Victim was ‘used, manipulated’ by Georgia teacher
guilty of sex abuse
By Amanda C. Coyne - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ...
WSB-TV
After it was revealed that a Parkview High School student had been sexually abused for two years by her teacher, Michael “Mikey” Henderson, she didn’t receive compassion from her fellow students. Instead, she was harassed and threatened to the point that she stopped going to school days before her high school graduation, her mother said. When she walked the stage to receive her diploma, students booed her.
Henderson, 33, pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual assault related to the abuse on Wednesday. He was sentenced to 20 years, with five to serve in prison and the remainder to serve on probation.
The victim, now 18, had not planned to say anything at Henderson’s plea hearing, but decided to speak up after he refused to make eye contact with her or her aunt, who delivered a prepared victim impact statement.
“He won’t even look me in the eye right now — there he is,” the victim said as Henderson turned to meet her gaze.
According to an indictment, Henderson asked the then-16-year-old to send him photos of her breasts over Snapchat in February 2015. The student also performed oral sex on Henderson on school grounds on at least three occasions.
“... I was used, I was manipulated and I thought it was something else than it really was. I never wanted it to get to this. Pretty sure you didn’t either,” she said Wednesday. “But it’s time to face the consequences.”
Henderson is one of four former Gwinnett County teachers who were charged with sexually abusing students within a two-week period in May 2017, and the first to be convicted. Villie Jones, a former band director at South Gwinnett High School, has been indicted on 21 charges of sexual assault and child molestation and will have a bond hearing on Feb. 22. Ronnie Jackson, a former Meadowcreek High School track coach, has been indicted on two counts of sexual assault for allegedly groping a female student. Derren Evans, a former long-term substitute at the private Providence Christian Academy, is pending indictment on a charge of sexual assault; he is accused of groping and forcibly kissing a female student.
(From left to right) Villie Jones, Ronnie Jackson, Henderson and Derren Evans are all former
Gwinnett County teachers charged with sexual photo (GWINNETT COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE)
At his plea hearing Wednesday morning, Henderson said only that he was there to “accept [his] responsibility.”
Henderson, a former University of Georgia wide receiver, taught broadcasting and coached football at Parkview and was a popular faculty member. Even after he admitted to sexually abusing the victim, multiple Parkview teachers came to a June hearing, hoping to serve as “character witnesses” and help Henderson get released from jail on bond. He was granted bond.
The victim was subject to harassment and threats both in person and on social media after Henderson’s arrest, her parents said in written impact statements. Judge Tom Davis, who sentenced Henderson, put the blame for the bullying squarely on the former teacher’s shoulders.
“You are responsible for every slur, every evil, nasty, despicable thing that some other high school child said to the victim in this case because you are the one who set it in motion,” Davis said.
The victim’s grades declined after the abuse began. She intended to go to college last fall, but did not enroll, according to her mother’s statement. “She is aimless,” said the victim’s aunt. “She is still struggling to cope with what happened to her and trying to figure out where she goes from here."
Before the victim’s parents learned about the abuse, they viewed Henderson as a “great teacher and coach,” according to her father’s letter. The victim’s brother played football on a team that Henderson helped coach; now, the victim is afraid to go watch her brother play because she doesn’t want to be recognized by other students.
Neither parent was able to attend the hearing Wednesday; the victim’s mother was working out of the country and the victim’s father was on jury duty in federal court. Their statements were given to Davis, who read sections aloud.
Assistant District Attorney Courtney Spicer, who became choked up while speaking to Davis, said Henderson had abandoned his responsibility to protect the victim as a teacher.
“He used that position of authority to take advantage of a child,” Spicer said. “It’s appalling, particularly in light of what just transpired in [Parkland] Florida and seeing teachers literally dying for their students. Mr. Henderson couldn’t be more of the opposite.”
Davis said that while he personally felt that Henderson “should spend every day in prison [he] is eligible for,” he did not want to further traumatize the victim by forcing the case to go to trial.
“What you did, I don’t think I have the words to properly describe it without using words that should not be included in (the) court record,” Davis said. “I condemn you sir. You will not be able to outrun this shame. You will not be able to outrun the consequences.”
