Russian Orthodox Priest with '70 adopted children in family’ is accused of raping girl in his care, denied bail
FILE PHOTO: Nikolay Stremsky or Father Nikolay © Sputnik / Yury Kaver
A Russian priest who is credited with heading the largest family in the country after fathering and adopting over 70 kids, has been arrested on a charge of sexually abusing his dependants.
A court in Orenburg, a city about 1,200 km southeast of Moscow, has ordered the pre-trial arrest of Nikolay Stremsky.
Stremsky, or father Nikolay as he is usually called, is a sort of local celebrity in the Orenburg region.
A veteran of the Afghan war who was ordained a Russian Orthodox priest, he and his wife run a Christian foster home, except the wards there are also his adopted children. Investigators say he is a sexual predator, who has abused at least seven children in his care.
Stremsky runs a center called the Holy Trinity Convent, a church-owned facility that includes a shelter for elderly people, a foster home for children, a Sunday school and a small monastery, among other things. The priest has worked there since the 1990s and is credited for legally adopting and raising as many as 70 children, making his family the largest in Russia. Its website says that, of the adopted children 58 have grown and left while 12 remain in the family.
The court session that decided whether he could be held under house arrest or in pre-trial detention was heard behind closed doors so few details about the case are known so far.
The charges against him include the alleged rape of a girl under age 14 and one of molestation of a minor by an organized group, the record said. Stremsky denies any wrongdoing. The justice agreed with the prosecution that Stremsky, a wealthy man with numerous properties in Russia and other countries, is a flight risk and ordered the court to lock him up until at least mid-November.
One of his adopted daughters, now an adult, and her husband have been arrested by the same court. They are accused of unlawful detention.
The Bishop of Orenburg suspended Stremsky from conducting his church duties pending the results of the investigation.
Vladimir Legoyda, spokesman for the Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church, called on people to keep the ‘innocent until proven guilty’ principle in mind when commenting on the case.
“Only a court can judge if a person is guilty or not, so I believe we should all refrain from emotional and uncalled-for remarks and let the investigators to do their job,” he cautioned.
It’s not Stremsky’s first brush with the law, although the previous one was far less serious. In 2015, he was detained for allegedly driving one of his luxury cars while inebriated, but the case was ultimately dropped. His detention during that episode was pretty rough, according to footage which circulated around the internet at the time.
Man arrested in relation to importation of child sex abuse material during 'day of action' in Cork
Gardaí made 17 arrests as part of Operation Thor in west Cork
File Image: Of the seventeen arrests made, eleven people have been charged. File Image: Of the seventeen arrests made, eleven people have been charged. Image: Garda Press/Facebook
SEVENTEEN PEOPLE WERE arrested by gardaí as part of an operation in west Cork on Tuesday.
The arrests were made in relation to a number of incidents such as suspected importation of child sex abuse material, burglary, theft, robbery and threats to kill.
A man was arrested and detained at Bantry Garda Station in relation to the importation of child sex abuse material. He has since been released without charge and a file has been prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Of the seventeen arrests, eleven have been charged and files have been prepared for the DPP for the remaining six.
As part of the “day of action”, gardaí carried out multi-agency checkpoints on the N22, Currahally Farran. During the checkpoints, a number of offences were detected and four vehicles were discovered to have major defects.
“Community policing units provided crime prevention packs to distribute to Meals on Wheels members in the division,” a garda spokesperson said. A crime preventions stand was also erected in the Bandon district where information and flyers were distributed to members of the public.
Tuesday’s arrests follow on from a similar day of action, earlier this month, during which 17 people were also arrested. Those arrests were in relation to a number of incidents including suspected possession of images of child sexual abuse, assault, burglary, theft, and drugs and immigration offences.
Sydney swimming teacher's wife’s ‘utter disbelief’ at husband’s 57 child sex charges
Benedict Brook, news.com.au
The wife of a Sydney swimming coach facing 57 charges over allegations he sexually abused 11 boys has said she is in “shock and utter disbelief” at the allegations levelled against her husband.
In an emotional affidavit tendered to Sutherland Local Court today Ivana Frost, who is a senior Australian executive with furniture retailer Ikea, pleaded that Paul Douglas Frost be allowed home while he awaits trial.
Mr Frost, 43, is a former MasterChef finalist and the son of renowned swimming coach Doug Frost who used to work with Olympian Ian Thorpe.
Dressed in prison greens, he appeared at court today on a video link from Silverwater jail.
He was arrested at his home in Sylvania, southern Sydney, last week and charged with 10 offences, including aggravated sexual assault of a child under 16 and aggravated indecent assault of a child under 16 between 1997 and 2001 while they were at the now-closed Doug Frost Swim School in Padstow.
Today, police said he was being charged with a further 47 additional grooming, aggravated indecent assault and aggravated sexual assault offences on boys aged between eight and 16, up to 2009.
Court documents seen by news.com.au detail the alleged abuse which included inducing a boy to take his shorts down and masturbating him and committing sexual intercourse without consent.
There were also letters from two former employers sacking Mr Frost following the charges.
