Ohio babysitter accused of child sexual abuse at daycare gets 30 days after plea deal
Obviously, Kimberly is a real sweetheart to get a deal like this.
Ryan W. Miller, USA TODAY
A woman accused of sexually abusing children in her Ohio daycare will serve just 30 days in prison as part of a plea deal, local media reported.
Kimberly Hignite, 52, pleaded guilty Monday to 14 charges of misdemeanor child endangerment, the Columbus Dispatch and WBNS-TV reported.
According to court records, Hignite was indicted in June 2018 of multiple charges stemming from alleged abuse that took place at a daycare she ran from her home in Grove City, Ohio, the Dispatch reported.
The five counts she faced alleging sexual misconduct were either lowered or dismissed as part of the plea deal, the newspaper reported.
Police searched Hignite's home in May 2018, where they found more than 20 children being supervised by only Hignite's 71-year-old mother. Prosecutors said that multiple children had described sexual touching at the daycare, the Dispatch and WBNS-TV reported.
The children, between 7 months and 5 years old, were allegedly found strapped into car seats and unattended in various rooms. Hignite admitted she had too many children in her care but denied sexually touching any of them, the Dispatch reported.
Hignite declined to speak at the sentencing as the parents of some of the children gave testimony.
According to WBNS-TV, Hignite could have faced up to 180 days in jail for the 14 charges, but the judge accepted a recommendation from prosecutors and defense attorneys in the deal.
OMGosh! 30 days! Even 180 days seems wildly disproportionate for sexual abuse of such young children, not to mention strapping 1-5 y/os in car seats - for how long? And child endangerment! I think the DA dropped the ball on this case, IMHO.
15-y/o Sexual Assault Victim Was Abused by LA Detective Investigating Her Case
The assault took place in detective Neil David Kimball's trailer in Camarillo
By Harriet Sokmensuer
People
A Los Angeles County sex crimes detective accused of raping a 15-year-old girl has pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse and lewd act with a child, PEOPLE confirms.
In 2017, detective Neil David Kimball, 46, began investigating the sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl while serving in the Los Angeles County Special Victims Bureau. During his investigation, Kimball befriended the girl and later had sex with her while she allegedly was bound and tied, Ventura County District Attorney Gregory Totten announced in a press release obtained by PEOPLE.
The incident took place in Kimball’s trailer in Camarillo, according to the New York Times. The 20-year-veteran was originally charged with rape but authorities were unable to determine whether Kimball used force.
Hint: she was bound and tied! Doesn't that tell you something?
On July 13, he pleaded guilty to lesser charges. On Aug. 8 he is expected to be sentenced to three years in prison.
This is not the first time Kimball has been investigated for inappropriate behavior with sex assault victims, according to the Los Angeles Times.
In 2009, a woman alleged Kimball had grabbed her hand and tried to get her to touch his genitals, the Times reports. When authorities attempted to investigate, witnesses gave contradictory statements and the case was eventually dropped.
Despite the accusation, Kimball was asked to join the Special Victims Bureau later that year.
In December, a California woman revealed she had reported Kimball to officials in 2014 after he allegedly had been inappropriate and flirtatious with her while investigating her sexual assault case.
“It was like trying to complain to a brick wall,” Sara Abusheikh told the Daily Beast. “It just makes you think, ‘How many other women are there that tried to complain about this guy?’”
Attorney information for Kimball was unavailable Wednesday. Kimball will have to register as a sex offender.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to http://www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
Marlow, OK, man charged with child sexual abuse
By Andrew Brasier
DUNCAN, Okla. (TNN) - A Marlow man is charged with two counts of child sexual abuse.
26-year-old Bradly Dean Bratcher was arrested on Friday, July 12 after police got a call about a missing 15-year-old girl.
The girl's father told police that she might be with Bratcher. He also told police that he previously told Bratcher to stay away from his daughter.
Police pulled over Bratcher at Arapaho and 4th Street in Marlow. When the officer asked Bratcher if he had been with the girl, he reportedly said yes.
The officer says Bratcher told them he dropped off the girl about a mile from her home. She returned home shortly after.
