05/28/2002

By Chris Ingalls, KING 5 News

SEATTLE – A fence is just one way Planned Parenthood is keeping abortion protestors out, but now some anti-abortionists aren’t even setting foot on the grounds. They’re opting to fight their battle through a camera lens.

They’re taking pictures of Washington women while entering abortion clinics or family planning facilities and then posting them on the Internet.

It’s part of what appears to be a growing tactic used by anti-abortion forces across the country.

“My goal is to shame people. I think people ought to be ashamed of having anything to do with an abortion clinic," said Paul DeParrie who posts pictures of women here in the Northwest.

KING Paul DeParrie posts pictures of women walking into clinics.

"With healthcare, it's a very private matter and that's very intrusive and very disrespectful," said Robert Harkins, Planned Parenthood.

Planned Parenthood says pictures from Seattle starting appearing several months ago and, the agency says, the Web site’s sponsors are linked to abortion extremist groups.

"They have very violent and threatening Web sites. This is a radical, extreme element," said Harkins.

In some states, women appearing on these types of Web sites have sued, but courts are still hashing out whether this is a violation of privacy.

In one recent Oregon case, a Federal Appeals Court ruled that some of these Web sites are intended to intimidate people and therefore maybe illegal. But that case appears headed for the U.S. Supreme Court.