Ms Frost is Ikea’s high-profile national food manager for Australia, responsible for the iconic firm’s restaurants and their menu including Swedish meatballs. She has appeared in Ikea marketing material including YouTube videos where she is interviewed alongside former MasterChef host Matt Preston about minimising food waste.
In her affidavit, Ms Frost said she had been married since November 2001. “I am in shock and utter disbelief at the charges bought against Paul,” she wrote. “Paul has no criminal record and has always been a loyal and caring husband.” She said he had a “gentle personality”.
The family had been through financial strife when a food venture went sour. Sebastian DeBrennan, Mr Frost’s solicitor, said his client had tried, but ultimately failed, to capitalise on his TV profile.
“He was a finalist in MasterChef and had initial success in the restaurant and catering business,” Mr DeBrennan told the court. “But things deteriorated that culminated in him filing for bankruptcy in 2016. The last few years, he and his family have been clawing their way back from those debts.”
Ms Frost said the loss of his income after he was sacked from his casual jobs would be a further blow. “I don’t know how I’ll manage financially with the care of Paul’s elderly mother when Paul is in custody,” she said. “Paul’s mum has been beside herself with anxiety since his arrest”.
Ms Frost travelled frequently abroard, she said. Not just to Ikea’s Swedish head office but also to the UK, Italy, China, Denmark and Serbia in the past 18 months. “I don’t know how I will manage to meet the travel requirements of my job without Paul at home,” she said.
In her affidavit, Ms Frost said she had been stressed by a recent phone call to her husband in prison. “I’m concerned about Paul’s mental health, physical health and welfare. He’s putting on a brave face but I’m concerned about his emotional wellbeing,” she said.
“When I spoke to him (in prison) I could hear yelling and screaming from other inmates as well as swearing as a fight had broken out.”
News.com.au has seen a letter from the Head of the Education School at the University of New South Wales Kim Beswick where she terminated Mr Frost’s employment. “These charges, while unproven, are serious and incompatible with your casual employment with UNSW,” Ms Beswick said.
He was also sacked by the NSW Education Department which banned him from working in any educational establishment in the state until a verdict.
Court documents detailed many of the allegations that Mr Frost now faces. These include sexual intercourse without consent and aggravated indecent assault.
On one occasion it’s alleged he swam naked in a swimming pool with a 13-year old; another allegation is that he pulled down a 15-year-old boy’s shorts and masturbated him.
He is also said to have masturbated a teen over his speedos and plied another child with alcohol to make sexual activity easier.
Mr DeBrennan today told Magistrate Chris McRobert that it was notable there was no CCTV, email or phone evidence of the assaults and instead the Crown were relying solely on statements from the alleged victims.
He also questioned why the 11 now adults had come forward more than a decade, in some cases far longer, after the assaults were alleged to have occurred and said that length of time meant there was a “possibility of concoction or contamination”.
Magistrate McRobert said the lack of CCTV didn’t diminish the overall strength of the case. “There is a strong prosecution case, we have 11 victim complainants with no evidence before court to show any level of concoction or corroboration between them,” he said.
He granted Mr Frost $10,000 bail with strict conditions including that he surrenders his passport, not go near an airport and regularly report to police. His movements will also be severely restricted.
The magistrate cited the lack of any allegations against Mr Frost for over a decade and his clean criminal record for allowing him to await his trial in the community. He also said it could be 18 months before the case reaches trial which would be a severe burden on his family.
But he had a warning for Mr Frost: “In simple terms, don’t push your luck.”
Mr Frost will appear at Bankstown Court on October 9.
Two Aberdeen men admit possessing
indecent images of children
by Dale Haslam, Evening Express
A sheriff has told two men who admitted looking at indecent images of children their actions contribute to the demand for child sex abuse.
Sheriff Andrew Miller made the comments at Aberdeen Sheriff Court when he ordered the two men – who appeared in separate cases – to do unpaid work.
Stelian Birnaz, 33, admitted possessing indecent images of children at his home address – given in court as Castle Street, Aberdeen – between October 22 2014 and November 30 2018.
The court heard how police found several hundred indecent images of children on devices belonging to Birnaz and some of the images were graded Category A – the most serious.
Sheriff Miller was told Birnaz had deleted other images before police became involved as he realised his actions were wrong.
In sentencing Birnaz to a three-year rehabilation programme, three years of supervision and 225 hours of unpaid work, Sheriff Miller said: “This is a very serious offence. The items found contained images and videos of children involved in various depictions of sexual actions.
“Someone who looks for and looks at images of this kind helps to create demand for these images, which in turn contributes to the abuse of the children shown in images of this kind.”
In a separate case, Mark Tait, 21, admitted possessing indecent images of children at his home address – given in court as Springdale Road, Bieldside – between January 6 2016 and January 11 this year.
The court heard Tait was on holiday in the Philippines when police searched his home and found 222 indecent images – 24 of which were category A.
Sheriff Miller said: “As I said in the previous case this offence is very serious as behind every image is a victim.”
Tait was ordered to go on a three-year rehabilitation programme, undergo three years of supervision and do 210 hours of unpaid work.
