Rotherham peer Lord Ahmed charged with
fourth child sex offence
His brothers (right, L-R Tariq and Farouq) have denied sexually abusing the same boy between 1968 to 1972.
Smallville actress Allison Mack pleads guilty to charges related to alleged sex cult NXIVM
fourth child sex offence
From the Rotherham Advertiser
ROTHERHAM peer Lord Nazir Ahmed has appeared at court — alongside his two brothers — charged with a fourth historical child sex offence.
The peer faced the further allegation of buggery against a boy under 11 when he appeared at Sheffield Crown Court Wednesday, April 17th.
Ahmed, of East Bawtry Road, Rotherham, appeared at the lower court last month charged with indecently assaulting the boy and two counts of attempted rape against a girl aged under 16 in the early 1970s.
The former Labour politician would have been aged between 14 to 17 when the alleged abuse took place against the two complainants.
No pleas have been formally entered but Ahmed’s solicitor told reporters at last month’s hearing outside Sheffield Magistrates' Court “he will be doing everything he can in order to prove his innocence”.
His brothers (right, L-R Tariq and Farouq) have denied sexually abusing the same boy between 1968 to 1972.
Mohammed Farouq (68), of Worrygoose Lane, Rotherham, denied at the earlier hearing four counts of indecent assault, said to have taken place when he was aged between 17 and 22.
Mohammed Tariq (63), of Gerard Road, Rotherham, denies two counts of indecently assaulting the boy when he would have been aged between 14 to 16.
A two-week trial date was set for December 2 and the men were granted unconditional bail.
Smallville actress Allison Mack pleads guilty to charges related to alleged sex cult NXIVM
Mack was accused along with group founder Keith Raniere
of sex trafficking related to NXIVM
Jason Proctor · CBC News
Smallville actress Allison Mack pleaded guilty in a New York court Monday to racketeering charges related to her role in a cult-like group whose leader has been accused of sex-trafficking.
Mack entered her plea as jury selection was about to begin in the trial of her co-accused, Keith Raniere, the founder of NXIVM, a self-improvement organization that prosecutors have likened to a pyramid scheme.
Mack wept as she admitted manipulating women into becoming sex slaves for Raniere, known to followers as "Vanguard."
"I believed Keith Raniere's intentions were to help people, and I was wrong," Mack told a federal court judge in Brooklyn.
Mack was charged with conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and conspiracy to commit forced labour. She was part of a secretive inner circle of female NXIVM members described by prosecutors as being "slaves" to Raniere.
Members of NXIVM's inner circle claimed they were branded with a scar that prosecutors claim contained the initials of leader Keith Raniere. (Sarah Edmondson)
As part of their initiation, the members of a group — known as DOS — allegedly gave "collateral" in the form of damaging secrets that could be released should they fail to comply with the wishes of the leaders of the group.
The women in DOS were also allegedly branded in the pubic region during super-secretive ceremonies with a symbol that later appeared to be Raniere's initials.
At its height, NXIVM had thousands of members in New York, Vancouver and Los Angeles. Mack was a prominent member of the group during the time the TV series Smallville was filmed in and around Vancouver. Mack played the role of Superman's close friend.
She also became a prominent adherent of NXIVM, appearing in many videos alongside Raniere as he explained his philosophy.
According to documents filed with the New York court last month, Mack was "engaged in negotiations with the government regarding a potential pretrial resolution of her case."
"I know I can and will be a better person," Mack told the court.
Her sentencing was set for Sept. 11.
Along with Raniere, Seagram's heiress Clare Bronfman still faces racketeering charges related to the operation of NXIVM.
Bronfman is also accused of conspiracy to commit identity theft, encouraging and inducing illegal entry to the United States and money laundering. She has pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released last July on $100-million bail.
In a statement posted to her website in December 2017, Bronfman said, "There have been many defamatory accusations made and I have taken them seriously. Determining the truth is extremely important to me, and I can say firmly that neither NXIVM nor Keith have abused or coerced anyone."
