Star Suicide, Teacher Abuse, Child Rape by Priest, Soft Sentences on Today's USA PnP List

Former 'Glee' actor Mark Salling found dead,

hanging in riverbed area

The Stars are Falling

LOS ANGELES, California -- Mark Salling, who played bad-boy Noah "Puck" Puckerman in the hit musical-comedy "Glee," died of an apparent suicide Tuesday, weeks after pleading guilty to possessing child pornography. He was 35.

Salling pleaded guilty in December after authorities said a search of his computer and a thumb drive found more than 50,000 images of child porn. He was scheduled to be sentenced March 7, and prosecutors planned to ask a judge to send him to prison for four to seven years.

A law enforcement official not authorized to speak publicly said Salling was found hanging in a riverbed area in the Tujunga neighborhood of Los Angeles. Ed Winter, assistant chief investigator for the Los Angeles County coroner's office, said the death is being investigated as a suicide.

Winter said Salling was pronounced dead at 9 a.m. Tuesday, six hours after police received a report that he was missing.

"Mark was a gentle and loving person, a person of great creativity, who was doing his best to atone for some serious mistakes and errors of judgment," Salling's attorney, Michael J. Proctor, said in an email to The Associated Press.

Proctor didn't discuss the cause of death, but said the actor's family appreciated the support it is receiving and asked that a request for privacy be respected.

The darkly handsome actor had appeared in only a handful of projects before his breakout role in "Glee," the popular Fox TV series about students in a high school glee club and their circle of family and friends. It aired from 2009-15.

Earlier credits included 1996's "Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering," a 1999 guest role on the Chuck Norris series "Walker, Texas Ranger" and a part in the 2014 TV movie "Rocky Road."

A singer-songwriter as well as actor, he released two albums: "Smoke Signals" in 2008 and "Pipe Dreams" in 2010. Following "Pipe Dreams'," release, Salling told The Associated Press he had been a singer-songwriter long before he became an actor.

"I put out a record before. It went triple cardboard," he joked. "I was very excited about selling 125 units for that but you know this is something I've been doing my whole life. It's not something that I just decided to randomly do now. This is not the first. It won't be the last. And I hope people enjoy it and have something to look forward to for the next round."

Salling's character on "Glee" was a member of the school's football team who ends up joining the glee club. One of his character's friends was another jock-turned-singer, Finn Hudson, who was played by Cory Monteith.

Monteith died in 2013 from a toxic mix of alcohol and heroin, according to a coroner's finding.

Mark Wayne Salling was born Aug. 17, 1982, in Dallas, the youngest child of John Salling, an accountant, and his wife, Condy, a school secretary.

Like his character on "Glee," Salling was a jock, taking part in wrestling, rugby, basketball and other school sports when he wasn't playing guitar or piano. By high school he was playing gigs in local bars.

Soon after finishing school he moved to California to pursue an acting and music career and to study guitar at the Los Angeles Music Academy.

After seven years of failing to land any substantial roles, and having released just one album, Salling was ready to give up when his older brother, Matt, exhorted him to keep trying. Soon after he landed the role on "Glee," where he quickly captivated audiences. His performance of Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" even won praise from Diamond himself.

Salling said his own musical preferences covered a wide range from jazz to country to rock, pop and hip-hop. He cited Radiohead's Thom Yorke and Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails as among his musical influences.

He is survived by his parents and brother.

Trial begins in Alabama child sex abuse case from 2011

By Stephen McLamb

MARSHALL COUNTY, AL (WAFF) -
A Marshall County man is going on trial for the sexual abuse of a toddler.

Adam O'Neal Frost is charged with sexual Abuse of a child under the age of 12.

Jury selection began Monday for Frost, who was indicted on the charges just over five years ago.

Prosecutors say Frost had sexual contact with a 2-year-old girl on numerous occasions in 2011.

The child later disclosed what happened when she was 3 years old.

Opening statements begin at 10 a.m. Wednesday.

Marshall Co., AL

Butte man pleads guilty to child sex abuse,

secretly filming 11-year-old girl

MIKE SMITH mike.smith@mtstandard.com 

A man accused of secretly filming an 11-year-old girl while she showered at a home in Butte pleaded guilty Thursday to felony sexual abuse of children.

William Patrick Shea, 61, withdrew his previous not-guilty plea (7th story on link) and through an agreement with prosecutors pleaded guilty before District Judge Brad Newman.

Some stories have his name as Patrick William Shea.

Details of the plea deal were not immediately available, but regardless of any sentencing recommendations in it, judges do not have to follow them. The maximum penalty for the charge is life in prison.

Newman ordered a pre-sentence investigation and will set sentencing after receiving it. Shea remains jailed with bond set at $75,000.

