[ By Dr. Kenneth J. Ryan, a criminologist at California State University. Here's his take on the recent sex crimes against children making headline news today. Read his Bio >> ]
Recent headlines have been filled with news regarding the arrests of teachers for the alleged sexual abuse of children. For example, football coach Jerry Sandusky of Penn State dominated these sensational stories late last year beginning with reports of a co-worker who saw Sandusky rape a 10 year-old boy. Since the original allegations were made, others have come forward with similar accusations. Sandusky is currently awaiting trial on fifty-two counts relating to the sexual abuse of twelve children.
Here in California, two teachers from Miramonte Elementary School in Los Angeles recently were arrested in separate cases. Police allege that Mark Berndt, 61, had sexually abused as many as twenty-three children during his thirty-two year career. According to published reports, complaints about inappropriate sexual contact between Berndt and elementary school children date back as far as 1990. It was unclear what actions the school district may have taken during that period, but Berndt was not arrested based on student allegations until recently.
Martin Springer of Miramonte Elementary was arrested on Friday, February 3, 2012, for allegedly fondling a 7 year-old girl. The police statement announcing the arrest suggested there were two victims, but more specifics were not given. Springer and Berndt worked together and were involved in school functions and recently it was alleged that at least one of the victims was shared in 2008. The shared victim, a young girl, reported separate incidents to her parents who notified police; however, the parents never heard back from authorities and the parents took no further action.
Neng Yang recently pled “not guilty” to forty-five counts of child molestation and recording the abuse while he served as a teacher at an elementary school in Clovis, California. The Fresno County District Attorney’s Office charges that Yang sexually assaulted a seven year-old girl and photographed the acts on his cell phone. Yang has also been charged in Federal Court for producing child pornography.
Recently I was asked by a NBC News affiliate if child molestation by teachers was on the rise, and I responded with a sound-bite: probably not, but reporting the crimes was substantially up. Whereas this is true, the real answer is much more complicated than that. To begin with, no one really has any idea how much child sexual abuse is going on.
The FBI’s annual Uniform Crime Report is limited by what the states’ Attorneys General reports to them. The states’ Attorneys General data is limited by what the local and state police tell them is reported on the official record. You can see the actual number of crimes dwindling already. There are also cases that never make it to the courts for “insufficient evidence” but for the victims’ statements and those crimes never reported to the police by the parents or school. Remember that we as a society have “hushed-up” past crimes such as these to avoid scandal. In handling past offenders, a sex predator teacher might be dismissed quietly and, thereafter, teach at another school to molest children again. With none paying attention to the crimes, they go unnoticed, unreported, and ignored; thus, the child molester will strike again. And that truly is a tragedy.
To make matters worse, the National Crime Victimization Survey conducted by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (US Department of Justice), is a massive undertaking to determine anonymously how much crime really occurs in the United States, reported and not. However, the NCVS does not collect information from anyone who is a crime victim under the age of twelve. Therefore, incredibly, child sexual abuse is largely unaccounted for in US crime statistics and the offense is ignored by those responsible for crime accounting in America.
The problem as I see it is this: no one is really listening to the children. Even if they do what they should and tell their parents about abuse, do the parents report it to the police? Are the police and the courts handling the matter responsibly? Not always, is the unsettling answer to both questions. And what of the school districts? It may be telling that the complaints against one of the Miramonte defendants go back at least two decades and nothing effective was done by the school district to stop the abuse. At this writing, at least one law suit has been filed charging as much. As for the federal government, the NCVS is not interested in child sexual abuse victims and it hasn’t been interested since its inception. Thus, the crimes committed by child molesters do not exist in the eyes of our own government.
In the end, if one truly wants to ferret out child sexual abuse by teachers, perhaps it’s best to begin by starting at home and having a chat with those under your own roof.
[ By Dr. Kenneth J. Ryan, a criminologist at California State University. Read his Bio >> ]
Justice was swift indeed. It was just before Christmas, on December 2, 2011, that Ryan Brunn lured 7 year-old Jorelys Rivera into a vacant apartment in Canton, Georgia where he raped, tortured and murdered her. Thereafter, Brunn placed Rivera’s body in a garbage bag and then discarded her remains in a nearby trash compactor. When police responded to the report of a missing child they were told how little Jorelys left for home a few hours earlier to get sodas for her friends. She never returned.
According to published reports, Canton Police and the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office have come under fire for mishandling the case. In retrospect, at the time, why would the police take the disappearance of a 7 year-old girl seriously? Jorelys’ mother Joselinne routinely let the children go unsupervised and the girl was probably just hiding at a friend’s house. Besides, other little girls have gone missing from this apartment complex and they reappeared. It was just another day at the office and surely nothing happened to Jorelys. It’s just a waiting game in which the child surely will reappear and life will go on.
