CSA in the USA > 22 missing kids found in SW Florida; Kentucky arrest in 2013 assault case; Parol board appointees got booted in California

 

Tim Tebow Foundation



a day ago ·

22 children located in Missing Child Rescue Operation in Southwest Florida

Kids who go missing are especially vulnerable. Every hour they're gone, the risk of harm grows. That's why investigators, advocates, and technology partners came together in one command center with one goal: find every child they could.

Our partner, the National Child Protection Task Force, led a coordinated Missing Child Rescue Operation alongside local, state, and federal law enforcement, nonprofit organizations, and private-sector partners. Together, they found 22 kids.

We're grateful for the law enforcement agencies and partners who never stop looking. This work is far from finished. We will keep going to find one more child!

Kentucky police make arrest in 2013 assault case

Cereese Blose

2 days ago

SCOTTSVILLE, Ky. (WKRN) — A Kentucky man is facing serious charges after authorities reopened a 2013 case.

Norman Starner was booked at the Allen County Detention Center on Thursday and charged with sexual abuse in the first degree.

His arrest comes after a victim came forward about a sexual assault that occurred when they were just 13, according to the Allen County–Scottsville Crime Task Force.

Officials said that the case was reviewed and investigated, and an arrest warrant was obtained.

Starner was still in jail on Sunday. His bond is set at $25,000.

In a post on Facebook, the task force recognized the victim’s courage in speaking out so many years later.

“It takes tremendous strength to revisit a traumatic experience and trust law enforcement with that information,” said the task force. “Her willingness to speak up allowed this case to be reviewed again.”

The task force said it will continue to review older cases.

“Time does not erase what happened to a victim, and it does not make their voice any less important,” said the task force. “Every victim deserves to be heard, every case deserves a fair investigation, and when the evidence supports it, every victim deserves the opportunity to seek justice.”

Allegations have not been proven in court.

They approved releasing two sexually-violent predators serving life sentences. They just got booted from Calif.’s parole board.

The Senate Rules Committee allowed the appointments to expire without holding public confirmation votes.

Driving the news: Gov. Gavin Newsom reappointed Cassady and Kozel in August 2025, but the appointments required Senate confirmation within one year.

• The Senate Rules Committee, chaired by Senate President pro Tempore Monique Limón, held a May confirmation hearing for five other parole commissioners but did not place Cassady or Kozel on the agenda.

• The five commissioners who received hearings were William Muniz, Michael Ruff, Rosalind Sargent-Burns, Mary Thornton and Jack Weiss.

• By allowing the deadline to pass without a hearing or vote, Senate leaders effectively ended Cassady’s and Kozel’s service without requiring lawmakers to publicly approve or reject them.

• Cassady has since retired. Kozel returned to her former staff position as a senior supervising psychologist with the parole board.

The backstory: Cassady and Kozel separately participated in decisions finding David Funston and Gregory Vogelsang suitable for parole.

• Both men were serving life sentences for kidnapping and sexually abusing children in the Sacramento area during the 1990s. They qualified for consideration through California’s Elderly Parole Program, which generally applies to qualifying prisoners who are at least 50 and have served 20 continuous years.

• Funston was convicted in 1999 of crimes including kidnapping and lewd acts against children under 14. A parole panel found him suitable for release in September 2025.

• Newsom asked the full parole board to reconsider the decision, but commissioners upheld it in February. Funston was scheduled for release before authorities transferred him to Placer County custody to face new criminal charges.

• Vogelsang, who was sentenced to 355 years to life for nearly 30 counts involving the kidnapping and sexual abuse of children, also received a parole grant. The board later rescinded that decision.

• Both men remain incarcerated.

What they’re saying: Limón did not publicly explain why the committee declined to consider the two commissioners.

• During the hearing for the other five appointees, Limón referenced recent high-profile cases and said lawmakers had to balance public confidence with prisoners’ constitutional and civil rights.

• Cassady said commissioners should have received public hearings where they could answer lawmakers’ questions and explain their decisions.

