Alexander Wagar Acquitted in 'Knees Together' Sexual Assault Retrial

Calgarian retried after controversial acquittal by Justice Robin Camp, now fighting to keep Federal Court job

By Meghan Grant, CBC News 

Alexander Wagar was on trial for sexual assault for a second time nearly two years after he was acquitted by controversial Alberta Judge Robin Camp. He was acquitted by a second judge Tuesday. (Janice Fletcher)

Outbursts in courtroom as sex assault retrial begins for man acquitted by controversial Alberta judge

A Calgary man who was retried in a sexual assault case — after initially being acquitted by a judge who asked the alleged rape victim why she didn't just keep her knees together — was acquitted again on Tuesday.

Alexander Scott Wagar, 29, was accused of raping a 19-year-old woman at a party, but was acquitted in the first trial in 2014 by Justice Robin Camp, who was a provincial court judge at the time but was later promoted to the Federal Court. 

The acquittal was overturned and a new trial was ordered after the Alberta Court of Appeal reviewed transcripts of the trial, exposing the inappropriate comments and questions made by the South Africa-educated judge.

It seems like the reporter thinks if Camp had been educated in Canada he wouldn't have asked such a bonehead question.

The second trial for Wagar, 29, ended in November 2016 and a second judge delivered a second acquittal Tuesday.

Outbursts in courtroom as sex assault retrial begins for man acquitted by controversial Alberta judge

Court heard that Wagar met a woman, JM, at a party in 2011 and the pair ended up in a bathroom together.

Wagar testified they had consensual sex, while JM — who is known publicly only by those initials because her identity is under a publication ban — told the judge she was raped on a bathroom sink.

JM testified she was raped by Wagar at a party. Her name is under a publication ban. 

(Meghan Grant/CBC)

Lethbridge Assistant Chief Judge Jerry LeGrandeur presided over the provincial court trial in Calgary, likely to avoid any conflict for Calgary-based judges who would have worked with Camp.

LeGrandeur made a point of noting evidence from the first trial was not a factor in his decision.

The judge said both Wagar and JM had "credibility issues" but noted several inconsistencies, in particular, in her testimony, including how she went back and forth on whether she had been drinking for days leading up to the party.

Wagar, with a furrowed brow, rested his head on a closed fist, sometimes nodding and sometimes shaking his head as the judge read out his reasoning in a lengthy preamble before delivering the decision.

As he exited the courtroom, Wagar shouted in celebration: "Yeah!"

Wagar the 'true victim,' defence says

Wagar's lawyer, Pat Flynn, said his client suffered "tremendously" during the two trials. 

"He is the true victim, as far as I'm concerned," Flynn told reporters. "He's been in custody now for over two years, twice waiting for trial on this matter."

Flynn said Wagar's mother passed away last month and that Wagar was unable to see her before she died.

He said he's pleased with LeGrandeur's decision.

"I think this reminds us that there are innocent people who are charged with sexual assault, and we must remind ourselves that they have that right of presumption of innocence," Flynn said.

'Cooling effect' feared

Prosecutor Janice Walsh said the Crown may consider an appeal.

"Some of the judge's comments certainly give pause for future cases of sexual assault," she said.

Walsh said she fears the decision will have a "cooling effect" on other complainants coming forward.

"We still have some work to do to determine whether or not this is the end of our story, and we're going to do that work," Walsh said.

Camp's acquittal overturned 

During the retrial, court heard evidence from Lindsay Winter, a front-line worker at the Mustard Seed shelter where JM sometimes slept.

Winter testified JM called her in tears the night of the alleged attack and said she'd been sexually assaulted.

The next morning, JM showed up at the shelter and Winter said she was able to convince the teen to report the incident to police.

Wagar told court he believes JM is accusing him of rape because his brother called her a "slut" and because she saw the accused cuddling with another woman right after he and JM had sex.

Camp fighting to keep job

During the first trial in 2014, Camp asked JM several times throughout the trial why she hadn't done more to prevent the attack.

At the first trial, the woman who said she was raped was asked by then provincial court Judge Robin Camp why she didn't prevent the attack by keeping her knees together. (Trial transcript)

Camp asked JM: "Why couldn't you just keep your knees together?"

Camp also implied the complainant could have prevented the attack by "sinking her bottom down into the [sink] basin."

A five-member inquiry panel recommended that Federal Court Justice Robin Camp be removed from the bench over comments he made during a 2014 sexual assault trial when he was an Alberta provincial court judge. (Jeff McIntosh/Canadian Press)

Camp's comments and subsequent complaints made with the Canadian Judicial Council led to an inquiry that took place in September. 

Camp admitted to several mistakes during the trial and told the inquiry he was "very sorry" for the "hurtful" comments he made to the complainant.

However, a panel of five Superior Court judges and senior lawyers unanimously recommended Camp lose his job.

Most recently, Camp's lawyer has asked he be allowed to plead his case in person to the Canadian Judicial Council.

Flynn called Camp's comments in the initial trial "unfortunate."

