Perverted Lives of the Rich and Famous - Episode LVIII > Conor McGregor; Big-Time Lawyer; Nygard; 'Cheer' Star Jerry Harris

Conor McGregor arrested for 'attempted sexual assault and sexual exhibition' in France

Arrested: UFC star Conor McGregor © Reuters

Conor McGregor has landed in hot water with the authorities in France after being arrested for alleged "attempted sexual assault and sexual exhibition" in Corsica.

The ex-UFC featherweight and lightweight champion was arrested and questioned by police before later being released. His management told TMZ Sports that McGregor "strenuously denies" the charges.

The news was first broken by AFP Sport, who tweeted to say that McGregor had been arrested for "indecent exposure," but a follow-up tweet provided more context to the incident following a statement from the prosecutor's office.

"Following a complaint filed on September 10 denouncing acts that could be described as attempted sexual assault and sexual exhibition, Mr. Conor Anthony Mac Gregor was the subject of a hearing by the police," the statement read. 

McGregor was due to participate in a charity water-bike race with Princess Charlene of Monaco, but now looks set to miss the event, which takes place Saturday and Sunday between Corsica and Monaco.

McGregor was arrested and prosecuted following the infamous dolly-throwing incident before UFC 223 in Brooklyn, and he was arrested for felony robbery outside a Miami nightclub in 2019.

He also hit the headlines for punching an elderly man in a Dublin pub in April 2019.

He announced his retirement from the UFC earlier this year, but many believe it was simply a ploy to ensure he gets the best deal possible upon his return to action.

China to deport U.S. lawyer following 'unproven' rape charges

By Elizabeth Shim

A U.S. attorney in China who served on the board of China's ZTE Corp. is to be deported following charges of sexual assault. File Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo

Sept. 17 (UPI) -- Chinese authorities have decided to deport a U.S. attorney for violating local laws in connection to the alleged rape of his "foster daughter."

Bao Yuming, an American lawyer originally from Tianjin, China, and licensed to practice law in both countries, was accused of infractions related to charges of sexual assault, Xinhua news agency reported Thursday. The charges remain unproven, according to the report.

The decision to deport Bao complies with China's immigration control act, the Yantai Public Security Bureau in Shandong Province said. The charges are serious and the Beijing Judicial Bureau has decided to revoke his license, Chinese public security said in its official statement.

China's Supreme People's Procuratorate and the Ministry of Public Security said their findings indicate insufficient evidence, however.

"We conducted a full in-depth investigation [on the matter], but the current evidence has not been sufficient to prove Mr. Bao's actions constituted sexual assault," Chinese agencies said in statement.

China is moving forward with Bao's deportation after local media claimed the lawyer, a highly sought after attorney who served on the board of major firms including ZTE Corp., had repeatedly raped an adoptee from 2016 to 2019. The alleged victim was 14 when Bao adopted her in October 2015, local media reported.

On Thursday, Chinese authorities said Bao's adoptee was 18 at the time of adoption, not 14, and that she was technically not a minor when the two met. In fact, the adoption was not legally completed. - Global Times.

Han was over 18 years old when she first had sexual relations with Bao. She reported the case when she had quarrels with Bao and revoked it when the conflict was resolved, and repeated this process multiple times. There is no evidence of Bao cutting off Han's connections with the outside world, authorities said.

Local government organs that helped Han change her age on her ID card and household registration are also under investigations, the Supreme People's Procuratorate said. Some 12 officials involved in the change have already been punished. 

However, Bao, as a Beijing-based lawyer, knew that he and Han do not meet the requirement for adoption, but still interacted and had sexual relations with Han under the guise of adoption, which is a serious violation of public order and social morality and deserves public condemnation, the Supreme People's Procuratorate  said.  

Current evidence showed Bao did not know Han's real age and thought she was a teenager when they developed a relationship. Although there was not enough evidence to support putting Bao in jail, netizens noted that it seems Bao is nonetheless a pedophile. 

Despite being cleared of sexual assault charges, Bao was found to have been illegally practicing as a lawyer since 2006 when he attained US nationality. Bao submitted fake materials to retain his lawyer's certificate in China, which can only be granted to Chinese nationals. The certificate was revoked on September 11, the Beijing Judicial Bureau said on Thursday. 

The government is probing the lax management of law firms that Bao was affiliated with, said the bureau. 

Peter Nygard's son fears dad will flee Canada before sex assault investigation is complete

'He's never had to answer anybody. And he doesn't intend to answer anything on this either,' says son

Caroline Barghout, Joanne Levasseur · CBC News 

Billionaire Peter Nygard is photographed with one of his oversize lion heads for Vanity Fair Magazine on July 3, 2015, at Nygard Cay in the Bahamas. (Jonathan Becker/Contour by Getty Images)

Peter Nygard's son says he fears his father will flee Canada before it's determined whether or not criminal charges can be laid in connection with allegations of sexual assault, leaving no way to bring the fashion mogul back to face his accusers in the future. 

CBC News is not using the first name of the man — who is one of Nygard's 10 children — in order to protect the identities of his two brothers, who recently filed a lawsuit claiming Peter Nygard hired a "known sex worker" to have sex with them when they were underage. The son says people could easily identify his brothers if his name is made public.

The 79-year-old fashion designer is under investigation in Canada, the U.S. and the Bahamas for allegations of sex crimes. In February, the FBI raided Nygard's New York headquarters and two grand jury subpoenas have been issued for Nygard company records.

No charges have been laid in any of the investigations and it's not known if any of them are complete. Nygard has consistently denied he has sexually abused anyone, and maintains the allegations are fabrications as part of a conspiracy to malign his reputation.

"It's been really difficult to deal with," Nygard's son said in an exclusive interview with CBC News. "He was someone that I really admired in a lot of ways because I only knew him as my dad."

On Feb. 25, 2020, the FBI raided Nygard company offices in New York as part of a criminal investigation. (Earl Wilson/The New York Times)

The son says he's speaking out now because he's afraid if he stays quiet, his father's accusers — including his two brothers — may never get justice. "My No. 1 goal is for him not to escape," he said.

He says Nygard spends summers in Falcon Lake in southeastern Manitoba, and would normally head to one of his properties in California or the Bahamas by the third week of September. But with his father under a cloud of sex allegations, the son thinks his father will instead set his sights on a jurisdiction that won't extradite him if charges are ever authorized.

"He believes that he's above the law — the law does not apply to him," said the son, adding he bases that on his father's past actions. "He's never had to answer anybody. And he doesn't intend to answer anything on this either."

Peter Nygard says he lived in the Bahamas at Nygard Cay for 40 years. He returned to Canada in 2019 before he was scheduled to appear in court over allegations of illegal dredging and development activities at his waterfront home.