Police Chief Jeff Lance took a morning off during the search, which in my experience isn’t necessarily a bad thing during a murder investigation. Chiefs who “take over” murder investigations are more often in the way, than not; however, Chief Lance was considered too laid back in his handling of the incident and ultimately lost his job. Still, murder investigations should be handled by murder investigators, not executive policymakers; even in towns with as few as 50 police employees and a handful of detectives. Common sense dictates as much in any case. Whether the chief was there or not, little Jorelys lie dead in a dumpster of the apartment complex where she had lived and where her murderer worked as a laborer. Nothing Lance might do could change that.
In time, little Jorelys was found. Days had passed since she was murdered. By then Brunn had surfaced as the prime suspect. He was arrested and soon thereafter confessed, to the surprise of friends and relatives who publicly had maintained his innocence. Brunn later testified before the judge who sentenced him that he lured the little girl into an apartment, raped her and then cut her. When she didn’t die fast enough, Brunn beat her to death. And then he discarded her small body in a trash compactor.
However, Brunn had failed to consider how long it would be before the trash would be collected. It was just another day at the office for the apartment complex laborer and he had not given a thought to trash pick-up schedules. For investigators, this would be a break. Little Jorelys lay in the apartment trash for 3 days as police searched all around her.
In the end, Brunn pled guilty to Murder and was sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole. He was transferred to the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison in Jackson where he was evaluated and found not to be a suicide risk. Brunn was then placed in a cell by himself and no precautions were taken to safeguard him from harm. After all, it was just another day at the office at the Georgia State Prison and no precautions should be necessary. Brunn’s body was found hanging in his cell, dead of a suicide less than 50 days after he murdered Jorelys Rivera.
And meanwhile an angry Georgia public, outraged over the death of a child, blames local police for inaction. According to the autopsy, little Jorelys was already dead by the time Canton Police were notified that she was missing. And nothing that the police might have done will change that, except one thing. There will never be just another day at the office in Canton, Georgia ever again.
[ Aphrodite Jones gives her perspective on the latest Casey Anthony news. Check in for her regular reports. Read her Bio >> ]
The biggest thing that struck me about Casey's revelation to psychiatrists was her statement: "I'll be damned if I'm going to take responsibility for this!" Insistent that George was the culprit, Casey concocted a few variations about how it was George who either found Cayleein the pool -- or perhaps drowned her in the pool -- and was adamant that she was not going to take the blame for her Father's misdeeds. Still, wasn't it her responsibility to call the police -- to get help for her daughter and report the crime or "accident?"
In her typical style, Casey had a number of answers for not calling 911.
>>She FEARED her Dad because of years of alleged sexual abuse, and was told by George that "Daddy will take care of it."
>>She was numb and in shock when George handed her daughter over to her -- wet and motionless.
>>She wanted to believe Caylee would still be "okay" somehow -- and hoped that after Daddy would "take Care" of Caylee, she might still be alive.
To this I say: huh?
All of this insanity leads me to ask the obvious question: is Casey Anthony crazy? Is she a sociopath? The immediate answer that comes to mind is YES. But the psychiatrists who evaluated her in jail said she was no such thing. One shrink called her a "puzzlement." Neither of the doctors could understand why Casey was appearing "upbeat" and "cheerful" throughout her evaluations. In my view, she's a sick and twisted woman who, while crazy, is also smart enough to have outwitted her parents, her friends, the justice system, AND the trained medical experts around her. No wonder she smiled so much.
Only time will tell when that smile will get pulled off her wicked face...
[ By Dr. Kenneth J. Ryan, a criminologist at California State University. Read his Bio >> ]
Nervously fidgeting in a hot Lima courtroom, Joran Van der Slootlistened to his sentence at the end of a 2-hour hearing. The 3-judge panel sentenced Van der Sloot to spend 28 years in prison and pay $74,000 in reparations to the heirs of his victim Stephany Flores. The 2-hour hearing listed the charges and overviewed facts of the case. In the end, Van der Sloot was found guilty of the most serious crime of Qualified Murder, which is “murder for profit or pleasure.” Additionally, he was also found guilty of Simple Robbery for stealing the victim’s money, credit cards and vehicle after the murder. Van der Sloot was given credit for time already served, and will be released 28 years from the date of his arrest, on June 10, 2038. Once he's released from prison, he will be deported.
On January 11, 2012, Van der Sloot pled guilty and offered a “sincere confession” to the judges. Perhaps it was his smirking, his overt condescension of the proceedings, or perhaps it was his yawning throughout the hearing a few days before. The judges must not have believed the defendant’s sincerity in his brief statement of remorse (“I feel bad”). Or perhaps it was the way he beamed at the judges after pleading guilty to the brutal beating and strangulation of Stephany Flores. Perhaps the judges saw the happy, jubilant Van der Sloot as being prideful of his acts. And perhaps the judges were very correct in doing so. Van der Sloot offered the world a master’s class in how not to behave in a courtroom if one actually expects leniency. It rivals the American trial of Bob Ward, whose daughters pled for leniency in statements laced with profanities.
