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Picker’s Supply issues statement regarding Manring
Picker’s Supply of Fredericksburg issued the following statement regarding James Douglas Manring’s employment there from 2002-2009.
Manring, who lived for a dozen years in southern Stafford County, entered into a plea agreement regarding the production of child pornography on Jan. 28 in U.S. District Court.
Manring, 54, is in federal custody awaiting sentencing. His charges stem from videos he produced of himself sexually abusing boys and girls while employed at a preschool in Japan in the 1990s.
The Free Lance-Star detailed the accusations against Manring in a story for Sunday’s print and online editions that included information about his activities with children during the 12 years he lived in the Fredericksburg area. The newspaper was unable to get a comment from Picker’s Supply for that story.
Today, The Free Lance-Star reports that federal agents found no local children in any of the videos seized from Manring’s home during a search in October.
Below is the statement submitted to The Free Lance-Star from Picker’s Supply.
Statement from Picker’s Supply regarding Doug Manring child pornography conviction
We are repulsed and infuriated at the news of Doug Manring’s conviction for producing child pornography. Mr. Manring was employed as a music instructor at Picker’s Supply from 2002-2009, and came highly recommended from our associates in the music industry.
While we find it chilling to think that Mr. Manring was entrusted with young students during his tenure at Picker’s Supply, the federal authorities feel confident that Mr. Manring did not commit any crimes against any of the students that he taught at Picker’s Supply, or at any other venues, during that period. The crime that he has been convicted of was committed in Japan in the 1990s.
We are disappointed that we were not contacted by the authorities, or anyone else who knew about Mr. Manring’s criminal activities, prior to the Freelance Star’s article on Sunday, February 3. Since being alerted to the issue by that article, we have been contacting Mr. Manring’s former students, to make sure that they are aware of Mr. Manring’s crime and conviction. Be advised that we will also be taking additional security measures to ensure the safety of our students at Picker’s Supply.
The safety of our students is paramount to us, and we take the trust placed in us by parents very seriously. Our hearts go out to Mr. Manring’s victims and their families.
The Staff at Picker’s Supply
Bran Dillard, Peter Mealy, Jeffery Levine, Don Brown,
John Rensink and Patrick Vining
