Today's Global Pervs n Paedos List > 30,000 Suspects in Germany, 18 Albertans, F/M Teacher & 15 y/o Boy, Incest

18 Albertans charged with child porn

over last 2 months: ALERT

Dave Dormer

CTVNews Calgary Digital Producer

CALGARY -- The ALERT Internet Child Exploitation Unit is again warning parents to be vigilant of their children's online activities after charging 18 suspects with 65 offences over the last two months.

The arrests were made between May 20 and June 23 across Alberta, with most of the investigations coming from referrals from the RCMP's National Child Exploitation Coordination Centre.

Those charged range in age from 18 to 74 years old.

In March, ICE officials announced the number of complaints of online child exploitation had more than doubled. They received an average of 110 complaints that month over the last two years, which rose to 243 this year.

Being at home more during the pandemic means children are online more and so are people looking to exploit them, officials say. That means parents have to be more aware of what the younger members of their family are doing.

“This is a level of activity that has been unparalleled in the existence of the ICE unit,” said ALERT CEO Supt. Dwayne Lakusta.

“ICE is working incredibly hard to put predators behind bars, but we need parents to do their part and be vigilant of their childrens’ online activities."

Another key, said ALERT spokesperson Glenn Cook, is making sure children don't feel like they will get in trouble if they go to a parent with a concern.

Police say there is no definitive link between the suspects charged, other than the nature of alleged offences.

Each suspect is charged with at least one child pornography offence, including:

 An 18-year-old man from Edmonton, who was a young offender at the time of his arrest

 Bryan Alas Hernandez, an 18-year-old man from Lethbridge

 Dean Bertsch, a 62-year-old man from Sherwood Park

 Brandon Bran Eguizabal, a 26-year-old man from Lethbridge

 Tyson Campbell, a 27-year-old man from Edmonton

 Evan Cardinal, a 31-year-old man from Frog Lake

 Yonatan Castro Linares, a 25-year-old man from Lethbridge

 Keone Friesen, a 21-year-old man from Calgary

 Hans-Ulrich Gerber, a 74-year-old man from Red Deer

 Travis Harder, a 31-year-old man from Sherwood Park

 Kristofer Hastings, a 28-year-old man from Edmonton

 Darcy Hazard, a 57-year-old man from Airdrie

 Anas Khatib, a 24-year-old man from Grande Prairie

 Wayne Kupsch, a 52-year-old man from Edmonton

 Richard McCleary, a 61-year-old man from Calgary

 George Power, a 45-year-old man from Calgary

 James Venance, a 63-year-old man from Edmonton

 Jesse Young, a 20-year-old man from Grande Prairie

The term child pornography is being replaced by terms like 'child sex abuse materials, or images'. The term child pornography may imply in the minds of some that children choose to be a part of the sexual abuse depicted. Children cannot choose to be sexually abused. They can be coerced, or bribed into participating, but it is entirely illegal and immoral and causes devastation in that child's life at some point or another. 

Children in council’s care who reported sex abuse faced punishment, inquiry told

LONDON, UK LAMBETH COUNCIL

For information about the Shirley Oaks Survivors Association click here

Children in the care of Lambeth Council faced death threats, punishment and disbelief when they attempted to report sexual abuse, an inquiry has heard.

Paedophiles targeted young people in children’s homes run by the south London local authority for decades, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse heard on Monday.

But inquiry barrister Rachel Langdale QC said responses to allegations of sexual assault ranged from “explicit disbelief and punishment to limited efforts to remove the alleged perpetrator from their role”.

The inquiry hearing, which is due to last four weeks, will investigate whether there were failures in child protection by various public authorities, including the Metropolitan Police Service and Lambeth Council.

Former residents of the council-run children’s homes in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s claimed they were physically and sexually abused by those responsible for their care.

“This investigation raises fundamental questions as to whether life was any better or indeed whether it was far worse after they (children) came into Lambeth’s care,” Ms Langdale said.

While some staff witnessed abuse against children at the homes, they did not always report it or investigate it properly, the inquiry heard.

One girl at the Shirley Oaks home in Croydon – which could accommodate up to 350 children – was told by her abuser that if she reported what he had done “he’d kill her”, Ms Langdale said.

“She (the girl) was terrified and believed him,” said Ms Langdale.

“When she did find the courage to tell people, she was not believed.”

The inquiry also heard how a housemother found an “alleged perpetrator” in the bedroom of a girl he had sexually assaulted.

Ms Langdale said: “He sexually assaulted her, then hid under the bed before assaulting her again, and then hid behind the door when she went to get help.

“The housemother caught him behind the door and told him to leave.”

Ms Langdale said the girl had been “too afraid” to tell the housemother what had happened, and was instead made to “feel responsible”.

The inquiry also heard how Lambeth Council’s Angell Road home – which opened in 1981 – was run by the “convicted child sex abuser” Michael Carroll, who was also known as John Carroll.

Ms Langdale said: “You will hear that Lambeth came to know of his conviction from Croydon Council when Carroll and his wife applied to become foster parents (there).”

She added: “Lambeth officials decided that Carroll should not be dismissed on account of his previous conviction, nor on account of his concealment of it.”

Carroll was instead dismissed in 1991 because of “financial irregularities”, the inquiry heard.

He was jailed for 10 years at Liverpool Crown Court in 1999 after admitting a string of sexual assaults against children while working in residential care between 1966 and 1986.

The inquiry hearings are due to take place over 20 days, spread out between June 29 and July 10, and from July 20 to July 31.

Some 33,445 documents have been received as part of the investigation, including 24,244 pages of disclosures, Ms Langdale said.