The judge chairing the panel sat behind a large crucifix on the bench, which is more than a little ironic. Jesus appeared as a criminal defendant only once in his short life and it did not work out well for him. Most scholars agree that the sentence he received was unjust, the charges trumped up, the witnesses false. Prominently displaying the image of an unjustly treated defendant in a modern courtroom probably is not the best message a panel of judges can convey. Nevertheless, by all appearances, on this day a criminal defendant was rightfully sentenced and justice was done
Consider that it was possible the judges in the Flores murder trial could have reduced Van der Sloot’s sentence to as little as 7 years. Instead, the sentenced was mitigated only 2 years from the maximum. Therefore, the sentence was reduced for what the sincere confession was worth. In America, we learn of this news with some satisfaction, knowing that the suspected murderer of Natalee Holloway has come to justice somewhere; however, at the cost of the life of another victim. There may be justice for Stephanie Flores today but it is likely there will never be justice for Natalee Holloway
[ By Dr. Kenneth J. Ryan, a criminologist at California State University. Read his Bio >> ]
Unable to refrain from smirking at the all-woman three judge panel, Joran Van der Sloot pled guilty to Murder today in Lima, Peru. He was charged in the June 2010 murder of Stephany Flores, a 21 year-old student and daughter of a prominent Peruvian family. Van der Sloot, responding to questions from the bench said, “I want to give a sincere confession. I am truly regretful for what I have done. I feel very bad." Van der Sloot did not make a narrative confession; however, attorney Luis Jimenez said on behalf of his client that, because it was the 5th anniversary of the disappearance of 17 year-old Natalie Hollowayon the island of Aruba, van der Sloot was very sensitive.
When Flores was caught going through Van der Sloot’s computer, allegedly to look for connections between Van der Sloot and Holloway’s disappearance, Van der Sloot was so sensitive that he snapped and killed Flores. After van der Sloot answered questions from the judge, he sat down and beamed at them.
With his “sincere confession” Van der Sloot enabled the judges to reduce his sentence. The prosecutors cannot rebut a confession in this case; nor would they, since it is the end-product of negotiations between the state and the defense. The defense blamed the murdered victim for inciting Van der Sloot to violence and with the full knowledge and acquiescence of the prosecutors. Although the bench warned that facts of another case (meaning the Holloway case) cannot be considered in sentencing, the genie was out of the bottle and the judges heard Jimenez’ statement nonetheless.
It is not a given that Van der Sloot’s sentence will be reduced to the minimum, but it is now virtually impossible for him to receive the 30 year maximum sentence. Jimenez’ argument was also ill-placed before the panel of judges; it presumes they are unable to reason.
Here’s why. Jimenez told the judges that Joran Van der Sloot is such a sensitive young man that, when confronted with the possibility that he had killed a young American girl, he brutally strangled and beat a Peruvian girl to death, robbed her and then fled the country. Frankly, that doesn’t sound like the kind of response one might expect from a sensitive guy falsely accused of a crime. Anticipate the judges will be able to see through this display of smoke and mirrors. On the other hand, one might also anticipate that Jimenez was trying to be as transparently contemptuous of his own client as his ethics would allow, offering a tissue thin excuse for murder. However, Van der Sloot’s sentence will be reduced because he sincerely confessed, even to nonsense; and so, as his client’s lawyer, he provided adequate representation.
On a final note, it is entirely possible that Van der Sloot may serve more time in the United States for Extortion than he will in Peru for Murder. If Van der Sloot serves only a few years for Murder, recall that he will be extradited to America thereafter to stand trial for extorting $25,000 from Natalie Holloway’s family. And a conviction in that matter could lead to a 10 year sentence in a federal penitentiary. After that, one can hope he will return to Aruba and live out his life without murdering anyone else. Well, one can hope.
Van der Sloot will be sentenced in Lima on Friday the 13th.
[ Pat LaLama's stellar career in broadcast journalism is a chronicle of some of the most iconic events in modern history. Here's her take on the Penn State sex scandal. Read her Bio >> ]
When I informed a prominent Los Angeles defense attorney that Jerry Sandusky waivedhis preliminary hearing today, I was surprised at his response… “That is so punk! He didn’t have the guts to face his accusers!” That’s exactly how I see it. Eleven witnesses mustered up courage-formed a united front—and prepared themselves for what would have most certainly been a painful and grueling experience, especially for the alleged victims. But the accused child molester wasn’t up for the confrontation.