'I feel like my brain has been wiped': As NXIVM leader awaits trial, stunned former members ask, 'What now?'
Mack is the third person to enter a guilty plea in the case. Former NXIVM executive Nancy Salzman and her daughter, Lauren, have both entered pleas.
Raniere, who has been in custody since 2018, has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
New Zealand defense official in USA charged
in bathroom spycam case
in bathroom spycam case
© Reuters / Ina Fassbender
New Zealand’s former top diplomatic official in the US has appeared in court to face charges that he attempted to film his fellow embassy staff doing their bathroom business with a hidden camera secreted in the lavatory wall.
Former Navy commodore Alfred Keating has pleaded not guilty to the charges – ‘attempting to make an intimate visual recording of another person’ – in Auckland District Court, where the trial’s opening remarks were presented Monday. Keating was the highest-ranking New Zealand official working at the Washington DC embassy at the time the toilet-cam literally fell out of its hiding place in 2017, but resigned soon after the accusations went public last year.
“This was not an act of espionage,” New Zealand Crown Prosecutor Henry Steele told the jury, walking them through the events of that fateful day in late July 2017 when a man – arguably Keating – placed the tiny camera in a heating duct. Steele said Keating was attempting to record embassy staff as they used the facility’s unisex bathroom, and was only foiled when the camera and its homemade mount fell out of place – to be discovered by another embassy employee.
A search of the camera by New Zealand police found over 20 files – including 19 of people using the bathroom – and over 700 deleted files. DNA found on the camera’s memory card can be said with “extremely strong scientific support” to be Keating’s, according to the prosecutor, and a search of the former diplomat’s laptop showed he had searched for and accessed the camera manufacturer’s website, including a page on how to set up the device and which “operational modes” were available.
The camera’s homemade mount was found covered in a layer of dust, suggesting the surreptitious filming had been going on for some time.
“This is a circumstantial case and, we say, a weak one,” Keating’s lawyer, Ron Mansfield, said. “The evidence doesn’t tell you who did it and it certainly doesn’t tell you it was Mr. Keating.”
Keating initially pleaded not guilty to the charges last March, resigning from the New Zealand Defence Force – where he had served for over four decades – two days after his court appearance, where he unsuccessfully tried to have his name suppressed from public record, claiming revealing his identity would cause his family “extreme hardship.” Because of diplomatic immunity, he was not prosecuted in Washington DC, even though the alleged offense occurred there.
If convicted, Keating could serve up to a year-and-a-half in prison, though his career as a public official has already swirled down the drain.
Director of Mormon Temple Videos Charged with First Degree Sexual Abuse of a Child
Co-founder of Sundance Film festival &
Film Professor at University of Utah
Ryan McKnight On April 2, 2019, Sterling Van Wagenen, noted film director and producer, was indicted in Utah on a single count of aggravated sexual abuse of a child. An arrest warrant was issued on April 4 and Van Wagenen posted bail of $75,000 on April 8. The charge is a first degree felony which, according to the charging document, carries a 15 year minimum sentence and up to life imprisonment if he is convicted.
In February, the Truth and Transparency Foundation (TTF) published an audio recording in which Van Wagenen admits to sexually molesting a 13 year old boy in 1993. In the audio, Van Wagenen states that he has never engaged in sexual activity with any other minor. The news of this admission led to Van Wagenen resigning from his current position as a film professor at the University of Utah.
Earlier this month, the TTF reported that Van Wagenen was under investigation for an instance of sexual abuse. At the time, few details were known. With this new charge, we now know that he was being investigated for sexually abusing a child under 14.
According to the probable cause statement contained in the charging document, Van Wagenen “rubbed” the genital area of a female between the ages of 7 and 9 on two occasions between 2013 and 2015.
Subsequent to the two instances of abuse, Van Wagenen was alone with the child and asked her if the touching made her feel uncomfortable. According to the victim, during this conversation he told her that this was same way he touched his wife. The victim expressed that the touching made her uncomfortable and he told her that he would stop.
