LA County teacher charged with possessing
over 600 images of child sexual abuse
LOS ANGELES, California — A Los Angeles County teacher and girls' soccer coach has been charged with possessing over 600 images of child sexual abuse material, including images of a minor under 12 years old, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.
Justin Akio Yasutake, a 39-year-old from Arcadia, California, faces one felony count of possession of child or youth pornography, with allegations of possessing more than 600 images, including 10 or more of a prepubescent minor. The charges were announced by District Attorney Nathan Hochman, who emphasized the seriousness of the crime, especially given Yasutake's role as an educator. "Child pornography will not be tolerated in LA County, and individuals who exploit children will be vigorously prosecuted," Hochman stated.
The investigation, conducted by the Arcadia Police Department, led to the execution of a search warrant on November 12, which uncovered multiple videos and photos of child sexual abuse on Yasutake's electronic devices. Yasutake was subsequently arrested on December 11, with arraignment scheduled for December 23 at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center.
If convicted, Yasutake faces a maximum sentence of six years in state prison and will be required to register as a sex offender for life. The case is being prosecuted by the office’s Cyber Crimes Division. Authorities believe there may be additional victims and urge anyone with information to contact Arcadia police detectives at 626-574-5188, referencing case number 2404863. Anonymous tips can also be submitted via phone at (800) 222-8477, online at lacrimestoppers.org, or through the "P3 Tips" mobile app.
Former Michigan probationary officer charged
with possessing child sexually abusive material
(CBS DETROIT) — A former Michigan probationary officer is facing six felony charges after a police investigation, which began from a public tip.
Court records show a 38-year-old Alexander Stachura is charged with three counts of possessing child sexually abusive material and three counts of using a computer to commit a crime.
Michigan State Police started investigating Stachura after receiving a tip from a member of the public. Authorities say they seized digital evidence after searching his residence.
Stachura, of Williamston, was arraigned on Wednesday and his bond is set at $20,000.
The 38-year-old was a probationary officer for the Meridian Township Police Department, but Chief of Police Rick Grillo said he was let go on Tuesday after hearing charges had been filed.
"While we respect the criminal justice process and its presumption of innocence until proven guilty, we recognize a resolution is unlikely to be reached quickly. This strains our department's staff as they fill in for the absent probationary officer, who cannot reasonably fulfill his duties while the criminal justice process unfolds," Grillo said in a statement.
The Meridian Township Police Department was notified of the Michigan State Police investigation into Stachura on Oc. 29.
A probable cause conference is scheduled for Tuesday morning and a preliminary examination will take place Dec. 26.
Anyone with information on possible child sexual exploitation can report it here or call police Sergeant Thomas Gladney with the Michigan State Police Computer Crimes Unit at 269-845-0994.
DC Officer Who Sexually Abused Teen Girls
Nearly 20 YearsAgo Learns Fate In Court
The former Metropolitan Police Department officer whose underage victim came forward after a chance encounter will get prison time after being convicted by a DC Superior Court jury of abusing a teen girl, federal authorities announced.
At the time of the assaults, the victim was 15 years old and the former officer was around 33 years old.
On Tuesday, officials announced that Kearney has been sentenced to 90 months in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, while also being ordered to register as a sex offender for 10 years following his time behind bars.
Prosecutors said that in the 2005-2006 school year, when the girl was in 10th grade, she met Kearney – then a Fourth District Metropolitan Police Department officer – while doing a school project.
At their initial meeting at the Fourth District Police Station, Kearney and the teen exchanged phone numbers and began communicating about the school project.
Their conversations turned sexual, court documents state, and ultimately Kearney engaged in sexual acts with the victim in his truck near a DC public library, where the victim was volunteering to complete her high school community service hours.
The sexual abuse came to light in 2020 after the victim encountered Kearney while he was on duty in the area where she lived.
Former school principal among two arrested
for child sex crimes in joint SA-US operation
The former school principal stands accused of exposing children to adult pornography.
