‘Most vile and horrific case’: Princeton, WVi, woman sentenced in child sexual assault trial
PRINCETON — A woman who pleaded guilty last year to first-degree sexual assault, sexual abuse and incest involving videos of a child subjected to sexual acts learned Wednesday that she will be 88 years old before she’s eligible for parole.
Elizabeth Haway, 43, of Princeton was brought before Mercer County Circuit Court Judge William Sadler for sentencing. Haway pleaded guilty in December 2019 to two counts first-degree sexual assault, two counts first-degree sexual abuse, two counts sexual abuse by a parent, guardian, custodian or person of trust, and incest.
The case started on April 2, 2018 when Detective-Sergeant Steve Sommers, with the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, responded to a cyber tip that was received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children involving the distribution of child pornography through Facebook Messenger.
In a criminal complaint, Sommers stated that he reviewed the video file and it showed an adult male engaging in a sexual act with a prepubescent female child. Sommers also found graphic messages between Haway and another Facebook user, according to the complaint. He then obtained and served a search warrant on Facebook, compelling them to disclose Facebook records for Haway.
“As I searched her Facebook records further, I found two video files that were approximately 3 minutes and 21 seconds (each) in length that had been sent to another Facebook user,” Sommers stated in the complaint. After viewing the video file that included audio, he saw that it showed an adult female with the prepubescent female engaging in sexual acts.
“I estimated the age of the child to be between 5 and 6 years of age,” Sommers said in the report. “I also observed that the bathtub had distinct cracking of the molding at the wall and bathtub and that the adult female had a tattoo on her finger of a smiley face (two dots and a line).”
Sadler said as he sentenced Haway that “lifelong damage has been inflicted on this child.”
“This child has lost innocence that can never be restored on replaced,” Sadler stated. “I’ve been involved in the criminal justice system for over 30 years. From that standpoint, this is one of the most vile and horrific cases I have ever experienced in the criminal justice system.”
Haway had a sex offender evaluation before Wednesday’s sentencing hearing. Sadler reviewed the resulting report and said the one of its most revealing aspects was the examiner’s conclusion that the offenses involved detailed planning and were not done on impulse.
“These acts were set up and planned,” Sadler said. “That’s a frightening conclusion. Frightening.”
The report stated that Haway was abused when she was a child and had a history of psychiatric treatment. She also has a criminal history including embezzlement, distribution of cocaine and possessing contraband in prison, Sadler said. Haway is facing child pornography charges in federal court since the video was shared with another individual.
Prosecuting Attorney George Sitler described the crimes as “heinous and disturbing. On behalf of the victim, I would ask that the maximum sentence be imposed,” he said.
Haway was sentenced to a term of 25 to 100 years on both counts of first-degree sexual assault, which will run currently (concurrently?). She received another five to 25 years on both counts of first-degree sexual abuse, which will run concurrently. Sadler also sentenced her to serve 10 to 20 years in prison for two counts of sexual abuse by a parent, guardian or custodian. Those sentences will run concurrently. She will also serve five to 15 years on each of the two incest charges, which will run concurrently.
Sitler estimated that this gave Haway a sentence of 45 to 155 years in prison. She will be about 88 years old when she is eligible for parole.
Sadler informed Haway that if she is ever released from prison, she will be required to register with the West Virginia State Police as a sex offender and serve 20 years of supervision.
Attorney Paul Cassell, special prosecutor for crimes against children, also represented the state at Wednesday’s hearing.
Pomona, Ca, leaders demand resignation of councilman accused of possessing child pornography
Pomona City Councilman Rubio Gonzalez was photographed on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2019. (Photo by Cindy Yamanaka, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
By JAVIER ROJAS | jrojas@scng.com |
The Pomona City Council voted unanimously this past weekend to censure one of their own, Councilman Rubio Gonzalez, following his arrest on child pornography and molestation charges.
At a special City Council meeting late Saturday, May 23, two days after authorities arrested 45-year-old Gonzalez, Pomona Mayor Tim Sandoval called for the council to deliver a letter asking for the councilman’s resignation from office, effective immediately. The letter has been delivered but the city had not received a reply by midday Tuesday.
Efforts to reach Gonzalez were not successful Tuesday.
If Gonzalez chooses not to resign, Sandoval said, the city will monitor the situation and possibly explore other legal options to remove him from office.
Gonzalez’s continued presence “will present a distraction from the significant work the City Council has to perform for the community, especially as we search for ways to assist our residents and businesses and safely reopen the city,” Sandoval said, according to a recording of the Saturday meeting.