That’s interesting when you consider the fightin’ words Sandusky spouted today. Wearing what seems like a perpetual “killer rabbit” smile, the former coach rattled off football terminology, vowing to “fight to the death”, “stay the course” and “fight for four quarters”. Really? It seems to me Sandusky forfeited the game “by running off the field” and having his lawyer, Joe Amendola hold an endless “Jerry is a victim” post-game news conference outside the courthouse.
Sure, I understand that legally it’s a tactical move. Imagine the horror stories the alleged victim’s would tell on the witness stand. Their accounts would be posted, tweeted and recounted all over the globe, further damaging Sandusky’s “image” and perhaps tainting the jury pool. This way, the public doesn’t get wind of the horrid details surrounding the allegations and his lawyer can spin, spin, and spin before the hordes of hungry reporters. Essentially, all you’re really going to remember today is the face of Amendola, preaching practically uninterrupted before the cameras.
This isn’t just a legal strategy—it’s a public relations tactic as well. Amendola is brilliant in his ability to control the narrative outside the courtroom, disparaging the credibility of Sandusky’s accusers by stating, “We’re pursuing a financial motivation. Finances and money are great motivators.”
Amendola praised the virtues of his client saying Sandusky is a “loving guy, an affectionate guy” who did nothing that violated the law. Amendola even drew comparisons to his own Italian-American heritage saying “everybody hugged and kissed each other.” As an Italian-American myself with lots of uncles, brothers and cousins, I can attest to the fact that everybody hugged and kissed each other. But showering together? Nope.
At least one of the accusers will not be discouragedby today’s events. He released a statement through his attorney Ben Andreozzi. It reads in part: "I can’t believe they put us through this until the last second. I will stand my ground, testify and speak the truth.”
Now the witnesses will save their testimony for the trial which will be held sometime next year. Unless of course, Sandusky agrees to a plea bargain before then. (His attorney insists there is no deal on the table.)
As of now, the beleaguered ex-coach remains under house arrest, facing more than 50 counts of sexually abusing ten boys over 12 years. His next court date is an arraignment scheduled for January 11th.
So here’s the question…
Is Sandusky gutless for waiving the preliminary hearing today?
(All along, while professing his innocence, Sandusky acknowledged that he couldn’t wait to face his accusers.) Or do we give Joe Amendola credit for masterminding the tactic that kept the accusers quiet and allowed him the lone pulpit? Cowards or brilliant strategists? You be the judge.
Photo Credit/Caption: Former Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, second from left, and his wife Dottie Sandusky arrive for a preliminary hearing at the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte, Pa., Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2011. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
[ By Dr. Kenneth J. Ryan, a criminologist at California State University. Read his Bio >>]
Today, Dec. 9, 2011, a New Haven jury recommended that Joshua Komisarjevsky be sentenced to death by lethal injection for the 2007 murders of sisters Michaela, 11, and Hayley Petit, 17, and their mother Jennifer Hawke-Petit. Of the 17 counts on which Komisarjevsky was convicted, six carried the potential for a death sentence. The jury applied the death penalty on all six counts.
Komisarjevsky and co-defendant Steven Hayes were convicted separately in the attack on the Petit family that left Dr. William Petit critically injured. Komisarjevsky and Hayes were alleged to have raped Michaela and her mother and then set all three bound women on fire, first dousing them with gasoline. Defense counsel argued that head trauma from an auto accident, the death of a grandparent, the potential for psychological damage to Komisarjevsky’s daughter and sexual abuse Komisarjevsky endured as a child were mitigating factors in the crimes; therefore, the defendant should not be held fully accountable for his actions. The various traumas, physical and psychological, injured the defendant permanently; hence, the death penalty should not apply as his culpability in the crimes was diminished.
To better understand exactly what the defense offered on behalf of Komisarjevsky, a few terms should be understood. First, the prosecution must show that aggravating circumstances are present for the crimes to be punishable by the death. Aggravating circumstances include murder by torture or by a particularly heinous or depraved act, multiple murders, or the murder of a child (among others). And indeed this was what the prosecution alleged during the penalty phase of the trial. On the other hand, defense counsel was faced with providing mitigating circumstances, meaning reasons the jury should lessen the prescribed penalty, and this is where the law often gets murky regarding what a jury can or cannot hear. Judges are most often quite open to broad defense arguments of mitigating circumstances rather than risk having a death penalty decision overturned by an appellate court. In other words, death penalty juries are almost certain to hear a wealth of information that has nothing to do with the matter at hand. However, there is significant precedent law that says an abused past of a defendant charged with a capital crime must be considered by the jury making the penalty decision.
Normally, a mitigating circumstance indicates that the defendant did not participate in the whole commission of the crime (but rather some insignificant part), or in some way assisted the police in solving the crime. Additionally, it could mean that the defendant's youth, diminished mental capacity, or a history of childhood abuse might be considered by the jury in deliberating punishment in a capital case. Komisarjevsky was abused as a youth, argued the defense, and there was some evidence to support this; however, Komisarjevsky was also a sexual predator according to his sister who also was one of his young victims over the course of several years. The defense strategy was to resurrect this abuse as evidence of Komisarjevsky’s past as a mitigating factor to be considered by the jury in sentencing; however, in so doing, the defense better illustrated that Komisarjevsky was a predator, not the prey.