Shea was arrested last March 29 after police said an 11-year-old girl told them she believed she was being secretly filmed while showering. Police interviewed Shea and got a search warrant for his phone.

According to prosecutors, Shea admitted to police that he took a short video of the girl in the shower but said he did not know why. “Shea said that he watched the video and looked at the picture but then erased it because he knew it was wrong,” the charging document says.

It says he also admitted downloading videos of children with other children and flushing the memory card to his phone down the toilet.

Judges usually follow recommended sentences in plea deals, but Newman — as he does with any defendants about to change pleas — cautioned Shea that he was not “legally bound” to do so. Regardless, he said, the voluntary guilty plea would stand.

“I understand your honor,” said Shea, standing in cuffs and an orange jail jumpsuit.

Newman said the pre-sentence investigation should include a “psycho-sexual” evaluation, but Victor Bunitsky — Shea’s public defender — said one had already been completed.

Alaska man charged with sexual abuse of minor

Dorothy Chomicz dchomicz@newsminer.com 

FAIRBANKS — A 25-year-old Fairbanks man has been charged with felony first-degree sexual abuse of a minor for reportedly molesting a young girl temporarily in his care.

The child’s parents told Fairbanks police that Warren Andrew Nichols had been staying with them for about a month and the abuse happened Sunday evening when they left the child with Nichols for about 30 minutes.

Nichols is also charged with misdemeanor fifth-degree criminal mischief for allegedly ripping a kitchen cabinet off the wall when the parents confronted him about the abuse.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Fairbanks court Tuesday, police responded to the home at 8:04 p.m. Sunday after Nichols called them to report the people there were accusing him of being a pedophile.

The child’s mother told police the child said Nichols kissed her on the mouth and grabbed her buttocks. The child also told one of the responding officers Nichols had exposed himself to her and performed a sex act on her. 

Nichols denied any sexual contact with the child and told officers the child is “very smart and honest,” according to the complaint.

Court records show Nichols was earlier charged with first-degree burglary, third- and fourth-degree assault, driving under the influence and three counts of fourth-degree criminal mischief for an Oct. 25, 2017, incident in Kenai. Nichols failed to appear for a hearing there on Jan. 22 and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

West Virginia man pleads guilty to child abuse

resulting in serious injury

By GREG JORDAN Bluefield Daily Telegraph 
   
PRINCETON - After being reminded of his constitutional rights including a jury trial, a Bluefield man charged with beating and sexually abusing a 3-year-old child pleaded guilty Wednesday to first-degree sexual abuse and child abuse resulting in serious injury.

Jonathan M. Seal, 24, of Bluefield was brought before Circuit Court Judge Mark Wills for a plea hearing. After extensive questioning which included whether he understood his rights, Seal pleaded guilty to first-degree sexual abuse, which carries a possible penalty of one to five years in prison. He also pleaded guilty to child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury, which has a possible prison term of two to 10 years. One charge of incest was dismissed.

Seal entered into a best interest plea in which he recognized that he would face even more serious penalties if a jury found him guilty, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Holly Flanigan said later. Seal will be required to register as a sex offender for life.

The case began in early June 2017 when Detective K.L. Adams, working with the Mercer County Prosecuting Attorney’s Offie, was told about the alleged abuse of a 3-year-old child, according to court records. The child had severe bruises on the left ear, the front of the face and the forehead. A nurse examined the child and determined that other injuries were the result of possible sexual abuse.

Wills ordered a presentencing investigation and a sex offender evaluation. Sentencing was scheduled early April. Seal is being held at the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver.

Flanigan said the child was now “doing really well.”

Former Delaware Catholic priest charged in

25-year-old child rape case

Xerxes Wilson, The News Journal 

In a first for Delaware, prosecutors have brought criminal charges against a former Catholic priest for raping a child more than 25 years ago.

John A. Sarro, 76, a former priest with the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington, was indicted this week by a New Castle County grand jury on charges of first-degree unlawful sexual intercourse and second-degree unlawful sexual contact, according to court records. 

Sarro was a priest in Bear and Bellefonte through much of the '80s and '90s. He was identified by diocese officials in 2006 as one of 20 local priests with "admitted, corroborated or otherwise substantiated" allegations of sexual abuse of minors against them. 

But the conduct that landed Sarro in that group is said to be separate from the current charge.

His Monday indictment accuses him in the early 1990s of having "sexual intercourse" with a girl under the age of 16. Those crimes would have taken place when Sarro was serving at St. Helena Parish in Bellefonte.

On Wednesday, diocese officials confirmed that an "adult survivor" came forward in 2011 and reported abuse by Sarro that took place in the early '90s, during his time at St. Helena Parish.

The report came after Sarro had already been removed from the ministry and the victim had declined permission for diocese officials to report the issue to police at the time, said Robert Krebs, a spokesman for the Wilmington Diocese, in a written statement.

