Famed Television Personality Sued For Childhood Sexual Abuse

Man is Accused of Repeatedly Assaulting Runaway Teenaged Boy

The Accused is Now Nationally Syndicated & Led Miami Planetarium For Years

WHAT
Holding a copy of the accused predator’s photo, an attorney will disclose and discuss a child sex abuse lawsuit against a Miami ‘icon’ who
----is nationally syndicated television personality who is still on the air now, and
----the former director of a large Miami tourist attraction.

WHEN
Thursday, July 8 at 1:00 p.m.

WHEN
Outside the entrance to the Miami Space Transit Planetarium, 3280 South Miami Avenue in Miami

WHO
A Miami attorney who represents the victim and who has handled hundreds of child sex cases, including many against priests and other prominent or powerful adults

WHY
A newly filed civil lawsuit accuses widely-known astronomer Jack Horkheimer, whose programs are shown on PBS stations across the country, of repeatedly sexually molesting a fifteen-year old teenaged runaway in Horkheimer’s Miami home. http://www.jackstargazer.com/

Horkheimer is a nationally-recognized host of Star Gazer, a syndicated TV show that has aired throughout the U.S. for more than 30 years. Horkheimer previously worked as executive director of the Miami Space Transit Planetarium, which claims to have one of the nation’s largest summer camp programs for children under 15.

In 1975, the plaintiff, John Doe, ran away from his North Carolina home and moved to South Florida. He soon met Horkheimer, who offered to take the boy in as soon as he learned that Doe had no place to stay. After Doe moved in, Horkheimer began making sexual advances toward the 15 year old. Horkheimer quickly escalated his advances to oral sex. The sexual abuse typically consisted of Horkheimer putting his mouth on the boy’s penis at night in bed. Alone and desperate for shelter, Doe endured the sexual abuse for nearly five weeks before he moved out and back on the streets.

The suit says that Horkheimer lives “a double-life as a TV personality and a sexual predator.” Doe is represented by Miami attorney Adam Horowitz.

Doe is now 51 years old and lives in Miami. Horkheimer is 72 years old and still lives in the same Miami home where he abused Doe. Horkheimer has never married and has no children.

John Doe v. Jack Horkheimer a/k/a Foley Arthur Horkheimer (Case No. 2010-37092-CA-03) is filed in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court. A copy of the lawsuit is available at http://jessicaarbour.blogspot.com.

CONTACT
Attorney Adam Horowitz 305 931 2200, 305 298 7713 cell
Attorney Stuart Mermelstein 305 931 2200