‘Dangerous predator' convicted of assaulting 19 women
mistakenly released from Georgia prison
By: Chris Jose
COBB COUNTY, Ga. - Authorities said a former nurse who was convicted of assaulting and videotaping 19 women while they were sedated was mistakenly released from prison.
Paul Serdula was sentenced to a life sentence but the Georgia Court of Appeals recently vacated his convictions after he successfully argued that the judge in his case had a close relationship with the district attorney.
Serdula was supposed to be transferred to the Cobb County Jail but the Georgia Department of Corrections admitted it had mistakenly released him on March 30.
Authorities said Serdula is a "dangerous predator."
Just before 6 p.m., Channel 2 Action News learned that Serdula turned himself in.
Cobb Co., Georgia
Fugitive California minister arrested in Mexico,
held in sex abuse case
2 more Baptist Churches implicated in child sex abuse scandals
By NATE GARTRELL | ngartrell@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
LOS ANGELES — A former Bay Area minister who jumped bail to Mexico while on trial for 23 counts of child sex abuse was arrested and extradited to the United States Wednesday, authorities said.
Fernando Maldonado, 37, is expected to be transported from Los Angeles County to Contra Costa in time for his April 13 sentencing date. He is facing a maximum of 37 years, after being convicted on all counts last year.
Maldonado, then a Concord resident, was a minister at the now-defunct Morello Avenue Baptist Church in Martinez and the victim was a parishioner there, police said.
Maldonado left that church to become a minister at Grace Bible Church in Pleasant Hill in 2014, where the victim began attending the church and the abuse continued, police said. The victim came forward in 2016, leading authorities to file 23 felony counts against Maldonado.
One month after his April 2016 arrest, Maldonado was released on bail, after someone posted a $106,000 premium for his $1.295 million bail. Prosecutors say six families from his church supplied the cash. Maldonado fled hours after his victim testified to the abuse.
How often have I seen this? Congregations so devoted to their pastor that they are blind to his faults. A little discernment might save you from sheep-skinned wolves.
“The District Attorney’s Office expresses our gratitude to the Fugitive Unit at the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office and to the United States Marshals Service for their work returning Maldonado to the United States to face justice,” agency spokesman Scott Alonso said in a news release.
Former Michigan State football players reach plea deal in sexual assault case
Criminal sexual conduct charges dropped against
3 former MSU football players
By Dave Bartkowiak Jr., Steve Garagiola - Reporter/Anchor
Former Michigan State University football players Donnie Corley Jr., Demetric Vance and Josh King have reached a plea agreement in a sexual assault case.
All three have pleaded guilty to seduction charges in exchange for the dismissal of criminal sexual conduct charges. The seduction charge is a not a sexual assault charge. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 6. The men could face up to 5 years in prison.
Their guilty pleas were accepted Wednesday morning by Judge Rosemarie Aquilina in Ingham County Circuit Court.
WILX reports Vance, Corley and King will be granted sentencing under the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act (HYTA), which allows young adults to keep criminal convictions off their public record. All three originally faced third-degree criminal sexual conduct charges that could have landed them 15 years in prison. King also faced a first-degree criminal sexual conduct charge that carried a possible life sentence.
The trio was accused of raping a woman in a bathroom during a party in January 2017 at an apartment on the East Lansing campus. They were kicked off the team during a police investigation into the incident and no longer are enrolled at the university.
Here is a long statement from Ingham County Prosecutor Carol A. Siemon:
"When I began receiving media requests earlier today, I was at an event commemorating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the 50th anniversary of his assassination. This anniversary is a reminder not only of how much has changed, but also in how much of his cause remains undone. Dr. King said that the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. But he didn’t mean that it happens automatically or that it doesn’t require us to work and change the system.
"We must have a legal framework that allows us to treat the facts of each criminal case proportionately, which the current laws sometimes make difficult. For cases that are submitted for our review, we look at multiple factors to try to craft an outcome that reflects the facts of the individual event.