Ohio man gets 8 years in sexual abuse of 2 y/o case
Spencer Remoquillo,
LANCASTER - A 25-year-old man, who recorded himself in a sexual situation with a two-year-old girl, was sentenced to serve eight years in prison.
Fairfield County Assistant Prosecutor Joel Walker said the case was challenging to prosecute and involved explicit evidence showing William C. Hart sexually abused a child. Hart admitted to the crime, which he filmed sometime in August 2016, according to court testimony.
A family member of the girl discovered the video on Hart's phone and called the Lancaster Police Department in early spring 2017. The Eagle-Gazette will not identify the victim or the family member because the paper does not publish the names of victims of sexual assault.
The video was not shown in court Wednesday per an agreement between the defense and prosecution. However, attorneys described its contents.
"It's something that can't be unseen," Walker said. "It's vile, and it has destroyed a number of lives."
Hart pleaded guilty to pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor, a second-degree felony and gross sexual imposition, a third-degree felony.
Common Pleas Judge Richard Berens sentenced Hart Wednesday after hearing from the girl's family member.
"What William did was so stupid and sick," the family member said in a written statement. "I don't sleep hardly because when I close my eyes, all I see is that video playing over and over."
"She used to be fearless, now she runs screaming and crying
when she thinks someone is in our house."
The 2-year-old girl is now undergoing counseling.
"She used to be fearless," the family member said. "Now she runs screaming and crying when she thinks someone is in our house."
Hart's defense attorney Darren Meade said Hart was the victim of sexual abuse himself as a child and he was in a "drug-induced blackout" during the ordeal. Meade said Hart has a clean record doesn't typically use drugs or alcohol, but he had attempted suicide with pills and blacked out.
Meade said his client isn't minimizing his actions, but showing the unlikely chance Hart would re-offend given the unique circumstances that led to the incident.
Police conducted an extensive search of Hart's phone and did not discover any other illegal material. "This was a solitary incident," Meade said.
Hart spoke on his own behalf Wednesday and apologized for his actions. He asked for mercy and forgiveness.
Berens requested that Hart is placed in a prison facility equipped with sex offender counseling. Upon release from prison, Hart must register as a Tier II sex offender and report in person every 180 days for the next 25 years.
Utah doomsday sect leader pleads guilty to
sexually abusing child he married
Bree Burkitt, bburkitt@thespectrum.com
The former self-proclaimed prophet of the Knights of the Crystal Blade pleaded guilty to marrying and sexually assaulting an 8-year-old girl in Southern Utah.
Samuel Warren Shaffer, 34, was charged with first-degree felony rape of a child and one second-degree felony count of child abuse. His plea acknowledges he had engaged in a sexual act with the underage daughter of a fellow member of the Iron County-based religious sect.
The first-degree felony alone carries a sentence of 25 years to life in the Utah State Prison, while the child-abuse charges carries an addition one to 15 years. The judge can choose to order the sentences to be served consecutively or concurrently.
The plea deal was vital to prevent the child victims from having to testify, Iron County Attorney Scott Garrett explained. "We're ecstatic about this plea, not only to hold him accountable with a 25 to life sentence, but also to protect the child from being revictimized."
Shaffer's public defender, Troy Sundquist, said his client wasn't necessarily pleased with the outcome, but he ultimately took the plea deal to protect his children. "Almost from the beginning that was his main concern — not putting the children through that," he explained. "It was about what was in the best interest for them and for himself, obviously."
Deputy Iron County Attorney Mike Edwards said Shaffer could face additional charges if child pornography is found on a computer currently being searched by law enforcement. A pre-sentence investigation report will be completed prior to his sentencing April 10.
Child brides
The Beryl man told an Iron County sheriff's investigator he had married John Alvin Coltharp’s underage daughter, according to a search warrant. Coltharp, a fellow sect member, had also allegedly married Shaffer’s 7-year-old daughter. Court documents state Shaffer had physically inspected the girl's genitals to determine if she was a virgin.
Shaffer was the original prophet of the small fundamentalist Mormon religious group. He told investigators in December that he had passed the prophecy on to Coltharp, who is currently being held in Sanpete County on charges of kidnapping and sodomy of a child.
And he didn't see that coming???
