The former Cross County Court Judge Joseph Boeckmann Jr.

has shocked the whole world after allegations linking him to procuring sex from young men hit the headlines. According to the investigators with the Arkansas’ Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission (JDDC), the judge is believed to have used his position to prey on vulnerable defendants who were unable to pay their fines.

The investigators have found thousands of photos of naked men on Boeckmann’s computer, and the investigating team is confident that the men were some of the defendants who appeared before him.

Some men have resurfaced to testify what used to happen when they were brought before the judge. JDDC is investigating a fake community service that the judge used to sentence the men to, and also unusual checking of accounts associated with the judge’s businesses.

Boeckmann, who has been in the profession for over 40 years, has already resigned from the bench and is not expected to seek employment again as a public servant in the Arkansas state. Meanwhile, the JDDC is working to find out if the judge’s acts warrant criminal charges.

The commission is looking into criminal statutes such as abuse of public trust, felony, forced labor, sexual assault and coercion.

A 21-count indictment was filed Oct. 5 which accuses Boeckmann of wire fraud, bribery, violation of the federal travel act and witness tampering. There are no updates on this case since the former judge was released from jail October 25, 2016 pending his federal trial despite the prosecutors objection.