Famous child sex abuse survivor charged with sexually abusing girl, 14
This is such a tragedy. I don't know how much psychological help Lauren received, but it would seem to have been somewhat inadequate.
Jimmy McCloskey, Metro
A famous child sex abuse survivor known as ‘the girl in the closet’ has been accused of sexually abusing a 14 year-old girl. Lauren Kavanaugh, 25, is said to have assaulted the child after meeting her on a Facebook page Kavanaugh set up to support other victims of abuse.
Her alleged victim, who has not been identified, told cops that Kavanaugh had been abusing her for two months, after moving in with the girl and her parents.
Lauren Kavanaugh has been charged with sexually abusing a 14 year-old girl she met online.
Kavanaugh was known as the ‘Girl in the Closet’ after being locked in a cupboard for six years and sexually abused by her mother and stepfather
(Picture: Denton County Sheriff’s Office)
Kavanaugh, who was arrested Monday, hit the headlines in 2001 after it was revealed she had spent six years in a mobile home closet, where she was sexually assaulted and starved by her mother Barbara Atkinson and stepdad Kenneth Atkinson.
She was rescued from the mobile home closet in Hutchins, Texas, that year weighing just 26 pounds – the same weight as a healthy two year-old, with doctors likening her health to that of a Holocaust survivor.
Her time spent locked away meant that she did not know how to sit in a chair, hold a pencil, say the alphabet, use the toilet, or even recognize the sun.
Kavanaugh later graduated high school before moving in with her adoptive mother. In 2013, she shared her childhood ordeal with the Dallas Morning News, and told of how a shaft of light shining through the closet door served as an ‘escape hatch’ that allowed her to detach herself from the suffering she endured.
Kavanaugh pictured shortly after she was rescued in 2001. The then eight year-old weighed just 26 pounds – the weight of an average, healthy two year-old toddler
(Picture: Dallas District County Attorney’s Office)
She also shared the after-effects of the abuse on the Dr Phil Show in 2017, saying: ‘My life’s been pretty hard. ‘I’ve been struggling a lot. I hardly sleep anymore. My anxiety is terrible. I have tried to commit suicide over 30 times.’
Police in Lewisville, Texas, have now issued an appeal for parents whose children may have been in contact with Kavanaugh to talk to them, in case there are further victims.
Kavanaugh has been charged with sexual assault of a child and is being held in lieu of $10,000 bond. Her abusers were both sentenced to life in prison for the abuse they inflicted on Lauren, and will not be eligible for parole until 2031.
They should not ever be eligible for parole! They bear most of the responsibility for any abuse Lauren may have committed.
PA pediatrician Admits to Abusing 31 Children
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
(EBENSBURG, Pa.) — A former Pennsylvania pediatrician has admitted he sexually assaulted 31 children, most of them patients.
Dr. Johnnie Barto of Johnstown pleaded guilty Thursday to sexually abusing two family members and admitted to sexually assaulting more than two dozen patients.
The abuse spanned decades and typically involved girls and boys between ages 8 and 12. One of the victims was 2 weeks old. The attorney general’s office says Barto molested children in the exam room at Laurel Pediatric Associates in Cambria County and at local hospitals.
The 71-year-old was arrested in January and remains behind bars pending his sentencing. His medical license has been suspended.
Barto’s lawyer, David Weaver, says the plea will allow “healing” to begin for Barto’s victims, his family and himself.
Attempted child sex charges filed against
13 Washington men in sting operation
EMILY GOODELL Yakima Herald-Republic
Thirteen men, including four from Yakima County, were charged with attempted child sex crimes this week in an undercover online sting operation overseen by the Washington State Patrol.
The men were arrested as part of “Operation Net Nanny,” where undercover officers pose as children online and communicate with people who are interested in having sex with children, according to a Washington State Patrol news release. The operation is run by the agency’s Missing and Exploited Children task force.
Over a five-day period, the men traveled to what they thought would be a meeting to have sex with a child, but instead were arrested by detectives, the release said. Yakima police, the Law Enforcement Against Drugs task force from Yakima, Kittitas County sheriff’s office, Ellensburg police and the FBI assisted.
Well done you guys. God bless you.
• Carlos Javier Camacho, 36, of Union Gap was arrested Dec. 17. He was charged with two counts of attempted first-degree rape of a child and is being held in the Kittitas County jail in lieu of $75,000 bail.
• Andrew Roether Rankin, 31, of Yakima was arrested Dec. 18. He was charged with attempted first-degree rape of a child, commercial sexual abuse of a minor, and two counts of communication with a minor for immoral purposes. He is being held in the Kittitas County jail in lieu of $75,000 bail.
