Young victim in Craigslist sex abuse case
speaks for herself — with a drawing
By Samantha Craggs, CBC News 
A Hamilton man appeared for a sentencing hearing at John Sopinka Court House Friday. The case was related to a seven-year-old girl being offered for sex on Craigslist. (Kelly Bennett/CBC)
She's a seven-year-old girl who was offered to pedophiles for sex on Craigslist. And this is her victim impact statement: a drawing of someone crying.
The stick figure, which appears genderless, has its eyes squeezed closed, its mouth a stark half-circle frown. The tears are large and drawn in green marker. Across the page, a figure in black looks on.
This exhibit was just one of the dramatic moments in Hamilton court Friday during a sentencing hearing for the ex-boyfriend of the girl's mother. The man, 35, has pleaded guilty to making and possessing child pornography, sexual interference and voyeurism.
The Crown wants a 15-year sentence. His lawyer is arguing for 10. He'll be sentenced on Feb. 16.
Friday's arguments were gut-wrenching. The man sat in the prisoner's box with his feet shackled, a pale earring in his ear and his dark hair slicked back into a ponytail. He stared at the floor as assistant Crown attorney Janet Booy relayed the facts.
The girl was living with her mother and the man when he made her available for abuse via the online advertising service, Booy said. She was abused vaginally, orally and anally.
Booy said the ex-boyfriend, who isn't being named to protect the girl's identity, waited until others in the house were asleep before he invited adults over to abuse the girl, too.
"It was, at one point, three adults on one seven-year-old child for their own depraved sexual gratification," she said.
'Like a piece of property'
"He advertised her like a piece of property on Craigslist. It was planned and deliberate abuse."
The man also had a collection of child pornography that included 4,117 images and videos, Booy said. All but 147 were of the seven-year-old girl.
There were sniffles and tears throughout the courtroom as Booy mentioned the girl holding a doll of Bert from Sesame Street as she was being abused, or clutching a Dora the Explorer blanket.
The man also took video of the girl through a hole in the bathroom wall when she was naked, she said, and he shared it with others.
Man was abused as a child
The man, who is Indigenous, suffered an abusive childhood himself, said defence attorney Cody Cornale.
With a background marred by the effects of residential schools, the man's step father abused him for years during his childhood, Cornale said.
Child sex abuse is often intergenerational. CSA in residential schools unleashed an astonishing amount of evil upon indigenous people. They are still suffering from it and will for generations more unless something is done to stop the abuse and get help for the abused.
It's not an excuse, Cornale said. The man is remorseful, and eager to get counselling and serve time for his actions.
But as outlined in a Gladue report, which is a pre-sentence report for offenders with an Indigenous background, his life was "marked by sexual and physical abuse, as well as alcohol and drug addiction" that lasted generations, Cornale said.
Booy said that's more reason why the man should have known better.
Torn to the core
"He himself knew the pain of people not listening to him as a child saying he was abused, and yet he perpetuates it in the forms we have before us today," she said.
Four other people were charged in relation to the abuse of the girl. Last month, Sonya Lucas was sentenced to six years and five months (2nd story on link). She was a prostitute who took part in abusing the girl.
As for the girl, she's nine now and living in the Georgian Bay area with her dad, her aunt said. She's taking dance lessons. She drew the picture at her aunt's house.
Fifteen years isn't nearly long enough, the aunt said.
"Just hearing all the graphic details has torn me to my core."
I agree. 15 years should be the minimum amount of time he spends in jail. The girl needs to grow up and get strong without the fear of meeting him again.
Decorated Sydney police sergeant stabbed
by child sex offender
Ava Benny-Morrison, Janet Fife-Yeomans, Ashleigh Gleeson, Sarah Crawford and Sam McBeath, The Daily Telegraph
CRITICALLY wounded detective John Breda’s condition in hospital has improved slightly but senior police warn he is still not out of danger.
The highly-respected detective sergeant from the NSW Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad was stabbed in the chest and torso during what should have been a routine arrest at Maroubra in Sydney’s east on Australia Day.
The 45-year-old was with two other colleagues when they attempted to arrest accused sex offender Nick Newman, 33, in the beer garden of the Maroubra Junction Hotel.
