Foxes in the American Henhouse > Music teacher with CSAM; Another candidate for Evil Mother of the Year; Soldier convicted of CSA; Lawyer hires Ghislaine's lawyer for CSA case; Male daycare worker guilty of CSAM

 

Fair Oaks music teacher arrested after child sexual abuse material found

FAIR OAKS, Calif. —

A Fair Oaks music teacher has been arrested after investigators with the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force discovered child sexual abuse material during a search of his home on Wednesday, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office said.

Authorities said 43-year-old Jiamo Chen operated a home music studio and taught children, some as young as 4 years old. Investigators said they have not found evidence of inappropriate physical contact with a child but are asking any parents of former students with concerns to contact law enforcement.

Chen is believed to have been teaching music in the Sacramento area for about 10 years, authorities said.

Delta Pilot Arrested at SFO Last Year Convicted of Child Sex Abuse, Faces 230 Years

By Leanne Maxwell•October 2, 2026 · 4:19 PM PDT•2 min read

An airline pilot who was arrested last summer at SFO was convicted Monday of 20 counts of sexually abusing a child, while the girl’s mother was convicted on the same charges, and both now face up to 230 years to life.

Jurors in Contra Costa County Superior Court convicted Rustom Bhagwagar, 35, and Jennifer Spitz Powell, 46, Monday, finding both guilty of 20 counts of sexual abuse of a child under 14, as SFGate reports. The verdict came more than a year after Bhagwagar was arrested at SFO, where authorities were waiting for the Delta Air Lines pilot after he landed on a flight from Minneapolis.

As SFist reported at the time, Bhagwagar was escorted out of the cockpit in handcuffs by officers from the Department of Homeland Security, San Francisco Police Department, and Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office last July.

The arrest stemmed from an investigation by Contra Costa County authorities into allegations that Bhagwagar had repeatedly sexually abused a girl over a five-year period. Investigators said the abuse began in 2017, when the girl was seven, and continued several times a week, sometimes multiple times a day, until she was 10.

The girl also told investigators that Powell, her mother, was present for much of the abuse and that she had been warned to keep it secret or risk being taken away. The Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office said Powell participated in the abuse with Bhagwagar.

After investigators confronted Powell, she agreed to participate in a recorded phone call with Bhagwagar, who knew he was under investigation. During the call, he appeared to acknowledge the abuse and agreed to meet Powell in the Bay Area later that month to discuss a plan.

The couple had been in a relationship during the years the abuse was alleged to have occurred, and the abuse reportedly ended after they broke up. Bhagwagar, who was living in Florida, also had ties to San Ramon, Castro Valley, and Texas. Powell is reportedly a Walnut Creek resident.

SFGate reports that the child testified during the trial. Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton said in a statement that the child “showed extraordinary courage by testifying in court and facing the people who used duress to harm her.”

Bhagwagar and Powell will remain in custody at the Martinez Detention Facility while they await sentencing. Each faces a maximum sentence of 230 years to life in state prison.

Former U.S. Army soldier convicted on 9 of 10 child sex abuse counts in federal court

Jordan Anthony Pearce, 30, was found guilty on 9 of 10 federal counts of sexual abuse and exploitation of two minor victims, including production of child pornography and enticement of a minor.

FORT HOOD, TX — A former U.S. Army soldier has been convicted by federal jury in Waco in connection to child sex abuse.

Jordan Anthony Pearce, 30, of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, was found guilty on 9 of 10 counts related to the sexual abuse and exploitation of two minor victims, U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas announced.

The jury found Pearce guilty on charges including abusive sexual contact, sexual abuse of a minor, production of child sex abuse materials, distribution of visual depictions of sexual activities by a minor, and enticement of a minor. He was acquitted on one count of transportation of a minor.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Pearce began sexually abusing a minor at his Fort Hood residence when the victim was 11 years old. The victim reported the abuse to a friend and later to school and law enforcement officials.

In April 2023, the victim spoke to a forensic interviewer at the Child Advocacy Center (CAC) in Bell County and stated that Pearce told her she would not be believed if she told anyone about the abuse.