• “Whether it was self-interested politics or finally waking up to the fact that the woke ways of favoring criminals over innocent victims is simply wrong, the decision to not confirm Cassady and Kozel is a wise one given their track record,” Senator GOP Leader Brian W. Jones (R-San Diego) said.

• “Abuse of vulnerable children must never be tolerated. The removal of these two Parole Commissioners sends a message to the rest of the Board – your job is to protect the public’s safety, it is not to play woke politics by releasing dangerous predators,” said Assembly GOP Leader Alexandra Macedo (R-Tulare).

The big picture: California’s 21 parole commissioners are appointed by the governor to staggered three-year terms and must be confirmed by the Senate.

• Commissioners conduct parole-suitability hearings and determine whether eligible prisoners would pose an unreasonable public-safety risk if released under state supervision.

• The controversy surrounding Funston and Vogelsang has also prompted lawmakers to propose greater transparency for parole-board deliberations and tighter eligibility rules for life-sentenced sex offenders seeking elderly parole.

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Islamization in Europe > Giorgia bans burqas and niqabs in Italy's schools; Migrant rapes woman on Valencia beach; 53% of rapists in Austria are non-nationals

 

Italy bans burqas in schools

Giorgia Meloni’s government has also approved a classroom cap on pupils with limited Italian

Published 25 Sep, 2026 19:43 | Updated 25 Sep, 2026 20:45

FILE PHOTO. © Getty Images / ANDREW HOLBROOKE/Corbis

The Italian government has approved a ban on burqas and niqabs in schools, along with a limit on the number of pupils with limited Italian in some classes. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the measures would improve integration and prevent the formation of “ghetto classes.”

The decree adopted on Thursday prohibits face coverings that prevent identification during school activities. It covers burqas and niqabs, but leaves hijabs, which do not cover the face, unaffected. Violations can bring fines of up to €1,000.

The government has also set a 30% cap in first-year classes for pupils without Italian citizenship. In primary schools, it applies to those who were not born in Italy or did not attend at least two years of preschool. In lower and upper secondary schools, it applies to those who have not attended the Italian school system for at least three years. The local authorities can grant exceptions when pupils cannot be placed elsewhere and provide additional language support.

Writing on X, Meloni described the measures as “tools of common sense that do not divide, but truly help to integrate, avoiding ghetto classes and giving all students the same opportunities.”

In a televised address, Meloni also stated that the burqa ban is “a matter of security,” adding that “when a woman, or worse, a young girl, is forced to cover her face, she is being denied fundamental rights and the very integration that is so often loudly championed.”

READ MORE: EU state to ban Islamic call to prayer

Meloni initially announced the plans on Sunday at a gathering of her Brothers of Italy party’s youth wing. Italy already had flexible guidance, issued in 2010, recommending a 30% limit on pupils without Italian citizenship in a class. The new decree puts restrictions into law and must be approved by parliament within 60 days to remain in force.

The move follows a broader debate over face coverings in Italy. Last year, Meloni’s party proposed a ban on full-face veils in public places. The bill, however, has yet to pass parliament.

The crackdown on full-face veils has extended across Europe in recent years. France banned them in public in 2011, Denmark followed in 2018, and Switzerland’s nationwide ban took effect in 2025. Denmark has also considered extending its ban to schools.

The European Court of Justice also ruled in 2023 that government employers can ban the wearing of religious dress such as burqas and hijabs in the interest of maintaining an “entirely neutral administrative environment.”

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Holiday Snaps From Sunny Spain:

Migrants Raping Western Women

Sep 1, 2026 10:00 am By Hugh Fitzgerald11 Comments

There are so many similar stories, about rape, and attempted rape, and furtive frottage, of Western women by Muslim migrants all over Europe. A handful of these squalid little stories, all having taken place on the Costa del Sol or Palma del Mallorca, in sunny Spain, can be found here: 

Woman, 22, is ‘raped by illegal migrant on Spanish beach’ after she went for an early morning swim,” 

by Natalie Penza, Daily Mail, August 31, 2026:

An illegal migrant has been arrested on suspicion of raping a woman who went for an early-hours dip at a Spanish beach.

