Child Sex Charges for Maryland Man's Online Stalking
of 13 y/o Girl Who Suicided
BY DAN RATCHFORD
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — A Maryland man is facing child sex charges after authorities say he tried to entice a girl in Lycoming County to engage in sexually explicit conduct on a web camera.
Federal investigators said Marc Punzalan, 24, of Rockville, Maryland, was indicted last week by a federal grand jury on one count of stalking and one count of the attempted sexual exploitation of a minor.
Authorities said Punzalan used an internet messaging service to harass and intimidate a 13-year-old female in Lycoming County, causing her substantial emotional distress and resulting in her death.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Punzalan faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a potential 30-year maximum sentence for the attempted sexual exploitation of a child, and up to life imprisonment for cyberstalking the victim. The maximum possible fine for these offenses is $250,000.
There needs to be a new crime for cyber-stalking a person into committing suicide. Along with a life sentence not to be run concurrent with any other sentence and with no chance of parole. Monsters like this have no place in a free society.
More charges were filed in an investigation regarding child sex crimes in Texas church
Author: KXVA
Abilene police said Amanda McKee is to be charged for failure to report child sex crimes.
Allegedly, while she was the director at Wylie Baptist Church’s Child Development Center she didn’t report sex crimes to authority.
Currently, there are over 20 open cases centered around former childcare worker 25-year-old Benjamin Roberts. He was previously arrested for indecency with a child and possession of child porn.
Now, he’s also charged with continuous sexual abuse of a child.
Police said in April there were 8 confirmed victims, and that number hasn’t changed.
Montana man sentenced for sexual exploitation of a child
By: MTN News
Timothy Allen Weaver was sentenced in federal court in Great Falls on Tuesday for sexual exploitation of a child and receipt of child pornography.
Judge Brian Morris sentenced Weaver to a total of 500 months (41.6 years) in prison, followed by lifetime court supervision.
Morris sentenced Weaver to the federal Bureau of Prisons for 360 months each on two counts of sexual exploitation of a child; the two terms are to run concurrently.
Morris also sentenced Weaver to 140 months in prison on a count of receipt of child pornography; that sentence will run consecutive to the other sentences.
If and when Weaver is ever released from prison, he will be placed on supervised release for the rest of his life.
In its sentencing memorandum, prosecutors said that Weaver "engaged in a repeated pattern, covering a period of approximately five years, of sexual exploitation of (the) child. He violently abused the child victim multiple times per week, including choking. During the abuse and humiliation, the victim would close her eyes and cry."
“The efforts of the Cascade County Sheriff’s Office in promptly searching Weaver’s residence and then requesting the assistance of the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and HSI have not only rescued this child from Weaver’s on-going abuse but it also protected other children from victimization." said U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme.
Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that Weaver will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, Weaver does have the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for "good behavior." However, this reduction will not exceed 15% of the overall sentence.
NY Man Sentenced For Having Sex With Disabled Child
In His Care
By Michael Woyton, Patch Staff |
WHITE PLAINS, NY — A White Plains man was sentenced to prison for 32 years for having sex with a disabled child while he was her caregiver. Westchester County District Attorney Anthony A. Scarpino Jr. announced Tuesday that Jard Hobbs, 45, of White Plains, was sentenced to the maximum possible for the following charges:
First-degree course of sexual conduct against a child, a felony — 25 years
Second-degree rape, a felony — seven years
Endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor — one year
Scarpino said the first two sentences will be served consecutively. The one year on the child endangerment charge will be served as part of the longer sentence.
Hobbs must appear for post-release supervision and will have to register as a sex offender before he is released from prison.
He was convicted by a jury March 16.
Prosecutors said the sexual abuse began when the child was 11 and ended when she was 13 at which time she told her family. Hobbs was in his 40s at the time.
He was entrusted by the child's single working mother to be her caregiver. The family subsequently reported the abuse to the Rye police
Investigators found DNA evidence including semen in the child's shorts which corroborated the charges. Rye police arrested Hobbs at his White Plains residence July 7, 2017.
