Senate orders Pentagon to review
child-on-child sex abuse
Senators have ordered an independent investigation of how the Defense Department has handled sexual violence among children who live and go to school on military bases worldwide.
The demand is part of legislation that would overhaul how the Pentagon responds when service members' children sexually assault each other.
Pentagon officials had quietly resisted a review by the department's independent inspector general of problems documented in an Associated Press investigation . That reporting showed broad failures to help victims or hold offenders accountable.
The Senate Armed Services Committee passed bipartisan proposals Thursday both to fix gaps in juvenile justice and protect student victims at Pentagon-run schools.
The panel also directed the inspector general to investigate -- a request Defense Secretary James Mattis had resisted.
Oregon daycare shut down following sex abuse investigation
Whitney Woodworth, Statesman Journal
State officials closed an Independence in-home daycare after investigating claims the provider allowed her adult son to have unsupervised access to children and failed to report claims of abuse.
Quinlyn Harden, 24, was arrested in March for allegedly sexually abusing a young girl at the daycare owned by his mother.
Ceola Harden's child-care license was revoked Friday by the Oregon Department of Education's Office of Child Care. The final revocation order came months after the office issued an emergency order of suspension on Jan. 25.
Ceola Harden did not fulfill her duty as a mandatory reporter
According to the suspension order, Ceola Harden "failed to provide a safe and healthy environment for child care children and has placed children for whom she is responsible for at risk" by allowing her son, who never underwent a background check or required registry, unfettered access to children.
Independence police told the Polk County Itemizer-Observer that more allegations of abuse were under investigation.
Ceola Harden also failed to report suspected abuse to the Oregon Department of Human Services, according to a complaint filed with the Office of Child Care. Registered child care providers are considered mandatory reporters and are legally required to report suspected abuse.
According to the complaint, a partner agency confirmed Harden knew about her son's inappropriate behavior and told the child victim, "It's okay. I'll take care of it. Don't tell your mom."
It also alleged that she would treat the child to ice cream or a trip to the dollar store as a reward for not telling.
Another complaint alleged that Quinlyn Harden and another unregistered adult would fill-in at the daycare while Ceola Harden went to the store, watched movies or spent time with friends.
Stinky Feet operated under a registered family child care home license since 2013. Its capacity is listed at 10 children. It is described online as both a daycare and a preschool.
According to Oregon administrative rules, adults not registered in the state's Central Background Registry are not allowed to have unsupervised access to children in a child care facility.
Men, in general, should never have unsupervised access to children in daycares.
Based on the facts learned in the investigation, state officials determined there was a serious danger to public health and immediate action was necessary to protect children from abuse.
Chris Best, of the Gatti Law Firm, said he and fellow attorney Ron Sayer are representing two victims allegedly abused by Quinlyn Harden while they attended Stinky Feet Preschool.
"Our preliminary investigation has revealed that Ceola Harden allowed Quinlyn to live and at all times remain on the premises despite specific knowledge of her son’s predatory behavior toward the students of the preschool for many years," Best said.
Quinlyn Harden was arrested on charges of abusing one girl under the age of 14, but Best said there are additional victims. "Given that Quinlyn was allowed to engage with all of the children despite the owner’s knowledge of abuse going back many years, we suspect there could be many more victims," he said.
On Friday, the Office of Child Care issued another order removing Ceola Harden from the Central Background Registry. Because of this, Harden will be unable to legally provide child care, said Priscilla Lowells, a senior legal and compliance specialist for the Office of Child Care.
Quinlyn Harden pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree sexual abuse. First-degree sexual abuse is a Measure 11 crime requiring a mandatory minimum prison sentence. If convicted, he faces a minimum sentence of six years and three months in prison.
His next court appearance is scheduled for 11 a.m. on June 12.
Vermont man facing multiple sex abuse with minor charges
By Mike Eldred
WEST DOVER- A 75-year-old West Dover man is facing multiple child sex abuse charges following an investigation by Dover Police.
Route 100 resident Clifford Turpin was charged with repeated aggravated assault, sexual assault of a child under the age of 16, lewd and lascivious conduct with a child, and showing indecent material to a minor. If convicted of the aggravated sexual assault charge, Turpin faces 10 years to life in prison and a fine of up to $50,000.