"The use of “seducing and debauching an unmarried female” as a plea is one that prosecutors have used consistently, but infrequently in the State of Michigan. The law itself is archaic and while the statute itself is valid, it certainly was originally enacted in a bygone era.
"The plea to seduction is a tool that we have as prosecutors, but it is an imperfect tool. It allows the criminal justice system to acknowledge the victim, and it provides an incentive for that offender to plea, in particular because it’s not an offense that requires that they register as a sex offender.
"The sex offender registry is a blunt instrument that I believe needs to be reformed and streamlined so that law enforcement can make better use of the information. It would be more effective as a law enforcement tool to keep the public safe if it targeted the cases that are most likely to result in recidivism – child abuse and child sexual assault, for example, or serial rapists.
"The sex offender registry is just one example of the types of cases where we have laws that are well-intentioned, but go too far from their original intent – and don’t allow our courts to provide a proportionate response. We have seen people sentenced to a 40 year maximum sentence over one gram of cocaine or parents who are charged with child neglect for letting their kids walk home from the park. In the recent cases of school threats and bomb threats, for example, we’re working to create a proportionate response that gives us the legal tools and range of options that addresses the individual situation.
"In any case of domestic or sexual violence, we believe that it’s just to not only consult with the victim, but to create a real consensus with that victim, whenever possible, about the resolution of their case. I’m not able to comment about any case that’s sealed under YTA, but I can confirm that we consult with the victims/survivors in all cases of this sensitive nature.
"The Holmes Youthful Training Act (YTA) is another imperfect tool that is available to prosecutors, defendants, and the courts. We know that the brain is still developing until a person is in their mid-twenties, yet in all too many cases, we have seen young persons incarcerated offenses, for decades, if not life – and burdened with a felony conviction. YTA is a tool that can be used to stem the epidemic of mass incarceration and create sentencing reforms that handle each case in an appropriate manner.
"Under Michigan law, prosecutors have a great deal of discretion in the sanction that each offender receives. Prosecutors decide whether to issue charges, and if so, often have multiple options. Once a case is charged, pleas can be offered at the prosecutor’s discretion. It’s my belief that prosecutors can work to reform the system from within.
"At an early age, children are taught to recite the promise of America: “Liberty and justice for all.” If they have to say it, then we have to do it – Do our best to provide justice to all, and use the law to do what we should do, not just what we can do."
NY man extorted another over child sex abuse
And Mom ends up charged with a felony
Steven Cook
ST. JOHNSVILLE -- A St. Johnsville man is facing charges because he knew another person sexually abused a child last year and, instead of reporting it, extorted the man out of more than $2,000, according to state police.
Troopers also arrested the accused extortionist's mother, accusing her of helping to hide her son from police.
Police arrested Ryan R. Cook, 25, Tuesday and charged him with one count of grand larceny, a felony.
Police began investigating Cook in September, after another agency arrested a man who is accused of sexually abusing a 14-year-old, state police said.
Cook, upon discovering the abuse, threatened to reveal the information to police if the man did not pay him. The man made at least three payments to Cook over a period of a couple months, state police said.
Though the man accused of sexual abuse has been arrested, state police did not identify him Wednesday.
A state police spokesman said they don't identify victims, and that man is a victim in Cook's case. An investigator, however, said the alleged sexual abuse did not continue during the time Cook was allegedly taking the man's money.
State police had been looking for Cook since September but came up empty until Tuesday, after they found a car believed to be his and watched it. They saw Cook's mother drop him off at the vehicle at about 1:45 p.m.
I didn't want to use Kimberley Cook's photo as she is very much a victim of her own son. But the sadness in her eyes is probably echoed by the mothers of so many perpetrators of evil, especially child sex abusers. She is guilty of loving her son, but also guilty, perhaps, of protecting him from the consequences of his stupid decisions.
As he drove away, troopers stopped him and arrested him. He was arraigned and was sent to jail.
