Utah doomsday cult leader sentenced on child bigamy,
sex abuse charges
By Ben Winslow
MANTI, Utah (KSTU/CNN) — The leader of a central Utah doomsday cult has been sentenced to serve 26-to-life in prison for child bigamy and sodomy.
John Alvin Coltharp, 34, was sentenced in Manti's 6th District Court on Wednesday. He pleaded guilty in June (3rd story on link) to the charges. In exchange, Sanpete County prosecutors dismissed kidnapping and obstruction of justice charges.
In strong words to the judge, Sanpete County Attorney Kevin Daniels said he wished he could have sought the death penalty against Coltharp because of the trauma inflicted on as many as six children.
Coltharp himself delivered a rambling speech that included a prophecy about the end of times and declared himself the reincarnation of Old Testament prophets Jacob, Elijah and John.
"My marriage was the right thing to do," Coltharp said of the crimes. "If I'm a sex offender for what I've done. If I go to the other side, I'll be in good company with all those other sex offenders I've read about in the scriptures."
Coltharp declared there was a war against straight, white men in the world and blamed "feminism." He told the judge he had religious freedom to practice his beliefs, which included child marriage and took issue with waiting until they were 18.
Midway through his remarks, Coltharp declared the Lord was directing him to speak. "There's changes coming to the world, including this state," he said. "Those changes are close. This government will be overthrown as will all the governments of the world."
He was unapologetic about any trauma caused to the children, arguing that the state inflicted that upon them. "I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ and I taught it to my children and wives, and I'm sorry for the things they had to suffer that are truly bad," Coltharp told the judge.
Steve Soble, a grandfather to some of the victims, told the judge he hoped Coltharp would get "prison justice. It’s nice to know that most likely he will be spending the rest of his life in prison and we hope it is very, very uncomfortable for him," he said outside of court.
Soble said the children were getting ready to finally start school and trying to move forward with their lives. "There’s struggles. It’s not easy, but they’re making it. We’re going to make sure they have the love and support they need," he said.
Coltharp was a leader in the tiny, apocalyptic group known as the "Knights of the Crystal Blade" based in Spring City. Prosecutors described them as a "fundamentalist group for Millenials," saying members met on Facebook. There are believed to only be a half dozen members.
An AMBER Alert was issued last year for four children reported missing in central Utah. Police found two of them in a mobile home west of Cedar City. Two others were recovered hiding in empty water barrels with temperatures dipping near freezing. Iron County prosecutors alleged the children likely would have died in those conditions.
Coltharp was charged alongside Samuel Shaffer. Shaffer told Iron County Sheriff's deputies he was "betrothed" to Coltharp's 8-year-old daughter. Shaffer also told police Coltharp was married to his 7-year-old daughter.
Shaffer pleaded guilty in Cedar City's 5th District Court and is serving 26-to-life in prison for child rape and child abuse.
Outside court, Daniels said Coltharp believed himself a religious martyr. "If he wants to be a martyr, I’m more than happy to fill the role of the individual who drops the sword on his head," he told FOX 13.
Daniels said he is still pursuing charges against other members of the group. Sanpete County prosecutors filed a felony charge against another member of the Knights of the Crystal Blade. Robert Roe, 35, was charged with first-degree felony sodomy on a child. Daniels alleges Roe took a 5-year-old girl as a bride.
He's scheduled to appear in court in October. Two others face obstruction of justice for hindering the police investigation, Daniels said.
Missouri couple caged 4 children in tiny cells & had prison uniforms tailored for them
© St. Francois County Sheriff's Dept
A couple in Missouri has been arrested and charged with child endangerment and kidnapping, for confining four children in inhumane conditions inside specially built, windowless cells that were boarded-up with plywood.
Laura Cheatham, 38, and Daryl J. Head, 38, were detained by deputies of the St. Francois County Sheriff’s Department, who responded to an anonymous tip on Tuesday of possible child mistreatment in a Farmington home in the state of Missouri.
When police officers and Children’s Division worker arrived at the residence, Head seemed reluctant to welcome the unexpected visitors and held the inspectors waiting at the door. In the meantime, Cheatham was witnessed unscrewing plywood from small rooms to release three girls and one boy, ages 5-12.
After gaining access to the house, authorities and the social worker discovered that the couple had modified two of the bedrooms on the main floor into four tiny “specially constructed” spaces that were “smaller than a jail cell,” with no lighting, no water access, and no toilet facilities.
“I’ve seen some pretty nasty things, but nothing this deplorable,” St. Francois Sheriff Daniel Bullock told reporters. “This is the kind of thing that happens somewhere else, not here.”