He was taken to the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office where he was interviewed. He reportedly told investigators he had been meeting with the girl and admitted to committing multiple sexual acts with her.
Bratcher was then booked in the Stephens County Jail.
Bossier, LA, man accused of sex crimes involving children, animals
Detectives were investigating a domestic abuse case when
they reportedly found pornographic images
By KSLA Digital Team
BOSSIER PARISH, La. (KSLA) - Bossier sheriff’s detectives say he had pornographic images of children and pornographic images of animals and humans.
Now 23-year-old Ross A. Jones, of the 2200 block of Shumark Trail in Bossier City, faces six counts of possession of pornography involving juveniles and three counts of sexual abuse of an animal.
He is being held in Bossier-Maximum Security Facility, where he was booked the morning of July 15 after being arrested the same date.
Bossier sheriff’s detectives were investigating a domestic abuse case when they reportedly found images on Jones’ cellphone that showed nude juveniles involved in sexual acts plus animals engaged in sexual activity with humans, the Sheriff’s Office reports.
“This is another unfortunate example of crimes of depravity and deviancy,” Bossier Sheriff Julian Whittington said .
“If you possess, transfer or manufacture child pornography or any type of animal/human porn, our detectives will conduct a thorough investigation using some of the best digital forensics tools available.
"You will be caught. You will be jailed.”
Jones’ bonds have been set at $50,000 on each of the animal abuse charges and $25,000 on the charges of possession of child pornography, making his bonds total $300,000.
Queens, NY man, 30, facing more than 17,725 charges of child porn and bestiality
Caution: graphic and disturbing detail below
By SNEJANA FARBEROV FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
A Queens man accused of amassing a huge collection of child pornography depicting babies and children under the age of 10, and filming himself having sex with a dog, appeared in court on Wednesday for a pretrial hearing.
Vishal Lalbeharry, 30, walked into Queens County Criminal Court dressed in a grey suit and tie, and accompanied by an elderly couple believed to be his parents, to face Judge Stephanie Zaro.
Lalbeharry was arrested in April 2018 after a month-long undercover investigation. In January of this year, he was indicted on 17,725 criminal counts accusing him of promoting child sex abuse, possessing child pornography and recording more than a dozen videos showing him engaging in acts of bestiality with a dog.
'The defendant is alleged to have downloaded thousands of photos and videos of children as young as six-months-old being abused by adult men and women,' a press release from the Queen District Attorney's Office stated. 'In addition to the online images, the defendant allegedly recorded himself having sexual relations with an animal.'
Lalbeharry's defense attorney, Todd Greenberg, told DailyMail.com by phone that he and a prosecutor discussed the possibility of reaching a plea deal before the case goes to trial. 'We hope to have some type of disposition,' Greenberg said.
Lalbeharry is due back in court for another status conference on August 23.
According to the prosecution, a detective conducting an online investigation on March 27, 2018, identified Lalbeharry's IP address as having allegedly downloaded 1,150 files containing images of children being sexually abused.
Some of the files had the titles 'Babies F***ed,' 'Judyan 04,' '2006 Tara 7 yr' and others.
'Some of the photos showed babies actually being penetrated anally and vaginally by adult men,' the press release from the district attorney's office read.
Between March and April 2018, Lalbeharry’s computer was found to have been active on a network acquiring more than 10,000 photos and videos of children under the age of 10 being sexually abused.
When questioned after his arrest, Lalbeharry was quoted as telling police that some images of child pornography ended up on his computer while he was downloading ‘regular porn,’ and that he had seen them 'by mistake.'
Police seized four laptops, five hard drives and four cell phones from his room. A forensic analysis of Lalbeharry’s confiscated electronic devices allegedly uncovered thousands images of children - from infants to 10-year-olds - with their genitals exposed and being sexually assaulted in numerous ways.
'The images accumulated by this defendant allegedly contained some of the most horrific ways imaginable to sexually abuse a child - even babies were defiled,' Queens District Attorney Richard Brown stated at the time. 'The children are real people and they must live with the scars on their bodies as well as in their memories forever.'
