bad past, whatever. Tried and Tried and Tried to at least see the small amount of good he could have had left. We all did. And we got nothing.
His family, as far as I'm concerned, has one good brother left. I'm 17 years old and I can keep my mouth shut longer that his gold digging and selfish mother, Judy. That's again, where the apple/tree methaphor comes back into the picture. It's really unfortunate that he can manipulate people the way he does.
He doesn't understand what it's like to feel completely helpless in a forced place with a man, 3 times bigger than you, in control...and angry.
I don't expect anyone to understand that. But i would expect that most people would agree that he is not a baby anymore. He's too old to get all these second chances. Third, fouth, fifth...hundreth. He's an adult. It's time for "Bergie" to take some responsibility for the pain that he's caused not only the the victims of the sexual abuse, but of any other kind that he's brought on them.

[Stillwater]

Im really sorry that you had to be subjected to this, hopefully you will take something out of this, I feel horrible for you the victims and for Mikes daughters they are also truly suffering because of Mikes stupidity, and have been suffering for years.. there are alot of adults to blame in this situation, hopefully everyone has learned a hard lesson from this, not the children however the adults.

reality wrote:

So, by all means blame the victims, blame me.
We went out and had some good times, I wouldn't deny that. But, just because some of us got hurt along the way...Does that mean we deserved it? Because we knew we weren't exactly putting ourselves in the best position? Our risks were minors, or drinking and driving, but we avoided those risks by being in our best friends' home- where we felt safe, and didn't feel like there was any need for cops to show up, or any need to drive anywhere. Not one of us thought that we could have someone slip something into the drinks that Mike made, because he was the adult. He knew what he was doing, right?
So if that's the opinion of society, that children (growing up, seeing new things every day, easily influenced by our elders, still in high school, maybe a job, but still dependant on our families) can't screw up, but adults (even if they chose the "hot shot" life with 4 different children with four different women as well as a home and job) can, then I think the world would be in some trouble.
Adults choose to be parents, in doing so they also choose to be an influence on their children. As structured and stable life that Mike manipulated everyone in believing, it wasn't.
I'm not commenting to bash other people's comments. Everyone carries on through life with their own opinions.
So, here's mine:
Mike hasn't changed a bit. You would think that at court the other day he'd at least have some manners. Not to the judge, not to anyone.
He has no mercy, no regret, no sympathy, no understanding, no learning, no pain, no feeling.
Through the past 9 months i've tried to understand why Mike is the way he is. Maybe he's had a bad past, whatever. Tried and Tried and Tried to at least see the small amount of good he could have had left. We all did. And we got nothing.
His family, as far as I'm concerned, has one good brother left. I'm 17 years old and I can keep my mouth shut longer that his gold digging and selfish mother, Judy. That's again, where the apple/tree methaphor comes back into the picture. It's really unfortunate that he can manipulate people the way he does.
He doesn't understand what it's like to feel completely helpless in a forced place with a man, 3 times bigger than you, in control...and angry.
I don't expect anyone to understand that. But i would expect that most people would agree that he is not a baby anymore. He's too old to get all these second chances. Third, fouth, fifth...hundreth. He's an adult. It's time for "Bergie" to take some responsibility for the pain that he's caused not only the the victims of the sexual abuse, but of any other kind that he's brought on them.

[pete]

Geo he is a sleazebage punk!

[Tybalt]

OK now i'm curious - just what is it this guy's mother did? explain that Reality dude - don't just leave us hanging here. tell the us everything you know. please.

[okay]

exactly... there's so much that you all don't know! i'll admit, i made mistakes. i am sorry and i've learned but sitting here and assuming that things are still going on and what not is not okay, especially by the adult that are supporting him. that makes me absolutely sick.

but, there is alot that the public and others do not know. and that is a huge reason as to why the comments are so hurtful to not only myself as a victim, the other victims, and the parents. please take a second to put yourselves in the position. because, if you were not there or have not witnessed a majority of it... YOU HAVE NO IDEA.

also, it also is quite sad how this is pure entertainment to some of you... just something to talk about, gossip... what not... but then for other's it was a life changing nightmare that we all still dream about. move alonggg.....

Tybalt wrote:

OK now i'm curious - just what is it this guy's mother did? explain that Reality dude - don't just leave us hanging here. tell the us everything you know. please.

[Summer 2008]

Free to party again. Looks like till August 29, 2008 Mikey can chase the young girls again this summer.

[Pack it up]

That would be best for many. Mr Bergum I think I hear Florida calling your name. Better start packing it up.

Reality Check wrote:

I can't imagine what his children are going through. Being a teenager is tough enough, without the fall out of a terrible father figure. Hopefully the mother's of his kids can get them away from the situation and help them move on. Kids don't pick their parents, and it is very sad. His daughters have lost the most here. Moving away from the Stillwater area would be the best for everyone.

[Dreamland]

The Three tactics of Self Important Criminal Losers

1. Blame the victims- They took out the ad—I just answered it !??
2.Rationalize the crime—Hey it’s not that bad!
3.Minimize your involvement---I could have done more ?!?

Oh wait, this is part of the subprime mortgage training manual.

[Rob]

Lazy parents and pervs wrote:

I must have really missed something. Yes- by all means Mr. Bergum is a perverted mess and should go to jail and suffer consequences. But these "children" are not babies with no responsibility for themselves. They were 15 16 17 and 18 year old young women. Where were their parents when they were getting drunk at this sleazeball's house all summer? How involved could they have been if this went on for months? No teenage girl is mature enough to make lots of decisions, but a teenage girl who is responsible and respectable doesn't get drunk with 35 year olds, and most are astute enough to know that they have no business drinking, especially with adults. These are not "babes in the woods" - they are obviously little lolitas with little to no parental guidance who are on the wrong track. But, of course, since it's the 'burbs they aren't little drunken whores but "victims". If their parents had been involved with their lives instead of complacent with the status quo, Mr. Bergum would have found himself without fast ass young future Hazelden residents to imbibe with. He should be in lots of trouble and for a long time- but parents , YOU are responsible for giving your kids values and morals and making sure they are safe. THANK GOD I live the 'cities where we can take all the blame for everything wrong in MN while the suburbs go to he77.....

Not that you're entirely off base, but have you read "Lolita" by Vladimir Nabokov? The messes that humans get themselves into by this kind of predatory behavior and that of their victims is much more complicated than your little rant implies. Instead of moralizing on these girls' behavior you'd be better off informing yourself and learning a little humanity in the process.