Honoured cop.... Detective Sergeant John Breda. Picture: ABC News/Alex McDonaldHunted... Nick Newman was wanted on arrest warrant for child sex offences.
Newman lunged at Sgt Breda, a father-of-two, with a knife before the two other detectives shot him dead.
The decorated officer, 45, who has children with his wife Kim, was rushed to St Vincent’s Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery in a critical condition.
The officer, who has also worked at the Middle Eastern Organised Crime Squad, underwent emergency surgery on Friday night.
Acting NSW Police Commissioner Dave Hudson visited the hospital today and was briefed by medical staff about the maimed officer’s condition.
“I can indicate Det Sgt Breda is still in a very serious but stable condition,” Mr Hudson said.
“Obviously we are not medical experts but we have spoken to them.
“They are comfortable with his progress so far however he is by no means out of danger.”
Nick Newman, pervert. Not smiling now!
Police Minister Troy Grant, also visited the Darlinghurst hospital on Saturday, thanked the brilliant hospital staff, paramedics and police who helped Det Sgt Breda.
“There actions have been lifesaving and we are forever in their debt,” he said.
“It’s the worst phone call a minister can get to hear one of NSW’s finest has been injured so severely with his life at threat.”
Police gather near the scene of the fatal incident at the Maroubra Junction Hotel.
Newman had been due to front Penrith Local Court on Wednesday on six counts of rape and one count each of indecent assault against a child as well as one count of intentionally choke a person with recklessness.
After he failed to show up the court issued an arrest warrant and police issued a public appeal as they hunted for him.
Child Abuse and Sex Crime Squad Sgt Breda, a veteran of the force who has spent time in the Middle Eastern Organised Crime Squad, and his two colleagues arrived at the hotel about 3.15pm yesterday and tried to arrest Newman in the beer garden when things went wrong.
Newman, 33, was heard arguing with the officers before pulling out a knife and lunging at them, stabbing Sgt Breda.
He was then quickly gunned down.
Please take a moment and pray for Sergeant Breda and his family.
Welsh teacher jailed for historical abuse of five children
By Lee MacGregor
A former teacher has been jailed for seven years for the historical abuse of five children.
62-year-old Robert David Hughes, of Ystrad Drive, Johnstown, Carmarthen was found guilty following a trial at Swansea Crown Court (2nd story on link) of eleven separate charges relating to child sexual abuse against five victims.
The charges were eight counts of indecent assault and three counts of attempted indecent assault, which were committed while Mr Hughes was employed in educational establishments in Carmarthenshire and Herefordshire.
He was sentenced to a total of seven years imprisonment and must remain on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.
Temporary Chief Superintendent Steve Cockwell, the Senior Investigating Officer, said: “I am pleased with this verdict today, and hope that it will provide some sense of justice to the victims after all these years.
“I hope that this result gives victims who have experienced similar abuse at any stage of their life the confidence to report it to the police, and that Dyfed-Powys Police will do everything in its power to bring offenders to justice.”
Guatemala tackles child sex abuse with DNA database,
sex offender registry
by Anastasia Moloney | @anastasiabogota | Thomson Reuters Foundation
BOGOTA - A new national DNA database and sex offender registry should increase child sex abuse convictions in Guatemala, where such crimes are rarely punished, campaigners and lawmakers said.
Ten cases of child sex abuse are reported every day in the Central America nation, often carried out behind closed doors at the hands of family members or friends, according to Guatemala's human rights ombudsman.
The law passed last month requires people working with children to provide a certificate proving they have no previous convictions of sex crimes, while all employers are required to conduct background checks through a new sex offenders registry.
"We believe this prevents violence from happening in the first place, as perpetrators can be removed from positions of authority in which they could harm more children," said Brad Twedt, director of International Justice Mission (IJM) in Guatemala.
In the few weeks since the law came into effect more than 223,000 certificates have been issued, said IJM, a rights group that campaigned to get the law passed.
The legislation has also exposed more than 30 school teachers and other staff who had been convicted for child sex abuse working at schools across Guatemala, IJM said.
"The sex offender registry is a reflection of the great shift that the government has made in prioritising the protection of children from sexual violence," Twedt told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
The registry will collect information on those convicted of sex crimes, including rape, and help authorities keep track of them for five years after their release from prison.