Further opening statements from core participants will be heard on Tuesday.

The inquiry continues.

Redbridge man had stash of over 200 child abuse images and hid USB from police

..

Martin Sparks is a repeat offender and will now spend time behind bars

MyLondon - MyEastLondon News

A man has appeared in court after he was found to have downloaded more than 200 indecent images of children – despite being subject to a suspended sentence for the same offence.

Martin Sparks, 47, of Maldon Walk, Redbridge, pleaded guilty at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday, June 26 to five counts of breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), making indecent images of children (category A) and making indecent images of children (category B).

He will be sentenced at the same court on Wednesday, August 26.

Redbridge, London

Germany investigating 30,000 suspects in pedophile probe

By Agence France-Presse

Germany is investigating 30,000 suspects as part of a probe into an online pedophile network, the latest in a series of child sex abuse scandals that prompted authorities to promise a crackdown.

The probe began last October with the arrest of a suspected perpetrator in Bergisch Gladbach, near Cologne.

“I did not expect, not even remotely,

the extent of child abuse on the internet,”

But investigators digging into the case have turned up a far bigger pedophile network than expected.

“I did not expect, not even remotely, the extent of child abuse on the internet,” North Rhine-Westphalia’s justice minister Peter Beisenbach told reporters on Monday, June 29.

What the investigation team had uncovered was “deeply disturbing,” he said. “We must recognize that child abuse on the internet is more widespread than we had previously thought.”

“We must recognize that child abuse on the internet

is more widespread than we had previously thought.”

The cyber crime office in North Rhine-Westphalia is now “investigating 30,000 unknown suspects” in the case linked to the city of Bergisch Gladbach, said Beisenbach.

“We want to drag perpetrators and supporters of child abuse out of the anonymity of the internet,” he added.

Those being investigated are suspected of sharing “child and youth pornographic content” including “fictitious and/or real acts of abuse” in anonymous online discussion forums and chat groups, the cyber crime office ZAC NRW said in a statement.

To date, just over 70 suspects have been identified throughout Germany.

In May, the first offender – a 27-year-old soldier – was sentenced to 10 years in prison and placed in a psychiatric hospital for an indefinite period.

‘Emotional murder’

Germany has been shocked at the discovery of several serious cases of child sex abuse over the past 18 months.

In early June, 11 people were arrested (9th story on link) on suspicion of sexually abusing children and filming their actions after videos and photos were seized from the cellar of a 27-year-old man from the city of Muenster, also in North Rhine-Westphalia state.

Investigators said they had identified at least 3 victims, aged 5, 10, and 12 years old.

Officials said then that investigative capacities on child abuse had been increased, which would likely lead to the discovery of more cases.

The case triggered calls from politicians to crack down on those using and sharing child sexual abuse materials, with calls for it to be classed as a crime rather than just an offense.

“Child abuse cannot be punished like shoplifting. It is murder. Not physically but emotionally. Anyone who molests children must be punished as a criminal, fullstop,” said North Rhine Westphalia interior minister Herbert Reul.

Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht in mid-June conceded offenders would in future receive a sentence of at least one year. “Anyone who commits such disgusting crimes must feel the full force of the law,” she said.

Campside abuse

In an earlier scandal in Luegde (2nd story on link), 125 kilometers from Muenster, several men abused children several hundred times at a campsite over a period of several years.

Prosecutors said more than 40 children fell victim to the men at the “Eichwald” campsite between 1998 and 2018, most of them between 3 and 14 years old at the time.

Some 33 witnesses, including 16 victims and 12 relatives, testified before the court in the trial, many of them behind closed doors.

Child sex abuse was also placed in the spotlight when police announced in May they suspected a German man of having murdered missing British girl Madeleine McCann.

The 43-year-old suspect, named as Christian Brueckner by German media, has a long criminal past and a history of child sex abuse.

Maldives Police arrest man for repeated sexual abuse of daughter

Ahmed Aiham, The Edition

Maldives Police Service (MPS) on Sunday, revealed that an individual was arrested over allegedly sexually abusing his daughter.

According to police, a 35-year-old man was arrested over reports of abusing his daughter on multiple accounts. The case is being investigated by the South Central Police Division.

The island's Magistrate Court has remanded the individual for a period of eight days.

A significant number of child sexual abuse cases were reported to the authorities throughout January, following the surfacing of a shocking case involving the sexual abuse of a two-year-old. Based on reports, police have to date, made numerous arrests and have stated that the investigations were underway.

However, in recent weeks, public outrage has risen over the government's meagre record of arresting and convicting perpetrators of sexual offences, despite several electoral pledges and recent statements renewing the promises that were made in favour of supporting the rights of children and women.

Most recently, a collective of gender equality advocates originating from Family Legal Clinic (FLC), Nufoshey and Uthema Maldives launched the #FundOurSafety initiative, voicing demands to declare rape and sexual offences as serious criminal offences and reallocate state funds for the protection of victims.

Meanwhile, police have warned over increasing incidents of child grooming and exploitation over the internet, urging parents and guardians to be aware and report knowledge of any such information to the police's Family and Child Protection Wing at +960 3000600 or the Ministry of Gender, Family and Social Services at 1412.

Former Melton teacher's aide to be sentenced for sexually abusing 15-y/o student in Melbourne

By court reporter Karen Percy


Nicole Woods claimed to have a "special bond" with a troubled teenage boy at Melton's Staughton College in Melbourne's west in 2016, and was helping to keep him in school.

But the County Court in Melbourne has heard that over a six-month period the former teacher's aide performed sexual acts on the then 15-year-old boy at the back of the classroom.

