2 Major sting ops; rapist won't get custody of child; Sandusky appeal denied again; 82 y/o charged with CSA
Three-month-old baby among 84 children rescued in FBI sexual abuse and human trafficking crackdown
By William Watkinson
The FBI said that they have freed 84 children, one aged just three months old, after a series of raids across the US targeting suspected child abusers and human traffickers.
The bureau say that over a four-day period between 12 and 15 October, 120 human trafficking suspects were arrested in Operation Cross Country XI.
Using 55 FBI field offices and involving 78 state and local task forces, officers raided hotels, casinos, and truck stops, on street corners and via online websites.
The operation, involving hundreds of FBI agents and local police officers, took place with several international partners, including the UK, Canada, Thailand, Cambodia, and the Philippines.
Authorities say that the youngest victim recovered was a three-month-old baby girl, with the average age of the victims being 15.
The baby was recovered on 13 October in Denver, Colorado, where she was living in a home with a five-year-old girl.
Officers say that the suspected trafficker was a friend of the children's family and offered an undercover agent the chance to have sex with the children for $600.
The alleged trafficker was arrested while Child Protective Services are working on finding a secure safe placement for the children.
On the same day, a 16-year old female victim was recovered in El Paso, Texas, after an undercover agent called an online advertisement for entertainment.
A 21-year-old female met the agent and offered sex with her and the 16-year-old girl for $200. The woman was arrested on federal charges, in addition to a second adult female who drove the minor to the meeting point.
Many of the children are receiving medical and mental health counselling after being taken into care by child protective custody.
"We at the FBI have no greater mission than to protect our nation's children from harm. Unfortunately, the number of traffickers arrested – and the number of children recovered – reinforces why we need to continue to do this important work," said FBI Director Christopher Wray in a statement.
"This operation isn't just about taking traffickers off the street. It's about making sure we offer help and a way out to these young victims who find themselves caught in a vicious cycle of abuse."
Operation Cross Country XI is part of the FBI's Innocence Lost National Initiative, which was introduced in 2003 and has led to the identification of 6,500 children, the agency said in a press release.
Well done, guys.
Rapist won't get custody of victim’s son as
judge reverses insane ruling
A judge who gained notoriety for granting a rapist joint custody of a child conceived during the rape of a pre-teen girl has rescinded the controversial order following widespread outcry.
Judge Gregory Ross of the Sanilac County Circuit in Michigan ruled on Tuesday that Christopher Mirasolo won’t have any parental rights regarding the 8-year-old boy he fathered when he raped a 12 year old.
Judge Ross, who previously granted custody to Mirasolo after DNA testing established he was the child’s biological father, said he didn’t know Mirasolo had two criminal convictions for sexual conduct when he made the order.
Mirasolo was 18-years-old when he raped the child’s mother in 2008. He held the girl, her 13-year-old sister and her friend captive for two days. During that time he raped the girl and threatened to kill her and her friend if they spoke to anyone about what happened.
“I was kidnapped for two days. I didn't know if I was ever going to go home. He threatened to kill me and my best friend if we told anyone,” the woman, whose name is Tiffany, said to CBS.
Mirasolo was arrested a month later after it was revealed that the girl was pregnant. He took a plea deal for attempted third-degree criminal sexual conduct in January 2009 and was discharged on December 20, 2010.
Shortly after his release he sexually assaulted another girl that was under the age of 15. He was convicted and served four years for that crime.
The custody decision came after Tiffany filled out a form for government assistance. “I don't understand why they thought they needed to give him joint legal custody. He was my rapist,” Tiffany said.
Sanilac County Prosecutor James Young said in a statement to the Port Huron Times Herald that he wanted to "express our apologies for the manner in which this case was handled.”
Yeah! You should express your resignation!
‘Sex brings down kingdoms’: Massive prostitution sting results in 277 arrests
© Polk County Sheriff's Office / Facebook
A week-long undercover operation by cops in Polk County, Florida which targeted human traffickers and online prostitution ended with 277 arrests. Among those caught were doctors, teachers, police officers and a serving colonel in the US Marine Corps.