Specifics of his relationship with the alleged victim or her identity are not detailed in court documents.

"I can't recall all the circumstances, but it was simply a misunderstanding," said Sarro in a brief telephone interview Tuesday from his residence at an assisted living facility near Elkton, Maryland.

Sarro declined to go into detail about the accusations.

Sarro's indictment states he "intentionally" had unlawful sexual contact with the girl by touching her breasts between September 1991 and August 1992. A separate charge states he "intentionally" engaged in "sexual intercourse, oral sex" with the girl between July 1993 and July 1994.

In 1998, the Delaware General Assembly revised the state's criminal code to replace the crime of unlawful sexual intercourse with the present criminal charge of rape. Sarro was charged with unlawful sexual intercourse because that was the law at the time.

The indictment also describes the victim as "not the defendant's voluntary social companion."

No. Carolina man faces more child sex abuse charges

by WLOS staff

MCDOWELL COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — A Marion man accused of molesting an 11-year-old acquaintance faces more charges.

John Conner, who was originally charged with four counts of taking indecent liberties with a child and one count each of statutory rape, statutory sex offense with a child by an adult and altering, stealing or destroying criminal evidence, now faces more charges for allegedly molesting an 11-year-old girl.

The investigation of Conner, 50, began Jan. 16, when Conner’s family members reported him missing. A search for Conner turned up allegations that he had inappropriate sexual contact with the 11-year-old girl on multiple occasions.

After further investigation, authorities have charged Conner with another count each of statutory sex offense with a child by an adult and taking indecent liberties with a child.

Conner is also charged with possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia stemming from the day he was arrested (Jan. 19).

Utah teacher allegedly groped elementary

student in classroom multiple times

Emily Havens, ehavens@thespectrum.com 

A Sunrise Ridge Intermediate School teacher was arrested by St. George Police officers Tuesday for reportedly sexually abusing a former student of his. 

Curtis William Payne, 59, is charged with three first-degree felony counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child. According to the probable cause statement filed in the case, the victim alleges she was sexually abused by Payne multiple times while she was a fourth-grade student at Sunset Elementary School in the late 90s.

SGPD officers were made aware of the allegations from the victim on Dec. 18.

Payne, residing on Windmill Drive in Santa Clara, is still an employee of Washington County School District. He was teaching class up until Tuesday when SGPD detectives pulled him out to interview him. 

Steve Dunham, WCSD's director of communication and public relations, said administrators have "very little information" about the incidents because they were only made aware of the allegations just prior to Payne's arrest.

According to the probable cause statement, the victim  was interviewed on Dec. 21. During the interview, she disclosed three instances she could remember during which she alleges Payne groped her. 

The first allegation occurred while the student was sitting on Payne's lap behind his desk, the statement reads. The victim told detectives the teacher would grope her vagina with one of his hands, according to the probable cause, and that it initially started over her clothing but that Payne later started groping her vagina directly underneath her clothing.

She told police this type of touching occurred three to four times, according to the statement.

The victim also alleged additional touching would occur while Payne would have a movie playing for the class. He would allow students to sit on the counter or the floor, according to the student's disclosure, and Payne would sit next to her when the classroom's lights were off.

Payne reportedly groped the student's chest underneath her shirt and also directly groped her vagina multiple times during classroom movies, according to the probable cause.

The last incident the student described to police reportedly occurred at a pool party at an undisclosed residence, during which Payne grabbed her and engaged in more groping of the victim's vagina beneath her swimsuit. 

While Payne was being interviewed at the police department, he disclosed that he remembered the student from years ago but denied the allegations, according to the statement.

The three counts of child sex abuse Payne is charged with were advanced to aggravated abuse due to the position of trust he had over the victim. SGPD Officer Lona Trombley said the investigation is ongoing.

Dunham said WCSD is cooperating with SGPD "every step of the way."

"We're horrified to think that this could have happened," Dunham said. "We will help [the investigation] in any way possible. Obviously, we want to find out the facts and make sure any potential victims get peace in this matter. It's horrific to think that a victim has been tortured over this for years and years, and you don't ever want that, ever."

Payne is in custody of the Washington County Jail, and his bail is set at $75,000. Court records indicate he has no prior criminal history in Washington County.

Illinois man sentenced to 4 years probation

on child sex abuse charge

CLAIRE HETTINGER Herald & Review  

DECATUR — William Van Scyoc, 32, was sentenced to four years of probation Wednesday in Macon County Circuit Court after he pleaded guilty to aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a child, a Class 2 felony. 

The crime was reported to police in July and involved children younger than 14. Charges stemmed from multiple incidents that took place at a residence in Decatur, police said.

As part of a plea agreement, a second charge of aggravated criminal sexual abuse was dismissed. Van Scyoc is required to submit to a DNA test and register for life as a sex offender.

