Repeat child sex offender plea deals - Utah
Private school student expelled for sex assaults - Maryland
Catholic school teachers arraigned for CSA - Pennsylvania
Man charged with child porn and CSA - Pennsylvania
Man arrested after 'safe touch' talk at school - Illinois
Man arrested for several child sex abuse charges - Idaho
Man arrested for soliciting and CSA of 13 y/o - Illinois
Hurricane man pleads guilty in child sex abuse case
Kevin Jenkins
A Hurricane, Utah resident accused of sexually abusing a young girl pleaded guilty to related charges Monday morning as jury selection was scheduled to begin in the case.
Edward Scott Paulus, 39, of Hurricane accepted a plea agreement proffered by the prosecution that reduced a first-degree felony count of aggravated sexual abuse of a child to a second-degree felony charge without the aggravator enhancement, thereby reducing the potential maximum sentence from the possibility of life behind bars to 15 years on that charge.
Paulus also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of being a registered sex offender unlawfully in the presence of a child.
According to the complaint filed with the court, Paulus allegedly watched the girl while she was using the bathroom and sexually abused her in the bathroom while he and his wife were babysitting her at their home.
Paulus was convicted in a separate child sexual abuse case 21 years ago and, although he was registered with the state as a sex offender, he had not notified the girl’s mother that he was a convicted sex offender, according to Deputy County Attorney Zachary Weiland.
Under the law, Paulus was required to obtain written permission from the girl’s family in order to be able to babysit her while on the sex offender registry, Weiland said. The complaint also states Paulus acknowledged violating court-ordered terms by picking the elementary school-aged child up at her school and driving her to his house.
The original aggravator enhancement stemmed from Paulus’ status as a person in a special position of trust over the child.
Defense attorney Edward Flint said his client entered his guilty plea while citing precedent established under a 1988 appeal of a Salt Lake City case. In that case, a drug suspect pleaded no contest to criminal charges but later won an appeal allowing him to withdraw his appeal and overturning the conviction because of the way the investigation was conducted and subsequently explained to the court.
Under the defense strategy, Paulus would potentially be able to withdraw his guilty plea if he wins an expected appeal of retired “senior” Judge Gary Stott’s adverse ruling regarding a medical expert the defense hoped to have testify on his behalf, Flint said.
During the initial investigation, Paulus’ wife acknowledged he had been in the bathroom with the girl on at least one occasion, but Paulus denied abusing the girl.
Paulus will undergo a pre-sentencing investigation to determine a prison or probation recommendation to Stott based on the defendant’s history and current mindset.
Sentencing is scheduled March 28.
Hurricane, UT
Former private-school student charged with
child sex abuse
Kai Reed
News Anchor, Reporter, KBAL
The former student, a 15-year-old boy, was charged 10 days ago in connection with alleged incidents involving students that date back to November.
Administrators at the private Friends School in north Baltimore have been aware of the allegations for almost two months and are cooperating in the investigation.
Details are few because the boy is charged as a juvenile. Police said there were three alleged incidents, one in November, one in December and one in January. Two of the incidents occurred on campus, and one happened off campus. All incidents involved 15-year-old victims.
Parents have been informed of the investigation.
Police declined to comment on the ongoing investigation.
In a statement released Tuesday afternoon, a spokeswoman for the school said:
"At Friends School of Baltimore, the safety and security of the children entrusted to our care is our highest priority. We are deeply saddened and disturbed that one of our students is alleged to have victimized three other students. When the school learned of these allegations, we immediately informed law enforcement authorities and have provided our full cooperation in their investigation. The student accused of these offenses is no longer enrolled at the school. We cannot comment on and we have reached no conclusions regarding these allegations."
Montgomery County Catholic Early Education Center Teacher on Leave Amid Child Sex Abuse Charges
Norristown Police question day care worker after alleged nap time incident
By Dan Stamm
A Montgomery County Catholic school early education teacher remained behind bars Wednesday, suspended from his job, after being charged with multiple child sex assault counts stemming from an alleged incident with a 3-year-old girl.
A judge arraigned Michael Barbee, 32, of Yeadon, Pennsylvania on Saturday with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a minor under 16 years old, aggravated indecent assault of a minor under 13 years old, unlawful contact with a minor and related charges. The charges date to Feb. 7, online court records said.
Barbee teaches at Saint Francis of Assisi School’s Early Learning Center in Norristown, Pennsylvania. The school referred NBC10’s calls to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
The Saint Francis Parish placed Barbee on administrative leave Friday after learning of the criminal investigation, archdiocesan spokesman Kenneth Gavin told NBC10.