"I don't want to be flippant on this, but would you rather have your judge make the right decision, and say something inappropriate, or to be politically correct and get the wrong decision?" he said.

Since it was created in 1971, the Canadian Judicial Council has only recommended two other judges be removed.

The judges in both cases resigned before the recommendations made it to Parliament, which ultimately decides whether or not to dismiss a Canadian judge.

5 P&Ps Today Including 'Mother of Year' Candidate, Youth Worker

Youth worker gets 200 years - Oklahoma

5 years of sex abuse with 3 y/o - Texas

16 yr plea deal for woman for incest, sodomy - Kentucky

Man charged with CSA of child under 11 - New York

Courageous girl nets abuser sentence of 25 - life - New York

Former Tulsa youth 'mentor' sentenced to more than 200 years for child sexual abuse

By Samantha Vicent Tulsa World 

A Tulsa man was sentenced Tuesday to more than 200 years imprisonment after his conviction of sexually abusing five boys he met through church and while doing volunteer work for a local Department of Human Services shelter.

A jury found Timothy Shawn Cato, 52, guilty Nov. 10 of 11 counts of child sexual abuse committed against the boys between October 2009 and his arrest in October 2014.

In upholding the jury's sentencing recommendations, District Judge William LaFortune said he agreed with prosecutors' claims that Cato has consistently tried to minimize, justify or otherwise rationalize his actions against the boys, who were between the ages of 7 and 17.

The jury acquitted Cato on one count each of child sexual abuse and manufacture, distribution or sale of child pornography. Jurors recommended he serve 25 years for each of six counts of child sexual abuse involving a victim younger than 12, as well as a combined 65 years for similar charges related to teenage boys, which LaFortune set to run consecutively.

"There appears to be a pattern of behavior," LaFortune said, noting that it was "was very telling to the court" that Cato repeatedly put himself in a position to work in areas "where the most vulnerable young boys were found." A probable cause affidavit in the case detailed more than 20 years of work Cato had done with children through various churches and summer camps.

Two teenage boys alleged they met Cato in his work with Eastland Assembly of God, while two younger boys told authorities they knew him as a volunteer at the Laura Dester shelter, where they lived at the time. Cato was also a teaching assistant at Town & Country School in Tulsa at the time of his arrest, and additionally worked with a company that had contracts with the Oklahoma Department of Human Services' Developmental Disabilities Services Division.

Testimony from the boys indicated he would bathe them at his home, provide them underwear and sleep next to them while touching them inappropriately. The younger boys said Cato would check them out of the Laura Dester shelter for weekends so they could stay with him, which is when they said the assaults occurred. Court records indicate he admitted to police that he sexually assaulted a then-15-year-old boy.

Assistant District Attorney Andrea Brown argued for LaFortune not to run the sentences concurrently, saying Cato "deserves every single day" of every year the jury recommended.

Cato did not address the court before his sentencing.

"It was a physically and emotionally demanding two weeks (of trial) for everybody involved, but it was certainly worth it," Brown said after the hearing. "Mr. Cato first denied any kind of inappropriate contact with children. Ultimately, after a lengthy interview, he sort-of admitted that he had some inappropriate sexual contact with one of the five children that we had alleged he had touched.

"He continued to minimize and justify his behavior, including 'bizarre,' as Judge LaFortune put it, behavior in the bathroom and in the shower and while sleeping. I think that contributed significantly to Judge LaFortune's decision to run all the counts each after the other in accordance with the jury's carefully thought-out verdicts."

Assistant Public Defender Travis Smith asked the court to impose concurrent sentences, noting that four people provided letters in support of Cato, who had no previous significant contact with police in the past.

"I'm slightly disappointed in Judge LaFortune's decision today regarding giving consecutive time instead of concurrent time," Smith said. "We will begin the process this afternoon of appealing the case."

Temple: Man charged with continuous

sexual abuse of child

By Paul J. Gately 

          

TEMPLE, Texas (KWTX) A Temple man was held Tuesday in the Bell County Jail charged with continuous sexual abuse of a young child.

Daniel Vasquez, 44, who shows a home address on South 21st Street in Temple, was ordered held on bonds totaling $200,000, charged with indecency with a child by sexual contact, online jail records showed.

An affidavit issued for an arrest warrant says the sexual abuse began when the victim was only 3-years-old and continued for a period of five years.

A girl who lived with Vasquez told police investigators she awakened on August 19, 2016, to find Vasquez in bed in her room with another girl.

The girl told police she asked the other girl if the man had tried to touch her and the victim said the man tried to pull her underwear down and touch her.

The affidavit detailed an interview held at the Children’s Advocacy Center during which the victim told investigators a man touched her both outside and inside her clothing.

Following the interview police were able to identify a suspect and obtain a arrest warrant for him.

Louisville woman sentenced for incest,

sodomy and sex abuse

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A 40-year-old Louisville woman has been sentenced for incest, sodomy and sexual abuse of a child under the age of 12. 

Kelly Lynn South took a plea deal to spend the next 16 years in prison. 