Circuit Judge Thomas E. Griffith authorized the probation to be transferred to Coles County, where Van Scyoc will be living. He was released from the Macon County Jail on Wednesday afternoon.

Missouri man pleads guilty to child sexual abuse

BY KRISTOFFER TIGUE  

An Audrain County man was sentenced to 30 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections Wednesday after pleading guilty to sexually abusing a minor.

Travis A. Kelly, 34, of Mexico, Missouri, pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree sodomy, six counts of first-degree statutory sodomy, two counts of abuse of a child and two counts of first-degree endangerment of the welfare of a child.

According to an Audrain County press release, between 2014 and 2015, Kelly repeatedly sexually assaulted a then 9-year-old Audrain County girl and forced her to perform sexual acts.

“Although Mr. Kelly took responsibility for his actions through today’s plea, serving a thirty-year sentence in prison for these crimes, the victim, her family and community continue to live with the after-effects of his actions,” said Audrain County Prosecuting Attorney Jacob Shellabarger in the release.

The county worked with Rainbow House Child Advocacy Center and other community organizations to ensure that the case was handled in “a professional and thorough manner,” Shellabarger said.

Texas man turns himself in for alleged child sex crime

PARIS, Tex. (KXII) -- A Sumner man is in the Lamar County Jail accused of child sex crimes.

Lonnie Ray O'Neal, 38, is charged with continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14.

The abuse was reported a week ago and O'Neal turned himself in on Monday.

Arrest affidavits say the abuse allegedly happened over four years.

He was previously convicted of aggravated robbery in 1999 and was out on parole at the time.

Sumner, TX

Sexual abuse charges dismissed for Iowa man

Hannah Hilyard 

NEWTON, Iowa —
Charges have been dismissed for a Newton man facing 16 counts of sexual abuse of a 10-year-old girl.

Court documents said Shawn Cooper admitted to sexually abusing a 10-year-old in 2016. 

Cooper was ruled incompetent to stand trial Monday. His charges were dismissed and he was released from jail.

Family members of the victim told KCCI that they are furious with the decision.

"I don't want him around anybody's child, let alone, you know, one of my other grandkids or anybody's period,” said Harry Jordan, who is a relative of the victim.

"I just can't believe that somebody can get away with such a horrible thing and still be let out to walk the streets without even getting on the sex offender list,” said Sarah Bradbury, who is also related to the victim.

Bradbury said the county attorney's office can pursue a civil case to have Cooper hospitalized, but that has not happened yet.

"There's a loophole in the system, and it needs to be fixed,” Bradbury said.

Legal expert Bob Rigg the county might not pursue a civil case at all. “For whatever reason, for legal reasons or financial reasons, a county attorney may decide not to pursue a civil commitment proceeding,” Rigg said. “And if they don't do that, the individual is released from custody."

So much for protecting our children!!!???

Bradbury said her family wants everyone to know that Cooper is walking free.

KCCI reached out to both the county attorney and Cooper's attorney Wednesday but did not hear back.

Cooper’s brother, Dustin Cooper, has also been arrested. Court documents show he pleaded guilty to five counts of sexual abuse related to the same victim.

Dustin Cooper is still in jail. His sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 12.

4 Alabamans, 75 y/o Man, Former NY DA Lead Today's USA PnP List

Texas man arrested for continuous

sexual abuse of a child

     

LAREDO, Texas (KGNS) - A Laredo man is arrested for allegedly sexually abusing a minor under the age of 15.

According to Laredo Police they received a call from the victim’s mother on December 2nd. 2016. The mother of the girl told police that a man known to her had committed a sexual act on the child.

The Laredo Police Special Investigations unit and CPS launched an investigation and interviewed the child. Investigators say the girl had been sexually assaulted throughout several years since she was a young child.

Police were able to have enough evidence to arrest 42-year-old Carlos Roma Jr.

Roma was charged with continuous sexual abuse of a child.

Texas man gets 25 years for sex abuse of child

By Jeff Awtrey, 

TYLER, TX (KLTV) -

A Lindale man has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a child and has accepted a 25-year prison sentence.

Court records show Ryan Alan Stuenkel, 23, entered the plea on a charge of first-degree continuous sex abuse of a child in Judge Kerry Russell’s courtroom on Monday.

Lindale police arrested Stuenkel on March 1, 2017. He was indicted on the charge on June 8 and has been held in the Smith County Jail since July 26.

According to the indictment, Stuenkel sexually assaulted a child under the age of 14 over more than a month's time in 2017.

Girl, 5, is third accuser in Sioux Falls daycare

sexual abuse case

Dirty ol' man of the week winner

Trevor Mitchell, tmitchell@argusleader.com 

A 75-year-old man who ran an in-home daycare in Sioux Falls for 25 years has been arrested again after a third accusation of sexual contact with a child.

