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2 women who say they were sexually abused as students
at Cold Spring Harbor HS file lawsuit
News 12 Staff
Jun 14, 2021, 5:11pm
Two women who say they were sexually abused at Cold Spring Harbor High School in the late 1970s and early 1980s have filed a lawsuit.
Lynda Cutbill and Susan Shanahan both say they have struggled for decades as survivors of sexual abuse. The women say they were repeatedly abused by two different teachers.
"I was a 14-year-old girl who had been sexually abused on a routine basis and yet essentially I was being blamed," says Shanahan.
Shanahan says she was raped by her science teacher Thomas Kohm. Cutbill says she was abused by her art teacher William Kail.
The women have filed lawsuits under the state Child Victim's Act. The suit states, "In what would be criminal conduct today, the highest ranking district officials deliberately withheld the information reported to them ... prioritizing the school's reputation over its integrity."
Attorney Andrew Shubin says, "Administrators were aware that Mr. Kail and Mr. Kohm presented a danger to our clients and other students."
Shanahan says she encourages people to come forward because she wishes she had done it sooner.
"It's unacceptable what happened and how it got covered up and I think the story needs to be told," says Cutbill.
Both accused teachers are now deceased.
News 12 reached out to the current administration at Cold Spring Harbor School District and was told in a statement by the superintendent that "the district does not comment on pending litigation."
Survivors of sex abuse have until mid-August to file a claim under the Child Victim's Act.
Diamondhead, Miss man found guilty of multiple sex charges
involving children
By WLOX Staff
HANCOCK COUNTY, Miss. (WLOX) - A Diamondhead man will spend what could be the rest of his life in prison after he was found guilty of multiple sex charges.
Harry Lynn Trest, 77, was found guilty of four counts of sexual battery and four counts of touching a child for lustful purposes after a five-day trial in Hancock County.
The investigation began on Jan. 22, 2019, when the Waveland Police Department was contacted by someone who said their minor family members were victims of sexual abuse.
The initial disclosure was made to the children’s mother once the victims returned to South Carolina after a visit with the family in Waveland during the Christmas holidays.
The Waveland Police Department scheduled a forensic interview of the children, which led to additional disclosures that Trest had molested the children over a number of years.
After hearing testimony from the victims and their forensic interview, the jury heard testimony that the mother had taken the children for medical treatment and no injuries were observed by doctors in South Carolina.
However, a pediatrician with the University of Mississippi Medical Center testified that the lack of physical injury “does not mean a child was not abused, and that injuries are rare in these cases, mostly due to delayed reporting.” Jurors also heard from the children’s counselor, who testified that the victims were diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and that they had disclosed several different types of behaviors, fears and physiological symptoms that were “consistent with sexual abuse.”
Ultimately, Trest was found guilty after a two-hour deliberation from the jury.
“The conviction, in this case, resulted from months of outstanding investigative work on the part of the Waveland Police Department and the courage of the victims to come forward,” said District Attorney Crosby Parker. “This sentence e provides an appropriate penalty for this defendant based on the horrific crimes in this case and provides accountability and justice. Hopefully, this conviction and sentence will also assist the victims in their healing.”
Trest was sentenced to 45 years in prison without the possibility of parole or early release by Judge Christopher Schmidt.
“I cannot begin to imagine the depravity that lies within a man’s heart in order to get some type of sexual gratification by touching a young defenseless child,” Schmidt said at sentencing. “There are people who appear before me every day and every week who stand before the court guilty of a felony, and there are many of those people for whom I have sympathy for the choices they have made. You do not fall within that category.”
Two Lexington, SC men arrested on child sexual abuse-related charges
By WIS News 10 Staff
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) -
Two Lexington County men were arrested in unrelated cases on child sexual abuse related charges, officials say.
Two Lexington County men were arrested in unrelated cases on child sexual abuse related charges, officials say.
Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigators with the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department made the arrests in these unrelated cases. Investigators with the Attorney General’s Office, along with a member of the state’s ICAC Task Force, assisted with these investigations.
Investigators say they received a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children which led them to Myers. Investigators say Myers distributed child sexual abuse material.
According to officials, Denny solicited and traveled to meet a person they believed to be a minor for sex.
Officials say Denny was arrested on June 9 and is charged with one count of criminal solicitation of a minor, a felony offense punishable by up to ten years imprisonment; and one count of attempted criminal sexual conduct with a minor.
