Texas teacher arrested for attempting
to sell underage girl to Morocco
A teacher in a Texas junior high school was making arrangements for her young relative to be shipped to Morocco allegedly for prostitution. The would-be pimp was arrested upon returning from Morocco after a tip by family.
Amber Michelle Parker, a 37-year-old reading teacher at Mexia Independent School District, was arrested on Wednesday in a joint operation led by Freestone County and McLennan County Sheriff Offices.
Detectives had been on Parker's trail for months before taking her into custody on charges of trafficking and a conspiracy to traffic a minor. Police searched Parker's electronic devices and her phone.
The investigators allege that the woman, who was teaching 8th graders, was busy negotiating a price to sell her teenage relative to a group of men in Morocco when free from her school duties. In a bid to hike up the price for the girl, Parker advertised her "merchandise" as a virgin, posting explicit photos of the girl in lingerie online.
The parties were apparently finalizing the terms of the deal when police finally placed Parker in handcuffs.
The woman took the trouble to travel to Morocco right before Christmas and returned on January 1, with officers already waiting for her.
The sick plot was foiled after relatives of the girl sounded the alarm over Parker's persistent attempts to take the girl to Morocco.
"Family members got wind that Parker was going to try to lure this girl to Morocco," McClennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara said, as cited by Waco Tribune, calling the incident "a dastardly story, trafficking at its worst."
"It's a very low-down thing, it's the worst of the worst when you prostitute your own relative," the sheriff said.
It is unclear what relation the woman was to the girl. While she was allegedly thrashing out the details of the sale in Morocco, the girl was staying with her father out of state.
On her school profile, Parker wrote that she is married with a "beautiful daughter, XXXXX," a senior at the same school.
After news of her arrest made headlines in Mexia, a small Texas town of 7,500 residents, Parker was placed on administrative leave, with the school citing concerns for student safety.
School district Superintendent Lyle DuBus said that the administration takes allegations against the disgraced teacher "very seriously" and would be working closely with police.
Parker is currently being held on $25,000 bond in a county jail.
Wisconsin man faces duplicate
child sexual assault charges
Polk County (WQOW) – Child sexual assault charged were filed against a Polk County man facing the same charges in a separate case.
Eduardo Jaquez is accused of assaulting two young girls.
He was charged this past summer for an incident in June, and Friday charges were filed after a victim came forward about an assault in 2012.
According to the criminal complaint, Jaquez is currently in ICE custody in Minnesota.
He’s due in Polk County Court later this month.
Polk Co., WI
Woman in vegetative state gives birth at nursing home, prompting sex abuse investigation in Arizona
(WFLA/CNN) - Arizona law enforcement is investigating a possible rape at a Phoenix-based nursing home after a patient in a vegetative state became pregnant and gave birth to a child.
KPHO reports the woman had been in a vegetative state at Hacienda HealthCare for at least 14 years after surviving a near-drowning incident.
Workers were stunned when she gave birth to a healthy baby boy on Dec. 29.
"None of the staff were aware that she was pregnant until she was pretty much giving birth," a source familiar with the situation told the news station. "From what I've been told, she was moaning. And they didn't know what was wrong with her. There was a nurse that was there, and from what I heard she's the one that delivered the baby."
The staffer, who asked to remain anonymous said the patient required around the clock care, and many had access to her room.
“She had no way to defend herself in this sort of situation?” asked a reporter.
“No. None whatsoever. Not even able to communicate the fact that she was pregnant,” the woman said.
After the incident, health and safety checks were performed on all members living in the facility, according to adult protective services, the news station reported.
The Arizona Department of Health says its actively working with law enforcement in their investigation.
AZFamily.com obtained the following statement from Hacienda HealthCare regarding the incident:
Hacienda Healthcare has been in business in the valley for over 50 years, and has an outstanding reputation providing high quality specialized care for our patients. As a Healthcare provider, we cannot comment on any patient due to Federal and State privacy laws. Additionally, we cannot comment on any ongoing investigations. We can say that our patients and clients health and safety is our #1 priority and that we always cooperate, when asked by any agency, in an open and transparent way."
The Arizona Department of Health Services provided the following statement.