• Tommy Joel Paul Quiroz, 32, of Yakima was arrested Dec. 17. He was charged with attempted second-degree rape of a child and communication with a minor for immoral purposes. He is being held in the Kittitas County jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.
• Guadalupe Manjarrez Flores, 22, of Granger was arrested Dec. 17. He was charged with two counts of attempted second-degree rape of a child, involving a minor in unlawful controlled substance transaction and communication with a minor for immoral purposes. He is being held in the Kittitas County jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.
• Nathan Aaron Rex, 30, of Ellensburg was arrested Dec. 17. He was charged with attempted second-degree rape of a child and communication with a minor for immoral purposes. He is out on pre-trial release after posting $50,000 bail.
• William Obert Conklin Jr., 31, of Ellensburg was arrested Dec. 15. He was charged with attempted second-degree rape of a child, involving a minor in unlawful controlled substance transaction and communication with a minor for immoral purposes. He is being held in the Kittitas County jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.
• Donald Delmar Gilson II, 36, of Ellensburg was arrested Dec. 16. He was charged with two counts of attempted second-degree rape of a child and two counts of communication with a minor for immoral purposes. He is being held in the Kittitas County jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.
• Joseph Edward Geyer, 32, of Ellensburg was arrested Dec. 15. He was charged with two counts of attempted first-degree rape of a child and two counts of commercial sexual abuse of a minor. He is being held in the Kittitas County jail in lieu of $100,000 or $50,000 bail.
• John Charles Lidral, 65, of Easton was arrested Dec. 17. He was charged with attempted second-degree rape of a child and communication with a minor for immoral purposes. He is being held in the Kittitas County jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.
• Omar Alfredo Martinez, 24, of Pasco was arrested Dec. 17. He was charged with two counts of attempted first-degree rape of a child, communication with a minor for immoral purposes and commercial sexual abuse of a minor. He is being held in the Kittitas County jail in lieu of $100,000 bail.
• Edward Eugene Pierce, 42, of Tacoma was arrested Dec. 17. He was charged with three counts of attempted first-degree rape of a child and commercial sexual abuse of a minor . He is being held in the Kittitas County jail in lieu of $100,000 bail.
• Roberto Avila, 23, of Quincy was arrested Dec. 16. He was charged with two counts of attempted second-degree rape of a child, two counts of commercial sexual abuse of a minor and two counts of communication with a minor for immoral purposes. He is being held in the Kittitas County jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.
• Juan Raul Mendoza, 29, of Richland was arrested Dec. 16. He was charged with attempted second-degree rape of a child, involving a minor in unlawful controlled substance transaction and communication with a minor for immoral purposes. He is being held in the Kittitas County jail in lieu of $60,000 bail.
It's a little concerning that 6 of the 13 appear to be Hispanic. I'm quite sure that does not reflect the general population of central Washington State.
Judge denies new trial for California teacher
convicted of child sex abuse
by Elena Kadvany / Palo Alto Weekly
A judge denied on Thursday a request for a new trial filed by former Palo Alto teacher Michael Airo, who was found guilty in February of sexually abusing his ex-girlfriend's young daughter more than a decade ago.
Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Charles Wilson instead sided with the young woman at the center of the case, who testified that Airo would kiss her breasts, stomach and buttocks while she was taking showers at their home in Palo Alto when she was between the ages of 11 and 13 years old.
Airo, who appeared in court in Palo Alto on Thursday wearing prison garb and chained to another inmate, has denied the allegations in full. He had taught fourth- and fifth-graders at Ohlone Elementary School for seven years.
After his conviction, Airo hired a new lawyer and sought a new trial, arguing that his former defense attorney allowed for an expert witness to give "highly prejudicial testimony" against Airo during his trial, that there was insufficient evidence for abuse charges related to using force and that the prosecution committed misconduct during closing arguments. Without these missteps, Airo argued, the outcome of his trial would have been different.
Airo was found guilty of four felony charges: continuous sexual abuse of a minor under the age of 14 and three counts of lewd or lascivious acts with the use of force, violence, duress, menace or fear of immediate and unlawful bodily injury on the victim or another person.
On Thursday, Airo's new lawyer, Robert Beles, said that former attorney Michael Armstrong made a "monumental blunder" during the trial in calling Brian Abbot, a forensic psychologist who evaluated Airo, to testify that Airo is not disposed to commit sexual offenses against children and is not a pedophile but that he showed sexual interest in underage, developed girls, as the young girl in the case was at the time.
Pedophile meaning an attraction to pre-pubescent children, I expect.
He described this testimony as a "prejudicial gem" for the prosecution that was "worth more than he said, she said evidence."
Armstrong "really convicted his client," Beles said.