According to the court docket, which has been viewed by the TTF, Van Wagenen made his initial appearance after the warrant was issued on April 8, the day he posted the $75,000 bail. The next scheduled court date is May 2, 2019.
David (not his real name), the young man Van Wagenen molested in 1993 informed the TTF that he was surprised by the charge. When he met with Van Wagenen last year and discussed his own molestation with him, David left that conversation convinced that Van Wagenen was being honest and sincere in his declaration that he had never had sexual contact with any other minor.
David goes on to say, “More than anything, my heart breaks for the victim in this case and I sincerely hope there are no other victims out there.”
Editor admits weekly knew of MP child sex claims
but could never prove them
by David Sharman, HTFPbut could never prove them
An editor has admitted his newspaper was aware of historic child sex abuse allegations against an MP – but never obtained enough evidence to publish them.
The Chester Chronicle was one of the three titles named by witnesses at the inquiry as failing to publish anything about the incident, alleged to have taken place some time in the late 1980s or early 1990s.
But the Chronicle’s current editor Michael Green, a junior reporter there at the time the rumours began circulating, has hit back at claims of a conspiracy involving the local media, saying it was simply never able to prove the allegations sufficiently to publish anything about them.
Last month the inquiry heard from Grahame Nicholls, a delegate to the Chester Constituency Labour Party from the National Union of Public Employees, who claimed there was an agreement at the time between the local Labour and Conservative parties, as well as the local press, that the story would not be published.
Jane Lee, secretary of the Labour Party’s Gresford and Rossett branch in 1989 and 1990, further claimed a Labour-supporting journalist at North Wales and Chester daily The Leader had attended a meeting of the branch and had told members about the alleged incident, adding it would “all be in the paper” the next morning.
Nothing was ever subsequently published, with the reporter later explaining to branch members that Sir Peter, who died in 1995, had been given a “warning” which could not be put in the paper.
In a column responding to the testimony given at the inquiry, Michael clarified that the reporter named by Ms Lee had in fact worked for the Chronicle, not The Leader, while confirming her explanation for the story’s non-appearance.
Wrote Michael: “What she told that Labour group meeting was absolutely true – a local newspaper would never report that someone had been ‘warned’ over such an allegation primarily because Cheshire Constabulary is unlikely to have released such information to the media and would certainly never have officially named the person on the end of that warning – not to cover it up but because that would have been their policy.
“Someone may at the time have told us about the warning and who it was given to but it would have been off the record and therefore we would have no official source to quote to back up whatever story we might have wanted to publish.”
“Was the Chester Chronicle aware of allegations made against Sir Peter Morrison during his time as our MP? Of course we were. Did we ever obtain evidence, quotes, confirmations, sources that would have enabled us to print such allegations as facts? Not a chance!
“Even back in those days when we had at least three times the number of reporters we have at our disposal today we would never have had the resources to be able to obtain such evidence especially as, unlike our national colleagues, we were never in a position to pay for information.
Added Michael: “What we also didn’t have was a huge legal fund to tap into if we printed something that someone – especially one of the country’s most prominent politicians – felt was defamatory and decided to sue us, a consideration which is no longer relevant in this case as you cannot defame a dead person.
“We do know that a number of national newspapers such as the News of the World had journalists camped out near Morrison’s home in the hope of witnessing something incriminating but that even an operation as well resourced as that failed to obtain anything they felt confident enough to publish.
“All of which must seem strange to readers in 2019 when every week seems to bring us a fresh scandal about a public figure accused of sexual impropriety of one sort or another even though they have often never been convicted or even charged with a crime. How times have changed!”
“But as a journalist still working in local media almost 25 years after the death of Sir Peter Morrison, I am proud to say that one thing that hasn’t changed in all that time is that the Chester Chronicle would still never attempt to tarnish a person’s reputation – no matter how certain we thought we were of their guilt – unless we had the evidence to back it up.”
Bronfman heiress pleads guilty in NXIVM sex slave case
Clare Bronfman admits to harbouring someone
living illegally in U.S., credit card fraud
The Associated Press 
Clare Bronfman arrives at Brooklyn Federal Court on April 8 in New York.
