Siberian serial killer cop convicted of
dozens more murders totalling 78 now
Paedophile admits 78 sexual abuse
offenses against 22 children
Some just 2 years old
UK student avoids jail after sharing vile images
of children as young as three
dozens more murders totalling 78 now
Anton KLIMOV
A court in Irkutsk found Mikhail Popkov guilty of 56 murders between 1992 and 2007, sentencing him to a second life term
A Siberian policeman who raped and killed women (as many as 81) after offering them late-night rides was found guilty of dozens more murders on Monday, making him Russia's most prolific serial killer of recent times.
A court in the city of Irkutsk found Mikhail Popkov guilty of 56 murders between 1992 and 2007, sentencing him to a second life term. He was already in prison after being convicted of killing 22 women in 2015.
Popkov offered rides to women late at night, sometimes in his police car, while off-duty around his city of Angarsk near Irkutsk.
He killed them using weapons including a hammer and an axe, then dumped their bodies in the woods, at the side of the road and in a local cemetery.
He was also found guilty of raping 10 of the women.
Popkov described himself as a "cleaner" who was purging his home city of prostitutes. All but one of his victims were women between the ages of 16 and 40. His other victim was a policeman.
The grey-haired 54-year-old appeared in court in prison uniform, his head bowed, Russian television showed. He will be sent to a prison that is exclusively for convicts serving life terms, nicknamed the "Black Dolphin."
As part of his sentence -- a rare case in Russia of a convicted murderer being given a second life sentence -- Popkov was also deprived of his police pension.
Angarsk, Siberia
- Covered his tracks -
Prosecutors have described Popkov as having "a pathological attraction to killing people" but he was ruled sane enough to stand trial.
Investigators had suspected a policeman was behind the crime because of the way the killer carefully covered his tracks. The murders took place while he was a serving police officer and after he left the force in 1998.
Popkov was caught in 2012 after investigators re-examined the case and carried out DNA testing of residents, focusing on those who drove a make of car that matched tracks found at crime scenes.
In a 2017 interview with Russia's Meduza website, Popkov said he gave women lifts and targeted those who were drunk or living in a way he saw as immoral, saying that "any society condemns the behaviour of a debauched woman".
While already in jail, he confessed to 59 further murders but was convicted only of 56 on Monday because investigators had not managed to prove three of the crimes took place, Interfax news agency reported, citing the court's press service.
Investigators said they uncovered the remains of some of the victims' bodies based on Popkov's account, as well as finding murder weapons including axes, chisels and knives.
The number of killings for which he has been convicted exceeds the totals of several notorious murderers in Russia and the ex-Soviet Union.
"Chessboard Killer" Alexander Pichushkin was sentenced to life in prison in 2007 for 48 murders and Andrei Chikatilo was convicted of 52 Soviet-era murders.
offenses against 22 children
Some just 2 years old
By Rebecca Hudson @JournalRebecca
A "PROLIFIC" child rapist has admitted 78 offences relating to the sexual abuse of 22 young victims - some as young as two years old.
Peter Daniels, aged 70, pleaded guilty to the charges at Winchester Crown Court today and has been remanded in custody until he is sentenced next year.
The charges relate to offences against 22 young victims, who were aged between two and 13 when they were abused by Daniels, between 2008 and 2017.
He was convicted after video footage of his crimes was discovered by police, giving conclusive proof of the scale of his offending and the identities of his victims, some of whom were unaware of what had happened to them, due to either their very young age or the fact they had been either asleep or unconscious during the assaults.
Detective Inspector Nicki Davey, from Salisbury CID, said the investigation into Daniels had been one of the most extensive and complex of its kind carried out by Wiltshire Police in recent years.
He was initially jailed for 12 years (6th story on link) last October, after a young girl reported that she had been sexually abused by Daniels. At the time he pleaded guilty to 12 offences, which included rape, attempted rape, sexual touching and possession of indecent images.
“However, we knew it was highly likely that Daniels’ offending was much more far-reaching than our initial investigation proved, and examination of his computers, laptops and mobile phones, revealed that he was a prolific sex offender, who had targeted vulnerable young girls over a long period of time," DI Davey added.