Woods, 55, has pleaded guilty to two charges of sexually penetrating a child under the age of 16.

Woods appeared in court via videolink today, wearing a blue tracksuit and a set of white rosary beads around her neck. She played with the cross hanging from the beads as the hearing began.

County Court Judge George Georgiou is hearing submissions on what kind of sentence Woods will face.

The boy, now 19, says he has been left "numb" and "broken" and is seeking pain relief by abusing drugs and alcohol. "I'm not innocent anymore," the teenager said via a victim impact statement read in the County Court during a plea hearing in March.

On at least 15 occasions between April and September 2016, Woods committed sexual acts on the boy — including oral sex and intercourse — the court was told at that hearing.

Woods had sent the boy photos of herself topless, which he then shared with his friends.

The court heard Woods had worked at the school for three years, helping in the classroom and in the canteen. Prosecutor Craig McConaghy told the court her actions were a "gross betrayal of trust".

The court heard the teen had wanted to end his own life, and had been cutting himself with a knife. He still has thoughts of self-harm, the court was told. "I'm broken and I don't know how to fix me," the teen said in his statement.

When she was arrested and interviewed by police in December 2017, Woods denied there was any sexual contact with the boy. She said she had been helping him with his behavioural issues and that he would climb in cupboards unless she was present in class.

"From the offender's perspective there was a close bond … a special bond between her and the victim," Mr McConaghy said.

But he said there was a "degree of grooming" by Woods when she provided the boy and his friends with free food and drinks on days when she was working in the school canteen. She also gave the boy $80 to repair a mobile phone and bought other items, the court heard.

Victim's mother feels she 'failed' to protect her son

The boy's mother has spoken of the "very dark episode" for her son ever since he was first abused almost four years ago. "I feel I failed to protect my son," she said.

The mother told Judge Georgiou she was "devastated, sick, fearful" as a result of Woods's crimes.

"I hope to see my (son) again one day … pain-free and that he will start to see that he can have a life where he doesn't feel like he's in a black hole," she said.

The mother said she had post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and was unable to work because she needed to care for her son who did not like to leave the house.

The court heard the offences took place in Woods's office pod at the back of the classroom, during lunchtime or after school. One offence took place during a school athletics day, the court heard.

"I do not feel safe most of the time," the teen said in his statement. "My safe place is at home. Mum has had to put shutters on [the windows] and put in a security system."

Woods's lawyer, Jonathan Barrera, said his client understood the "significant impact" she had had on the teen. "At the time of the offending, it was quite a dark time in her life," he said.

Woods's offending a 'snap of the brain', court hears

She had left an abusive relationship and had no permanent place to live and was "couch surfing" at the time, the court was told. She was using drugs and alcohol to cope, the court was told, becoming addicted to methamphetamine.

Today Mr Barrera told the court his client thought the boy had consented to sexual relations.

The court heard Woods told a psychiatrist that she had a "snap of the brain". But her lawyer admitted her offending "was not spontaneous, it was not isolated".

The court was told Woods had a difficult childhood, having been sent to school in Indonesia and Singapore at the age of eight and nine. The court heard she had been sexually abused by a domestic helper in Indonesia.

She had also been in an abusive marriage for 27 years, Mr Barrera said.

Woods faces a maximum term of 15 years for each offence.

Today Judge Georgiou questioned Woods's credibility and remorse, because she did not plead guilty until just before the trial.

"He [the victim] lived under the belief that your client is denying the allegations right up until the day he was to give evidence," Judge Georgiou said to Mr Barrera.

Judge Georgiou will sentence Woods on July 28.

Today's USA Pervs n Pedos List > 60 Charges, 22 Charges, Charges Dropped, Retrial for Cop, 1st Nations Woman Sells 5 y/o

Alabama man indicted on 60 counts of child sex abuse

Posted By: Erica Thomason: 
From The Tribune 

MONTGOMERY — A Dale County man was indicted for 60 counts of child sex crimes, according to Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall.

Jason Park, 40, of Newton, was arrested on Feb. 25, 2020, and placed in the Dale County Jail on 10 counts of possession of obscene matter.

On June 17, a Dale County grand jury indicted Park on 43 counts of possession of child pornography, 13 counts of production of child pornography and four counts of sexual abuse of a child less than 12 years old.

“Since last November, Park has been arrested five times on a total of 40 charges,” Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said in a press release. “His bond was revoked on February 28 and he has been held in the Dale County Jail since that date.”

The indictment includes 40 charges for which he was previously arrested as well as 20 additional charges.

If convicted, Park faces the following penalties:

Possession of child pornography is a class C felony punishable by one year and one day to 10 years imprisonment for each of the 43 counts;

Production of child pornography is a class A felony, and because the three victims were less than 12 years old, it is punishable by 20 to 99 years or life imprisonment for each of the 13 counts; and

Sexual abuse of a child is a class B felony, and because the two victims were less than 12 years old, it is punishable by 10 to 20 years for each of the four counts.

Port Orford, Ore, man arrested for

Child Sexual Abuse charges

The Pilot 

A 48-year-old Port Orford man has been arrested and charged with multiple child sexual abuse charges, according to the Curry County Sheriff's Office.

In a release on Friday afternoon, Detective Jaried Freeman said Christopher Alan Sypher's arrest on Thursday followed a lengthy investigation by the Sheriff's Office, aided by the Oregon Dept. of Justice Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce and the FBI. The arrest followed execution of a search warrant at Sypher's home, Freeman said.

Sypher was transported to and lodged in the Curry County Jail and is currently charged with 15 counts of Encouraging Child Sexual Abuse in the 1st Degree and 5 counts of encouraging Child Sexual Abuse in the 2nd degree.

