Police charge 16 in burning death of sexually abused Bangladesh teenager
South Korea man arrested for operating porn website
By Elizabeth Shim
By Clyde Hughes
Bangladesh activists hold posters demanding justice for Nusrat Jahan Rafi during a rally in April.
Authorities announced Tuesday they charged 16 people in connection with the teenager's death.
Photo by Monirul Alam/EPA-EFE
(UPI) -- Sixteen people have been charged in the death of a 19-year-old Bangladesh student who was set on fire after refusing to drop sexual assault charges against the principal of her madrasa.
Nasrat Jahan Rafi was bound, doused with kerosene and set on fire last month in Feni.
Police Bureau of Investigation chief Banaj Kumar Majumder said Tuesday he finalized charges against a group of students and others, led by Siraj Ud Doula, principal of the Sonagazi Islamia Senior Fazil Madrasathe, the Daily Star reported.
Majumder is accused of ordering the group to first pressure Rafi and her family to drop the sexual assault accusations.
Rafi accused the principal of assaulting her on March 27.
When that did not work, he then ordered her slaying, the police chief said.
On April 6 she was burned and died four days later at Dhaka Medical College Hospital with burns on 80 percent of her body.
The slaying spurred protests.
Majumder said police have confessions from 12 of the suspects and have interviewed 92 witnesses as part of the investigation.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina promised Rafi's family last month that the killers will be brought to justice.
"None of the culprits will be spared from legal action," Hasina said after meeting the family, the Dhaka Tribune reported.
South Korea man arrested for operating porn website
South Korea bans pornography in all its forms. Local police have arrested a man for distributing material online, according to press reports on Tuesday. File Photo by Yonhap
(UPI) -- A South Korean man who operated a pornographic site based in the Philippines has been arrested, police in Korea's Jeju Province said Tuesday.
Police said they arrested the man, identified only by his last name Ko, on suspicion of violating Korea's information and communication law, the juvenile protection act and the foreign exchange transactions act, according to Newsis.
Ko uploaded more than 25,000 types of pornographic material from January 2017 to April 2019, including child pornography, according to police.
The suspect operated offices in Manila and Osaka, Japan, possibly to evade censorship that affects South Korea-based sites.
Pornography in all its forms is illegal in South Korea, although the law is not regularly enforced. Distribution of illicit material can lead to a fine, or a two-year sentence, and the South Korean government blocks most sites.
Ko made substantial profits from disseminating pornography online, earning fees that totaled more than $480,000 in 2017 and 2018. Fees earned were collected in Philippine pesos to circumvent South Korean authorities.
The suspect also operated gambling sites through which he earned nearly $150,000 in fees.
South Korea police were able to identify Ko with help from Interpol, and after registering his data to the database of stolen and lost travel documents.
Ko was apprehended in March, when he attempted to travel to Japan, according to Newsis on Tuesday. Asia has strict laws against pornography, including neighboring China.
Chinese authorities reportedly arrested the last two main suspects running a live-streaming porn site, according to the South China Morning Post last week.
The suspects were arrested in the Philippines, according to the report.
The site made $2.3 million in five months and registered over 900,000 users before it was shut down.
And those are just a fraction of the sick and pathetic paedophiles out there.
WA child protection authorities took >4 years to review foster carer despite serious sexual abuse claim
Emily Moulton
The West Australian
It took the WA Department of Child Protection more than four years before they placed a foster carer’s status under review despite receiving a serious complaint of child sexual abuse allowing the man to then go on to offend against other children.
Over the course of several years, the man, who The West Australian has chosen not to name to protect the identities of his victims, raped and indecently assaulted six young children, between 2007 and 2011, who were aged between six and 10 years old.
The first offence took place just 14 days after the 73-year-old former painter and decorator and his wife were approved to take care of the vulnerable youngsters, many of whom had no where else to go.
Some of the children spent weeks with the couple, while others spent years. All were sexually abused.
One of the victims, who was subjected to some of the worst abuse, complained to authorities however she was not believed. The man then went on to abuse four more children, including one a few years later who was not a foster child.
