Another Brutal Year for Children in Bangladesh

Dhaka

Naznin Tithi

AS we look back at the previous year which saw an increase of violence against children we must take a vow to play our part to make 2018 a better year for children. It is really hard to drive away our frustration at our collective failure to protect our children from the various forms of abuse that they have to suffer on a regular basis.

Let's look at the statistics from some leading child rights organisations. Although these statistics will not give us the whole picture of what our children had gone through in the last 12 months, since these are collected from the incidents that were reported in our national newspapers, we can at least have a glimpse of the horrific crimes committed against our children.

Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum's (BSAF) Child Rights Violation Data shows that from January to October 2017, a total of 501 children were raped, among whom 64 were gang-raped. The number of instances of rape of disabled children was 40 and for attempted rapes was 57. 18 children were murdered after being raped.

According to this child rights organisation, whereas 446 children were raped and 265 were murdered in 2016, in just nine months of 2017, a total of 501 children were raped and 268 murdered, a worrying increase.

However, according to Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK), from January till November 2017, a total of 574 children were killed in the country. Among them, 135 were aged between seven and 12 years and 137 were aged six or below. During the same period of the year, ASK recorded 983 incidents of violence against children, including 431 rape cases and 66 attempts to rape.

As disturbing reports of child abuse continued to make news headlines throughout 2017, it just became obvious that all the laws and awareness raising programmes against child abuse have had very little impact in changing the situation on the ground. In fact, our failure to act has resulted in a rise in violence against children. I will mention some of the cases to get a picture of how deep-rooted the problem is and how we have totally failed to protect our children from different forms of brutalities ranging from sexual abuse and rape, to corporal punishment and murder.

THE RAPE OF A FOUR-YEAR-OLD GIRL

On July 31, Tanha, a four-year-old girl, was raped and murdered by her neighbour Md Shipon in the capital's Badda area. Shipon took the child to his room by tempting her with food and raped her before murder. He then dumped the child's body inside a common toilet at the victims' residence.

Although Shipon, the rapist and killer of the child, was arrested after the murder and is currently in jail, the charge sheet in the case has not been submitted as of now.

BRUTAL TORTURE OF SABINA AKHTER

In July 2017, an 11-year-old Sabina Akhter was tortured by her employer, Ayesha Latif, wife of Lt Col Taslim Ahsan, in Mirpur DOHS.  The photo of the child with her face bruised and eyes swollen went viral on social media. The girl managed to flee the house and later filed a case with Pallabi thana against her employer. The case was later transferred to Victim Support centre of Dhaka Metropolitan Police. The investigation officer of the case told The Daily Star over phone that they submitted the charge sheet accusing Ayesha Latif to the court in November last year. But Ayesha Latif was never arrested. She was even granted bail. This is just one case and there are hundreds of such cases of violence against domestic helps all across the country. Sabina's father recently told The Daily Star that the accused gave Sabina's family Tk 1.2 lakh and promised to pay another Tk 1 lakh to drop the charges. Since the Tk 1 lakh is still to be paid, the case has not been withdrawn as yet.

Although the draft of Domestic Workers Protection and Welfare Policy was approved by the government in December 2015, in terms of implementation of the law, we have hardly made any progress.

SAGOR KILLING

In September last year, a teenage boy named Sagor was beaten to death because he allegedly tried to steal a water pump from a hatchery in Char Sreerampur village of Mymensingh's Gauripur. Tied to a concrete pole, Sagor was beaten up by Akkas Ali, the hatchery owner, Quaiyum, his associate, and some of his employees. As he repeatedly screamed for help, cried for water and begged for his life, the group showed no mercy and continued to torture him. And at one point, he collapsed and died of his injuries.

Sagor's father Shipon filed a murder case against 12 people including Akkas with the Gouripur Police Station. The case was later transferred to DB. Presently, Quaiyum, Akkas Ali and two others are in jail, although Akkas's four brothers got bail. The charge sheet of the case has not been submitted yet. Md. Ashiqur Rahamn, OC    of DB Mymensingh, told The Daily Star over the phone that they could not submit the charge sheet in this case to the court because they are yet to get the post-mortem report.

FATHER-DAUGHTER'S SUICIDE FOR JUSTICE

On April 2017, a man named Hazrat Ali, committed suicide along with daughter Ayesha, by jumping before a running train near Sreepur Railway Station in Gazipur, after being frustrated because of no response from authorities to his complaints about an attempt by a local youth to harass his daughter. When the girl's parents lodged a complaint with Sreepur police on January 15, police told them that they did not know the accused. They also informed the local UP member about the matter, but he did not take any step. Four months after this, the father and daughter committed suicide.

The girl's mother Halima Begum filed a case accusing seven people of provoking the victims to commit suicide. Although police arrested all seven accused, the UP member is currently on bail. Yasin Faruk, OC of Kamalapur thana and also the investigation officer (IO) of this case, told The Daily Star over phone that in the second week of December police submitted the charge sheet.

According to ASK, last year, from January till October a total of 17 children committed suicide because of sexual harassment and 10 committed suicide in fear of rape.

DAUGHTER RAPED BY FATHER

In November last year, we got the horrifying news of a father (Rahman Bhuiyan) raping his 10-year-old daughter in Ramkantopur village in Sadar upazila of Rajbari in Faridpur. The girl was also raped several times by another man named Sumon. When she protested, she was beaten up by them. Police later arrested both the criminals, the father of the girl and Sumon.

Kamal Hossain Bhuiyan, the investigation officer of the case, told The Daily Star that they have 60 days to investigate the case and that period is not over yet. We can only hope that this case will not be lost into oblivion like many other cases do. 

TEACHER FORCED STUDENTS TO DRINK SEWER WATER

While talking about the many forms of child abuse, let's not downplay the incidents of abuse children suffer in the hands of their teachers. In August 2017, a schoolteacher of Dhaka allegedly forced her students to drink sewer water as punishment. The incident came to light after several of the students fell ill following the incident.

We did not hear about any legal steps being taken against the teacher.

Although corporal punishment was officially banned in 2010 in the country, the law is hardly implemented. According to ASK, the number of incidents of torture of children by their teachers were 105 from January till November in 2017. What is even more shocking is that during this time, five children died because of physical torture by their teachers.

From the above mentioned cases, it is clear why in most cases the perpetrators get away scot-free. Usually the abusers are powerful and influential people who often intimidate the victims and their families to not file cases and go for out-of- court settlements. And the victims' families do not feel empowered to fight the cases and also do not believe that getting justice is possible. The legal procedures in many of the cases linger for an indefinite period which discourage the victims to fight them. Thus, although the incidents of child abuse are extremely high, the numbers of cases filed are significantly less. And it is even rare to hear about any punishment being awarded to the perpetrators.