Raising the issue over Komisarjevsky’s grandmother was puzzling, not to mention irrelevant to the issue of mitigating circumstances. Nearly everyone on the planet first experiences the death of a loved one with the passing of a grandparent. To the best of my understanding, there is no literature, no competent research at all, to suggest that the death of a grandparent is causal in the development of a homicidal personality. And there is also the defense contention that a bump on the head received by Komisarjevsky in a car accident as a youth diminished his capacity to reason. But to suggest diminished capacity is far short of proving it, and a mere suggestion is short of the mark in an affirmative defense. Then again, it’s often amazing what a jury will believe.
In a video recorded interview played for jurors in the penalty phase of Joshua Komisarjevsky’s murder trial, the defendant’s 9-year-old daughter answered questions posed by a social worker. The child’s interview was punctuated with laughter and play, and the purpose of it all often was hard to discern. Only about 20 minutes of the nearly hour-long interview were shown to the jury and only two minutes regarded Komisarjevsky, who the child calls “nana’s son.” She spoke of him as she would have if Komisarjevsky was a distant relative that she used to know. But everyone in the courtroom who heard the testimony understood that the purpose of it all was to suggest that to sentence convicted multiple murderer Joshua Komisarjevsky to death would be the same as sentencing this bright, laughing little girl to a life of misery.
Oddly enough, it was Komisarjevsky himself who objected to his daughter’s testimony. In a statement to the judge, Komisarjevsky pointed out that his daughter may be singled out and bullied for being his daughter, that her life would be a tortuous journey in the shadow of her father’s heinous acts. Defense attorneys pointed out that the execution of Komisarjevsky would not be for many years; and so, the child would grow up in the uncertainty of the pending death of her own father at the hands of the state. And that surely would be a reason not to execute Komisarjevsky.
But Komisarjevsky missed a great deal of the child’s life, having done quite a bit of prison time and only saw his daughter on occasional visiting days. Additionally, her alleged drug-abusing mother apparently was little help in rearing the child, spending time locked up in a psychiatric institution. While Komisarjevsky was imprisoned for burglary he successfully petitioned for custody of his daughter on his release, taking the child from her mother. For the most part, Komisarjevsky’s daughter was reared by her maternal grandparents and, given the character of the child in the interview, apparently they did a very nice job sheltering her from the self-made domestic disasters of her parents.
The defense managed the penalty phase with a “throw it all against the wall and see what sticks” approach. They suggested that convicted accomplice Steven Hayes was the driving force who took a simple, workaday burglar like Komisarjevsky and turned him into a murderer; therefore, Komisarjevsky isn’t fully culpable in murdering the Petit family. Komisarjevsky allegedly was raised by religious zealots and sexually abused as a child; therefore, it’s someone else’s fault that he raped and murdered the Petit family. Komisarjevsky was thinking about getting a job and talked about getting a job; therefore, Komisarjevsky was on the brink of rehabilitation when Hayes lured him back into a life of crime. Once again, Komisarjevsky isn’t fully culpable and shouldn’t be sentenced to death. And finally, if Komisarjevsky was sentenced to death, it would ruin the life of a poor little girl. But the recorded interview of the child demonstrated rather well that Komisarjevsky and his daughter were not a tight knit pair and rarely had contact. For the defense, this was a problem.
For Komisarjevsky’s defense team to play the recorded interview for the jury, presuming that they actually viewed it before playing it in court, they surely must have understood that it all might backfire. With no clear emotional tie between the father and daughter, indeed the jury might feel less compassionate toward Komisarjevsky than the defense might hope. Another downside for the defense was patently obvious: the child Komisarjevsky raped and murdered, little Michaela Petit, was about the same age as his own daughter and the vision of Komisarjevsky’s happy, bright little girl will be stuck in the jury’s collective conscience. Surely the jury can do the math.
[ Pat LaLama's stellar career in broadcast journalism is a chronicle of some of the most iconic events in modern history. Here's her take on the Penn State sex scandal. Read her Bio >> ]
Accused child molester Jerry Sandusky has come up with the funds to get out of jail. Using $200,000 dollars in real estate holdings and a check for $50,000 from his wife Dorothy (more on her later) Sandusky will be able to go home—but his freedom won’t be absolute.
There are conditions attached—such as electronic monitoring. And he’s not permitted to have any contact with victims or witnesses either. ( I wish the order read that he can’t be near ANY CHILDREN).
In the wake of allegations from two new accusers, the charges against Sandusky are mounting. He faces more than 50 counts and will be in court next Tuesday for a preliminary hearing.