Beles also asked the court overturn the three counts related to using force and argued that Prosecutor Lindsay Walsh committed "prejudicial misconduct" in violation of a state Supreme Court ruling that prosecutors cannot argue that a "reasonable" view of the evidence meets their burden of proof.
The judge rejected these arguments. He said he doesn't believe "there is a reasonable probability" that the jury's verdict would have been different and that several witnesses corroborated the young woman's testimony "in significant and credible ways."
Wilson cited testimony by the young woman's older half-sister, mother and high school boyfriend that he found credible and "to this court, powerful." The sister testified to Airo being overly affectionate with her younger sister — more so than with their mother — and seeing him come out of the bathroom while her sister was showering, among other details cited by the judge.
The young woman also told her high school boyfriend that Airo had done something inappropriate to her years before but she said at the time that it wasn't sexual in nature, the ex-boyfriend testified during the trial. The young woman's mother's testimony also supported her allegations, Wilson said.
Wilson ruled that there was sufficient evidence of duress, both physical and psychological. Several witnesses, including Airo himself, said that he became a father figure for the young woman, who ultimately took his last name.
"He was an authority figure in her life ... and was heavily psychologically controlling when she expressed her resistance," Wilson said.
The judge also ruled that Walsh did not commit any misconduct in her closing argument.
Half of the seats in the courtroom gallery on Thursday were filled by Airo's family members and supporters, some of whom had testified on his behalf during the trial.
The young woman, who sat in the back row on the other side of the courtroom, did not tell anyone about the abuse at the time it occurred. She disclosed the abuse to a therapist in 2014, when she was 26 years old. The therapist reported her allegations to the San Mateo County Department of Children and Family Services, which then notified the police department, prompting a criminal investigation (2nd story on link).
Beles said Thursday that the young woman falsely accused Airo. He suggested that she might have been motivated by the national #MeToo movement, though that began several years after she disclosed the allegations to her therapist.
"That's become a crime du jour," Beles said, referring to sexual misconduct. "Some of it may be true. 'Me too' doesn't mean it's true. It can be, 'me too; I want to be on the bandwagon.'"
Just my opinion, but I don't think Airo upgraded in his new lawyer.
Airo will be sentenced on Feb. 21.
Oklahoma State Police arrests man, woman in
child sexual abuse case
BY K. BUTCHER News4
TILLMAN COUNTY, Okla. – The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation arrested a man and woman in connection to a child sexual abuse case.
On November 8, officials with the Tillman County Sheriff’s Office, requested the OSBI to investigate allegations of child sexual abuse.
During an investigation, officials learned that Christopher Martinez, 33, had sexual contact with a child under the age of 12. Officials also learned that Kriston Lewis, 37, was contacted and told about the allegations.
According to the OSBI, the Department of Human Services had Martinez removed from the home and told Lewis he was not allowed to have contact with children.
On Wednesday, authorities learned Martinez was at an elementary school in Grandfield. Law enforcement arrived and saw Martinez and Lewis leave the school together.
Officials conducted a traffic stop and Martinez was arrested for child sexual abuse and solicitation of a minor. Lewis was arrested for enabling child sexual abuse.
They were both taken to the Tillman County Jail.
Utah man arrested on suspicion of
sexual abuse of a child
By Amy Macavinta, ISJ
A Logan man trusted to babysit a child is now facing a lengthy prison stay after he allegedly touched her inappropriately on at least two occasions.
ARRRRRRRRRGH! Don't trust men to babysit your child!
Ira Mathison, 43, was booked into the Cache County Jail on Tuesday on two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child, a first-degree felony that is generally punishable by as much as 15 years to life in prison.
According to a probable cause statement filed in conjunction with his arrest, the sexual abuse was reported to Logan City Police in September of this year, although it was months before investigators were able to make contact with the man.
Mathison allegedly touched the girl over her clothing while she was watching TV on his bed.
He reportedly acknowledged he “wasn’t thinking straight,” and he thought perhaps touching the child was the answer to some physical difficulties he was experiencing.
However, Mathison said he was not aroused and felt badly for touching the child.
He was taken into custody and booked into jail Tuesday afternoon, with bail set at $20,000.
Formal charges are pending.
PA man charged with child rape, sexual abuse
By: Myles Snyder
MECHANICSBURG, Pa. (WHTM) - A Cumberland County man is accused of raping and sexually assaulting a young girl several years ago.
William P. Moody, 36, of Silver Spring Township, is charged with felony counts of rape of a child, statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, and aggravated indecent assault of a child.
The girl told police that Moody sexually abused her in her home when she was between the ages of 5 and 6 years old. She said Moody also offered her candy if she removed her clothing and photographed her while she was naked, according to the criminal complaint.