Legal practitioners believe that the culture of impunity is to blame for this rise in violence against children. They blame the delay in the trial of the accused as the main reason for the alarming rise in crimes of child abuse. Establishment of a separate child rights commission to deal with the issues relating to child abuse and sexual harassment and holding trial of the cases under a special tribunal, are some of the suggestions they have made.

A LANDMARK VERDICT

In the backdrop of such a grim reality, we came to know about a landmark verdict in a child abuse case that gives hope. In July last year, a special court in Dhaka sentenced Nawrin Jahan Nodi to life imprisonment for torturing an 11-year-old domestic help, Aduri. Aduri was found unconscious in a malnourished condition near a dustbin in the capital in 2013. After torturing her for over six months, her employer dumped her body into a dustbin, assuming that she was dead. After being rescued by the locals, Aduri filed a case against her landlord. The court gave its verdict last year.

Unfortunately, Aduri's case is just one. Most of the child abuse cases do not see the light of justice. But the verdict in Aduri's case showed us that through the proper implementation of law, we can actually break this culture of impunity and make our country a better place for children.

Shocking Stories from Argentina, Canada and UK (3) on Today's Global PnP List

Man who fathered 8 children with daughter

gets 12 years in prison

By Allen Cone

UPI -- An Argentine man who fathered eight children by raping his daughter has received a prison sentence of 12 years and 8 months in the sex-slave case.

In the northern city of Santiago del Estero, three judges sentenced Domingo Bulacio, 56, in the case spanning 22 years until his arrest (5th story on link) in January 2016. He was known as "the monster of Villa Balnearia,"

Her daughter testified she became his sex slave at 11 years old after her mother left their home.

"At 6 years old, my dad told me 'you're going to be my wife' and at 16 I had the first child," she testified.

The victim known locally as Antonia said she was forced to "take the role of her mother" after two other siblings were sent away to live with other family members.

"From the moment my mum left home I became my father's wife," she said in a report by the International Business Times. "He would hit me and used to chase me round the house with a lump of wood when he saw me chatting to a neighbor or simply wanted to abuse me."

"He threatened me constantly and I always feared for my life. He told me he would kill me if I said anything."

DNA tests confirmed that Bulacio was the father of eight children his daughter gave birth to.

Despite being the victim, she said she's received death threats from family members.

"I am very afraid for my life and that of my children, because today I receive threats from my father's brothers," she said to Nuevo Diario in 2016.

Bulacio fled after the case was reported to police. Forty-five days later he was detained.

"I was not the only one, there are relatives of his who do the same to their sisters and daughters," the victim, now aged 30, told El Liberal newspaper after the trial.

In 2009, Josef Fritzl who was convicted at age 82 of imprisoning and raping his daughter in a Austrian cellar over a 24-year period. Elisabeth gave birth to seven of his children.

Fury as UK judges deny thousands of child

abuse victims compensation 

Many of the abused will be unable to sue councils for negligence, even if records show social workers KNEW about their ordeals and failed to act

By Geraldine McKelvie

Rotherham abuse victim Sammy Woodhouse, who was groomed by a sex gang when she was 14 (Image: Andy Stenning/Daily Mirror)

Thousands of child abuse ­victims may be denied compensation after a court ruling stops claims against local councils.

Many of the abused will be unable to sue councils for negligence, even if records show social workers KNEW about their ordeals and failed to act.

The staggering judgment means local authorities have NO duty of care towards many of Britain’s most vulnerable kids – some of whom are raped and beaten in their own homes or groomed by sex abuse gangs.

Those at risk are children who were known to be suffering but were never put into the full-time care of the State.

Lord Justice Davis ruled in the case with two other colleagues (Image: Photoshot)

Lord Justice Irwin was also part of the judgment in the Court of Appeal (Image: Photoshot)

Lady Justice King was part of the trio of judges who delivered the judgment last week (Image: Photoshot)

And the decision could affect people who have already started legal proceedings against their local councils, such as survivors of the notorious grooming scandal in Rotherham, South Yorks.

Rotherham abuse victim Sammy Woodhouse, who was groomed by a sex gang when she was 14, said: “This shocking judgment gives professionals a free pass to neglect abused children.

“How are survivors like me supposed to rebuild their lives if we can’t hold the council to account?”

Another Rotherham victim said: “It seems to me like ­politicians and the legal system are more intent in protecting professionals than they are ­vulnerable children.”

Top child abuse lawyer Dino Nocivelli tonight called the decision “simply not fair”.

The judgment, delivered last week in the Court of Appeal by Lord Justice Davis, Lord Justice Irwin and Lady Justice King, mainly applies to children who are not subject to care orders from their local authority but who were known to be abused.

Lawyers plan to appeal but there are fears their bid will fail as Brexit means victims in the UK will no longer be protected by EU human rights laws.

Sources say cash-strapped ­authorities have heaved a sigh of relief at the move which will save them million in payouts – ­especially as the upcoming ­inquiry into UK-wide child sex abuse is expected to unearth hundreds more cases.

Rotherham survivor Sammy, 32, is in the process of suing the council after accessing records which show social workers were fully aware she was being abused as a teenager but did nothing.

Rotherham council chiefs were set to face a compensation bill running into millions after 75 women instructed lawyers to bring claims on their behalf.

It followed a 2014 inquiry which proved authorities turned a blind eye to the plight of 1,400 girls abused by grooming gangs, mainly from the town’s Pakistani heritage community.

Sammy has been advised by lawyers that her case, along with scores of other victims in the town, has been severely damaged by the controversial ruling.

Lawyer Dino, of Bolt Burdon Kemp, who has represented many victims in their cases against councils across the UK, said: “This judgment has a ­potentially devastating impact on survivors who have already been let down by social services."

“As has been seen in Rotherham and elsewhere, we cannot always rely upon local authorities to safeguard children and it is only right that they should be held to account where they have failed in their duty of care to protect the interests of vulnerable children.

“It is simply not fair for ­survivors to be punished for the failings of social services and to also allow local authorities to avoid compensating survivors for their failure to remove children from harm.”

An appeal to the UK Supreme Court is expected to take more than two years.

If the appeal fails, lawyers will be powerless to take the case to the European Court of Human Rights as the Government intends that the EU Human Rights Charter will have no effect in UK law once we leave the EU in 2019.