Police and the Crown Prosecution Service considered more than 4,000 videos and images, as well as interviews, to bring the correct charges against Daniels, who pleaded guilty after he saw the extent of the evidence gathered.
Claire Booth, from the CPS, said: “Peter Daniels systematically abused his victims over many years giving no thought to the long term effects his actions would have on these young and vulnerable victims. He was focused solely on his own sexual gratification. Much of this abuse he recorded and catalogued on his computer.
“I would like to commend the young victims and the bravery they have shown. We hope that this outcome provides them with some closure.”
Det Insp Davey added: “Daniels is a manipulative man who used his standing in the communities of Salisbury and Amesbury to gain the trust of children and their families. He then abused this trust in the worst possible way.
“This has obviously been a hugely traumatic time for his victims and their families and I would like to pay tribute to their bravery. I hope they will have some relief knowing that Daniels has admitted to these offences, meaning they will not have to re-live their abuse during a trial."
Daniels is a published author and well known around Salisbury, including writing the Journal’s Scrapbook column until December 2015.
To report sexual abuse please phone police on 101 or, if you wish to remain anonymous, via Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
The NSPCC Helpline can also be contacted on 0808 800 5000, by anyone seeking support and advice.
of children as young as three
'This goes beyond mere perverse imagery. Some victims are three'
A Cheltenham chemistry student caught distributing images of child abuse has avoided jail.
Danrick Magno, 19, of Whaddon Avenue in Oakley, admitted three charges of making indecent photographs of children and four of distribution.
Judge Ian Lawrie QC, sitting at Gloucester Crown Court, heard that amongst the vile images police found on Magno's laptop and mobile phone, there were 206 category A, the most serious images of child abuse.
Prosecutor James Haskell said police executed a search warrant on March 29 at Magno's address. Investigators had become aware that email addresses and Twitter accounts associated with Magno were being used to store and distribute images of children.
Magno initially denied any knowledge of the images but by his second interview he made admissions to the police, Mr Haskell said.
When his laptop and phone were examined, officers found 206 category A images, 111 of category B, and 80 category C.
'Beyond mere perverse imagery'
“It was clear he was involved via Twitter with communicating with others about the distribution, in part for financial motivation,” Mr Haskell said. “It was clear from discussions he was interested in trading images with others.
“He sent messages such as 'Do you have Chinese or Japanese kids?' and 'I can only give this one for trade',” the barrister said.
Some images showed boys as young as three years old, the court heard.
Magno told police that he had no sexual interest in children, but by the time of meeting a probation officer for a pre-sentence report he had changed his position, Mr Haskell said.
The prosecutor asked for the laptop and phone to be destroyed, which the judge ordered.
The judge confirmed that Magno had no previous convictions, but said: “This goes beyond mere perverse imagery. Some victims are three. “The difficulty is the distribution,” the judge said. “Sitting at night watching images is one thing. Distribution is another.”
'It was always for sexual gratification'
Mark Linehan, representing Magno, said he accepted the starting point for sentence before a discount for an early guilty plea was three years jail.
Addressing the point about financial motivation, the lawyer said: “He could never have made money, it was always for sexual gratification.”
Mr Linehan added “The number of images in this type of case is relatively low.” He said his client showed remorse and had entered an early guilty plea.
Mr Linehan argued that a third discount for an early guilty plea meant the jail term could be suspended. The judge agreed and imposed a 20-month jail term suspended for two years.
He also ordered Magno to attend a sex offenders treatment programme.
'There is a dark corner of your soul'
“If anyone needs to sit in a room and talk about his issues it is him,” the judge said. “He is contributing to the process of appalling sexual abuse.”
The judge said that Magno showed a staggering lack of understanding about what he is viewing, which brings untold misery.” He told Magno “There is a dark corner of your soul. You are helping to perpetuate misery. The young persons in those videos are emotionally, and psychological tortured that you sat and watched and distributed.
“I am concerned at the moment you show a lack of humanity. You compound the crime of viewing the material with the crime of distributing them. On balance I am persuaded to impose a sentence with the primary motivation of rehabilitation.
“I think you would be vulnerable in prison. These are the sort of offences that could make you unemployable. Well, so be it,” the judge said.
