Still awaiting trial in ‘Net Nanny’ sex sting,
Washington State man now faces more charges
BY KRISTIN M. KRAEMER
A Pasco man awaiting his trial for 2017’s “Net Nanny Operation” is accused of stealing mail from a neighborhood on Christmas Eve.
Lucas F. Beach, 39, now has three active felony cases in Benton and Franklin counties.
He was released from the Benton County jail last week after posting bond on $50,000. The bail amount was increased Wednesday when prosecutors added two charges stemming from the July 2017 online child sex sting in the Tri-Cities.
Beach now is charged in Benton County Superior Court with attempted second-degree rape of a child, commercial sex abuse of a minor and communicating with a minor for immoral purposes.
While his trial is set March 11, Beach is scheduled back in court Jan. 30 to get a new court-appointed attorney since his current lawyer is retiring.
In Franklin County Superior Court, Beach has April 3 trial dates on two cases: theft of mail and two counts of third-degree assault involving two Pasco police officers.
CHRISTMAS EVE MAIL THIEVES
The newest case stems from allegations that residents on Road 44 and Dougville Road saw Beach driving a truck Dec. 24 as a female passenger leaned out the window and took mail from mailboxes.
One man said his family had just returned from an out-of-town trip and emptied their box, when their mail carrier came by with a fresh delivery. The man went out to pick up the new mail just after 2 p.m. and noticed a blonde woman reaching out of a Dodge Dakota’s passenger window into five mailboxes by his house.
After going inside to get his phone, the man signaled to his approaching son to follow the truck as it left their neighborhood, court documents said. The man then found an envelope that fell to the ground during the theft. It was addressed to his son’s fiancée, and was from a Washington state government agency.
Franklin County sheriff’s deputies could not determine how much mail was taken, but they got security camera footage from nearby homes to help identify the suspect vehicle, documents said.
Also, another person who was outside when the truck drove by described the driver and picked Beach from a photo lineup of six men, court documents said.
Deputies linked the Dodge Dakota to one of Beach’s relatives, and discovered that he is a suspect in other mail thefts and frauds in Pasco using the same truck, documents said.
His felony charge is for the theft of mail addressed to three or more different addresses, with a minimum of 10 pieces of mail.
‘NET NANNY’ SEX STING
Beach was one of 26 men arrested (3rd story on link) in July 2017 in an operation targeting would-be perpetrators looking for sex with minors through online advertisements.
Beach said he was OK with the girl’s young age, was hoping to have sex with her and her friend, and admitted that it all sounded too good to be true, court documents said.
When arrested, Beach claimed he planned to advise the runaway to go back home and really was there to meet a friend, documents said.
Beach is one of more than a dozen cases still working its way through the court system 1 1/2 years after the sting.
Tacoma resident Mike Guza's surveillance cameras recorded a woman stealing his mail while he was at his home on E. 34th St. last week. He installed the system last November after someone shot at his SUV with a pellet gun while he was in the vehicle.
Six weeks before his 2017 arrest on the attempted child rape, Pasco officers went to Beach’s home to arrest him on a warrant for a probation violation but he had barricaded himself inside, court documents said.
When he finally came out, he resisted arrest and allegedly tried to get Officer Daniel Ward’s pistol and removing his radio from his belt. Beach continued to ignore orders until Ward punched him in the mouth. Documents said Beach then spit blood on Ward and Officer Branden Upton.
Chicago man who pleaded guilty to
child sex abuse gets probation
By KATIE SMITHE
A Chicago man was sentenced to probation Friday in connection with sexual abuse accusations that surfaced in 2016.
Michael H. Irvine accepted an offer from the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office on July 16 and pleaded guilty to aggravated criminal sexual abuse.
I thought 'aggravated' usually results in a higher sentence.
His sentencing was originally scheduled for October and then continued to November. Incomplete presentence paperwork on both dates delayed the sentencing until Friday.
Irvine, 31, agreed to a two-year probation term. During that time, he is barred from consuming drugs or alcohol and cannot have unmonitored access to a computer, his attorney, Dan Hofmann, said in court.
I could maybe see this unmitigated leniency if the guy were a teenager, but he's 31!
If he fails to comply with the conditions of his probation, Irvine could be ordered to spend 180 days in the McHenry County Jail.