The ruling came after an unnamed mum took legal action against Poole Borough Council in Dorset for failing to protect her disabled son from the antisocial behaviour of neighbours.

The judgment said: “No duty of care can be owed by a local social services authority in the exercise of its child protection functions to investigate and take action to prevent significant harm to children, whatever its source.”

The move means social workers effectively will not be held responsible for some of the most shocking abuse cases if victims were not taken into care or made wards of court.

Councils were previously forced to pay out if lawyers could prove staff failed to act on information which could have helped protect a child from abuse.

Abuse perv Arshid Hussain (Image: PA)

Sammy was 14 when she was groomed by violent criminal Arshid Hussain.

Just months later, she fell pregnant to him and was missing for days on end as he lured her into his twisted world and forced her to commit crimes.

Social workers knew of her plight and her devastated parents eventually agreed she should be taken into care. But even while Sammy was with foster parents, Hussain was ­allowed access to the vulnerable teen and continued to rape and beat her.

Sammy’s records also pointed to a prominent politician in the town helping her abuser dodge justice.

Yet she will face an uphill battle to prove the council had a duty of care towards her throughout her hell because a care order was not in place for the entire period.

Good grief! That is just criminal!

Hussain was eventually jailed for 35 years in 2016 after Sammy told police about her ordeal and accessed social services records which revealed that the ­authorities were fully aware of her torment but did not act.

Sammy said: “I cannot ­understand why this ruling has come into effect. It’s ­astonishing and will have a devastating impact on child protection."

“The failure of the authorities to acknowledge my abuse is detailed in black and white. They knew ­exactly what was happening but they did not protect me.”

Another Rotherham victim, who targeted by paedophiles at 12, said: “Many abused children miss out on school or need ­therapy as adults to cope with what they have experienced. They use compensation money to access counselling or to get qualifications."

“It seems to me like politicians and the legal system are more intent on protecting professionals than vulnerable children."

“Now it looks like the professionals will get off scot-free.”

The ruling will also have a devastating impact on those who were abused in their family home as children.

Earlier this year, Danni Smith, now 27, sued Brighton Council for a five-figure sum.

Social workers knew he was starved, raped and beaten by his stepdad but did not remove him for nine years. Under the current rules, he would not be entitled to compensation.

The law is letting negligent councils and social workers off the hook. And, worst of all, they are demonstrating a shocking lack of compassion.

These victims are not chasing money or filing false claims. They are asking for compensation for their shattered lives. And that’s the least the people who failed to protect them can offer. These young people have been through enough.

This is just disgraceful and completely inexplicable in a modern society. I am so utterly disgusted!

Rotherham, UK

BBC sees surge in calls to helpline after year

of traumatic storylines 

GULF TIMES

An image from Three Girls, the BBC drama based on the Rochdale abuse scandal

By Graham Ruddick/Guardian News & Media

More than 127,000 people contacted the BBC to enquire about support for sexual abuse victims this year after the broadcast of related storylines in high-profile dramas such as Three Girls and Apple Tree Yard.

Viewers were encouraged to get in contact with the BBC’s Action Line service if they needed support or information regarding issues in their own lives.

Three Girls was based on the true story of a child sex abuse ring in Rochdale, while Apple Tree Yard featured a graphic rape scene.

As well as support with sexual abuse, the BBC was contacted about LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) domestic abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder, and female genital mutilation.

Its helplines were contacted after regular shows such as Holby City, EastEnders and The Archers as well as one-off dramas such as Three Girls.

The total number of calls and online visits to Action Line this year was 54% higher compared with 2016, rising from 280,000 to 431,000.

Piers Wenger, the controller of BBC Drama, said the BBC’s role as a public service broadcaster meant it was “uniquely placed to help audiences deal with these difficult issues”.

He said: “The BBC’s produced some outstanding drama over the past year which has really connected with audiences. It’s important that we tackle difficult subject matters and I’m pleased that through the Action Line we’ve been able to give so many people vital information, help and support.”

The BBC promotes its support services at the end of programmes that address issues that could affect the lives of viewers. The broadcaster has promoted Action Line on-air 456 times in the last 12 months.

The BBC launched its helplines in 1995, as developments in the call centre industry made such a service viable. Since then, millions of viewers and listeners have contacted Action Line.

The phone service directs callers to charities and organisations than can help rather than offering people support itself, while the website provides contact details for a range of charities and organisations relevant to specific issues.

In 2016, thousands of people contacted Action Line about domestic abuse after a storyline in The Archers involved Helen Titchener being abused by her husband, Rob.

A donation page inspired by the storyline to raise money for a rescue fund for women affected by domestic abuse raised more than £135,000.

British police: 20,000 men interested in

sexually abusing children

Officer Simon Bailey warned that a growing threat to children came from live streaming and said the police wanted a fresh crackdown from tech companies on the use of platforms including Periscope, which is owned by Twitter, and Facebook Live.

By: IANS | London 

The British police chief in charge of child protection says an estimated 20,000 men have shown an interest in sexually abusing children, the media reported. Officer Simon Bailey, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead on child protection, on Friday said investigators monitoring a single online chatroom in 2017 identified 4,000 men using it from the UK alone, the Guardian reported. Bailey estimated the number of men interested in sexually abusing children at more than 20,000.

He added that limited resources meant not all perpetrators could be tackled, with the police forced to focus on the most dangerous offenders. “We are having to prioritise the threat… Some lower-level offenders cannot be arrested and taken to court. There is just not the capacity.” Bailey warned that a growing threat to children came from live streaming and said the police wanted a fresh crackdown from tech companies on the use of platforms including Periscope, which is owned by Twitter, and Facebook Live.

His warning follows reports that abusive behaviour is on the rise. Earlier this month, the NSPCC child protection charity said there had been a 31 per cent increase in the number of reported cases of child sexual abuse in the UK in the previous year.

In the first 11 months of 2017, the National Crime Agency received 72,000 referrals about online child sexual abuse imagery, up from 6,000 in 2010, the Guardian reported. The police chief said the children being targeted were not just those from homes where the parents or the adults in charge were neglectful.

“The victims have included children of very capable and very caring parents. It does not recognise social status. The victims include children of middle-class, educated parents who think they are internet-savvy,” he said. On the emerging issue of live streaming, Bailey urged tech companies to do more.

“Software providers have a critical role in policing the environment they create… They have a social and moral responsibility to make their platforms safe for children to use.”

Former N.L. priest John Corrigan convicted in sexual abuse scandal dead at 86

The Telegram

John Corrigan, a Roman Catholic priest once convicted in connection with the sexual abuse scandal that took place in the late 1980s died Thursday. He was 86.