In November 2019, Nygard was convicted of contempt of court in the Bahamas and sentenced to 90 days in jail after failing to appear in court for a long-running environmental dispute. Nygard has appealed that ruling. 

Nygard's son says his father called the Bahamas home for 40 years, but chose to leave the island nation right before he was scheduled in court. He says his dad never returned after an arrest warrant was issued in that case. "If he steps foot in the Bahamas right now, they would arrest him on the spot," said Nygard's son.

Nygard, companies accused of facilitating sex assaults

In a court affidavit earlier this summer, Nygard said he was staying at his cottage in Falcon Lake. He also said over the past year and a half, he'd been in Manitoba, living in an apartment attached to one of his Winnipeg warehouses. 

The sale of that warehouse was approved in June as part of a court-ordered receivership involving nine Nygard companies.

In February, 10 women filed a class-action lawsuit in a Southern District of New York court, claiming the fashion designer raped them at his properties in the U.S. and the Bahamas. Some of the women said they were as young as 14 years old at the time of the alleged assaults.

A handful of his companies were also named as defendants for allegedly facilitating and participating in a "decades-long sex trafficking scheme."

That lawsuit now includes a total of 57 women, who say Nygard sexually assaulted them dating as far back as the 1970s. At least two of the women have told CBC News they have also filed formal complaints with Winnipeg police.

There is much more on this story at CBC.

Jerry Harris, star of Netflix show ‘Cheer,’ appears in federal court in Chicago on charges of producing child pornography

By JASON MEISNER, TRACY SWARTZ and JESSICA VILLAGOMEZ

CHICAGO TRIBUNE |

Jerry Harris, a Waubonsie Valley High School graduate from suburban Bolingbrook, appears in the Netflix series "Cheer." (Netflix)

Chicago-area native Jerry Harris rocketed to fame earlier this year as the breakout star of the Netflix docuseries “Cheer,” parlaying his contagious exuberance into talk show appearances, an Oscars gig and more than a million Instagram followers.

But the young star’s image was shattered Thursday when FBI agents arrested him on child pornography charges, alleging he repeatedly coerced minor victims to send him obscene photos and videos of themselves and solicited sex from boys as young as 13 at cheerleading competitions.

Harris, 21, of Naperville, was charged in a criminal complaint with one count of production of child pornography, which carries a minimum of 15 years in prison upon conviction.

Harris made his initial court appearance Thursday afternoon at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse, walking into the courtroom wearing a disposable face mask, red shirt and gray pants. He then stood next to his lawyer with his hands behind his back. Federal agents stood nearby.

Prosecutors told U.S. Magistrate Judge David Weisman they want Harris held without bond pending trial because he is a danger to the community and is accused of crimes of violence against children.

Harris’ lawyer said he intends to argue for his release, in part because Harris has asthma and uses an inhaler and is at increased risk of contracting COVID-19 behind bars. 

Harris was ordered to remain in custody pending another hearing scheduled for Monday.

After Thursday’s 10-minute hearing was over, Harris kept his eyes to the ground as he was handcuffed and escorted out of the courtroom. His lawyer, Todd Pugh, had no comment as he left the courthouse.

Lawsuit also

The criminal charges appear to be related to a lawsuit filed in Texas this week by two teenagers who accused him of “sexual harassment, exploitation, manipulation, intimidation and sexual abuse.” Harris has denied those allegations through a spokesperson.

“We categorically dispute the claims made against Jerry Harris, which are alleged to have occurred when he was a teenager,” the statement read. “We are confident that when the investigation is completed the true facts will be revealed.”

A representative from Netflix did not return a message seeking comment, and a manager for Harris could not immediately be reached.

Harris was arrested shortly after 11 a.m. Thursday, three days after the FBI raided his home in an upscale Naperville neighborhood in the 2600 block of Evercrest Court. USA Today was the first to report on the raid and criminal investigation.

The U.S. attorney’s office said Thursday its investigation is ongoing, and any other potential victims were encouraged to contact the FBI Chicago field office.

According to the criminal complaint, Harris first contacted one male victim on Snapchat in December 2018 and, over the next 15 months repeatedly enticed him to produce sexually explicit videos and photographs of himself and send them to Harris. The boy informed Harris during their initial online encounter that he was 13 years old, the complaint stated.

The victim’s parent discovered some of the images on the boy’s cellphone and confronted him, and he said that Harris had also solicited oral sex from him in a bathroom at a cheerleading event they both attended, according to the charges.

The boy told his parent Harris had also sought a second in-person sexual encounter at a different competition, according to the complaint. The parent then called law enforcement.

After the FBI raided Harris’ Naperville home on Monday, he admitted to agents during an interview that he had solicited lewd images and sex from the boy on numerous occasions, according to the complaint.

The complaint stated Harris also admitted to soliciting and receiving child pornography on Snapchat from “at least between 10 to 15 other individuals he knew were minors.”

The charges include numerous screenshots from the phone of the first victim — identified only as Minor 1 — including nude images purportedly demanded by Harris of the boy doing a cheerleading move called “the Needle.”

“doit naked take a video and show me,” Harris allegedly wrote, followed by a winking emoji.

Another screenshot contained a message allegedly sent by Harris in which he apologized for his behavior. “I’m sorry for what I’ve done in the past,” the message read. “I don’t think it’s a good idea we be friends on Snap.”

The complaint lists a total of five minors who allegedly had sexual contact with Harris, including two who reached out to law enforcement and were interviewed earlier this week.

One of those boys — identified in the complaint as Minor 4 — said he’d met Harris at a party over the summer, where he told Harris he was 17. Harris later contacted the minor on Snapchat and asked him to send lewd photos of his body, which the boy initially refused to do, according to the complaint.

“Minor 4 described Harris as relentless and asking for naked photos of Minor 4 for three straight hours,” the complaint stated.

Harris eventually told the teen he was willing to pay for photos and sent money through on online service along with specific instructions on what he wanted, according to the complaint. Minor 4 later convinced an acquaintance, Minor 5, to also send Harris photos, the complaint alleged.

In all, Harris paid Minor 4 about $2,000 to $3,000 before ending the relationship on Aug. 22, when he sent Minor 4 a final $500 and instructions to block him on Snapchat, the complaint alleged.

Born in Hinsdale and raised in Bolingbrook, Harris rose to fame on the Emmy-winning “Cheer,” which premiered in January. The docuseries follows the competitive cheerleading squad at Navarro College in Texas.

Harris graduated in 2017 from Waubonsie Valley High School in Aurora, where he was a standout student, and studied at Navarro.

Viewers and celebrities took note of the way he enthusiastically motivated his fellow cheerleaders while they performed stunts, also known as “mat talking.”

