Oddly, the first 3 stories all occur on a 300 mi stretch of I94
Prosecutors: Minnesota girl held 29 days,
tied up and raped
(Source: Alexandria Police Department) Thomas Barker (left), Steven Powers (middle) and Joshua Holby (right)
By AMY FORLITI
Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - A Minnesota teenager was held captive for 29 days, repeatedly raped, locked in a closet and bound by zip ties before she escaped and swam across a lake to safety, according to criminal charges filed Thursday against three men.
At one point, the 15-year-old girl was told to get into a duffel bag and was loaded in the back of a truck after police came knocking on the door of the mobile home where she was being held, the complaint said. She was moved in the bag to another location.
She escaped Tuesday from an abandoned home in rural, western Minnesota after the men left her alone for the first time in nearly a month. She knocked on nearby doors, then swam across part of a lake - losing her pants and shoes in the water - and flagged down a farmer for help.
Three men were charged Thursday with multiple counts. Thomas Barker, 32, of Carlos, Minnesota, was charged with kidnapping, criminal sexual conduct and false imprisonment. Steven Powers, 20, of Benson, Minnesota, was charged with kidnapping, criminal sexual conduct and false imprisonment. Joshua Holby, 31, of Carlos was charged with kidnapping and false imprisonment.
According to the criminal complaint, Barker kidnapped the girl from her home in Alexandria, about 133 miles (214 kilometers) northwest of Minneapolis, on Aug. 8 by tricking her into thinking he needed her to talk to his son, who was misbehaving. The girl knew Barker as her friend's dad, so she agreed to help.
Prosecutors say Barker drove the girl to his mobile home in Carlos, about 9 miles away, restrained her and began repeatedly sexually assaulting her, brandishing a firearm and threatening to kill her.
The girl told police that shortly after her abduction, Barker put her in a bathtub while she was restrained with zip ties and tried to drown her, but she fought back. She told police that in another incident, a rope or cord was placed around her neck and she was required to stand on a bucket, the complaint said.
"She stated that Holby then forced her off of the bucket and she described a period in which she could not breathe," the complaint said. She said Powers also forced her to snort a line of "white powder."
The criminal complaint says Powers arrived at the home about two weeks into the girl's abduction and was told not to go into Barker's room when Barker and Holby left the residence. But Powers became curious and went into the bedroom and found the girl in the locked closet.
"Powers did not free (her), nor did he contact law enforcement," the complaint said.
The Associated Press generally does not name victims of sexual assault and is not naming the girl. She was reunited with her family Tuesday, and the family has asked for privacy.
A message left with an attorney for Barker and Holby was not immediately returned. The name of Powers' attorney was not immediately available.
Minnesota substitute teacher sentenced for
distributing child porn
(KMSP) - A longtime Fergus Falls, Minn. substitute teacher will spend 60 months in federal prison for distributing child pornography.
Friday, a judge sentenced 39-year-old Johsua Noble, who had pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography. After his prison sentence, he will have 10 years of supervised release. He is also sentenced to pay $26,000 in restitution and $5,000 to the Domestic Trafficking Victims Fund.
According to court documents, Noble was a substitute teacher in Fergus Falls for 15 years. In March 2016, undercover law enforcement saw Noble use Chatstep.com to get and share pictures of child sex abuse. Noble had about 244 images of children as young as infants to nearly 12 years old.
The case was a part of Project Safe Childhood, which was created by the Department of Justice to fight child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Jamestown man sentenced to 22 years in federal prison for child porn charges
FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) A Jamestown man has been sentenced to 22 years in federal prison for child porn charges after a child reported sexual abuse, and his wife found a cell phone with child porn hidden behind their refrigerator.
56-year-old Alexander McManus was sentenced today following a guilty plea to one count of Receiving Materials containing Child Pornography and two counts of Possession of Materials Containing Child Pornography.
McManus was also ordered to pay $300 to the Crime Victims' Fund and $2,500 to the victim.
Police in Jamestown started the investigation after a child reported McManus had been sexually abusing her since a young age. His wife later reported to authorities that she found a cell phone with child porn images hidden behind the refrigerator in their home. The cell phone was later found by law enforcement during a search.
So, there were no charges for sexually abusing a very young girl for years? I don't understand!
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigations, and the Jamestown Police Department.
Jury convicts man on all five counts of
child sexual abuse and neglect
Jennah Kester
TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) -- A jury convicted a Tulsa man Friday of sexually abusing his girlfriends' children over the course of several years.
Brian Campbell was found guilty of four counts of child sexual abuse and one count of child neglect. Police say the victims were all younger than 10 at the time of the abuse.
Investigators believe Campbell targeted women with children and provided for the mothers financially. The investigation began after three children were removed from their mother's custody because of drugs and neglect. Months later, they disclosed the abuse while in foster care.