In December 1988, Corrigan pleaded guilty to five charges of gross indecency and two charges of sexual assault on young boys who ranged in ages from 10 to 13. He received a five-year prison sentence.

Eight other charges originally filed against Corrigan were dropped.

Most of the offences occurred during the nine years Corrigan was a parish priest in Pouch Cove. Others offences were said to have happened while he served at St. John Bosco Roman Catholic Church in Shea Heights.

According to reports at the time of the court case, victims testified that Corrigan would invite them over for cookies and beer and often showed them homosexual videos and magazines. That led to oral and anal sex two or three times a week for the next two years.

In sentencing Corrigan, Judge Gordon Seabright said, “In his own life, the defendant began to drink heavily and the evidence shows that he was drinking at least a 40-ounce bottle of liquor daily … The evidence presented by the defence on the sentencing hearing is to the effect that Father Corrigan is a homosexual and had a real problem with liquor."

“He held a position of trust in that parents trusted him and the children would certainly not have been questioned (if) they were leaving their own homes to go to the priest’s house. In the case of the boys, they were provided with a hang out, free food and the comforts of this hangout, which was free from question. The only requirement in addition to their sexual favours was their silence.”

Seabright went on to say, “Gross indecency and sexual assault are probably the worst crimes against children that can be committed. They take the innocent and cause damage that … may never be fully discovered …. When we add that these crimes were committed by a person in authority, then the defendant offends not only against the child but against society as a whole.”

Those were all good words, but then he sentenced him to just 5 years. That may have been all that was allowed at the time, but I doubt it.

Corrigan also served at St. Michael’s, Bell Island (1967-1969); Holy Trinity in Ferryland with missions at Aquaforte and Calvert (1971-1973) and Ferryland-Cape Broyle (1974-1976).

Corrigan’s guilty plea came only two months after another Roman Catholic priest, Father James Hickey, also of St. John’s, was sentenced to five years in prison for sexually assaulting altar boys over 18 years. Hickey pleaded guilty to 20 offences and was sent to Dorchester penitentiary in New Brunswick to serve his sentence. He passed away in 1992.

5 years for 18 years of destroying God only knows how many boys. How pathetic!

Corrigan’s and Hickey’s convictions resulted in an investigation into sexual abuse at Mount Cashel Boys’ Orphanage to be reopened in February 1989.

A month later, former Mount Cashel resident Shane Earle went public with his story, triggering huge public reaction.

The provincial government took action, establishing a royal commission of inquiry, chaired by retired Ontario Supreme court Judge Samuel Hughes, to investigate how the justice system had handled complaints at Mount Cashel. The 156-day hearing saw more than 200 witnesses testify.

According to reports, Hughes concluded that that neither the RNC nor the justice department handled the 1975 and 1976 Mount Cashel files normally. It was found that government had acted improperly by giving Mount Cashel privileged status as a foster home.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. John's also commissioned an inquiry in 1989 into the sexual abuse of boys by members of the clergy and Christian Brothers.

It was chaired by Lt-Gov. Gordon Winter, an Anglican. The commission strongly criticized the Archdiocesan administration for its handling of child abuse allegations, writing that it adopted a "minimal response policy,” which often amounted to no more than sending the offenders out of the province.

"Church officials aligned themselves with the accused;" the commission wrote. "Their response to victims was thus inappropriate and un-Christian and this compounded the victims' initial sense of betrayal by the Church.”

Archbishop Alphonsus Penney resigned as a result of the commission's findings. He passed away earlier this month at age 93.

As a result of the sex scandals over the decades, the A Roman Catholic diocese in Newfoundland has dished out millions of dollars in settlements and recently filed for bankruptcy protection. Many of the claims are still being before the courts.

One Woman's Heartbreaking Account of Being Sexually Abused by a Family Member

One Survivor's Story

The first time Beth remembers being sexually abused she was three years old.

While the details are vague she recalls feeling uncomfortable around her abuser and fighting for him not to change her nappy or to take her to the toilet.

At 15 years old, Beth’s mother died after a long illness, leaving her alone to cope with both the grief of her loss and her continued abuse by a family member.

This is the story of one extraordinarily brave Cardiff woman and her journey to help others cope with being a victim of sexual abuse.

Beth – whose name has been changed for legal reasons – is now in her late 20s.

Beth was sexually abused by a family member (picture posed by model) (Image: Niall Carson/PA Wire)

To everyone else her abuser was just a “loving man being affectionate”.

“In public he would hold me inappropriately, pick me up, and touch me in private areas,” she said.

“For people around us he portrayed a loving man being affectionate – he had everyone fooled. I grew up quickly as a child and learnt to get dressed and go to the toilet by myself at an early age."

“The abuse would happen every week. He’d find some way of separating me from other people so we were alone together.

“I would be peeling potatoes or helping to chop vegetables and he would start touching me and trying to be intimate.

“I tried to limit the times when we’d be alone together. I didn’t want him anywhere near me.”

By using threats and conditions Beth’s abuser made sure his actions remained a secret.

She said: “I was so confused. He used to tell me that the abuse was ‘our little secret’ and that I wasn’t allowed to tell anyone about it."

“I knew that I didn’t like him doing what he was doing but didn’t know if it was normal or not. He’d pretend it was something special for us."

“If there was anything I wanted, like a new toy or sweets, he would buy them for me and then threaten to take them away if I told anyone about what he was doing to me.”

For Beth the abuse got more severe the older she got. But so did her determination to fight back – once hitting her abuser so hard at the age of 13 that he fell to the floor.

From then on the more she resisted the worse it became.

She said: “I began to understand that the abuse wasn’t right or normal when I was 12 and I started to fight back.

“We used to have physical arguments where I would lash out at him. I was so conflicted because I didn’t want him to die but I didn’t want the abuse to continue."

“After that the more I fought back the worse the abuse got and the more it seemed to urge him on. He seemed to get more of a thrill if I fought.”

Instead the teenager learnt that words were her most powerful weapon by threatening to tell her mother.

For two years she was able to reason and plead with her abuser until he became fearful of being reported and left her alone.

Then at the age of 15 Beth’s world was turned upside down when her mother died.

Beth said: “My mum was my only bargain to get him to stop and his words to me were: ‘Your mum’s not here, you can’t tell her. What are you going to do now?’

“The abuse continued after my mum’s death. I was dealing with the grief of mum’s passing as a 16-year-old."

“The strength of her character gave me strength so I acted in memory of her and the support she would have given me.”

