Wolves in the Henhouse > Illinois detention centers law suit up to 800 plaintiffs; Superdad - super incestuous paedo; NC teacher sentenced to 18 years

 

Lawyers have filed lawsuits on behalf of 800 men and women who were sexually abused by staff members when they were confined as children in Illinois detention centers

NEW YORK, Feb. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Levy Konigsberg and co-counsel filed lawsuits on Monday on behalf of over 130 survivors of sexual abuse against Cook County and the State of Illinois. With these new filings, 800 total cases have now been filed on behalf of survivors sexually abused in Illinois juvenile facilities. The lawsuits allege that Cook County and the State failed to protect children from rampant sexual abuse perpetrated by adult employees at juvenile detention facilities throughout the state. These lawsuits are the latest in a string of juvenile detention abuse lawsuits spearheaded by Levy Konigsberg along with its co-counsel across the State of Illinois and the United States.

Cook County and the State of Illinois have allowed a culture of sexual abuse to flourish at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center (JTDC) and Illinois Youth Centers (IYC) for several decades. As a result of chronic mismanagement, patronage, isolation of children, unsupervised staff and children, and other policies and tortious acts, JTDC and IYCs have maintained an environment of violence, fear, and sexual abuse for many decades. As recently as 2022, a committee convened by the Office of the Chief Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County reported the "harsh reality that JTDC youth are locked in their cells for most of the day, every day…. No parent would be allowed to do this to their child."

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Similarly, several of the IYC facilities 

Celebrity 'superdad' who raised 14 children alone admits to sexually abusing 12 kids - including some of his own

By Rochelle Barrand

Lifestyle & Fashion Writer, National

A father of 14 has admitted to sexually abusing 12 children - including some of his own.

The German father of 14, who gained celebrity-status for being a single ‘superdad’ and raising some of his children alone, has admitted he sexually abused some of them - and two of their friends.

Steffen H, who is now 64, abused his children between 2001 and 2022, some when they were just three-years-old, according to local media reports.

After he admitted his crime, Steffen told a court in eastern German city Chemnitz: “I am ashamed of the heinous acts against my own children and two friends”, according to local publication Bild.

He added: “I want to go to therapy so that my children will forgive me. I still love my children very much.”

The now disgraced dad became famous in his hometown of Leipzig, Germany, almost 20 years ago after local news learned that his ex-wife, who has not been identified, left him in 2006 and he had to raise their seven children alone.

A dad who gained celebrity status for raising his children alone has admitted to sexually abusing some of them. Picture, posed by model.

At the time, local media dubbed him ‘Papawittchen’ which is a mix of words that translates to ‘dad’ and ‘Snow White’. TV cameras even followed him in his day-to-day life. But what reporters didn’t know at the time was he was sexually abusing his children, local publication RTL reports.

The public prosecutor is now “certain” that the Steffen abused a total of twelve children between 2001 and 2022, as stated by RTL.

Steffen was also referred to by German media as ‘superdad’, and thanks the extensive coverage on him a woman called Mandy K reached out to him, and the two fell in love and had more children.

She has since left him and claims to know nothing of the sexual abuse he committed. She and the children are all a co-plaintiff in the case. Steffen’s confession means his children and other victims, who are now adults, will not have to testify in court.

Dominik Schulz, president of the regional court where the trial is held, told RTL: “The children were, let’s say, available for so long. A truly terrible approach and, from a human perspective, really difficult to understand.”

The verdict in the case is expected in March and Steffen could face up to 10 years in jail.

He should be facing up to 100 years in jail. 10 years! Good grief! Does it come with a gold watch?

Former Lee County teacher sentenced to

18 years in prison for child sex crimes

ByMonique John 

Monday, February 10, 2025 1:07PM

Lee County investigators said multiple minor children have been victims of sexual abuse committed by a teacher.

SANFORD, N.C. (WTVD) -- A former Sanford middle school teacher was sentenced Monday to 18 years in prison after pleading guilty to child sex crimes.

Andrew Braxton Allen, 34, of Siler City, was arrested in November 2022.

Allen was convicted of two counts of statutory sex offense with a child by an adult, two counts of sexual act with a student, and two counts of indecent liberties with a child.

The sheriff's office began investigating the former San-Lee Middle School teacher in 2022 after receiving a report regarding an inappropriate relationship between a teacher and a student at the school.

Allen worked at the school from 2012 until 2022.

Wolves in the Henhouse > Manitoba Daycare Child Sex Abuse; California Daycare Child Sex Abuse; Hudson Valley Martial Arts teacher arrested for CSA

 

For more than ten years now, I have been begging people not to put their children in daycares where men, or teenage boys, are likely to be present. Men have no business looking after someone else's children.

Manitoba foster parent with home daycare faces

child porn charges

By Arin Streeter & Sarah McCarthy  Global News

Posted February 7, 2025 5:44 pm

 1 min read

Investigators are combing through digital evidence following the arrest of a foster parent in western Manitoba.

Brandon police were tipped off by the National Child Exploitation Centre earlier this month, about someone who was potentially creating child sexual abuse material.