In court Tuesday, the child's mother told the judge of her child's cerebral palsy, seizures, pain, loss of sight and daily struggles.
She said, "For someone, your honor, to know this, to know all of this, and see firsthand the things she goes through and how she suffers everyday of her life to purposely hurt her … to use her for his own sexual pleasure over and over."
Scarpino said the child asked to have lyrics from "Praying" by Kesha read as her statement to the court.
In his sentencing statement, Assistant District Attorney Paul Stein said that Hobbs remained remorseless even in the face of the child's testimony, which was supported by all of the other evidence in the case.
Former Oklahoma Teacher Found Guilty
Of Child Sex Abuse
BY: NEWSON6.COM
VINITA, Oklahoma - A former Vinita teacher has been found guilty of molesting an 8-year-old girl. Ronnie Manners will be sentenced July 9, 2018, according to the Craig County District Attorney's Office.
Manners was a second-grade teacher whose wife ran a daycare out of their home. Prosecutors say he asked the girl's mother if she could come over to play with the kids, and the victim's mother didn't know that Manners' wife or other children would not be present.
Prosecutors say after orchestrating the opportunity to be alone with the girl, he kissed her and touched her inappropriately.
The girl told her mother about the abuse. Manners was arrested in the summer of 2015.
“It’s traumatic for a child to have to go on the witness stand and tell a room full of strangers the most horrific thing that has ever happened to her. We sincerely thank the jury for its service and sending Manners to prison where he belongs," said Prosecutor Kali Strain.
Manners remains in the Craig County Jail.
Iowa sees 26% spike in confirmed child abuse cases while CPS budget cut
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Officials say publicity around high-profile child abuse cases in Iowa has caused a surge in such reports.
The Des Moines Register reports that confirmed child abuse cases in Iowa increased 26 percent, from almost 8,900 in 2016 to more than 11,200 last year. Child protection workers found more cases of sexual abuse, physical abuse, neglect and drug-affected children.
Lawmakers say they believe media coverage of the starvation deaths of Natalie Finn in 2016 and Sabrina Ray in 2017 increased public awareness of the issue. The state’s child abuse hotline received more calls following media coverage of the deaths.
Republican Rep. Bobby Kaufmann says the higher abuse numbers released this month indicate a need for more resources.
Gov. Kim Reynolds cut $4.3 million in March from the Department of Human Services, which oversees child protection.
I promise you Gov. Reynolds, this spike is not a one-off. Child sex abuse will continue to increase and DHS will need considerably more resources to deal with it. Cutting their budget is irresponsible and wrong-headed.
Oregon man accused of sex crimes, detectives report images of child abuse found on device
by KATU Staff
LEBANON, Ore. – A 40-year-old is facing rape and sex abuse charges after authorities say he had “inappropriate contact” with an underage girl at his home in Lebanon.
Police said the investigation started after someone reported finding images of child sex abuse on one of Mark William Chevalier’s digital devices.
Detectives say the child knew Chevalier, however, they have not released how they were connected. They are not aware of any other victims in the case.
Police arrested Chevalier at his home at about 4 a.m. Sunday.
He was later booked into the Linn County Jail on using a child in a display of sexually explicit conduct, three counts of third-degree rape, three counts of third-degree sex abuse, one count of third-degree sodomy, and possession of material depicting sexually explicit conduct.
If you have any helpful information in this case, call police.
Alabama man charged with sex abuse and
enticing a child
by Stephen Gallien
HOOVER, Ala. — A Hoover man arrested for sexual abuse and enticing a child charges is now free on $42,000 bond.
Court records show 58-year-old Donald Kirk Barnard is accused of sex crimes involving someone younger than 16 years of age but over the age of 12.
The alleged crime happened last August.
Illinois Ice Skating Coach Charged With
Criminal Sexual Abuse
By Rebecca Bream, Patch Staff
ROCKFORD, IL — A Rockford ice skating coach has been charged with several counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse following a recent investigation by Illinois State Police.