Beth was able to receive help from the NSPCC after being referred by a friend (Image: Rob Browne)

For Beth things only started to change after her mother’s friend became worried about how she was coping.

Breaking down in tears, the teenager risked everything and told her what was happening.

From there the friend contacted the NSPCC helpline on Beth’s behalf, who referred her case onto police.

Beth said: “I didn’t know what support I needed but I knew something had to happen for the abuse to stop.

“Some people don’t know how to receive support and especially at that age I didn’t know how to reach out.

“It was hard to speak about with anyone but to stranger it was easier to open up as they didn’t know me.”

After being supported by the children’s charity throughout the legal process Beth’s abuser was sentenced to three years in prison and placed on the sex offenders register.

But for Beth the time after his convictions was equally tough.

She said: “After the conviction my family still treated me like I was the person in the wrong for reporting him. I don’t believe they meant it intentionally but it’s how I was left feeling.”

This happens far too often. It's disgusting!

Beth continued to receive support from the NSPCC after her abuser’s conviction. When things got too much to deal with, however, she resorted to other means of coping.

At the age of 18 she began drinking and self-harming, leading to several suicide attempts.

“I went into this path of self-destruction – I felt unworthy. I was going out too much, drinking too much, and feeling that everyone would be better off if I wasn’t around."

“I needed an outlet and that outlet was to harm myself.”

After several years without any support Beth realised her only way to get the help she needed was to get back in touch with the NSPCC.

She said: “The NSPCC were there in my darkest times when I was suicidal and made me realise that everything that happened was in the past.

“They made me realise my thought process was wrong and that I didn’t need to end my life.

“It’s not overnight and it’s something that will always be a part of me.

“It wasn’t an easy time and there’s still a part of me which will slip back into old ways of thinking so the continued support they give me is invaluable.”

With a combination of support from friends as well as practising yoga and meditation Beth has been able to come to terms with what has happened to her.

Speaking about past relationships she said: “With any relationship you need that level of understanding so any problems I may face or dealing with poignant memory I will be supported by loved ones. If they’re not supportive they’re not the one.”

To help others in the same situation Beth now runs her own charity helping others build self-empowerment and belief.

She said: “Even if it is a family member who is abusing you you still need to speak out because, whatever relationship they are to you, what they’re doing isn’t right.”

As 2018 is Set to Begin, Sweden is Still Sacrificing Its Girls on the PC Altar

Swedish police find ‘no direct links’ after 4th gang rape rocks Malmo in 2 months

The New Normal - Sweden

A woman rides her bicycle in Malmo. © Yves Herman / Reuters

This is not good news for women in Malmo. It probably means there is not just one gang of rapists but quite possibly several. It may be a new fad, as it were, a competition among migrant gangs?

Yet another woman has been assaulted in the Swedish city of Malmo in another case of suspected gang rape, the fourth in just two months.

The attacks come as activists started nightly street patrols to reassure the community. Police said they do not yet see any apparent link between the appalling attacks, amid the ongoing investigations.

The victim, who is said to be over 18, was attacked by several unidentified assailants in Malmo’s Hogaholm district overnight to Friday. She eventually managed to get home by herself and alerted police. An investigation into a suspected gang rape is underway as police believe several people were involved.

The woman suffered only minor physical injuries but was deeply traumatized by the experience, police said. No one has been detained so far, as police continue examining forensic evidence and questioning the woman.

The latest attack comes as Malmo grapples with a spate of similar incidents in which three women were raped by several assailants in different districts of the city, notorious for its thriving gang culture and crime. Earlier in December, a 17-year-old teenage girl was gang raped in a children’s playground in Hasselgatan. The other two cases occurred in November and saw women being sexually assaulted by a number of men as well. And while police said they recovered traces of DNA from some of the crime scenes, no charges have been brought in either so far. The spike in violence against women even forced police to warn against venturing alone after dark. Faced with backlash, they later retracted the warning calling it “unfortunate.”

Meanwhile, Malmo police believe it’s unlikely the series of crimes are somehow connected. Referring to the two December attacks which appear to share the same pattern, Malmo police spokesman Nils Norling said  “you cannot immediately say that they are linked to each other but you cannot rule it out either.” He added that police are not done investigating the events, and are still not even able to definitely confirm the number of suspects involved in each of the sexual crimes. A police unit, specializing in criminal profiling, has been tasked with determining if there is a distinct pattern traceable in all the crimes.

Astonishing court decision!

While Malmo struggles to cope with the wave of sexual assaults, a Swedish court has courted controversy with its recent decision to release three men accused of raping a woman in the Stockholm suburb of Fittja in 2016. The women’s lawyer described the ruling as “an embarrassment” for Sweden’s legal system. The court found the evidence, that included torn clothes and sperm samples, were “simply insufficient for someone to be convicted.” The court argued in its summary that it's impossible to establish the cause of her injures, skin discoloration and scrapes, the woman said were inflicted as a result of the incident.

The decision triggered protests, with activists taking to Malmo's streets with signs reading “No rapists on our streets” and calling on Prime Minister Stefan Lofven to tackle the problem. With police seemingly failing to make headway in finding and prosecuting anyone in the attacks, local activists decided to take matters in their own hands and have organized night-time street patrols to reassure neighbours while hoping to keep women safe from all kinds of abuse.

Apparently, it's not working! What's the point of the police doing all that work when the courts are just going to throw it all out anyway. It seems no amount of logic or evidence can convince the Swedish elite that Muslim migrants might be bad people. 

The evil among the Swedish elite might exceed that of the migrants. They are still sacrificing Swedish girls on the altar of political correctness and stupidity.

NY Woman Kidnapped and Hidden in Underground Bunker in 1992 Reveals Long History of Sexual Abuse

A Survivor's Story

BY JESSICA SCHLADEBECK, KATIE HONAN,
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

A woman snatched by a family friend on Long Island and held captive in an underground bunker for 17 hellish days when she was 9 years old says sexual abuse she suffered before her abduction helped her survive her ordeal.

Katie Beers was lured to John Esposito’s Bay Shore, Long Island, home in December 1992 with the promise of birthday presents.

Instead, he stashed her in a coffin-size dungeon beneath his garage built specifically for the child.

Actually, it was 6'x9', which is very large for a coffin. See photo below.

During an “Ask Me Anything” session on Reddit on Thursday, Beers said she was sexually abused and raped by Esposito during her nearly three weeks in captivity.

He confessed to the kidnapping, which landed him behind bars for the remainder of his life. But he only admitted to the abuse while speaking with his parole officer just before he died in 2013 and never faced charges for the abuse.

