'Boystown' reality show in question after producer's criminal past comes to light
Thu. May 5, 2011 5:25 AM by GoPride.com News Staff
dave schlessinger
photo credit // windy city times
Chicago, IL -
Plans for a reality show based on Chicago's Boystown neighborhood are in jeopardy after the executive producer's criminal past as a registered sex offender with three convictions of criminal sexual assault involving underage boys came to light in an exclusive Windy City Times investigation on Wednesday.
According to court records obtained by the Windy City Times, Dave Schlessinger, 45, pled guilty and was convicted of the charges in September 1998 related to his assaults of three underage boys between June 1995 and January 1997.
Schlessinger, a Chicago native, was to back the project. He and producers from Los Angeles held two open casting calls in Chicago the weekend of April 15, which drew hundreds to the reality show project with the working title ‘Boystown.'
Schlessinger refused comment to the Times and bar owners, where the casting calls were held, tell the paper they were unaware of his criminal past.
Read more in the Windy City Times exclusive report by Joe Erbentraut.
According to court records obtained by the Windy City Times, Dave Schlessinger, 45, pled guilty and was convicted of the charges in September 1998 related to his assaults of three underage boys between June 1995 and January 1997.
Schlessinger, a Chicago native, was to back the project. He and producers from Los Angeles held two open casting calls in Chicago the weekend of April 15, which drew hundreds to the reality show project with the working title ‘Boystown.'
Schlessinger refused comment to the Times and bar owners, where the casting calls were held, tell the paper they were unaware of his criminal past.
Read more in the Windy City Times exclusive report by Joe Erbentraut.