1000s of minors in US subjected to child marriage
due to ‘loopholes’ in law – govt report
due to ‘loopholes’ in law – govt report
© Reuters/Brian Snyder
Thousands of requests to bring child brides to the US were approved by immigration services between 2007 and 2017, a new government reports shows. The “loophole” bears grave dangers for minors, especially girls, the paper warns.
The United States claims to be a strong opponent of child marriage around the world. But a fresh report – explicitly entitled “How the U.S. Immigration System Encourages Child Marriages” – paints a different picture. The document for the Senate Homeland Security Committee says that the American authorities themselves approved thousands of petitions and visas for spousal or fiancé immigration benefits for marriages involving minors.
According to the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), US adults are eligible to petition for a visa for a minor spouse or fiancé, who lives abroad. A US child also has a right to petition for a spouse or fiancé living in a foreign state.
Requests are first sent to the citizenship and immigration services (USCIS) who determine if the relationship is legitimate or not. Applicants are required to provide evidence which proves a “family relationship.” Approved requests are then sent to the State Department who decides if they will issue a visa.
Process of petitioning for a fiancé visa from start to finish, US Citizenship and Immigration Services
While the exact number of approvals is unknown, the latest report shows that there were 8,686 applications filed involving minors, and nearly 5,000 of the requests eventually resulted in a green card being issued.
The INA has given assurances that such requests are totally legal: the law sets no limit on the number of applicants for relatives and includes no specifications on age limits.
That “loophole” bears grave dangers for girls, the Senate paper warns, citing the non-profit Ayaan Hirsi Ali Foundation. It leaves “the most vulnerable children, often girls promised to adult men, defenseless to families who hope to offer U.S. citizenship in exchange for a marital agreement.”
One of the cases, brought up in the document involved a 71 year-old-man applying for admission for a 17 year-old-girl from Guatemala. The girl was younger than her spouse or fiancé in 95% of the cases examined.
Victims are often lured into agreement over the chance to obtain a US passport and escape the poverty or violence of their home country, if not forced outright by their parents. Although the highest number of requests from a single country came from Mexico, the majority of requests were from Middle Eastern nationals from Pakistan, Jordan and Yemen.
The Senators who spearheaded the report, now hope it will motivate reforms to the INA.
"It indicates a problem. It indicates a loophole that we need to close," said Republican senator Ron Johnson, the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee.
Child marriage is not only an issue imported from outside through a loophole, it is also a rampant problem domestically. Age limits in the US are set on a state-by-state basis, and many states have no limits at all.
Chelsea Clinton✔
@ChelseaClinton
Horrifying: “US approved thousands of child bride requests.” Yet, not surprising that our immigration system is complicit in supporting #childmarriage. In 48 states, this abhorrent practice is legal. #GirlsNotBrides @UnchainedAtLast https://apnews.com/19e43295c76d4d249aa51c9f643eb377 …
According to data collected by PBS’s Frontline program, some 200,000 minors were legally married in the United States between 2000 and 2015. Fraidy Reiss of Unchained at Last, a group which campaigns against coerced marriage, told AP that many girls “are subjected to a lifetime of domestic servitude and rape.”
Unchained At Last
@UnchainedAtLast
The U.S. govt encourages #childmarriage by letting children petition for foreign spouses/fiancees. Girls like @nailaemt are forced to become #childbrides so their "husband" can get a visa. Kudos to @AHAFoundation for recognizing the problem. @ctlong1 https://bit.ly/2QG1a1V
That is a huge problem “both domestically and in terms of immigration,” she argued.
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LACLEDE COUNTY, Mo. — A 6-year-old boy who had been missing since August, 2018, was found alive Tuesday afternoon, hidden – along with his fugitive mother – in the boarded-up attic of a southwest Missouri home.
Braedence Jones had been missing for 5 months. The missing boy's mother, Aubrey Ferguson, has been taken into police custody.