(Mark Lennihan/Associated Press)
Clare Bronfman admitted in her plea in federal court in Brooklyn that she harboured someone who was living in the U.S. illegally for unpaid "labour and services" and that she committed credit card fraud on behalf of Keith Raniere, the leader of the group called NXIVM.
Bronfman — the 40-year-old daughter of the late billionaire philanthropist and former Seagram chairman Edgar Bronfman Sr. — told the judge that she had wanted to help people through NXIVM but ended up dishonouring her family.
"Your honour, I was afforded a great gift by my grandfather and father," Bronfman said. "With the gift, comes immense privilege and more importantly, tremendous responsibility. It does not come with an ability to break the law."
She added: "For this, I am truly sorry."
As part of a plea agreement, Bronfman agreed to forfeit $6 million US. She faces up to 27 months in prison at sentencing on July 25.
The plea means Bronfman will avoid going to trial early next month with Raniere, who's facing conspiracy charges alleging that his inner circle of loyalists created a secret society of women who were forced to have unwanted sex with him. Prosecutors say some of the women were branded with his initials as part of their initiation.
An accountant for the group, Kathy Russell, also pleaded guilty on Friday to a fraud charge. She joined three other NXIVM insiders besides Bronfman who have also pleaded guilty.
Among those defendants is Allison Mack, the TV actress best known for her role as a young Superman's close friend on the series Smallville.
Bronfman had long been affiliated with NXIVM, giving away tens of million of dollars of her fortune to bankroll Raniere and his program of intense self-improvement classes. She also paid for lawyers to defend the group against a lawsuit brought by its critics.
With the two guilty pleas on Friday, Raniere will face a jury by himself. Defence attorneys have insisted any relationship between their client and the alleged victims, including women expected to testify against him at trial, was consensual.
NBA coach Luke Walton accused of sexually assaulting sports presenter
Sacramento Kings coach Luke Walton has been accused of sexually assaulting former sports presenter Kelli Tennant, according to reports in the US media.
Walton is accused of sexually assaulting Tennant, a former host on Spectrum SportsNet LA, on an unspecified date before Walton was named coach of the LA Lakers in April 2016.
ESPN cites a civil lawsuit filed at Los Angeles County Superior Court which alleges that Walton – who had worked with Tennant previously – pinned the reporter to a bed during a meeting at the Casa Del Mar Hotel in Santa Monica, California.
Tennant was reportedly dropping off a copy of her book, for which Walton had written the forward, when the coach allegedly invited her to his room.
The coach, who was an assistant with the Golden State Warriors at the time of the alleged incident, is then claimed to have forcibly groped Tennant’s breasts and kissed her, also “rubbing his erection against her leg” before he eventually stopped.
© Getty Images / AFP / Sean M. Haffey
According to the lawsuit, in May 2017 Walton is also alleged to have made an “aggressive hug” on Tennant and made a lewd comment about an outfit she was wearing when they met at a charity event, during the time he was head coach at the Lakers.
The lawsuit, first reported by TMZ, alleges he made "vulgar, guttural sounds" at Tennant and said: "Mmmm ... you're killing me in that dress."
The ex-LA Lakers player, 39, recently left his former team as coach following a disappointing season in which they failed to reach the play-offs, and has since joined the Kings.
 |
| Kelli Tennant |
"If it had been, we would have immediately commenced an investigation and notified the NBA. Since Luke Walton is now under contract to another team, we will have no further comment.”
Walton’s current team, the Kings, said on Monday night: "We are aware of the report and are gathering additional information. We have no further comment at this time."
Walton’s team at the time of the alleged hotel incident, the Warriors, also said they were “aware” of the allegations, while the NBA has opened an investigation, according to ESPN.
On Monday night, an attorney representing Walton issued a statement vehemently denying the allegations. “Luke Walton retained me to defend him against these baseless allegations,” Mark Baute told The Sacramento Bee.
“The accuser is an opportunist, not a victim, and her claim is not credible. We intend to prove this in a courtroom.”
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