He worked the Oscars red carpet in February as a correspondent for Ellen DeGeneres’ talk show. He shared a stage with Oprah Winfrey, appeared in a sketch on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and recently got a surprise virtual visit from actress Gabrielle Union, who showered him with praise.

Since “Cheer” premiered, Harris has amassed more than 1.2 million Instagram followers and partnered with various brands. A representative for the Schmidt’s deodorant company said Thursday that its partnership with Harris has ended, saying “Schmidt’s is firmly committed to ensuring a safe environment for everyone. While we partnered with Jerry from May through July of 2020, we are no longer working with him.”

Pedophiles are often gregarious and very popular.

Perverted Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous - Episode XXXXIII > Mayor, Bellator, NFL, Harvard, Lockdown Prof, WWE, Football

South Korea mayor faces sexual misconduct allegations

By Elizabeth Shim

Oh Keo-don (R), South Korean mayor of Busan, resigned this week following allegations of sexual misconduct.

File Photo by Yonhap/EPA-EFE

(UPI) -- The mayor of South Korea's second-largest city may be confronting multiple allegations of sexual misconduct after he resigned Thursday.

Busan Mayor Oh Keo-don, a member of Seoul's ruling Democratic Party, is facing accusations of sexual harassment, and possibly assault, after a victim first came forward in early April, South Korea's MBC and Segye Ilbo reported Friday.

A second allegation now under police investigation dates back to October, when a female government worker appeared on a South Korean YouTube channel, claiming she had been sexually harassed.

The source had said she was paid hush money to keep quiet about Oh's misconduct during 2018 regional elections. Oh had also filed a $400,000 suit against the group that uploaded the YouTube confession, according to Segye Ilbo.

Oh at the time had described the interview as "fake news," that "even cows would find funny."

Oh's main accuser who came forward in April is currently under the protection of a rape crisis center in Busan. Her identity remains undisclosed.

"The victim is currently in a very painful and difficult situation," a source at the center said. "Only after the passage of time will she be able to decide on whether or not to pursue a lawsuit."

The rape crisis center also said the victim is suffering from trauma that "may prevent her from being able to work again."

On Thursday, Oh shed tears as he told reporters of his decision to resign.

"I made an unnecessary physical contact with the person during a short, five-minute meeting," he said while bowing deeply, according to The New York Times.

"I have realized that this could amount to sexual assault...Regardless of the severity of my act, I admit that it cannot be forgiven."

'He groomed us': Bellator champ and sister claim 'disgusting' coach offered schoolgirls cash for sex acts in campaign of abuse

Caution: graphic details below

Bellator flyweight champion Ilima Macfarlane has vowed that basketball coach Dwayne Yuen's "time is up" after filing against him for a string of sexual abuse offenses that she alleges she suffered at a private school in Hawaii.

Macfarlane has detailed her alleged ordeal at Punahou School and admitted she has spent years "in denial" after filing a lawsuit against Yuen alongside her sister, Mahina, and a fellow student athlete, compelled by the discovery that the coach is still teaching minors and was at the center of accusations by fellow pupils in 2018.

The Honolulu-born fighter has claimed she abandoned her dreams of becoming a basketball professional and turned to wrestling because of Yuen's behavior, which is said to have started when she was a 12-year-old and included sending explicit photos of his penis, forcing the pair to touch his genitals and offering cash for sex acts, according to the lawsuit filed at Honolulu Circuit Court.

"I was in sixth grade and Mahina was a freshman when the sexual abuse and grooming started," Macfarlane told fans, describing Yuen's alleged actions at the school she had attended since kindergarten as "sexual assault in the first, second, third and fourth degree."

"My sister reported him to the school when it happened and they swept it under the rug. Punahou knew I was a victim and witness to my own sister’s abuse and didn’t even bother to check on me.

"As a result, we were retaliated against by him and the basketball program and had to see him every day, still allowed on campus around minors.

"I ended up losing my love for basketball, which was crazy. That’s what I wanted to do as a career. I wanted to play professional basketball in the WNBA."

Yuen, who was in his early 30s at the time, is said to have taken an "immediate and perverted" interest in Mahina, despite the teenager not even initially being on the team he was coaching.

An assistant for the Junior Varsity team before becoming head coach of the school's Intermediate team, Yuen is described as giving Mahina "special attention," including rides home from school alone after practice.

He is alleged to have bought her expensive gifts including shoes, clothes and a cellphone, becoming increasingly sexually flirtatious and offering her $1,000 for a "hand-job" and to watch him pleasure himself.

Despite Mahina apparently growing upset and asking to drop out of school, other coaches who were also allegedly sent photos by Yuen of his private parts are said to have described his behaviour as "Dwayne just being Dwayne."

Macfarlane is described as a "gym rat" in the documents, which suggest that her former coach showered her with presents, made and delivered her food and took requests for destinations while driving her around in his SUV vehicle with dark tint, which made her feel "cool."

He is alleged to have bought her a phone and plan, using it to text and call Macfarlane as part of a scheme that made her "fall in love" with him, including taking her to his house where he would fall asleep next to her, as well as sending her explicit photos and showing her crude pictures on campus.

Macfarlane says Yuen told her to "deny, deny, deny" any suspicions from others and caused her to have a nervous breakdown in school.

Their co-defendent has named "repulsive" sexual acts, "sexually explicit recitals" of acts involving toys and penetration and the sending of hundreds of "menacing sexual extortion messages" as part of her suit.

The alleged abuse took place in 2003 and 2004, and the sisters are said to have "courageously" asked the school to take action in 2004 and 2005, receiving no protection while Yuen was allowed to continue playing a key role in the campus basketball program.

They say that coaches and members of the school community called them "liars" and "sluts," ridiculed them and benched them as a result of their claims.

Macfarlane graduated from Punahou in 2009 and began her stellar MMA career five years later, swiftly signing for Bellator as part of a rise that has required a toughness which she feels may have prevented her from talking publicly about her school days.

"I never really shared my own story," she said. "I have to be strong. I’m a professional fighter. I can’t show any vulnerability. To be honest, I was in denial and didn’t want to admit that it affected me as much as it did. I can’t give him the satisfaction of knowing how much he infiltrated my thoughts, relationships and life even 15 years later. But here we are. The time is now."

In a statement released to Hawaii News Now, the school said it was "deeply troubled" by the reports and that an investigation was underway with the aim of achieving "resolution and healing." “In no uncertain terms, Punahou stands with survivors of sexual abuse everywhere, and we respect the courage it takes to report these incidents,” the statement read.

Macfarlane insisted that the school had been negligent. "My sister and I tried our best to move on with our lives until [the allegations] resurfaced in 2018 when more victims came forward," she said. "Punahou claimed they were doing an internal investigation but again didn’t contact me and refused to share the results of the 'investigation' with my sister.

