Utah man arrested after allegations of sex abuse
against 3 different children
BY LARRY D. CURTIS
(KUTV) Layton, Utah, police booked a man into jail Wednesday who allegedly molested three separate children and threatened to kill two of them if they told anyone what happened.
Dillon Jordan Moseley-Lecheminant was named in probable cause court documents that outlined the three cases. One child was a 4-year-old boy, another was a 12-year-old girl and the third was listed as a 13-year-old boy.
The case started when Bountiful police were told of allegations of a sex offense involving a child. In an interview, the 4-year-old victim said at the Farmington Children's Justice Center, that Lecheminant touched and penetrated his anus in a sexual way.
It was then learned that a 13-year-old girl may also be a victim of the same man and she was interviewed according to police. Lecheminant allegedly gave the girl a ride in his car but stopped the vehicle near Main Street and Antelope Drive in Layton, Utah. Police said in the stopped car he touched and penetrated her vagina with his fingers between August and September of 2017. He reportedly threatened her with a knife and said he would kill her if she told anyone what happened.
After police had spoken to the first two victims, Layton Police Department received a report about another victim. The 13-year-old boy said he was grabbed by the penis and was asked to participate in additional sex acts. Lecheminant threatened to kill him with a knife if he told anyone what happened. That incident also took place in Layton in March, 2017.
The documents asked for continued detention:
The person would constitute a substantial danger to any other person or to the community, or is likely to flee the jurisdiction of the court Lecheminant has threatened to kill two of the three alleged victims if they reported what occurred.
Registered NY sex offender accused of child rape
DON LEHMAN dlehman@poststar.com
QUEENSBURY — A registered sex offender who is on parole for failing to register his address has been indicted for allegedly raping and sexually abusing a child last summer.
Joseph M. Slingerland, 34, faces felony counts of first-degree rape and first-degree sexual abuse and misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a child for allegedly sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl in Queensbury on July 12. He has pleaded not guilty.
A Warren County grand jury indicted Slingerland on the charges after a Warren County Sheriff’s Office investigation that began when police were contacted in July.
Court records show DNA evidence is being analyzed in the case, as male DNA was found on clothing that police recovered during the investigation. It is being compared to a sample from Slingerland.
Slingerland is a registered sex offender because of a 2001 second-degree rape conviction in Saratoga County Court, a conviction that stemmed from having sex with a 14-year-old girl. He was not accused of forcing the teen to have sex, but she was too young to legally consent.
He was sentenced to 1 to 3 years in state prison last February for a May 2016 arrest for failure to register as a sex offender after he moved from Queensbury to a motel in Whitehall without registering his address. He was released after serving slightly more than the minimum portion of the term.
He was jailed for violating parole over the summer as the rape investigation unfolded, sent back to prison and released to the Sheriff’s Office on Dec. 12, state corrections records show.
That felony prosecution for failing to register his address was at least his third since 2008.
Slingerland was subsequently arraigned in Warren County Court and sent to Warren County Jail for lack of $100,000 cash bail or $300,000 bail bond.
He faces up to 32 years in state prison on the new charges.
Nick Philippoussis Suffers Massive Stroke,
Will Likely Never Face Charges
By Alex Bruce-Smith
It’s been revealed that Australian tennis coach Nick Philippoussis suffered a massive stroke in a U.S. jail, and will likely never face trial on charges he sexually assaulted two young girls.
He has been incarcerated since July 2017, when he was charged with 14 offences – including child sex abuse against two nine-year-old girls he coached – and was unable to make the $US9.2 million ($A12.9 million) in bail. He pled not-guilty to all charges.
He was scheduled to appear in a San Diego court in mid-November last year, but was unable to make it after being hospitalised a month earlier.
“Mr Philippoussis is in the hospital right now so he was not produced [in court],” his lawyer Ryan Tegnelia said at the time. “Beyond that I can’t get into the how and why.”
His court appearance had been rescheduled for January 4. Today, Tegnelia told Judge Michael Washington that Philippoussis suffered a massive stroke that left him in a “catatonic state”.
