7 men arrested in Snohomish Co. WA,
child sex abuse sting
Seven men from various parts of Washington State were arrested in an operation identifying individuals allegedly involved in child sex exploitation
Author: KING 5 Staff
SEATTLE — Seven men were arrested in Snohomish County over the course of several days as a part of an operation that identifies people allegedly involved in sexual abuse of a child.
The men were from different areas of Washington: two in Bellingham, one in Seattle, one in Monroe, two in Everett and one in Arlington.
They were all arrested as a part of the "Operation Net Nanny," the 18th operation spearheaded by Washington State Patrol's Missing and Exploited Children Task Force (MECTF).
MECTF proactively targets those involved in child abuse and child exploitation over the internet.
The primary crimes being investigated in this operation were attempted first- and second-degree rape of a child, commercial sexual abuse of a minor, sexual exploitation of a minor and communication with a minor for immoral purposes.
It is unclear what each suspect was arrested for.
70 law enforcement officers and agents were involved in the operation. Those agencies included officers from the Snohomish County Prosecutor's Office, Snohomish Regional Drug Task Force, Washington State Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, Everett Police Department, the FBI and the NCIS.
Since it's original operation in 2015, MECTF has arrested a total of 294 people and rescued more than 31 children across the state.
Anyone who may have information on these cases is asked to contact MECTF at
mectf@wsp.wa.gov.
Trial underway for former Brooke Co., WVa,
teacher accused of child sexual abuse
by: WTRF Staff
BROOKE COUNTY, W.Va. (WTRF) – The criminal trial for a former Brooke County teacher got underway Tuesday morning.
Judge Ronald Wilson listened to opening statements from both the defense and prosecution.
The prosecution provided an overview of the evidence that would be presented while defense attorney, Robert McCoid, pointed out several inconsistencies in the alleged victim’s statement.
Questioning of the witnesses by the prosecution began immediately following the opening statements.
Timothy Turner is accused of sexual abuse of a child off school property.
Brooke Co., WVa
Utah teacher’s aid arrested for investigation of
child abuse
By Pat Reavy, KSL
PARK CITY — A 33-year-old teacher’s aid in the Wasatch School District was arrested Tuesday for allegedly providing alcohol to students and encouraging them to have sexual contact with each other, according to police.
Ashley Ann Morgan, of Park City, was booked into the Summit County Jail for investigation of child abuse, witness tampering and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. She posted bail by Tuesday afternoon.
On Sept. 20, Morgan had “multiple Wasatch County School District students” at her house, according to a prepared statement from the Summit County Sheriff’s Office.
One 17-year-old student told investigators that Morgan, who used to be an employee with the Division of Child and Family Services, invited her and two male students to her home to drink alcohol.
“The female student said Morgan provided alcohol to her and the male students and encouraged the female student to have sexual contact with one of the males,” according to the statement.
Investigators say Morgan later texted the female student “telling her if she was interviewed by the authorities or police to tell them she was never at Morgan’s house and nothing ever happened” and “threatened to disclose personal information of the student” she obtained from being a DCFS worker if she did tell police, according to the statement.
A spokeswoman with the Wasatch School District said that Morgan has been with the district for less than a year. In a statement, the district confirmed Morgan has been placed on administrative leave.
“The district can confirm the employee, who was hired at the beginning of this year, passed the extensive background check standard for all new employees. As this is an ongoing investigation, the district cannot make any further comments. Any parents with specific concerns about this case should contact their principal or law enforcement,” the statement said.
A DCFS representative said Morgan was employed as a case social worker from 2016 until 2018, when she voluntarily resigned. She underwent an extensive background check before she was hired.
While DCFS would not comment specifically about Morgan’s case, the division said it puts a lot of trust in its case workers, and the allegations are saddening.
Former Rich Co., Ut, commissioner charged with
child sexual abuse
By Amy Donaldson and Pat Reavy, KSL
LAKETOWN, Rich County — Former Rich County Commissioner Tom Weston has been charged with sexually abusing a child.