All information was provided to the Curry County District Attorney and more charges are expected as additional evidence is analyzed, Freeman said.

Child sex crime charges dismissed against

Geneva Co., Ala, woman

BY MICHELE W. FOREHAND mwatson@dothaneagle.com

GENEVA - Charges against a woman arrested and charged with making a video of a 19-year-old man performing sexual acts on an infant child have been dismissed.

The Alabama State Bureau of Investigation arrested Lisa Williamson, 41, and Steven Anthony Jackson, 19, both of Hartford last month.

Grandmother ‘filmed teenage son-in-law sexually abusing her baby granddaughter’  (11th story on link).

The above link IDs the woman as the child's grandmother, and Jackson as being her ex-son-in-law.

Authorities previously told the Dothan Eagle Williamson filmed Jackson performing sex acts on the child, and may have been using a subscription service online for distribution.

Williamson was originally charged with permitting a child to engage in production of obscene material, sex abuse of a child, production of child pornography, dissemination of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.

According to court documents, Geneva County Assistant Attorney Amanda Smith filed a motion requesting the charges be dismissed. Smith listed in her motion that Jackson admitted he perpetrated an elaborate scheme using Williamson’s identification and fraudulent social media accounts to make it appear she was involved in the alleged crimes.

Smith said in her motion, although the matter remains under investigation, the state believes that at this time justice requires the charges pending Williamson be dismissed.

Geneva County District Judge Stephen Smith issued an order dismissing the charges against Williamson; and releasing her from the Geneva County Jail.

Jackson is charged with production of child pornography and first degree sodomy.

According to law enforcement, a tip was received regarding the pornography operation, and the couple was arrested.

Hartford, Ala

Retrial starts Monday for Great Falls, Mt, woman

accused of selling child for sex

Traci Rosenbaum, Great Falls Tribune

A Great Falls woman accused of selling a kindergarten-age child to a man for the purpose of sex faces her second trial today after the first one ended in a hung jury.

Corena Marie Mountain Chief, 43, was first accused in late 2018 of felony trafficking of persons and sexual abuse of children. The trafficking charge was later dismissed.

According to court documents, the alleged victim told police that when she was about 4 or 5 years old, Mountain Chief sold her to Eugene Edwin Sherbondy, who then raped her.

Sherbondy faces charges in this and another case involving drugs, child trafficking and witness tampering. His trials are still pending.

Mountain Chief was tried in October before Missoula County District Judge John W. Larson, but a mistrial was declared after jurors deliberated more than three hours and were unable to reach a unanimous verdict.

Larson is presiding over the current trial, as well.

Witnesses who testified for the prosecution in Mountain Chief's previous trial included the alleged victim, a forensic interviewer, a physician and the investigating detective.

Prosecutors claimed it was not the first time Mountain Chief tried to give a young girl to Sherbondy for her own gain, but defense attorney Larry LaFountain argued that the prosecution's version wasn't the whole story.

LaFountain referenced a 2013 forensic interview with the alleged victim in which she made no mention of abuse by Mountain Chief or Sherbondy, as well as several adult witnesses who could refute the girl's story.

Neither the adult witnesses nor the 2013 interview was heard in court.

LaFountain at one point asked for a mistrial because he said he'd based his entire defense on evidence that was ruled outside the scope of the trial the 2013 interview and a Facebook post he believed influenced the girl’s memory.

Judge Larson denied the motion.

In his closing argument, LaFountain made claims that officers ignored potential evidence and said police interviewing suspects accuse them of things until they say what law enforcement wants to hear.

Mountain Chief’s previous trial took two days, so a verdict for Monday’s trial may be available as early as Tuesday.

3 Forsyth Co., Ga, men plead guilty to

sex crimes against children

By Asia Simone Burns, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Three Forsyth County men will spend time in prison after they were convicted of various child sexual exploitation charges, officials said. 

Steven Vinnenberg, 66, Robert Harley Martin, 38, and John O’Dell, 40, all of Cumming, each pleaded guilty to charges involving sex crimes against children, according to Forsyth sheriff’s office spokeswoman Stacie Miller. 

The men were among 24 people who were arrested last September in connection with a child sex sting, Miller said. The four-day undercover operation, called “Operation Just Cause,” was a cooperative effort between fourteen law enforcement agencies north of Atlanta, Miller said. Those taken into custody faced charges including aggravated child molestation, child sex trafficking, sexual exploitation of children and distribution of child pornography. 

Vinnenberg was charged with obscene internet contact with a child, and Martin was charged with criminal attempt to commit child molestation. They will serve four and eight years in prison, respectively. Vinnenberg will also serve 26 years on probation, while Martin will serve seven years. O’Dell, whose charges are not clear, will serve one year in custody and 19 years on probation. 

Roger Nicholson, 44, of Gainesville, was also arrested during the operation on charges that did not involve child sex abuse, Miller said. Officials said Nicholson was a passenger in a vehicle that was pulled over during the sting. Investigators found meth in the vehicle, Miller said. Nicholson was sentenced to five years probation after pleading guilty to violation of the Georgia Controlled Substances Act and possession of methamphetamine. 

Court overturns sexual assault conviction of

ex-Berthoud, Col, cop, grants new trial

Jennifer Hefty, Fort Collins Coloradoan

A Colorado appeals court last week overturned the 2016 sexual assault conviction of Jeremy Yachik and granted the former Berthoud police officer a new trial in the case. 