Officers executing a search warrant at a home in Laclede County found Braedence in an attic crawl space, Camden County Sheriff's Office officials said in a news release.
"Ferguson and her boyfriend were hiding the child in an attic crawl space that had been nailed shut and concealed," according to authorities. "Ferguson was with the child in the crawl space when discovered."
The investigators were acting on a tip from United States Marshals Service Midwest Violent Fugitive Task Force. The task force was working with the Camden County Sheriff’s Department and other agencies.
Braedence was not returned from his mother to his father, Ryan Jones, during a visit to Camden County on August 3, 2018. The Missouri State Highway Patrol then issued an endangered person advisory in October, and Braedence's mother, who was wanted for felony child abduction, allegedly went on the run.
Sightings of the suspects were reported in the City of Stoutland and Laclede County.
Officers arrested Ferguson and her boyfriend, Woodrow Ziegler, another suspect in the case, on Tuesday.
Ziegler is a felon and was court-ordered to not be around Braedence. He is one of the reasons an endangered person advisory was issued by the Missouri Highway Patrol.
Ferguson and her son went missing in Camden County and were found in Laclede County. Investigators say she refused to bring their son back to his father. The two share custody but he lives with Ryan Jones. The Missouri Highway Patrol has now canceled their endangered person advisory.
Ferguson is being held on a warrant for child abduction out of Camden County as well as a Capius Warrant out of Crawford County. Additional charges are being sought out of Laclede and possibly Camden Counties.
On Tuesday evening, Jones' girlfriend Breanne Dominguez posted a series of Facebook posts showing Braedence reunited with his father.
"OUR LITTLE BOY IS HOME. GOD IS SOOOO GOOD!!!!💜 Thank you all for the prayers, shared, phone calls and etc. we don’t know how to thank everyone enough. Our hearts are so full of joy atm. Just thank you everyone..." writes Breanne Marie Dominguez in a Facebook post.
6-year-old boy missing since August found alive
in sealed attic of Missouri home
BY TRIBUNE MEDIA WIRELACLEDE COUNTY, Mo. — A 6-year-old boy who had been missing since August, 2018, was found alive Tuesday afternoon, hidden – along with his fugitive mother – in the boarded-up attic of a southwest Missouri home.
Braedence Jones had been missing for 5 months. The missing boy's mother, Aubrey Ferguson, has been taken into police custody.
Aubrey Ferguson and Woodrow Ziegler (Camden County Sheriff's Office)
Officers executing a search warrant at a home in Laclede County found Braedence in an attic crawl space, Camden County Sheriff's Office officials said in a news release.
"Ferguson and her boyfriend were hiding the child in an attic crawl space that had been nailed shut and concealed," according to authorities. "Ferguson was with the child in the crawl space when discovered."
The investigators were acting on a tip from United States Marshals Service Midwest Violent Fugitive Task Force. The task force was working with the Camden County Sheriff’s Department and other agencies.
Braedence was not returned from his mother to his father, Ryan Jones, during a visit to Camden County on August 3, 2018. The Missouri State Highway Patrol then issued an endangered person advisory in October, and Braedence's mother, who was wanted for felony child abduction, allegedly went on the run.
Sightings of the suspects were reported in the City of Stoutland and Laclede County.
Officers arrested Ferguson and her boyfriend, Woodrow Ziegler, another suspect in the case, on Tuesday.
Braedence reunited with Dad
Ziegler is a felon and was court-ordered to not be around Braedence. He is one of the reasons an endangered person advisory was issued by the Missouri Highway Patrol.
Ferguson and her son went missing in Camden County and were found in Laclede County. Investigators say she refused to bring their son back to his father. The two share custody but he lives with Ryan Jones. The Missouri Highway Patrol has now canceled their endangered person advisory.
Ferguson is being held on a warrant for child abduction out of Camden County as well as a Capius Warrant out of Crawford County. Additional charges are being sought out of Laclede and possibly Camden Counties.