David Hirsch was arrested Friday morning after a 5-year-old girl told her mother that Hirsch had touched her sometime between June 2016 and June 2017, when she would have been 4 years old.

Hirsch and his wife ran the daycare for 25 years until it closed in June 2017, according to Sioux Falls police spokesman Sam Clemens.

Hirsch is currently facing sexual contact with a child charges after a 14-year-old girl said she often visited Hirsch in his home workshop until one day in 2012 he put his hand inside her underwear, court documents say.

When police asked Hirsch what he'd like them to tell the victim's mother, Hirsch said, "Tell her I was just giving her a hug and she likes hugs. She was a real nice girl, a real lovable girl."

Another woman told police in early January that Hirsch had victimized her 23 years ago, when she would have been 8 years old.

Clemens said the grand jury in Hirsch's case was informed of the accusations, and found probable cause to add it to his current trial.

It's likely that more victims are present in this case, Clemens said — and anyone with information that they or a child may have been victimized should immediately contact police.

Hirsch posted bond after being charged in December. Records show Hirsch is currently being held at the Minnehaha County jail on a $50,000 bond. 

Former New York district attorney arrested in

Tucson on child sex abuse charges

Caitlin Schmidt Arizona Daily Star 

A former New York district attorney was arrested at his home in the Tucson mountains last week, in connection with multiple child sex abuse charges.

Marc Temkin is facing 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, said Pima County Sheriff's Department spokesman, Deputy Ryan Inglett.

Last week, several images depicting juvenile girls in a sexually explicit manner were uploaded from an IP address at a home in the 800 block of North Via Roma, Inglett said.

PCSD detectives and Tucson Police Department's internet crimes against children detectives determined that the home and the IP address belongs to Temkin, 66, who is a retired district Attorney from New York state, Inglett said.

Detectives served a warrant on Temkin's home Jan. 26, arresting him for 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, Inglett said.

The investigation is ongoing and more information will be released as it becomes available.

3 indicted in separate Alabama child sex abuse cases

By Carol Robinson crobinson@al.com

Three men have been indicted in separate cases of child sex abuse, including one who already is a convicted sex offender.

A Jefferson County grand jury issued indictments against William Trusty, 49, Johns Vincent Ford, 49 and James Lamont Harris, 40, according to court records released Friday.

Trusty, also known as William David Dempsey, was initially arrested in November on charges involving two girls. He lives in Brookside.

Charging documents say the incidents happened in July 2016. The records don't provide the ages of the girls, but at least one is under the age of 12. Trusty is accused of "sexual contact by forcible compulsion."

The indictments charge him with one count of sex abuse of a child under the age of 12, and four counts of first-degree sex abuse. He has been in the Jefferson County Jail with bonds totaling $55,000 since November 2017.

Ford, who lives in Anniston was arrested on Thursday, according to Jefferson County Jail records. He is charged with one count of first-degree sexual abuse and one count of sex abuse of a child under the age of 12. His bonds total $45,00.

Harris, of Birmingham, was arrested on Wednesday, records show. He is charged with sex abuse of a child and two counts of sodomy. His bond is set at $150,000.

Court records do not provide any additional information in the cases of Ford and Harris. Efforts to determine the investigating agencies weren't immediately successful.

Harris is a convicted sex offender. He was convicted in 2003 on a sodomy charge involving a 14-year-old. He was sentenced to five years in prison with one to serve.

Jefferson Co., AL

Alabama man raped, impregnated mentally-incapacited sister, records state

By Carol Robinsoncrobinson@al.com

A young Blount County man was arrested late Monday afternoon on charges that he raped his sister and impregnated her.

Eric Arthur Williams, 20, is charged with first-degree rape and incest. Both are felonies.

According to an affidavit filed with the Blount County clerk's office, Williams engaged in sexual intercourse with the victim, "a female with diminished mental capacity who was also his sister." The adult victim, court records state, is not capable of consent.

The alleged crimes happened in February 2017. The victim became pregnant and, due to the "mental functioning" of the victim, she could not carry the child to term.

A DNA test on the fetus confirmed that Williams was the father. Investigators with the Blount County District Attorney's Office arrested Williams late Monday afternoon. He is being held in the Blount County Jail with bonds totaling $75,000.

Williams' wife declined to comment on the charges. Efforts to locate other family for comment weren't immediately successful.

Blount Co., AL

2 School Principals, an Indie Band Member, Lead Today's Global PnP List

Cambodia charges 2 Canadians, 7 Europeans, 1 N.Z., accused of pornographic dance

The Associated Press

In this photo dated Jan. 25, 2018, a group of unidentified foreigners are seen at the party police raided in Siem Reap. (Cambodian National Police via AP)

Cambodian prosecutors charged 10 foreigners, including two Canadians, Sunday with producing pornographic pictures after they were arrested at a party in Siem Reap town, near the country's famed Angkor Wat temple complex.