The 27-year-old Moroccan is said to have targeted his alleged victim after creeping up on her as she relaxed on the sand after her swim and put his hand over her mouth so no one would hear her screams.

A passer-by strolling along the shoreline alerted police patrolling the area who arrested the man after a chase which ended with him punching one of the officers in the face.

The alleged sex attack happened around 6.45am on Sunday on Malvarrosa beach, a famous urban beach situated east of Valencia city centre on the country’s eastern coastline.

The stretch of beach where it occurred is near to a well-known nightclub called Akuarela.

The 22-year-old woman, said to have been under the influence of alcohol, had been out partying and decided to take a dip in the sea before lying down at the back of the beach near some sun loungers.

She was semi-naked when police assisted her after her attacker allegedly ripped her dress off. Officers took her to La Fe Hospital in Valencia for tests.

The unnamed man held is expected to appear in court later today where a judge is expected to remand him to a local prison pending an ongoing criminal probe.

Sunny southern Spain. Those gitanillas cascading down from window boxes over whitewashed walls and the narrow streets below. Los jardines con olor a azahar. The deep blue of the Mediterranean sea. I understand the allure. But nonetheless, I have some advice: please, Western females in southern Spain unescorted by Western male companions, cuidado! Or, better still, take your vacations elsewhere.

Meanwhile, we’ll always have the song from a century ago: “Valencia! In my dreams it always seems I hear you softly call to me…” Stick to that, please. Stick to that.

Austria: 53 Percent of Child Rapists Are Foreign Nationals

Austria convicted 147 people for raping minors in 2024, with foreign nationals comprising 53% of convictions despite representing only 20% of the population.

Official statistics reveal that 78 of the 147 convicted offenders held non-Austrian citizenship, representing 53.1 percent of the total. This figure stands in stark contrast to the demographic reality of Austria, where foreign nationals comprised approximately 20.2 percent of the population at the start of 2025, according to Statistik Austria.

The data indicates that the conviction rate among foreign nationals for this category of offense was roughly 2.6 times higher than their share of the general population. The figures emerged from Justice Minister Anna Sporrer of the Social Democratic Party in response to a parliamentary inquiry submitted by Harald Schuh, a member of parliament representing the Freedom Party of Austria.

Among foreign nationals convicted of raping minors, Syrian citizens formed the largest group with 18 cases, followed by Afghans with 11 convictions. Polish and Romanian nationals each accounted for six cases, while three convictions involved Iraqi citizens.

The parliamentary inquiry was prompted by the conviction of a 52-year-old Syrian man in Vienna who raped a six-year-old girl and received a prison sentence of four and a half years.

Reported Rape Cases Surge by More Than Half

Beyond convictions specifically involving minors, the overall number of reported rape cases in Austria has climbed dramatically over the past decade. Authorities recorded 826 cases in 2015, a figure that rose to 1,275 by 2025, marking an increase of approximately 54 percent.

Of the suspects identified in reported rape cases during the past year, 471 held non-Austrian passports. These statistics encompass all reported rapes, not exclusively offenses against minors.

According to the Justice Ministry, 128 of the 147 individuals convicted for raping minors were serving prison sentences. In the remaining cases, courts imposed alternative penalties including fines, suspended sentences, institutional commitments, or guilty verdicts with deferred sentencing.

For rape!!!!!???

Freedom Party Demands Immigration Halt and Deportations

Schuh cautioned against using the statistics to condemn all foreigners indiscriminately, but emphasized that the data should alert political leaders to the deteriorating security situation facing the country.

The Freedom Party parliamentarian characterized illegal mass immigration as a direct security threat to women and girls. He called for an immediate halt to asylum admissions, tougher criminal penalties, and the systematic deportation of foreign sex offenders. Schuh stressed that protecting victims must remain the paramount concern regardless of an offender’s origin.