Magno was ordered to sign the sex offender register and be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for seven years.
“You must have a dark corner to look at this disgusting material,” the judge concluded.
More than a corner, I suspect!
UK Parents Warned About Online Safety After
10-y/o Live-Streamed Sexual Abuse
By Alex Ross 10-y/o Live-Streamed Sexual Abuse
Investigative Reporter
PARENTS are being warned to keep their children safe on the internet after a Bradford, UK man was sentenced for inciting a girl of ten to sexually abuse herself on the LiveMe app.
The child was urged to commit vile sex acts on herself in a live stream broadcast watched by several users who messaged her with encouragement and instructions.
The NSPCC has today urged parents to have regular online safety chats with their children.
Edward Bey, 31, of Planetrees Street, Allerton, watched the broadcast for three minutes, pressing “like” when another viewer asked the girl to abuse herself with a hairbrush, Bradford Crown Court heard.
Bey pleaded guilty to three charges of causing a child under 13 to engage in penetrative sexual activity and one offence of inciting her to engage in penetrative sexual activity, on February 27, 2017.
Prosecutor Abigail Langford told Bradford Crown Court on Friday the girl was asked by LiveMe users to expose herself and commit sexual acts with a hairbrush in return for virtual rewards.
Miss Langford said the broadcast was noticed by volunteers who monitor the internet for child sexual abuse. The child’s mother was informed and her daughter said she had not told her because she wanted to forget about what she had done.
Miss Langford said the girl was particularly vulnerable because of her age. Bey was acting together with others to encourage the abuse.
An NSPCC spokesman said: “This case underlines how risky Livestreaming can be, with children coerced and manipulated to broadcast their own abuse.
“Regular online safety chats with our children are vital to keeping them safe but social network sites that allow livestreaming must also be made to take more responsibility, to tackle abuse at its source.
“Following the NSPCC’S #WildWestWeb campaign, the Government has announced it will bring in legislation to make sites safer but these laws must be fit for purpose, with real consequences for those who wilfully fail to protect our children online.
“We want to see measures such as limiting livestreaming to contacts only, and developing algorithms to alert moderators to children being groomed. The technology is there, so we must ask ourselves why are they not already doing this?”
Bey's barrister, Camille Morland, said he was socially isolated and struggled to form relationships. He used dating sites and claimed to be in a relationship with a stranger.
She said:“He was interacting with a real child and that makes it a very serious matter indeed."
Bey was naïve in his relationship with women and thought the girl was over 18. Sure!
“He hasn’t sought out a young girl. He was sitting at home in isolation with his iPad,” Miss Morland said. Bey had attended special schools and had patterns of behaviour similar to Asperger’s syndrome.
Judge David Hatton QC said both Bey’s probation officer and his psychiatrist were strongly of the view that his mental health would deteriorate in prison.
He told the court: “Those who promote or participate in the exploitation of children must be deterred by sentences of imprisonment.” But Bey had no previous convictions for sexual offences. He was drunk at the time and was alcohol dependent.
“Your participation lasted for a brief period of time, no more than three minutes. The activity that was taking place was occurring, and would have continued to occur, irrespective of, and inspite of, you,” Judge Hatton said.
Bey was sentenced to 22 months imprisonment, suspended for two years, with a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 90 days. He must attend the accredited sexual offender programme and a nine month alcohol treatment requirement.
The judge made a ten year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and Bey must sign on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years.
Police Nab Israeli Suspects in Colombia
Child Sex Trafficking Ring
The network is suspected of operating in a spate of Colombian cities, including the capital Bogota, the second-largest city of Medellin as well as Cartagena and Santa Marta. All of the suspects were wanted by Interpol on suspicion of pimping and soliciting minors for prostitution.
Six Israel citizens have been arrested after they were suspected of running a child sex trafficking ring in Colombia, according to the Latin American country's attorney general's office.
In all, fourteen Israelis and two Colombians were involved in operating the alleged network. The detainees include a Colombian police officer who allegedly passed classified information to one of the suspected ringleaders, Israeli Mor Zohar.
The ring members provided Israeli travellers, mainly businessmen and recently discharged soldiers, with "tourism packages" that included prostitutes, some of whom were minors.