His collection of pornography also allegedly included 16 video recording showing the 30-year-old man having sex with a dog.
Lalbeharry was charged with 5,903 counts of promoting a sexual performance by a child as a sexually motivated felony; 5,903 counts of promoting a sexual performance by a child; 5,903 counts of possessing a sexual performance by a child and 16 counts of sexual misconduct.
If convicted of all the counts against him at trial, Lalbeharry faces up to seven years in prison.
Seriously! 7 years the maximum for this very disturbed man? How pathetically inadequate!
Queens, NY
Bellmead, TX, city employee charged with
child sexual assault
BELLMEAD, Texas (KWTX) Jonathan Brock, 26, a laborer for the City of Bellmead, has been charged with two counts of continuous sexual assault of a child stemming from incidents involving victims younger than 14, police Lt. Brenda Kinsey said in a press release Wednesday.
Brock was arrested Wednesday.
The charges stem from an investigation that started on June 28 after police received reports of the sexual abuse of the two victims at an apartment complex in Bellmead, Kinsey said.
The victims made outcries of abuse during a forensic interview, she said.
Brock was placed on administrative leave, she said. Bond had not been set late Wednesday afternoon.
No further details were provided Wednesday.
Jasper, IN, pastor arrested after failing to report
alleged child abuse
By Jared Goffinet and Erin McNally
DUBOIS CO., Ind. (WFIE) - A local pastor is accused of not reporting a case of alleged child abuse.
Back in May we reported the arrest of Dexter Hensley for child molestation and sexual battery. We are finding out the pastor at Hensley’s church in Jasper knew about the allegations.
According to the affidavit, the juveniles told detectives about the alleged incidents, which they say happened at Jasper Apostolic Church where Hensley attended.
Jasper Police say they learned Pastor Howard Geck was made aware of the allegations two-years ago, but failed to report them to authorities.
Geck was charged this week with failure to make a report, which is a class B misdemeanor. By Indiana law, anyone who has reason to believe a child has been abused must report it to law enforcement or DCS.
“The law requires that any individual, anyone, it’s not confined to teachers or pastors or doctors," explains Dubois County Deputy Prosecutor Stephanie Smith. "It is any adult that has a reasonable suspicion that there’s been some kind of abuse. Whether it’s physical abuse, or sexual abuse, or neglect of a child needs to report it.”
The Dubois County Prosecutors Office is currently offering an amnesty program. From now until the end of July, anyone who has previously failed to report, regardless of how long ago the abuse may have happened, can do so without being charged.
80-y/o Oregon church worker arrested
for child sex abuse
Oregon State Police said the man worked with children at a Willamette Valley church and could have more victims
By Saphara Harrell - Salem Reporter
Oregon State Police arrested an 80-year-old man Monday after he allegedly sexually abused a child in early June.
James Allen Moore was charged with first-degree sexual abuse and lodged in the Deschutes County Jail, according to OSP spokesman Tim Fox.
It’s not yet clear where Moore is from or the circumstances of his arrest.
Fox said Moore knew the 9-year-old victim.
Moore was actively involved with a church in the Willamette Valley, where he worked with children for decades, according to police. Fox didn’t know which church Moore was affiliated with.
Police said they believe there could be more victims.
Those with information about Moore can contact OSP at *OSP or 1-800-442-0776 and reference Detective Ian McKay.
Willamette Valley, Ore
Idaho Falls man pleads guilty to lewd conduct
with a child
By RYAN SUPPE rsuppe@postregister.com
An Idaho Falls man, who turned himself in to police last fall after sexually assaulting a 13-year-old, has pleaded guilty to lewd conduct with a minor.
Leroy Milton Cotterell, 46, was arrested in October and charged with two counts of lewd conduct and one count of child sexual abuse. Cotterell called the police and admitted to performing sexual acts with the victim on numerous occasions in prior weeks.
According to court documents, Cotterell assaulted the victim in a shed behind his house, where he kissed the victim, removed their clothes and engaged in sexual intercourse and other sexual acts. Other assaults occurred throughout the house at different times. Cotterell told police that the victim asked him to stop multiple times.