His horrific offending was only discovered after a letter written by one of his victims, who was eight years old at the time, was found in 2016 in which she wrote: “I feel safe when loved. I feel sad when I have sex with my granddad.”
Yesterday, the man was jailed for 15 years and four months for what District Court Judge Christopher Stevenson described as the “brazen” and “systematic” sexual abuse of vulnerable children who had been placed in his care.
The court heard how the man, who used Viagra to carry out his crimes, managed to fool authorities by ingratiating himself with case workers and lying to police officers by telling them he was impotent to avoid being charged.
His status as a carer was only placed under review in October 2013 but three months later the man withdrew his application as a foster carer. He then went on to abuse another child.
Judge Stevenson described the treatment by authorities of the young girl, who first complained in 2009, as a “Spanish Inquisition” adding it was now fortunate interviews concerning sexual abuse victims were no longer conducted in the same manner.
He rejected the suggestion the crimes were opportunistic saying there was a considerable amount of premeditation with the man often ensuring he was alone with the children to carry out his crimes.
Not to mention the Viagra.
In determining his sentence, Judge Stevenson said he took into account the man’s age, his physical disability - the court heard the man’s right leg had been amputated - and the fact that he had some form of dementia. But he said he would also take into account the fact he had showed no remorse for his crimes and continued to protest his innocence.
“There’s no remorse and no insight to the harm you have caused to each one of your victims,” he said. “You rolled the dice. You have taken away any opportunity for a discount.”
He also compared the situation the children found themselves in as like that of David and Goliath, except worse.
“When one thinks about the position that you were in, with respect to each of the foster children in your care, the difference in position is significant,” he said. “At least David had a stone. Those children had nothing. They had nobody and nothing and you had absolute control and power over them in every sense including as to where they could live and what would happen in the event that you said things to DCP about their behaviour. The breach of trust and the power you had was significantly disparate.”
A Department of Communities spokesman said since these offences were committed, the assessment of potential foster carers had been enhanced and strengthened - including an annual carer review.
An annual carer review. For new carers there should be a review within a few days, another after a month and another after 6 months.
Judge Stevenson sentenced the carer to 15 years and four months and made him eligible for parole.
And did he forbid him from ever having Viagra in his possession ever again?
Celtic set to reveal two-year secret probe into boy's club sex abuse scandal
By Keith McLeod
Daily Record
Celtic are to reveal a two-year probe into child sex abuse
Celtic FC is set to announce it has secretly conducted a two-year investigation into the child sex abuse scandal at Celtic Boys’ Club.
The club is expected to reveal the probe on Sunday amid a growing clamour for justice for victims.
Pressure has been intensifying since four vile paedophiles were convicted of a catalogue of abuse spanning decades - and Daily Record revelations that boys’ club leaders were investigated and cleared of any wrong doing by the Celtic FC board in 1986.
Our story detailed how the club probed claims that boys were arriving home late from training, boys were being taken out socially and boys were being taken to weekend tournaments that did not exist.
The then Celtic FC board branded the 1980s claims as “scurrilous” and said that they should be “buried once and for all”.
Frank Cairney was jailed earlier this year for a 20-year long campaign of abuse (Image: Daily Record)
The Record revelations appeared to be at odds with the club’s position that the boys' club was an “entirely separate” organisation.
On Sunday Celtic FC is expected to say that the secret investigation has been taking place over the past two years.
The club will say that it has been unable to announce the probe until now because of the criminal investigations and court cases involving beasts Jim Torbett, 71, Jim McCafferty, 73, Frank Cairney, 83 and Gerald King, 66.
The results of the new investigation are not yet known.
Our story - from May 17 - documented that Celtic had been aware of allegations involving Torbett and Cairney as far back as the mid 80s.
Former Celtic Boys' Club coach Jim Torbett pictured at Celtic Park with one of his abuse victims, Kenny Campbell (Image: Daily Record)
Celtic FC had previously said it first became aware of allegations in the 1990s.
