SEXUAL ABUSE AGAINST CHILDREN

Wife Turns In Man For Having Child Porn

6:42 pm EDT October 15, 2010

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. -- A child porn suspect arrested in Osceola County worked for Disney months before he was turned in to officers by his wife.

James Wood's wife called the sheriff's office after catching him downloading child porn. The 56-year-old is in jail on 26 felony charges of child pornography possession and he soon could face more.

On Kingston Court in Kissimmee (see map), for neighbors, Wood's arrest is disturbing.

"That's just, that's just, I mean, you don't know who is on your right and left. I mean, it's pretty bad," neighbor Shahid Liaquat said.

Investigators found 26 images of downloaded child porn on his computer and they're now going through hundreds of additional images found on an external hard drive.

"It's an ongoing investigation and they are looking at additional evidence," Twis Lizasuain of the Osceola County Sheriff's Office said.

Neighbors say Wood cleaned out his garage a day before investigators arrived. They wonder what else may have been thrown in the trash that investigators didn't find.

Neighbors describe the family as quiet, the only people who didn't interact with neighbors. But they did see some bizarre behavior from Wood.

"Maybe just had underpants on, but peed in the front garden. I didn't know if he was just some kind of person, weirdo, going around the neighborhood," neighbor John Kennedy said.

Sources said Wood was a retail clerk for Disney until he was fired eight months ago. Disney confirmed he did work there, but won't say what type of store he may have worked in or how close to children.

"It's a terrible, terrible thing. I mean, there's lots of lovely children in the neighborhood," Kennedy said.

Wood is in jail on a $12,500 bond, but that will likely go higher if additional charges are added. He has no other criminal history.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Shame On You


The society is rapidly loosing moral ground. Teachers are regarded as leaders for the youth; they impart knowledge and contribute vastly to the development of society.

Hence, I find it unacceptable that teachers would rob teenagers their youth by engaging in sexual activities. Parents place children in the care of teachers because they are supposed to be trusted species and only advancing agenda to develop potentials for the young stars in the society.

I’m saying this because On the 15th October 2010 I read a shocking story from Sowetan online, written by Hendrick Mphande where by a 38 year old teacher was arrested after allegedly caught red-handed having sex with a 13 year old pupil. Can you imagine a 38 year old engaging in sexual activities with a 13 year old? It makes one to agree with the saying that says “Growing up is a compulsory, but maturity is a choice”

Education or (School) is one of the major institutions of society that determine kinship. Schools should be grooming children to become tomorrow’s better leaders. When school as a social institution is weaker it produces disorganised members of society and destruction in our country. Schools are one of the first places where kids’ behaviour and future educational success is shaped; children spend a lot of time with their teachers. Teachers are carriers of either positive or negative behaviour towards students. So we can not let this very institution that contribute so much in our lives be corrupted by the antisocial, the South African justice system must callously deal with paedophile teachers.

I also read a study published in the British Medical Journal (The Lancet) with a great dismay. The study reveals that a high proportion of rape in schools one-third of rapes of young girls in South Africa are carried out by school teachers. According to the survey, 85% of children who were raped were between 10 and 14 years old. That’s betrayal at its peak by teachers if you may ask me. I think DOGS are even better than THEM (Teachers) by far; because they do not have sex with their young ones at the tender age.

Rape or Sexual abuse is a big crime that can actually take the victims life away. Well, according to my observation, sexually abused children can resort to many things. It does not need an eagled eye to notice that children resort to prostitution, drugs, alcoholic etc. I perceived such things happening and I said to myself, we need tough laws for the paedophiles. Perhaps we can even go the Saudi Arabian way. Saudi Arabia follows a strict interpretation of Islam that demands the death penalty for murder, rape, drug trafficking and armed robbery. Why not if it can help us? Perhaps the perpetrators would think twice before committing a crime.