Child Sex Abuse Around the World > Scots woman encouraged the rape of babies online; CSA increasing in Hong Kong; Welsh CSA survivor speaks out; Celtic Boys Club CSA case still going on

Woman encourages rape of babies, children, keeps hundreds of sexual abuse videos on phone

The 43-year-old Ms Hughes of Kilbowie Road admitted downloading the indecent materials between July 2024 and December 2025, and sharing them with other paedophiles.

Olumayowa Samuel • September 24, 2026

A Cumbernauld woman, Helen Hughes, who encouraged the rape of babies and children, as well as kept hundreds of sexual abuse videos and thousands of such in pictures on her phone has been remanded at the Airdrie Sheriff Court cell.

The 43-year-old Ms Hughes of Kilbowie Road admitted downloading the indecent materials between July 2024 and December 2025, and sharing them with other paedophiles, Glasgow Times reported on Thursday.

The woman, who also admitted sending messages encouraging the sexual abuse and rape of babies and children, was seen in court, weeping as she was led to the cell.

According to the prosecuting counsel, Steven Lynch, the police searched her home and seized a mobile phone and a tablet for analysis by specialist officers.

After analysing the devices, the officers found 8,283 photographs showing children being sexually abused, with over 1,000 of those images rated Category A, the most depraved. They also found 840 videos, 633 of which were in Category A.

Mr Lynch told the court that, “Analysis of the devices showed the accused engaged with others in conversations discussing and encouraging the sexual abuse of children and infants. She distributed 27 Category A videos and 1 Category B video to other users on social media apps. Most were sent to a user named Filthy One.”

Sheriff Paul Haran said, “You have pleaded guilty to serious offences involving not only possession but distribution of child sexual abuse material. The matter is sufficiently serious that the likely outcome is a custodial sentence, so you will be remanded in custody in the meantime.”

The sheriff thereafter ordered that the defendant, who was on bail before the court hearing, be kept in custody while background reports are prepared ahead of her sentencing.

The sheriff placed her name on the sex offenders’ register, and also ordered the destruction of her phone and tablet.

Hong Kong child sexual abuse cases surge 60% as NGO urges evidence-based prevention measures

For the first time in more than two decades, the number of child sexual abuse cases matched that of physical abuse cases against minors.

Hong Kong has seen a 60 per cent increase in child sexual abuse cases over the past six years amid a broader upward trend in the maltreatment of minors, a local group has said, calling for evidence-based prevention measures to be strengthened.

NGO Against Child Abuse said on Wednesday that the rate of child abuse soared from 0.92 per 1,000 children in 2020 to 1.54 in 2025 – a 67 per cent increase over the six-year period – citing data from the Social Welfare Department’s Child Protection Registry.

For the first time in more than two decades, the number of child sexual abuse cases matched that of physical abuse cases against minors, with 501 cases recorded in 2025, the organisation said, calling the situation “concerning.” Physical abuse had long been the most common form of child maltreatment.

Patrick Cheung, chairperson of Against Child Abuse, attributed the sharp increase to a myriad of factors, including the Covid-19 pandemic, economic downturn, parenting style changes, as well as recent legislation such as the Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance, which was enacted in January.

In particular, Cheung said the rise of child sexual abuse was related to internet activities and highlighted the increasing problem of online sexual grooming targeting minors.

“A lot of the times we see that the perpetrators of child sexual abuse are peers and people met on the internet,” Cheung said in Cantonese during a press conference.

Long-term harm

Patrick Ip, clinical professor at the University of Hong Kong’s Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, said studies over the past decade had found that child abuse could inflict long-term harm on children across their social, psychological, behavioural, and biological development.

Children play in Hong Kong’s Dino Park located in Shatin in April 2025. File photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

One 2024 study showed that child abuse survivors exhibited a higher chance of obesity – potentially due to impairment to the brain’s prefrontal lobe, which specialises in self-regulation – while a study in 2022 found that victims reported higher inflammatory responses years after the maltreatment took place, Ip said.