The fact that the Celtic FC board had investigated and cleared the boys’ club leaders in 1986 also appeared to undermine the club’s position that the boys’ club was totally separate.
Many of Torbett’s vile crimes happened after Celtic had cleared the boys’ club leaders and endorsed them.
Today a well-placed source close to the club revealed: “The club have been looking into this issue for the last two years. It’s expected that they will issue a statement soon confirming that an investigation has been on-going, but because of the on-going legal process they have been unable to discuss it.”
Celtic FC has faced intense criticism over its response to the convictions, insisting the main club is separate from the Boys’ Club.
Days after Torbett’s jailing in November Celtic FC said: ”Celtic Football Club wishes to express our deep regret that the incidents took place and sympathy for the victims who suffered abuse. We are grateful for the courage of those who have come forward to report abuse and to give evidence after such a long period of time.
“We have great respect for them and their families as they continue to cope with the distressing effects of the abuse they suffered. Allegations regarding abuse at Celtic Boys’ Club first emerged in the 1990s.
“Although Celtic Football Club is an entirely separate organisation, we have always taken these allegations extremely seriously because of our historic contacts with Celtic Boys’ Club. All investigations by the police and other inquiries were given our full support.”
But the Record’s revelations showed how Celtic had reacted to allegations of wrong doing in the 1980s involving boys’ club leaders.
We published a statement from the club from December 1986. It said: ”A Sunday newspaper recently carried a story which cast a shadow over the Celtic Boys’ Club in general, and some of the leaders in particular.
“It also included a clear inference that the Celtic Football Club had not taken appropriate action with regard to the allegations contained in the article. In actual fact, the Celtic Board investigated the rumours and interviewed the men concerned in depth and could find nothing to substantiate the stories that were being circulated.
“During the course of the last 10 days, Celtic Football Club and the boys’ club have been in receipt of hundreds of letters and phone calls from boys and their parents, past and present, stating their complete support and backing of all involved with the boys’ club.
“It must be clearly emphasised that apart from this newspaper article, inspired by the former chairman of the boys’ club, not one single complaint has been received by any other person with a Celtic connection.
“The boys’ club leaders who have been placed under a cloud as a result of these rumours have instructed their lawyers to take the appropriate course of action and, if necessary, to go to a court of law to make sure these scurrilous stories are buried once and for all.”
At the time of the 1986 investigation by the Celtic FC board, their then vice-chairman Kevin Kelly was also president of Celtic Boys’ Club. He was also an employee of Torbett at his trophy business in Glasgow’s Shawlands.
At the boys’ club AGM in 1987 – just months after the allegations came to light – Kelly said that because of the way “true friends” had rallied round, the “criticism” of the boys’ club had made it stronger.
Patrick McGuire, a partner with Thompsons Solicitors, who are representing the victims, said of our story in May: “These new revelations uncovered by the Record go further than ever before in disproving the ridiculous assertion that the boys’ club and Celtic were separate organisations.
“The survivors my team represent deserve answers from the club about these investigations and they continue to be shocked and insulted that the board maintain that the boys’ club and Celtic FC are separate organisations.
“The survivors must receive an official apology from the club and be properly compensated for the terrible things that happened to them when, as children, they were under Celtic’s care.”
At the club most associated with serial child sex offender Barry Bennell in England - Manchester City - a fund has been set up to offer compensation to victims. But Celtic’s actions to date have shown no sign of following that lead.
Life-long Celtic fan James Dornan MSP published a letter criticising the club’s stance on Thursday saying that Chief Executive Peter Lawwell’s stance had brought “shame” on the club. Celtic responded on Thursday night claiming the comments were “unfair” and “misguided”.
Lawwell has since written to both Dornan and Tory MSP Adam Tomkins in response to criticisms they levelled at him and his club.
Wiltshire man gets 5 years for grooming and sexually abusing a 14 y/o girl
26 year old Daniel Reed has been sentenced for his offences against a 14 year old girl.
