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Former Florida corrections officer gets six life sentences
for sexually abusing, choking children
March 04, 2022 at 7:21 pm EST
By Theresa Seiger, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
CITRUS COUNTY, Fla. — A judge on Thursday sentenced a former Florida corrections officer to serve six consecutive life sentences after a jury convicted him of child sex abuse and battery charges.
Officials with the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office arrested James Touchton, 40, on March 11, 2019, after two young girls reported that he had begun abusing them in August 2018, according to deputies and the Citrus County Chronicle. At the time, he was working as a corrections officer at Lowell Correctional Institute in Marion County, the Chronicle reported.
Deputies said the victims, who were both under 12 years old, detailed multiple incidents of abuse.
Jurors found Touchton guilty of six counts of capital sexual battery on a child under 12 and two counts of domestic battery by strangulation. Judge Richard “Ric” Howard subsequently sentenced him to serve six consecutive life sentences for the sexual battery charges and two consecutive five-year sentences for domestic battery.
In 2019, Citrus County Sheriff Mike Prendergast told WTSP that Touchton “used his authority over these two juveniles to manipulate them into unspeakable acts.”
“A possible lifetime in prison sentence for James Touchton is nothing in comparison to the physical and emotional harm he has inflicted on his victims,” he said at the time, according to WTSP.
On Friday, Prendergast said “justice has been served.” He praised special victims’ unit detectives and officials with the child protection team at the child advocacy center Jessie’s Place for their contributions to the case.
“Touchton will spend the rest of his life in prison and will never be able to abuse another child,” Prendergast said. “While this can never undo the harm done to his (victims), I hope they will find solace in knowing Touchton will spend the rest of his life in prison.”
Bellingham man pleads guilty to sexually abusing two children
over three year period
BY DENVER PRATT
MARCH 08, 2022 5:00 AM
A Bellingham, WA man has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing two children under the age of 10 over the course of three years.
Zachary Thomas McFarland, 27, pleaded guilty March 1 in Whatcom County Superior Court to five counts of first-degree child molestation (domestic violence), two counts of second-degree incest (domestic violence) and two counts of violation of a domestic no-contact order (domestic violence).
McFarland was previously charged with five counts of first-degree child molestation (domestic violence) and two counts of second-degree incest (domestic violence), according to court records.
In August 2021, McFarland’s charges were amended to include two counts of violating a domestic no-contact order for having contact with one of the victims via video chat in March and April 2021, court records show.
McFarland’s sentencing hearing is tentatively scheduled for May 6. McFarland was arrested in October 2020 after Bellingham police were notified by Child Protective Services of alleged sexual abuse of two children, according to court records.
Disney employees busted in child trafficking sting just days after corporation opposed anti-grooming law
The Sheriff of Polk County held a press conference on Wednesday talking about the culmination of a massive sting operation which lead to 108 arrests being made, including employees of FunSpot and Disney.
This announcement comes after on March 9, just days ago, the CEO of Disney loudly and publicly opposed Florida's new "anti-grooming" law, which, according to polls, is supported by over 60 percent of Americans.
The so-named "Operation March Sadness Two" was a multi-agency effort centered around Florida's Polk County, which lies just southwest of the Orlando urban area, and is a highly touristic area.
According to local area news, people included among those 108 who have been arrested "include a retired judge from Illinois, a few restaurant managers, a man who works at FunSpot and several who work at Disney."
People arrested were as young as 17 years old, and as old as 67. Most of them are now facing charges of soliciting a prostitute, but further charges may be laid in certain cases, as the case may be.
Sheriff Grady Judd during his press conference particularly highlighted the case of the 27-year-old Xavier Jackson of Kissimmee Florida, who was one of the people caught in the operation, and "just happens to be a lifeguard at the Polynesian Resort for Disney."
"You think there's a few children around there?" the sheriff continued in his discourse. "That's right, I didn't stutter. He was a lifeguard at the Polynesian Resort. And was bragging about that."
Jackson is accused of sending explicit photos to someone who he thought was only 14 years old.
The new Florida bill makes it easier for authorities to act against "grooming" behavior in which children are inappropriately sexualized. It has been termed the "don't say gay" bill by its detractors, but also enjoys wide support from people on both sides of the political aisle.
Polk Co., Fla
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