Ip also noted that “family dysfunction” has become a severe problem in recent years, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, when children had to stay home for schooling due to prolonged class suspensions.

“Not only does [family dysfunction] diminish familial bonding, it also makes parents incapable and unwilling to maintain quality interactions with their children,” Ip said in Cantonese.

“It creates a scenario in which children become used to facing their problems alone. And when there isn’t a good buffering system or support system for struggling children and parents alike, the risk of abuse increases,” he added.

Multi-pronged measures

But Ip also pointed to a 2022 study that found “positive parenting intervention” – meaning professional support regarding parenting style and emotion management – can improve parent-child interactions in low-income households.

The results showed that parenting outcomes are modifiable with the appropriate intervention, which also lowers the risk of child abuse, he said.

Children in Hong Kong. File photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

The NGO called on society as a whole to raise awareness around the long-term consequences of child abuse and to increase sensitivity about high-risk families, enabling early identification and support.

It also supported calls on authorities to introduce an offence of persistent child sexual abuse in upcoming sex law reforms, which have been championed by rights groups.

Asked whether the city should follow countries such as Australia in banning children from social media, Cheung said the city should adopt a multi-pronged approach to prevent online sexual abuse against minors.

Society needs to step up education for children regarding how to ensure safety online, while social media platforms should implement measures protecting minors from predators, he said.

Gwynedd child sex abuse survivor encourages others to speak out

A SURVIVOR of child sexual abuse in Gwynedd has encouraged others who have had similar experiences but are afraid of speaking out to “take the leap”.

The survivor, who is entitled to anonymity, was abused by Timothy Jones, whose actions were described in court last week as “terrifying”.

Jones, 49, of Lon Y Bedw, Bangor, was jailed for 15 years at Caernarfon Crown Court on September 15, after he was found guilty after a trial of sexual assault and sexual activity with a child.

Speaking to the Chronicle post-sentencing, the survivor of his abuse said the sentence left them feeling “so relieved,” and said the support they have received has been “overwhelming”.

The survivor said: “It’s a huge, huge relief. I was so thankful that I had the evidence I did for him to get the length of the sentence he got. Now, it’s just about taking each day as it comes.

“Every day is different. The amount of people, including other victims, who have reached out to me, has been absolutely overwhelming. It makes me feel like I’ve done some good.”

The survivor first told a friend about Jones’ abuse shortly after it happened, seeking reassurance that his behaviour was “justified”.

Despite being urged to tell police then, the survivor felt “no-one would be believe me”.

Police were later made aware of Jones’ abuse after the survivor confronted him via Facebook Messenger.

When officers came to speak to the survivor, they disclosed all that he had done to them.

“I told them everything,” the survivor said.

“It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, but also one of the easiest. It felt so real; everything happening all at once was scary after I’d kept quiet, but I also felt empowered.

“It just felt so relieving to finally get it out there.”

Jones watched the sentencing hearing with his arms folded from custody via videolink, during which the survivor read out a statement, detailing the impact of his abuse on them.

In the statement, the survivor spoke of how they have contemplated suicide on multiple occasions and have self-harmed, while they experience flashbacks “every single day”.

The judge, Timothy Petts, commended the survivor for speaking in court about the effect of Jones’ “dreadful” offences on them.

Judge Petts’ comments “meant a lot” to the survivor, and left them with “goosebumps”.

They said: “I needed to see it through to the very end. I needed to see and hear it for myself. I wanted it to be as raw and as real as possible.

“He just sat there with his arms crossed. I didn’t sense any expression.

“I thought it was a very good sentence. His actions have affected me for more years than he’s going to be in prison for, but it was still a better sentence than I expected.”

Jones will not be freed from prison until he has served at least 10 years of his 15-year sentence, and then only if the Parole Board deems his release safe.

Once released, Jones will serve the remainder of his 15-year sentence on licence, as well as an additional year on licence.

Judge Petts also imposed a sexual harm prevention order, to last for 25 years, telling Jones he had caused the survivor “very serious psychological harm”.