The jury recommended life sentences and $5,000 fines for all five convictions. Formal sentencing is Dec. 19 at 9 a.m.
Several of Campbell's former girlfriends are also facing charges in connection to the case for permitting child sex abuse and child neglect. They will face trials at a later date.
2nd of 2 West Springfield brothers accused of child sex abuse pleads guilty, faces 30 years in prison
By Stephanie Barry sbarry@repub.com
SPRINGFIELD, Mass -- The second of two West Springfield brothers accused in separate child porn and exploitation cases pleaded guilty Friday in federal court to 19 counts of child exploitation.
Justin Germaine, (left) 27, faces 30 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 8. Justin Germaine trolled the internet under the handle "eviljustin," according to investigators.
The younger brother of Alexander Germaine (right) pleaded guilty in the same court to similar charges in September. The brothers were arrested within four months of one another, court records show.
The brothers were arrested within four months of each other, court records show. Federal investigators raided the brothers' South Boulevard home in 2016 in search of evidence against Justin and found disturbing images of a child on Alexander Germaine's phone as well.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex J. Grant said previously that agents arrived with search warrants for the home because they suspected Justin Germaine had chronicled the sexual abuse of a 5-year-old girl and shared it with other pedophiles on the internet.
Court documents reveal that Justin Germaine has a juvenile criminal history of charges such as child rape and assault on a police officer.
Germaine traded images of the child over the internet with a New Hampshire resident who fell under law enforcement scrutiny, Grant said. Germaine had been trading images with other child porn enthusiasts since the child was a toddler or younger, according to investigators.
Alexander Germaine, who had been labeled a Level 3 sex offender with previous convictions for indecent assault and battery on a child in 2005 and rape and abuse of a child in 2008, is scheduled for sentencing on Dec. 19. He faces a 10-year prison sentence.
Justin Germaine's crimes took place in 2015, investigators said.
Tuscaloosa County man accused of
sexually abusing young child
By Erin Edgemon eedgemon@al.com
A 24-year-old Coaling man is accused of sexually abusing a young child over an extended period of time.
Joseph Jamal Jones was arrested by Coaling police on Wednesday and charged with two counts of first-degree sodomy and two counts of first-degree sexual abuse of a child, court records show.
According to the complaint, the sexual abuse took place from Oct. 1 through Oct. 27. Jones also admitted to abusing the child a month prior, records show.
Jones was booked into the Tuscaloosa County Jail on $120,000 bond.
Jury convicts Endicott man in 'predatory'
sexual assault of child
Anthony Borrelli
Prosecutors discuss the jury's guilty verdict against Joseph Lombardo for a sexual assault against a now 7-year-old girl in Endicott.
A 7-year-old testified in Broome County Court about how an Endicott man sexually abused her over the span of several months. When the man accused of the crime took the stand before a jury, he vehemently denied her accusations.
For a jury of eight women and four men, deciding the case revolved around whose story they found more credible. On Friday, the jury pronounced Joseph Lombardo, 37, guilty of a predatory sexual assault against a child.
The verdict drew no visible reaction from Lombardo, who faces at least 10 years to life in state prison for the felony charge when he is sentenced Jan. 11 by Broome County Court Judge Kevin Dooley.
Jurors began deliberations Thursday afternoon and requested several reviews of trial testimony, including the victim's, before reaching their decision at noon Friday.
During the week-long trial in Broome County Court, prosecutors Stephanie Milks and Lisa Bideaux argued Lombardo committed multiple sexual acts against the girl who was between the ages of 6 and 7 from July 2016 until Jan. 17, 2017.
The abuse included oral sexual conduct, according to prosecutors. Many of the sexual acts were preceded by Lombardo motioning with his finger for the girl to come over to him, Milks told jurors.
The girl's accusations against Lombardo were revealed to a friend during a game of "Truth or Dare" on the school bus, according to trial testimony. When called as a witness, the girl detailed the abuse and the manner in which it was conducted.
The guilty verdict, Milks said Friday, proved that all 12 jurors believed the victim's story.
"With victims, especially child victims, they don't have a lot of life experiences," Milks said, "so the fact that she's able to go into detail about the sexual abuse that she endured by the defendant just shows you the credibility she has and the fact that this did happen."
Defense lawyer Thomas Saitta had argued in court that a lack of witnesses and physical evidence, coupled with the girl's snowballing claims of abuse, left room for reasonable doubt. On those grounds, he urged the jury to acquit Lombardo.
"Joe is distraught over the verdict," Saitta said outside the courtroom Friday. "We're reviewing options regarding pretrial motions and appeals."
Defendants found guilty after a trial have the right to appeal the conviction to state Appellate Division in Albany, which will include a panel of judges reviewing the trial record to decide if any legal missteps were committed that could merit a reversal.
Outside the courthouse, the prosecutors also described Friday's verdict as hopefully, an encouragement for any victim of abuse to come forward to authorities. "The struggle will continue for the victims," Bideaux said, "but this at least is a start — a beginning — for healing."
