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Rip Torn Gets Apology Over Sex Predator Ad

Councilman Used Torn's Mug Shot To Portray Generic Criminal

POSTED: 10:02 am PDT June 12, 2008
UPDATED: 2:04 pm PDT June 12, 2008

A Cincinnati city councilman has publicly apologized to Rip Torn for using his mug shot in a campaign ad on crime.

Christopher Monzel said that a black bar covered Torn's eyes in the television ad. The photo, which was available on Internet sites, came from Torn's 2006 drunken-driving arrest in New York State.

Monzel said the ad was meant to show a generic criminal and discuss his efforts to "get sexual predators off the streets" -- and wasn't meant to have anything to do with Torn.

But when someone was able to identify Torn as the person in the ad, the "Men in Black" and "Dodgeball" actor was notified and the ad was pulled.

Torn demanded an apology for the mistake, so on Tuesday, Monzel placed an ad in The Cincinnati Enquirer. He detailed where the commercial ad was show, and described Torn as an award-winning actor who had served honorably in the Army.

"That commercial discussed, in part, my efforts to get sexual predators off the streets," Monzel said in the printed apology. "Purely as a result of an error by my campaign, an unauthorized altered image of Mr. Torn was inadvertently shown during that commercial. I never intended to imply any improper or illegal conduct by Mr. Torn."

Monzel said the wording was negotiated over months and he takes full responsibility.
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