Aerosmith's Steven Tyler's CSA trial approaching; World Snooker Champ indicted for CSA; Monster coach gets 31 years in Cheshire; SC Lawmaker steps down in face of CSAM trial

 

STEVEN TYLER ACCUSER BLASTS HIS LATEST BID TO DISMISS CHILD SEX LAWSUIT WITH TRIAL LOOMING

The woman suing him says “rewarding” Tyler for moving her to a state with a lower age of consent would be wrong

AUGUST 7, 2025

Steven Tyler at Steven Tyler’s Jam for Janie Grammy Awards Viewing Party, held at the Hollywood Palladium on Feb. 2CHAD SALVADOR/VARIETY

The woman suing Steven Tyler with claims the Aerosmith singer sexually abused her in the Seventies when she was 16, and he was in his mid-20s, is firing back at his latest attempt to dismiss her lawsuit ahead of a looming trial.

In new court filings obtained by Rolling Stone, Julia Misley says the court must deny Tyler’s bid to thwart her lawsuit before their Oct. 1 trial date because it has a “fatal” flaw. She claims Tyler — a California resident who allegedly sexually assaulted her in Oregon, Washington, Massachusetts, and at the Beverly Hills Hotel in California when she was still a minor — waited too long to claim that he can’t be sued under California’s Child Victims Act because he and Misley lived together in Boston for most of their relationship, and the Massachusetts age of consent is 16 years old.

Misley argues Tyler “waived” that purported defense, which she describes as a “choice of law and application” defense, by not raising it in his prior answers to her complaint. Beyond that, “public policy doesn’t support rewarding someone who intentionally brought a child to a state with less protection,” she and her lawyers add in their new filing ahead of an Aug. 28 hearing on the dismissal motion, known as a motion for summary judgment.

According to Misley, Tyler also failed to “properly plead” the statutes of limitations of the other states outside California as a defense. She argues that her allegations of assaults “in multiple states” were known to Tyler when he filed his amended answer on April 4, 2025, but he never listed the exact “section numbers” of the statutes in Oregon, Washington, or Massachusetts he’s now invoking. “Therefore, he cannot raise these issues now, and the court should deny the motion,” the filing states.

Reached by phone today, Tyler’s lawyer said the defense hasn’t forfeited anything. “It’s there. We challenged the statute of limitations,” attorney David Long-Daniels tells Rolling Stone. According to Long-Daniels, Tyler’s fifth affirmative defense listed in the April answer, which claims the lawsuit is barred by “the applicable statute of limitations,” is enough to cover all their pending arguments. 

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In his motion for summary judgment

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Former world snooker champion Graeme Dott faces trial for child sexual abuse

• Trial set for next August in Glasgow

• The 48-year-old denies both charges

PA Media

Thu 14 Aug 2025 16.59 BST

The former world snooker champion Graeme Dott is to stand trial next year over allegations of child sexual abuse. The 48-year-old is accused of two charges relating to primary school age children.

The allegations span between 1993 and 1996 involving a girl, and 2006 to 2010 involving a boy, both in the Glasgow region. A virtual hearing at the high court in Glasgow on Thursday was told Dott, who was not present, denies the charges.

Defending, Euan Dow said: “He pleads not guilty to two charges on the indictment. The position of the accused is that the allegations are fabricated and there is no truth in any of them.”

A trial date was set for 17 August next year at the same court and bail was continued.

Dott won the 2006 World Snooker Championship and was runner-up in 2004 and 2010.

'Monster' football coach jailed for sexual abuse

Phil McCann,  
BBC News, North West
Richard Price
BBC News, West Midlands

William Woods, 67, was found guilty by a jury in June after an eight-week trial

A former grassroots football coach described as a "monster of a man" has been jailed for 31 years after carrying out dozens of sex offences against eight children over a period spanning four decades.

William Woods, 67, was convicted at Chester Crown Court in June of 57 offences across Cheshire.

As a coach, Woods would regularly be in the company of young people, establishing a position of trust with their parents and creating influence, police said following Friday's sentencing hearing.

He would bring multiple children together at his home to "act out his warped sexual fantasies" by encouraging them to abuse one another.

Woods' crimes, in Crewe and Northwich between 1976 and 2006, included attempted rape, inciting children to commit acts of gross indecency and inciting boys to engage in sexual activity.

The court also heard how Woods physically abused his victims, locking them in cupboards and burning them with cigarettes or a pan.

The offences did not come to light until Cheshire Police were approached by one of his victims in 2018.

After his conviction earlier this summer, police said Woods had abused the position of trust he had earned, describing him as a "malignant and opportunistic sexual predator".

Woods, of Lawton Street, Congleton, was arrested in 2022 but denied committing any abuse, claiming he had never met any of the victims, accusing them of lying.

'Childhood destroyed'

Speaking during the sentencing hearing on Friday, one of his victims said Woods had destroyed his childhood and changed his life forever.

"My behaviour as a child changed. I started to play up and get into trouble," he said.

He described Woods as "a monster of a man" and added: "I've grown up with a very negative view of homosexuality and homosexuals. It's hugely impacted my relationships with other men."

