What Happened To The Hollywood Men Accused Of Child Sexual Abuse In 'An Open Secret' Documentary?
Some of them still work with kids.
Tinseltown / Shutterstock & YouTube A new HBO documentary is shining some light onto the world of child actors. Showbiz Kids takes a deeper dive into this side of the entertainment industry by having child stars tell their own stories about working in the business at such a young age.
One side of the industry that the film brings up is the subject of abuse against child actors. However, this isn't the first time that attention was brought to this darker corner of Hollywood.
During the 2017 Me Too movement, we witnessed an alarming number of victims share their own experiences about the rampant predatory behavior in Hollywood. The number of powerful Hollywood men accused of sexual assault is seemingly never-ending: Kevin Spacey, James Toback, Dustin Hoffman, and Brett Ratner, just to name a few.
Perhaps the worst part about these accusations is how long it took for them to reach the public when, in the Hollywood circle, they were never really a secret at all.
After the Weinstein accusations came to light, some of the most prominent actors and actresses in the business basically said, “Uh, yeah, everyone pretty much knew about this.”
Don’t worry, it gets worse.
In 2013, Corey Feldman revealed information about a Hollywood pedophile ring in an appearance on The View.
“You’re damaging an entire industry,” Barbara Walters told him. But Walters comment didn't deter Feldman. In fact, not only does he continue to maintain his claims, but he also released a documentary earlier this year detailing the sexual abuse both he and fellow child star, Corey Haim, faced as young actors.
And in 2014, director Amy Berg released An Open Secret, a compelling (and horrifying) look into the world of child actors. The documentary featured former child stars who opened up about the types of sexual abuse they encountered throughout their time in Hollywood.
Unfortunately, the film flopped upon its release. “We got zero Hollywood offers to distribute the film. Not even one. Literally no offers for any price whatsoever,” Gabe Hoffman, a Florida-based hedge fund manager who financed the film, said in an interview.
The men accused of child sexual abuse in the film worked closely with children every single day as photographers, directors, and managers, creating what can only be described as a pedophile ring.
Some worked with huge stars like Tobey Maguire and Leonardo DiCaprio. And, despite some even being convicted of abuse, continued working with children after their convictions.
Although Showbiz Kids does touch on the subject of pedophilia in Hollywood, it doesn't name any names like An Open Secret did. So, let’s take a look into what happened to the Hollywood men accused of child sexual abuse in An Open Secret.
1. Marc Collins-Rector
According to An Open Secret, Collins-Rector played a huge role in the organization of this Hollywood pedophile ring. He was the creator of an internet company known as DEN, which created original programming exclusively for the internet (kind of like the modern YouTube) and mainly starred child actors.
The actors in the documentary described how Collins-Rector would throw extravagant parties at his home for the kids and the older DEN investors. He’d offer the young children alcohol and drugs.
One of the victims claimed Collins-Rector would force everyone to enter the hot tub naked after dark and lace the young boys’ drinks.
In 2000, one of the victims came forward and filed a suit against Collins-Rector. A New Jersey federal grand jury indicted Collins-Rector on five counts of transporting a minor across state lines with the intent to engage in sexual activity.
In 2014, a report was released on Collins-Rector’s whereabouts in the years since his indictment, and they are not pretty. He fled to Spain where he stayed until 2002 when Spanish police arrested him and held him for over a year before sending him back to the United States, where he was eventually convicted, registered as a sex offender, and sentenced to three years of court supervision.
According to An Open Secret, Collins-Rector flew to Britain in 2006 for brain surgery and never returned to the U.S. A year later, he applied for a civil union with an 18-year-old boy and, in 2011, renounced his U.S. citizenship.
Over the years following his indictment and conviction, Collins-Rector attempted to build new businesses, though none were successful. He managed to lurk under the radar for the most part, but in 2014, was found alone in his apartment in Belgium.
2. Brock Pierce
You probably remember Pierce best from his role in The Mighty Ducks. Though his IMDB page lists some subsequent acting roles, as a teenager, Pierce transitioned to more behind-the-scenes positions when Collins-Rector made him Executive Vice President of DEN when Pierce was only 18 years old.
When word of the shady activity at Collins-Rector’s home came out in 1999, Pierce resigned from his position at DEN. Pierce revealed in 2014 that he cut all ties with Collins-Rector.