According to an affidavit by Dover Police Detective Rebecca Morris, police were contacted by a Department of Children and Families case worker in April after a client reported seeing Turpin assaulting one of the victims during a visit to Turpin's house in late 2017.
During an initial interview with Morris outside of the home, the alleged victim didn't disclose any abuse. During a separate interview of Turpin, according to the affidavit, he wasn't agitated and appeared calm when confronted with her questions. “During the interview (Turpin) told (the case worker) and me that he had a computer in his bedroom and one time (the alleged victim) caught him watching pornography. The defendant said he told the (alleged victim) that he shouldn't be watching porn and that was the end of it.”
Following the first two interviews, Morris interviewed the witness who initially reported the incident, and followed up with another interview in early May. The witness, who is an adult, swore his statements were true at both interviews. He said he had stayed at Turpin's house over a weekend when the incident occurred.
During the second interview, the witness told Morris he was in Turpin's bedroom when Turpin allegedly showed a pornographic video, discussed sex, and assaulted one of the victims while the witness was in the room.
During a subsequent interview with Turpin on Thursday, May 17, according to the affidavit, he admitted to showering with the alleged victim when he was 16, and that they touched each other's penises. He also admitted to a second incident when the victim was 16. Turpin also mentioned the incident reported by the witness, but claimed the witness “was confused about what he saw.”
The same day, the alleged victim gave a statement to Dover Detective Richard Werner in which he said Turpin had been assaulting him about twice a month since he was 13, but had stopped recently. The incidents occurred when Turpin's husband was at work, the alleged victim said, and Turpin had told him not to tell anyone or he could be removed from the house. He also told Werner that another youth in the house had been assaulted by Turpin, as well as assaults on a third alleged victim “two or three years ago.”
Also on Thursday, May 17, Dover and Wilmington police executed a search warrant at Turpin's Route 100 house, during which they seized several electronic devices, “numerous sex toys,” and other items related to the investigation.
Turpin was ordered held on $2,500 bond after arraignment on Friday, May 18. He was also ordered not to have contact with the alleged victims or any other minors.
According to police, Turpin and his husband fostered several children in their home until 2015.
Good grief! I hate that gays are trusted to be care-givers. This story could go on for awhile.
Man sentenced to 65 years in prison for
child sexual assault charges
By WIFR Newsroom |
UPDATE: ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - A Rockford man will spend more than six decades behind bars in connection with a child sexual abuse case.
Investigators say 55-year-old James Abron was sentenced to 65 years in jail after being found guilty of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, three counts of criminal sexual assault and eight counts of child pornography in October 2017.
In 2016, a 13-year-old child reported that she was sexually abused by Abron two years earlier. During an investigation, detectives found photos of the child on Abron's phone.
------
Posted October 19, 2017, 3:35 p.m.
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - Rockford police say 54-year-old James Abron has been found guilty of several charges related to a child sexual abuse case.
In 2016, police say a 14-year-old child reported that Abron had sexually assaulted them. Officers found photos of the child on Abron's phone from when they were 11-years-old.
Abron was found guilty of one count of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, three counts of criminal sexual assault, and eight counts of child pornography on Wednesday.
According to the Winnebago County State's Attorney's Office, Abron faces six to 60 years in prison followed by three years to natural life mandatory supervised release for the one count of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child.
They say for the criminal sexual assault and two of the child pornography charges charges, Abron faces four to 15 years for each count. For these charges, Abron is required to have two years to natural life of mandatory supervised release after prison.
For the other six child pornography charges, Abron faces two to five years in prison per count. For these charges, Abron is required to have one year to natural life of mandatory supervised release after prison.
He will also be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
Predatory criminal sexual assault of a child is a class X felony, criminal sexual assault is a class one felony, the two counts of child pornography are class one felonies, and the remaining six charges are class three felonies.
Abron will be back in court on December 21.
Former Wisconsin EMT gets more than 100 years
for child sexual assault
In the Courtroom
Melissa Siegler and Karen Madden, Wisconsin Rapids Tribune
WISCONSIN RAPIDS - A former emergency medical technician and police officer was sentenced Thursday to 120 years in prison and 60 years of extended supervision for the repeated sexual assault of children.