Weston, 68, of Laketown, who served as a commissioner for 18 years before retiring in 2018, was charged Monday in 1st District Court with sodomy on a child and aggravated sexual abuse of a child, both first degree felonies.
According to a police affidavit, the investigation began on Jan. 22 when the Rich County Sheriff’s Office received a report that Weston had abused a 14-year-old female relative “numerous times over about a 1 1/2- to 2-year period.”
On Jan. 24, Rich County Sheriff Dale Stacey, who was the arresting officer in the case, set up a phone call between the girl and Weston that was monitored and recorded by detectives.
“Mr. Weston admitted to doing inappropriate things to the girl that would ‘probably put me in prison the rest of my life,’” the affidavit states.
Weston was arrested that same day, according to police.
Charging documents state the alleged offenses date back to 2018. The case is being prosecuted by the Cache County Attorney’s Office to avoid a conflict of interest.
During his initial appearance in court on Tuesday via video from the Rich County Jail, bail was increased to $50,000, according to court documents. Additionally, Weston was ordered, should he make bail, “not have any direct or indirect contact with the alleged victim or with the immediate family and no contact with any child under the age of 18 years,” court records state.
Additionally, Cache County Chief Deputy Attorney Tony Baird informed the court that his office is preparing to file additional charges.
Weston’s next court hearing is scheduled for Feb. 12.
Former Idaho teacher, coach sentenced to 15 years
in prison for sexual abuse of student
Dozens of offences, but he could be out in 4 years
BY RUTH BROWN
Idaho Statesman
An Ada County judge sentenced former Eagle High teacher and coach Jeff Ranstrom on Tuesday to 15 years in prison for the repeated sexual abuse of a student.
Ranstrom, 32, of Star, pleaded guilty in November to sexual battery by lewd and lascivious conduct of a 16- or 17-year-old child.
Fourth District Judge Jonathan Medema sentenced Ranstrom to four years fixed, meaning he could be eligible for parole after four years of the 15-year sentence are served. Ranstrom will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
The Ada County Sheriff’s Office previously said that Ranstrom sexually abused a 17-year-old girl and that evidence showed he had contact with her “dozens of times” between March and August of 2019.
Ranstrom was initially charged with three other felony sex crimes connected to the girl’s abuse, and two counts of burglary, but those charges were dismissed pursuant to a plea agreement.
Ada County Deputy Prosecutor John Dinger explained that Ranstrom groomed the victim in a “textbook” manner, dating back to when she was 15. Dinger said Ranstrom took advantage of her family situation and his position of authority. Prior to the sexual abuse, he became controlling, bought the victim gifts, and directed her on what she should wear and whom she should see, Dinger said.
He sent her inappropriate, sexual text messages and manipulated the victim into believing this was a “relationship” rather than abuse. Presentencing investigators said Ranstrom was narcissistic and repeatedly minimized his actions.
Ranstrom was married at the time of the abuse, and Dinger noted that Ranstrom had “the audacity to refer to this as an affair.” “His supporters seem to see this an affair,” Dinger said. “They show little regard for the victim.”
Ranstrom repeatedly abused the child, including going into her home while her parents were asleep. Dinger said there were times when he manipulated her into complying with various things that she did not want to do and made her feel guilty when she tried to end the interactions with him.
Dinger also said the suspect has repeatedly called this a “mistake” and has not taken proper accountability. Ranstrom confessed to the police only after his brothers caught him with the victim, authorities said.
The victim spoke at sentencing, telling the judge that Ranstrom was manipulative and isolating. She said she repeatedly told Ranstrom that she wanted to end the relationship.
Defense attorney Gabriel McCarthy said Ranstrom first reached out to him because he wanted to confess to a crime and he needed legal advice. McCarthy said his client cooperated with police.
“He didn’t try to keep this from law enforcement. He was motivated by doing the right thing,” McCarthy said.
By doing that, the victim did not have to testify before a jury, McCarthy said, and his client was trying to remove some of the victim’s pain.