The Attorney General's Office says the crimes happened between Sept. 2012 and Sept. 2015. She was arrested in October of that year after an investigation by the Louisville Metro Police Crimes Against Children Unit.

As part of her sentencing, South must register as a lifetime sex offender. 

Pittstown man accused of child sex abuse

PITTSTOWN, N.Y. >> A local man was jailed Sunday on sexual abuse and drug charges after an investigation by state police.

Troopers said Robert R. Russell 53, was arrested after they and Rensselaer County Child Protective Services investigated allegations Russell had sexual contact with a child younger than 11.

Russell was charged with a felony count of first-degree sex abuse, as well as misdemeanor charges of fifth-degree criminal sale of marijuana and endangering the welfare of a child. He was arraigned in Pittstown Town Court and sent to the Rensselaer County jail without bail.

Troopers said the investigation is ongoing and are asking anyone with information about this case or other potential victims to call the Brunswick barracks at 279-4427.

Pittstown, NY

Man convicted of child sex abuse gets 25 to life

WGRZ 

LOCKPORT, N.Y. -- A Wilson man convicted of sexually abusing a young girl will spend a long time behind bars. 

Alfonso Cutaia was sentenced in Niagara County Court Tuesday by Judge Matthew Murphy to 25 years to life in prison, the maximum sentence he could receive.

A friend of the victim's family said in court Tuesday they all drew strength from the young girl throughout the ordeal. 

 "It was a broken family and the family was able to draw strength from the victim because she was so...still a fighter and still so strong," the family friend said. 

A jury convicted Cutaia of a single count of predatory sexual assault against a child. He was charged with two counts; the second stemming from a separate victim, but the jury acquitted him of that charge.

The True Cost of Child Sexual Abuse

BY NIKKI DUBOSE
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

After failing to change the law last year, New York State is set once again to consider doing away with the statute of limitations on prosecuting sex crimes against children — this time with Gov. Cuomo hopefully leading the reform charge against a likely intransigent state Senate.

Under current statutes, a victim must seek justice in criminal or civil court by her 23rd birthday, or she loses the opportunity to do so forever.

To understand why this is so perverse, you have to try to grasp the psychological impact that child sex abuse has on those subjected to it.

I was sexually abused at age 8 by a male figure, and then again by my mother from the ages of 9 to 13 until the police removed me from my home. There was a lot of domestic violence and physical abuse, but the sexual abuse impacted me the most. I developed eating disorders, depression, psychosis, post-traumatic stress disorder and suicidal ideation. I dropped out of high school and failed out of college twice.

I ultimately managed to get my high school diploma and eventually succeeded at college, but not before I became addicted to drugs, alcohol and sex, and was nearly homeless in my early 20s. I had no direction and zero self-esteem.

It wasn’t until after my mother died an alcoholic almost five years ago and I left my modeling career due to anorexia nervosa that therapy finally helped me to uncover the repressed memories of sexual abuse.

By this time, I had blown through hundreds of thousands of dollars due to my mental illnesses, including the loss of my house. It took everything I had to get better, and with eating disorder treatment costing anywhere from $500 a day to $30,000 a month, I had to search for alternative care.

I hope my experience sheds light on why it is cruel and unrealistic to expect people violated as boys and girls to be emotionally ready to face their abusers by the time they turn 23.

But if that doesn’t persuade the state Senate, led by Sen. John Flanagan of Long Island, to join Cuomo and finally change the statute of limitations, I’d like to make an appeal on other grounds that fiscal conservatives might appreciate: the huge and largely hidden costs to society.

What a sad commentary on Republican lawmakers that one has to appeal to the bottom line rather than the rights of a victim of pedophilia to get some form of justice! Without that right, what incentive does the Catholic Church or the Jewish Yeshivas have to ensure the safety of children now in their care? Why do Republicans protect the criminals at the expense of the victims? The answer is, unfortunately, too obvious.

Child sexual trauma is immensely expensive, carrying an average lifetime fiscal impact of more than $210,000 per child, according to the most recent study published in the journal Child Abuse and Neglect.

That includes the not-insubstantial costs of dealing with learning disabilities and mental illnesses such as depression, suicide, eating disorders and more, many of which result from child sexual abuse.

Tack on other indirect costs, such as depleted jobs and the strain on public health programs, and sexual abuse costs society billions of dollars a year, much of which is shouldered by taxpayers.

It just happened that I was thinking about this last night and the medical costs must be staggering, but the costs in lost productivity from people who have to live with depression, anxiety, PTSD, inability to concentrate, poor memories, and a host of other ailments must be incredible. And that's not to mention the creativity that might have been.

I don’t mean to suggest that we can put a price tag on having your soul taken away. As advocate June Busacco of Brooklyn puts it, “No amount (of money) can compare to the brutal treatment” she received as a child. But the unacceptably high price society pays can and should underline the unfathomable pain subjected upon thousands of individuals — pain that society has an obligation to face, not ignore.

I give Cuomo additional credit for pushing to open a one-year window during which those who suffered from past abuse can pursue claims, even as he works to lengthen the statute of limitations going forward.