"Disgustingly, we found out that he’s still coaching and teaching minor girls. So here we are now, 15 years later seeking justice together. "He can’t get away with this anymore. Dwayne Yuen, your time is up."

Macfarlane, 30, is a hero on her home island, where an annual day in her honor takes place in September. Known as 'The Ilimanator', she is unbeaten in 11 pro MMA outings, last defeating Kate Jackson via unanimous decision in December. 

Bellator fighter Leah McCourt, UFC middleweight Puna Soriano and former US presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard were among those to offer their support following her announcement on social media.

Yuen did not reply to a request for comment, ESPN reported. 

Ex-NFL star Telvin Smith arrested after
'paying 17-y/o girl $100 for sex'

A SWAT team has raided the home of 29-year-old Telvin Smith, a former linebacker for the Jacksonville Jaguars, as he was arrested on charges of unlawful sexual activity with minors, according to reports in the US.

Smith’s Florida home was raided on Wednesday as he was taken into custody and held on $50,000 bail. Police records say the arrest pertains to offenaes that allegedly occurred on the last day of August last year at a residence.

Officials say they have a raft of evidence against Smith, including voice recordings and DNA to prove his guilt over the accusations that he offered an underage girl $200 for sex.

Smith was taken from his house in the late afternoon and transferred to Duval County Jail. The alleged victim has spoken of the incident and said that she used the money given to her by Smith in order to buy contraception - and that there was a further incident later that year in which he picked her up in his Cadillac Escalade, where they again allegedly had sex.

The SWAT team that combed through Smith’s house arrived with guns drawn as they believed someone was armed at the property, though that later proved not to be the case.

The Jaguars released a statement on the matter, saying: “The Jaguars are aware of the report involving former linebacker Telvin Smith. The club is unable to comment further on this ongoing investigation.”

Florida has somewhat different laws when it comes to the age of consent, and in the state anyone who is aged 24 or above can be charged with a second degree felony if found to have engaged in sexual activity with someone aged 16 or 17.

Smith had his car towed last November in what is believed to be a similar investigation, although charges were not brought on that occasion. 

Harvard math professor put on administrative leave after report of ties to pedophile Jeffrey Epstein

The disgraced billionaire pedophile gave $6.5 million to the professor's research center

Photo: Stephanie Keith/Getty Images

CARLOS GARCIA
The  Blaze

A report of the ties between Harvard University and deceased billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein has led to a math professor being placed on administrative leave.

The report was ordered by Harvard's president and found troubling access given to Epstein at the behest of Martin Nowak, a director of the Program for Evolutionary Dynamics. Epstein gave $6.5 million to help establish the research center in 2003.

According to the Associated Press, the report found that Epstein was allowed to have an office at the office of the program by Nowak, who bent the security rules to give Epstein unfettered access.

Nowak said that the office belonged to Epstein "in name only," but the report found differing accounts from others in the program.

Officials put Nowak on leave on Friday while their investigation into his behavior continued.

"We do not take this step lightly, but the seriousness of the matter leads us to believe it is not appropriate for Professor Nowak to continue in his role," said Claudine Gay, a Harvard dean.

The report found that other faculty members travelled with Epstein and even visited in jail.

The accusations against Epstein gained new life in 2019 as more women went to the press and told their stories of sexual assault by the politically connected billionaire.

He was found dead in a Manhattan jail cell in August 2019 after what appeared to be a suicide. The highly charged circumstances of his death led to many conspiracy theories relating to the powerful people that he might have been able to implicate in his crimes had he continued to live.

'Professor lockdown' Ferguson resigns after violating quarantine he designed to meet married lover

'Professor lockdown' Ferguson resigns after violating quarantine he designed to meet married lover

Imperial College Professor Neil Ferguson © Wikipedia / Marshaj2020

Professor Neil Ferguson, author of apocalyptic coronavirus models, has resigned from his position as adviser to 10 Downing Street after revelations that he violated quarantine himself to meet with a married lover.

Following Ferguson’s resignation on Tuesday night, the Daily Telegraph made it public that the man known as ‘Professor Lockdown’ had allowed a married mother with whom he was having an affair to visit him at least twice during the quarantine. The woman was identified as Antonia Staats, 38.


The Telegraph✔
@Telegraph

🔴 Prof Ferguson allowed the woman to visit him at home during the lockdown while lecturing the public on the need for strict social distancinghttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/05/05/exclusive-government-scientist-neil-ferguson-resigns-breaking/?

Exclusive: Government scientist Neil Ferguson resigns after breaking lockdown rules to meet his...

Prof Ferguson allowed the woman to visit him at home during the lockdown while lecturing the public on the need for strict social distancing

The first visit was reportedly on March 30, as Ferguson warned the British public that lockdown measures – in effect for a week at that time – would have to remain in place until June. Her second visit was on April 8.

"I accept I made an error of judgment and took the wrong course of action,” Ferguson told the Telegraph, confirming that he has resigned from the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE). He maintained the need for the continued lockdown, however.

“I deeply regret any undermining of the clear messages around the continued need for social distancing to control this devastating epidemic. The government guidance is unequivocal, and is there to protect all of us,” he said.

Ferguson’s team at Imperial College London is behind the computer model that predicted more than half a million Britons would die from the virus unless the country was locked down, a view which eventually prevailed over the ‘herd immunity’ approach initially floated by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

With Johnson himself contracting the virus and being sidelined for weeks, the government has continued to follow Ferguson’s recommendations, repeating the mantra “Stay at home, protect the NHS, save lives” for seven weeks now.

The UK has just crossed the threshold of 30,000 deaths attributed to the coronavirus, outpacing the previously hardest-hit European countries such as Italy and Spain.

More than 9,000 people in England and Wales have been fined for breaches of the lockdown over the past seven weeks – one every five minutes, according to the Telegraph – while a senior Scottish medical official had to resign after being caught visiting her second home in defiance of government orders.

Following Ferguson’s prescriptions, the UK government allows people to leave their homes only for daily exercise, essential food shopping, medical emergencies, and specific kinds of work. 

The professor’s prior claim to fame was the 1990s model predicting up to 50,000 deaths from the human form of bovine foot-and-mouth disease, which led to a mass culling of animals in 2001, wrecking the British food industry and inflicting an estimated £10 billion loss to the economy.

'I felt so ashamed and blamed myself': WWE icon Nikki Bella reveals harrowing details of double rape as teenager

Harrowing excerpts from WWE Hall of Famer Nikki Bella's memoir reveal she was sexually assaulted on two separate occasions, both while she was in her teens.

Californian Bella has released her memoir 'Incomparable' - penned with twin sister Brie - and it contains some truly shocking revelations about the WWE wrestler’s upbringing, including two accounts of when she was subject to sexual assault by older men.