The sting operation, dubbed “Operation No Tricks, No Treats”, ran from October 10 to October 16. Of the 277, 51 of the arrests were for those who advertise as prostitutes online, 209 were of those who “solicited undercover detectives who posted ads posing as prostitutes. Seventeen other arrests were made of those who derive proceeds from prostitution, or other offenses,” police said.
“We are committed to fighting human trafficking, by arresting those who engage in prostitution and trying to identify human trafficking victims. It's no secret...you need to stay out of Polk County if you're going to commit crime,” said Polk County Sheriff, Grady Judd.
During the operation, undercover detectives posted fictitious ads across various social media platforms, websites and apps. Detectives either posed as prostitutes or those wanting to avail of their services.
According to police, “215 suspects drove to Polk County from various counties across Florida; or were visiting Florida from: Alabama, California, Delaware, Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.”
The youngest suspect arrested was 16 years old, and the oldest suspect was 74. Among those arrested was one of their own, now-former Sergeant Luis Diaz, who resigned from the force after 17 years following his arrest.
“We are absolutely embarrassed,” Judd said. “We hold our own accountable. He messed up and no longer works for the Sheriff's Office.”
“Sex sells,” he added. “It's the most powerful thing in the world, and it brings down kingdoms.”
Great work guys!
Polk Co., FLA
Judge denies Sandusky new trial in
child sex abuse case
by Gary Sinderson
BELLEFONTE – Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky has lost another bid to get his child sex abuse conviction overturned.
Judge John Foradora denied Sandusky's latest request for a new trial on Sandusky's Post Conviction Relief Act appeal Wednesday.
Foradora’s decision comes after several hearings in Sandusky's latest appeal process. Foradora decided it wasn't enough to overturn the 2012 conviction and ruled that Sandusky is not entitled to a new trial.
During the hearings, Sandusky's attorney, Alexander Lindsay, tried to prove that Sandusky's original trial counsel did a poor job, along with poking holes in the prosecution's narrative that convicted Sandusky on more than 40 counts of child sex abuse.
“Today, the Court denied Jerry Sandusky relief under the Post Conviction Relief Act. We achieved justice for the victims in this case and are confident that these convictions will continue to stand," Attorney General Josh Shapiro said in a release. "Hopefully, today’s decision will allow the victims of Mr. Sandusky to live their lives knowing that this serial sexual abuser will remain behind bars.
"We will continue to fight to defend the jury’s verdict. I have zero tolerance for the sexual abuse of children, and our office will pursue anyone who preys on children wherever we find them.”
Sandusky's attorneys say they will file an appeal to the judge's decision in Superior Court.
Sandusky, 73, is serving a 30- to 60-year prison term at the State Correctional Institution in Somerset after being convicted five years ago of abusing 10 boys.
Bellefonte, PA
Elderly Jefferson County man jailed on
child sex abuse charges
By Carol Robinson crobinson@al.com
An elderly Dora man is jailed in Mississippi on Alabama charges that he sexually abused two young girls.
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday announced charges against 82-year-old William C. Christenson.
Chief Deputy Randy Christian said the investigation began Aug. 14 when sheriff's investigators received credible information that two young girls had been abused by an adult suspect. Youth Services Division detectives launched an investigation and identified Christenson as the suspect.
Detectives presented their findings to a grand jury in September, which returned indictments charging Christenson with two counts of first-degree sexual abuse of a child under the age of 12.
Christenson was arrested over the weekend in Mississippi. He is being held in the Neshoba County Jail awaiting extradition to Jefferson County.
China hands over American sought for
child sex abuse
Chinese police have handed over an American fugitive to U.S. law enforcers yesterday at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, the Ministry of Public Security said in a statement.
According to the ministry, the American who had fled to Shanghai in May, has been accused of multiple sexual assaults on children aged from six to 12 in the United States during July 2009 and August 2012. In June 2017, Interpol issued a "Red Notice" on the fugitive after a year of investigation by U.S. police, Xinhua reports.
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