State police identified his mother as Kimberly Cook, 48, also of St. Johnsville. She was arrested and charged with one count of second-degree hindering prosecution, a felony.
Police said she was aware they were looking for her son, and she told troopers she would tell them when he was at her home. However, she concealed his location and provided him with transportation, police said.
She was arraigned and ordered held on $5,000 bail.
More sex abuse claims emerge against former Alabama children’s pastor
And, would you believe another Baptist Church?
By WSFA 12
HOUSTON CO., AL
A former children's pastor could face more sex abuse charges, according to Houston County Sheriff's Department.
William Wesley Williamson was arrested March 29 and charged (6th story on link) with three counts of sexual abuse involving a child under 12 years old.
According to Sheriff Donald Valenza, since Williamson's arrest at least two more possible claims have emerged.
"You do have some that come out after it's come to light and they do want to get justice too," said Sheriff Valenza.
He says the new alleged victims are around the same age as the alleged victims linked to the original charges.
Williamson had worked as a children's pastor at Mount Gilead Baptist Church in Dothan. A representative at the church confirmed he no longer worked for the church and a statement on behalf of the church would be released.
Sheriff Valenza wasn't clear on the timeline of when the possible incidents occurred, but said it may have happened at a camp put on by the church.
Williamson has bonded out of jail. Sheriff Valenza says the investigation is ongoing.
Alabama man sentenced to probation for
historic child sex abuse
By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor
COLUMBIANA – A 59-year-old Alabaster man will spend the next five years on probation and must register as a sex offender after he pleaded guilty on April 3 to sexually abusing a juvenile girl in the 1990s.
Glen Dwayne Naish, who lists an address in the 900 block of First Avenue West in Alabaster, pleaded guilty to one felony count of first-degree sexual abuse during a hearing in front of Circuit Court Judge William Bostick.
Naish originally was sentenced to 10 years in prison, but his sentence was split to five years of supervised probation. He also was ordered to avoid initiating contact with the victim in the case, and must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
If Naish violates the requirements of his probation, his entire 10-year prison sentence could be reinstated.
The Alabaster Police Department arrested Naish in 2014 and charged him with the sexual abuse charge after he subjected the victim, who was between 10 and 13 years old at the time, to “sexual contact by forcible compulsion” between Jan. 1, 1990, and Jan. 1, 1993.
Alabaster Police Chief Curtis Rigney previously said the victim, now an adult, came forward with information a few months before Naish’s arrest.
A Shelby County grand jury returned a one-count indictment against Naish during its October 2014 session, prompting Alabaster police to arrest him on Nov. 3, 2014. He was released from the Shelby County Jail the same day he was arrested after posting a $20,000 bond, and has remained out of jail since then.
Naish’s guilty plea came about a week-and-a-half before his trial was scheduled to begin in Shelby County Circuit Court.
Arkansas School District's hazing investigation includes sexual abuse allegations
by Marine Glisovic
BAUXITE (KATV) — Documents obtained only by KATV confirm the hazing investigation involving the Bauxite School District includes sexual abuse allegations.
Since Channel 7 News broke the story last week, dozens of emails have been sent and phone calls have been made to the newsroom by parents and others claiming to be close to the investigation. No one has agreed to go on camera for fear of retaliation, but many have given the same story; seniors physically attacking freshmen baseball players on school buses.
Culture of Rape
Some parents have said it’s been going on for years, players victimized as freshmen then becoming offenders their senior year.
Following a Freedom of Information Act request made by KATV, an email was obtained detailing the hazing investigation.
An email sent by the Arkansas Department of Human Services' Crimes Against Children Division of the Arkansas State Police sent to the Bauxite principal and assistant principal clearly states that they're investigating the recent sexual abuse allegations involving bauxite student athletes.
The email goes on to say that when the state police requested that high school administrators provide the written statements of the young men involved it was denied.