Bella, 36, real name Stephanie Nicole Garcia-Colace, says the first incident involved her being raped by someone she thought of as a friend, and occurred when she was just 15. The second rape was perpetrated by a college-age man when she was 16.

And while she kept details of the attacks secret, they unfortunately had a lasting effect, coloring her relationships for many years afterwards.

"When that happened to me, I immediately just felt so ashamed and blamed myself, and that's what made me want to keep it such a secret,” she writes.

“And keeping that a secret and blaming myself, I started to lose my confidence. I started to disrespect myself. And then the relationships I got into at a young age, I let other people disrespect me and felt like, that's okay, this is what I deserved.”

Bella, who went on to appear in WWE spin-off reality show 'Total Bellas' was in a relationship with fellow WWE legend John Cena for six years, and she credits him with having a very positive impact on her, helping her to ‘respect herself.’ She’s now engaged to Dancing with the Stars’ Artem Chigvintsev.

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

French league football star arrested for 'masturbating in public' on same day he signed bumper new contract

El Melali (right)

Angers winger Farid El Melali was detained by police after neighbors saw him indecently exposing himself while looking through a woman’s window.

Algerian Ligue 1 player El Melali, 22, was taken into police custody on Monday night after shocked neighbors said they witnessed him masturbating in the courtyard of his apartment block - on the same day he signed a lucrative contract extension with his club until 2023.

El Melali told police that his attitude was inappropriate, and that he thought he was alone in the courtyard of the complex, located in the center of Angers.

Although his lawyer Sandra Chirak Kollarik said that the player “was not targeting anyone and was not aggressive towards anyone,” El Melali immediately admitted his guilt and was released in the early hours of the morning, French media report.

Kollarik is expected to say in mitigation that El Melali didn’t think the female neighbor could see what he was doing.

Incredibly, police sources say that it isn’t the first time the player has been reported for exactly this kind of offense, however the witness wasn’t able to 'positively identify him' after an alleged incident last month.

He is likely to face a fine this time around, but while his club have confirmed his arrest, they haven’t announced if they will take further disciplinary measures against him, instead saying they will “wait for the decision.”

Nine Stories on The Perverted Lives of the Rich and Famous - Episode XXXV

Weinstein lawyers want judge off rape case
over texting jabs

LA prosecutors indicted Weinstein on rape and sexual assault
charges from 2013

The Associated Press 

Harvey Weinstein's lawyers asked the judge in his New York City rape case to step aside Wednesday, a day after he threatened to jail the disgraced movie mogul for texting in the courtroom.

Weinstein's lawyers sent a letter to Judge James Burke saying his comments Tuesday raised questions about his impartiality. Burke has not ruled on the request.

Burke admonished Weinstein as jury selection was getting underway, asking: "Is this really the way you want to end up in jail for the rest of your life, by texting in violation of an order? Is it?"

Burke cut off Weinstein before he could answer. Weinstein's lawyers said in their letter Wednesday that their client, who's been seen clutching an iPhone, was using it before court was in session.

The defence further argued that Burke failed to adequately safeguard Weinstein's right to a fair and impartial jury, in part by rejecting a request to halt jury selection for a "cooling off" period after prosecutors in Los Angeles filed new sex crimes charges against him on Monday.

In addition to Burke's recusal, they demanded the trial be stopped until negative publicity from the new charges dissipates. Weinstein's lawyers also want more time for individual questioning of potential jurors and asked for permission to have his jury consultant sit with his lawyers during such questioning.

"Faced with extreme and unfairly prejudicial negative publicity both pre-trial and now during jury selection, [Burke] has refused the defendant's requests for additional necessary procedural safeguards," Weinstein's lawyers wrote.

Judges seldom step aside from cases over such requests, but Weinstein's lawyers could also be making an issue of Burke's comments and rulings to set the stage for a possible appeal.

Judge James Burke rejected a request from Weinstein's lawyers to have prominent attorney Gloria

Allred, seen outside Manhattan Criminal Court on Monday, barred from the courtroom for the trial.

(Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images)

The recusal request came during a second day of jury selection that ended with 30 people invited back next week for additional questioning. In all, 66 prospective jurors have advanced to the next stage in what is expected to be a lengthy selection process.

On Tuesday, the first group of prospective jurors were given questionnaires asking, among other things, if they could ignore media coverage and decide the case based only on evidence heard in court.

About 120 prospective jurors are being summoned to court each day.

Allred not excluded
As Wednesday's group was assembling, Weinstein's lawyers took aim at one of his chief critics, trying to get prominent attorney Gloria Allred barred from the courtroom for the trial.

Allred represents one of the accusers in the criminal case, Mimi Haleyi, and two other women who are expected to testify, including actress Annabella Sciorra.

Weinstein's lawyers argued Allred shouldn't be allowed to watch trial testimony because they're considering calling her as a witness, but Burke rejected the request, saying there was too much uncertainty over whether she'd take the stand to remove her.

Allred later accused the defence of trying to interfere with her ability to represent the women and said having her testify might not do them much good. She told reporters outside the courthouse that if called as a witness, she couldn't be compelled to reveal any confidential communications with clients.

Weinstein is charged in New York with raping a woman in a hotel room in 2013 and sexually assaulting Haleyi in 2006. If convicted, he could be sentenced to life in prison.

As his New York trial was getting underway Monday, Los Angeles prosecutors announced new charges in a separate case against Weinstein. Those charges accuse Weinstein of raping one woman and sexually assaulting a second on back-to-back nights in 2013. Weinstein has not entered a plea in that case, which will be tried later.

The 67-year-old former studio boss behind such Oscar winners as Pulp Fiction and Shakespeare in Love has said any sexual activity was consensual.

No delay granted
Weinstein's lawyers unsuccessfully tried to delay jury selection Tuesday in light of the Los Angeles case, asking for a "cooling-off period" to allow the publicity to subside.

Burke expressed confidence that the jurors would know that Weinstein is presumed innocent until proven guilty, and he pressed on.

During Tuesday's court session, potential jurors were introduced as a group to Weinstein and were read a list of names that could come up at trial, including actresses Salma Hayek, Charlize Theron and Rosie Perez.

New pools of prospective jurors will be summoned to court each morning in the coming days. A second round of jury selection will take place next week, when potential jurors who survived a first round of cuts come back to be questioned further.

Jurors were also told the trial will last about six weeks once testimony begins.

French author Gabriel Matzneff accused of child sexual abuse in new book

By Mary Smith 

An 83-year-old French author has been accused of child sexual abuse in a book by an alleged victim that has provoked controversy over attitudes to sex with minors in France.

Vanessa Springora, 47, a publisher, recounts how she allegedly had sex in the mid-1980s, at the age of 14, with Gabriel Matzneff, an award-winning author then nearly 50.