"Sexual violence is still very much a taboo subject, but the government is taking a leading role in changing that with the implementation of this registry," Twedt said.
As part of the law, a DNA database will keep genetic information on people detained on charges of sex crimes, which can help prosecutors better identify and convict offenders.
Congressman Leonel Lira, who spearheaded the law, said it marked a new era in the investigation and prosecution of child abuse and rape.
According to a 2009 report by the U.N. Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG), nearly 90 percent of crimes against children go unpunished.
One of the consequences of sexual violence is a high level of teenage pregnancy. Thousands of girls, some as young as 10, get pregnant every year as a result of rape, campaigners say.
(Reporting by Anastasia Moloney @anastasiabogota, Editing by Ros Russell; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights, climate change and resilience. Visit http://news.trust.org)
UK child sex offender jailed for 14 years
A man who committed child sex offences in both Cumbria and Lancashire has been jailed for 14 years.
Mohammed Kahlil Aziz, 39, of Goldfinch Street, Preston, was sentenced today (26/1/18) at Carlisle Crown Court.
He was jailed for attempted rape and two counts of sexual assault committed against a child in Cumbria between 2010 and 2012.
He was also sentenced for attempted rape and a sexual assault committed against a child in Lancashire in 2007.
Aziz was found guilty by a jury at an earlier hearing. He must abide by an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
Detective Constable Adam Braniff, North Cumbria CID, said:
"I am pleased to see that justice has been served and that Aziz will be going away for his despicable actions.
"In relation to the offences he committed in Cumbria, Aziz took advantage of a child and made them feel as if they could not speak out on what he had done to them.
"Throughout his interviews Aziz denied all the offences put towards him by detectives which I believe indicated a complete lack of remorse.
"I would like to take this opportunity to praise the bravery of the victims. Without their help and trust in the police, Aziz would not have been brought to justice.
"I hope that this sentencing can bring Aziz's victims some form of closure."
"I also hope that this encourages anyone who has been a victim of a sexual offence to come forward and report it to police. A victim can be reassured that their case will be investigated professionally and sensitively."
Speaking about the offences committed in Lancashire, Detective Constable Jim Power of Lancashire Police said:
"Aziz is a sexual predator who abused a child when he knew they were alone and vulnerable.
"It is my view that the attempted rape would have gone further had Aziz not been disturbed by the opening of the front door.
"The effect that his sickening actions have had on the victim cannot be underestimated and I thank him for having the courage to come forward and report what happened, despite the passage of time.
"I hope that today's result will mean that he can now move forward with his life knowing justice has been done.
"I would urge anyone who has suffered sexual abuse to speak to us. We want victims to feel confident that they will be treated with compassion and that we will do everything possible to trace those responsible and take action against them."
Claire Hilton, Senior Crown Prosecutor for the North West Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Unit, said:
"Mohammed Aziz has shown no remorse throughout the case and in pleading not guilty to the offences; he put his victims through the further ordeal of giving evidence against him at a trial."
"I would like to pay tribute to those victims; it is due to their immense strength and bravery in coming forward and testifying against him that we have been able to bring him to justice.
"I sincerely hope that following today's sentence they will finally be able to move on with their lives."
An NSPCC spokesperson said:
“The victims in this case have shown great courage in coming forward and giving evidence so that justice can be served. “Aziz not only subjected his victims to this appalling abuse but has made them relive these horrific experiences through the trial."
“Child sexual abuse can have devastating and long-lasting effects and it is important that they now are given all the support they need to move forward.”
Anyone concerned about a child can contact the NSPCC Helpline, in confidence, on 0808 8005000. Children seeking advice and support can call Childline on 0800 1111 or via www.childline.org.uk
If you wish to report a crime or speak to an officer about an incident, please contact Cumbria Police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Norwegian Abnormality: Child Sex Abuse Soars,
Other Crime Goes Down
A third of sexual abuse reports in 2017 involved abuse against children, according to Norwegian police chief Odd Reidar Humlegård.
Justice Minister Sylvi Listhaug
Despite the overall decline in crime, reported sexual abuse, above all against children, is on the rise, according to the recent figures for 2017 published by the Norwegian police.
