Dave Herman, WNEW DJ, rock music aficianado, sexual pervert, child molester, monster. pic.twitter.com/yCG1Q7X2WP
— Blaknsam (@Blaknsam) October 25, 2013
Dave Herman, a legendary rock radio DJ in the 1970s facing child sex charges, died on Thursday in a hospital in Newark, New Jersey. Herman had been complaining of chest pain while in federal custody, according to the New York Post.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Herman Got Caught Trying to Transport a 7-year-old for Sex in the Caribbean
(ABC 7)
According to a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in New Jersey, Herman had contacted a 36-year-old-woman named “Kris” who had a 7-year-old daughter named “Lexi.” Herman offered to pay Kris and Lexi’s way to his home on St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where he planned to perform a number of sexual acts on Lexi. “Kris” was actually an undercover police officer.
Excerpts of the complaint are included below. Warning: The language in the report is graphic.
2. Herman Planned to Get the Girl Drunk Before Having Sex With Her
Court documents detail more of Herman’s sick plan, which included providing 7-year-old Lexi with alcohol in order to relax her before he had sex with her. Herman said that his “ultimate goal” was to have sex with Lexi. He said he wouldn’t hurt Lexi but he might have to be “forceful” with her.
The entire court document is available below. Warning: The language in the report is graphic.
3. Herman Was Hospitalized for Chest Pains
According to ABC 7, Herman was rushed to the hospital after experiencing chest pains while in federal custody at the Essex County Jail in Newark, New Jersey. Herman’s attorney, Mark Agnifilo, said Herman appeared to have suffered from an aneurysm of a major blood vessel near his heart. Authorities have not yet announced an official cause of death.
4. Herman Was Regarded as a Revolutionary Radio DJ
The New York Times reports Herman was a revolutionary radio DJ during the late 1960s and ’70s after experimenting with free-form rock music programming on FM radio, which hadn’t been done before. Mark Angifilo, Herman’s attorney, said he hopes the scandal won’t overshadow Herman’s contributions to music. Angifilo told CBS New York:
Some would say he lived his last months under a legal cloud and that’s true, but we should remember him for the decades he gave the gift of music to people.
Paul Heine, a senior producer at Inside Radio magazine, echoed Agnifilo’s sentiment:
WNEW was one of the most watched stations in the country in its ’70s heyday, and he was a cornerstone of the legendary rock radio air staff there.
5. Prosecutors Will Likely Dismiss the Charges Against Herman
According to the New York Post, a spokesperson for the U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey said prosecutors are trying to dismiss the charges against Herman, as is standard practice for defendants who die before trial.