Unfortunately, it seems to be happening all over America these days. Is it about drugs? Is it a complete lack of the fear of God? Something is sick in American society, and, of course, it is always the children who suffer for it.
While the children appeared to be in relatively good health, police went on to arrest the couple before charging them with eight counts of child endangerment and kidnapping. The children have been placed in social care custody. According to the authorities the kids had been adopted by Cheatham and her ex-husband. Two of the four children are related.
On Wednesday, Bullock shared more details about the ongoing investigation, revealing that Cheatham apparently wanted to force the kids to wear specially made prison uniforms which she ordered while employed by the Missouri Department of Corrections. The jail attire was custom-made by the Prison Industries Clothing Division.
“Why would you order prison uniforms?” Bullock said. “Her boyfriend, 38-year-old Daryl Head, had worked at the BJC Behavioral Health as a counselor at some point. From what I understand he was a counselor to those kids and then they ended up together.”
As it is an ongoing investigation, the couple could face additional charges if more incriminating evidence emerges. Cheatham and Head are being held in the county jail on $500,000 bail each.
Scandal at Presentation High: First lawsuit alleges girls school ignored sex abuse of theater student
By ROBERT SALONGA | rsalonga@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
SAN JOSE — A former Presentation High School student has filed the first lawsuit against the renowned Catholic girls school in continued fallout from a scandal where a score of other past students alleged that administrators chronically ignored their sexual harassment and abuse complaints against faculty and staff.
The lawsuit, filed Friday on the victim’s behalf by San Diego-based attorney Ken Turek, names as defendants the school, current principal Mary Miller and Jefferey Hicks, who once served as the school’s theater director.
The lawsuit claims Hicks molested a 15-year-old sophomore on campus in 2003 and then again in 2004 during a theater trip to New York City, and had been grooming her for a sexual relationship.
 |
| Jefferey Hicks |
“When the student herself tried to put an end to the molestation, Hicks told her he would kill himself or have her arrested, and these types of threats and grooming behavior continued,” Turek said during a Friday news conference in San Jose. “Miller’s actions in not following the mandatory reporting laws allowed Hicks to have a clean teaching record when he left employment at Presentation.”
Presentation has been battling allegations since last fall of mishandling student complaints of sexual harassment and inappropriate advances by teachers, coaches and other staff. Since former student Kathryn Leehane wrote in the Washington Post about her own experience at the San Jose Catholic school in the 1990s, a number of other former students have come forward with their own accounts, which they have detailed on a website.
Turek said his client — this news organization does not identify victims of sexual assault unless they come forward publicly — has since become a successful therapist in New York.
“She is very accomplished outside, but you don’t see the inside struggles and challenges that she goes through every day because of what happened to her at Presentation,” he said. “We have filed this suit in large part to get justice for her.”
Attorney Ken Turek speaks on Aug. 10, 2018, in San Jose, during a press conference about the lawsuit he filed on behalf of a former Presentation High School student claiming that the school and Principal Mary Miller did not effectively respond to the student’s reports that she was sexually abused by a former theater director. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)
Sam Singer, a public relations consultant hired by Presentation, issued a statement in response to the lawsuit. “The school has not been served nor seen the lawsuit, so we cannot comment on the specifics of the allegations. Presentation welcomes the opportunity to tell the school’s side of the story in a courtroom, rather than having to respond to misleading, and in a number of cases false, allegations posted on social media,” the statement reads.
The statement continues: “Presentation High School is no place for abuse. As educators and fierce advocates of women’s rights, Presentation takes any allegation of abuse extremely seriously. Presentation condemns any instance of sexual abuse or misconduct. Presentation is proud of its efforts to educate and protect the students who attend our high school from sexual misconduct.”
The school has said that it responded appropriately to reports of sexual harassment or abuse, and that some of the accusations from the former students are different now than what was reported to the school at the time.
The lawsuit might appear to some as curiously timed, given that it was filed on the same day of an annual alumnae reunion at the Willow Glen-area campus, and before a fundraising gala set for Saturday.
Leehane, who has become the most prominent critic of Presentation amid this scandal, lauded the plaintiff’s courage. “She’s extremely brave given what she’s gone through,” Leehane said. “I really hope it’s the beginning of dozens of survivors getting justice finally. Hopefully the board of directors and Sisters will finally hold enablers of sex abuse and Mary Miller accountable for their crimes and decades of violating reporting laws.”
California law requires school officials to report any suspected abuse of children to either police or a county child protective services agency. The accusers have detailed online at least 11 cases in which they say they reported specific abuse to school officials who did not report it to authorities for investigation as required.