“I figured out rather quickly that there was nothing to be accomplished with Marc and instead decided to go off on my own to pursue my own entrepreneurial activities,” he revealed.
In 2014, he became a Bitcoin Foundation board member, an election that caused at least a dozen resignations, due to Pierce’s connection to Collins-Rector and DEN.
3. Bryan Singer
Yes, that Bryan Singer. The same man who produced popular television shows like House and directed all the X-Men films was also a prominent investor in Collins-Rector’s DEN.
In 2014, one of the victims profiled in An Open Secret filed a lawsuit against Singer, accusing the director of sexual abuse and exploitation. The allegations are truly horrific and weren’t the first (or last) against him.
Singer is also mentioned in the new documentary, Showbiz Kids, which lets child actors tell their stories of working in the entertainment industry at a young age, including the abuse they were subjected to by powerful people in the business.
However, he was never convicted, and despite the many suits against him, Singer continues to find success. He’s directed and produced multiple blockbuster films and shows since the allegations first surfaced.
4. Brian Peck
While Brian Peck is certainly not a household name, his IMDB credits are fairly extensive. He’s had a number of small parts in children’s shows and movies.
Between 2000 and 2002, he worked on the set of the Nickelodeon show, All That. Lo and behold, in 2004, an unnamed Nickelodeon star came forward alleging that Peck sexually assaulted him.
Peck was then convicted “of a lewd act against a child and oral copulation of a person under 16.” He had to register as a sex offender.
So where does Peck fit into all of this? According to An Open Secret, Peck worked closely with Singer. He even joined Singer for the X-Men commentary, (in which he also had a small acting role).
Despite Peck’s conviction, he continues working on children’s shows and films in Hollywood.
5. Michael Harrah
Harrah was the only man in the alleged pedophile “in” crowd who An Open Secret interviewed. He was one of the founders of the Screen Actors Guild Young Performers Committee, now known as SAG-AFTRA.
One of the victims interviewed claimed that Harrah invited him to stay at his house, where he allegedly had other boys living with him. Another victim even called Harrah on-camera and talked about the time Harrah abused him.
“I didn’t like when you tried to have me sleep in your bed and touch me and everything,” the former child actor said, to which Harrah replied, “that was something unwanted I shouldn’t have done.”
According to An Open Secret, Harrah is a former child actor himself. When asked if he had ever faced abused in the industry, he told filmmakers that abuse, “was not uncommon.”
After the film was released, SAG threatened to sue the creators over their inclusion in the documentary, claiming that Harrah was no longer affiliated with them and had not been at the time of filming. As of today, no charges have ever been filed against Harrah.
An Open Secret revealed that he retired after the release of the documentary, though he, “still has a couple clients.”
6. Bob Villard
According to An Open Secret, Villard was a prominent Hollywood publicist and child photographer. He worked closely with Harrah, photographing his clients.
The documentary noted that Brock Pierce, who you’ll remember went on to work closely with Marc Collins-Rector, was one of Villard’s favorite subjects — it all comes full circle. Parents interviewed for the film explained how they soon found their children’s photos being sold on eBay and traced the sales back to Villard.
According to the documentary, Villard has managed to escape charges against him for many years.
Yet, somehow, he still managed to keep a thriving career surrounded by child actors until 2005, when he was convicted of performing a lewd act on a child he was coaching. An Open Secret reported that he’s since been released from prison and still sells photos online.
7. Martin “Marty” Weiss
An Open Secret describes Weiss as a manager in Hollywood for about 15 years. He was known to have sleepovers with his young clients and would insert himself fully into their lives through things like screening parties and taking them trick-or-treating. Corey Feldman has publicly named Weiss as one of his and Corey Haim’s abusers.
In 2011, Weiss was charged with molestation after one of his clients came forward with a recording of Weiss admitting his crimes. He was sentenced to a year in jail and five years probation. An Open Secret revealed he served just six months of that time in jail.
He currently registers as a sex offender in California. The film claims he is still managing and working to, “lighten sex offender laws” in California.
Please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 to be connected with a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area.
Editor's Note: This article was originally posted in October 2017 and was updated with the latest information.
Micki Spollen is an editor, writer, and traveler. Follow her on Instagram and keep up with her travels on her website.