On Tuesday evening, Jones' girlfriend Breanne Dominguez posted a series of Facebook posts showing Braedence reunited with his father.
"OUR LITTLE BOY IS HOME. GOD IS SOOOO GOOD!!!!💜 Thank you all for the prayers, shared, phone calls and etc. we don’t know how to thank everyone enough. Our hearts are so full of joy atm. Just thank you everyone..." writes Breanne Marie Dominguez in a Facebook post.
Lacrede Co., MO
Grand jury indicts Texas man for human trafficking, child sex abuse, possession of kiddie porn
By Field Walsh, TXK Today
A Bowie County grand jury Thursday indicted a New Boston, Texas, man for the alleged sexual abuse of his girlfriend’s teen daughter.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Smith would send the girl a text message telling her to take a shower when he wanted to sexually abuse her. The girl told authorities that Smith would come in the bathroom and sexually abuse her.
The girl described being sexually assaulted and sodomized and alleged that Smith would ask that she urinate on his face. The girl allegedly told a forensic interviewer at the Texarkana Children’s Advocacy Center that Smith took nude photos of her in the bathroom of her mother’s home with a drone that he held in one hand while working the controls with the other.
The girl reported that Smith traveled with her across state lines during a summer while he was working as a commercial truck driver and that he sexually abused her in various locations during the trip. Images depicting the sexual exploitation of children were allegedly found after Smith’s electronic devices were seized by law enforcement.
If convicted of child pornography possession, Smith faces two to 10 years in prison. If convicted of sexual assault of a child, Smith faces two to 10 years on each of two counts. If found guilty of trafficking, Smith faces 25 to 99 years or life in prison.
There is no parole eligibility from a sentence for human trafficking in Texas. Smith must serve the entire amount of any sentence he receives.
I'm not sure how trafficking fits in here, but I certainly hope he's found guilty of it.
The case is assigned to 202nd District Judge John Tidwell. First Assistant District Attorney Kelley Crisp and Assistant District Attorney Lauren Richards are prosecuting. Smith is represented by the Bowie County Public Defenders Office.
Commander of US nuclear sub demoted for hiring 10 Filipina prostitutes as ‘accompaniment’
FILE PHOTO: Cmdr. Travis W. Zettel salutes sideboys
© US Navy / Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Michael H. Lee
An American submarine commander has been relieved of duty after he hired a horde of “provocatively dressed females” to entertain himself and his sailors while being stationed in the Philippines.
Capt. Travis Zettel was relieved of duty last August for “inappropriate personal conduct” after allegedly “ordering” ten girls to his hotel while his sub, the USS Bremerton, was ported in Subic Bay, Kitsap Sun reported, citing the details of the incident obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.
Capt. Travis Zettel was relieved of duty last August; an NCIS investigation found he’d bought ‘female accompaniment’ for sailors.
After the escorts arrived the commander was witnessed enjoying the company of “provocatively dressed females." At least three “local females" were seen holding Zettel by his arms as he “wandered around” greeting his fellow seamen at the hotel in March 2018.
Such a warm reception accorded to American sailors overseas did not go unnoticed and was reported to the Inspector General's hotline. After USS Bremerton returned to Naval Base Kitsap in Washington state in May to begin decommissioning, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service opened a probe into alleged misconduct. Confronted with the allegations the captain admitted paying for “female accompaniment.” Following the scandal, Zettel was relieved of his command and reassigned to another position within Submarine Squadron 19. Other sailors subject to the probe were not reprimanded.
Nebraska woman accused of child abuse,
sexual assault, ordered held on $1.5m bail
By Kevin Cole / World-Herald sexual assault, ordered held on $1.5m bail
A Sarpy County woman charged with sexually assaulting two boys also has been charged with six counts of felony child abuse because she provided alcohol and marijuana to children at her home, a prosecutor said Monday.
Monday, Sarpy County District Judge George Thompson ordered Greer to be held on a total of $1.5 million bail. She must pay 10 percent of that amount, or $150,000, to be released from jail.