"We are aware of this situation and are actively working with local law enforcement in their criminal investigation. Upon learning of the allegation, Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) immediately initiated an onsite complaint investigation to ensure the health and safety of the patients and ensure the facility is in compliance with all state laws and regulations. During this time, the agency has required heightened safety measures be implemented at the facility including increased staff presence during patient interactions, increased monitoring of the patient care areas, and increased security measures with respect to visitors at the facility."
The Arizona Department of Economic Security also released a statement:
The Department has been made aware of these allegations and we continue to work fully with the Phoenix Police Department in their ongoing investigation. Upon hearing of these allegations, we immediately dispatched a team to conduct health and safety checks on all members residing at this health care facility, which has been completed. We will continue to work to ensure the safety of all our members."
Phoenix Police Sgt. Tommy Thompson said "the matter is currently under investigation."
Texas man sentenced to 30 years in
child sex assault of under 6 y/o
GROESBECK, Texas (KWTX) A Central Texas man pled guilty Friday to sexually assaulting a child under the age of 6 back in summer of 2017.
Ramon Marez was arrested in July 2017 after the abuse was reported to Groesbeck police.
According to Police Chief Chris Henson the child made an outcry to an adult who then told authorities.
Marez was sentenced to 30 years in prison and is not eligible for parole.
Nashville Lawmakers Urge Clemency for Cyntoia Brown,
Trafficking Victim Imprisoned for Murder
Cyntoia Brown, a woman serving a life sentence for killing a man when she was a 16-year-old sex trafficking victim, talking with her lawyer during her clemency hearing last spring in Nashville.CreditCreditPool photo by Lacy Atkins
By Christine Hauser
Lawmakers in Tennessee appealed to Gov. Bill Haslam this week to grant clemency to Cyntoia Brown, who is serving a life sentence for fatally shooting a man in 2004 who had hired her as a prostitute when she was a teenage sex trafficking victim.
The Nashville City Council on Thursday passed a resolution 32-0, with two abstentions, that says the conviction of Ms. Brown, 30, gave “seemingly little consideration” to the “horrors of her childhood and the repeated sexual abuse she endured.”
“The circumstances of Brown’s conviction and sentencing, set against a lifetime of impoverishment and abuse, warrant a grant of clemency — an act of benevolence Governor Haslam has granted to multiple other individuals,” the resolution said.
Ms. Brown’s case has attracted widespread support from celebrities, including Rihanna and Kim Kardashian West, that has picked up pace as Governor Haslam, a Republican, finishes up his last few weeks in office. In December, supporters including Alyssa Milano, Ashley Judd and Amy Schumer urged him to grant clemency to Ms. Brown.
Please pray for this to happen and contact the Governor's office if you are so inclined. Murdering your trafficker should almost be a right! Even if she is freed, she will never be free of what he has done to her.
Alabama man accused of rape and sodomy of a child
WVTM 13 Digital
CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ala. —
A 50 year old man is charged with sodomy and sexual abuse of a child, according to the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office.
Authorities arrested Timothy Culver of Cedar Bluff on Thursday. He was taken to the county jail and held on a $600,000 bond.
As of Friday morning, Culver had bonded out. No other information about the investigation or the victim has been released.
Upstate NY man charged with sex abuse
A Genesee County man is facing multiple charges for allegedly having sexual contact with a victim under the age of 13.
Mark Daniel Tooley, of Elba, was arrested and charged with sexual abuse in the first degree, act in manner to injure a child under the age of 17, and criminal sex act.
The charges stem from an incident that took place in Stafford on Dec. 24, 2017.
Tooley, 35, was arraigned Friday. He's being held in the Genesee County Jail with bail set at $10,000 cash/$20,000 bond.
He is due back in court at a later date.
Oklahoma Man Charged With Child Sexual Abuse
One Victim Possibly Just 2 y/o
By: Jonathan Cooper
TULSA, Oklahoma - An accused child rapist is back behind bars facing more charges. Bradley Rains is now accused of sex crimes in Tulsa and Creek counties.
Rains faces three different charges of sexual abuse of a child under 12, and investigators said there could be more victims that need to be found.