I have heard the claims from those who say that lengthening statutes of limitations will make it too easy for innocent people to get dragged through the mud. That’s just not true. The high standard of proving a case in a court of law will still apply. The only thing adjusting the statute does is give people who were victimized the opportunity to seek justice.

An old proverb says, “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.” That is how we must view fixing the state’s statute of limitations on sexual abuse committed against children. No one, particularly New York’s boys and girls, can afford to wait any longer.

DuBose is a former model turned author and activist. And one of my favorite people.

B.C. Councillor Resigns while Suing Daughter for Revealing Sexual Abuse Suffered as Child

Postmedia News

Eileen Wilke submitted her resignation as a Lions Bay councillor on Thursday

A Lions Bay councillor who is suing her daughter for revealing details of the childhood sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of her husband has resigned her seat on council.

Lions Bay Mayor Karl Buhr confirmed in an interview that village councillor Eileen Wilke handed in her resignation Thursday, adding that “she indicated that the reason she was stepping down was for the good of Lions Bay. But I don’t think Lions Bay has heard the last of this. It’s been very divisive in the community.”

Wilke has filed suit against her estranged daughter, Sherri Thomson, alleging that Thomson broke the terms of a 1996 settlement requiring her not to reveal details of being molested by her stepfather, Ronald Wilke. Thomson had agreed to settle her civil lawsuit against her parents in exchange for $33,000 to help pay for her therapy bills, agreeing not to disclose details of the case to anyone outside of her immediate circle.

Sherri Thomson in North Vancouver, B.C., January 20, 2017. Thomson was sexually abused by her stepfather when she was a kid in Ontario, and her mother protected the husband and allowed him to continue living with the kids after he admitted it. Sherri sued her parents back in the 1990s and they settled for $33K. Now Sherri's mom is a town councillor in Lions Bay and she's suing Sherri for breaking the confidentiality agreement in that settlement by alerting the mayor and media to her mom's past. Arlen Redekop / PNG photo

But when Thomson discovered that her mother was running for council last November, she sent the Lions Bay mayor and several organizations in town copies of legal documents in which Ronald admits to the repeated abuse and Eileen acknowledges allowing him back into the home after learning about his transgressions. Thomson also recently filed a report with police in Ontario, where the abuse occurred.

In her resignation letter, which was released by the Village of Lions Bay Friday, Wilke said: “Since it is before the courts, my side of the story has to wait until the case is heard and decided or I will be breaching a court order with heavy punitive consequences. In the interest of peace and good government for Lions Bay, I am tendering my resignation as a Councillor effective immediately.”

Wilke has also stepped down from her volunteer positions with the Emergency Social Services and Block Watch organizations.

Resident John Pappas, who had started an online petition calling for Wilke’s resignation, said he was disappointed that mayor and council didn’t inform the community about Wilke’s past before she was elected in a Nov. 19 byelection.

Sherri Thomson in North Vancouver, B.C., January 20, 2017. Thomson was sexually abused by her

stepfather when she was a kid in Ontario, and her mother protected the husband and allowed him

to continue living with the kids after he admitted it. Arlen Redekop / PNG photo

Buhr said in statement Thursday that the village is subject to the privacy provisions of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, and to the law of defamation.

However, Buhr said that on the day before the Nov. 19 byelection, the village manager “received a call and package of documents as described in the January 24/25 articles in local print and other mediums.

“He immediately contacted Elections B.C. and our lawyers, to be advised that there did not appear to be anything in the materials which would disqualify the candidate under B.C. or Canadian law. With no grounds for cancelling the election or candidacy, the municipality was obligated by law to hold it.”

He said that the Squamish RCMP, which provides policing services to the village, advised that “there was nothing for the municipality to do, and indicated the RCMP would be taking no action unless requested by the Ontario Provincial Police.

“I can say that the village’s lawyers are confident that neither the village, nor its officers, nor its elected officials, did any wrong.”

Referring to the matter as a “half-story” that broke in the press, Buhr said: “The deplorable vitriol spewed out by social media trolls that brought this resignation about … angers and disappoints me. We have lost more than a councillor. A byelection will be held in due course.”

On Friday, Buhr said in a separate statement: “This is a troubling time for as close-knit a community as Lions Bay. Eileen Wilke has done a decent thing, to try to spare more divisiveness. I hope we extend that decency to her too, whatever our views.”

Thomson described the news Thursday as a win, but said she was still processing it.

“I think this is exactly what should happen, but emotionally it doesn’t do much for me,” she said. “Thank you to all the people in Lions Bay who made this happen.”

Thomson added that she hoped the resignation was a sign of remorse from her mother.

She's suing you, Sherri, I don't think there is much remorse there. Nor does there appear to be any desire for a relationship or she would never have allowed your abuser back into her life. I see it so often on this blog where a boyfriend or step-father sexually assaults their step-daughter. Too many single moms are just not careful enough in whom they allow into their homes and consequently, alone with their daughter.