Winnebago County State's Attorney Joe Bruscato says police conducted the investigation involving 78-year-old Eugene Heffron after two women recently reported Heffron had inappropriately touched them during ice skating lessons at Riverview Ice House and at the Carlson Ice Arena in 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2008.
Bruscato said the girls were under the age of 17 during the time they claim the incidents took place, which is also when Heffron was an employee of the Rockford Park District.
According to Bruscato, Heffron is currently charged with three counts of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse and is being held in the Winnebago County Jail on $250,000 bond.
Bruscato adds that Heffron is ordered by the court to not have contact with any children under the age of 17.
Seattle Storm Star Breanna Stewart Embracing Chance To Help Sex Abuse Victims
Seattle Storm basketball player Breanna Stewart revealed that she was sexually abused as a child. The Seattle Storm star is partnering with RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network) to give back and raise awareness. (Elaine Thompson / AP)
Doug Feinberg
Associated Press
It’s been seven months since Breanna Stewart publicly revealed she was sexually abused as a child.
Feedback on her essay in The Players’ Tribune has been overwhelmingly supportive, and it’s pushed her to do even more to help abuse victims.
“It needs to be talked about,” Stewart told The Associated Press in an interview over the weekend. “It’s not something that should be hush-hush. I’m not saying everyone needs to share their story, but people need to understand this stuff happens.”
The Seattle Storm star has partnered with RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network) to raise awareness. Stewart wore shoes Friday night in the Storm’s game against Chicago featuring the organization’s phone number. The sneakers were auctioned off after the game to raise money, and she also met with members of the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center. The latter was an emotional experience for Stewart.
“They just thanked me and hugged me. It really just put it in a bigger spotlight than it had been in,” Stewart said. “It wasn’t the easiest thing to do, but something I wanted to do. Partnering with RAINN as a place for people to have an outlet to talk to people was the right thing to do. I can’t respond to everybody, but this is a place you can go to talk to people.”
Writing that essay was also helpful for Stewart.
“It was kind of therapeutic,” she said. “It was another weight lifted off my chest. Not to say it was any burden to me, because people who were immediate to me knew about the situation. I handled it how I should have. Now everyone knows my story.”
Stewart wrote in the essay that she was first molested at a relative’s house in upstate New York when she was 9 years old by a man who abused her for two years. She eventually told her parents, who called police. She says the man was arrested and confessed.
Her essay was titled “Me Too,” a nod to the social media movement against sexual harassment and assault. Stewart said she chose to tell her story when she was playing overseas in China in October — away from the American press — so she could focus on playing basketball. She hasn’t done many interviews regarding her story, and she’s relieved at the positive response it received on social media.
“I was nervous about releasing it,” she said. “You get all these types of backlash for things you stand for. I didn’t know how people were going to react. Everyone was supporting me. Everyone was thanking me. People could resonate with my story. Nobody said anything rude.”
Stewart said her father told her that what happened to her is not a “dirty little secret” and that when she was comfortable telling her story, it might save someone’s life.
“That’s the biggest message. Not to say if you went through something like I went through you’re going to be an amazing basketball player, but if you go through something like that, you don’t have to have a bad life. It’s not going to take you off life’s track unless you let it.”
NY man charged with sexual assault,
abuse of a child
By OSWEGO LEDGER
Michael A. Malpede
An Oswego man is facing multiple charges of criminal sexual assault and abuse of a child.
The Kendall County State's Attorney's Office has filed the charges against Michael A. Malpede, 45, of the 400 block of Grapevine Trail, according to Oswego police.
Police said Malpede turned himself in at the village police station May 25 and was later released after posting bond.
Police said the state's attorney's office has charged Malpede with predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, attempted predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, aggravated criminal sexual abuse and attempted aggravated criminal sexual abuse. All of the charges are felonies. He is scheduled to appear at the Kendall County Courthouse in Yorkville on the charges June 13.
Malpede's arrest capped a two month investigation by police. Police said they initiated their investigation in March when they received information that the suspect had sexual contact with a minor in August and September of 2016. Police said the minor, a female, was under the age of 13 at the time of the alleged incidents.
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