“[He’s] conscious but unresponsive,” said Tegnelia, adding that he’s “not expected to recover anytime soon, if ever.”
Washington today agreed to lift Philippoussis’ bail and grant his release from custody. Due to his condition he’ll likely remain in constant medical care, but the decision means that his shackles will be removed, he’ll no longer be under guard, and his family will be able to visit more regularly.
His hearing date has been pushed back by six months to asses his health.
Illinois police looking for man wanted on rape,
child porn charges
Harry Hitzeman
A 21-year-old Aurora man is wanted on a $5 million warrant on charges of criminal sexual assault, solicitation of pornography and a host of other felonies stemming from abusing two 15-year-old girls, according to police and court records.
Authorities issued an arrest warrant Dec. 4 for Ellis Burns, of the 1900 block of Lilac Lane, on 24 felony charges, including soliciting a child for child pornography, criminal sexual assault, possession of child pornography, failure to register as a sex offender and other charges.
Burns also is charged with felony intimidation and failing to inform police he changed his social media information, which was a condition of his parole.
He also faces eight misdemeanor counts of sexually abusing a juvenile, domestic battery and distributing obscene material to a minor, according to police and Kane County court records.
Aurora police Thursday turned to the public for help locating Burns by releasing statements on social media and noting a $5,000 reward by Aurora Area Crime Stoppers for information leading to Burns' arrest. Anonymous tips can be made by calling (630) 892-1000 or the police department's Investigations Division at (630) 256-5500.
The two most severe charges of solicitation carry a maximum 30-year prison term and could be consecutive terms.
According to court records, the charges stem from an episode or episodes Feb. 1, 2016.
Police also said an acquaintance of Burns' named Dametrius D. Thornton, 23, of the 100 block of Fox Chase Drive, Oswego, was being held at the county jail on $750,000 bail on three counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, one count of intimidation, and five counts of distributing explicit material to a minor, and harassment.
Police said the charges against Thornton are for similar crimes against three 15-year-olds; Burns is charged with victimizing two of the 15-year-olds. Aurora police said they believe more girls are victims of Burns and Thornton and are asking them to come forward by calling police.
Two Louisiana men arrested on 540 counts
of child porn
BATON ROUGE, La. - KTVE - The Louisiana Attorney General's office has arrested two Louisiana men on 540 counts of child pornography.
“As we begin a new year, my office’s resolution to taking child predators off our streets remains,” said General Landry. “We will continue working tirelessly to find those exploiting children and bring them to justice.”
Ryan Horak, 20 of Madisonville, was arrested on 500 counts of Possession of Sexual Abuse Images/Videos of Children (under the age of 13). He was arrested and booked into the St. Tammany Parish Jail following a joint investigation between the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation (LBI) Cyber Crime Unit and Violent Crime Unit, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Joseph Graves, 26 of New Orleans, was arrested on 40 counts of Possession of Sexual Abuse Images/Videos of Children (under the age of 13). He was arrested and booked into the Orleans Parish Prison following a joint investigation between the LBI Cyber Crime Unit, HSI, and the New Orleans Police Department.
If anyone has additional information or concerns about the alleged offenders – including information regarding possible victims, please call the LBI at 800-256-4506. Callers do not have to give their names.
Oklahoma Man Pleads Guilty to Child Sexual Abuse
& Gun Charge
Patti Weaver, 1600kush.com
Stillwater, Okla. – A Cushing man has avoided a Jan. 24 jury trial on seven counts of sexually abusing a young female relative by entering a guilty plea on Wednesday without an agreement with the prosecution regarding his sentence, a court official told KUSH.
Brandon Scott Pendergraft, 34, who previously lived in rural Yale, also pleaded guilty Wednesday to threatening to shoot the girl’s mother with a shotgun, court records show.
Pendergraft, who is 6’4” and weighs 211 pounds, remains in the Payne County Jail on $175,000 total bail, court records show.
An investigation of Pendergraft apparently began when the girl’s mother talked to Payne County Sheriff’s Deputy Bobby Miller at the Cushing Police Department on Feb. 9, 2017, according to an affidavit by Payne County Sheriff’s Investigator Larry Kitchel.