As a prospect parent, I’m tremulous in terror, I can not conceive the pain I would suffer if it was my daughter who was abused by people whom I thought were the one to save her from harm. Judging by the look of things, this world is coming to an end. We do not know who to trust anymore. It’s either your child is raped by a RELATIVE (the person who should always be there for you), a NEIGHBOUR (A person who can help when you require immediate help or emergency), PRIEST (a person who should give you counselling when such horrible things happens) and a TEACHER (a person who should look after your kids at school)

70-year-old charged with video voyeurism

Last Updated: Monday, October 18, 2010 4:16 PM

BUSHNELL

A 70-year-old man has been arrested by Sumter County deputies after it was discovered he was videotaping young girls in the bathroom.

Donald L. Stephens, 70, of Bushnell was arrested Saturday on a charge of video voyeurism. He is being held at the Sumter County Detention Center on a $10,000 bond.

"The ages of females involved are ages 16 and under and are not being identified due to the nature of the case," said Lt. Kevin Hofecker of the sheriff's department.

Hofecker said the girls had not been inapproriately touched by Stevens, but Sumter County detectives are continuing the investigation because additional charges may be filed.

A community care worker has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a five-month-old baby while her boyfriend took pictures of the abuse.


Tracy Dawber, 44, let convicted paedophile Colin Blanchard take the photographs as she attacked the child on her sofa, Winchester Crown Court heard.
Dawber was convicted of the sexual assault and allowing indecent pictures to be taken at her home in Southport, Merseyside, in 2008.The care worker, who dated Blanchard for about a year, had denied the charges - but he told the court she had taken the lead in the abuse.
Blanchard, 40, of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, previously admitted being involved in the assault, the jury was told.
He also confessed he had been involved with other women in a paedophile ring, including Vanessa George.
George was convicted at Bristol Crown Court, in 2009, of abusing children while working at a Plymouth nursery.
Dawber mouthed: "Oh, no", as the jury delivered its first guilty verdict. She then wept as the other guilty verdicts were read out in court.
Tracy Dawber and Colin Blanchard

Mr Justice Royce remanded her in custody for pre-sentence reports before a date for sentencing is set.
He told her: "These are serious offences. A custodial sentence of some length is inevitable."
Dawber is the fifth member of Blanchard's paedophile ring to face justice.
Mother-of-two George, who was obsessed with Blanchard, was jailed indefinitely after she admitted giving him indecent pictures of children.
Paedophile ring: Vanessa George and Angela Allen

George and former prostitute Angela Allen, from Nottingham, were sentenced for a string of sexual assaults and making and distributing indecent images of children.
The two women carried out the offences with Blanchard, from Smithy Bridge, near Rochdale, after they all met on Facebook.
A fourth woman who fell under Blanchard's influence - Tracy Lyons, a mother of nine from Portsmouth - admitted two counts of sexually abusing a toddler.
Tracy Lyons was also in Blanchard's paedophile ring

Teachers Behaving Badly

by Anne Bremner





This post has been written by a dear friend of mine and a true talent, Katherine Kaufmann (pictured left), better known as "Coach Kitty." She has been my personal trainer for years, and she voraciously follows media regarding crimes and legal issues. She always has a sharp and witty opinion about everything she sees, and I'm honored to give her an opportunity to voice that opinion here. Take it away, Coach Kitty!

I heard a story today about a little girl, just 12 years old, and so cute. What happened to this young girl at the hands of someone who was charged with protecting and educating her is appalling and illegal. Upon entering the sixth grade, Vicki (not her real name) became quite a teacher’s pet. (In all fairness, she did come from a broken home and the teacher was just taking her under his wing, right?) This handsome sixth-grade teacher would invite her to his home for dinner, she joined him on family outings, and he showered her with gifts and attention. What Vicki didn’t know was that like any pedophile worth his salt, Mr. Larson (not his real name) was doing something known as grooming. Alas, he was preparing his young victim for an eventual sexual assault.




By the time Mr. Larson eventually raped Vicki, it seemed to her the natural progression of a close relationship. Although she did know that they were doing something wrong, she never thought it was illegal or really even bad. Remember, she was just 12 years old. Mr. Larson had invited her over for slumber parties with his kids and had shared a sleeping bag with her many times, so by the time he raped her, nothing really seemed amiss for Vicki. After all, Vicki had known Mr. Larson since she was in the second grade and he was her teacher,. She knew his wife and kids, and this must be how things work, right?