The teens and children reportedly received between 200,000 pesos ($63) to 400,000 pesos ($126) in return for sexual services.
They even were forced to join a WhatsApp group called "Purim", which was apparently named for the drunken celebrations related to a Jewish holiday of the same name, according to the Ynet news website.
The members of the trafficking ring are currently facing charges of murder, conspiracy, human trafficking, trafficking in minors, drug manufacturing, providing prostitution services, and money laundering.
On his Twitter page, the office of the Colombian attorney general posted a video of what it claimed were properties used by the sex trafficking ring.
The network’s members used a number of properties including a spa in Santa Marta, a hostel in Bogota, and a building in Colombia's second-largest city of Medellin.
Nepal's children at risk: Sexual abuse in the aid sector
Is the international aid community doing enough to protect children in vulnerable communities?
Fears are rising that Nepal has become a target for paedophiles acting under the cover of aid work or philanthropy.
Police in the poverty-stricken nation have arrested five foreigners in the last year for the alleged sexual abuse of children.
This 101 East investigation found many of those arrested had been working for aid organisations or financially supporting poor children and their families.
"Many foreigners come here to Nepal. They love Nepal and we really respect them for their dedication and support," Kabit Katawal, deputy superintendent of the Nepal police, told Al Jazeera. "But some of them are masking their social work under the cover of their positions in power. They're misusing their power and they're exploiting our children."
Dalglish has spent nearly 20 years working with some of the world's poorest children in Africa, Afghanistan and Asia. He has been employed by leading aid organisations like the United Nations, set up his own charity, Street Kids International, and won prestigious awards for his work.
But Dalglish's career was brought to an abrupt halt one morning this April, when police burst into the home he built in the foothills of the Himalayas, about two hours from Kathmandu. Police found two boys aged 12 and 14 inside, and took Dalglish into custody.
I will win my freedom. I love this country. I will continue to fight to protect kids. Girls as well as boys. I'm not a paedophile. And I've never abused or touched any child inappropriately.
PETER DALGLISH, CANADIAN AID WORKER ACCUSED OF SEXUAL ABUSE
With his trial ongoing, Dalglish is now being held in a prison in a small, dusty town outside of Kathmandu. In an interview with Al Jazeera from behind bars, he insists he is an innocent man caught up in a police crackdown.
"I will win my freedom. I love this country. I will continue to fight to protect kids. Girls as well as boys. I'm not a paedophile. And I've never abused or touched any child inappropriately."
 |
| Dalglish's home |
Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for the UN secretary-general, said the organisation "expects all employees, present and former, to abide by the law".
"The United Nations has a zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, and takes seriously any allegations against staff, volunteers, associates and implementing partners," said Haq in a statement to Al Jazeera. "As for his case, we have no comments on the specific case, but we expect that justice will follow due process in accordance with the law. And as a matter of principle, the UN cooperates with judicial processes."
A wake-up call for the humanitarian community
Lori Handrahan, a veteran humanitarian worker who focuses on the rights of children and women, has written about the international aid sector's handling of sex abuse allegations within its ranks.
"I had said when [Dalglish] was arrested that his arrest should be a wake-up call for the humanitarian community and part of the #Aidtoo movement ... but by and large, the story just died," she says.
Allegations about aid workers abusing children and women have also emerged from countries such as Haiti, where Oxfam staff were accused of paying earthquake survivors for sex.
The ease with which individuals known to be predatory and potentially dangerous have been able to move around the aid sector undetected is cause for deep concern and alarm.
REPORT BY THE HOUSE OF COMMONS INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
A report released in July by British members of parliament found that the aid sector has been aware of sexual exploitation and abuse by its own personnel for years, but that it has failed to adequately address the problem.
"The ease with which individuals known to be predatory and potentially dangerous have been able to move around the aid sector undetected is cause for deep concern and alarm," the report said.
The rise of the #AidToo movement, in the wake of the #MeToo campaign, has helped shine a spotlight on sexual abuse in the humanitarian sector, but Handrahan believes the cases that have been publicly reported are just the tip of the iceberg.
"The evidence I have seen over three decades suggests the international humanitarian relief sector offers paedophiles the perfect professional position," she says.