3 minute read
15 Dec 2024
Picture: iStock
Two alleged child sex predators, including a former school principal, have been arrested in a joint operation between South African authorities and their United States (US) counterparts.
The arrests were carried out this week in different parts of Gauteng by the South African Police Service (Saps) in collaboration with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the US Department of Homeland Security.
Alleged child sex predators nabbed
According to Gauteng police spokesperson Amanda van Wyk, one of the suspects was arrested on Thursday after law enforcement teams acted on a tip-off received through an international reporting line.
The coordinated effort involved Saps’ national and Gauteng serial and electronic crime investigations (SECI) units, forensic social work (FSW), and the FBI.
The investigation led authorities to an address in Vanderbijlpark, where a 49-year-old man was taken into custody.
“The operation resulted in a 49-year-old man, who sexually groomed, sexually assaulted, and raped his girlfriend’s 15-year-old daughter, being nabbed,” said Van Wyk.
In a separate incident, a 41-year-old man was arrested in Pretoria.
ALSO READ: East London man, 52, locked up on child pornography charges
The former teacher and school principal stands accused of exposing children to adult pornography and sexually grooming boys between the ages of 10 and 12.
“Three victims have been positively identified thus far; a further six victims are yet to be traced,” Van Wyk confirmed in a statement on Sunday.
She added that authorities seized multiple electronic devices suspected of containing child sexual abuse material, commonly referred to as child pornography, during both arrests.
The two suspects are expected to appear in the Pretoria Central Magistrates’ Court and the Vanderbijlpark Magistrates’ Court on 17 December, respectively.
“The state will oppose bail in both matters,” Van Wyk stated.
“The Saps reminds members of the public that it is a criminal offence to possess, access, download, manufacture and share child pornography.”
Sexual offence records
The arrests come against the backdrop of concerning revelations about prior sexual offences within the Gauteng Department of Education.
Recent findings show that nine employees working in Gauteng public schools have previous convictions for sexual offences.
READ MORE: More suspects arrested in connection with online child porn ring
Out of the department’s 86 367 employees, only 8 782 (10.2%) have been vetted against the national register for sexual offences (NRSO).
Those identified with convictions include four primary school teachers, four general assistants, and one food handler.
Madeline Soto’s mom knew boyfriend was
‘grooming and abusing’ slain teen: police
Murdered Florida teen Madeline Soto’s mother allegedly told police that she knew her older boyfriend was “grooming and abusing” the young girl before he was accused of killing her.
The body of Madeline Soto, 13, was found in rural Osceola County on March 1, four days after she was first reported missing when she failed to arrive at school in Kissimmee on Feb. 26.
In an interview with detectives from the day the teen’s body was discovered, Madeline’s mom Jennifer Soto said she believed her 37-year-old boyfriend, Stephan Sterns, was “guilty” of killing the girl, according to the supplemental report obtained by FOX35 Orlando.
When pressed about why she believed Sterns supposedly murdered her daughter, Jennifer Soto explained that she knew “he’s been grooming and abusing my child.”
Of course, it would have been nice if she had told the police before Madeline was murdered! Was she so desperate for a boyfriend?
At the time of the interview, Sterns was in jail on unrelated charges of child sex abuse material that police discovered on his phone during the investigation into Madeline’s disappearance.
Sterns claimed to have last seen the teen when he dropped her off near her middle school on the morning of Feb. 26.
Jennifer Soto told detectives that Sterns was a “master liar,” but that she initially did not want to believe that he was connected to her daughter’s disappearance, FOX35 reported.
The concerned mom changed her mind after the officers showed her evidence photos of what appeared to be Madeline’s lifeless body slumped over in Sterns’ car on the same day he claimed to have left her near her school.
When the detectives told Jennifer Soto that the investigation was shifting from a missing persons case to a homicide probe, she was “silent for a few moments and started to cry,” according to the report.
There is more on this story at AOL:
When the investigators asked her
No comments:
Post a Comment