At the national level, the number of reported cases of abuse of children aged 14-16 increased by 182.3 percent since 2013. During the same period, reported abuse of children under 14 increased by 73.1 percent. In the Western police district alone, reports of sex abuse against children under 14 have increased by 132 percent in 2017.
"It's a huge boost. This is partly due to an increased detection of 'dark numbers,' and partly because it has a greater spread, especially in network-related cases. They involve many people and have been going on for many years," Humlegård told national broadcaster NRK.
The police chief referred to the Dark Room case, in which a pedophile ring involving dozens of people was detected, and the Tysfjord case, in which over 150 rapes and sexual assaults happening over decades in the tiny eponymous municipality in the Arctic were brought to light.
"Often, the child knows the perpetrator. Often these are people they are attached to, and it happens in a life situation from which the child cannot escape," Humlegård said, as quoted by Norwegian TV-channel TV2.
As regards other crime, though, Norway has seen a steady decline for five consecutive years, the police reported.
"Between 2013 and 2017, there's been a decline of 70,000 registered cases, which is very much," Humlegård said emphasizing a marked drop in crimes against property, in particular burglary, theft and robbery, which have fallen between 40 and 55 percent over the past five years.
In 2017, 52.6 percent of all reported offenses were solved. Although a decline of 0.8 percent compared with 2016, it is nevertheless an increase of 2.2 percent compared with 2013.
In 2016, Statistics Norway reported the lowest crime rate in 24 years, with 336,500 reported offences, prompting an increase of confidence in police work for the third consecutive year, reaching a solid 83 percent.
"Where people don't feel safe is online. There is a lot of cybercrime going on, and it's increasing greatly. Fraud, scams, threats, bullying. The police must follow up," Humlegård said, pointing out that confidence in the police reached its lowest point in such matters.
Newly appointed Justice Minister Sylvi Listhaug lauded the police effort behind the reduced crime rate.
"Nevertheless, we are entering a future when crime is moving from the street to the net," Listhaug told NRK.
More South Wales Police officers 'a priority'
as rapes rise
Extra police officers need to be recruited as a "priority" to help tackle a big rise in sexual assaults, a police and crime commissioner has said.
South Wales Police reported a 257% rise in rape and serious sexual offences, from 727 offences in 2011-12 to a projected 2,593 in 2017-18.
Commissioner Alun Michael said a planned recruitment of 148 officers and staff needed to be completed soon.
NSPCC Wales said sex offences against children had risen "alarmingly".
A report by Mr Michael said extra staff for a specialist crime unit was proposed in 2016, with officers to tackle domestic abuse, child protection and sex abuse expected to be phased in by August 2019.
It said the "effective protection of vulnerable people" was the greatest challenge facing South Wales Police. "It's concentrating on the biggest needs and biggest vulnerabilities," said Mr Michael.
Experienced officers would be moved into the new unit and their posts would be back-filled by new officers and staff.
But Mr Michael said increases in sex crimes meant the posts should be filled sooner - by the end of the 2018-19 financial year. His report said:
There would be an extra 500 registered sex offenders in the next three years, based on current trends
There had been a 31% increase in registered sex offender cases, from 1,551 in December 2013 to 2,031 in December 2017
Referrals to child sexual abuse independent inquiries have increased from 16 in 2016 to 27 in 2017
Investigations into reports of historical child sex abuse have risen from 16 in 2015 to 25 in 2017
There had been a 109% rise in missing people reports from 4,079 in 2012 to 8,531 in 2016-17 - the current daily average is 23 compared to 11 four years ago
NSPCC Wales said its own research showed the number of recorded sexual offences against children had "risen alarmingly year on year in Wales and has tripled in the past decade".
"As well as being fuelled by a significant increase in offences committed online, we believe that improved recording of offences by the police and an increased willingness of victims to come forward have contributed to this troubling rise," a spokesman said.
The report sets out key issues to be considered in determining South Wales Police's budget and to set the precept which people pay towards the force as part of their council tax.
Mr Michael recommended that to cope with the extra demands and continued cuts to the force's budget that the police precept for council tax for 2018-19 increase by 7%.
That would mean an extra £1.27 per month for a band D property - taking the total household contribution to the police budget to £233.52 a year.
The Police and Crime Panel will consider the report at its meeting on 30 January.
No comments:
Post a Comment