Mr. Larson was eventually charged with first-degree rape of a child and sentenced to 30 years in prison. You should have heard the radio and TV pundits in my city where this crime took place. The outrage and fury was palpable. One noted radio talk show host was ready to form a lynch mob to go after Mr. Larson and the people I heard discussing the case at Starbucks were beside themselves with horror. This poor little girl! And this pedophile in our schools--how could this happen? Now, everyone clings a bit closer to their little girls, and every real or perceived threat to them is swiftly investigated.



Okay, here’s the deal. That story is only partly true. The teacher’s name in the real story would have been Mary Kay LeTourneau and the student's name would have been Vili Fualaau. Oh ,and the other part that isn’t quite true is that Mary was only charged with second-degree rape and was sentenced to six months in the county jail and three years of treatment. She was not, however, forced to register as a sex offender. Then, two weeks after her jail sentence ended, LeTourneau was caught having sex with 13-year-old Fualaau in her car and was re-arrested. That time, she was sentenced to 7-1/2 years behind bars, and upon release required to register as a level-two sex offender.

The part where the radio pundits and public were outraged? Meh? Not so much. I actually heard Mary Kay referred to as a “dreammaker” and, if I had a dime for every time the song "Hot for Teacher" by Van Halen was played as an intro to a story about her, well, let’s just say I could quit my day job.

This double standard that society has with the way it reacts to female and male sexual predators is deep and complicated. On one hand, it appears to be rooted partly in the idea that women, unlike men, are incapable of sexual aggression. By the same token, it seems to many, that young boys are willing participants in these sexual encounters. Although both may or may not be true, it seems to me anyway, that it shouldn’t matter. If a child is unable to legally consent to sex before a certain age it is a crime for he, or she to have sex with anyone. If an adult has sex with a child, that act is considered rape. The punishment and social taboo associated with it should be the same for men and women.

Susan Strickland, a 
University of Georgia professor and social worker who treats sex offenders, surveyed 60 women 
serving time for sexual offenses. 
She found that women who have sex with boys:

a. lack the mature relationship skills to partner with men their age;

b. are also motivated by a need for power and control, and they see the boy as a blank slate they can turn into the partner they want;

c. may never have had relationship in which they felt safe.


You know what I say to that? So what? It’s either a criminal act or it’s not. I realize that the motivations between male and female predators might be different, but the outcome is the same. A child is stripped of his or her sense of security, autonomy, and ability to trust. And that is a crime. The society at large would do well to see children as children whether boys or girls. With the same developmental components and emotional capabilities.

In the case of Mary Kay LeTourneau, as well as Debra Lafave (a teacher charged with seducing a 14-year-old boy), the fact that both are blonde and stereotypically pretty has only added to the myth that they were fulfilling boyhood dreams rather than committing crimes. I did notice that the majority of media figures who had this impression were men. Perhaps they can’t see past sixth grade, and, lucky for them, they are now free to act on that hot-for-teacher fantasy they’ve been harboring all this time. However, as long as a child is under the age of consent, women and men who commit these crimes should be treated equally in the eyes of the law and society.

**Womenincrime

Ocoee man accused of having toddler-porn videos

Eric Perez faces five counts of possession of child pornography, each a third-degree felony, according to a statement from Florida Attorney General Bill Mc Collum's office

3:36 p.m. EDT, October 19, 2010

A 27-year-old Ocoee man was recently arrested after authorities said he had "multiple videos" of child pornography, including movies of children as young as 2, officials said today.

Eric Perez faces five counts of possession of child pornography, each a third-degree felony, according to a statement from Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum's office.

His agency's CyberCrime Unit found the child porn "during a routine investigation and traced the images back to Perez's computer,'' a statement said.

"A search warrant was executed at his Ocoee home where one laptop and three SD cards were seized,'' the statement added. "The items removed from the home will undergo forensic analysis to identify any additional images of child pornography."

The statement noted that the Ocoee Police Department and the Seminole County Sheriff's Office assisted with the arrest.