In its decision published June 25, the appeals court ruled that the trial court "abused its discretion" and "erroneously admitted evidence" related to Yachik's prior child abuse conviction involving the same victim. That evidence, the court said, was "irrelevant, prejudicial and encouraged the jury to convict (the) defendant based upon ... that he had a bad character" instead of convicting Yachik based on the evidence of the accused sexual assault.

Astonishing - he has a history of abusing the same child and the appeals court says that is irrelevant! OMG! Another court where the perpetrator has all the rights and the victim's suffering is completely 'irrelevant'!

In December 2016, a jury found Yachik guilty of two counts of sexual assault on a child by someone in a position of trust, a Class 3 felony. Yachik was sentenced in January 2017 to 32 years in prison — 16 years for each count. 

The charges stemmed from a report made by Yachik's daughter as her 18th birthday neared. Prosecutors said Yachik touched his daughter inappropriately in two separate incidents between 2010 and 2012, and threatened retaliation if she told anyone what happened, according to the appellate court's ruling.

Yachik's daughter said she reported the incidents to Yachik's ex-girlfriend in 2014. 

"I was too afraid to say anything," the woman, who was then 20 years old, said while on the witness stand during the initial trial. "... I thought it was completely normal."

The charges and trial followed another child abuse case in which Yachik was accused of force-feeding his then-15-year-old daughter hot sauce, binding her hands with zip ties and hitting, spraying her with police department-grade pepper spray and kicking her for taking carrots from the refrigerator without permission. Yachik pleaded guilty in 2014 to child abuse, a Class 2 misdemeanor, and was sentenced to probation.

Yachik did not admit to the sex assault accusations but said at sentencing in the case that he recognized that things had gotten "out of hand" with his daughter.

In his appeal, Yachik argued that during his sexual assault trial — overseen by Judge Gregory Lammons — the court admitted evidence that he repeatedly subjected his daughter to "horrific acts of child abuse" as context for the sexual assault charges. He argued that the evidence was "not only irrelevant and highly prejudicial, but it encouraged the jury to convict him of the charged sexual assault crimes based on prior misconduct and 'perceived bad character.' "

Prosecutors argued that the evidence was essential because it helped the jury understand the control Yachik exercised over his daughter, why she lied to protect him and why she delayed reporting the incidents.

Before deliberations, the court instructed the jury that Yachik was not charged with child abuse in the case at hand and the evidence was admitted merely for context surrounding the incidents of sexual assault. But the court did not tell the jury that Yachik could not be convicted because he was physically abusive. 

However, in closing arguments — which the district attorney's office confirmed were delivered by deputy district attorney Mitch Murray — prosecutors implored the jury to watch a video of the abuse Yachik's daughter endured and "think about what this girl went through ... and find the defendant guilty," according to the ruling.

Oops!

Deputy District Attorney Cara Boxberger concluded closing arguments for the prosecution, according to previous media reports. 

Both Boxberger and Murray qualified those statements by instructing the jury to not convict Yachik simply because he was guilty of separate acts of child abuse. That evidence was presented to provide context, according to reporting by the Loveland Reporter-Herald. 

The appellate court said that the physical abuse evidence "was not critical to the jury's understanding of the charged crimes because nothing in the record linked those incidents in time or circumstance." There was no evidence that she was physically abused in connection with the sexual assaults, the court continued, and she denied fearing physical abuse if she told anyone about the sexual assaults. Rather, the court wrote, the prior abuse was related to punishment for "alleged lying, poor communication and not doing her chores."

"There exists a very real probability that the physical abuse evidence 'substantially influenced the verdict' and 'impaired the fairness of the trial,'" the appeals court wrote, ruling that the evidence of physical abuse must be excluded from a new trial. "Reading through the trial transcript, one might easily forget that the defendant was on trial for sexual assault and believe he was also on trial for charges of child abuse. The prosecutor used this evidence to paint the defendant in a bad light and appeal to the jury's emotions."

Yachik's appeal went on to question the validity of one of the prosecution's "blind" expert witnesses and argue that there was prosecutorial misconduct in closing arguments. 

A blind expert is one who knows little or nothing about the facts of the case and often has never met the victim. The expert, who said she has counseled convicted sex offenders and adults who have been victims of child sex assault, testified about the behaviors of perpetrators of sexual abuse, "including grooming and the use of intimidation and isolation."

"Even after they're convicted, they try to groom probation and treatment providers," she testified. "It's just their way of life for them." 

Throughout closing arguments, Murray continued the theme of "grooming," referencing the expert's testimony. He then argued that the "defendant, his counsel, and the entire defense that the jury had witnessed throughout the trial was merely an attempt to groom the jury," according to the appellate court's ruling. 

At this point in closing arguments, Yachik's attorneys objected. The court forbade prosecutors from arguing that defense counsel had groomed the jury but allowed them to continue arguing that Yachik himself had groomed the jury.

In its ruling, the appeals court cited prior case law that said "a prosecutor, while free to strike hard blows, is not at liberty to strike foul ones.'"

"By taking the expert's grooming testimony and arguing that it applied directly to the jury, the prosecutor crossed the line from permissible commentary on the evidence to impermissible commentary," the court wrote. "... In a sense it is a type of 'golden rule' argument that put the jury on similar footing with (Yachik's daughter): both victims of the defendant's control and grooming."

The court ruled that the grooming comments in closing arguments were "frequent and improper" because Murray was encouraging the jury to render a verdict based on their personal emotions rather than on an impartial assessment of the evidence. The comments should not be permitted at a new trial, the court ruled.

"Essentially, the prosecutor argued that, if the jury believed the defendant, it was only because he had succeeded in grooming them," the court wrote. "Who among us, after all, wants to be accused of being controlled and groomed by a criminal defendant on trial?"