Bradley Rains in jail in a new county Friday night. Five months after he was arrested in Creek County for rape and sexual abuse, prosecutors have charged him in Tulsa County on new, disturbing charges.
"The investigation has been going on for a few months, and we learned a little more as time goes by," said Deputy Sheriff Fred Clark, Creek County Sheriff's Office.
Creek County Deputy Sheriff Fred Clark said they've been investigating Rains since last August when a woman contacted them saying her three pre-teen daughters were being sexually abused by Rains.
"Anytime you have a crime like this against a young child, it strikes a chord," Clark said.
Court documents just filed in Tulsa County reveal Rains admitted to having sex with all three of the girls he knew. Records show the sexual abuse dates back to 2011, meaning one of the girls was potentially as young as 2 when the abuse began.
Back in August, Rains was charged in Creek County because the abuse happened in Kiefer. But after investigating for several months and interviewing victims, detectives learned Rains also allegedly abused the girls at houses in Glenpool and Tulsa as well.
"Potentially there could be other victims and we're working to determine that right now," Deputy Fred Clark said.
Pennsylvania man accused of taping sex abuse
of 10-year-old girl
LANGHORNE, Pa. (WTXF) - A Bucks County man is accused of sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl and taping it.
A Christmas Tree and discarded mattress are strewn in the front yard of the Langhorne home where Middletown Township police say they’ve found evidence of a startling crime. Police arrested 30-year-old Shane Ryan Taylor, a longtime resident of the home, who is charged with aggravated indecent assault of a child, assaulting the child when she was asleep, child pornography and other offenses.
Police say a woman known to Taylor gave them video evidence of the sex assault of the girl allegedly occurring in the home. Police searched, including the use of specially trained dogs and say they found more digital files and recording equipment.
"The case developed after we examined a couple of the videos from a SD card—it was founded. There were cameras in the house in addition to cell phone recordings," Middletown Township Lt. Steve Forman said.
Taylor was arrested Thursday afternoon before starting his job as a local short-order cook, investigators say Taylor has admitted to assaulting and recording the child multiple times.
Police say when they view all the recordings they may file more charges in a case that’s stunned Taylor’s neighbors.
Middletown Twnshp, PA
New Jersey man sentenced to 6 years in prison for distributing child porn
Susan Loyer, Bridgewater Courier News
NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ - A 43-year-old man from the Dayton section of South Brunswick, who was arrested in 2017 in the multi-agency child protection initiative “Operation Safety Net," was sentenced to prison Friday for distributing child pornography on the internet, Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said in a news release.
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| MyCentralJersey.com Not sure about this foto: he looks more like 73 than 43. |
Laurence Duque was sentenced to six years in state prison, including three years of parole ineligibility, by Middlesex County Superior Court Judge Benjamin S. Bucca Jr.
Duque pleaded guilty on Oct. 26 to second-degree distribution of child pornography. He will be required to register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law and will be subject to parole supervision for life, the release said.
While monitoring a peer-to-peer network as part of “Operation Safety Net,” a detective of the Division of Criminal Justice downloaded numerous files of child pornography from a shared folder at an IP address that was subsequently traced to Duque, the release said. Members of the Division of Criminal Justice, South Brunswick Police Department, Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, and the New Jersey State Police executed a search warrant at Duque’s residence on Aug. 22, 2017.
Duque was arrested after investigators found numerous files of suspected child pornography on his computer equipment. A full forensic examination revealed over 4,000 files of suspected child pornography on the computer devices seized from his residence. Duque became a fugitive in September 2017. He was apprehended in Penobscot, Maine, in June 2018 by the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force.
“Online collectors and distributors of child pornography like Duque generate demand for these abhorrent materials and thereby contribute directly to the cruel sexual abuse of children,” Grewal said in the release. “We will continue to work tirelessly to protect children by investigating and prosecuting these offenders.”
Duque was among 79 child predators and child pornography offenders arrested in “Operation Safety Net,” a nine-month, multi-agency child protection operation conducted in 2017 by the New Jersey Regional ICAC Task Force, which is led by the New Jersey State Police and includes the Division of Criminal Justice, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, all 21 County Prosecutors’ Offices, and many other state, county and local law enforcement agencies. Ten alleged child predators were arrested, including eight New Jersey men, as well as men in California and Indiana who allegedly tried to have children transported interstate from New Jersey for them to sexually assault, the release said.