While she’s already detailed the torture she experienced at the hands of Esposito in her New York Times best-selling memoir “Buried Memories,” Beers revealed some more in her recent virtual question and answer session.

Beers recounted the trauma she suffered before Esposito took her and how it helped her get through her time in captivity.

Years before her abduction, she was placed in the home of a family friend whose husband, Salvatore Inghilleri, sexually abused her. He was later convicted of the abuse, which was revealed only after the kidnapping.

A crane raises a 6-by-9 foot bunker out of the earth from the property of John Esposito in Bay Shore, N.Y.  (MICHAEL ALEXANDER/AP)

Beers said she was “physically, emotionally and verbally abused by all the adults who were supposed to take care of me.”

While Child Protective Services did try to intervene, it was difficult for her to be honest while being interviewed in the house where she was abused, she said.

Despite the depravity she experienced on a daily basis, Beers said she tried to keep a shred of hope.

“I knew from an early age that not all people were bad ... and not everyone was out to hurt me,” she wrote.

Beers was rescued from her subterranean bunker Jan. 13, 1993, after Esposito confessed to his lawyer.

The frightened child thought her rescuers were Esposito’s friends coming to rape her, Beers husband wrote in a Reddit post.

After her ordeal, Beers was placed with a supportive foster family in East Hampton, where she was raised with four siblings.

John Esposito faces the court during his arraignment in Central Islip, N.Y., on charges he imprisoned 10-year-old Katie Beers in an underground bunker for 17 days.  (ALEX BRANDON/AP)

She credits her parents as being “invaluable” to her recovery.

Now 35 and a mother of two, she said having children “completed my heart” and she finds it difficult to not be a “helicopter parent” after what she went through.

Beers hasn’t spoken with her biological family, including her mother and an older brother, in years.

“For the stability of my family, I’ve cut off contact with them,” she wrote.

And after years of silence, Beers says she is an inspirational speaker now, and she’d like to share her story with more people.

“I realized that my childhood shaped who I was and that I shouldn’t try to distance myself from it,” she said.

“I hope that one day, after enough survivors have the courage to speak about their abuse, that there will no longer be a ‘stigma’ associated with surviving.” 

Smart woman. God bless you!

4 Women, A Pastor, Pub Owner on Today's USA PnP List

Lyon County woman sentenced on charges of

child sexual abuse

BY BRANDON PEOPLES

A Lyon County woman convicted in November of child sexual abuse will spend the next eight years behind bars.

At a hearing Thursday, 35-year-old Shyla Bond was sentenced to 59 months on a charge of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, 32 months on a charge of sexual exploitation of a child and six months on a charge of aggravated endangerment of a child. The sentences will be served consecutively.

In addition, the judge imposed lifetime post-release supervision and lifetime registry as a sex offender. Bond is also required to pay nearly $4,000 in restitution.

The charges stem from incidents involving two children under the age of 14 that occurred between January 2008 and September 2014. The case was investigated by the Lyon County Sheriff's Office, the Lyon County Attorney's Office and the Department of Children and Families.

Lyon Co., Kansas

NY man jailed on child sex charges

WILTON — Police have charged a Wilton man with two felonies for allegedly having sexual contact with a 12-year-old girl in recent months, according to police.

Robert B. Mosher, 41, of Northern Pines Road, was arrested Wednesday after an investigation by the Saratoga County Sheriff's Office, the agency said in a news release.

He faces a count of first-degree criminal sexual act and first-degree sexual abuse for illegal sexual contact with a child with whom he is acquainted, police said.

Mosher was arraigned and sent to Saratoga County Jail for lack of bail. The criminal sexual act charge is punishable by up to 25 years each in state prison.

This is the third Mosher from Wilton charged with child sex abuse in the past 18 months. Michael and Jeanne Mosher were charged (4th story on link) with child sex abuse in June 2016.

Former 4th-grade teacher to spend 25 years to life in prison for molesting students

Megan Diskin

A former Hueneme elementary school district teacher was sentenced 25 years to life in prison on Thursday for molesting his students. 

Port Hueneme police arrested Juan Jose Aguilar, 50, of Oxnard, in July 2013 in connection with the abuse incidents that occurred from 1999 to 2009. The former fourth-grade teacher at Williams School in Oxnard initially denied the charges but in November of this year before jury selection was slated to begin he changed his plea to guilty. 

Aguilar's attorney, Cynthia Ellington of the Ventura County Public Defender's Office, said the Oxnard man "didn't want to put the victims through any more torment." 

In November, he admitted to most of the charges (3rd story on link) he was facing. He pleaded guilty to six counts of felony lewd act upon a child, felony continuous sexual abuse and misdemeanor child abuse. He also admitted to several special allegations, including that there were multiple victims who were under the age of 18, according to court records. 

Ventura County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Bennett called the abuse a "difficult situation" that was described in detail in a probation officer's report to the court. Bennett's sentence for nearly all guilty offenses ranged from 25 years to life to 15 years to life in state prison with the possibility of parole. They will be served concurrently, he said. 

In a previous interview with the Star, Senior Deputy District Attorney Patrice Koenig said the abuse involved eight male victims who were "elementary-school aged" at the time. They were Aguilar's students and children of family friends, she said. 

In a 2013 declaration to support increasing Aguilar’s initial $200,000 bail, Port Hueneme police Detective Nora Starna said the students reported that he kissed them on the lips, touched their buttocks and had oral copulation in at least one case.

Most of the abuse incidents occurred in Aguilar’s classroom during lunchtime or after school or on non-school-related trips, the declaration alleged.

The victims said Aguilar would give them money, ice cream or candy or take them to Chuck E. Cheese or movies, according to the declaration.

Aguilar’s bail was eventually set at $1.4 million, according to Ventura County jail records.

Before the sentence was ordered, Ellington read an apology statement written by Aguilar saying that "a deep pain torments my heart" and he is ashamed for what he has done. 

Koenig said the proceedings have been difficult for the victims and that Aguilar abused his "position of trust. A life sentence is absolutely warranted under the circumstances," Koenig said. 

About 10 people sat in the courtroom as the sentence was heard. When the proceedings were over many of them gathered outside the courtroom around Koenig. They thanked her for protecting the students and one man began to cry after shaking the prosecutor's hand. 

Bennett also ordered Aguilar to pay restitution to the victims and ordered him to have no contact with them. 

FBI searches for Indy man in sexual abuse

of 11-year-old girl

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is searching for an Indianapolis man wanted for sexual exploitation of a child,

Gustavo Aguilar-Cruz, 41, is accused of taking videos and photos of him sexually abusing an 11-year-old girl. The FBI first learned of the allegation on March 21.