Lori Handrahan, a veteran humanitarian worker, says paedophiles tend to target places with poor children because they are seen as 'disposable'. [Al Jazeera]
With humanitarian jobs giving potential perpetrators great power over vulnerable people in poor, developing countries, Handrahan believes NGOs must do more to ensure children are not at risk of abuse.
She says because most paedophiles share images of children online, NGOs need to monitor their employees' internet activity and countries like Nepal need more funding to track child abusers online.
The Nepalese police only recently set up a cybercrimes unit.
"If you really want to protect children you need to help the cops, the police, the prosecutors," Handrahan says. "I do think that Nepal, like any country where there are a lot of very poor children, is a target because paedophiles look for disposable children."
I do think that Nepal, like any country where there are a lot of very poor children, is a target because paedophiles look for disposable children.
LORI HANDRAHAN, VETERAN HUMANITARIAN WORKER
Saathi, a Nepalese organisation that provides counselling for abuse victims, is now looking after about 100 girls and 80 boys in its shelters. Many of them are street children and orphans, according to Pinky Singh Rana, a human rights activist and Saathi board member.
"A lot of foreigners have been found abusing young boys in hotspots such as tourist areas," she says. "And more recently, we're also finding that they are not only in Kathmandu or in some of the more well-known tourist spots, but moving slowly to some of the remote areas as well."
Rana says it can be extremely difficult for Nepalese children and their families to make a complaint about abuse, because foreigners are held in such high esteem.
"There is a Sanskrit saying: 'Guests are like God.' So when foreigners befriend and build up very close relationships with the parents of some of these abused boys, then for them, it's even harder to believe," she says.
Pinky Singh Rana, a human rights activist, says foreigners have been found abusing young boys in tourist areas. [Al Jazeera]
"It would be best if they were not allowed here," she says, adding that child abuse is a crime that affects the entire family.
"I think it has a horrific impact on not just the child himself, but his siblings, his parents, and even other family members ... They themselves are befriended by the perpetrators - that makes it worse. The amount of trust that they put in the abuser, in the paedophile, I guess that guilt will never go away."
And it's not like there is a lot of psychological counselling available in Nepal.
Former UK scout leader jailed for
sexual abuse of young boys
A former scout group leader now living in Ramsey who pleaded guilty to historical sexual abuse on young boys dating back to the 1970s and 1980s has been jailed.
On Friday, 7 December, he was sentenced to a total of 11 years and three months’ imprisonment.
The abuse took place in Harrow between 1972 and 1984 when Levi was a Scout Master.
Officers from the Met Police’s Child Abuse and Sexual Offences Command began an investigation after a male victim came forward in November 2016 to report being sexually abused by Levi as a child. During the course of the investigation, further victims were identified who also reported being abused by him.
Levi was arrested on 5 December 2017 and later charged. DC Alyson Suddick, of the Child Abuse and Sexual Offences Command, said: “ Philip Levi abused his position within the Scouting Organisation to prey on young boys under his care, subjecting them to systematic sexual abuse at a time in their lives when they should have been carefree and enjoying the many benefits of being a Scout.
“We are grateful to the victims for having the courage to come forward and assist police in this investigation. All suffered severe psychological trauma as a result of their experience and I would like to commend each and every one of them for their dignity throughout. I sincerely hope that the outcome of this case and the sentences imposed bring them a measure of comfort.
“Outcomes of this nature proves that men like Levi will not evade justice no matter how much time has passed. We would like to urge any other victims of Levi to come forward with information. All allegations will be treated with sensitivity and in the strictest of confidence.”
The judge commented that parents had put their boys into his trust assuming he would be a role model. Instead he chose to systematically abuse them. He described Levi as a predatory and persistent offender.
An NSPCC spokesperson said: “Levi probably thought he’d long got away with his sickening crimes but the tremendous bravery of the victims in this case meant he could no longer hide from his vile abuse.
“It’s vital that children know that sexual abuse is never the fault of the victim and that it is never too late to speak out, get support and bring perpetrators to justice.
“It’s important that children are taught to recognise abuse from an early age and empowered to report it to a trusted adult or Childline, which they can contact anytime on 0800 1111 or via www.childline.org.uk”
No comments:
Post a Comment