Reed, who's from Oak Close in Farley, has been given a five year prison sentence - as well as being subject to a sexual harm prevention order indefinitely. He's been handed his punishment at a Salisbury Crown Court hearing this morning (Friday May 31st).
Reed had pleaded guilty to six counts of sexual activity with a child at an earlier hearing.
The offences took place between February and May 2018.
VICTIM GROOMED OVER MANY MONTHS:
Wiltshire Police have praised the 14 year old girl for her 'bravery and co-operation' with the investigation.
Detective Constable Kim Weston said: "Over many months, Reed groomed his 14-year-old victim to the point that she trusted him and believed that she loved him.
"During some of her most vulnerable times, he used that trust to enter into a sexual relationship with her.
Five years hardly seems adequate for this creep. The girl will still be in her teens when he gets out. But judges don't seem to think about that.
"The victim has shown unbelievable strength through this process and I hope that the sentence today allows her time to heal and move forward with her life."
SUPPORT AVAILABLE TO VICTIMS:
Following this case, officers are encouraging any victims of sexual abuse to speak out and be reassured that they will get the support they need.
DC Kim Weston said: "We know that child sexual abuse can have a long-lasting impact on victims, right into adulthood and that they need appropriate specialist support.
"It is vital that victims report abuse, so that they can get the support they need. We as the police can investigate crimes and work collaboratively with the Crown Prosecution Service to bring offenders to justice.
"If you have been abused, please speak to someone you know. Here at Wiltshire Police we take all reports seriously and would urge people to call us on 101."
There's also more advice available on the Wiltshire Police website.
Adelaide juror who took photos of alleged child sex abuse crime scene forces retrial
By Meagan Dillon
An Adelaide juror on a child sex abuse case has caused a mistrial, meaning a teenage girl will have to give evidence a second time, after he took his own photographs of the alleged crime scene.
The Court of Criminal Appeal has quashed the convictions of a man aged in his 40s because of the juror's photographs, and ordered a retrial after finding there had been a miscarriage of justice.
A District Court jury had found the man guilty of one count of communicating with the intention of making a child amenable to sexual activity and three counts of indecent assault against a child.
Chief Justice Chris Kourakis stated trial judge Peter Brebner was informed that a juror had photographed the scene of the alleged sex assault before showing three fellow jurors.
Judge Brebner dismissed the rogue juror before asking the other three if they could remove the information they had learnt outside of the trial "from their subconscious".
"The jurors answered that they could," Justice Kourakis said.
"The judge declined to dismiss jurors 35, 50 and 28.
"If they had been discharged there would have been insufficient jurors to complete the trial and a mistrial would have been declared.
"The jurors' commitment to their duty can only be commended and it could not be doubted that they would have tried their level best."
But Justice Kourakis said he was "not at all satisfied" that the jurors, when discussing whether the area where the girl was allegedly assaulted was well-lit or dark, could have "exercised such a discipline over their minds" to not think of conversations with the other juror.
"The human mind has no inherent capacity to compartmentalise information according to its source," he said.
Images stored in folder marked 'my eyes only'
During the trial, the prosecution stated that the man and 14-year-old girl would communicate through Snapchat and the accused had a folder within the application titled "my eyes only", containing 120 images of her.
"He agreed that he retained some of the images she had sent him by screenshotting them," Justice Kourakis stated.
"He denied that he had ever asked her to send him inappropriate photographs, that he had engaged in any inappropriate conversation, or that he had sent her photographs of his genitals."
Police did not find any images of the girls' exposed breasts on the phone.
Chief Justice Chris Kourakis stated there had been a miscarriage of justice. (Supplied)
The man told the jury that he would screenshot the images if he was "busy" or "driving" so he could look at them later.
"His evidence largely left unexplained why he then moved the screenshots from his camera roll to the 'my eyes only' folder," Justice Kourakis said.
"He denied that he kept the photographs because he was sexually interested in her."
The man is accused of kissing, hugging and touching the girl indecently in several locations throughout rural SA.
Justice Kourakis heard the appeal along with Justices Tim Stanley and Judy Hughes.
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