He outlined his beliefs in writings, podcasts and videos hosted on a website titled “The Kingdom of God or Nothing.” Shaffer asserted that his beliefs, including supporting plural marriage and child unions, were handed down to him by God directly on June 22, 2015.
Guess what? It wasn't God!
New search warrants recently unsealed in 6th District Court revealed police had expected to find a notebook detailing their plans to kidnap even more children as they prepared for the impending end of the world.
"John and Sam both believed that the end of the world was near," according to the warrant. "Also expected in the recorded notes or revelations is the plan by John and Sam to abduct more family children about the time of the anticipated Muslim invasion of the United States, which was imminent."
Shaffer is still facing two counts of first-degree felony sodomy of a child in Sanpete County. He's also charged with one count of obstructing justice in addition to child bigamy, both second-degree felonies.
Coltharp was arrested at his home by Spring City police Dec. 1 after they said he failed to turn over his four children to his ex-wife, who had been awarded full custody of their two daughters and two sons in November. He told investigators the children were in the care of Shaffer, but refused to revealed where they were.
The search for missing girls
Shaffer's father, James Shaffer, was recently charged with obstructing justice after being accused of lying to police about having Coltharp's children hidden in his Spring City home. Charging documents indicate the son later picked-up the children and transported them to the compound.
A statewide Amber Alert was issued Dec. 4 after the Iron County Sheriff's Office raided a compound belonging to Coltharp approximately one mile west of Lund. The grandparents of Coltharp’s children and the two boys were found living in a makeshift residence composed of storage containers on the compound. They told authorities the girls had spent the night with Samuel Shaffer in a tent on the property. He had last been seen leaving the area on foot the day before.
A witness later spotted Shaffer walking alone on a dirt road several miles west of the compound. He was taken into custody without incident shortly after before telling law enforcement where Coltharp’s two daughter and his own biological daughters were hidden. Two of the children were found hiding in a blue plastic 50-gallon water barrel. Shaffer told investigators he had placed the children in the water barrel an estimated 24 hours earlier to hide them from searching law enforcement, the probable cause statement said.
The other two girls were hidden separately in an abandoned single-wide mobile home in “deplorable conditions” approximately five miles away from the property, the report detailed. The mobile home appeared to be primarily used for storage and was not equipped for living.
All four girls were transported by helicopter to Cedar City Hospital after the rescue. One of Shaffer’s daughters was flown by Life Flight helicopter to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake.
Iron Co., UT
Florida man sentenced for child sexual abuse
PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WTXL) – A Jackson County man received a 30-year prison sentence for producing child pornography.
Ralph Herman Fox Jr., 61, of Graceville, was sentenced Thursday in the U.S. District Court in Panama City.
Fox pled guilty on Dec. 4, 2017, the first day of his trial. The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
In September 2016, a concerned citizen reported to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office that Fox had been sexually abusing two victims under the age of 12 years old.
A forensic examination of Fox’s cellular telephone revealed multiple video screen shots of Fox sexually assaulting one of the victims. The sexual abuse captured in the screen shots occurred for approximately one year, sometimes in the presence of other children.
U.S. Attorney Canova said that "the bravery of the 11-year old victim in this case exposed a predator, and her courage in coming forward helped protect other children from abuse."
Great Falls man's 25-year sentence stands in
child sex abuse case
Seaborn Larson, slarson@greatfallstribune.com
The Montana Supreme Court on Tuesday struck down a man's claim that his 25-year prison sentence was excessive, citing the sentence as "substantially better" than the one he had bargained for in Cascade County District Court.
Cammeron Bullshoe was charged in 2013 with 15 counts of sexual abuse of children, as well as felony intimidation and misdemeanor obscenity.
He later signed a plea deal with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to one count of sexual abuse of children; the other charges were dismissed and prosecutors agreed not to file additional charges that included possession of child pornography.
In exchange for his guilty plea, prosecutors recommended he be sentenced to 80 years in prison, with 55 suspended. The judge instead sentenced Bullshoe to 50 years with 25 suspended in 2014.
More than a year later, Bullshoe filed for post-conviction relief, claiming his attorney didn't call enough character witnesses, and didn't interview any witnesses at sentencing. Additionally, he argued his sentence was "excessive" considering no witnesses testified on his behalf at sentencing.