Ranstrom said prior to sentencing that he is “haunted” by his actions. “There’s not words to describe how terrible the things are that I’ve done,” Ranstrom told the judge.
In addition to teaching, Ranstrom was the coach of the Eagle High School boys basketball team. The West Ada School District confirmed that Ranstrom resigned from his teaching and coaching positions on Sept. 23.
Medema said he considers Ranstrom a risk to the community and that his manipulative actions speak to his character.
“This young lady was not old enough or mature enough, through no fault of her own, to recognize what you were doing to her,” Medema said.
Man sentenced for child sexual abuse
in Ohio Amish community
Peter Smith
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
WARREN, Ohio —
For the second time in less than a week (12th story on link), members of an Amish community sat in a courtroom where one of their own was sentenced to prison for sexually molesting a minor from their community.
Judge Andrew Logan of the Trumbull County, Ohio, Court of Common Pleas sentenced Daniel Ray Kurtz to two years in prison. Kurtz had pleaded guilty in December to two counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor for engaging a 14-year-old boy in oral sex in the summer of 2019 at his rural home in Middlefield, Ohio.
A half-dozen men and women from his Amish community, dressed in modest, dark suits and dresses, observed Tuesday’s sentencing.
Looking on from elsewhere in the courtroom were about 10 advocates for victims of child sexual abuse in Amish and related churches. They had traveled from various Ohio counties, part of a growing trend throughout the region, in which they’re showing up for court hearings in silent solidarity with victims.
Kurtz made a statement of remorse, and his attorneys noted that this was his first criminal conviction.
But Judge Logan pointed out that during the pre-sentencing investigation, Kurtz had admitted to having molested other children.
“You further acknowledged other violations with other children,” Judge Logan said. That “belies the suggestion that you’re not a potential recidivist.” The judge did not indicate when the earlier abuse occurred or whether it is under investigation.
“It is a very serious offense,” Judge Logan said. “… When you have relations with a minor child, that affects them for the rest of their lives.”
After the sentencing, Kurtz, 54, was handcuffed and led out by officers for transportation to prison. While he was being walked up the courtroom aisle, one of the women from his community briefly clutched his arm in a gesture of support. Another wiped away tears during the hearing.
Members of the group declined to comment to a reporter afterward.
Former Plaistow, NH, man sentenced to 12 to 24 years
for teen showering images, sex assault
By Jason Schreiber Union Leader
BRENTWOOD - A former Plaistow man could spend at least 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to taking photos of a teenage girl while she was showering and sexually assaulting her.
John DeRose, 40, who most recently lived in New Jersey, pleaded guilty Monday to two felony counts of manufacturing child sexual abuse images and three counts each of misdemeanor sexual assault and violation of privacy.
Rockingham County Superior Court Judge Marguerite Wageling sentenced DeRose to 12 to 24 years in state prison on one of the sexual abuse image charges, but two years of the minimum sentence could be suspended if he successfully completes a sex offender program.
He was also given another 10- to 20-year sentence, which will be suspended for 10 years from the date of his release, on the second sexual abuse image charge.
DeRose was sentenced to an additional two years on the remaining six charges, which will be served at the same time that he’s imprisoned on the other charges.
He was also ordered to pay up to $10,000 in restitution to cover counseling expenses for the victim, who is under 18, for a period of 10 years.
He’s not allowed to have contact with the victim or anyone else under 16 except for his biological son. And do you think his biological son is going to want to have anything to do with Dad?
DeRose was arrested by Plaistow police last August after an investigation that began when the teenage victim told police she saw DeRose’s cellphone over the shower curtain while she was showering.
County Attorney Patricia Conway said the victim was in agreement with the negotiated plea deal.
“It is the state’s hope that this sentence punishes the defendant for his crimes against a vulnerable child who trusted him. It is also our hope that this sentence serves as a deterrence to this defendant and to anyone else who may consider manufacturing child sexual abuse images and/or sexually assaulting a child. The defendant's actions were despicable and he deserves every day of the sentence in prison that was imposed,” she said.