Myers was arrested on June 10 and is charged with eight counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, second degree, a felony offense punishable by up to ten years imprisonment on each count.
These cases will be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office.
542% Increase in Convicted Sex Offenders Arrested at Border
BY CHARLOTTE CUTHBERTSON
June 28, 2021
DEL RIO, Texas—Border Patrol agents have arrested 353 illegal aliens with sex-related criminal convictions so far this fiscal year. A large number of the detainees had prior convictions for crimes involving a minor.
In the same period in fiscal 2020, agents apprehended 55 criminal sex offenders, and 58 total in all of fiscal 2019.
The number of criminals illegally crossing the southwest border has spiked in tandem with the border crossing surge this year. Convicted criminals are the most likely population of illegal aliens trying to avoid capture by Border Patrol.
Border Patrol has detected more than 250,000 illegal aliens who have evaded capture so far this year, according to the newly-appointed Acting Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz on June 24. It’s impossible to estimate how many have evaded Border Patrol without detection.
“There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t read a paper or a report from my agents that talks about criminal aliens, sexual offenders that they’ve apprehended out there,” Ortiz said during an event in Del Rio, Texas.
“Those folks aren’t getting released in these communities. Guess what happens to them? They go to jail. When they get out of jail, they go back to their country of origin.”
According to reports by Customs and Border Protection (CBP), many of the criminals being caught have already been deported, sometimes on multiple occasions.
On June 24, agents in Rio Grande City, Texas, arrested convicted sex offender, Benito Gomez-Lopez, from Mexico. Gomez-Lopez was arrested in May 2020 by the Burleigh County Sheriff’s Department in North Dakota for possession of certain prohibited materials and promoting a sexual performance by a minor, according to CBP.
He pleaded guilty to both counts and was sentenced to three years confinement, but was repatriated to Mexico in July 2020.
On June 14, a Peruvian child rapist was arrested by Border Patrol after he entered the United States illegally near Roma, Texas, according to CBP. Pedro Asuncion ORE-Quispe, 43, had been deported in 2020 after serving over five years for felony rape of a child in Idaho.
On June 20, Mexican national Isidro Efrain Gallardo-Rangel was apprehended as part of a group of 24 illegal aliens near Laredo. Gallardo-Rangel is a registered sex offender with an extensive criminal history and a conviction for indecency with a child in 2018 in Dallas, Texas, according to CBP.
U.S. Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz at a community meeting in Del Rio, Texas, on June 24, 2021.
(Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)
Del Rio Sector
Once a relatively quiet region for illegal border crossings, the Del Rio Sector in Texas is now the second busiest, after the Rio Grande Valley in south Texas.
“We’ve seen a tremendous increase. So far this year, this fiscal year, today, we’ve caught 144,000 people in the Del Rio sector,” said sector chief Austin Skero on June 24.
“We’ve gone through this before—we’ve seen these increases, these surges, for the last 30 or 40 years. It’s never been this bad. I’ll tell you that straight up, I’ve never seen it this bad.”
Skero said the sector has seen a 1,400 percent increase in the number of sex offenders arrested by Border Patrol agents.
A photo from a game camera that caught illegal aliens walking through private ranch land
in Jim Hogg County, Texas, on March 25, 2021. (Courtesy of Susan Kibbe)
A Del Rio resident said that prior to January he had seen two illegal aliens pass through his backyard.
Now, he said, it’s hundreds a day.
“I have four daughters—does it concern me when you say there’s a 1,400 percent increase in sex offenders? Yes, it concerns me,” the resident said during a border update on June 24.
“I’m concerned about the single men who are running through my backyard, sneaking. And I’m about a 50 percent success rate on whether or not I get an agent to come out to my place when I call. And when they do, it’s awesome, they bring helicopters, they bring support.
“Otherwise, I’m sitting there unarmed and there’s a guy soaking wet in my backyard screaming at me in Spanish. I don’t know what to do with this guy.”
The resident asked Border Patrol if they could provide some type of training to citizens to prepare them for such encounters.
Skero suggested for residents to not engage with illegal aliens who are on their property and to call Border Patrol.
“We’re going to come just as soon as we can. Sometimes it will be immediate, sometimes it might take us an hour.”