Her book, Le Consentement, or Consent in English, to be published next week, follows a torrent of allegations of sexual violence and sexism in France, triggered by the #MeToo movement and accusations of rape and sexual assault against Harvey Weinstein, the Hollywood producer.

She does not accuse Mr Matzneff of forcing her to have sex, explaining that she was captivated by the older man’s charisma.

“How can you admit that you were abused, when you cannot deny that you consented?” she writes. “At 14, you’re not supposed to find a 50-year-old man waiting for you at the school gate, you’re not supposed to live in a hotel with him or find yourself in his bed”.

France sets no legal age of sexual consent. Last year parliament dropped a proposal to make 15 the age at which a minor could agree to have sex with an adult.

Ms Springora’s book, presented as a novel, refers to Mr Matzneff by his initials, GM, but she has not sought to hide that she was writing about her relationship with the author.

Mr Matzneff, who has written and spoken openly about his attraction to male and female minors, told the weekly magazine L’Obs that Ms Springora’s book was a “hostile, nasty, denigratory work intended to hurt [him].”

Despite acknowledging having sex with minors, including young boys in the Philippines, Mr Matzneff was named an “officer of the arts and letters” by the government of President François Mitterrand in 1995. He has won prestigious awards.

In the past, French literary figures have defended him against condemnation, prompting comparisons with Roman Polanski, the film director whose French citizenship protects him from extradition to the United States over a 42-year-old charge of underage sex.

Bernard Pivot, the former host of a TV show about books on which Mr Matzneff became embroiled in a row with another author over underage sex in 1990, said attitudes have changed in France.

“In the 70s and 80s, literature came before morality; today morality comes before literature. Morally, this is progress,” he tweeted.


UPDATE:

Paris Public prosecutor to investigate Matzneff for child sex abuse

French authorities have opened an investigation into allegations that the once celebrated author Gabriel Matzneff, who has written widely about having sex with underage partners, raped a child in the 1980s.

The Paris public prosecutor said in a statement on Friday that the inquiry against Mr Matzneff would focus on “rapes committed against a minor” under the age of 15.


Owing to the time elapsed since the alleged events took place, they may fall outside of the statute of limitations meaning they cannot be prosecuted, a person briefed on the investigation said. But the public prosecutor said it intended to open a comprehensive investigation into Mr Matzneff’s sexual history.

Sexual assault lawsuit against Kevin Spacey dismissed after 2nd accuser's death

By Jonna Lorenz

Actor Kevin Spacey agreed to the dismissal of a sexual harassment lawsuit against him after the accuser died.

Photo by Christine Chew/UPI

(UPI) -- A lawsuit accusing actor Kevin Spacey of sexual assault was dismissed Monday, months after the anonymous massage therapist who filed it died.

"Contrary to some news reports, Mr. Spacey paid no money to 'settle' the lawsuit," Spacey's attorney Jennifer L. Keller told The Los Angeles Times. "The plaintiff's estate simply decided to dismiss the lawsuit with prejudice, meaning it cannot be [refiled] and we agreed to the dismissal."

Monday's action comes after the the plaintiff's son successfully petitioned a probate court in November to become special administrator, The Hollywood Reporter noted.

The plaintiff, identified in court records as "John Doe," had accused Spacey of forcing him to grab the actor's genitals twice during a massage at a private Malibu residence in 2016. The case was filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles in 2018 and allowed to continued in May after Spacey objected that the plaintiff's identity was concealed. In September, Spacey's legal team filed a notice of the plaintiff's death.

Court documents filed Monday said attorneys for the special administrator and Spacey "stipulate and agree to the dismissal with prejudice of this action, including all claims stated against all parties, with each party to bear his or its own attorneys' fees and costs."

In October, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office said Spacey wouldn't face criminal charges in the case.

In July, prosecutors in Massachusetts dropped a different case against Spacey in which he was accused of sexually assaulting a teen busboy in a Nantucket bar in 2016.

Monday's news comes days after another accuser, author Ari Behn, the ex-husband of Norway's Princess Martha Louise, died by suicide.

Millionaire Author John Grisham Says Not All Men Who Watch Child Porn Are Pedophiles

My favourite fiction writer, needs to research child sexual abuse images like he researches his books. He has much to learn on the subject and yet, he makes a good point.

Natalie Robehmed Forbes Staff

Crime writer John Grisham has said America is unjustly jailing too many citizens for viewing child pornography. In an interview with The Telegraph, Grisham, who earned $17 million last year and tied for 6th place in Forbes' ranking of top-earning authors, attacked the widespread incarceration of those who watch child porn.

"We have prisons now filled with guys my age. Sixty-year-old white men in prison who've never harmed anybody, would never touch a child," he told The Telegraph's Peter Foster in an interview to promote his latest novel, Gray Mountain.

John Grisham earned an estimated $17 million between June 2013 and June 2014.

(Photo credit: Jose Luis Magana/ASSOCIATED PRESS)

"But they got online one night and started surfing around, probably had too much to drink or whatever, and pushed the wrong buttons, went too far and got into child porn."

Grisham, who is well known for legal thrillers such as A Time to Kill and The Firm, has sold more than 275 million copies since his 1989 debut. Grisham first joined Forbes' top-earning author ranking in 2000, with a $36 million annual paycheck. He has made an estimated $200 million before taxes and fees in the last 14 years.

"I have no sympathy for real pedophiles,” he said, speaking to The Telegraph from his office in Charlottesville, Virginia. "God, please lock those people up. But so many of these guys do not deserve harsh prison sentences, and that's what they're getting."

"There's so many 'sex offenders' - that's what they're called - that they put them in the same prison. Like they're a bunch of perverts... We've gone nuts with this incarceration," he added, citing an anecdote of a law-school pal who he says accidentally viewed porn that was apparently incorrectly labelled as child porn.

John needs to learn that child sex abuse images, or child porn, are not victimless no matter who watches them. Children have to be sexually abused for them to be made, and there needs to be an audience, or clientele, that wants them. There is no shortage of them. Terre des Homme estimated some years ago that there were 750,000 people online at any given moment looking for child porn. That number is almost certainly more than a million right now.

Having done this blog for more than 7 years now, I can tell you that very few people meet the criteria Grisham lays out. Most people arrested for child porn have hundreds, or thousands, or tens of thousands of images and videos. 

But there are a few who may meet Grisham's criteria, and yet, how does one explain watching, or downloading, even one child sex abuse image? Teen victims, I could maybe understand, but prepubescent children are not the least bit sexy except to a pedophile. 

As I have stated many times, sin is progressive. As a Christian, I'm sure John knows that. And, so many times I have presented stories of people who have started viewing adult porn and slowly, or rapidly, progressed to more and more violence, and younger and younger victims. 