Police said they raided a rented villa on Thursday where the foreigners were taking part in what organizers billed as a pub crawl and found people "dancing pornographically." While almost 90 foreigners were detained, all but 10 were released.

The 10 arrested are five British nationals, two Canadians, one Norwegian, one New Zealander and one from the Netherlands. A statement on the arrests posted on the National Police website Sunday included photos showing clothed young adults rolling around together on a dance floor.

So, is that the extent of it, or were there more images with less clothing? The photos above are hardly what passes for pornography these days and in most countries pornography is legal anyway. That's unfortunate, because pornography is frequently used by paedophiles to soften-up children they are about to sexually abuse.

Nevertheless, international travellers need to be aware of decency standards in countries they visit. These countries do not appreciate westerners bringing their sorry levels of morality with them and then displaying them for the world to see. 

One would think that between 10 people the cumulative IQ would be sufficient to know better, but apparently not. I hope they enjoy the rest of their stay in Cambodia.

In this photo dated Jan. 27, 2018, the 10 foreigners stand after they were arrested for 'dancing pornographically' at a party in Siem Reap, Cambodia. (Cambodian National Police via AP)

The prosecutor of the Siem Reap provincial court, Samrith Sokhon, told The Associated Press by phone that those charged face up to a year in prison if convicted.

He said, after producing the photos, the foreigners shared them on social media.

'Contrary to Cambodia's traditions'

"Any people producing pornography is contrary to Cambodia's traditions," he said.

Global Affairs Canada has confirmed it's aware of the arrests.

"Consular services are being provided to the Canadian citizens who have been detained in Cambodia. Consular officials are in contact with local authorities to gather additional information," the department said in a statement.

"To protect the privacy of the individuals concerned, further details on this case cannot be released," it said.

The United Kingdom's Foreign Office also confirmed it was in contact with the British nationals in Cambodia.

"We are assisting five British men arrested in Cambodia and are providing support to their families," the office said in an emailed response to AP.

Man held for attempted sexual assault of minor in Kasur, Pakistan results in riots against police

KASUR: Police arrested a man accused of attempting to sexually assault a minor girl in Kot Radha Kishan tehsil of Kasur on Sunday.

The incident took place in Baghel Singh village on the outskirts of tehsil Kot Radha Kishan, where locals alleged that a shopkeeper attempted to sexually assault an eight-year-old girl.

The villagers claimed that the accused got scared and let the minor girl go when she started shouting. They took hold of the suspect and subsequently beat him up before handing him over to the police. 

The residents of the village accused the police of trying to help the suspect go into hiding on the orders of local member of the National Assembly (MNA). At which, raged individuals attacked the police vehicle and tortured policemen. The law enforcers, however, whisked the injured suspect to police station.

According to protesters, district police officer (DPO) Kasur has suspended two policemen.

On the other hand, local MNA Salman Hanif said that he had nothing to do with the matter. "We were told [by the protesters] that 'police were taking the suspect back to his home, due to which we blocked the road'. This is the matter; rest we do not know what has been going on there."

Taking notice of the incident, Inspector General (IG) Punjab Arif Nawaz has sought a report from DPO Kasur.

The incident comes amid a countrywide outpour of anger over brutal rape and murder of a seven-year-old girl, Zainab, in Kasur. Zainab was kidnapped on January 4 in Kasur and found five days later from a garbage pile. The post-mortem revealed Zainab had been raped and murdered.

Later, the authorities succeeded in nabbing the suspect, Imran, said to be a serial killer involved in several similar cases in Kasur.

With the suspect arrested after days of efforts, the father of the victim Sunday demanded legislation to allow the suspect's public hanging. Amin Ansari, Zainab's father, said, "If the Parliament can make laws to allow a disqualified person to head a political party, why can't it do this."

The remarks were made during hearing of the Zainab rape and murder suo motu case by the Supreme Court of Pakistan at its Lahore Registry. The court also barred Zainab's father and his counsel from speaking to the media.

As many as 11 cases of child sexual abuse are reported from across Pakistan every day, according to data compiled by a non-governmental organization, Sahil, which works on child protection.

And, as you know, if you've been reading this blog for awhile, that is just a drop in the bucket of the actual child sex abuses that occur in Pakistan - probably a very small, single digit, percentage.

In the first six months of 2017 alone, 1,764 cases of child sexual abuse were reported from across the country, according to Sahil.

In 2016, the total number of reported child abuse cases stood at a staggering 4,139, bringing the total number of children being abused in Pakistan per day to 11.