But, he said, if an illegal immigrant is endangering a resident’s family, or is being assaultive, call 911.
Del Rio Border Patrol Sector Chief Austin Skero at a press conference in Del Rio, Texas,
on June 24, 2021. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)
State Response
At the behest of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) started surging extra law enforcement resources to the border beginning in March.
In the three months from March 4 through June 3, DPS has arrested 1,489 criminals.
In addition, State Troopers have been involved in 340 vehicle pursuits along the border and have dealt with 630 vehicle bailouts. A bailout occurs when a vehicle being pulled by law enforcement stops and the illegal immigrant occupants scatter and flee to avoid capture.
Abbott issued a state of disaster declaration on June 10, highlighting 34 border counties that are struggling with cross-border crime and illegal immigration.
“We’re going to start making arrests, sending a message to anyone thinking about coming here: You’re not getting a free pass. You’re getting a straight pass to a jail cell,” Abbott said.
Last week a prison unit in Dilley, Texas, was being emptied in preparation for illegal alien criminals.
Abbott and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey also issued a call for help to other governors on June 10.
“With your help, we can apprehend more of these perpetrators of state and federal crimes, before they can cause problems in your state,” Abbott and Ducey, both Republicans, wrote in a letter.
So far, several Republican governors have pledged support by way of sending law enforcement personnel or National Guard troops.
Philadelphia Man Admits Years-Long Sexual Abuse Of 8-y/o Girl
Nicole Acosta
06/30/2021 8:12 p.m.
A Philadelphia man pleaded guilty to seven counts of manufacturing child pornography following an indictment that alleges he sexually abused an 8-year-old girl for more than two years and kept a photo and video record of the assaults, federal authorities announced.
When Philadelphia police served an arrest warrant for Herbert Smith, 33, for his sexual assault of a different nine-year-old victim, they discovered him lying in bed with that victim, according to Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams.
Police seized Smith’s digital devices, and the subsequent forensic analysis by the Federal Bureau of Investigation revealed hundreds of images of Smith’s "horrific" sexual assaults against an eight-year-old child, including rape and other sexual abuse of the child after she was given medication to make her sleep, Williams said.
Smith recorded his abuse of the girl, saved the images and videos on his devices, and in some cases, uploaded the images to his online storage account, authorities said.
Smith was taken into custody by Philadelphia police in August 2019.
He has been detained in federal custody since he was indicted federally in September 2019.
As a result of his conviction on seven counts of manufacturing child pornography, he faces up to 210 years in prison, which includes a mandatory minimum of 15 years, five years up to a lifetime of supervised release, a fine of up to $1,750,000, and special assessments of up to $35,700.
Smith must also register as a convicted child sex offender under state law.
“Smith is a predator of young children and has been for years,” Williams said.
“With this conviction, and Smith now facing up to 210 years in prison, his victimization of our most vulnerable citizens has finally come to an end. Thank you to all of our agency partners who remain determined to identify, prosecute and convict child predators like this defendant.”
“Herbert Smith admits inflicting repeated horrific sexual assaults on a little girl, and recording the abuse so he could savor it whenever he wanted,” said Michael J. Driscoll, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division.
“His actions are unconscionable and the harm he’s done, immeasurable. It’s cases like this that drive the FBI and our partners, as we work to protect our community’s children from depraved predators like Smith.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Rotella.
Casper man convicted of child abuse and violating a protection order
will serve one year in jail
In a plea deal that dropped three charges including one count of sexual abuse of a minor, Jesse Jackson will serve two consecutive six-month sentences at the Natrona County Detention Center on two counts of violating a stalking order.
After his release, Jackson has been ordered to serve three months of supervised probation for the child abuse conviction. If he violates probation, Johnson warned Wednesday, he will have to serve his suspended six- to eight-year prison sentence at the Wyoming State Penitentiary.
The charges stem from a years-long relationship between Jackson and a girl 15 years his junior. Court documents state Jackson faced charges in Laramie County, but investigators could not prove any sexual contact between the two.
An affidavit in the case states Jackson violated a protection order related to those charges last year, when he reportedly communicated with the victim using Pinterest and secret devices he provided her. Court filings state he was 29 at the time, and she was 14 years old.