With that in mind, the UK, because their prisons were filling up with child porn viewers, has taken the attitude only jailing the worst offenders while putting milder offenders on parole and directing them to get counselling. Some, they sentence to relatively short sentences, if they complete the counselling program. 

It will be a while before we find out if the program is an improvement over long-time incarceration. Certainly, there are many stories where it hasn't worked, but there is no feedback from those on whom it has worked.

It is far better that, in my view, that if we err, we should err on the side of protecting the children. The consequences of child sexual abuse are devastating and often life-long.

Todd Bentley declared ‘not qualified’ for leadership

after review of ‘ungodly and immoral behavior’

By Leonardo Blair, Christian Post 

Evangelist Todd Bentley | Screenshot: Vimeo

A team of evangelical leaders including host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program, Michael Brown, declared Fresh Fire USA leader Todd Bentley “not qualified” for leadership Thursday after an investigation found allegations of  “ungodly and immoral behavior” against him “credible.”

“Based on our careful review of numerous first-hand reports, some of them dating back to 2004, we state our theological opinion and can say with one voice that, without a doubt, Todd is not qualified to serve in leadership or ministry today,” said the leaders in an official statement shared by Brown on Facebook.

“There are credible accusations of a steady pattern of ungodly and immoral behavior, confirmed by an independent investigator’s interviews dating from 2008 up through 2019, along with other testimonies dating back to 2004. And while we only took into account first-hand reports, there are many other second and third-hand reports repeating the same accusations, often from people in different parts of the country (or, world) who had no connection between them, other than their interaction with Todd,” the statement said.

Other leaders on the panel with Brown were: Joseph Mattera, overseeing bishop of Resurrection Church, Brooklyn, New York, who also serves as convener of the U.S. Coalition of Apostolic Leaders; James W. Goll, founder of God Encounters Ministries in Franklin, Tennessee; Jane Hamon, co-pastor of Vision Church at Christian International in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida; Bishop Harry Jackson, senior pastor of Hope Christian Church in Beltsville, Maryland; and Don Finto, pastor emeritus at Belmont Church in Nashville, Tennessee.

Stephen Powell, an estranged protégé of the popular and controversial faith healer, first highlighted sexual misconduct allegations against the Fresh Fire USA leader last summer that included international encounters.

Powell, who leads the Lion of Light Ministries, alleged that Bentley has a “perverse sexual addiction” that drove him to prey on interns in 2013 and beyond.

He said he got a mandate from God to call wayward Christian leaders to repentance while alleging that Bentley “has an appetite for a variety of sexual sins, including both homosexual and heterosexual activity.” He also accused the evangelist of indulging in an open marriage with his wife, Jessa, and further criticized Bentley’s restoration process stemming from moral failure in 2008.

In their statement Thursday, the religious leaders said as a part of their investigation into the allegations they sought to hear Todd's side directly, “but he declined to answer a list of 60 questions compiled by the investigator after initially agreeing to respond.”

“Todd required the investigator to submit the questions through his attorney, after which he ceased communicating with Dr. Brown or the investigator,” the statement said.

“Sadly, we see no signs of true, lasting repentance. Instead, we see a steady pattern of compromised behavior, including credible accusations of adultery, sexting (including the exchanging of nude pictures or videos), vulgar language, and substance abuse,” the panel said.

“In our view, this disqualifies Todd from public ministry until such time that he has demonstrated true, lasting fruits of repentance, which would include: the breaking of these long-term, sinful habits; public acknowledgment of his sin, without equivocation, including asking forgiveness of those he sinned against; and submission to local church leadership until trust had been rebuilt. This would likely take a period of years,” they continued.

Bentley responded defiantly in a Facebook Live broadcast Thursday, arguing that he does not have a drug or sexual addiction but did admit to texting and sexting. He also noted that he stepped down from his public ministry six months ago and started a private “marketplace” company.

 He also said Brown had promised to exonerate him in the investigation which he called a “sham.”

“Dr. Michael Brown has spun this to be what it wasn’t,” Bentley said while claiming that he was threatened with blackmail prior to the revelations over the summer.

I had the misfortune of seeing Todd Bentley when he had a fundraiser in my city back near the turn of the century. I was so unimpressed I left in the middle of the performance.

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

Safechuck and Robson cleared to sue

Michael Jackson estate
..
Caution: graphic details follow!

TMZ.com

The 2 men who were featured in "Leaving Neverland" who accused Michael Jackson of molesting them as children have just won a huge legal victory ... because a California appeals court has just given them the right to sue for sexual abuse.

A trial judge threw out the cases of James Safechuck and Wade Robson, on grounds they waited too long to file their claim. When they filed their lawsuits, California law did not support their claim, because the statute of limitations required them to file before they turned 26. At the time they filed, Robson was 30 and Safechuck was 36.

But, a new law took effect on January 1, 2020, which allows sexual abuse victims to sue until they're 40. A California appeals court just ruled the new law allows both Robson and Safechuck to have their cases tried -- presumably before a jury.

It's a huge reversal of fortune. Up till now, the MJ Estate has been able to fend off these claims based on the statute of limitations, but that's all changed as of New Year's Day.

Under the ruling, the 2 men can go to trial against MJJ Productions and MJJ Ventures ... and according to the law, they could win if they prove the allegations and show the people who ran the company knew or should have known they were in peril. As for the MJ Estate, there are different rules, and both Safechuck and Robson are barred by the statute of limitations.

Safechuck alleges Jackson abused him hundreds of times when he was a child ... kissing his genitals, rubbing and sucking Jackson's nipples as the singer masturbated and anally penetrated Safechuck with his finger.

As for Robson, he claims the abuse included fondling, kissing, giving and receiving oral sex and one incident in which MJ attempted to engage in anal sex with him.

The folks who manage Jackson's Estate have said all along the claims are bogus and filed by disgruntled former MJ fans who are barred by the statute of limitations. The Estate lawyer, Howard Weitzman, told TMZ in the past he's confident the claims will be dismissed.

Neverland Ranch

R. Kelly's brother says he was offered $50,000

to take the rap for a child sex tape

SHA BE ALLAH, The Source

The second installment of Surviving R.Kelly has been packed with surprises, including a jaw-dropper from the troubled singer’s brother.

According to the Daily Mail, R. Kelly’s brother Carey Kelly explains in Surviving R. Kelly: The Reckoning that his R&B legend sibling offered him $50K to take the fall in the 2002 child sex tape case.