Shortly after the first reports, a second minor victim was taken to the CAC, where she also detailed how she had been sexually abused by Pearce at his residence and other locations when she was between the ages of 13 and 16. A search of the second victim's cell phone revealed text messages between Pearce and the minor, along with a sexually explicit video Pearce had requested from the child victim.

Pearce was indicted on April 8, 2025, and arrested on May 30, 2025. A second superseding indictment charged him with 10 counts.

Boca Raton lawyer Darryl Kogan charged in child sex abuse images case

The same attorney who represents Ghislaine Maxwell is now defending the longtime South Florida lawyer, Darryl Kogan.

Hannah Phillips

Palm Beach Post

Oct. 2, 2026, 5:53 p.m. ET

Darryl Kogan, a longtime Boca Raton personal injury lawyer, has been charged in federal court with trying to view child pornography.

Court filings reveal little about the case. Federal prosecutors submitted a one-page charging document Thursday indicating only that Kogan tried to access the images in February while in Broward County. If convicted, he faces a potential prison sentence between five and 20 years.

Kogan, who retired without fanfare this year, appeared in federal court in Fort Lauderdale on Friday morning. Magistrate Judge Jared Strauss set his bail at $250,000 and ordered him to surrender his passport, remain in South Florida and avoid firearms.

He is represented by Ghislaine Maxwell's Miami-based attorney, David Markus, who successfully defended another Boca Raton man against federal child sex abuse allegations in March.

Markus did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Kogan co-founded the firm Kogan & DiSalvo in 1994. The firm changed its name to Baker & DiSalvo this year. The Florida Bar website indicates he is "permanently retired" and no longer eligible to practice law in Florida, though it lists no disciplinary issues.

Minneapolis daycare worker pleads guilty to child porn charges

• Mike Bunge
• Oct 2, 2026
 

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — A Minneapolis daycare worker pleaded guilty to making and sharing child pornography.

Eric Phillip Allen, 41, admitted to one count of production of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography. He entered his plea before U.S. District Judge Nancy E. Brasel.

Allen worked at a Minneapolis daycare from January through early August 2024. Court documents say he photographed and video recorded children enrolled at the facility for his own sexual gratification.

He also shared other child sexual abuse material online and made sexual comments about the children, according to prosecutors. Allen was originally charged in August 2024.

"Today's guilty plea is one step closer to holding the defendant accountable for his heinous acts against the most vulnerable," U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen said. "There is no higher priority for my office than safeguarding children and prosecuting those who harm them."

Drew Evans, superintendent of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said protecting children is one of the agency's highest priorities. "This was a vile crime against the most vulnerable members of society, in a place where they should be safe," Evans said.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigated the case. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled later.

CSA in the USA > Bail set at $10m for Sanpchat, Roblox CSA predator; $1m bond set for TN creep; Four indicted by Grand Jury in Idaho in one day

 

Bensalem man charged with child sexual abuse after meeting victims online

BENSALEM, Pa. (WPVI) -- Police have filed charges against a Bensalem man accused of meeting children on social media and gaming apps, then sexually abusing them.

Valeed Anjum is believed to have used Snapchat and Roblox to meet girls between the ages of 10 and 15, and exchanged sexually explicit images with several of them.

Investigators say he also admitted to meeting up with a 12-year-old girl to abuse her earlier this year.

Bensalem detectives opened the investigation in April after getting a tip about an inappropriate Snapchat account.

Police are concerned there may be more victims who have not been identified.

Anjum is believed to have used the alias "Puma," used the Snapchat usernames "poomdoom69" and "brain.rotty."

If you have information regarding either of these Snapchat accounts or reason to believe your child was in contact with Anjum through Snapchat or Roblox, please contact Bensalem Township Police Detective Ryan Kolb at (215) 633-3746.

Anjum's bail was set at 10 million dollars.

BCSO: Maryville man arrested, facing several child sex abuse charges

BCSO said Timothy B. Wheeler was taken into custody Friday and is facing several charges, including rape of a child.