The FBI searched the suspect’s home and vehicle. Electronic devices were seized, and the FBI said many of them had videos and images of child pornography and of Cruz engaging in sexual acts with the victim.

Investigators say the abuse happened over the course of several years.

Officials describe Cruz as a Hispanic man with brown eyes, dark hair, 5’11” tall and 210 pounds. He also has a mole on his right cheek.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to the FBI at or Crime Stoppers at 317-262-TIPS.

73-year-old man charged with sexual abuse

of 9-year-old girl

Today's Dirty Ol' Man Award goes to:

KCCI Alex Kirkpatrick  

STORY COUNTY, Iowa —

A 73-year-old Nevada man was arrested Wednesday after police said he sexually assaulted a 9-year-old girl earlier this year, according to online court documents.

A criminal complaint alleges that James Everett Moore on Aug. 18 forcibly kissed the girl on the mouth, had her sit on his lap and spread her legs and inappropriately touched her.

He was taken to the Story County Jail but has since been released after posting $50,000 bond.

Moore is charged with second-degree sexual abuse, which is punishable by up to 25 years in prison. He was also charged with assault.

When the child’s father asked Moore about the incident, he admitted to kissing the girl, according to the criminal complaint.

He is scheduled to appear in court Jan. 2.

Former Deerfield pastor pleads guilty,

receives probation in child sex abuse case

Jim Newton News-Sun

A former Deerfield pastor charged with having sexual contact with a teenager at his former church has been sentenced to two years of sex offender probation after pleading guilty to criminal sexual abuse in a negotiated resolution to the case.

In addition to the probation and its restrictions, Samuel Kee was also sentenced to 12 months of periodic imprisonment, which will be stayed provided that he follows all requirements of the sentence, Lake County Circuit Judge Victoria Rossetti ruled.

Under the agreement, finalized Dec. 12, Kee must register as a child sex offender; undergo evaluation and attend treatment programs as required by probation officials; perform 200 hours of public service; have no contact with minors; and must obey restrictions on his use of the internet. He also faces random drug and alcohol testing.

Assistant State's Attorney Jason Grindel said that charges of aggravated criminal sexual abuse were dismissed in exchange for the guilty plea. Probation was an option for all of the initial charges Kee faced, Grindel said.

Kee turned himself in

Kee, of Lake Zurich, was charged in 2015 after voluntarily walking into the Deerfield Police Department and confessing to an inappropriate relationship with a 16-year-old girl in the summer of 2014.

Kee was pastor of teaching and discipleship at the North Suburban Evangelical Free Church when he was charged. The girl was a member of the congregation. Kee resigned his church position about 11 days after he reported the relationship to police. He had served as pastor for five years.

Police said he admitted to touching the girl in inappropriate places on her body. There were no charges involving force.

Deerfield Deputy police Chief Tom Keane said at the time that Kee "just walked into the police station and said he had to confess to a crime. We had to kind of work backward and locate the victim and talk to the victim and build the case."

Kee spent two days in Lake County jail and then was released after posting 10 percent of his $300,000 bail.

Oldham County mother accused of

sexual abuse of a 14-year-old boy

By Rachel Collier 

CRESTWOOD, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Crestwood mother is accused of giving her son's friends booze, pot and sexually abusing a 14-year-old boy.

A woman who we aren't identifying to protect her 14-year-old son said she trusted Anne Downing, 37. She said she knew Downing, and their boys go to middle school together.

"There was a group of children that were friends, and they we going to have a little sleepover, hangout," she said. "I thought pizza and games, as most teenagers do."

But that night, she and the other parents got a phone call they never expected.

Police went to Downing's home on Manor Drive in Crestwood looking for a missing teenager. Officers said they could smell pot and found teens with several open bottles of booze. 

"We all were notified and called by police at 1:30 a.m. to pick our children up, that they were severely intoxicated," the woman said. "When I pulled up, the whole street was full of cop cars, parents."

The next day, she went through her son's phone and said she found texts from Downing, some of which are too graphic to share.

"Very obscene sexual messages informing my child of sexual things he has no idea about," the woman said.

One text shown by the mother says, "The more I drink the more touchy-feely I am." The mother said she confronted Downing in person.

"I specifically asked her what was going on between her and my son, and she admitted to my son ... that she had oral sex with my son, that she had video sex with my son numerous times and had sent him pictures and provided him anything and everything he wanted," she said.

Police said Downing provided alcohol and marijuana to male teens at her home on at least three occasions in October and November. They also said she engaged with sexually explicit conversations with them on social media. She faces several charges including sodomy and unlawful transaction with a minor.

The mother of the alleged victim said she is angry, hurt and confused.

"I have blocked everything out since I have been told face-to-face that someone has hurt my child," she said. "I can't take it back, it kills me. Tainting a child's innocence, no matter how old, they are wrong."

Oldham County Police said parents should talk to their children and call them if they believe their child may have been involved.

Downing was arrested this week and is out of jail after posting bond. She is due in court next month. A judge ordered her to have no minors in her home except for her own children. Her attorney said she has no other record.

And, judge, do you think her own minors should be in the home? Why?

Married couple await trial on child sex abuse charges

by NATE SMITH

Two married former public school administrators are set to go on trial in February, accused of sexual abuse and endangering children (4th story on link).

Pat O’Donnell, 52, the former superintendent of Indian Lake schools, is charged with 14 total counts of sex offenses, including charges of first-degree felony rape; second-degree felony sexual battery; and third-degree felony gross sexual imposition.

Heather O’Donnell, 46, is charged with two counts of endangering children, which is also a third-degree felony.

She is the former superintendent of the Midwest Regional Educational Service Center.

Pat O’Donnell is accused of having sexual contact with a girl, 10 years old at the time of the alleged abuse and who was not a student at Indian Lake, while Heather O’Donnell allegedly failed to report the abuse after the girl revealed it to her.

Indian Lake, Ohio

California woman denies sexually abusing child

for nearly 2 years

By BEATRIZ E. VALENZUELA  San Bernardino Sun

A Hesperia woman accused of sexually abusing a child for nearly two years was arrested after the victim came forward and reported the attacks, San Bernardino County sheriff’s officials said.

Maria Quintero Brizeno, 29, was arrested and charged with multiple counts of child sexual abuse including suspicion of oral copulation with a child under the age of 10, lewd acts with a child under the age of 14 and forced oral copulation of a child under the age of 14, according to court records.