Defense attorney James McGough unsuccessfully asked the judge to set a lower bail amount so that Greer could return to work.
Greer entered the courtroom weeping and, for the most part, kept her face buried in her hands as her right leg jiggled nervously.
From September 2017 through February 2018, Deputy Sarpy County Attorney Phil Kleine told the judge, Greer provided alcohol to one child "at least 50 times." He also accused Greer of giving marijuana edibles to the youths on at least 10 occasions.
In addition to being previously charged with three counts of first-degree sexual assault of a child, Greer also has been charged with first-degree sexual assault of another child and two counts of witness tampering.
In one incident, Greer is alleged to have had sex with a 13-year-old boy at her home. Officials say she then tried to prevent him from telling authorities. A jury trial is scheduled to begin Feb. 7 in that case. The other sexual assault case also involves a 13-year-old boy.
Greer, has also has been arrested on suspicion of five counts of felony child abuse, according to Sarpy County court records.
Sarpy Co., NE
70-year-old Maryland man charged with
child sex abuse and rape
By William Vitka | @vitkaWTOPchild sex abuse and rape
WASHINGTON — A 70-year-old Maryland man was arrested over the weekend on charges that include sex abuse of two girls, rape and possession of child pornography, the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office said Monday.
The victim, a now-12-year-old girl, told interviewers that Shea would watch pornography and was observed partaking in what the sheriff’s office describes as “explicit sexual behaviors in front of the victim.”
A second victim, now 13, confirmed that Shea would make her and the other victim watch pornography with him while performing “explicit sexual behaviors.”
The second victim also told police that she awoke one night to Shea raping her.
The victims were 9 and 11 respectively at the time.
Shea faces two counts of sex abuse of a minor, second-degree rape, third-degree sex offense and 10 counts of possession of child pornography.
Examination on computers seized from his residence confirmed that there was pornography on the machines, including child pornography.
Shea is being held at the Frederick County Adult Detention Center without bond.
29-year-old jailed in Alabama on
11 felony child sex charges
By Carol Robinson | crobinson@al.com
A Childersburg man is jailed on more than a quarter-million-dollar bond, accused of nearly one dozen sex crimes against a child.
According to arrest warrants in the case, the crime of which Taylor is accused took place between June 1, 2013 and July 1, 2018. Court records indicate the victim is a young girl, but do not disclose any additional information about her relationship to Taylor.
Taylor is being held in the Shelby County Jail on bonds totaling $255,000. A court date has not yet been set.
Former Tennessee school band director arrested on sex charges involving multiple children
By: WKRN Web Staff
COFFEE COUNTY, Tenn. - A former middle school band director has been arrested on dozens of charges related to sex crimes against children.
The 79-year-old man faces 34 counts involving sex acts against multiple victims ranging in age from 12 to 15.
The charges include sexual abuse of a child, indecent exposure and sexual battery by an authority figure.
Baird was a band director for several decades at Westwood Middle School in Manchester.
Pennsylvania man arrested on child sexual abuse charges
By: 69 News READING, Pa. - Police have arrested a Mohrsville man who is facing charges of sexual child abuse.
Keith Buch, 60, is facing charges of endangering welfare of children, corruption of minors and indecent assault.
The Berks County Detective's Office conducted an investigation into the assault in October of 2018.
The victim disclosed the sexual assaults took place between January 1998 and January 2004.
Buch admitted to having inappropriate contact with the victim during an interview with detectives.
He surrendered to detectives and his bail was set at $25,000 unsecured. Buch was released pending preliminary hearing.
Colorado child abuse, neglect hotline
sees record number of calls in 2018
By: Stephanie Butzersees record number of calls in 2018
Photo by: Ben Wicks on Unsplash
December marked the end of the fourth year of the public awareness campaign, which is put on by the CDHS.