The victim’s father, speaking during Jackson’s sentencing on Wednesday, said he believed the relationship, which he described as grooming, began when his daughter was 11 years old. Both he and his wife gave statements describing the trauma, stress and pain that Jackson’s actions had caused their family.
According to the affidavit, investigators found messages between Jackson and the victim, arranging to meet, talking about sexual activities and discussing the secret nature of their relationship. Messages from Jackson also reportedly show him sending photos, telling the victim to lie to people in her life and giving her cell phones, tablets and a debit card.
“He knows his behavior is inappropriate and unlawful,” the victim’s father said Wednesday, “or he would not have hid his actions.”
Records were also recovered from the victim’s grandmother’s phone that indicated she had used it to Facetime with Jackson while she was in the shower.
The victim’s mother voiced concern that Jackson would find her daughter after getting out of jail in a year, and her father criticized the plea deal for being too lenient. The victim also gave a short statement on Wednesday, telling Johnson she believed Jackson would leave her alone as long as she did the same.
Jackson will also have to undergo sex offender treatment as part of his probationary process.
“I want to give my sincere apologies to the family,” Jackson said before sentencing Wednesday. “I know it means nothing to them, but I do mean it and I’m sorry for everything I’ve put them through.”
Jackson appeared in court Wednesday free on bond, but was required to report to the jail by 7 p.m. the same night.
Alabama man charged with rape, incest and sex abuse of child under 12
Updated 2:41 PM; Today 2:41 PM
By William Thornton | wthornton@al.com
A Pisgah man is out on bond after being indicted on multiple child sex charges.
Paul Lee Ray, 42, was released from Jackson County Jail Monday on $210,000 bond. He was arrested Saturday after a grand jury indictment.
According to jail records, Ray was charged with first degree rape, first degree sodomy, first degree sexual abuse, sexual abuse of a child less than 12 years old, enticing a child for immoral purposes, and incest.
Green Island couple accused of child endangerment while running daycare
by: Jack Summers, Jennifer Seelig
Jun 30, 2021 / 04:42 PM EDT
GREEN ISLAND, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The Albany County Sheriff’s Office arrested John Ferrara, 49, of the Village of Green Island for alleged predatory sexual assault against a child and his girlfriend, Anna Pratt, 50, for endangering the welfare of a child.
Police say on Tuesday, Sheriff’s Investigators arrested the two after an ongoing investigation into sexual acts Ferrara allegedly committed over a period of time against a minor. Pratt, who is said to have run a private daycare in Green Island, reportedly failed to report sexual abuse her boyfriend was allegedly committing on a minor while in her care. During the investigation, police say Ferrara also physically assaulted the victim’s brother as the brother tried helping his little sister. Police say Ferrara punched the boy after the boy spoke up.
“We have an individual who is basically a predator and he’s preying on one young girl within this business. But it’s even more disturbing to know that the business owner knew this, was aware of this and distracted the young girl’s brother so he could prey on this young child,” says Sheriff Craig Apple.
Ferrara was charged with the following:
Two counts of Predatory Sexual Assault Against a Child (a class A-II Felony),
One count of Assault in the Third Degree (a class A misdemeanor), and
Two counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child (a class A misdemeanor).
Pratt was charged with:
One count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child (a class A misdemeanor).
Ferrara was arraigned by the Town of Green Island Court and was remanded with no bail. Pratt was arraigned and released on her own recognizance. Sheriff Apple says since the incident, the daycare has been shutdown. He says the couple did not have any prior arrest records.
Lori Walker works with the Albany County Crime Victim and Sexual Violence Center, she sees similar cases like these come into the office. “It’s always sad and heart wrenching to hear it happen especially when you trust your child with someone to take care of them,” says Walker.
In daycare settings, she recommends parents ask certain questions. “Do you have any training in recognizing child sex abuse, child physical abuse — what are your policies and protocols about adults alone with children? There are a bunch of things like that parents don’t always think about and can ask those questions too,” says Walker.
Perhaps the biggest question: Are there any men or teen boys in the house? If there are, run from that place.
NEWS10 rang the daycare doorbell, but no one answered the door.
Albany County Crime Victim and Sexual Violence Center: Sexual assault crisis hotline (phone): The Center operates a 24-hour sexual assault hotline for crisis counseling and advocacy at Albany County hospitals and police stations for victims of sexual assault. The number is 518-447-7716.
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