District Court Judge Elizabeth Best denied Bullshoe's petition, saying his claims could have been addressed in an actual appeal of his sentence.
In their decision filed Tuesday, the justices said it appeared that Bullshoe's attorney had handled the case "skillfully," and secured a better sentence than he had bargained for. Additionally, the justices said his witness and evidence arguments were null because he hadn't asked for a hearing on those matters until the case had reached the supreme court.
The charges came after Bullshoe repeatedly sent child pornography images to a 12-year-old girl, who eventually went to the police.
Bullshoe, while operating from a fake Facebook account under the name "Carly Jay," later sent threatening messages to the girl, stating he knew where the girl went to school and was going to sexually assault her. By that time, detectives had accessed the girl's Facebook page and had assumed her identity.
In an interview with police, Bullshoe reportedly admitted that he had sent the images and that he had operated a fake Facebook account. According to reports, he had threaten the 12-year-old in order to "scare her."
Bullshoe, now 30 years old, is being held at the Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge.
Wife of child (6) sex abuse suspect in viral video
breaks silence on husband - Alabama
MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- The new wife of an Alabama man at the center of a national child sex abuse investigation has filed for divorce. Tonya Moore told WSFA that she did not know about her husband's alleged crimes.
Germaine Moore is accused of repeatedly sexual assaulting young, female relatives in Alabama and Michigan.
Tonya said she and Germaine have only been married for five months. She filed for divorce 10 days ago and says she's cooperating with state and federal authorities. "I didn't know anything, I don't know anything. I've said that multiple times. I don't know anything," Tonya said.
She was arrested for hindering prosecution and for allegedly helping Germaine flee from police, which she denies.
Germaine was allegedly seen in a viral video with a 6-year-old little girl performing a sex act. He is charged with rape (6th story on link) and other sexual-related felonies in Alabama and Michigan. Germaine is being held on a $5 million bond.
Two weeks after his arrest, Tonya said she is backtracking for any possible signs she might have missed along the way. "He didn't even meet my kids until three months after I met him. I mean... I was careful, I thought," she said.
WV man faces new charges in sexual abuse of
3 y/o case; Wife arrested
Caution: graphic details below
By SAMANTHA PERRY Bluefield Daily Telegraph
PRINCETON — The wife of a man facing multiple child sexual abuse crimes was arrested Wednesday afternoon, while more charges were filed against the suspect after a second victim came forward.
April Bennett, 24, of Bluefield is charged with child neglect, Detective J.B. Fox, with the Bluefield Police Department, said. Her husband, Henry Vincent Bennett, 25, was arrested Feb. 12 and charged with sexual assault, sexual abuse and incest of a 3-year-old female.
Henry Bennett is now facing additional counts on all these charges after a second victim reported abuse. “After he was arrested (the second victim) disclosed to a teacher,” Sgt. Kenny Adams said, explaining that the child described graphic sexual acts.
During a preliminary hearing for Henry Bennett Wednesday in Mercer County Magistrate Court, Adams testified that police were informed of the potential case by Child Protective Service workers.
Adams said April Bennett was initially brought in for questioning. “She said she believed Henry molested (the victim,)” Adams testified. “He told her not to worry about it. He said ‘the kids won’t say anything.’ ’’
In a later interview with Henry Bennett, Adams said he told authorities on one occasion he was having sexual relations with his wife when the child was in the bed, and he “accidentally” placed a sexual paraphernalia device in the child’s buttocks.
In another incident, Bennett said he was having oral sex with his wife in a dark bedroom when his wife left the room to go to the bathroom, Detective J.B. Fox wrote in a criminal complaint on the case.
Fox stated in the complaint that Bennett said the 3-year-old then came into the room and began copying its mother. “Henry advised he told [his wife] of this and explained it was an accident,” the complaint stated.
Detective Fox also testified Wednesday as to the graphic sexual acts described during interviews with the victim and suspect. During the first interview with Henry Bennett by police officials, Fox said he gave “inconsistent” statements.
In a second interview, Fox said Henry Bennett began providing information relating to “sex toys” in the house. Fox testified that Henry Bennett said he would catch the children engaging with the sexual toys, but admitted that he “accidentally” placed a sexual paraphernalia device in a child’s rectum instead of his wife.