He said he had found it "incredibly difficult" to manage the rage he felt towards Woods.

"I wanted him to die as I didn't think he deserved to live after what he did to me."

Giving evidence against Woods had given him strength, he added.

After giving his statement, he turned to the judge and appealed to him directly to make sure Woods never left prison.

Another of his victims said: "I felt that what Woods did to me was normal and was love.

"I live each day with the emotional and physical scars."

A third victim speaking in court on Friday said they had been left with "deep trust issues" and had trouble making and maintaining friendships.

"The pain and trauma from that time will forever be an unwanted time of me," he said.

Other victims, via written statements read in court, spoke of their fear of not being believed and of battles with anxiety and depression.

By pleading not guilty and making everyone go to court "was [Woods'] final way of abusing me", one said.

Another said Woods had told them he would be arrested and get in trouble if he told anyone about what had happened.

Addressing Woods, Judge Patrick Thompson said: "You used your status as an adult who'd been in the army to scare victims."

"There was a level of sophistication in your offending – which was tailored to each victim."

He added: "You present as an arrogant and cruel man who lacks empathy for your victims."

'Prolific, serial paedophile'

Prosecution lawyer John Philpotts KC said Woods had been dismissed from the army in 1983 for disgraceful conduct involving indecency.

He sexually assaulted a young recruit while he was in a position of authority over him in the army, he added.

He said Woods also had a conviction in 1988 for gross indecency involving two males, one of whom was under 21 - the age of consent at the time.

In 2006 he was made subject of an extended sentence of 15 years in prison for sexual offences against three boys under the age of 16.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said in June the investigation into Woods' crimes had been one of the biggest child sex abuse cases in the Mersey-Cheshire area due to the volume of offending and number of victims.

Sarah Egan, crown advocate at the CPS, said then: "[Woods] is a prolific, serial paedophile who brought misery and suffering to these victims at various points over a 30-year period, via a campaign of grooming, duress and abuse."

Facing 10 Counts Of Distributing Childhood Sexual Abuse Material, Anti-LGBTQ+ SC Lawmaker Finally Gives Up Seat In The House

August 15, 2025 Margaret Hetherman

RJ May crusaded against LGBTQ interests in the name of “protecting the innocence of children” – sexual images of toddlers were later tracked to his devices.

Robert John ‘RJ’ May III, a fixture of GOP politics in South Carolina, had backed bills aimed at banning gender-affirming care for youth and that deemed venues with drag shows as “a sexually oriented business“. 

The three-term Republican has now resigned from the House of Representatives, two months after being charged with 10 counts of distributing sexual abuse material involving children (formerly known as “child pornography”). Since his arrest on June 11 following a long investigation, May has been locked up in the Edgefield County jail awaiting trial. Given that he has young children at home, the appoximate age of those he’s accused of exploiting, prosecutors requested successfully that bail be denied.

“I have decided it is in the best interest of my family and constituents to resign immediately from the South Carolina House of Representatives,” May wrote in his resignation letter.

Remarkably, up until now, the state rep and founding member of uber-conservative South Carolina Freedom Caucus had maintained his seat in the House. He was however suspended without pay per state law concerning public officials indicted on felonies.

Federal investigators had started tracking May after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children got a cyber-tip and was contacted by messaging app Kik. Kik had flagged videos depicting child sexual abuse from username “joebidennnn69”. In a hearing last June, prosecutors said that 220 videos and images of toddlers and young children had been saved onto that account. They took possession of May’s computer in August and were able to connect “joebidennnn69” to May’s home IP address and cellphone. Homeland Security Investigations also got involved.

Per The Guardian, “Prosecutors also looked at whether May had used a fake name to travel to Colombia multiple times after they found videos on his laptop of him allegedly having sex with three girls or women. An agent from the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) testified the three appeared to be underage and were paid. Agents have not been able to locate the three.”

Prior to being known as a closet purveyor of imagery that exploited children in the worst possible way, the 38-year-old father of two was more widely known for trying to ban young trans people from receiving the full range of healthcare, and prohibit minors from attending drag shows (per Legislature, “intended to provide sexual stimulation or sexual gratification”). The irony of his claims to be “protecting childhood innocence” is lost on no one. Many of his fellow Republicans had the decency to disassociate from him, but not enough decency to remove him for good from the seat.

Some members in the South Carolina House had called for his resignation, and a House Ethics Committee was already underway which might have resulted in his expulsion. But during the investigation, May continued to show up to session daily (though reportedly, keeping a low profile). And while he ceased being a member of the Freedom Caucus, he voted along their interests.

Per justice gov statement: May faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison with a minimum of five years, a fine of $250,000, and a term of at least five years of supervised release to follow any term of imprisonment.

According to court filings, May is scheduled to appear in federal court Aug. 20 for a pre-trial hearing. Jury selection is scheduled to begin Sept. 10. May’s attorney is requesting a delay.

If you or someone you know is the victim of child abuse, call or text the Childhelp abuse hotline on 800-422-4453 or visit their website for resources and to report child abuse or DM for help.