The victims' mother testified that Jacob M. Swiedarke caused so much damage to her children it "breaks me every day."
Swiedarke, 32, pleaded guilty Feb. 19 to three counts of sexual assault of a child under the age of 13.
He had been an emergency medical technician for Spirit Ambulance in Weston, operated by Ascension Wisconsin.
Ascension Wisconsin spokesman Tom Weaver said Swiedarke was suspended from his job at the time the first charges were filed. He was fired from the job at the time of his conviction, Weaver said. None of the charges was connected to Swiedarke's job either as an EMT or previously as a town of Rome police officer.
Defense attorney Gregory Jerabek began the sentencing hearing Thursday by questioning Dr. Michael Nelson about a psychiatric exam he conducted on Swiedarke. Nelson said, based on his observations, the defendant suffers from a bipolar-related disorder and pedophilic disorder. He said Swiedarke's chance of re-offending was low to low-moderate.
The victims' mother then presented her statement before the half-filled courtroom. She said these experiences have stripped her children of their innocence and have made her physically ill on more than one occasion.
"I don't know how to fix this," she said. "It breaks me every day."
She read the statements of two victims who were not present in the courtroom. They detailed the extent of the assaults that spanned years. The victims said Swiedarke told them they would get in trouble if they told anyone and threatened physical harm.
Each account was met with audible gasps from members of the audience.
Wood County Circuit Judge Nicholas Brazeau Jr. said the victims who came forward are nothing short of "heroic" and the acts committed by Swiedarke are so "atrocious" that he couldn't even begin to know how to punish him.
Brazeau called Swiedarke a "selfish monster" and said even a 1 percent chance of Swiedarke re-offending was too much. The judge also ordered that Swiedarke have no contact with the victims or their families, submit to a DNA sample and register himself as a sex offender.
Swiedarke will be held at Dodge Correctional Institution in Waupun for 60 to 90 days where officials will conduct assessments and decide where he will be taken next. He has no chance of parole, according to Wood County Assistant District Attorney David Knaapen.
According to court records:
In September, a woman was taking her children to visit their grandmother and stopped at a gas station when one of the kids began acting out a sexual motion. When the woman asked the girl about her behavior, the child told her mother about inappropriate contact Swiedarke had with her.
After the woman contacted police, and a first charge of sexual assault was filed against Swiedarke, another woman talked to two other girls, both younger than 10, about Swiedarke. One girl said he forced her to perform oral sex and the other said he had intercourse with her. Both girls said Swiedarke gave them money to keep quiet about the assaults.
In December, prosecutors in Adams County filed another charge of sexual assault of a child under 13. The child in the Adams County case is one of the same victims as the second Wood County case. A motion has been filed to join the Adams County case with the Wood County cases.
Texas man sentenced to 35 years for child sex abuse
A man was sentenced to 35 years in prison Friday for aggravated sexual assault of a child, according to the Gregg County District Attorney’s office.
Brigido Sanchez, 35, who is listed as having a Kilgore address in jail records, entered a guilty plea in the District Court and waived all rights to appeal, according to a post on the office’s Facebook page. Sanchez also has an Immigration and Customs Enforcement hold for illegal entry into the United States from Honduras.
According to the post, the victim was 12 and 13 years old at the time of the abuse.
Central Texas man convicted in child sex case sentenced to 285 years
By John Carroll |
WACO, Texas (KWTX) A Central Texas man convicted of child sexual abuse was sentenced to 285 years in prison Friday in Waco and won’t be eligible for parole for 95 years.
Jurors found Clemente Salas Medina, 40, guilty of continuous sexual assault of a child, two counts of sexual assault of a child and eight counts of indecency with a child by contact.
State District Judge Ralph Strother sentenced Medina to 85 years in prison on the first count and 20 year terms on each of the 10 remaining counts and ordered the sentences to be served consecutively.
Several of the victims, who were as young as 5 at the time of the abuse, testified that Medina told them, “I want to put a baby in your belly and then we can run off to Mexico.”
Ex-husband of murdered Alabama teacher charged
with sexual abuse of child
BY JOSH RICHARDS
Authorities on Thursday arrested and charged Jason Starr with sexual abuse of a child less than 12 years of age. He is the ex-husband of a school teacher slain last November.