The 24/7 hotline — 1-844-CO-4-KIDS or 1-844-264-5437 — received a record of 221,969 calls in 2018, which is a 10,500 increase from 2017.
Thanks to the people who made the calls, social services agencies investigated the safety of more than 57,042 children in 2018. Of those children, 13,289 were experiencing abuse or neglect, according to CDHS.
In addition, 12,787 families received voluntary support from social services to help prevent abuse or neglect in the future.
Minna Castillo-Cohen, director of the Office of Children, Youth and Families at CDHS, said the growth in the number of calls is encouraging because it means more people understand their role in preventing abuse and neglect.
“Sadly, children in Colorado continue to experience abuse, and reporting can’t be the only way Colorado is working to help build communities that strengthen families and prevent child abuse,” she said.
Out-of-town placements for these children are sometimes necessary to protect them, but most children and teens who receive help through child welfare services are not removed from their homes.
Calls to the hotline are routed to the appropriate county, which are responsible for responding to the reports. As of Monday, 38 counties rely entirely on the hotline to screen their calls, according to CDHS.
“The fact that more than half of Colorado’s counties now believe strongly enough in the Hotline County Connection Center to trust them to screen all of their child abuse, neglect and child sex trafficking inquiries and reports represents a wonderful vote of confidence in our system,” Castillo-Cohen said. “Many of these counties are smaller in population and therefore have fewer staff members to cover large territories. Using the County Connection Center’s call screening process, resources and personnel are freed up to be boots on the ground in these counties, connecting directly with and supporting families in crisis.”
To learn more, visit www.co4kids.org . Call the hotline at 1-844-264-5437 if you suspect a case of child abuse or neglect. If a child is in immediate danger, call 911.
Ohio woman receives max sentence
for shocking child abuse case
Drug and children should never be in the same place at the same time;
for shocking child abuse case
Drug and children should never be in the same place at the same time;
only evil can come from it. And it is always the children who suffer most.
By: Sam Coniglio
ST. CLAIRSVILLE, Ohio (WTRF) - A Neffs woman has received the maximum sentence for her part in a child abuse case which sent a 4-year-old to the emergency room.
 |
| Obviously, children are not the only ones who suffer from mixing drugs and children |
Glasgow was arrested with Devan Redman, 25 of Neffs, after the child was brought to the emergency room covered from head to to in bruises and burn marks.
Glasgow and Redman were reportedly friends of the child's mother, and were taking care of the child while the mother was evicted from her home. When the mother picked the child up, she was horrified and rushed her to the hospital.
"There were bruises extensively over her body, burn marks on her body, scratch marks around her vaginal area," disclosed Belmont County Prosecutor Dan Fry earlier this month.
Investigators are also still looking into whether or not the abuse on the child was sexual, so they seized electronics from their home.
"Those items are still being looked at forensically," said Dan Fry. "If it turns out that there was something on there indicating some type of sexual abuse, then obviously those charges would come later."
Redman pled guilty to child endangerment on January 8 and will be sentenced on January 28.
Former Virginia HS coach charged with
child sex abuse
By Tonia Moxley tonia.moxley@roanoke.com A former Glenvar High School coach was arrested Friday on charges of child sex abuse.
Vinton Police Department arrested Moberg Friday evening on a warrant from the Bedford County Sheriff’s Office.
The charges stemmed from offenses alleged to have occurred on Dec. 4, according to jail records.
Moberg was head coach of the Glenvar High girls basketball team for five seasons before resigning in 2017 to work full time as an insurance agent and investment advisor with Mutual of Omaha in Roanoke, according to The Roanoke Times archive.
As of Sunday, Moberg was listed as an employee on the insurance company’s website.
Moberg is being held without bond in the Salem jail, according to online records.
Former OK Congressional candidate faces
child sexual abuse charges
By Elizabeth Ridenour eridenour@muskogeephoenix.com
A former Congressional candidate was jailed Monday on three counts of child sexual abuse, said Muskogee County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Michael Mahan.