"With the ruling from the Court of Appeals, our office is treating this as a pending investigation," district attorney's office spokesperson Raymond Daniel wrote in an email. "Our office has no further comment at this time."

A new trial date has not yet been set.

Berthoud Police disbanded

Yachik's initial arrest eventually lead to the resignation of Berthoud police chief Glenn Johnson amid allegations that he knew about the accusations against Yachik but did nothing. Yachik was later fired, and the case and subsequent investigations eventually led to the disbanding of the police department.

After a review of the department by his top aides in 2014, Larimer County Sheriff Justin Smith offered a scathing critique of the department, saying at the time it was rife with mismanagement. He cited the department buying fully automatic military-grade machine guns, hiring officers who showed “glaring” signs of illegal and inappropriate behavior, and then giving them “woefully inadequate” training.

The review also concluded that the eight-officer force and support staff struggled with "back stabbing" and fear.

“The application and hiring process for town officers allowed unqualified individuals to be hired and to maintain employment, despite glaring warning signs of inappropriate and sometimes illegal behavior,” Smith wrote to the town in 2014. 

The sheriff's office took over policing of Berthoud in 2014 and maintains a contract with the town to provide police services today. The Berthoud Squad of the Larimer County Sheriff's Office includes one sergeant, one corporal and four deputies to provide patrol services in Berthoud, with two additional deputies assigned as school resource officers at the town's high school and middle school. 

Female Genital Mutilation Victim Shares Harrowing Story as Practice on the Rise in Germany

One Survivor's Story

An activist and victim of female genital mutilation (FGM) living in Berlin told RT “big action” is needed to tackle the issue in Germany, which has seen a rapid rise in women and girls forced to undergo the torturous procedure.

Artist and activist Fatou Mandiang Diatta underwent the dangerous procedure in her native Senegal when she was about four or five years old. 

I remember how my mum asked me not to cry. Her face was so serious in front of me. I remember two ladies – one was holding my hand and the other one my legs. And there was a third one who did something quite painful...

Having been so young at the time, Diatta did not fully understand what had happened to her until she later began studying anatomy in college.  

“I discovered that it was that day when damage was done to my body,” she told RT.

Female circumcision is performed around the world on the pretext of religious and cultural beliefs – and is viewed as a grave violation of human rights by the United Nations. Many victims are subjected to FGM when they are still babies, with some not even surviving the cruel and traumatic procedure. 

“In my neighborhood, two babies passed away from FGM,” Diatta recalled. “We all knew about it, but no one said anything. It was a taboo in the village.”

The number of women and girls in Germany who have undergone FGM has increased to 68,000 in 2020 – a 44 percent rise from 2017. Family Affairs Minister Franziska Giffey has linked the rise to the growing number of immigrants coming from countries where FGM is widely practiced, like Nigeria, Eritrea, Somalia, and Egypt. 

Giffey called FGM an “archaic crime” which has “has lifelong physical and psychological consequences” and called for local communities to enact new measures to help protect girls.

Yet, “more and more” girls and women in Germany are facing the risk of having their genitals mutilated, Giffey warned, adding that the number of those exposed to that risk stands between 2,800 and 14,900, even though the country passed legislation prohibiting the procedure in 2013. 

Diatta described the “big shock” she felt after learning that female circumcision is being performed on girls born in Germany as well – and the activist stressed that that practice is not limited to incoming refugees.

People were thinking that it’s an African issue, but it’s not. Kids that are German… are also at risk. Most of the girls don’t even know what’s happened to them.

She believes that projects to better integrate migrants in society and more awareness can improve the situation.  

“If an issue like FGM is still going on in 2020 in Germany – I think big action needs to be taken,” she said.

Perverted Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous - Episode XXXXVII > Barak, Dershowitz, TV Star, Master Chef, Athlete, Biebs, YouTube Star

Former ISRAELI PM named as SEX OFFENDER in Epstein court filings submitted by Dershowitz

John Doe enters suit to say that if he's named, he didn't do it.

Deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein directed his best-known accuser to have sex with former Israeli PM Ehud Barak, according to a sealed deposition – one of many papers lawyer Alan Dershowitz is trying to use to clear his own name.

Lawyers for Dershowitz, who was a friend of Epstein as well as a member of his legal defense team, released the claim about Barak in a Tuesday court filing, attempting to cast doubt on allegations made by accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre, one of the first Epstein victims to go public with her story. 

Pointing to the “denials and disclaimers” issued by the powerful men Giuffre said she’d had sex with, they suggested her word had been “thoroughly discredited by her proven lies.” If their hope was to smear Giuffre, however, it didn’t quite go as planned, instead renewing media interest in the suspects named by the former Epstein “sex slave.”

Dershowitz’s legal team obtained the sealed deposition from a 2016 defamation suit Giuffre filed against Epstein’s alleged madam, Ghislaine Maxwell, his lawyer admitted in court on Tuesday. The document names not only Barak, but also Victoria’s Secret CEO Les Wexner, along with several others she had already accused publicly.

Howard Cooper, a lawyer for the embattled Harvard professor, urged a judge to turn over even more sealed documents from the Maxwell suit, insisting they were relevant to Dershowitz’s own defamation case against Giuffre, who has long claimed she was forced to have sex with Dershowitz as well (a claim he fervently denies). However, Giuffre’s lawyers argued against the move, concerned that her adversary’s legal team would take the information out of context and twist it for their purposes.