Author: Justin Wallace

Published: 8:32 PM EDT October 2, 2026

Updated: 11:36 PM EDT October 2, 2026

BLOUNT COUNTY, Tenn. — A 63-year-old Blount County man is arrested and facing several child sex abuse charges after he abused a juvenile multiple times beginning at the age of six until the age of 11, according to the Blount County Sheriff's Office. 

BCSO said Timothy B. Wheeler was taken into custody Friday and is charged with rape of a child, continuous sexual abuse of a child and four counts of aggravated sexual battery. 

"The investigation revealed that Wheeler sexually abused the juvenile multiple times beginning at the age of six until the age of 11," BCSO said. "Wheeler is in custody at the Blount County Correctional Facility on bonds totaling $1,050,000 pending a hearing in Blount County General Sessions Court"

BCSO said the court date has not yet been set and additional charges could be forthcoming.

Blount Co., Tn       

Grand juries indict four people on child sex abuse charges in one day

  Published at 4:04 pm, October 2, 2026

Kaitlyn Hart and Daniel V. Ramirez, EastIdahoNews.com

From top left to right, Cesar Giovanni Espinoza-Patino and Haileigh Jo Mcomber. 

From bottom left to right, Joshua Larry Nelson and Rocky Piccolo. | 

Courtesy Bonneville County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office

IDAHO FALLS — On Tuesday, the Bonneville County Prosecuting Attorney announced four grand jury indictments involving four people who’ve been charged wth various counts of felony sex crimes. Only two of the cases are related.

Because the indictments were brought before a grand jury, information about the incidents underlying the charges is sealed, so little is publicly available. This is done to protect the investigation and deliberation, and prevent witness tampering, according to the Facebook post.

RELATED | Grand jury vs. trial jury. What’s the difference?

According to the Facebook posts by the prosecutor’s office, a grand jury indicted Cesar Giovanni Espinoza-Patino, 35, Haileigh Jo Mcomber, 24, Joshua Larry Nelson, 40, and Rocky Piccolo, 48, on Sept. 25.

EastIdahoNews.com reached out to Bonneville County Prosecutor Randy Neal for more information about the arrests and confirmed that Mcomber and Nelson are co-defendants. The other two are charged in separate cases.

Mcomber, Piccolo and Espinoza-Patino have all been assigned public defenders. The Idaho State Public Defender’s Office does not comment on active cases. Nelson has not yet hired or been appointed an attorney for the felony charges.

The Co-Defendants

Mcomber was indicted on three felony counts of child sexual abuse by soliciting a minor and two felony counts of injury to a child. She was also charged with three misdemeanors: disseminating harmful materials to a minor, dispensing alcohol to a minor, and encouraging, aiding, or causing a juvenile to come within its purview.

Nelson was charged with three felony counts of child sexual abuse by soliciting a minor and two felony counts of injury to a child. She was also charged with two misdemeanors of dispensing alcohol to a minor and encouraging, aiding, or causing a juvenile to come within its purview.

According to Idaho’s Sex Offender Registry, Nelson is also a registered sex offender stemming from a sentencing in April 2004, where he pleaded guilty to one count of lewd conduct with a child.

Newly filed court documents say that Nelson and Mcomber “did solicit (a 14-year-old and a 15-year-old) to participate in a sexual act,” “forced (a minor) to drink an alcoholic beverage,” and “forced (a minor) to ingest a THC edible.”

Mcomber is also accused of allegedly showing online pornographic videos to the 14-year-old.

Nelson is charged in a separate case with another misdemeanor for injury to a child. According to court documents, on July 26, the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office was called to a home around 1:32 p.m. for a report of child abuse involving a 4-year-old boy. Court documents indicate that Nelson is accused of grabbing the boy by the neck and hitting him.

Mcomber will be arraigned before District Judge Jason Walker on Oct. 13 at 8:15 a.m. Nelson will be arraigned before Mcomber on the same day at 8:45 a.m.

If convicted, both Mcomber and Nelson could face up to life in prison.

César Giovanni Espinoza-Patino

Espinoza-Patino was indicted on four felony counts of rape in which the victim was under the age of 16.