It also cites Arkansas law that they must provide the statements requested by police. In the alternative, they would be compelled to file a law suit against the school for its unwillingness to cooperate with the investigation.
Channel 7 has yet to uncover how many students this involves, the district said they cannot release further details of this on-going investigation.
The Bauxite School District's Director of Academic Affairs, Leann Pinkerton, released this statement:
As you've previously reported, the Bauxite School District has been investigating hazing on its high school baseball team. During our investigation, the District reported the matter to the child maltreatment hotline and has been actively cooperating with law enforcement’s investigation. The District will do everything necessary to ensure that our students can attend school and participate in extra-curricular activities in a safe environment.
"Actively cooperating with law enforcement’s investigation"??? Seriously?
Second Man Charged In Horrific Foster Child
Sex Abuse Case in San Antonio
(San Antonio, TX) — Police say a second man is facing charges of child sexual abuse in a case connected to a San Antonio foster father.
Miguel Briseno is accused of sexually assaulting six girls under his care and was arrested last year (6th story on link).
Police now say Briseno allowed his cousin, Juan Rivera, to rape another one of Briseno’s foster children for years.
Briseno and his wife reportedly fostered over 185 children and teenagers over eleven years and investigators say they believe more victims will come forward.
US Marshals capture Abilene sex crime suspect,
bond set at $250,000
By: Erica Garner
ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) - An Abilene sex crime suspect is behind bars on a $250,000 bond after getting arrested by the US Marshals Service.
Michael Strickland, 58, was taken into custody Tuesday for Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child in connection to the incident that happened in May of 2012.
Court documents state a child under the age of 14 came forward and told authorities she was sexually assaulted by Strickland.
She described several incidents where Strickland used a foreign object to sexually assault her and also claimed he molested her "about 20 times" between August of 2011 to May of 2012, according to the documents.
It's unknown how long Strickland has been on the run, but online jail records show he was indicted in August and has had several court dates scheduled since the beginning of the year.
PA child sex predator admits to fleeing state
ahead of federal sentence
TORSTEN OVE
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Sex criminal Daniel Teed of Marshall was supposed to be serving a decade in federal prison for his role in preying on a 16-year-old girl forced to have sex with multiple men at group sex parties.
But he didn't show up in January as ordered and disappeared.
On Wednesday in federal court, he admitted that he fled to Arizona, where he had applied for an identification card and opened a post office box in the name of a relative to hide from authorities.
In pleading guilty to federal charges of skipping out on his sentence and also failing to register as a sex offender, he's facing another 15 to 21 months in prison after he serves his 10-year term.
U.S. District Judge Arthur Schwab said he'll impose the term when a pre-sentencing report is done by the probation office.
Teed, 56, who had originally been sentenced in October, was the target of a nationwide manhunt by the U.S. marshals after he failed to show up at the federal prison at Loretto on Jan. 5. Marshals caught him Feb. 12 outside of a Super 8 motel in Flagstaff.
His original case involved the abuse of a 10th-grade girl prostituted for advertised "gang bang" sex parties by Ralph Ruprecht, a former basketball coach in Beaver County. Ruprecht arranged for underage girls and adult women to have sex with multiple men at hotels and at an apartment on Penn Avenue in the Strip. He's serving 16 years in prison.
One of the girls was a 16-year-old who was forced into having sex with multiple men at a time in 2015 and 2016.
Teed, a former trucking company owner who once ran for the state legislature, was a customer of Ruprecht and admitted that he sexually abused the girl. His family had argued that he didn't realize she was underage, but he admitted in court that he did know it.
The victim is now in foster care.
Texan Sentenced In Two Separate Indictments of Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child Case
In a sentencing hearing in Eighth Judicial District Court Tuesday, April 3, 2018, Casey Gween Miles was sentenced to two (2) 25 year sentences to run concurrent and will have to register as a sex offender for the remainder of his life. Miles will have to serve 12.5 years before being eligible for parole due to these aggravated offenses.