Police began investigating Barbee after a 3-year-old girl complained of pain, said Norristown police in a criminal complaint obtained by NBC10's Deanna Durante.
Barbee initially denied having touched the girl but changed his story after taking a polygraph test, police said.
Barbee told investigators he put his hand down the girl's pants during nap time after the girl called him "stupid" while he was alone in the room with the girl and her classmates, said police. The girl said "ouch" and the incident last about 10 seconds, Barbee told police.
"Barbee admitted this contact was of a sexual nature," the criminal complaint said.
Barbee had no teaching duties at the actual parish school, only at the early education center, which is located in a separate building on the same grounds, Gavin said. In any case, the parish shared information on the arrest with early learning center families, parish school families and religious education families affiliated with the parish.
Prior to be being hired in the fall of 2015, Barbee passed background checks and had no previous indications of abuse, Gavin said.
Barbee remained jailed Wednesday on $750,000 bail. Online court records don’t list an attorney who could comment on the allegations.
The archdiocese urged anyone with information about sexual abuse allegations to contact the Victim Assistance Office of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia at 1-888-800-8780 or philavac@archphila.org.
Anyone with more information about Barbee is asked to contact Norristown police at 610-270-0977.
Midstate man faces child sex abuse charges
By Eric Veronikis
Police have filed child sex abuse charges against a Lancaster County man.
Robert Lee Penwell, 68, of East Donegal Township, has been charged with four counts of sexual abuse of children and one count of criminal use of a communication facility stemming from a forensic search of computers from his home last year, police said.
Investigators said they discovered child pornography on computer equipment seized from Penwell's home in the 300 block of Rivermoor Drive on Aug. 10.
Penwell was arraigned on the charges Tuesday morning.
He is free on $100,000 bail.
Dixon man arrested for child sexual abuse following school safety talks
BY SARAH TISINGER
DIXON, Illinois — A Dixon man has been arrested and charged with sexually abusing a child.
Timothy Zielinski, 54, is was arrested Wednesday, Feb. 15, and charged with three counts each of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child and aggravated criminal sexual abuse.
Dixon Police began an investigation following their Body Safety presentation. The program teaches children about safe and unsafe touches or secrets, and empowers children to tell adults if they are being sexually abused.
Zielinski is held in the Lee County Law Enforcement Building on a $250,000 bond.
Meridian child sexual abuse suspect arrested after running from police
BY NICOLE BLANCHARD
Meridian police late Tuesday night arrested a man who was on the run after being suspected of sexually assaulting a teenage girl.
Richard Dickson, 42, faces a felony charge of child sexual battery on a minor child 16 to 17 years of age, as well as a felony charge of drug trafficking in marijuana, according to the Ada County Jail. A Meridian Police Department press release said Dickson was arrested on multiple counts of sexual battery, as well as providing alcohol to a minor.
Meridian detectives arrested Dickson around 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday after executing a search warrant in the 10000 block of N. Horseshoe Bend Road in Eagle. The detectives identified the Eagle address after interview several associates of Dickson’s. The man refused to leave the residence initially, leading to the search warrant. Dickson then surrendered without incident.
According to police, Dickson is accused of giving a teen girl alcohol and initiating sexual contact with her on multiple occasions. A friend of the girl’s reportedly contacted police earlier this month with concerns about Dickson.
Dickson remained in jail on Wednesday morning.
Eagle, Idaho
Chicago man charged with soliciting child pornography, sexual abuse
Todd Shields Contact Reporter
Pioneer Press
A 22-year-old Chicago man faces charges after Barrington officers saw him meeting with a 13-year-old girl early Saturday in a parked car, police said.
Salman Patel, of the 1000 block of South State Street in Chicago, was charged with soliciting child pornography from a minor — a Class 1 felony — and aggravated criminal sexual abuse, a Class 2 felony, Barrington police said in a news release Tuesday.
On Saturday at 2:30 a.m., officers observed a vehicle parked in a lot to the Barrington Area Library, 505 N. Northwest Highway, and determined after further investigation that Patel was meeting with a 13-year-old girl while inside the vehicle, police said.
Police said Patel initially provided officers with a false name and birthdate to make himself seem younger. Officers then arrested Patel and placed the girl into protective custody, Barrington police said.
Investigators believe Patel also has had other relationships with underage children, police said. Barrington police did not provide additional details on the investigation.
Patel was released Sunday from the Lake County Adult Corrections Facility after posting $10,000 bond, police said.
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