According to court documents, he is accused of raping a young girl while she was between the ages of 10 and 13 years old.

Espinoza-Patino will be arraigned in district court on Oct. 13 at 8:45 a.m. before District Judge Michael Whyte or Senior Judge Joel Tingey.

If convicted, he could face up to life in prison.

Rocky Joseph Piccolo

Piccolo was indicted on 16 charges, including:

• Three counts of lewd conduct with a child under the age of 16
• Two counts of child sexually exploitative material that promotes, produces, finances, offers or advertises
• Two counts of possession of child sexually exploitative materials
• Two counts of video voyeurism
• Seven counts of visual representation of the sexual abuse of a minor

According to court documents, Piccolo is accused of raping a minor when they were between the ages of 12 and 13 years old. He is also accused of secretly installing a camera in a bathroom to film the minor while they were naked. Court documents indicate he may have “produced, distributed, received, possessed, or accessed” the video using the internet.

Piccolo is scheduled to be arraigned on Oct. 20 at 8:15 a.m. before District Judge Brendon Taylor.

If convicted, he could face up to life in prison.

Although they have been accused of these crimes, it does not necessarily mean they committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

CSA in Canada > Creep in Niagara area gets a year in prison for CSAM; Kamloops man charged for CSAM in France; RCMP Warn PEIslanders of CSA scam; Alberta man accused of making Deepfake AI CSAM

 

Convicted sex offender gets 12-month sentence after Niagara police find child sexual abuse images on seized devices

“Once a child abuse image has been posted online, it’s there presumably forever, and it’s all too common that persons access these images,” a judge said.

Oct. 2, 2026

Updated at 5:15 p.m.

1 min read

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A Welland man, 39, pleads guilty to possessing child sexual abuse and exploitation materials. He receives a 12-month jail sentence.

Bob Tymczyszyn

---

By Alison LangleyReporter

A convicted sex offender who had a collection of more than 100 images of child sexual abuse material has been sentenced to a year in jail.

“Children are perhaps the single most vulnerable group of persons in any given community,” Judge Andrew Brown said in an Ontario court of justice in St. Catharines on Friday.

Johnnathon Barlow, 39, pleaded guilty to possessing child sexual abuse and exploitation materials. He received a 12-month jail sentence.

He was given credit for the amount of time he had spent in presentence custody, which reduced the time he has left to serve to just more than 200 days.

In May 2026, court was told, information was relayed to police by an internet service provider regarding concerns that a customer had downloaded a number of files that contained images of child sexual abuse.

Detectives with the Niagara Regional Police internet child exploitation unit used a warrant at a Welland residence the following month and seized several electronic devices.

Police were able to recover more than 100 images and two videos that met the definition of child sexual abuse.

“The internet, unfortunately, has provided a means by which persons like Mr. Barlow can victimize children,” the judge said “And, victimization occurs, unfortunately, all too regularly.

“Once a child abuse image has been posted online, it’s there presumably forever, and it’s all too common that persons access these images.”

Court was told Barlow was convicted of a sex-related offence in 2016. For that crime, he was sentenced to 18 months in custody.

Court was told Barlow has a number of mental health issues and possibly a learning disability.

“That is not an excuse for this criminal act, but it provides some context,” the judge said.

The offender was also placed on probation for three years

Kamloops man charged after police in France flag child sex abuse material

Charged after overseas tip

Tim Petruk - Oct 1, 2026 / 4:00 am | Story: 632859

Photo: Castanet

FILE - The Kamloops Law Courts

A Kamloops man is facing child sexual abuse material charges after police in France flagged the alleged distribution of illegal photos and videos overseas.

Prosecutors say the investigation began after French National Police reported child sexual abuse material being distributed in their jurisdiction, prompting Kamloops Mounties to obtain a search warrant.

The warrant was executed in March 2024, resulting in the seizure of a laptop and a cellphone, among other electronic devices.

Crown prosecutor Dan McLaughlin said investigators examined the devices and allegedly found files connected to the information provided by French police.

"There has been extensive use of not only photographic images but videos which have been downloaded and distributed,” he said.