The victim’s mother and father gave emotional impact statements at a sentencing hearing in October. The parents recounted the day that their 6-year-old daughter disclosed to a family member that Irvine had inappropriately touched her.
“I knew I couldn’t prevent it, but you still always want to be there for your children,” the girl’s father said.
The day the parents learned of the alleged abuse was supposed to be one of “family, friends and laughter,” the girl’s mother said. Plans for the day included celebrating at a child’s birthday party.
The girl’s father commended his daughter for reporting the abuse to an adult. After addressing Irvine in court Wednesday, the girl’s mother called Irvine a “pig” under her breath.
Irvine, of the 4600 block of West 64th Street, made his first court appearance in September 2016. He posted bond and was released shortly after his arrest.
Chicago-area man sentenced to 181 years
for child sex abuse
From one extreme to the other without leaving Chicago
By KWQC Staff
GENEVA, Ill. (AP) - A suburban Chicago man has been sentenced to 181 years in prison for child sexual abuse and assault.
Prosecutors say Kane County Judge Donald M. Tegeler Jr. on Friday sentenced 51-year-old Noel F. Buhay of Sugar Grove. Prosecutors called it "one of the longest sentences in Kane County in recent memory."
Buhay was found guilty in November of eight counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child and one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. Prosecutors say the abuse started when the victim was younger than 13 years old. Buhay faced a minimum 51-year sentence.
The 181-year sentence must be served consecutive to a 45-year sentence that Buhay was given for a March 2017 conviction on three counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child.
Florida man arrested on sexual abuse charges
on 3 young children
By Josh Williams
LAKE CITY, Fla. - David Ray Waters was arrested on three felony counts of sexual battery on a victim under the age of 12.
Columbia County deputies said the three children are now ages 5, 9 and 10. They did not disclose the children's ages during the initial alleged abuse.
The investigation into Waters began in November 2018, when the mother of the children reported the abuse to authorities.
Representatives with the Florida Department of Children and Families said they have been investigating Waters for several years.
It appears like you haven't really done a very good job of it.
Waters was booked into the Columbia County Jail with no bond.
Disturbing details emerge in California school molestation case as family prepares lawsuit
By Jory Rand
HESPERIA, Calif. (KABC) -- A custodian at an elementary school in Hesperia has been arrested for sexual abuse of a young boy at the school and his family is preparing a lawsuit against the school district.
Officials and an attorney for the boy's family says there could be at least four alleged victims and perhaps many more as the custodian had worked at the school for 14 years.
Earlier this week Pedro Martinez, 45, was arrested and charged with lewd acts on a child, sodomy, oral copulation and kidnapping.
Martinez, a longtime janitor at Maple Elementary in Hesperia whom the children called "Mr. Pete," is accused of taking boys into a classroom during the school's lunch period, sometimes one at a time, sometimes in a group, where the abuse took place.
It had apparently been happening for months. In addition to the sexual abuse, Martinez is accused of physically abusing the children as well, covering any bruises they would suffer by forcing the kids to hit each other, so they wouldn't be lying when they told adults who had hit them.
The abuse would likely still be going on were it not for one child, whose family had noticed a change in his behavior. They were in Rowland Heights at a friend's house this weekend when it all came pouring out.
"From Friday evening to Saturday at 2 in the morning, it was a seven-hour span where he just let everything that was hurting him out," said Magdalena Serna, a friend of the boy's family. "It was very horrific, very detailed. During a lot of the conversation you could see the fear in his eyes when he spoke about Mr. Pete."
Martinez was arrested 48 hours later.
The family's attorney says the school district is to blame for somehow allowing the abuse to happen on school grounds for an extended period of time.
"It was pervasive," said attorney Paul Matiasic. "It lasted for months and months and months. It occurred on the premises at the school and it also involved other boys. There's no way they should go missing during the lunch hour and be at the hands of a predator."
Martinez is now being held on $1 million bail. The boy's family will be filing a lawsuit against the Hesperia Unified School District.
District officials say they are cooperating with the investigation and they do conduct extensive background checks on any potential employee, and that there was nothing in Martinez's background that would suggest such conduct.
"This news is deeply concerning and we are cooperating fully with law enforcement as this matter is investigated," district Superintendent David Olney said.
Matiasic hopes the bravery of his client in coming forward will inspire others to come forward with their stories. Any other potential victims are asked to contact the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.
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