The shocking numbers bring to attention the failure of law enforcement agencies in Pakistan, particularly Punjab province, in apprehending criminals and curbing the menace of child sexual abuse.

The thing is, if the police in Pakistan were even moderately competent and not so utterly corrupt, the number of cases of CSA would increase dramatically. Most cases are not reported because of police incompetence, indifference, and corruption, and also from the stigma of dishonour and the consequences of that in a medieval, Muslim society. 

Court indicts school principal in Pakistan on

sexual abuse charges

By Hidayat Khan

PESHAWAR: A court in Peshawar on Saturday indicted a private school principal on charges of sexual abuse and making of objectionable videos of a student.

Attaullah Marwat, a private school principal, was arrested last year on charges of sexual abuse of a women, making objectionable videos and child abuse. He was also charged with rape, making pornography, inviting sexual workers to the school premises and making their videos.

Marwat was accused of making secret videos of women and students through cameras installed on the school premises. He was also accused of blackmailing the victims. The police said they recovered more than two dozens of such videos, aphrodisiacs and a weapon from Marwat’s possession.

Marwat was arrested by the Hayatabad police in July, last year on the complaints of the students, who had informed the police that the principal was sexually exploiting the schoolchildren.

The accused had confessed to his crime before a local magistrate but pleaded not guilty on all counts in the court. The court has fixed February 3 as the next date of hearing of the case.

Inquiry needed into sex abuse in S African schools as videos of Principal having sex with students hits the internet

The DA (Democratic Alliance) strongly condemns the disgusting behaviour displayed by the Reiger Park High School Principal after videos and photos went viral on social media of him allegedly having sex with learners in his office.

Khume Ramulifho 

It is an absolute disgrace that a principal who is supposed to be a true leader, a guardian and a shield to protect these learners from abuse within and outside the school premises is engaged in this type of behaviour.

We welcome this sex-pest (I hate that word - it's like saying child sex abuse is an annoyance; CSA is flat-out evil) principal's immediate resignation from his post. However, he must not go unpunished for stripping these learners of their innocence and needs to face the full might of the law.

This principal must be named and shamed for destroying the future and the dignity of our learners and should be be registered as a sexual offender.

He must also be banned from ever working with children again.

For far too long, the Gauteng Premier, David Makhura and the Gauteng Department of Education MEC, Panyaza Lesufi have ignored the DA’s call to establish a Commission of Inquiry to probe the extent of sexual abuse in Gauteng schools and to establish a toll-free line for learners to report sexual abuse in schools.

Perhaps the Premier and Education minister are satisfied that South Africa has the highest rape rate in the world by a considerable margin.

The DA made this call last year after more than 87 learners were allegedly sexually abused by patrollers in Soweto schools.

This problem is clearly far bigger than what we initially thought and requires greater intervention than the Premier's task team. There is no time line and no communication with regards to the findings of this task team and when its investigations will be completed.

Sexual abuse in Gauteng schools goes beyond allegations against the patrollers as it also involves principals and educators. The scourge of violence against our learners has infiltrated every level of our education system.

A Commission of Inquiry is the only way to deal with this pandemic.

The DA also condemns those who are circulating the videos and pictures of the principal having sex with these learners as it violates the rights of these children. Possession of child pornography, as well as distributing it, is a criminal offence and charges should be laid against those who are breaking this law.

Psychological counselling must be provided to the victims and their families.

The DA will continue to put pressure on both the Premier and MEC to ensure that the Commission of Inquiry and a sexual abuse toll-free line is established as a matter of urgency.

Our learners are the future leaders of this country and it is within their rights as guaranteed by the constitution to be protected against any sexual abuse, sexual exploitation and child pornography.

Gauteng, South Africa

Judge in charge of Scottish child abuse inquiry calls for New Zealand victims to come forward

Andrea Vance 

1 NEWS Political Reporter

The head of a powerful child abuse inquiry is searching for Kiwi child migrants.

Lady Smith is investigating abuse in state care in Scotland and as part of that high-profile inquiry, she's asking Kiwis who were part of a forced migration scheme to come forward.

"Our investigations include the abuse of children whose departure from Scotland was as part of the child migrant programmes that operated during the 20th century," she told 1 NEWS.

"Wherever that abuse happened, we want to know about it."

Thousands of children were sent to Australia, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand between the 1920s and 1970s.

Professor Lynn Abrams of Glasgow University says 2000 children were sent here in 1946, and 1000 in the following year. "After that, we don’t quite know," she says.

And that's the problem facing Lady Smith's inquiry – very little is known about the children sent here to New Zealand. Professor Abrams says it’s likely they were placed in foster care homes, not religious institutions like children sent to Australia.

"They were separated from siblings and any remaining family members and often didn't really understand why they had been sent there," she said.