Forgiveness is a necessary element in complete recovery from CSA. But, while a mother can forgive the man who molested her daughter, it's a whole different thing to let him back into your life and your home especially while your children are still young and vulnerable. That's a risk that is inexplicable!

Lions Bay, British Columbia

Men Dressed Up as Animals Sexually Abused Boy During 'Furry Parties'

The victim told police he was repeatedly sexually abused by a man dressed up as an animal during "furry parties" in Bucks County

By David Chang

Police arrested five men in connection to the repeated sexual abuse of a young boy during "furry parties" in Bucks County. Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced the charges during a press conference Sunday. 

Police arrested a group of men accused of repeatedly sexually abusing a boy while dressed up as "furries" in Bucks County.

(L to R), Kenneth Fenske, David Parker, Jeffrey Harvey 

Photo credit: Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office

Kenneth Fenske, 57, of Quakertown, Bucks County; David Parker, 38, of Stroudsburg, Monroe County; Jeffrey Harvey, 40, of West Wyoming, Luzerne County; Craig Knox and Stephen Taylor were all arrested in connection with the case.

Investigators say the abuse began in 2009 when Parker began taking a 9-year-old boy to a Bucks County home where a group of men dressed up as animals and referred to themselves as "furries."

Furry fandom is a subculture in which people dress up in animal costumes and identify as a chosen animal. It mostly consists of visual art, conventions, games, toys and online communities, though in rare cases it also involves a sexual fetish.

Pedophiles will always find a way to take a good thing and turn it into an opportunity to abuse children. There is a certain genius to evil.

The boy told investigators that a man dressed up as a Red Fox who called himself "Lupine," would take him upstairs during the parties and sexually abuse him. The boy said the abuse occurred several times over a seven-year period. The boy identified "Lupine" as Kenneth Fenske.

Fenske was arrested Friday and charged with child rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and unlawful contact with a minor. He was arraigned and was held on $750,000 bail. Online court records don't list an attorney for him.

Parker, Harvey, Knox and Taylor were arrested as well, on a variety of charges.

Parker is charged with child rape, possession of child pornography and other related offenses. Harvey is charged with unlawful contact with a minor, criminal use of a cell phone, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and statutory sexual assault. Knox, who was arrested in Virginia, is charged with sexual offenses. Taylor was also arrested in Virginia for bestiality and other related offenses, investigators said.

Officials say the victim is currently in foster care and receiving therapy. They also say the victim is related to one of the suspects, according to court documents, though they would not go into further detail in order to protect the boy's identity.

"This is a horrendous case," Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said. "It is deeply disturbing to me not only as Attorney General of Pennsylvania, but as a father of young children. We care about this victim and all victims of sexual abuse."

Shapiro said the investigation is ongoing and there will likely be more arrests.

"We believe it is likely there could be more victims out there from this ring of abuse," Shapiro said. "We want to help them and protect them from any further abuse. We're seeking the public's help today and asking people to come forward and speak with our Office or the Bucks DA's Office if they know anything."

If you have any information on the case, please call 1-800-385-1044. You can also give an anonymous tip on the Attorney General website.

Bucks Co., PA

Aston Villa 'did not tell Police' about Scout Accused of Child Sex Abuse of West Brom's Tony Brien

Aston Villa sacked a scout accused of sexually abusing boys in 1988 but did not alert police

Soccer - Barclays Premier League - Aston Villa v Newcastle United - Villa Park

Ted Langford later admitted sex offences dating from 1976 until leaving the club in 1989.

Former Leicester and West Brom defender Tony Brien waived his right to anonymity to speak about the abuse he suffered at the hands of Langford from the age of 12.

"I felt ashamed and dirty," Brien told the BBC.

"(The abuse is) something you never lose. It will never go away from your mind."

Brien's revelations are the latest in a long line of personal testimonies uncovered as the Football Association's independent inquiry into historical child sex abuse continues to gather pace.

Tony Brien spoke to Victoria Derbyshire today

Langford, who died in 2012, worked as a scout for Leicester and Villa. He was sentenced to three years in prison in 2007 for the sexual abuse of four young players in the 1970s and 1980s.

Brien explained to the BBC the abuse he suffered from Langford at youth team Dunlop Terriers.

Brien claims he made several attempts to warn Villa's then assistant manager Dave Richardson about Langford.

Aston Villa did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the Press Association, but issued a statement to the BBC.

"Aston Villa considers the safeguarding and welfare of all players and staff to be of paramount importance," read Villa's statement.

"Aston Villa would encourage anyone with any allegation or concern regarding safeguarding or other potential wrongdoing to contact the relevant authorities."

Brien signed for Leicester aged 16, where Richardson then worked as youth team manager, with Langford also operating as a part-time scout.

Brien said that in 1988 - when Richardson and Langford were working for Villa - he called Richardson to warn him of the scout's abuses.

The former Chesterfield defender told the BBC he had been urged not to go public with the allegations by Richardson.

Brien said he was asked: "Do you really think you can put up with the obscenities from the terraces?"

Richardson has strongly denied he advised Brien not to go public.