“Perjure myself in a court of law and risk jail time for some stuff that didn’t have anything to do with me,” Carey said. “He was saying, ‘Man I’ll buy you a car, I’ll buy you a record deal, I’ll give you $50,000,’ I said, ‘Let me tell you something man. You ain’t got enough money for me to say that’s me because it ain’t worth me selling my soul.”‘

Surviving R.Kelly: The Reckoning premieres tonight on Lifetime. Kelly is set to appear on the court for his sexual abuse charges on April 27, 2020.

Epstein autopsy photos add to murder speculation

FILE PHOTO: The Fox News electronic ticker in New york shows the news about Jeffrey Epstein after

he was found dead in his cell © Reuters / Eduardo Munoz

Graphic new photos of Jeffrey Epstein’s autopsy have again raised doubt that the wealthy pedophile killed himself inside a New York prison. According to one coroner, Epstein’s injuries are consistent with murder.

Photos shown on CBS’ 60 Minutes on Sunday show the inside of Epstein’s cell, following his death in August. In them, multiple bedsheets have been fashioned into two nooses. A note on the sex offender’s bed gripes about the conditions at New York’s Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC).


60 Minutes✔
@60Minutes
60 Minutes reviewed hundreds of graphic photographs from the autopsy of Jeffrey Epstein and inside his cell. Here are the known facts. **This video contains graphic images that some viewers may find disturbing.**https://cbsn.ws/2FjPOO3 

Photos of Epstein’s body show a thin, bloody line across the middle of his throat. According to former New York City Medical Examiner Dr. Michael Baden, who observed the autopsy, the wound is more consistent with murder than suicide.

“This noose doesn’t match the ligature furrow mark. It’s wider than this,” Baden told 60 Minutes. “Most hangings, especially free hangings, the ligature slides up to beneath the jawbone, the mandible. Here it’s in the middle of the neck.”

Epstein’s neck was fractured in multiple places, including the hyoid, a small bone near the Adam’s apple. “I have never seen three fractures like this in a suicidal hanging,” Baden said, adding, “Going over over a thousand jail hangings, suicides, in the New York state prisons over the past 40, 50 years, no one had three fractures.”

His injuries also included bruised wrists, an abrasion on the arm, a muscle injury to the shoulder, an injury to the back of the neck, and a cut on the lip. However, it is unclear if any of these injuries were inflicted by hospital staff trying to resuscitate Epstein.


60 Minutes✔
@60Minutes
“I have never seen three fractures like this in a suicidal hanging.”

Dr. Michael Baden lays out the forensic reasons why he’s skeptical of the medical examiner’s ruling that Jeffrey Epstein killed himself. **This video contains graphic images.** https://cbsn.ws/36txk9A 


New York’s chief medical examiner, Dr. Barbara Sampson, ruled Epstein’s death a suicide in August, and stands by that decision. However, that ruling did little to quiet speculation that the millionaire sex offender was murdered. Epstein’s connections to the rich and powerful – including Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, and British Prince Andrew – would likely have been brought up during his trial, leading some to believe that these people had strong motive to silence Epstein.

Epstein had pleaded not guilty to sexually abusing and trafficking multiple girls as young as 14. Back in 2008, a sweetheart deal with Florida prosecutors saw Epstein skate on similar charges, serving just 13 months in a minimum-security facility (and he was permitted to leave during the day for 12 hours, 6 days a week, to go to his office).

Speculation was further stoked when it was revealed that security cameras at the MCC allegedly malfunctioned on the night of Epstein’s death. In addition, two prison guards who were supposed to check in on the high-profile prisoner every 30 minutes have been charged with conspiracy and falsifying records, after it emerged that they slept through their shift on the night.

Only one prisoner at MCC, Philadelphia mobster Louis Turra, has succesfully committed suicide in the last 40 years. Judge Richard Berman, who presided over Epstein’s sex trafficking case, said in November that it was “unthinkable” that an inmate as high profile as Epstein could die behind bars without guards noticing.

Epstein was the only defendant in his case. With his death, the case is shut and the alleged victims denied closure. However, some of the alleged victims still carry on with civil cases against the deceased pedophile’s estate.

Ex-Real Madrid star Victor Sanchez suspended as Malaga coach after X-rated video emerges online

Spanish second division team Malaga have suspended coach Victor Sanchez after explicit footage emerged online of the former Real Madrid and Spain star exposing himself. Sanchez has said he is the victim of an extortion attempt.

In the widely-circulated video clip, Sanchez, 43, is seen exposing himself while wearing a Malaga T-shirt. 

The club say they have now moved to suspend the coach while an investigation takes place.

"In relation to the events that have recently been discovered, and which have not as yet been verified, Malaga CF immediately suspends coach Victor Sanchez del Amo from his duties until a full investigation is carried out,” a statement read.

"We will disclose further information once the facts have been clarified."

Sanchez, who has been in charge at the struggling second-tier club since April of 2019, claimed he is the victim of an extortion attempt.

“I wish to inform that I am the victim of a crime against my privacy through harassment and extortion,” he said on social media. 

"The matter is in the hands of the police and I am following their instructions…

“Sharing intimate content of any person without their consent is a crime, whether on social media or in any other way, according to Article 197 of the criminal code.

"There are sentences for those who share personal content without the consent of the affected person.

"Thanks for your understanding and support," he added.

Sanchez (front row, far right) helped Real to Champions League glory. © AFP

That version of events did not seem to sit well with club owner Abdullah Al Thani, who tweeted a poem-like message on Tuesday night suggesting he was skeptical of Sanchez’s explanation.


Abdullah N Al Thani✔
@ANAALThani
We still waiting to know Who is the person he lying always ? 
he is like the Angel Never make mistakes
He does not want to admit the mistake
just one time said the truth
Did you think that will help you 
of you always lying to everyone !?
Be strong and say I make a mistake
(....)

Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Abdullah Al Ahmed Al Thani (Arabic: الشيخ عبد الله بن ناصر بن عبد الله الأحمد آل ثاني‎) is a Qatari businessman. He was appointed a non-executive member of board of directors of Doha Bank on 3 June 1996 and is also a member of the board of Nasser Bin Abdulla & Sons Group.[1] Sheikh Abdullah is from the Qatari ruling family and a distant relative of Qatar's previous ruler Sheikh Hamad and owns the Spanish Segunda Division football club Málaga CF as well as several thoroughbred racing horses. Wikipedia

A former right midfielder, Sanchez enjoyed a playing career which began at Real Madrid, helping them to win the Champions League in 1998.

He then left for a spell at Racing Santander, before spending seven years at Deportivo La Coruna and then having a stint in Greece with Panathinaikos.   

He began his coaching career as an assistant at Getafe, later taking his first head coach role at former club Deportivo. He then spent less than two months in an ill-fated spell as boss at Olympiacos in Greece, before taking over at Real Betis and then Malaga.

Malaga are currently 16th in the Segunda Division, just one point above the relegation places.

Does that mean they are in danger of dropping to a lower division?