Grewal commended all of the members of law enforcement who investigated for the Division of Criminal Justice, HSI-Newark, and the New Jersey ICAC Task Force, which is led by the New Jersey State Police. He also thanked the U.S. Marshals Service, South Brunswick Police Department and Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office for their assistance.
Anyone with information about the distribution of child pornography on the internet – or about suspected improper contact by unknown persons communicating with children via the internet or possible exploitation or sexual abuse of children – is asked to contact the New Jersey Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Tipline at 888-648-6007.
Pennsylvania man waives hearing in child rape,
sexual abuse case
By: Myles Snyder
MECHANICSBURG, Pa. (WHTM) - A Cumberland County man is headed to trial on charges he raped and sexually assaulting a young girl several years ago.
William P. Moody, 36, of Silver Spring Township, waived a preliminary hearing this week on felony counts of rape of a child, statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, and aggravated indecent assault of a child.
A formal arraignment was scheduled for March 14.
By waiving the hearing, Moody did not admit guilt but conceded there is enough evidence for a trial.
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 that Moody also offered her candy if she removed her clothing and that he photographed her while she was naked, according to the criminal complaint.
Moody admitted to the abuse when he was interviewed by police (7th story on link), the complaint states.
Illinois man gets 101 years in prison for child sex abuse
By CHRISTOPHER HEIMERMAN
SYCAMORE – In all likelihood, former Sycamore man Richard Janusz will never again breathe the air as a free man.
On Thursday, Judge Philip Montgomery sentenced Janusz, 50, formerly of the 500 block of Nathan Lattin Lane, to 101 years in prison. Janusz got 77 years for the 11 counts of criminal sex assault charges, and another 24 years for child pornography offenses. He must serve 85 percent of those 77 years (hashing out to be about 65 years), according to court records.
"This is a comfort for the victim's family and the safety of the community," said Holly Peifer of the Children's Advocacy Center at Family Service Agency.
If Janusz is ever released, he'll be on parole for at least three years.
Janusz sexually assaulted his stepdaughter many times between 2010 and 2014, and took lewd pictures of the child, who was younger than 13.
Prosecutors said the abuse occurred starting in January 2010 and continuing until July 2014, when the girl, by then 11, told a Children’s Advocacy Center caseworker about the abuse. Prosecutors said Janusz sexually assaulted and photographed the victim, whom he had known since she was 2.
Janusz’s only real defense at trial was that he never had sex with the victim.
The jury of 10 women and two men found Janusz guilty on 11 counts of predatory criminal sex abuse of a child and four counts of production of child pornography. Janusz will be sentenced July 13 by Judge Philip Montgomery to between 90 and 450 years in prison, and must serve well more than 100 years, Amato said.
“You only hope the family can move on now and find some closure,” Amato said.
DeKalb County State's Attorney Rick Amato commended Assistant State's Attorney Alicia Caplan in a news release for her work on the case.
Janusz has been credited with 1,618 days served in DeKalb County jail.
Peifer said such a sentencing could send a message to victims hesitant about disclosing.
"It's hard to come forward, especially for a child," Peifer said. "There are all sorts of reasons for them to not come forward: fear and self-blame. But a sentence like this speaks volumes s to how seriously the state's attorney's office, law enforcement, and local agencies take situations like this."
Texas police search for sex assault suspect;
Woman charged in child abuse case
Raul Garcia
OLMITO — A woman collected money from a man and allowed him to sexually assault a child relative of hers, authorities said.
According to Cameron County Sheriff Omar Lucio, the abuse began when the girl was 11 years old and continued for a span of three years before she recently cried for help.
On Dec. 20, the Children’s Advocacy Group reported the alleged sexual assault to sheriff’s investigators.
Reymunda Hernandez, 45, has been charged with failure to report sexual abuse and three counts of aggravated sexual abuse.
Her bond was set at $305,000 and she faces up to 20 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.
Authorities said they are still looking for the man, Jorge Tamez, 41. Police urge anyone with information that will help locate him to contact local authorities.