The survivor added: “I’ve tried not to let it affect who I am as a person. I had a traumatic childhood, but I like to believe I’m a good person.

“Sometimes I’m not as patient as I wish I was, but aside from that, I always try to be kind to others, and be the best person I can be.

“I’ve done my best to not let his actions impact who I am. I have my circle of supportive people who I have an ironclad bond with. I really do have good people in my life.”

To other survivors of abuse who may fear the consequences of speaking out, they said: “I would tell them to only talk to the people they trust the most.

“If they need help, go to therapy, because therapy doesn’t just help you mentally, it leaves a paper trail.“Take the leap. It’s going to be really, really hard and it will take a long time, but it will be so worth it in the end.”

Further claims to be brought in Celtic 

Boys Club abuse case

Lawyers who represented the victims of abuse at Celtic Boys Club say more claims will be brought against the Premiership club after further survivors came forward.

Several former coaches and officials at the youth club have been sentenced for child sex abuse, but Celtic FC argued that the Boys Club was a separate entity.

Last year it agreed to settle with the plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit for a seven-figure sum, saying it was "appalled by any form of historic abuse and has great sympathy for those who suffered abuse and for their families".

On Thursday evening, RTÉ will broadcast a documentary about the abuse scandal, featuring a Dublin man who moved to Glasgow aged 15.

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Read More:

• Celtic settle historic child abuse cases, lawyers confirm
• Celtic abuse scandal timeline as settlement is reached
• Celtic settle 24 child sex abuse cases, other claims ongoing

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Also interviewed is Patrick McGuire, a partner at Glasgow-based law firm Thompsons Solicitors.

Thompsons represented the survivors in the suit settled by Celtic, and have said more cases are in the pipeline.

Mr Maguire said: "I think I can say without any hyperbole that the abuse at Celtic Boys Club is the worst instance of abuse at any sports institution in the UK.

"We represented victims who were abused from the '70s all the way through to the '90s. And by going with group proceedings, representing all of those people over all of that period of time, that allowed us to take advantage of what the Scottish courts allow in terms of group proceedings and document recovery.

"Since the case settled, since we began to publish that fact, many more victim survivors have come forward. So, there will be more cases, there will be more claims."

Former Celtic Boys Club manager James Torbett had been found guilty in 1998 of shameless and indecent conduct with three juvenile players between October 1967 and March 1974, when he was let go, and was imprisoned for 30 months.

He was subsequently allowed to return to the club where he continued to abuse young boys in the 1980s and 90s, and was found guilty in 2018 of a further five offences against three boys and in 2023 of another four charges against a then 13-year-old.

Former Celtic Boys Club chairman Gerald King was convicted of five charges of using lewd and libidinous practises towards five victims between August 1984 and April 1989, and found guilty of taking indecent pictures of children in February 1987.

Frank Cairney, a former coach and manager, was found guilty of nine charges of sexual abuse in 2018, receiving a four-year jail sentence, and was due to stand trial on another three indecent assaults in January 2023 but was deemed unfit for trial.

It was later determined by a judge that on the balance of probabilities there was no case to acquit him.

Jim McCafferty, a coach and kit man, admitted to 12 charges related to child sex abuse against 10 teenage boys between 1972 and 1996 in 2019.

He had also worked with Hibs and Falkirk, and died in prison in 2022.

The RTÉ documentary will focus on the story of Declan Roche, one of the men who brought a claim against Celtic.

He moved to Glasgow in 1986 to play for Celtic Boys Club, where he was assaulted by Cairney.

Mr Roche told the broadcaster: "I do believe it was probably the biggest mistake or decision I have made over my life.

"I just didn't want to tell anybody. I didn't want to tell my family at the time because I was still wanting to be a football player. I still wanted to be what I set out to be.

"Celtic Boys Club were a very strong boys club, you know, connected to Celtic, and if you played for Celtic Boys Club... it was an honour in many ways and he (Cairney) would have used that power well."

Celtic FC have been contacted for comment.