One accuser says Sandusky plied him with alcohol. The other alleges that while he was being assaulted in Sandusky’s basement, he screamed for help but no one came.
Sandusky of course insists it was all just horseplay…..
Photo Caption/Credit: This Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011 photo provided by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General shows former Penn State football defensive coordinator Gerald "Jerry" Sandusky. Sandusky is charged with sexually abusing eight young men. Also, Penn State athletic director Tim Curley and Penn State vice president for finance and business Gary Schultz, 62, are expected to turn themselves in on Monday in Harrisburg, Pa., on charges of perjury and failure to report under PennsylvaniaÌs child protective services law in connection with the investigation into the abuse allegations against Sandusky. (credit: AP Photo/Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General)
[ Pat LaLama's stellar career in broadcast journalism is a chronicle of some of the most iconic events in modern history. Here's her take on the Penn State sex scandal. Read her Bio >> ]
Jerry Sandusky is back in handcuffs today, rearrested and charged with additional counts of sexual assault. Two new alleged victims told the Grand Jury they too met Sandusky through hischarity, The Second Mile. One of the accusers said the assault took place as recently as 2004.The other in 1997.
The slew of new charges, added to the 40 he already faces, include involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, unlawful contact with a minor, indecent assault, endangering the welfare of children and corruption of minors.
Get ready to be dizzy with disgust regarding details of the alleged assault on one of the two new victims. It’s graphic. According to the report, “Sandusky also attempted to engage in anal penetration of Victim 9 on at least sixteen occasions and at times did penetrate him”. The victim said that on at least one occasion, while in Sandusky’s basement, he screamed for help, knowing that Sandusky’s wife was upstairs, but no one ever came to help him
Given the ever expanding laundry list of charges, I say any judge would be well within their right to find this man to be a clear and present danger to society and simply deny bail! Or at the very least, set the bail so high, it would be the functional equivalent of no bail. (Assuming Jerry’s financially solvent buddy network doesn’t come to his rescue.) Prosecutors sought a $1million bond, but the judge set it at $250,000. As of this posting, Sandusky was not able to make bail and sits in jail.
And while Sandusky may think his well-placed interviews with various news media are helping his case, all his jabbering about being innocent doesn’t appear to be intimidating his accusers---it’s only serving to incense them.
The floodgates have opened, and accusers are finding strength in numbers. As of now, there are a total of ten.
Meanwhile, if you read my post yesterday, I made the comment that if I saw anyone sexually assaulting a child “I would tackle the creep, scream like a crazy woman and call the cops.”
That statement prompted some of my friends and colleagues to ask themselves the question… ”What would I do?”
So now I pose the question to you. This requires some really honest self-analysis.
Are you the type who simply cannot get involved?
Would you do nothing?
Would you not intervene, but tell someone in a position of authority, such as a teacher, boss or coach?
Would you call the police?
Would you actually intervene?
I’d love to hear your thoughts. There are true consequences to getting involved or becoming a witness. It takes courage and willingness to be raked over the coals by the accused and his or her defenders. One’s reputation can be shredded. There can be a backlash. Think about it.
Back to Sandusky…he’ll be in court next Tuesday for a preliminary hearing. I ask you…should he be resting in the comfort of his own home until then, or should he be denied his freedom given the seriousness of the charges against him?
Photo Caption/Credit: This Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011 photo provided by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General shows former Penn State football defensive coordinator Gerald "Jerry" Sandusky. Sandusky is charged with sexually abusing eight young men. Also, Penn State athletic director Tim Curley and Penn State vice president for finance and business Gary Schultz, 62, are expected to turn themselves in on Monday in Harrisburg, Pa., on charges of perjury and failure to report under PennsylvaniaÌs child protective services law in connection with the investigation into the abuse allegations against Sandusky. (credit: AP Photo/Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General)
[ Pat LaLama's stellar career in broadcast journalism is a chronicle of some of the most iconic events in modern history. Here's her take on the Penn State sex scandal. Read her Bio >> ]
As more alleged victims come forward, former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky finds himself swimming in an ever widening cesspool of heinous allegations. His attorney Joseph Amendola is denying reports that he will discuss the option of a plea bargain with his client. Amendola is continuing his media attack against the credibility of the accusers.
One of the new alleged victims (not originally part of the criminal investigation) has filed a civil suit claiming Sandusky abused him more than 100 times over a four year period starting when he was ten years old. Equally sickening, the accuser claims Sandusky threatened to harm his family if he ever told. That’s standard operating procedure for child sex predators according to famed Los Angeles attorney, Robin Sax. As a former sex crimes prosecutor, she knows the perpetrators method of operation. “There are two main ways to gain entrance and access to kids.
The first is to groom the victim through kindness, love, gifts and empty promises. The other is through fear, threats and blackmail. The predator uses them both and keeps the child conflicted”, says Sax.”