The BBC reported Richardson as saying: "I would have told him, 'Leave it with me and we'll deal with it'. I wouldn't brush it under the carpet, otherwise I wouldn't have sacked him."

But Richardson was also quoted in a later statement from law firm Slater and Gordon as saying: "I cannot recall ever having a conversation with him about any allegations of abuse."

The lawyers are involved' the lies get worse! Deny, deny, deny; accept no responsibility!

Met Police Investigating 255 Historical Football Sexual Abuse Allegations

Officers are looking into claims involving 77 clubs in London, including five from Premier League, Metropolitan police says

The Metropolitan police said three Championship clubs and three from Leagues One and Two were involved in the inquiry. Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA

Officers are investigating 255 allegations of historical sexual abuse involving 77 football clubs in London, including five from the Premier League, the Metropolitan police have said.

All the capital’s top flight teams – Arsenal, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United – are understood to be involved.

A Met spokesman said: “The allegations are connected with individuals at 77 named clubs or teams.

“The breakdown for those clubs is: five in the Premier League, three against Championship clubs, three against clubs in Leagues One and Two, and there have also been 66 other named clubs, which would include non-league or non-professional or amateur teams.”

DCS Ivan Balhatchet of the sexual offences, exploitation and child abuse command said: “The Met take all allegations seriously and specialist officers will work through the information passed to them.

“Anyone who has been the victim of sexual assault should contact their local force, or call the NSPCC helpline on 0800 023 2642.

“The Met will not be giving a commentary as this investigation develops and is not discussing the names of the clubs involved, or the number of allegations against each club.”

Earlier this month, the National Police Chiefs’ Council, which is coordinating the nationwide police investigation Operation Hydrant, said more than 500 complainants and 184 potential suspects had been identified.

Latest figures put the number of potential victims at 526.

'Anyone can be a Victim': Canadian High School Girls being Lured into Sex Trade

Toronto-area teenager recounts how she was recruited into sex work by peers at 16

By Seema Marwaha, for CBC News 

More than 90 per cent of human trafficking victims in this country are Canadian-born girls. Typically, they are recruited into sex work by young men with whom the girls form dependent relationships. (Shutterstock)

Most stories about human trafficking that make it into the headlines in Canada involve women from other countries being brought here and forced into sex work, but those who work with trafficking victims in this country say the majority are, in fact, Canadian-born teenage girls.

Vanessa, 18, is one of them. She was a typical high school student in Mississauga, a city just west of Toronto, until two years ago, when she fell in with a new boy who enrolled at her school. 

"Right from the beginning, he knew ... I was the one that was, I guess, vulnerable," said Vanessa, who is using a pseudonym to protect her identity.

'He always kinda told me what to do, and I would do it.'

- Vanessa, 18, human trafficking victim

"I'm very kind of submissive to people. He always kinda told me what to do, and I would do it."

One day, a car showed up with two men in it whom she didn't know. Her friend asked her to get in, and she did.

"I was still in my school uniform," she said.

As they drove to a motel on a strip of Dundas Street East in Mississauga, one of the men told her she could make a lot of money doing sex work. Vanessa said she was unsure and scared but felt pressured to go along with it because the two men were friends of the boy she knew.

"At that time, I didn't try to understand what was going on," she said. "My friend promised me all these things that I felt that I needed — a stable place, money in my hands. It was kind of part of me wanting to do it and see if I could get something better, and then a bigger part was that I was already there and I can't really say no anymore."

Most trafficking victims are Canadian

Peel Regional Police say 60 per cent of all reported human trafficking cases in Canada occur in the densely populated Greater Toronto Area.

Girls are recruited in various ways — at school, on Instagram, at the mall. Most continue to live at home while carrying out sex work at local motels or condominiums.

According to police, human trafficking doesn't have to involve the crossing of a border. Any forced recruitment, confinement or transportation of a person for the purposes of exploitation falls under the Criminal Code definition of trafficking. Trafficking for sexual exploitation is just one form of the crime. Others include forced labour and domestic servitude.

A Peel Regional Police poster targeting victims of sex trafficking. (Peel Regional Police)

More than 90 per cent of the victims of sex trafficking within Canada come from Canada, according to government statistics,

Vanessa's story is typical, says Jennifer Keeler, a nurse practitioner at Chantel's Place, a sexual assault support centre in Mississauga.   

"Human trafficking targets young adolescents trying to fit in," Keeler says. "They are vulnerable to someone giving them attention."

'You have these guys making regular girls feel special,

buying them things and taking them shopping …

[They] know exactly how to build dependence.'

- Katarina MacLeod, former trafficking victim

Traffickers know exactly what to say to manipulate girls, says Katarina MacLeod, a former prostitute and trafficking victim from the same area as Vanessa.

They're even targeting girls not usually considered high risk.

"You have these guys making regular girls feel special, buying them things and taking them shopping," MacLeod said. "And the girls fall for it hook, line and sinker … [The men] know exactly how to build dependence."

MacLeod said traffickers are targeting young and younger girls these days.

"Girls as young as 13 are getting recruited in," she said.