The school and its critics have met with a mediator, and Presentation has since implemented new staff training in the law requiring school officials to report child abuse and created a new Office of Prevention of Student Bullying, Harassment, and Abuse to deal with complaints.
The accusations date back more than 30 years, some by women who have publicly identified themselves, while others remain anonymous. Leehane and at least three other women identified their alleged abuser as a former teacher who has since died who remained at the school until he retired.
At least three women, one of whom fully identified herself, complained of unwanted advances by a former math teacher. Other alleged abusers included a coach and a community involvement staffer. A couple of allegations involved reported off-campus abuse by others not affiliated with the school that the women said they told a school official about, but their complaints were never forwarded to police.
“The keeping of (Miller) as an administrator after they’ve been put on notice about these allegations is a continuing ratification of the wrong acts that took place in the past,” Turek said.
Wisconsin Man Pleads Insanity in
Child Sexual Assault/Incest Case
A Mayville man accused of making videos showing himself sexually assaulting two young children is entering an insanity plea. The suspect, who we will not identify – is facing four felony counts including First Degree Sexual Assault of a Child under the Age of 12, Incest with a Child, Child Sexual Exploitation, and Possession of Child Pornography.
He is pleading “Not Guilty” by reason of mental disease or defect. A judge is now ordering a mental evaluation, with the suspect set to return to court in October. He faces up to 165 years in prison if convicted on all counts.
There may be reason to believe that all pedophiles are mentally ill, but that doesn't excuse their behavior, especially incest!
Ohio man gets 30 years for producing child pornography
Jeanne Houck, Cincinnati Enquirer A Covington man has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for production of child pornography.
A press release from the U.S. Department of Justice says Brock molested a child and used a computer tablet to take pictures and videos of the sexual abuse.
Under federal law, Brock must serve at least 85 percent of his prison sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the Covington Police Department and federal Homeland Security Investigations.
'Very Graphic' Child Sex Abuse Images Found
at NH Man's Home
Written by NH1 News LEBANON — A convicted sex offender using an online chat room to trade child pornography has been arrested, police said.
In July, police received information from the FBI that a man in the city was trading child sexual assault images and video.
Officers found videos of very graphic child sex abuse images involving young children, some under the age of 5, that belonged to John Laybourne, 56, of Hanover Street, police said. Police arrested Laybourne on Thursday and charged him with 10 counts of possession of child sexual abuse images, all class A felony charges.
Laybourne is a registered Tier III sex offender and is required to register for life. He was convicted in 1996 of aggravated felonious sexual assault on a victim younger than 13. He also was convicted of a drug charge in 2008.
Laybourne refused the services of a bail commissioner and was scheduled to be arraigned Friday in Grafton County Superior Court. Police expect to file additional charges.
Former NY school board member sentenced
for attempted sexual abuse of a child
AUBURN, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) - A former West Genesee school board member has been sentenced to six months in prison for attempting to have a sexual encounter with a child.
The Cayuga County District Attorney's Office says he purchased orange soda for the "girl" and sent her inappropriate pictures. He was a school board member at West Genesee at the time of his arrest.
Soper will spend six months in jail and will be on probation for 10 years when he is released.
His sex offender registration assessment will take place before his release in about three to four months, the Cayuga County DA's Office tells NewsChannel 9.
He pleaded guilty to second-degree attempted criminal sexual act, a felony, in May.
Genesee Co., NY
North Carolina man sentenced to 20 years for
child sexual abuse
by Kristy StewardMADISON COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — A Madison County man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after being convicted of two counts of sexual offense by a custodian.
Further interviews led to Wills being charged and placed under arrest by the Madison County Sheriff’s Office.
“Through the work of my office and law enforcement justice was secured for the victim in this case,” District Attorney Seth Banks said in a statement. “This case sends a clear message that the mere passage of time will not provide immunity from prosecution for these types of heinous crimes (unless you live in New York). I would like to thank Assistant District Attorney John Honeycutt, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, and the Hot Springs Police Department for their tireless work in bringing Loyd Ronald Wills to justice.”
In addition to the active twenty-year prison sentence, the judge imposed a $5,000.00 fine and also recommended that Wills undergo psychiatric and psychological evaluations and treatment while in custody.
Which treatment he will get for free! What about the victim; will she get free treatment she so badly needs? Our perpetrator-centered justice system needs to me more victim friendly!
87-year-old man charged with sex crime
against a 7-10 y/o child
Dirty ol' man of the month?