Lawyers for Maxwell actually agreed with Giuffre, reasoning there was little overlap between the two defamation cases (and presumably not wanting further details of Maxwell’s alleged crimes to emerge). Lawyers for a mysterious “John Doe” also concurred, citing the need to protect the privacy of others whose names have not yet been made public. 

Doe entered the Maxwell defamation case last year, filing a friend-of-the-court brief in an effort to keep Giuffre’s depositions private; he claims to be someone who has not yet been named publicly, and wants to stay that way, insisting for good measure that he has not had sex with Giuffre.

Barak dismissed the allegations against him in a statement to Israeli media on Wednesday, claiming his name was “inserted into the article in order to push aside the allegations against Dershowitz” and claiming he did not meet Epstein in 2002. 

The best defense is a good offense, right?

This is at odds with his previous statement that he was introduced to the disgraced financier that year. Former Israeli spy Ari Ben-Menashe has also claimed Epstein and Barak met even before 2002. 

The former Israeli PM was a major beneficiary of Epstein’s largesse, receiving millions of dollars in investments and donations from both the Wexner Foundation – which Epstein, as Wexner’s asset manager, ran – and from Epstein directly, as recently as 2015. The deceased predator was also a big investor in Carbyne911, a surveillance-tech startup Barak founded that same year.

While Barak has been photographed entering and exiting Epstein’s Manhattan residence, in one case with a bevy of attractive young women, and residents of another Epstein building claim he was a “frequent presence” there, the Israeli has insisted his dealings with the wealthy sex offender were entirely businesslike, claiming that even when he visited Epstein’s infamous tropical island – which the media have dubbed “Orgy Island” – he never went to his parties or met any girls – photographic evidence aside.

However, his associations with the notorious asset manager likely cost him a political comeback. Current Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu went to great lengths to hype the Barak-Epstein link when the case against the convicted sex offender re-emerged last year, and Barak’s electoral challenge to the longest-serving PM in Israeli history faded away before election day. 

Giuffre has accused numerous political figures of being involved in Epstein’s underage sex ring, prominent among them Britain’s Prince Andrew, who landed in hot water earlier this month as US authorities slammed his lack of cooperation in the ongoing investigation. While Giuffre was photographed with the prince, he claimed in a widely-mocked interview he had never met her, insisting he was at a pizza restaurant with his daughters on the night of their alleged sexual encounter.

Other famous names that have been implicated include former US president Bill Clinton (who was documented flying on Epstein’s plane over two dozen times), billionaire investor Glenn Dubin, former New Mexico governor Bill Richardson, and model scout Jean-Luc Brunel.

'Workaholics' episode with Chris D'Elia playing a child molester removed from Hulu, Amazon Prime

By Jordan Moreau

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) - An episode of Workaholics in which Chris D'Elia plays a child molester has been removed from Hulu and Amazon Prime Video.

Last week on Twitter, multiple women accused D'Elia of trying to engage with them sexually, and some women said they were as young as 16 when the encounters allegedly took place. In a widespread Twitter thread, several women claimed the comedian sent them inappropriate messages and attempted to solicit nude photos from them.

In a statement to TMZ last week, D'Elia denied the allegations against him.

Chris D'Elia has denied all allegations against him. (Instagram)

"I know I have said and done things that might have offended people during my career, but I have never knowingly pursued any underage women at any point. All of my relationships have been both legal and consensual and I have never met or exchanged any inappropriate photos with the people who have tweeted about me. That being said, I really am truly sorry. I was a dumb guy who ABSOLUTELY let myself get caught up in my lifestyle. That's MY fault. I own it. I've been reflecting on this for some time now and I promise I will continue to do better," he said.

D'Elia guest starred on Season 1 Episode 8 of Workaholics, titled 'To Friend a Predator,' which aired on Comedy Central on May 25, 2011. He played Topher, a child molester, who befriends the main characters played by Adam Devine, Anders Holm and Blake Anderson. After originally trying to expose Topher, the trio becomes friends with him and joins him at an exclusive penthouse party.

The logline for the episode reads "A local child molester attracts the guys' attention, but not, as it turns out, for the reason they expected."

Hulu and Amazon Prime currently offer all seven seasons of Workaholics for free, but the episode is no longer available on either platform. On Hulu, the episode has disappeared entirely, and on Amazon Prime a message says "this video is currently unavailable" and doesn't give an option to play it.

D'Elia's Whitney co-star Whitney Cummings also weighed in on the accusations on Saturday, saying she was "devastated and enraged" by what she's learned.

Chris D'Elia as Alex Green and Whitney Cummings as herself in Whitney. (NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via)

"It's taken me a couple days to process the information I have learned about Chris. I'm devastated and enraged by what I've read and learned. This is a pattern of predatory behaviour. This abuse of power is enabled by silence. Now that I'm aware, I won't be silent," she wrote on Twitter. "Girls should be able to be a fan of a comedian they admire without being a sexual target. It's the adult's responsibility to be an adult."

Mostly known for his stand-up, D'Elia recently starred in Season 2 of You on Netflix, playing a comedian who sexually abuses teenage girls.

=====================================================================================

MasterChef contestant Ben Ungermann to fight allegations
he sexually assaulted teenage girl

By court reporter Danny Tran

Dumped MasterChef Australia contestant Ben Ungermann will fight allegations he sexually assaulted a teenager in Melbourne this year, with Victorian prosecutors revealing they expect to call four children to give evidence.

Mr Ungermann, 36, has been charged with three counts of intentionally sexually touching a 16-year-old girl at the Docklands earlier this year.

Among the charges is an accusation that the MasterChef contestant touched the alleged victim's breast without her consent.

At an administrative hearing on Thursday, prosecutor Stephen Payne told the Melbourne Magistrates' Court that some of the witnesses may have to appear by videolink.