Former Army Recruiter Gets 37 Months for Child Pornography Found on Dropbox
Written by NH1 News
CONCORD — A former Army recruiter has been sentenced to 37 months in prison for uploading child pornography to a Dropbox account.
Acting U.S. Attorney John J. Farley announced that Andrew Beezub, 34, of Keene, was sentenced on Thursday to 37 months in federal prison for possessing child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children became aware in February 2016 that images and videos of suspected child sex abuse images had been uploaded to a Dropbox account. Further investigation by the Keene Police Department determined that the account was associated with Beezub.
A search warrant in April 2016 resulted in the seizure of the defendant’s computer and telephone and a forensic analysis of Beezub's telephone established its link to the Dropbox account where videos of child sex abuse were stored.
At the time of his arrest, Beezub was a staff sergeant in the Army stationed in the Keene recruitment office. The center had said that the U.S. Army does not tolerate this behavior and that they expect all members of the Army to serve honorably.
Beezub pleaded guilty May 1 to one count of possessing child pornography. After serving his sentence, he will be on supervised release for five years.
Iowa man charged in child sexual abuse case
NEWSpapers of Iowa County
A Williamsburg man, linked to a sexual abuse complaint in Mahaska County, has been charged in connection with a series of events taking place the past several months.
Robert W. Hulseberg, 67, was interrogated at the Iowa County Sheriff’s Department by Mahaska County authorities before he was charged with three counts of second-degree sexual abuse.
According to a press release by the Mahaska County Sheriff’s Department, authorities there received a complaint that a 7-year old female was sexually assaulted at a rural address in the county, and that multiple incidents had taken place between May 1 and Sept. 29. Authorities did not mention the relationship between the child and suspect.
As part of the investigation, the child was taken to Unity Pointe Health Care, Hiawatha, to be interviewed and examined by medical personnel. The interview with Hulseberg took place Thursday, Nov. 2, and was arrested afterward.
He was scheduled to make an initial appearance in Mahaska County District Court on Friday, Nov. 3. The Mahaska County Sheriff’s Department was assisted by Unity Pointe and Iowa County Sheriff’s Department officials.
Mahaska Co., Iowa
Texas man gets 45 years for continuous sexual
abuse of minor under 14-years-old
By KXXV News Staff
CORYELL COUNTY, TX (KXXV) -
Coryell County jury found Jeffery Scott Dumas guilty of continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14-years-old on Thursday.
39-year-old Dumas was sentenced to 45 years without parole.
Coryell County District Attorney said from Nov. 2014 to Jan. 2015, Dumas committed at least two acts of aggravated sexual and/or indecency with a child by contact against the victim, who was younger than 14.
Coryell Co., TX
Upstate NY Man Facing Sex Abuse Charges
OSWEGO – On Wednesday (Nov 1), members of the Oswego City Police Department arrested 35-year-old Jason J. Bryan, of Oswego, after an investigation determined that the subject allegedly had sexual contact with a person less than 11 years old.
• Criminal Sex Act in the First Degree, a class B Felony, in violation of section 130.50 subdivision 3 of the NYS Penal Law, which reads: A person is guilty of criminal sexual act in the first degree when he or she engages in oral sexual conduct or anal sexual conduct with another person who is less than 11 years old.
• Sexual Abuse in the First Degree, a class D Felony, in violation of section 130.65 subdivision 3 of the NYS Penal Law which reads: A person is guilty of sexual abuse in the first degree when he or she subjects another person to sexual contact when the other person is less than 11 years old.
• Endangering the welfare of a child, a class A Misdemeanor, in violation of 260.10 subdivision 1 of the NYS Penal Law, which reads: A person is guilty of endangering the welfare of a child when he knowingly acts in a manner likely to be injurious to the physical, mental or moral welfare of a child less than seventeen years old or directs or authorizes such child to engage in an occupation involving a substantial risk of danger to his life or health.
Bryan was arraigned Thursday on the above charges in Oswego City Court and remanded to Oswego County Jail in lieu of $15,000 cash, $30,000 bond.
He has a return court date of November 14 at 9:30 a.m. in Oswego City Court.
Florida man convicted of child sex trafficking,
producing child porn
by Sabrina Lolo
BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — A 31-year-old man was sentenced to 20 years in prison Friday, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for sex trafficking of a minor and producing child pornography, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said.
Marco Vinicio Orrego, of Boynton Beach, Florida, previously plead guilty to the charges, according to the DOJ.
From May 3 through May 5, 2017, Orrego prostituted a 16-year-old girl using Backpage.com, according to court records. He provided her with transportation and a hotel for these illicit activities, taking all of the proceeds for himself.
Orrego also had sex with her during that same period and created videos of the sexual abuse, court records show.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.
Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.
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