The inquiry – plus a similar inquiry held in England and Wales – has heard from some Australian migrants. One of them was David Hill – who wrote Forgotten Children – about the experiences of children like him who were sent to Fairbridge Farm School.

"A lot went wrong with these schemes - they were regarded as well-intentioned but some terrible things happened," he says. "The emotional deprivation, the physical abuse and we learned much later the sexual abuse which was endemic."

And while the experience has been positive for some witnesses, coming forward may also be traumatic. "I know there are still many who are not ready and will probably never be ready to talk about it," he said

Lady Smith acknowledges that it’s "not easy" to speak to an inquiry, but says there are an expert team in place.

"For many it will be a painful process. But we ask you to do so because it is critically important that our community faces up to the fact that children in care were wronged in the past and that those responsible for their care failed them."

In 2010 child migrants received an apology from the then British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

He said: "Today your pain is recognised, your suffering is understood your betrayal is acknowledged by the apology I make on behalf of our country."

Mr Hill said the apology was "very useful" but that the British Government needs to go further "and offer some recompense, some redress."

The Government is this week set to announce details of an inquiry into abuse in state care in New Zealand.

Those who want to contact the Edinburgh inquiry should visit the website: https://www.childabuseinquiry.scot

West Reading paedophile jailed for sharing indecent images of children in chatroom

By James Aldridge

A paedophile from Reading who shared indecent images of children in a chatroom has been jailed.

Raymond Taylor, 45, of Beecham Road, West Reading, Berkshire produced and distributed indecent images of children.

He was caught with 529 indecent images of children, some of them in the most serious category.

In an online paedophile chatroom, Taylor wrote "true pedos love boys and girls" and shared his sick fantasies with other users.

Detectives found the images hidden them in a mobile phone tucked away in a drainpipe outside his window, on three external hard drives and four computers. Some images were even stored on computers he used for work at a home security firm.

Taylor was brought to justice following an investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA). He admitted 11 counts of making, and eight counts of distributing indecent images of children.

He was sentenced to four years in prison at Reading Crown Court on Friday, January 26. Taylor was also made subject to a sexual harm prevention order and placed on the sex offenders register for life.

He was an associate of Jon Page, 46, of Bridge Close, London, who was jailed for three-and-a-half years in November 2017 as part of the NCA investigation into an online paedophile chatroom.

Jon Page, a convicted paedophile. Credit: National Crime Agency

Taylor and Page streamed real-time footage to the chatroom of themselves engaged in sexual activity at the same time as Page streamed recordings of indecent images of children under the screen name 2 UK peds.

The NCA has identified the sharing and live streaming of child abuse on a variety of platforms is a growing threat, and as a result, UK law enforcement is responding to a significant increase in the reporting of child sexual exploitation.

Martin Ludlow, operations manager at the NCA, said: "Offenders who swap indecent images online prolong the abuse of the children in the pictures.

"Unfortunately with the rise of digital technology, sharing and broadcasting indecent images of children in real time has never been easier, whether on the dark web or more conventional forms of social media.

"The NCA and its partners in law enforcement are wholly committed to tackling this threat and at all times the safety of children is our priority.

"We and our partners in policing are trained and equipped with specialist capabilities with which to detect these offenders and bring them to justice."

Former member of popular Irish Indie band arrested in child grooming sting

The musician thought he was arranging to meet a 14 y/o boy for sex

By Trevor Quinn

A former member of an Irish band was arrested after allegedly going to meet what he thought was a child for sex.

Vigilante group, the Predator Catchers, claimed the musician had travelled from Dublin to Belfast for the meeting and said he had sent numerous lewd messages. However, it was an adult decoy communicating with the man who is believed to have used a false name.

The exchange started on Grindr, a gay dating app and progressed quickly with explicit messages being sent by him to what he believed was a 14-year-old boy. After he was trapped by Predator Catchers members he was held down until police arrived and arrested him.

A PSNI spokesman said: “Police arrested a 32-year-old male in the Glengall Street area of Belfast on Tuesday January, 16 on suspicion of attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming and attempted sexual communication with a child. The man was interviewed at Musgrave station before being released on bail pending further police inquiries.”

It is understood no charges have been brought but a file may be sent to the North’s Public Prosecution Service over the coming weeks.

The man can be heard constantly shouting “help” in the Predator Catchers’ live video, which was streamed online.

A spokeswoman for the group claimed the first question he asked the decoy on the app was about his age. She added: “He asked sexual questions including asking the size of his penis."

“He had mentioned previously they could do stuff in the car, which was his exact phrase.

“I think originally his plan was to go to the decoy’s house if his mum was out, but he had said if not they would drive around and do stuff.

“He also asked the decoy about his younger brother and they had said he was 12. He had asked about coming to the house and would the younger brother be free and would he want to join in. So it was two brothers he was talking about, not just one.”