The girl came forward and told a Los Angeles Police Department officer about the sexual attacks, according to Deputy Olivia Bozek, spokeswoman for the Sheriff’s Department. The girl told investigators the abuse had been taking place for nearly two years in the unincorporated area of Victorville, officials said. LAPD detectives then forwarded the case to the Sheriff’s Department.

The exact relationship between the girl and Quintero Brizeno was not released to protect the victim’s identity, Bozek would only say the victim knew the Hesperia woman.

Deputy Thomas Gates conducted an extensive investigation and obtained an arrest warrant for Quintero Brizeno who was then arrested at sheriff’s headquarters on Dec. 22.

The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office subsequently charged the 29-year-old with six counts of child sex abuse, court records show. She then pleaded not guilty to all counts in Victorville Superior Court Wednesday.

Authorities do not believe there are any other victims out there.

Detectives ask any one who may have information on the case, to call the Victor Valley sheriff’s station at 760-552-6800.

Sex abuse case against Mormon Church leaders

to go to trial in WVa

By Associated Press 

          

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — A jury in West Virginia will hear the evidence against the Mormon Church in a lawsuit accusing local church officials of covering up allegations that the son of officials abused 12 children over more than five years.

The Journal reports that the lawsuit, filed by children who were between the ages of 3 and 12 when they say they were sexually abused by Christopher Michael Jensen, will go to trial Jan. 8 in Berkeley County. Jensen was sentenced in 2013 to 35 to 75 years in prison for sexually abusing two minors.

The lawsuit was initially filed in 2013, and accuses the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and its leaders of covering up the abuse, enabling Jensen to commit further acts and trying to intimidate plaintiffs' families.

The family’s attorneys in the civil case believe local church leaders discussed the allegations of abuse by Jensen as early as 2007 and that no one reported the allegations to law enforcement. The lawyers also claim that church leaders in Utah knew Jensen was convicted of other sex-related crimes in Utah back in 2004.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provided this two-paragraph statement to WJLA:

“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not tolerate abuse of any kind. We take seriously our role as a recognized national leader in ensuring that child abuse prevention efforts are in place and followed – as happened in this case. In fact, it was the Church that first encouraged the parents to report the abuse and then made their own report as a confirmation. While the Church is, and will always be, heartbroken about the terrible actions of this individual, we are thankful that he is behind bars, where he should be. We encourage parents to come forth immediately to authorities when they believe their child has been the subject of harm.”

“The Church cannot comment specifically on pending litigation, but will present a solid case reaffirming its commitment to not only keeping children safe, but also taking action when there is reason to believe that harm has occurred.”

Upstate NY Pub owner pleads not guilty

to sex abuse charges

PENN YAN — Lloyd’s Limited Pub owner Bob Champlin has been arraigned on felony charges in connection with alleged sexual assaults that took place inside his bar on Christmas Eve.

On Thursday, Champlin pleaded not guilty to first-degree criminal sexual act, attempted rape, sexual abuse, forcible touching, and unlawfully dealing with a child, as one of the females was under 21 years old and allegedly served alcohol.

Champlin said nothing when he turned himself in Thursday afternoon.

A graphic video was taken of a sexual assault at the bar and posted to social media. A female was unconscious, face down on the bar during the attack.

When the community forwarded the video to police, officers executed a search warrant for surveillance equipment from inside the bar.

“Much later on, it would actually be in the early morning hours of Christmas morning, she — the second female who videotaped the incident to begin with — was seen passed out on the floor behind the bar and Mr. Champlin was touching her underneath her clothes as well,” said Penn Yan Police Chief Thomas Dunham.

When questioned, Champlin’s lawyer, Neil Gunther, said he had no comment about the video. “I haven’t seen the video at this point,” Gunther said.

Police are continuing to investigate, including possible charges against the woman who took the video. “We’re still reviewing the whole incident and event right now,” Dunham said. “We don’t know exactly what the intent was of that.”

During his arraignment, Champlin’s attorney told the judge that Champlin has voluntarily entered rehab for alcohol addiction.

If he is convicted of the top charge, Champlin could see a 20-year prison term.

Champlin is being held in jail on $50,000 cash bail or $100,000 bond. He is due back in court Jan. 2.

66-year-old Alabama man jailed on charges

of abusing, sodomizing children

By Ashley Remkus aremkus@al.com

A 66-year-old Madison County man is jailed on multiple charges of sexually abusing children.

Homer Clifford Webb is charged with two counts of first-degree sodomy and one count of sexual abuse of a child younger than 12, records show. Webb is held with bail set at $150,000.

Webb was arrested by sheriff's deputies when SWAT officers went to his home this week to serve a warrant. Webb came under investigation in late November when an anonymous caller reported to the Department of Human Resources suspicions of child sexual abuse, said sheriff's Lt. Donny Shaw.

Sheriff's deputies and the local branch of the National Child Advocacy Center investigated the report and interviewed those believed to be involved, Shaw said. The victims are two children younger than 12, according to authorities. Shaw said Webb had been abusing the children for a few months.

Few details about the case are being released to protect the identity of the victims. Webb knew the children, and some of the abuse happened at his Madison County home, Shaw said.

"There was enough evidence and probable cause to obtain warrants," the lieutenant said.

If convicted, Webb faces up to life in prison and would be required to register as a sex offender.

Madison Co., AL

California pair facing child sex abuse,

child porn charges

A federal court judge granted a pretrial conference to be continued to January for Aptos baby sitter, after-school counselor and accused child pornographer Ryan Spencer, 20. Spencer remains in custody at Glenn Dyer Detention Facility in Oakland held without bail. He is accused of recording and sharing footage of boys in his care being fondled and having sex, according to court documents.

Spencer and Bryan Petersen, 25, of Tiburon were arrested in April after authorities found more than 10,000 images and videos of child pornography exchanged on electronic devices and the messaging app, Kik. The defendants built their lives around seeking access to children, U.S. Attorney Brian Stretch wrote in a motion May 3.

Spencer preferred children 4 to 8 years old, according to court documents.

Petersen, an Eagle Scout who led camping trips for young boys, also worked as a tutor and chess coach, Stretch wrote. Petersen pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute child pornography, and producing, receiving, distributing and having child pornography, according to court documents. His sentencing has not been scheduled.

Spencer was due to attend a December hearing in U.S. District Court in San Francisco to respond to a prosecution request for him to unlock encrypted electronic devices seized from his home by the FBI. That hearing was delayed to 1:30 p.m. Jan. 23 to give Spencer time to file an opposition motion, according to court documents.