The girl’s mother was sweeping at about noon at her rural Yale residence when she found a Smart card, which was used with a phone, the affidavit said. When the girl’s mother plugged the card into her Ipad, she found several sexually explicit photos of her 12-year-old daughter and Pendergraft, the affidavit said.
The girl’s mother then removed the card and put it in her own pocket, the affidavit said.
The girl’s mother woke Pendergraft, who was taking a nap, and told him to leave the residence, according to the affidavit. The girl’s mother said an argument ensued in which she told Pendergraft about the photos she had seen, the affidavit said.
The girl’s mother said that Pendergraft began to demand the Smart card, which she would not give him, the affidavit said. She said that Pendergraft began choking her, knocked her down, and told her to give him the card, the affidavit said. Sher said that Pendergraft then got a shotgun and threatened to shoot her if she did not give him the card, the affidavit said.
The girl’s mother said that during the incident, two of Pendergraft’s relatives arrived and saw part the threat, the affidavit said. She said that Pendergraft was able to remove the card from her pocket before he left with his relatives, the affidavit said.
That same day, the girl, who was then 12, was interviewed at the Saville Center in Stillwater, the affidavit said. The girl disclosed that the sexual abuse began at her residence when she was 10 or 11, the affidavit said.
The girl said “in the beginning, the defendant wanted to build a fort,” where during its construction, Pendergraft fondled her and said that she could not tell anyone, the affidavit said. The girl said the last time she was sexually abused was about 1 a.m. on Feb. 7, 2017, when Pendergraft came into her bedroom while she was acting asleep, the affidavit said. The girl said that she believed Pendergraft was making a video with his phone while the abuse occurred, the affidavit said.
Asked if she could remember the first time, “juvenile replied that defendant had done so much that the juvenile could not remember,” but thought she was 10 or 11, the affidavit said. The girl said she was sexually abused every day to two days, the affidavit said. The girl said that Pendergraft told her, “If you do this for me, I won’t hurt your mom or you,” the affidavit said.
“Juvenile says in reference to pictures and videos taken by the defendant, the defendant told the juvenile that the defendant wanted to save them, so defendant could look at them later,” the affidavit said. Regarding pictures and videos of the sexual abuse, “juvenile says that some had juvenile’s face in them, but juvenile was usually crying so was not pictured then,” the affidavit said.
Child Molestation Case In Missouri
Allows Use Of Old Evidence
Dirty Ol Man of the Week
Intisar Faulkner
A child molestation case in Stone County has changed the rules of evidence use in the courtroom.
Gary Pickron,74, of Reeds Spring was convicted of multiple counts of child molestation in November of 2017.
During the hearing, the jury heard testimonies from victims, some as young as four years old.
Pickron had been convicted multiple times before and had previously been through sex offender counseling.
Charges were originally filed in early 2015 after two young girls told a relative that Pickron touched them inappropriately.
After charges were filed, additional victims came forward that they too had been abused going back as far as 1995.
In 2014, voters passed a state constitutional amendment giving the judge authority to allow the use of old evidence in sexual abuse cases. At the time, Missouri was the only state that didn’t allow it.
This time the judge let old victims tell their stories and took the old convictions into consideration.
Pickron was sentenced to life in prison.
Assault on Child Earns Former Memphis Chef 25 Years
BY TOBY SELLS
A former Memphis chef with a history of violent behavior was sentenced Wednesday to 25 years in prison with no parole for breaking his then-three-month-old son’s skull in 2015.
Jason Doty, 46, was convicted of aggravated child neglect in September, according to Shelby County District Attorney General Amy Weirich.
He was also sentenced Wednesday to serve four years concurrent for reckless aggravated assault by Criminal Court Judge Lee Coffee.
Here’s how Weirich’s office described the events that led up to the conviction:
“The incident occurred the morning of March 30, 2015, at the residence in the 4500 block of Amboy Road near Cherry Road and Quince Road.