Special Prosecutor Holly Flanigan asked Fox to describe the 3-year-old child. “She’s very petite and weighs about 40 pounds,” Fox responded. Flanigan then asked if the child could be mistaken for an adult woman. “There is nowhere near mistaking her for a grown woman,” Fox replied.
Both Adams and Fox testified that Henry Bennett was informed of his Miranda Rights prior to both interviews. Following testimony, Magistrate Sandra Dorsey found probable cause to send the case to the grand jury.
Immediately after the preliminary hearing, Flanigan asked for an arraignment on the additional charges brought by disclosures from the second victim. Dorsey ruled Henry Bennett’s current $1 million bond would be a “blanket bond” and cover both cases. Dorsey warned Henry Bennett that if he made bond he was not allowed to have contact with any of the victims or his wife, a “co-conspirator” in the case.
Henry Bennett was remanded back to the Southern Regional Jail. He was represented at the hearing by defense attorney Brandon Austin.
April Bennett was arrested hours after the preliminary hearing. She is currently behind bars at the Bluefield Police Department jail.
First-degree sexual assault carries a penalty of 15 to 35 years in prison. Sexual abuse by a parent, guardian or custodian is punishable by 10 to 20 years in prison. Incest carries a prison term of five to 15 years.
Man, ex-wife charged with sexual abuse of
children dating back 20 years in Missouri
By Ashley Jost St. Louis Post-Dispatch
A Ste. Genevieve man has been charged with 15 felonies, including statutory rape and statutory sodomy, for crimes he allegedly committed about 20 years ago involving underage female relatives.
Charging documents say Henry G. Leland, 63, allegedly raped and sodomized the girls and forced them to touch him and be touched over the course of several years in the early and mid-1990s.
His ex-wife, Sandra Cissell, 60, is also facing 15 similar charges. The charges say she "aided and encouraged" her ex-husband in the crimes.
Leland went to prison after he confessed to inappropriately touching one of the girls in 1996, according to court documents. The allegations at the time didn't include the more serious crimes he is now accused of.
The case was recently reopened after Ste. Genevieve Sheriff's Department deputies re-interviewed multiple alleged victims. According to the probable cause statement, one of the girls told police she was less than 10 years old when Leland allegedly began to molest her almost daily.
The girls would fight back and be beaten for not complying with the sexual acts, according to the documents. Despite reporting the abuse to Cissell, the girls — who are now adults — told police she didn't stop it and, at times, forced the girls in the car when he drove them to an abandoned home to abuse them.
The abuse began when the family lived in Jefferson County, and continued after they moved to Ste. Genevieve, authorities say.
Last fall, Leland confessed to police that he has a son with one of the victims, and that he believes a child of another victim could also be his. He suggested to police, according to the probable cause statement, that he thought the statute of limitations meant his crimes weren't punishable.
"I don’t know if (Cissell) knew at first about this one, but let’s look at reality," Leland said to police when a deputy asked whether the Cissell helped facilitate any of the abuse against one alleged victim. "As time went on, don’t you think she was intelligent enough to figure this out?"
The probable cause statement also lays out a series of physical abuses from Leland and Cissell in an attempt to force the girls to either comply with the acts or to stay silent.
North Carolina man faces sexual-abuse charges
A Mooresville man faces several sexual-abuse charges after an investigation by the Iredell County Sheriff's Office.
Robert Mark Moose, 54, of Moore Farm Lane, Mooresville, faces 12 counts of felony indecent liberties with a child, 10 counts of felony statutory rape of a child and two counts of felony statutory sexual offense on a child by an adult.
The offenses, which involve two victims, occurred from November 2004 to February 2005 and August to December 2017, according to the sheriff's office.
Sheriff Darren Campbell said a report was filed Dec. 30 concerning sexual assault by a family member. The victim said they were sexually assaulted several times last year by the suspect, according to a press release.
During an investigation by Detective Patrick Dixson of the Special Victims Unit, another victim reported they were also sexually assaulted by the suspect more than 10 years ago, the press release said.
Moose was arrested and taken to the Iredell County jail where Magistrate A. Tutterow placed him under a $1.5 million secured bond.