Sax is concerned about the timing of the newest accuser’s civil suit against Sandusky. “He’s certainly entitled to pursuit a civil lawsuit, but seeking monetary damage now has the potential to send the wrong message in a case that is an example of prolific, long term sexual abuse. Sax believes the criminal case against Sandusky is solid and worries a civil suit at this point might muddy the waters.
Leonard Levine, one of L.A.’s most successful sex crimes defense attorneys says a civil suit filed now can work against the alleged victim. “Every victim of alleged sexual molestation has a right to seek civil damages, but when it’s done prior to the conclusion of a criminal prosecution, it provides the defense with a claim that the accuser was motivated by financial gain and may be fabricating some or all of the allegations. The motives are less questionable if he agrees to become part of the criminal case and allows his allegations to be investigated and prosecuted.”
No doubt the alleged victims must prepare themselves for psychological warfare. Last week it was revealed that Jerry Sandusky’s first accuser was apparently bullied so badly for coming forward, he had to leave his high school. When it comes to fallout over the Penn State child sex-abuse scandal my biggest fear has been realized. The alleged victims will be victimized.
Fear, intimidation, smear campaigns, threats, taunting—it’s all part of the tactic and weaponry used in such scandals to crush those who dare to emerge from the secret painful darkness in order to shine the light of truth on their perpetrators.
I don’t know if Sandusky is guilty of any of the allegations against him. But I’ve covered enough of these cases to know what’s coming down the pike.
When I heard the former coach’s measured, seemingly emotionless response to Bob Costas’ brilliant questioning, I could feel a wave of dread pass over me. Why in the world would he speak to the media? Well, consider it the start of a well-crafted public relations campaign. Get into people’s living rooms. Call the vile allegations a matter of just “horsing around” with the kids. Discredit the whistleblower.
Today, Amendola is using terms like “jumping on the bandwagon” to describe those who are just now coming forward. Sure, that makes a lot of sense. Fabricate some lies and false accusations, subject yourself to public humiliation and private ruination, get bullied, harassed and flogged…all for the sake of “jumping on the bandwagon”. But renowned attorney Thomas Mesereau, who successfully defended Michael Jackson against child molestation charges challenges my cynicism. He says these kinds of cases, when leaked to the public “whip up a frenzy” and open up a “Pandora’s Box of false accusations.”
I suppose Sandusky could argue that public access to the grand jury report is damaging to him—and that he has the right to defend himself in the same public arena. But Sandusky is part of what one might consider a bullet-proof machine and my fear is that the truth seekers will be blocked by the impenetrable two headed monster of denial and cover-up.
A MODERN DAY DAVID VS GOLIATH:
One might consider the case against Sandusky and the two Penn State top officials who are accused of lying, a modern day David and Goliath. The machine (Penn State) is flush with money, power, influence and prestige—a powerful defensive line—capable of rolling over an intimidated offense.
I read an article recently about Joe Paterno’s extraordinary rule at Penn State. The former vice-president for student affairs, Vicky Triponey says she did battle with the coach over disciplinary issues involving his players. She claims he interfered in her probes and demanded and got favorable treatment for the team. It was a battle of wills and she was ultimately forced to resign. Football reigns supreme. Everything for the sake of the “program.”
I know this world. I grew up in football crazed Columbus, Ohio and graduated from The Ohio State University. We all knew the players lived in their own sovereign universe—with their own set of rules. Oh well, we shrugged… it was beloved BUCKEYE FOOTBALL after all. Scarlet and Gray all the way!
I can tell you this…if I had witnessed anyone in the pigskin hierarchy (or anyone else for that matter) violating a child, I would have tackled the creep, screamed like a crazy woman and called the cops. I know that’s easy for me to say—the proverbial armchair quarterback statement—but I’m pretty sure my outrage would supersede my love of the Buckeyes.
I am heartened by the fact that Penn State president Rodney Erickson promised yesterday that the university would raise the standard of ethics “to a new level”. The school is also pledging $1.5 million dollars to sex crimes advocacy organizations.
Jerry Sandusky and the alleged co-conspirators deserve media fairness and their day in court. But today I implore Penn State to allow transparency to prevail. That’s the only way to recover from the media beating your school has taken. Plus…it’s the right thing to do.
And most importantly, I implore the alleged victims to not buckle under any circumstances.
It’s going to be painful, emotionally searing, devastating, soul crunching and life-altering. But imagine what is to be gained by speaking up not just for yourselves, but for the millions who suffer in silence and need to hear your voices.
Barbara Dorris, who is a victim of child sexual assault, now runs the victim’s outreach program for SNAP. (The Survivors Network of those abused by Priests.) She tells me the phones have been ringing off the hook in support of Sandusky’s alleged victims. “It’s important for survivors to protect others. They want to do something”, says Dorris. But Dorris is convinced there are countless silent witnesses who were “in the know” at Penn State and need to speak up. “We can’t put it all on the victim’s. We need witnesses and whistleblowers to come forward. Without their cooperation nothing changes and these kids who need help are trapped into being silent.”
