Pervert priest, another Satanic ritual conviction in doubt,
Nashville teachers not reporting CSA, Seattle's dirty old men
may be involved in missing girls cases
Priest peddled child porn to ‘punish God’ for poker losses
The question is: how do you get ordained as a Catholic priest without knowing anything about God?
© Getty Images
A Pennsylvania priest, convicted of downloading child pornograhpy, said he commited the crime to get revenge on God – who he felt was attacking him when he lost poker games.
Kevin Gugliotta, 55, from Mahwah, New Jersey, and a former priest in Honesdale, PA, was sentenced to 11 to 23 months in jail on Thursday, with credit for 10 months of time served while awaiting trial.
According to pre-trial records, Gugliotta told probation officers that he was an avid poker player, and he felt God was attacking him when he lost games. To get revenge on God, Gugliotta said, he downloaded child pornography.
“That was his reason. He's not happy that's how he felt, as the judge indicated. There are other ways to handle issues and handle anger,” said Gugliotta’s attorney, Jim Swetz, to WNEP.
Gugliotta was arrested in September 2016 and charged with 20 counts of possessing child porn and 20 counts of disseminating images of children involved in sexual acts. In March, he pleaded guilty to one count of dissemination in return for the 39 other counts being dismissed.
Now, the question is, why did the DA make this sweetheart deal? I'm under the impression that most plea bargains in child sex abuse cases are either because the proof was flimsy or to spare the victim from having to testify. No victim testimony was required here so was the DA's case weak?
Gugliotta will remain on probation for five years following his release and is required to register as a sex offender for 25 years. He was removed from his parish by the Archdiocese of Newark in September, after they learned of the investigation.
Gugliotta could also face removal from priesthood “now that the process in the courts has been completed,” said Jim Goodness, director of communications for the Archdiocese of Newark, to the Seattle Times. “We’ve also kept Rome abreast of the situation,” he added.
He should be removed, if not for being a pedophile, then for have no knowledge of God whatsoever.
Court orders new trial in satanic
sacrificial murder case
Yesterday, an Austen couple received $3.4m for 2 decades in prison for wrongful conviction of accusations of satanic child abuse in a daycare. (4th story in link).
Kentucky’s highest court has ordered a new trial in the infamous satanic killing case in which two men were convicted of sacrificing a 19-year-old woman and spent some 22 years in prison.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court of Kentucky vacated Jeffrey Dewayne Clark and Garr Keith Hardin’s convictions, ordering a new trial after DNA evidence from the 1992 murder was tested with modern technology.
The new DNA analysis showed the single hair found on Rhonda Sue Warford wasn’t Hardin’s and the blood-stained rag found in Hardin’s room, wasn’t from a sacrificial ritual, but rather from Hardin cutting himself on a chalice’s jagged edge.
"This is such a glorious day," said Vickie Howser, Hardin's sister, to AP. "After 22 years, it is so about time for him to have a decent life. They took his life away from him for something he did not do."
Hardin’s girlfriend, Rhonda Sue Warford, was 19 when she left her home in Louisville after midnight on April 2, 1992. She was found dead 50 miles away in Meade County three days later with multiple stab wounds.
Hardin, and his close friend Clark, became the subject of the investigation after Warford’s mother told police she believed the boys, and her daughter, were all involved in satanism.
Other factors, like Hardin’s subsequent confession to the murder, and Clark’s confession to helping Hardin move the body, were found to have little merit as they were given during parole hearings and were "insincere and contrived admissions, which are induced solely by the yearning to be free."
Hardin’s attorney, Larry Simon, said he expected Meade County prosecutors to try the men a second time.
NH man arrested for manufacturing, possessing child sexual abuse images
CONWAY — A man was arrested Thursday after police said he made and possessed child sexual abuse images.
Conway police said they arrested Timothy Barr, 30, of Bartlett, and charged him with manufacture of child sex abuse images and possession of child sexual abuse images.
Police said Barr could face up to 30 years in prison for the manufacturing charge and up to 20 years for the possession charge.
Barr is currently being held on $10,000 cash bail at the Carroll County House of Corrections pending his arraignment in Carroll County Superior Court on Friday.
Police consider this to be an ongoing investigation with the potential for additional charges to be brought forward on Barr.
Iowa man sentenced to 10 years in sexual abuse case
By The Associated Press
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- A Cedar Falls man who'd founded a traveling nature show has been sentenced to 10 years in prison in a child sex case.
The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that Barry Devoll was sentenced Thursday in U.S. District Court in Des Moines. He'd pleaded guilty to attempted enticement of a minor. Authorities say the 33-year-old Devoll had sent lurid text messages to and exchanged nude photos with a 15-year-old boy in 2015.
Devoll is known by the stage name "Bixby." Authorities say he'd founded the nonprofit Blue Trunk Educational Series, a traveling show that taught children about nature and conservation.
A related federal case is pending for Blue Trunk's director, Christopher Kaiser.
Cadaver dogs will join search of 3 brothers' Shelton home in sex abuse investigation
by: KIRO 7 News Staff
After detectives searched for days at the North Seattle house where three brothers allegedly spent most of their lives abusing children, the investigation now turns to a 17-acre property in Shelton.