By Ken Smith, WRAL anchor/reporterRALEIGH, N.C. — An 87-year-old Wake County man was arrested Friday on a single sex charge, one that dates back six years.
Meaning she was between 7 and 10 years old when he molested her.
Stell was being held Friday night in the Wake County jail under a $1 million bond.
In hearing his charge explained Friday, Stell was told that he was prohibited from contact with his alleged victim and with anyone under the age of 17 unless he had supervision.
‘Lesbian truth or dare’ game started in the pool — and ended in felonies
BY MATTHEW MARTINEZA San Antonio woman is accused of sexually assaulting two girls at their home, and couching the alleged abuse in a game.
According to an arrest warrant affidavit obtained by KSAT, Aleman started the game she called “lesbian truth or dare” with the girls, 12 and 14, in a backyard swimming pool.
Aleman “said it would be weird for the two sisters to do ‘things’ to each other,” according to court documents obtained by the San Antonio Express-News. So, police say, Aleman dared them to touch her inappropriately, and dared the sisters to allow her to touch them as well.
The game took place at about 2 a.m. Wednesday, the newspaper reported.
But the lurid game didn’t end in the pool, according to the affidavit. The girls told police that Aleman continued to touch them when all three went in the shower, WOAI reported. The affidavit says that Aleman confirmed the girls’ accounts of the alleged assault.
She was booked into the Bexar County Jail later Wednesday, with bond set at $100,000, according to jail records. Aleman posted the bond and was released on the same day.
Both charges are felonies. The victims’ identities have not been released by authorities because of their ages.
Oklahoma man sentenced to 25 years for
child sexual abuse of 7 y/o
Phoenix staff reportsA Muskogee man convicted of child sexual abuse was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in prison.
Judge Norman D. Thygesen followed the sentencing recommendation of the jury who convicted Billie Wayne Byrd, 55, after a June 5 trial. Jurors deliberated three hours before rendering their verdict, finding Byrd guilty of performing sexual acts with a 7-year-old.
Prosecutors say the sexual abuse occurred during the span of a year between January 2015 and December 2015.
Byrd will receive credit for time already served. Upon his release, Byrd will remain under post-imprisonment supervision by the Department of Corrections for three years.
Another Muskogee man charged with molesting
nine-year-old girl
By Leif M. Wright
According to documents filed with the case, he is alleged to have touched the body of a nine-year-old girl “in a lewd or lascivious manner” on May 24 of this year. He kissed the girl on the neck, an affidavit with the case alleges, then touched her buttocks with his hands, and finally rubbed his penis on her stomach.
He was arrested the next day.
Key Largo woman arrested for alleged
sexual battery and child abuse
By Keith DunlapMONROE COUNTY, Fla. - A 41-year-old woman was arrested and accused for sexual battery on a minor and child abuse Friday, according to the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.
Jennifer Renee Franklin of Key Largo was charged with sexual battery by a person older than 18, in which the victim was under 12, and cruelty toward a child, deputies said.
“This is a sad and disturbing case, but thanks to the willingness of a community member to get involved, the courage of the victim, and the cooperation with our partners in law enforcement, the child is now safe and the suspects will face justice,” Sheriff Rick Ramsay said.
The case began on Monday when Randell John Howell, 36, was charged with child abuse after it was learned he punched, kicked and beat an 11-year-old boy with a belt, according to deputies.
A woman renting a vacation residence nearby called the Sheriff’s Office when the boy stated he was afraid to go home due to the beatings, deputies said. The boy told investigators, who found bruises on his body as well as scrapes on his knees and hands, that he was afraid of Howell and Franklin, according to deputies.
The boy stated that Franklin often laughed when Howell beat him, and that he wasn’t allowed to eat breakfast or lunch, only dinner, deputies said.
The boy also described punishments such as cleaning the toilet with his personal toothbrush. Howell was arrested, but the Sheriff’s Office and Department of Children and Family Services continued to investigate the case, according to deputies.
On Wednesday, detectives spoke to counselors who have been talking with the boy. They told the Sheriff’s Office that during those talks, the boy stated, that, three weeks ago, Franklin forced him to perform a graphic sexual act upon her using terminology he didn’t understand.
She also ordered him to masturbate, but he didn’t understand her directions and ran to his room shortly thereafter, deputies said. The victim told counselors that Franklin told him to never tell anyone what happened, according to deputies.
MCSO detectives and DCF investigators determined that the boy has been sexually abused and neglected by Franklin as well as physically abused by Howell.
Franklin remained in jail Friday on $800,000 bail, while Howell was released from jail on Thursday after posting $25,000 bail, deputies said.
The boy remains in the care of DCF.
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