Gonzalez was scheduled to make his first appearance in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom on Tuesday but that was rescheduled to Aug. 28, according to spokesman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
According to the DA’s office, authorities arrested Gonzalez Thursday, May 21, on suspicion of possession of “child sexual abuse material” and annoying or molesting a child.
In a statement early Saturday, Rep. Norma J. Torres, D-Pomona, said Gonzalez should step down immediately. She called for an investigation into whether there have been prior complaints “of a sexual nature” involving the councilman, either at the city of Pomona or the Pomona Unified School District, where Gonzalez is a substitute teacher.
“If you did this, resign now,” Torres said, according to the statement. “Do not force our community to wait if you know the verdict will eventually be guilty. And if you are innocent, I urge you to cooperate fully with law enforcement to remove this cloud of suspicion as quickly as possible.”
Seriously! He can't resign now without appearing guilty. What a dumb thing for Rep Torres to say.
Oklahoma man behind bars for child sex crimes charges in Wichita County
Trish Choate, Wichita Falls Times Record News
A Waurika, Oklahoma, man is accused of 11 child sex crimes committed against a little girl over nearly five years in Burkburnett, according to court documents.
The child recounted incidents of alleged sexual abuse inflicted on her, beginning when she was 4, under the guise of playing a game while her hands were bound and she was blindfolded, court records show.
Cody Allen Atwood, 27, was being held on $5500,000 (???? - your guess is as good as mine) in bonds Tuesday in Wichita County Jail, according to online jail records. He was booked into jail Thursday.
He faces up to life in prison if convicted of any one of the 11 charges against him. They are all first-degree felonies.
A Wichita County grand jury handed down sealed indictments against Atwood for a charge of continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14 in connection with incidents from June 1, 2014, through March 2, 2019, according to court records filed March 5.
He was also indicted on 10 charges of aggravated sexual assault of a child alleged to have taken place over the same time period, court documents show.
If Atwood goes to trial, jurors could opt to convict him of any of the aggravated assault charges if they determine he is guilty instead of the charge of continuous sexual abuse if they don't believe it was proven. Atwood is innocent until proven guilty.
Atwood was arrested for a charge of continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14 on April 30, 2019, according to jail records. He was released May 3, 2019, from Wichita County Jail on a $50,000 bond for that charge until his recent arrest.
A Burkburnett police arrest warrant gave this account: An 8-year-old girl spoke with a forensic interviewer in a videotaped conversation March 2, 2019.
The interviewer asked the girl if something had happened to her or if she was worried about something. The girl shook her head yes. She promised the interviewer that she would tell the truth.
She said an incident happened when Atwood came into her bedroom. Atwood told her they were going to play the “food game.” The 8-year-old described a game in which Atwood sought to trick her into giving him oral sex.
During this game, he would blindfold her and bind her hands behind her back, but she could at times see under the blindfold. The blindfold fell off once, and Atwood was standing in front of her naked.
The girl said he used pink pajama bottoms to cover her eyes and a belt or rope to tie her hands, which hurt.
Foster parent held on $5.5 million bond after report of child sexual abuse in Grimesland, NC
by: Dalisa RoblesGRIMESLAND, N.C. (WNCT) A foster parent is being held under a $5.5 million bond after a report of child sexual abuse in Grimesland, deputies said.
At the time of the incidents McLawhon was the foster parent of the victim child, deputies said.On Thursday, detectives arrested McLawhon on the following charges:
Three counts felony statutory sexual offense with a child by an adult
Felony sexual act by substitute parent/custodian
Felony indecent liberties with a child
McLawhon was sent to the Pitt County Detention Center under a $5.5 million bond.
The case remains under investigation.
Montana former deputy sentenced for taking
sexually explicit photographs of a minor
By: MTN NewsGREAT FALLS — Virgil Allen Wolfe was sentenced in federal court in Helena on Thursday after admitting to taking sexually explicit photographs of a minor.
Wolfe, 54 years old, pleaded guilty in May 2019 to sexual exploitation of a child.
The prosecution said in court records that law enforcement had received a report that Wolfe used a camera to take photographs of the victim in the nude and then uploaded them to his computer. The victim was younger than 12 years of age.
Law enforcement officers with Homeland Security Investigations and the Cascade County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at Wolfe’s residence in June 2017 and seized computers, a phone and a digital camera. A forensic analysis of the devices found child pornography images on a computer and on a memory card inside the camera. The images were taken in 2008 and 2009.