Cotterell admitted to using methamphetamine in weeks leading up to the assaults.
Last month, Cotterell agreed to a plea deal with Bonneville County prosecutors. He pleaded guilty to one count of lewd conduct with a child, which carries a penalty of up to life in prison, a $50,000 fine, a $5,000 compensatory fine and restitution. Prosecutors agreed to dismiss the other two charges.
Cotterell will be sentenced Aug. 28.
N.J. judge who gave leniency to teen from a ‘good family’ in sexual assault case is off the bench
“When your first time having sex was rape.”
by Anna Orso
Philadelphia Inquirer
A New Jersey judge who prompted a national outcry for granting leniency to a teenager accused of sexual assault — specifically, he cited the boy’s “good family” and high test scores — will no longer sit on the bench.
Superior Court Judge James G. Troiano had retired in 2012, but continued working as a “recall” judge to fill vacancies on the bench in Freehold. On Wednesday, the court granted Troiano’s request to end his recall service. A courts spokesperson said the judge wouldn’t comment further.
Also on Wednesday, the state Supreme Court issued an order saying it would begin “formal removal proceedings” for Superior Court Judge John F. Russo Jr., who in 2016 asked an alleged rape victim if she kept her legs closed. The court suspended Russo without pay in the meantime.
And a third New Jersey judge who came under fire for comments she made while hearing a child sexual assault case, Marcia Silva, is the target of a complaint filed by four state senators (4th story on link) with the Advisory Committee on Judicial Conduct.
In a statement Wednesday, New Jersey Supreme Court Chief Justice Stuart Rabner announced that he had directed court administration to develop “an enhanced training program” for judges of Municipal, Superior, and Supreme Courts focused on sexual assault, domestic violence, implicit bias, and diversity. A working group of 12 judges from across the state will develop the program.
“Victims asked to relive harrowing experiences are entitled to the utmost sensitivity and respect from law enforcement and the court system,” Rabner wrote. “The state constitution guarantees that right as well. So do basic principles of human decency. Every effort must be made not to revictimize a victim.”
But it should come in the form of safe places to testify, not in abandoning testifying for the sake of a plea deal and a very light sentence. Sentences for child rape where the predator gets only a few years on a plea deal, leaves the victims in a position of fearing running into their rapist, while they are still children. That should never happen.
In a statement Wednesday, Gov. Phil Murphy called the judges’ actions “inexcusable” and said he was satisfied with the “swift action taken by the courts to uphold the reputation of our judiciary.”
Troiano’s comments set off an outcry nationwide, and he faced calls for removal from top state officials. There was also some discussion of impeachment proceedings.
The judge made the comments last year while he was weighing a request to charge as an adult teenager who was accused of sexually assaulting a girl and filming it. According to the Appellate Division, which overturned his ruling to keep the boy in the juvenile system, the judge had expressed concern that prosecutors had not explained to the accuser and her mother the effect that moving the boy to adult court would have on his life.
“This young man comes from a good family, who put him into an excellent school where he was doing extremely well,” Troiano said, according to the appellate opinion. “He is clearly a candidate for not just college, but probably for a good college. His scores for college entry were very high.” The judge also detailed the boy’s extracurricular activities, including noting that he was an Eagle Scout.
Troiano also differentiated the alleged assault from a “traditional case of rape,” which he described as “generally two or more” males using a weapon and “clearly manhandling a person” into an “abandoned” area.
Good grief! Methinks he should have retired a long time ago.
Investigators said the teen filmed the alleged rape, sent it to others, and texted friends in the days following the incident, using the words: “When your first time having sex was rape.” The girl was described by prosecutors as visibly intoxicated and “was on the floor vomiting” after the incident. The next morning, she found bruises on her body and her clothing was torn, prompting a report to police.
The teenager accused of sexual assault in this case has not been publicly named. Monmouth County prosecutors are presenting the case to a grand jury and aim to charge him as an adult.
Russo had been working in the Civil Division in Mount Holly, according to the Asbury Park Press. Troiano and Silva had been working in family court. She was on the bench in Middlesex County.
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