72-year-old Florida Panhandle man arrested in Orlando online child sex sting

4:03 p.m. EDT, October 19, 2010

A 72-year-old man is in the Orange County Jail, accused of trying to line up sex with a 13-year-old girl by sending online messages to her father. The "father" turned out to be a cop.

James Frederick Nelson, of Pace in the Florida Panhandle, appeared before an Orange County judge this morning, who set bail at $12,500.

He was arrested midday Monday after he wheeled his 1996 Dodge pickup into the parking lot of a fast food restaurant on South Kirkman Road, where he expected to meet the father.

When confronted, Nelson admitted he'd driven to Orlando to have sex with a 13-year-old girl. Officers found a stuffed animal, condoms and sexual devices in his vehicle, according to his arrest report.

Nelson thought he was communicating a 35-year-old single father who lived alone with a daughter, according to the arrest report. Nelson and the officer began sending instant messages to each other Oct. 11.

That same day, Nelson wrote that he wanted to move in the the father and daughter. He would help pay the bills, he wrote, and share his Social Security check, he wrote.

He also wanted to have sex with the girl, he wrote. He would be, Nelson said, like a grandfather figure, according to his arrest report.
"I can not wait to get close very close to her" and see her naked, he wrote, according to the report.

He also, that day, sent a photo of himself and of a nude man, indicating it was him, according to the report.

Nelson is accused of three crimes: soliciting sex from a minor using the Internet; traveling to meet a minor for sex; and transmitting information harmful to minors.

Employees of the Orange County and Seminole County sheriff's offices as well as the Oviedo Police and FBI were involved, according to the attorney general's office.

Man accused of soliciting sex from a relative on Facebook

Updated 9:09 AM Tuesday, October 19, 2010

LEBANON — A Lebanon man is accused of soliciting sex from an underage distant relative on his Facebook account, according to police

Donnie J. Buckler, 45, of Lebanon was indicted Friday by the Warren County Grand Jury for importuning, a fifth-degree felony.

Assistant Prosecutor Matt Nolan said Buckler allegedly used a Facebook account to solicit sex from a distant cousin between November 2009 and February 2010. The cousin was 15 years old at the time the messages started to be sent, Nolan said.

Nolan said, “There were thousands and thousands of Facebook chats.”

No arraignment date had been set as of Monday.

Riverside Juvenile Hall employee facing criminal sex charges

MURRIETA, CA - A Riverside County Juvenile Hall employee is facing criminal charges for allegedly having sex with an underage detainee, court papers show.

Elizabeth Zarate Nolan, 39, of Indio is charged with three counts each of oral copulation with a person under 18, forcible rape and contributing to the delinquency of a minor; six counts of unlawful intercourse with a minor; and two counts of forcible oral copulation -- all felonies.

She was arraigned in court Oct. 4, at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta. The state Attorney General's Office, which filed the charges, is handling the case because Nolan is married to a Riverside County prosecutor.

Nolan, who was based in Indio, was arrested May 27 and freed on $50,000 bail.

Indio police received a report in May alleging that Nolan was sexually involved with a juvenile inmate, according to Ben Guitron of the Indio Police Department.

Nolan allegedly performed sex acts on the youth between June 2009 and March of this year, when the detainee was both in and out of custody in Riverside County, Guitron said.

Investigators served a search warrant inside Nolan's home and vehicle, according to Guitron.

She was placed on administrative leave, according to Alan Crogan, chief probation officer for Riverside.

Madera Pastor Suspected of Molestation

Date: 2010-10-18

A Madera Children's Pastor is being investigation for molesting children under his care.

Madera County Sheriff's Deputies say 48-year-old Alberto Rodriguez is accused of repeatedly abusing several children under the age of 14, over the last 20 years.

Rodriguez worked at the Valley West Christian Church for nearly 2 years from 2008 to 2010. Robert Leach, the lead pastor at the Church, tells KMPH that all of the sexual abuse allegations have been from within Rodriguez's family, and not from the church's congregation.