Senior U.S. District Judge Charles Lovell presided and sentenced Wolfe to prison for 21 years and eight months, followed by a lifetime of supervised release.
(MAY 29, 2019) A former Lewis & Clark County Sheriff’s deputy has entered into a plea agreement for sex abuse charges.
In April, Virgil Wolfe was charged in federal court with three counts of sexual exploitation of a child. On May 17, he pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a child.
The contents of the plea agreement are sealed until sentencing.
The government’s order of proof states law enforcement received a tip Wolfe was taking nude photos of an underage victim.
During an interview with authorities, the victim said Wolfe used a camera and uploaded the photos to his computer. Wolfe’s home was searched in June of 2017 and several electronic items were taken.
The Rocky Mountain Information Network examined the devices and found child pornography under the user profile of Virgil Wolfe.
Wolfe’s sentencing was set for August 29 (13th story on link) at the federal courthouse in Helena. He remains in custody.
N.C. Deputies charge suspect in decade-old
child sex abuse case
By Olivia Neeley, Wake WeeklyAfter being investigated and accused of child sex abuse more than a decade ago, a Selma man now faces two dozen charges in three Wilson County cases involving two victims, officials say.
Bunn is being held in the Wilson County Detention Center under a $200,000 secured bond.
In March, a victim contacted the sheriff’s office about a sexual assault investigation into Bunn that occurred 15 years ago and wanted to know why he was never charged in the case, said Wanda Samuel, sheriff’s office chief of staff.
Samuel said the current sheriff’s office sexual assault detective, Julie Jackson, immediately began looking into it and spoke to the victim, who is now an adult. After that, Jackson began an investigation.
REOPENED INVESTIGATION
Jackson was able to find three reports accusing Bunn of child sex abuse involving two victims, according to Samuel. Reports were filed in 2005, 2008 and 2009, all during former Sheriff Wayne Gay’s administration. Sheriff Calvin Woodard took office in 2010.
The victims were 5 and 7 years old when the alleged sexual abuse was reported, officials said.
Jackson also looked into the sheriff’s office archives for any hard copies of notes, statements or child medical evaluation reports from those cases, but none were found, according to Samuel. The detective did find documentation of three reports in the system.
“All evidence from the 2005 case had since been destroyed, and the only item left was a CD containing photos,” Samuel said.
DOCUMENTATION
Jackson reached out to the Wilson County Department of Social Services and the Tedi Bear Children’s Advocacy Center in Greenville, which assists law enforcement by providing assessments for children who may have been victims of child abuse and neglect. The detective also contacted former Wilson County Sheriff’s Office employees to determine if they had information on the cases, according to Samuel.
Jackson then requested any and all documentation from those agencies and or parties involved in the cases. Jackson was able to reopen the case based on what she discovered, and Bunn was charged on Friday.
Samuel said due to the sensitivity of the investigation, details of the allegations will not be released.
“There was enough probable cause developed from the investigation back then that could have led to warrants being obtained against the suspect by the investigator,” Woodard said in a statement. “Victims need to be taken seriously regardless of their age.”
The Johnston County Sheriff’s Office and N.C. State Bureau of Investigation assisted the sheriff’s office in Bunn’s apprehension.
Selma, NC
Father and son accused of sexually abusing
7-y/o released on bonds in Texas
..
A father and son have been arrested by Texarkana, Texas, police for the alleged continuous sexual abuse of a 7-year-old child to whom they are related
by Lynn LaRowe, Texarkana GazetteTEXARKANA, Texas — A father and son have been arrested by Texarkana, Texas, police for alleged continuous sexual abuse of a 7-year-old child to whom they are related.
The alleged victim's parents contacted police last week after a disclosure regarding the alleged abuse was made by the child. Investigators believe the abuse occurred over several years at the Fant home in Texarkana, Texas.
Detective Tabitha Smith obtained arrest warrants for both father and son after her investigation yielded information allegedly corroborating the child's account, Vaughn said. Following the arrest of the two Wednesday, a search of their residence was conducted and evidence was seized from the home.
Continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14 is punishable by 25 to 99 years or life in prison and there is no parole from any sentence imposed for the offense.
Doña Ana County, NM, deputies searching for
child sexual abuse suspect
Bethany Freudenthal, Las Cruces Sun-News
An arrest warrant was issued for Vincent Michael Darley, 36, of Las Cruces, on May 22.
Darley is charged with two counts of the criminal sexual contact of a minor, and one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
If you have information on Darley's location, contact the sheriff’s office at 575-525-1911.
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