The allegations were outlined Monday during a bail hearing in Kamloops provincial court.

Charges of importing or distributing child sex material and possessing child sex material were laid in July against 43-year-old Justin Leonard Allan Douglas.

He was arrested recently in St. Albert, Alta., while police there investigated an unrelated theft complaint.

Douglas was granted bail on Monday, ordered to abide by a long list of strict conditions.

Among other restrictions, he is prohibited from accessing the internet except in limited circumstances, using anonymizing browsers or accessing the dark web. He is also prohibited from having contact with children under 16 and from attending places where children are expected to be present.

Douglas is due back in Kamloops provincial court on Oct. 8.

RCMP warns of scam emails accusing Islanders of online child sex abuse

'This is meant to maximize the fear … the anxiety in their victims'

Joseph Watt · CBC News · Posted: Sep 29, 2026 12:00 PM PDT | Last Updated: September 29

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Cpl. Gavin Moore, media relations officer for the P.E.I. RCMP, warns Islanders to be wary of emails asking the recipient to pay money to police. (Tony Davis/CBC)

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Police are alerting Islanders to an email scam involving false accusations of internet crimes against children. 

The emails appear to be from the RCMP, and say the person receiving it is under investigation for visiting banned websites tied to child sexual abuse material.

The scammer tells the recipient they will be registered as a sex offender and have their name on TV if they do not pay a fine.

"This is meant to maximize the fear … the anxiety in their victims. To accuse somebody to be involved in this type of material makes victims extremely anxious," said Cpl. Gavin Moore, media relations officer for the P.E.I. RCMP.

"The hope is that when people are knocked off balance like this, that they will react before they think."

• Summerside police warn residents about scam callers posing as law enforcement

• That text from your ‘child’ could be a scam, P.E.I. RCMP warn

Moore said police will never issue legal notices by email and any fines are always payable at a courthouse, not directly to police. He said this type of scam has been going on for years, though he’s unaware of any victims who have actually sent money as a result of the emails. 

Moore said scammers can reach thousands of people over email at once and inexpensively. 

"This is fraudsters who make a living by defrauding victims," Moore told CBC News. "Even if a very small percentage of those who receive this believe it is real, they still are able to extract funds."

The scam emails typically use legal jargon, police designs and cite real laws to appear legitimate.

Moore said Islanders should be wary of any emails that seem to be from RCMP. He said police will meet with a person face-to-face when serving criminal charges so they can confirm before a court that a document was actually served. 

"It’s important to stop, to take a breath and ask yourself, is it possible that this is a scam?" Moore said. 

He said Islanders should report any suspected scams to local police.

Sherwood Park man accused of using AI to make sex abuse material of children he knows

By News Staff

Posted September 29, 2026 1:11 pm.

Authorities say a 51-year-old man from Sherwood Park used artificial intelligence to turn social media photos and videos of children he knew into child sexual abuse materials.

The man was charged last Friday by ALERT’s Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) unit. ICE believes there are multiple victims.

The same accused was previously arrested by ICE on June 25 following reports that he shared child sexual abuse materials online. At the time he was charged with possessing, accessing, and transmitting child sexual abuse materials.

Following that first arrest, authorities seized computers and electronic devices from his home.

By News Staff

Posted September 29, 2026 1:11 pm.

Authorities say a 51-year-old man from Sherwood Park used artificial intelligence to turn social media photos and videos of children he knew into child sexual abuse materials.

The man was charged last Friday by ALERT’s Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) unit. ICE believes there are multiple victims.

The same accused was previously arrested by ICE on June 25 following reports that he shared child sexual abuse materials online. At the time he was charged with possessing, accessing, and transmitting child sexual abuse materials.

Following that first arrest, authorities seized computers and electronic devices from his home.

“ICE discovered an extensive collection of manufactured child sexual abuse materials,” police said in a news release.

Christoper Kalbfleisch was released from custody with court-imposed conditions including not to have any communication with anyone under the age of 16, and not to attend public pools, schools, playgrounds, or public libraries. He is scheduled to appear in court in Strathcona County on Oct. 16.

The allegations against him have not been tested in court.