'He didn't smell nice'

The men who took Vanessa to the motel first took photos of her to use in ads for her services. They gave her a cellphone and told her to use it to negotiate with her first client as they watched. She settled on $40 for five minutes of unspecified sexual activity.

"He was older, probably in his late 40s … He wasn't dressed well. He didn't smell nice or anything," she said.

"I just kinda dealt with him because I thought five minutes wasn't anything. But now, I realized how stupid that was."

One of the men ordered Vanessa to turn over the money she made.

"He was like, 'I paid for the room so you have to give me everything,' so I just gave him all I made," she said.

The strip of Dundas Street East in Mississauga that houses the motels where Vanessa works with her pimp. Many underage trafficked girls work in this area. (Seema Marwaha)

Unlike sex workers who have chosen the trade, trafficking victims rarely get to keep the money they bring in. And they have little say over what sex acts they perform.  

Peel Regional Police estimate a trafficked girl working daily can bring in up to $280,000 per year. For pimps who have multiple girls, the earnings are often divided among a team of traffickers, minus expenses for motels and the ads they take out to market the girls.

For months, Vanessa would get picked up from school almost every day and be taken to hotels on the Dundas East strip to have sex with clients arranged by her pimp. She was still living at home.

"My parents still somehow didn't know what I was doing," she said. 

Vanessa met a network of pimps, recruiters and other high school girls like her.

"Most people have no idea something like this is happening in Mississauga," she said.

'Complex and hidden crime'

In 2015, Peel police made 39 arrests and laid 244 charges related to sex trafficking. In the first half of 2016, according to their most recent statistics, they made 25 arrests and laid 149 charges. As recently as last week, Toronto police arrested two young men in connection with the trafficking of two teenage girls at Mississauga motels.

And that's just a fraction of the problem, says Ontario's recently appointed anti-trafficking director, Jennifer Richardson.

"The number of how many people are actually being trafficked in Canada I don't think anyone could ever give you because it is such a complex and hidden crime," she said.

Based on data she helped gather in Manitoba, she estimates the number of trafficking victims in Ontario alone to be in the thousands. A former trafficking victim herself, Richardson says victims don't come forward for a variety of reasons, including fear or a dependent relationship with their pimp.  

Peel police keep so-called go bags on hand to give to victims of trafficking and assault. They contain toiletries, a change of clothes, public transit fare and gift cards. (Seema Marwaha)

Peel police established a Human Trafficking Service Providers Committee last year and have been working with local organizations to raise awareness and provide support to victims like Vanessa.

"The traffickers control the lives of the victims emotionally, psychologically and financially. Anyone can be a victim," said Const. Joy Brown, who heads up the committee.

Red Flags

A few of the red-flag behaviours to watch out for in young girls, she said include: extended periods when whereabouts are unknown; sudden changes in routine; having more than one cellphone; receiving expensive gifts; extreme tiredness and unexplained absences from school. 

One of Vanessa's teachers recognized changes in her behaviour and connected her with a support program, which is how CBC News found her. Now, Vanessa is looking to get out.

"I hate doing what I do," she said. "I've been getting sick, my body is tired, my knees are hurting."

She says she won't come forward or testify against her pimp, who's now letting her keep some of the money she earns.

"I would feel like such a victim if I came out with no money. I want to have money to live comfortably. And then I plan to get out of it."

Seema Marwaha is an internal medicine physician, journalist and health communications researcher. She works at Trillium Health Partners and the Institute for Better Health. She is a currently a 2016 fellow in global journalism at the Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto.

Why One Woman Devoted her Whole Life to Helping Children Affected by Sexual Abuse

Fed up of the lack of support for child victims of sexual abuse, Diana Porter, 70, took matters in to her own hands

Diana set up her own charity (Photo: Diana Porter)

I first encountered children who had been abused when I fostered two little ones, siblings of four and five years old. While I was bathing them before bed, the little boy turned round and said, "When are you going to hit me?" I said, ‘I would never hit any children.’ He asked, "Why not? Don’t you love me?" He was so confused. I quietly comforted him by saying that if he ever did anything wrong we would just explain it to him.

I started fostering in the late 1980s when I had three grown-up birth children of my own. My husband Colin was reluctant at first, but after agreeing to care for troubled children short-term, we ended up making two of them, Robert and Michelle, our official children, after taking them in when they were 10 and six years old.

One night when Robert first arrived I was tucking him in bed and he said, "If my dad keeps doing what he’s doing, they’re going to put me in care, aren’t they?" I explained he was already in care with me and I will never forget the smile and relief on his face as he said, "This is care? That’s all right then."

He had visions of a care home being some sort of horrible place. It was that, and working with the team at the children’s centre, that inspired me – I wanted to be a social worker.

Shortly after I was in my new job, Colin’s work for the government took me and Michelle (who was 16 at the time) to Mozambique. I used to spend my days travelling to the poverty-stricken villages, giving supplies to as many people as I could. I’d buy tinned food, blankets, toys – anything I could find. I was able to get a lot. Produce was so cheap out there.