Charles Emery, 82, Thomas Emery, 80, and Edwin Emery, 79, were arrested and charged with possessing child pornography. (7th story on link)
Detectives said they discovered a staggering amount of child pornography, along with children's worn clothing, underwear, small shoes, toys and movies. Investigators believe each of the men spent the majority of their lives sexually abusing children.
But it was an unearthed “manifesto” about Satanic rituals, kidnapping, raping and killing girls that led detectives to dig under sheds, searching for evidence of potential murder, detectives said. Charles’ writings were found buried and partially burned -- along with a child's hat.
Their search extended from the home in the Green Lake neighborhood to another home the brothers owned 90 miles away in Shelton.
Lindsay Baum
The Emery's now-deceased brother, Donald, remained in the Shelton home until 2016. Grays Harbor County Sheriff Rick Scott told KIRO 7 News that detectives intend to do an extensive search of the Shelton property; cadaver dogs and the Department of Homeland Security will help with the search.
Scott and his detectives are also investigating whether the brothers have any connection to the 2009 disappearance of Lindsey Baum.
Lindsey Baum, age-progressed image
Baum disappeared from McCleary while walking back from a friend’s house. The 10-year-old’s disappearance sparked a nationwide investigation.
McCleary is a roughly 30-minute drive from Shelton.
“The Lindsey Baum case has been and will be a priority until we find closure, or find Lindsey safe. We’ve worked on the case every day in some shape or form,” Sheriff Rick Scott said.
Additionally, Mason County detectives are looking into the cold case of Tracy West, who was abducted and killed at 17 years old in 1988.
A file about Baum was found in the Shelton home, but there is no known connection between the brothers and the disappearance of Baum.
Tracy West, 17, was called into work at this Shelton restaurant in 1988. She was on her way on a trail riding a motorcycle when she was abducted and killed.
Nashville school board leader:
'Heartbreaking' if educators not reporting abuse
Dave Boucher, USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee
The head of the Metro Nashville Board of Education said it is a "tragedy" if local educators are not properly reporting suspected or known cases of child abuse.
Nashville School Board Chair Anna Shephard
"Being a parent and a grandparent, it’s heartbreaking to think we are not doing what we are supposed to be doing for our children," said board Chair Anna Shepherd in a phone interview.
Shepherd's comments come days after two prosecutors in Nashville and East Tennessee told The Tennessean that educators not following mandatory reporting requirements is a widespread problem.
"The lack of reporting from schools here in Davidson County and probably surrounding counties has become an epidemic," said Chad Butler, a child sex abuse prosecutor in Davidson County, in a previous interview. "It’s happening so frequently that I can’t help but think it’s not a coincidence."
State law mandates any adult with a suspicion or direct knowledge of child abuse must report it immediately to either child services or the police. Not doing so is a misdemeanor and could mean jail time.
However, Butler and East Tennessee Prosecutor Stephen Crump said that's not always happening when school officials see or suspect abuse. An MNPS teacher, who requested anonymity for fear of retribution, did not remember ever receiving explicit instructions on how to file a report with the Department of Children's Services.
After speaking with The Tennessean, Shepherd said the issue is serious enough that she would directly speak with Director of Schools Shawn Joseph about the situation.
Fellow board member Will Pinkston said Wednesday he sent a request Joseph and his team about the mandatory reporting policies.
Butler's claims are "highly concerning," said board member Mary Pierce. "Obviously we need to make sure our teachers and administrators are doing the right thing," Pierce said.
Shepherd said the board can ask Joseph to initiate an internal review of the policy and determine whether educators are following the rules. Pinkston said that would be a good idea.
"Anytime there are allegations about these kinds of issues, board members — as a group and as representatives of our individual constituencies — need to push for the Central Office to amplify and, if necessary, clarify reporting policies," Pinkston said.
When she saw the article, board member and former teacher Christina Buggs said she reached out to a few colleagues. "It was a shock to us, but that doesn’t mean it’s not happening," Buggs said, saying it is scary and frustrating if abuse is not being reported.
She agreed it was important for the administration to review reporting policy sooner rather than later. Buggs, Pierce and Pinkston all said they were speaking individually and not for the board.
Questions of the MNPS policy and practices arose after a $30 million lawsuit filed earlier this month in Williamson County accused officials at Brentwood Academy of not properly reporting the alleged repeated sexual assaults of a 12-year-old boy. The school and it's headmaster have denied wrongdoing.
Tony Majors, executive officer of student services, said last week MNPS tells every principal to review reporting standards with educators at the start of the school year. While MNPS policy requires immediate reporting, principals are listed before DCS on a list of authorities educators should contact if they suspect abuse.
Majors said the district will change the policy, which was reiterated in a statement Thursday from district spokeswoman Michelle Michaud.
"The health and well-being of our district’s students is of the utmost importance to MNPS. Because of that, an open dialogue between the District Attorney’s office and MNPS is critical. We are in the process of backtracking to see if the Tennessean’s allegations have merit," Michaud said.
"In the meantime, we continue to train our teachers and staff on proper reporting procedures pursuant to Tennessee State law. As well, we are amending our policy to read the chronological order by which a teacher or staff member should report a suspected case of child abuse."
Butler also said issues with educators not appropriately reporting in Nashville have "gotten to the point in our office where we’re just going to start prosecuting them."
Tennessee child abuse hotline
Any adult who suspects or knows of child abuse in Tennessee is required by law to notify the Department of Children's Services or local law enforcement. The DCS abuse hotline is 877-237-0004.
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