According to Assistant District Attorney Matt Harris, Miles, 23, of Sulphur Springs, pled guilty to two separate indictments for the First Degree Felony offenses of Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child on March 8, 2018. There was no plea agreement between the State and the defendant, and the Court was to decide punishment. During the plea hearing on March 8th, Mr. Miles also admitted his guilt in six (6) cases of Sexual Assault of a Child, one (1) case of Continuous Sexual Abuse of Children under 14 Years of Age, and one (1) case of Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1. Because Mr. Miles admitted his guilt in these cases, they were dismissed and the Court took notice of them and considered his admissions when it decided the sentence in the two remaining first degree felony cases.
What goes around, comes around
Harris called three live witnesses, and the Court also had an opportunity to review witness interviews, police reports, forensic reports from the defendant’s cell phone, and a social and mental health history of the defendant. Harris was able to outline for the Court an approximately 10-year history of inappropriate and/or illegal sexual conduct with much younger boys by Mr. Miles, beginning when he was 12 or 13. The defendant’s attorney, Frank Hughes, was able to prove that the defendant had been sexually abused as a child, came from a broken home, had endured a tragic life, and had mental health issues.
Harris said based on his belief that Miles is a high risk to re-offend, he requested that the Court sentence the defendant to the maximum (life in prison) and cumulate each sentence. Mr. Hughes argued for a lenient sentence, including probation, based on the defendant’s circumstances.
Harris said, “Based on the totality of the circumstances, I believe this to be a fair and just sentence.”
Another Sulphur Springs, TX Man Arrested for Continuous Sexual Abuse of Young Child, a Felony 1
Quentin Michion Lipscomb, 49, Sulphur Springs was arrested on a warrant for Continuous Sexual Abuse of Young Child or Children, a Felony 1, at his apartment on Church Street Tuesday evening at 9:28 p.m.
Sulphur Springs Police were contacted March 30th regarding the continuous sexual abuse. The victim was interviewed at the Child Advocacy Center in Winnsboro and a probable cause finding led to an arrest warrant issued by Justice of the Peace Brad Cummings, according to SSPD Investigator David Gilmore.
The charge of Continuous Sexual Abuse carries a minimum sentence of 25 years in prison if Lipscomb is found guilty.
Lipscomb is in Hopkins County Jail held on a $200,000 bond.
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Oregon man gets over 10 years for child sex abuse
By: KOIN 6 News Staff
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- A man was sentenced to over 10 years in prison on Tuesday after he admitted to sexually abusing a child for 2 years, starting when the victim was 8 years old in 2013.
Ricardo Guzman Bolanos, 44, pleaded no contest to first-degree attempted sodomy, according to the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office, while also pleading guilty to 2 counts of first-degree sexual abuse.
Multnomah County District Attorney Rod Underhill said child abuse happens more often than people would expect.
“In some instances, this kind of abuse can go unreported for several months or longer," Underhill said in a press release. "That is why it is critically important that if someone suspects a child is being harmed they not sweep it under the rug, and instead contact local authorities immediately.”
Bolanos, according to the district attorney, fled Oregon after police started investigating. He was eventually arrested in Yakima County, Washington, before he was brought back to Multnomah County.
Missouri man to stand trial on sexual abuse charges
on 10 y/o girl
Jeff Lehr
NEOSHO, Mo. — A Stark City man waived a preliminary hearing Tuesday on charges that he sexually abused a 10-year-old girl.
David T. Bennett, 37, waived the hearing in Newton County Circuit Court and was ordered bound over for trial on counts of first-degree statutory rape and third-degree child molestation. Associate Judge Kevin Selby set the defendant's initial appearance in a trial division of the court for May 21.
Bennett is accused of having sexual contact with the girl in August of last year at his residence near Stark City. The girl was interviewed in September at the Children's Center in Joplin in the course of an investigation by the Newton County Sheriff's Department. The charges were filed Nov. 3.
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