Conway added that she hopes the sentences “bring about a sense of justice and closure for the young woman who, against all odds, bravely disclosed to the authorities what happened to her. I have no doubt that this intelligent young woman will go on to accomplish wonderful things in her life. The defendant's crimes will not define her.”
Moses Lake, WA, man sentenced to 50 years for
child pornography
by Connor Sarles, KXLY
SPOKANE, Wash. — A Moses Lake man has been sentenced to 50 years in federal prison for conspiracy to produce, production and possession of child pornography.
Ukrainian citizen and Moses Lake resident Mikhail Yuriy Ageyev pleaded guilty to the charges in October. Senior United States District Judge Wm. Fremming Nielsen sentenced Ageyev to 50 years in prison and lifetime court supervision after his release.
Law enforcement reportedly received CyberTips from Twitter and Microsoft about Ageyev’s internet activity.
CyberTips are reports filed to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), who then determine which law enforcement agency to forward the information to, based on location. The Moses Lake Police Department received CyberTips regarding Ageyev beginning on October 30, 2017, which they quickly followed up on with a series of search warrants on his online accounts.
Moses Lake Police then executed search warrants at Ageyev’s home on November 18, 2017, where he admitted to having child pornography on his phone, exchanged links, images, and other videos with others online, and had himself taken explicit photos of a child.
Ageyev was taken into custody after this, where a further investigation revealed that his girlfriend, Katrina Michelle Maradee Adams, was also involved in the production of child pornography.
Adams pleaded guilty to conspiracy to produce and distribution of child pornography in January 2019, and agreed to testify against Ageyev at his trial. She will be sentenced in February.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, this case was pursued as part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative to counter child sexual exploitation and abuse. It involves the integration of federal, state and local efforts to investigate and prosecute these cases, as well as training law enforcement agents and increasing public awareness to sexual exploitation.
Judge rules against day care sex abuser
in registration case
Don Lehman, Post-Star
QUEENSBURY — A child sex offender who sought to have his sex offender registration level lowered by claiming he didn’t force one of his victims to have sexual contact has lost his court challenge.
David L. Saladin pleaded guilty last year to three felony sexual abuse charges for having sexual contact with two young girls at a Queensbury day care facility where he worked in 2018. He was sentenced to 10 years on probation in a case that drew criticism for perceived lenience.
Warren County Judge John Hall deemed him a Level 3 sex offender, the highest risk of re-offending, but Saladin’s lawyer argued that the assessment of his client was incorrect.
Sex offender levels are set by a scoring system that gives points for factors in a case, such as use of force, abuser’s relationship to the victim, acceptance of responsibility, the offender’s criminal history, victim injuries and other factors.
Saladin’s lawyer, William Montgomery, argued that Saladin’s risk assessment wrongly gave him points for use of force and sexual contact when Saladin was accused of touching the underwear of one of the victims.
David Saladin of Fort Edward, left, sits with his eyes closed as the mother of a child he sexually abused criticizes him as she tells of how the abuse affected her and her family during Saladin's sentencing Oct. 16.
Montgomery asserted he should be a Level 2 offender. Level 3 offenders have more stringent registration requirements than lower level offenders. He will also be listed on the public sex offender registry, which catalogs Level 2 and Level 3 offenders.
The Warren County District Attorney’s Office pointed out that one victim consistently testified that Saladin took the girl’s hand and placed it on his genitalia, which amounted to force.
Hall agreed.
“Her story always remained consistent when describing the defendant’s actions and his use of force in having her touch his private area,” the judge wrote.
He also found that the contact over the child’s underwear still amounted to sexual contact.
Saladin, 49, of Cambridge, pleaded guilty to charges stemming from allegations made by 6- and 4-year-old girls at a licensed day care facility, Child Care at Willow Bend, where he had worked for about two years before he was arrested and fired.
He can appeal the ruling, but it was unclear Tuesday whether an appeal was planned. Montgomery said no appeal was planned, though.