Deputies identified two possible victims — one is 13, and the other is 16, Mahan said. "Some of the allegations took place in another stand and in another county," he said.
One of the children disclosed the information in late December. As the investigation got underway, the second victim was identified.
Edmonds is expected to appear in Muskogee County District Court today where he will be charged with three counts of child sexual abuse. The case against him has already been filed by the District Attorney's Office.
In 2010, Edmonds was defeated in the primary in his bid for the 2nd District Congressional seat.
Edmonds is accused of having inappropriate sexual contact with one child over a four-year period. The other child told deputies he was sexually assaulted three or four years ago, Mahan said.
It is possible more victims have not been identified. "If there are other victims, we would encourage them to come forward," Mahan said.
If there are other victims, contact the Muskogee County Sheriff's Office at (918) 687-0202.
Hazlett, NewSpring Church named in 2nd SC
child sex abuse lawsuit
by Drew Tripp
NORTH CHARLESTON, SC (WCIV) — How could a church with approximately 40 actively monitored security cameras miss months of alleged child sexual abuse in plain view of the cameras?
It's a central question in now two civil lawsuits against NewSpring Church in North Charleston, and one of its former volunteers who's also under criminal investigation for child sex abuse.
NewSpring and 28-year-old Jacop Hazlett are named as defendants in a lawsuit filed Jan. 9 in Charleston County court.
Hazlett already faces 14 criminal charges of first and third degree child sexual abuse from North Charleston Police related to months of alleged abuse at the church.
North Charleston Police say Hazlett was recorded sexually assaulting 14 children during a 90-day period from September through November.
Hazlett had volunteered with children at the church since March 2018, but a NewSpring spokesperson said in November the church's security footage is only stored for 90 days.
Police say Hazlett during interrogation admitted to the sexual abuse, reportedly saying he knew it was wrong, but couldn't control his sexual attraction to young boys.
The parent filing the new lawsuit asks for a jury trial with the goal of being awarded compensation for actual and punitive damages, as well as court costs.
Hazlett and NewSpring were named as defendants in a prior lawsuit filed in Dorchester County court last November, which makes nearly identical claims of gross negligence against the church.
Both lawsuits center on accusations NewSpring either ignored the alleged abuse by Hazlett as it happened in plain sight, or failed to make sure the church's security camera feeds were properly monitored.
"Although the church defendants had live video feeds from the surveillance cameras (in) the video room, the security team either failed to monitor the live feeds or ignored the abuse that played out on the screens," the lawsuit reads in part.
NewSpring's security team at the North Charleston campus is comprised of volunteers, who monitor the security cameras during services, the lawsuits say.
NewSpring says Hazlett passed a criminal background check before he was allowed to volunteer. That background check did not show a past case of child sexual assault in Ohio.
In that case, Hazlett reportedly molested a child under 13 years old. Hazlett was 17 at the time, but was charged as an adult. Ohio court records show Hazlett's charges were reduced to felony assault instead of a sex crime in exchange for a guilty plea.
Police in North Carolina also say Hazlett has been named in the investigation of a reported sexual abuse involving a now 7-year-old boy.
Michigan School Employee Accused
of Child Sexual Abuse
Chris Clor, 9&10NewsA former Alpena Public Schools employee is facing possible life in prison, accused of child sexual abuse.
State police say they arrested her Friday, but the investigation into the allegations started during Winfield’s tenure at Alpena Public Schools in 2016.
Her next court date has not yet been set.
Upstate NY man, 77, charged with child sex abuse
By Harold McNeil, Buffalo NewsA Lockport man has been charged with second-degree course of sexual conduct against a child and endangering the welfare of a child, according to the Niagara County Sheriff's Office.
Baker was arraigned before Lockport Town Justice Cheryl Antkowiak, who set his bail at $10,000, according to the Sheriff's Office.
Baker was scheduled to return to court Tuesday, the Sheriff's Office said.
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