She said the abuse stopped after her mother came home and found her naked. She said her mother kept her away from Moody after that.
The mother told police she was not aware that anything sexual had occurred between Moody and her child.
Moody admitted to the abuse when he was interviewed by police this week, the complaint states.
He was placed in Cumberland County Prison after failing to post $25,000 cash bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for January 2.
Louisiana teen has sexual torture added to list
of child sex abuse crimes
By Christopher Harress | charress@al.com
A Mobile County teenager who is accused of sexually abusing two children aged 10 and 11 had his bond raised during a hearing Thursday morning after a charge of sexual torture was added to the list of crimes he is accused of.
Sean Howell, 19, had his bond raised from $375,000 to $435,000 after the charge of sexual torture was added Dec. 19, according to court filings.
Howell was booked in to the Mobile County Jail (9th story on link) Sunday night and now faces 11 charges, including two counts of sodomy in the first degree, two counts of sex abuse of a child under 12, two counts of enticing a child for immoral purposes, facilitating travel of a child for sex, transmitting obscene materials to a child, production of child pornography, possession of child pornography, and the torture charge, according to court records.
Two officers from the Saraland Police Department said during a hearing earlier this week that Howell allegedly sodomized two children, ages 10 and 11. One of the victims was sexually abused.
Wait a minute... Are you implying that sodomy is not sexual abuse? Seriously?
After his arrest in Saraland, Howell said that he still had ambitions to visit one of the children and be part of their lives in the future.
Law enforcement said that Howell transported one of the victims to a location in Mobile and had sex with him, and had sexual acts performed on himself. It’s not yet known how Howell contacted his victims.
The first complaints against Howell were made Dec. 16. Police arrested him the same day and transported him to county jail.
Texas man indicted in child sexual abuse investigation
KILLEEN, Texas (KWTX) A Killeen man arrested in September in a child sexual abuse case who was named in an additional complaint in November after six additional victims came forward was indicted Wednesday on two counts.
Antoine Labieries McGowan, 45, of Killeen, who was first arrested in September and was named in a second complaint in November after authorities said six additional victims had come forward was named in an indictment charging indecency with a child by contact and aggravated sexual assault.
His arrest in September was the result of an investigation that started in July 2018.
He remains in the Bell County Jail in lieu of bonds totaling more than $120,000.
Illinois man gets 63 years in prison for child sex assault
The Courier-News
A St. Charles man who sexually assaulted a child multiple times over the course of two years was sentenced Thursday to 63 year in prison.
Christopher J. Jackson, 63, of the 1700 block of Wessel Court, was found guilty of 12 counts of criminal sexual assault and two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse in a Nov. 6 jury trial.
The victim was under the age of 18 and someone Jackson knew, according to a news release from the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office. The incidents occurred between 2013 and 2015.
Kane County Circuit Judge Clint Hull’s sentence includes 60 years for sexual assault offenses and three years for the sexual abuse offenses, which are terms to be served consecutively, the release said.
The minimum Jackson could have received was 51 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
Under state law, he must serve 85 percent of the 60-year term and register as a sexual offender for the rest of his life, the release said. Jackson is eligible for day-for-day credit on the 3-year sentence and received credit for the 45 days served in the Kane County jail.
“This defendant carried on a sexual relationship with a child who should have been able to trust that he would protect and care for, not exploit and victimize,” Kane County State’s Attorney Joe McMahon said in the release.
“Christopher Jackson’s selfish crimes denied a child a normal and healthy childhood and cost him his freedom.”
Illinois man arrested on child sexual assault charges
By WIFR Newsroom |
BOONE COUNTY, Ill. -- The Boone County Sheriff's Department has arrested a Poplar Grove man on multiple child sexual assault charges.
Daniel Dye, 69, was charged with predatory criminal sexual assault and aggravated criminal sexual abuse.
Police received a report that Dye had sexually assaulted a child under the age of 13. Boone County detectives investigated the case, along with police from Anchorage, Alaska.
Dye was released from Boone County Jail after posting a $500,000 bond. He faces up to 60 years in prison.
The investigation is still ongoing. Police say additional charges are possible.
Wisconsin man charged with multiple child sexual assaults
La Crosse, Wis. (WXOW) – A La Crosse man is charged with repeated sexual assault of a child.
24 year old Eric T. Converse was arrested Monday and charged Wednesday for crimes including repeated sexual assault of a child under the age of 16 and lewd and lascivious behavior.
According to the criminal complaint, Converse would repeatedly expose himself to two children, requested sexual favors nearly 50 times and had intercourse with a 15 year old child.
Converse faces decades in prison and over $100,000 in fines if convicted of all charges.
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