"It doesn't appear there's any prospect of the matter resolving at this time," Mr Payne said.

Allegations 'vehemently denied'
Days before the alleged assault, which took place on February 23, Mr Ungermann announced on his Instagram page that he would rejoin MasterChef Australia's 2020 season.

About two weeks later, he was charged by detectives from the Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team.

Mr Ungermann's departure was announced to contestants and viewers on MasterChef in May.

"Before we get to today's challenge, we've got some news. You're probably wondering where Ben is," judge Jock Zonfrillo said. "Due to a personal matter, Ben has had to leave the competition and he will not be returning."

Mr Ungermann has denied the accusations, with his Sydney-based lawyer Adam Houda posting on Twitter: "Allegations against my client are vehemently denied and will be defended." .


Mr Ungermann is on bail and will return to court in October.

Svetlana Gnezdilov: Former Israeli champion accused of sex trafficking and inducement to prostitution

Former top-tier Israeli athlete, Svetlana Gnezdilov, who holds the national record in the heptathlon, has been detained on accusations of organizing a sex-trafficking scheme and engaging persons for prostitution.

The Ukrainian-born athlete, who represented Israel at three world championships, was accused of running a network of brothels under the guise of massage parlors.

The 51-year-old allegedly recruited people on Russian-language websites, posting employment ads searching for workers for her massage salons.

Women allegedly crossed the Israeli border pretending to be tourists before being brought into the alleged prostitution network.

Gnezdilov and her husband were detained three weeks ago along with six other suspects during a raid organized by Israeli police, but their names were revealed only this week.

The woman denies any wrongdoing, her lawyer Orit Hayon insisting that she was involved in a massage business with no sexual or criminal implication.

"We are talking only about massage. My client denies that has to involve someone in prostitution. We are talking about a prominent woman, an athlete, a medalist, with no criminal record.

"She was treated like a criminal. Stating that she was unwell, that was not even considered. We believe that her detention over a period of 23 days was unnecessary,” Hayon said.

Along with sex crimes, Gnezdilov was also accused of tax fraud and money laundering, estimated in millions of Israeli shekels.

The athlete was born in Kharkov, but moved to Israel in 1996 together with her husband. She has represented her new motherland at international events, including world and European championships.

Justin Bieber files $20M defamation lawsuit over sexual misconduct claims

2 women accused Canadian pop star on social media of sexually assaulting them

Thomson Reuters 

Justin Bieber has filed a $20 million US defamation lawsuit against two women who accused him of sexual misconduct.

The Canadian pop star filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday after saying on Twitter earlier this week that a claim that he sexually assaulted a woman in 2014 was "factually impossible."

The woman, who identified herself as Danielle but said she was posting anonymously, said in a Twitter posting that has since been deleted that she was sexually assaulted by the singer at a hotel in Austin, Texas, on March 9, 2014.

The other woman, who identified herself as Kadi, said on Twitter that she was sexually assaulted by Bieber in a New York hotel room in May 2015.

The lawsuit said the accusations by the two women were "outrageous, fabricated lies" and seeks a jury trial and $20 million in damages.

Neither of the women could be reached for comment on Friday. Bieber's representatives on Friday did not respond to requests for comment about the lawsuit.

The lawsuit said the two women were "trying to capitalize on the climate of fear permeating the entertainment industry, Hollywood and corporate America, whereby it is open season for anyone to make any claim (no matter how vile, unsupported, and provably false) about anyone without consequence."

Hundreds of men in entertainment, business, sports and politics have been accused of sexual misconduct since the #MeToo movement became a cultural force in 2017.

Bieber, now 26, was discovered at age 13 and has become one of the world's most popular musicians.

The lawsuit detailed hotel receipts, emails and news reports to assert that Bieber was not staying at the hotel in Austin where Danielle alleged that the 2014 assault had taken place.

It said that Kadi's accusation was false and that she had fabricated her allegation "out of her desire for fame and attention."

Apparently, you don't have to have a brain to be a YouTube star,

or a moral compass either

‘Disgusting & sick!’ YouTuber Shane Dawson gets cancelled for ‘masturbation joke’ with poster of Will Smith’s 11yo daughter

Just hours after addressing his past blackface and racial slur sins, YouTuber Shane Dawson has found himself in a deeper trouble after a video went viral showing him pretending to masturbate to a poster of 11yo Willow Smith.

The scandalous video shows Dawson, a YouTuber with over 20 million subscribers, standing in front of an old Disney poster of young Willow, huffing and puffing, apparently pretending to masturbate while saying ‘Whip your hair back and forth’, in reference to the girl’s song.

It was not immediately clear when exactly the video was recorded or who undug and shared it, but the clip triggered an immense scandal online, propelling Dawson into the top Twitter trends and prompting shocked response from the members of Smith family.

“Shane Dawson I am disgusted by you. You sexualizing an 11 year old girl who happens to be my sister!!!!!!,” her outraged older brother Jaden tweeted in all caps.

Their mother Jada Pinkett Smith said only: “To Shane Dawson … I’m done with the excuses.”

The YouTuber has yet to respond to the fresh scandal that comes less than a day after he addressed his previous controversies in an apology video that many found unconvincing and insincere.

Earlier this week, another YouTuber with over 20 million subscribers, has rushed to self-cancel – announcing a possibly permanent hiatus from her channel – after facing accusations of “racism” due to her content from years ago. In her case, however, many considered an apology to be much more 'sincere' while the 'sins' were immeasurably less grave.

Anyone who sponsors this creep deserves to be boycotted,

anyone, ever!