Child sex doll case: Timaru man first in NZ
to be jailed for import
NZ Herald
By: Rachel Das
A Timaru man has become the first person in the country to be jailed for importing a child sex doll.
Stephen Heppleston, 58, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison when he appeared for sentencing in Timaru District Court today.
He earlier pleaded guilty to importing the child sex doll and possessing objectionable publications relating to the sexual exploitation of children.
Judge Tom Gilbert said the defendant was taken to nudist camps when he was a child.
Melbourne man to front court as first charged with new child abuse offence
The Age, By Zach Hope
A Melbourne man accused of possessing child pornography will front court on Thursday as the first person charged under new federal legislation that came into effect last week.
The 44-year-old was arrested after an investigation triggered by reports from the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, a not-for-profit organisation based in the US.
Investigators from the Victorian Joint Anti-Child Exploitation Team raided a home in Fairfield on Wednesday and arrested the man after they seized a mobile phone allegedly containing child pornography.
He has been charged with possessing child abuse material obtained using a carriage service, a crime which came into effect on September 21 as a result of the new Combating Child Sexual Exploitation Legislation Amendment Bill.
The man appeared at Melbourne Magistrates Court on Wednesday night and made no application for bail.
“The AFP and Victoria Police are working with domestic and international partners to identify people involved in this vile behaviour and bring some sense of justice to its vulnerable victims,” said AFP Detective Superintendent Jayne Crossling.
“This arrest should serve as another warning to the community: if you are thinking about accessing or sharing child exploitation material, you will be caught eventually.”
It comes as Attorney-General Christian Porter seeks to introduce harsher penalties for the sexual exploitation of children, including mandatory minimum sentences for the most serious offences.
The Crimes Legislation Amendment Bill for child sexual abuse crimes, which is currently before the lower house, would also increase maximum penalties, prevent courts from reducing sentences on the basis of 'good character', and mandate offenders access appropriate rehabilitation.
Tirupur, India, child home caretaker was a regular abuser
The New Indian Express
TIRUPUR: The arrest of 54-year-old Rajasekar alias Swami Poornasevanandar on charges of sexually assaulting four schoolboys on Sunday shocked Thirumuruganpoondi, a temple town in Tirupur district.
Rajasekar is the founder of a trust that runs a private school. The organisation which has been operating for 20 years, provides education and shelter to 60 boys from poor families in Tirupur, Karur, Erode and Salem.
District officials said that he may have been a regular abuser, referring to an oral complaint made against him in 2017.
Described by many locals as a prominent person in the town, Rajasekar was seen leading a "spiritual life" and doing good service for young people. Local businesses supported his trust and students of the school are said to have done well in government and private service.
Locals said that he was a native of Tirupur and earlier ran a fancy store before taking an interest in spirituality and religion. Residents believe he travelled the country meeting saints before taking sanyas and leading an "austere and ascetic life". As part of that transition, he reportedly sold his fancy store in the '90s and started the trust under which the school was created in 1998.
This reputation as an "ascetic" leading a "spiritual life" may have blinded many to his dark side. An official, who was part of the team that questioned the children at the trust's home, said that the complaint received by a child's parent two weeks ago was not the first allegation of child sexual abuse against Rajasekar.
"The accused seems to be a regular abuser. In 2017, an oral complaint against him was made to the district administration. The trustees were immediately informed and he was barred from entering the premises and removed from official duty. After several months, be begged for forgiveness and gained the trust of the trustees, who seem to have allowed him to enter the premises again," the official said.
Express found the school staff too may have turned a blind eye to the complaints. One teacher at the school told Express that the staff had never heard anything bad about the school or Rajasekar and went on to complain about the behaviour of the students, instead.
The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act makes it mandatory for anyone who knows of child sexual abuse to report it to the authorities. Despite this, the teacher admitted that in 2017 a boy had run away from the shelter.
When he was brought back, the teacher said the boy told him that Rajasekar had touched him inappropriately. The teacher said he doubted the child's story because he had "bad habits". Experts say signs that a child may be undergoing abuse - physical or sexual - include behavioural changes, aggression, anger and attempting to run away. "I was shocked to learn this boy was among those who had given a written complaint to the team that inspected the facility," the teacher said.
This act of the trustees, district administration and school staff may have put at least four children at risk. Two weeks ago, the father of a boy residing at the home sent a complaint of child sexual abuse to the district administration. The official who was part of the team that questioned the children said they decided to proceed cautiously to avoid tipping him off. "Noticing his absence at the facility on Saturday, we entered the school around 4.30 pm.
On seeing the officials, the students began to panic and so when we questioned them about the accused, none of them responded properly," the official said. Finally, the team reassured the children and questioned them individually. "Four boys told us they were being sexually abused. One student described various incidents of abuse, others a mentioned few. We asked them to give us a complaint in writing and transferred them to another shelter after getting permission from district administration," he said.
Police said that Rajasekar, on learning of the inspection, returned to Tirupur on Sunday afternoon. Once he discovered he had been booked under the POCSO Act, he reportedly tried to flee but was caught at Perumanallur bus stand. He was produced before a judicial magistrate and sent to Coimbatore Prison.
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