Doty told officials the baby fell off a changing table onto the hardwood floor, but doctors testified that the boy’s injuries could not have been caused by a fall.
One doctor said the injuries were caused by blunt force trauma to the head not consistent with a fall, while another doctor, an ophthalmologist, said retinal hemorrhages in the child's eyes were the result of child abuse.”
The case was handled by Assistant District Attorneys Dru Carpenter and Cavett Ostner of the DA’s Special Victims Unit, which prosecutes cases of child sexual abuse, severe physical abuse of child victims, rape and aggravated rape of adult victims, and the abuse of elderly and vulnerable adults.
Doty has a long history of assaulting women. He has been arrested for assault three times in Shelby County since 2004 and once in Texas.
His most notable offense was in the Cooper-Young home he shared with his girlfriend in 2013.
Doty flew into a rage after the woman asked if he’d dropped a sugar container. He choked the woman, slapped her in the face, and knocked her down. She locked herself in a bathroom but Doty broke in and continued to assault her there.
Doty was once a baker at Bluff City Coffee. He attempted to open the Sweetlife Bakery in Cooper Young in 2011.
Maryland Sheriff’s deputy recruit charged
with sex abuse of minor
By The Associated Press
BEL AIR, Md. (AP) — A Maryland sheriff’s office recruit accused of sex offenses involving a minor has been fired.
News outlets report that 20-year-old Nicholas Paul Carini was arrested Wednesday in connection with an Aug. 20 incident. The Harford County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that Carini was a correctional deputy recruit, part of an entry-level class set to graduate from the training academy on Jan. 17.
Following an investigation by the Harford County Child Advocacy Center, Carini was charged with sex abuse of a minor, second-degree assault and fourth-degree sex offense. No further information has been released.
The sheriff’s office says Carini was released on his own recognizance after an appearance before the District Court Commissioner.
Upstate NY man gets 15 years prison for
attempted child rape
By W.T. ECKERT
CANTON — An Ogdensburg man was sentenced to prison Tuesday for the attempted rape of a child.
Kurtis C. Meuten, 30, of 59 Haggert Road, Ogdensburg, was sentenced to 15 years in prison with 10 years of post-release supervision for his Nov. 8 guilty plea to first-degree attempted rape, the reduced second count of the indictment charging him with five counts of first-degree rape, three counts of predatory sexual act, all felonies, and misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a child.
The indictment charges that during the school summer break and the fall semester of 2014 in the town of Oswegatchie, Meuten had sexual intercourse with a child who was less than 11 years old, an act that likely was injurious to the physical, mental, or moral welfare of the child.
As a part of his plea, Meuten admitted that during the school summer break of 2014 in the town of Oswegatchie, he attempted to engage in sexual intercourse with the child.
During sentencing, Meuten sought leniency from the judge, telling him that he planned on taking advantage of prison drug, alcohol and mental health programs, as well as “furthering my relationship and walk with the Lord.”
“I apologize to my family for the wonderful times I will miss with them and hope they understand,” Meuten said. “The behaviors that led to my conviction are an aberration. That’s not the way I live my life and not the way I will live my life …”
Reading through the pre-sentence investigation, County Court Judge Derek P. Champagne said Meuten appeared to have made every attempt available to him to avoid consequences for his actions, and that the manipulation included an attempt at reversing the outcome of the plea by claiming misrepresentation discrediting the victim.
“‘In his recent revelation of prior sexual abuse, which would somehow justify his behavior if all other attempts failed, the defendant’s conduct in this regard is repugnant,’” Judge Champagne read. “‘He provided a detailed statement to police which, for the most part, mirrored the accusations against him by the victim. At that time he asserted he was in a bad place ... He expressed that the victim reminded him of her (mother) in that she looked and smelled like her …”
“The only appropriate sentence for this defendant is one involving lengthy prison,’ Judge Champagne said.
In addition to prison, Meuten was sentenced to 10 years of post-release supervision, had $142 in court fines, fees and surcharges reduced to judgment and a stay-away order of protection was issued in favor of the victim until Jan. 1, 2041.
No comments:
Post a Comment