Starr, 45, is facing one count of the first-degree offense, according to the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office.
Due to the nature of the crime and the age of the alleged victim, no other details are available at this time.
Jail records show Starr was released from Coffee County Jail on a $30,000 bond.
Last November, his ex-wife, Sara Starr, was shot to death in her home before being discovered by concerned co-workers. Sara Starr was 36 and a fourth-grade teacher at Harrand Creek Elementary School. The couple was divorced in July 2017.
Sara Starr’s death remains under investigation.
Child sexual abuse charges filed against
former Oklahoma pastor
By Jacob McGuire |
Formal child sexual abuse charges have been filed against a former Norman pastor.
Today, Cleveland Cleveland County District Attorney Greg Mashburn filed two counts of performing lewd/indecent acts with a child under 16 against 77-year-old Phillip Paul Ratliff.
Ratliff was a pastor at the Alameda Baptist Church, according to a Norman police affidavit.
According to the affidavit, officers were dispatched to the Norman Police Department lobby May 20 in reference to a report of someone possessing child pornography and allegations that the same person performed lewd acts on his juvenile relative.
Two days later, the alleged victim was interviewed by a Mary Abbott Children's House forensic interviewer. The victim said Ratliff showed her child pornography and sexually assaulted her.
Per the state’s request, Cleveland County Judge Steve Stice set Ratliff’s bail at $75,000. Ratliff’s next court date will be July 10 for a preliminary hearing conference, where the district attorney’s office could offer an initial plea deal. The case has been assigned to Judge Thad Balkman.
Pennsylvania teacher charged with
sexual abuse of a child
Another career destroyed for a lack of self control
BY JIM HALE Times
An award-winning Delone Catholic High School teacher has been charged with sexual abuse of a child.
Gary Hatez Jr., 31, was arrested Thursday “as a result of an inappropriate relationship with a 16-year-old Adams County student” at the school in McSherrystown, according to a news release issued Thursday by Adams County Assistant District Attorney Kelley Margetas.
“Investigation revealed thousands of text messages between Hatez and the teen beginning in November of 2017,” Margetas’ release said.
“Hatez purchased a pair of ‘thong’ underwear for the girl, which he delivered to her on school property, and subsequently solicited and received an illicit photograph depicting the teen wearing a similar pair of panties,” according to the release.
Hatez was held at Adams County Prison in lieu of $100,000 cash bail, according to a magisterial court docket.
McSherrystown Police Chief Michael Woods filed charges Thursday including: sexual abuse of children, photographing, videotaping, depicting on computer or filming sexual acts; sexual abuse of children, child pornography; criminal use of a communication facility; unlawful contact with a minor; and corruption of a minor. All the charges are felonies except the last, which is a misdemeanor.
Hatez was arrested without incident at his residence in Hanover, said Woods, who thanked Hanover police for their assistance.
There is no evidence at this point of other students being involved, Woods said Thursday.
School officials contacted Woods March 27, according to the probable cause affidavit he filed with the charges.
School officials confronted Hatez on that date “and the defendant admitted to having the inappropriate contact and communication with the student,” the affidavit alleged.
“The teacher was immediately suspended” after school officials “reported observing unlawful texts and pictures between the student and teacher on the student’s phone,” according to the affidavit.
Hatez is alleged to have given the student the underwear as a birthday gift, according to the affidavit.
Hatez later sent texts asking the student to “delete all the texts from the previous weekend. He stated some people may get the wrong idea,” according to the affidavit.
He was actually worried that some people would get the right idea.
Woods said he retrieved the information from the phone. He is a certified cellphone forensic investigator. The student cooperated with the investigation, Woods said.
Margetas thanked Woods for his role in the investigation, which continues. She asked any members of the public who have information to contact Woods at 717 637-1775.
Officials of the school, located at 140 S. Oxford Ave., “did the right thing” by contacting authorities, Woods said.
Hatez was one of seven teachers to receive a Golden Apple Award for 2017 from the Diocese of Harrisburg, according to its website.
Did the Apple have a bite out of it?
Hatez, a 2004 graduate of Delone, has taught at his alma mater since 2008, according to the school’s website. He taught social studies and coached junior varsity girls basketball, according to the Delone site.
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