Some of those victim's are believed to have been foster children living under the care of Rodriguez.
Rodriguez was arrested earlier this month for the abuse, but since that arrest more witnesses have come forward.
"Based on these new allegations, there is reason to be there could be more victims," says Madera County Sheriff John Anderson. "We are asking the public to please contact our Department if they have any information on Albert Rodriguez, his association with the Foster Care System as well as his association with children through his youth ministry.

Anyone with information on this case is urged to call 559-675-7770.

Children in foster care with Alberto Rodriguez

Over a 20-year time period Alberto Rodriguez, a pastor for children's ministry at Valley West Christian Center in Madera, CA, allegedly sexually abused children in foster care with him. At the time of his arrest he had 3 adopted and 7 foster children living in his home.
Date: 2010-10-18
Placement type: Foster care
Type of abuse: Sexual abuse
Abuser: Foster father
Placement

Organizations: Valley Teen Ranch

Madera Pastor and Foster Parent Arrested for Child Molestation has Criminal Record

Date: 2010-10-19


Madera Police arrested Alberto Rodriguez for child molestation.Newly filed court documents show a criminal background. A felony conviction from 1985. In 1995 the CEO of Valley Teen Ranch Foster Family Agency in Fresno says Rodriguez came here. He's been a foster parent with this agency ever since.

When we contacted Valley Teen Ranch. The CEO sent this statement: "We take very seriously our mission, which is to provide children with safe and healthy homes, and have done so successfully for 23 years."

But Madera County Investigators say all the victims in the Rodriguez case were under Rodriguez's watch in the foster care system.

Valley Teen Ranch and The California Department of Social Services say, to become a foster parent, background checks are done.

Michael Weston with the California Department of Social Services says, "There is a very strict process for going to apply to be a foster parent we do finger print checks. We do child abuse checks through the state and FBI database. Home studies are done and it's a very through process and that's intended to insure the health and safety of the children in the foster system."

But court documents show a definite criminal conviction in Rodriguez's records.
"Certain offenses that you can apply for an exemption and the case will be looked at again and a determination will be made whether or not an exemption will be granted."

The Valley Teen Ranch CEO told KMPH news- The Department of Justice let Rodriguez through. But what about the church where Rodriguez "ministered to children"?

Pastor Roger Leach says, "Before we hire any type of staff person they have to go through fingerprinting. And we always check references. So he did go through fingerprinting and he passed."

Maybe everyone hoped for the good in Alberto Rodriguez.

Pastor Lance Leach says, "As far as Christians go, and you look at the deeds that people do, what he's been accused of is not what we would desire a Christian be known as."

Teacher Resigns Amidst Allegations Of 'Sexting' Students

October 22, 2010

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. -- A Seminole County teacher will not be in the classroom Friday after he is accused of having inappropriate communication with students and even sending sex-related text messages (sexting) to them for years.

Miguel Ventura resigned from South Seminole Middle School in Cassleberry on Thursday, and he has since been banned from the school district.

The district says Ventura had a serious issue with sexting. In one message he went as far telling one student, "I love you, you're pretty and beautiful."

Ventura was all smiles in his yearbook photo, but the serious allegations he is facing were surely enough to swipe the smile of his face.

Ventura is accused of inappropriately sexting students during his six-year tenure as a teacher at South Seminole Middle School.

Students WFTV spoke to appeared shocked.

"He was a very good teacher last year and was good with all the students. He was always very nice to everyone," said one student who did not want to be identified.

Ventura resigned Thursday before the school district's plan to fire him at its upcoming meeting next Tuesday. The complaints filed show the scandal began in 2007 with questionable messages on the social networking website MySpace. In 2009, the school received another letter referring to similar concerns about messages to students on Facebook.

In February, Ventura was suspended for insubordination over the same problem. Then, in October of 2010, the school received claims that he was sexting with a former student.

WFTV visited Ventura's home for his side of the story. He was not at the residence but his landlord angrily defended his tenant and called the allegations bogus.

"I am the owner, but I know him very well and I know the case," said the man claiming to be Ventura's landlord. "He is an honest man who was dedicating his life to teach and was giving a lot more than he was supposed to professionally."

Even though Ventura resigned from his teaching position, the school district says it will make certain to inform any prospective education employers that it planned on firing him.