I met a man living in a straw shack, who had two very poorly children. His three-year-old son had such terrible scabies he had never stood up in his life. His little girl, six, was blind and deaf. So I was very proud of Michelle when she agreed to sell the horse we’d bought her back in England to pay for the girl to have an operation. It saved her eyes and ears. She knew we couldn’t possibly allow ourselves to have a horse when people were suffering so much.

While living there we built a little shower in the garage for the villagers. I also had medicine, plasters, vitamins, so I was almost running a little doctors surgery too. One girl was crippled so I got her crutches. It changed her life. I could do so much for so little.

Once we settled back in England, a friend of mine who worked on a project for a large national children’s charity asked if I’d lend her a hand a few hours a week. There was a waiting list of 75 children who had been raped, who needed treatment. I couldn’t bear that, and eventually, after seeing a huge demand for it, I used my own savings, £6K, to start my own charity, Fresh Start – new beginnings, which focuses on children who have been sexually abused.

Diana in Mozambique (Photo: Diana Porter)

'My 13-year-old son was sexually groomed on Facebook... by his own father'

From the day we opened in October 2012 until now we’ve had 775 referrals from professionals, whether that be the police, social services or a GP. We work with about 100 children at any one time, and our service is therapeutic, helping children emotionally through their traumatic experiences. The oldest who come to us are early teens and the youngest are about four. The youngest child I have had referred has been six months old.

One of the hardest cases I have seen was a nine-year-old girl who came from a wonderful, perfect family. She was abused, on a one-off occasion, by her grandad. Because her childhood had been so loving, the abuse meant that her world collapsed.

She stopped going to school and seeing her friends. The grandad admitted it and now he’s in prison. But it was a shock to the whole family. We helped her, and that little girl actually sent me a picture of her recently in her prom dress, which was lovely to see. I don’t ever write back – I mustn’t, she needs to move on – but God do I love receiving those kinds of things.

The most common abuser is the birth father, and 95% of the people we treat have been abused by someone they know. It’s more rare, but we do get cases of mothers abusing children too. Tragically, although we can’t support our victims through a court case, many of these abusers walk free. Why? Many reasons, but children aren’t the best witnesses.

We recently lost a case because the child, aged 11, gave three different dates when asked when the abuse started. At first they said aged five, then five and a half, and then six. But it was a long time ago for them and also traumatic. They managed to give clear evidence of the rape and how the abuser punched a hole through her bedroom wall above her bed when she resisted, but no, the inconsistent dates meant he walked free. Now that poor girl is suffering because she thinks nobody believes her.

That's disgusting! Like children can remember dates and ages accurately after they have been sexually abused. 

We’ve also had the same GP who has been tried three times and walked free. He wears smart suits and answers every question beautifully. The children answer questions terrified from the next room. That man always walks free. It’s even worse when it’s the father who gets found innocent and he asks for contact with the kids. The kids don’t want it, but often the courts can allow it. That puts children in awful situations.

And it happens all the time!

I’ve tried to campaign for starting basic sexual education for younger children in schools. I’ve seen so many kids who have said, "I didn’t know what it was until I had my sex education. I thought it was happening to all children." Or many of them talk about ‘white wee-wee’ which is horrendous. It’s literally as simple as this – if they know what’s right, they will know what’s wrong. So I commissioned a book called A Touch Too Much aimed at kids aged 4-12. I hope to get it into as many schools as I can.

Our charity logo is a smiley face that was drawn by a little girl we were treating. She drew herself as a rotten apple when she first arrived because she said she was bad inside. After a few sessions she told me she was looking forward to a school trip and drew that smiley face. It meant so much to us. I hear kids say, ‘I look at the sky and ask to die before morning,’ so often, and that smiley face has become our ethos. Children looking forward.

Now I have a bigger team and we get a lot of help from local foundations and trusts, but we just need to keep fundraising so we can offer the best service we can. I started taking a small wage but I’ve had to cut it, which doesn’t matter to me. I still raise money every Christmas to send back to Mozambique too. I’ll never stop doing that.

I’m meant to be retiring in a year or so, but I know I’ll still interfere! I will always be involved. The children need our services more than ever. But when I do finally retire I’ll be looking after my eight fantastic grandchildren. For me, it doesn’t get much better than that.

God bless you, Diana! You've made a big difference in this world.

Diana set up her own charity to help youngsters (pic posed by model) (Photo: Getty)

Child abuse: The facts

● Nearly a quarter of young adults experienced some form of sexual abuse during childhood.

● In 2016, NSPCC phone lines received 7,000 calls regarding sexual abuse.

● 50% of abuse suffered at home by children is committed by someone under the age of 18.

● Disabled children are three times more likely to be abused than able-bodied children.

To find out more, or make a donation, or if you or a child wants to ask for help from Fresh Start – new beginnings, visit Fsnb.org.uk. The NAPAC offers support to adult survivors of childhood abuse: Napac.org.uk or call 0808 801 0331. If you think a child is being abused, or if you need to talk to someone, call the non-emergency police line, 101, or contact Childline on 0800 1111