Their investigation led them to a 37-year-old man – who along with his common law partner – were foster parents and ran a daycare out of their home.

Officers moved in on the home on Monday and seized a number of devices. The six children in the home were also safeguarded.

Brandon Police Chief Tyler Bates says they’re still in the early days of their investigation, but says it’s possible that the children in the suspect’s care were not the only victims.

“The information that is obtained from those electronic devices will speak to the gravity and scope of the abuse of the children within the home,” Bates said. “But it is possible that there are potentially other victims as well.”

The 37-year-old man has been charged with several counts related to child pornography, along with assault, sexual assault and sexual interference.

Bates says the parents of the children at the daycare were also notified.

“You can imagine the horror and the shock of the parents that learned of the criminal instances of this magnitude at that residence and how concerning that would be,” Bates said.

80-y/o San Luis Obispo man who sexually abused children in daycare gets life

By Chloe Shrager 

February 10, 2025 5:32 PM| 

Pablo ReynaEsparza, 80, pleaded guilty on July 17, 2024, to two felonies of committing lewd acts on a child under the age of 14. SLO County Jail 

An 80-year-old San Luis Obispo County man who sexually abused multiple children at his wife’s unlicensed daycare received a life sentence on Monday. 

On July 17, Pablo ReynaEsparza pleaded guilty to two felonies of committing lewd acts on a child under the age of 14, admitting to two special allegations subjecting him to a sentence of 50 years to life, according to a news release from the District Attorney’s Office. 

“Mr. ReynaEsparza’s selfish and predatory actions in taking advantage of multiple children are the reason he has lost his freedom,” Deputy District Attorney Kristin Barnard said at his sentencing. 

The crimes occurred between 2016 and 2018 at an unlicensed daycare run by the defendant’s wife at their home in San Luis Obispo, the news release said. 

The young survivors were between 5 and 11 years old when the crimes occurred. Four child victims were listed under pseudonyms in the charging documents. 

“We are very proud of these young survivors for their remarkable courage in reporting these horrible crimes which enabled us to bring ReynaEsparza to justice,” said District Attorney Dan Dow.

“This substantial prison sentence for an 80-year-old sexual predator should ensure he will never victimize another child.” 

As part of the sentence, ReynaEsparza will be required to register as a sex offender for life.

The DA’s Office urges all parents looking for childcare to verify credentials and proper licensing at the California Department of Social Services Community Care Licensing Division.

Parents demand refunds from Hudson Valley Martial Arts studio following instructor’s child sex abuse arrest

The business has six locations, including studios in Rhinebeck, Arlington and Kingston.

Blaise Gomez

Feb 10, 2025, 2:44 PM

A popular Hudson Valley martial arts studio is facing fallout tonight from some parents after the arrest of one of their instructors last week for allegedly sexually abusing children.

Concerned parents are removing their children from Leclerc’s Martial Arts Studio and say the business is now refusing to give refunds for their prepaid annual contracts.

“I no longer feel comfortable,” says parent Kirsten Quine. “They just keep saying there is no refunds. I just want my money back. It is about $7,000.”

As News 12 previously reported, state police arrested the owner’s son, 28-year-old Tyler Leclerc, of Hyde Park, last Wednesday. He’s charged with criminal sex act involving a victim under the age of 17 and two counts child endangerment. Authorities say an investigation found the instructor sexually abused multiple children over several years. 

State police didn’t say if the incidents involved children attending the martial arts school.

“It’s repulsive. This is the worst thing anybody can do to another person,” says Armando Montero, who has also removed his child amid the allegations.

News 12 confirmed with the Dutchess County District Attorney’s Office that the studio owner, Robert Leclerc, pleaded guilty to rape in the late 1990’s – right around the same time that online records show he opened the martial arts business in Dutchess and Ulster counties.

News 12 went to the Hyde Park location on Albany Post Road on Monday, but the door was locked, and no one inside would answer. Boxes of gym equipment were seen by the front door. People inside the empty studio were seen through the clear glass door and large windows turning off the lights.

“We paid about $2,000. They’re not getting back to us. We’ve been calling. They don’t reply,” Montero says.

No one at the business has returned News 12’s calls or emails and as of Monday, their webpage is down.

Parents say the martial arts studio is an after-school program for kids in the Hyde Park Central School District and picks up kids in vans after classes. News 12 reached out to the school district for information and received the following response from Superintendent Dr. Pedro Roman:

"We have been made aware of an incident involving the recent arrest of an instructor at Leclerc Martial Arts. We are shocked by the news and thank our local law enforcement for their work. If there was information previously distributed regarding this program to district students, it was distributed through the Hyde Park Central School District as a community service to students and families for informational purposes only. The Leclerc Martial Arts program is not affiliated with nor endorsed in any way by the Hyde Park Central School District. Families have previously signed up their students to participate in the program at Leclerc’s place of business, with some opting to have Leclerc vehicles transport students from school to the center. Their instructors do not enter our facilities when picking up students, and students have never been transported to the program in vehicles owned by the district."

The business has six locations, including studios in Rhinebeck, Arlington and Kingston.

Tyler Leclerc is being held in Dutchess County Jail on $200,000 cash bail.