Authorities said the assault occurred on Rancho Grande Street in San Benito. Investigators said Hernandez admitted to forcing the child to take off her clothing and allowing Tamez to sexually assault the girl.
Lucio said the last assault may have been in 2016. The relationship between Hernandez and Tamez was not clear. The child is currently under the protective custody of the state.
“It is really unfortunate,” Lucio said. “An experience like this can ruin a person’s life.”
He said children have to know the authorities are here to help. “They should not keep it to themselves,” Lucio said about child sexual assaults.
Anyone who knows where Tamez may be is urged to contact the local police department or the sheriff’s office at (956) 350-5551.
Upstate NY man arrested, for sexually abusing
several children, as young as 5 y/o
WSYR-TV - NY State Police have charged 54-year-old Frederick H. Johnson for Course of Sexual Conduct against a child in the 1st degree, Sex Abuse 1st degree, Sex Abuse 2nd degree and Endangering the Welfare of a Child.
State Police say the arrest is the result of an investigation into allegations that Johnson subjected multiple children, between the ages of 5 and 15, to sexual contact.
Johnson was also wanted for parole violation and was subsequently located and arrested in East Syracuse after an extensive search by State Police and New York State Parole Officers.
The victims will be offered services through the McMahon/Ryan Child Advocacy Center.
The investigation is continuing at this time and State Police request that anyone with information pertaining to Frederick Johnson contact investigators at (315) 366-6000.
Missouri Man Charged For Sodomy of a Child
Andy Humphrey Local News
(POTOSI, Mo.) – A Potosi man is facing three felony charges of statutory sodomy after an investigation revealed he committed sexual offenses against a child under 10 years old.
The Daily Journal reports the Washington County Prosecuting Attorney’s office filed charges Thursday against Melvin Christeson, 52. According to court documents, the female victim said in a forensic interview that Christeson took nude photos of her. When Christeson was interview, he admitted to the nude photos as well as touching the girl’s privates.
Christeson is currently in custody at the Washington County Jail on a $200,000 bond.
New sex crimes charge against Vermont man
focuses on decades-old allegations
Elizabeth Murray, Burlington Free Press
A Burlington man accused of lewd conduct with a disabled woman is facing a new charge stemming from allegations of sexual assault in the early 1990s.
Bruce Deming, 65, appeared in Vermont Superior Court in Burlington on Thursday, and pleaded not guilty to aggravated sexual assault of a person younger than 13 years old. He was allowed to remain free on conditions, including that he not have contact with his accuser or other females younger than 18.
Deming had previously pleaded not guilty in August to two counts of lewd and lascivious conduct with a vulnerable adult after a woman with disabilities reported that Deming inappropriately touched and kissed her without her consent. That case remains pending.
Deming's lawyer, Norm Blais, said his client "fully denies" the new allegation.
"He's very saddened that this has come up," Blais said. "We feel that when the facts are fully developed, he'll be completely exonerated."
Police: Conduct occurred when girl was ages 11 to 12
The woman at the center of the new charge reported her allegations to police after the initial charges against Deming were made public in August. She told police that Deming molested her at ages 11 and 12 while she was in his care, according to an affidavit filed by Cpl. Donald Demar of the Chittenden Unit for Special Investigations.
The Burlington Free Press does not identify people who say they are victims of sex crimes without their permission.
The woman described several incidents in which she says Deming sexually assaulted her using his fingers. One particular incident, which the woman recalled occurred in 1993, caused her to bleed for two days after he "violently" penetrated her with his fingers, according to the affidavit. She said Deming was drunk that night.
Lawyer: There could be problems with a 25-year-old case
Blais said the new charge is based on decades-old information — which could present problems for the prosecution. However, he said, there is no statute of limitation for aggravated child sexual assault allegations.
Chittenden County State's Attorney Sarah George declined to comment specifically on Deming's case, but she said generally, her office would not file charges unless prosecutors were confident they had enough evidence to prove the case at trial.
"Regardless of the age of the case, if the statute of limitations has not passed and we think we have the evidence to prove it at trial, we would charge it," George said.
If convicted of the sexual assault charge, Deming faces 10 years to life in prison.
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