ABUSE STATISTICS:
If you haven’t already heard the horrifying government statistics, ponder this: between one in four girls will be sexually abused by the age of 18. For boys, it’s one in six. Those statistics are more than likely low because they don’t take into consideration the countless victims who will never find the courage to report.
When I was a correspondent with “America’s Most Wanted” I interviewed a young convict who had molested over 100 boys by the time he was 21. He told me he preyed on “sad kids with slumped shoulders”, kids who needed a friend or mentor. He told me how easy it was to get past unsuspecting parents who had no idea what clues to look for when their children were being abused.
I also interviewed a former county sheriff who molested all five of his children…in the presence of his wife. Fifty percent of child sex abusers are married! There are all kinds of reasons why spouses don’t rat out the abusers. Some are legitimately fooled. But in many cases says San Francisco clinical psychologist Dr. Carol Walser, “they are putting themselves above their child. They don’t want to threaten the stability and togetherness of the family, so they sacrifice their abused child to protect their own security. It is self-serving.” In my mind, that’s being an accessory to a crime. There’s just no excuse for looking the other way. The deniers are just as guilty as the perpetrators if you ask me.
So today, we’ve got a plethora of investigations into the Penn State scandal. Former FBI director Louis Freeh is heading up the schools internal investigation. There’s the NCAA, the State Attorney General and the federal Department of Education probes. Not good enough. I want more. I want the FBI on this. A big machine with as much firepower as Penn State.
Accuser number one may have been bullied at school and that breaks my heart and fills me with anger, but according to his mom, he has no intention of backing down from his story. Remember, the truth is your slingshot. If you are telling the truth, the giant will be slayed!
[ By Dr. Kenneth J. Ryan, a criminologist at California State University. Read his Bio >> ]
With the recent convictions of Steven Hayes and Joshua Komisarjevsky for the brutal 2007 murders of Michaela and Hayley Petit and their mother Jennifer Hawke-Petit in New Haven, Conn., one might speculate how frequent or rare are crimes such as these? The simple answer is that, although the stark brutality of the Petit family murder case is unusual, pairs who murder are not rare at all.
The 1959 murders of the Herbert Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas, closely parallels the Petit family massacre in several ways. To begin with, Perry Smith and Richard Hickock, who murdered four members of the Clutter family, met in prison; Komisarjevsky and Hayes met in a halfway house after serving prison sentences. All four killers were on parole at the time of their crimes. Smith & Hickock and Hayes & Komisarjevsky burglarized their victims’ homes before killing those inside. Both pairs raped or considered rape, recalling that Hickock was about to rape Nancy Clutter but Smith stopped him. Smith later shotgunned the girl in the head. Both Komisarjevsky and Hayes raped their victims.
Smith & Hickock and Hayes & Komisarjevsky each bound their victims before murdering them and separated them from each other as well. All suspects brought a murder weapon to the crime, but Hayes & Komisarjevsky burned their victims alive, not using the pistol. All of the suspects were considered predators before the murders that brought them to prominence and, since his recent conviction, Hayes is alleged to have confessed to being a serial killer. His claims are not improbable.
In 1924, University of Chicago law students Nathan Leopold, Jr., and Richard Loeb murdered 14-year-old Bobby Franks in an attempt to commit the perfect crime. Believing themselves to belong to a superior race, Leopold and Loeb lured Franks into a car and bludgeoned the boy to death to defeat the system, to literally get away with murder. Convicted in a sensational trial, Leopold and Loeb proved to the world that they were mere cheap thrill killers, nothing more and certainly not supermen.
Another pair of spree killers were Charles Starkweather and Caril Fugate, who in 1957 to 1958 murdered 11 victims in a line that stretched across five states. Like Leopold and Loeb decades before, Starkweather related that after his first murder he had reached a new plane of existence that made him above and outside the law.** Although Fugate’s participation in the murders is still uncertain a half century later, Starkweather claims to have killed for his girlfriend, including murdering Fugate’s mother, stepfather and infant stepsister. Starkweather was executed in 1959 and Fugate was paroled in 1976.
In the 1960s, Myra Hindley and Ian Brady kidnapped, raped and murdered five children from Manchester, England, and buried their victims in a nearby moor. The couple often returned to the grave sites and would have sex atop the buried children’s corpses. Like Leopold and Loeb, Brady viewed himself as a superman, a master criminal who couldn’t be held to the same standards as common men. The couple was arrested in 1966 and maintained their innocence until more than 20 years after their convictions.
Fellow Britons Fred and Rosemary West murdered 10 women in Gloucestershire, U.K., in the late 20th century. Typically, they would lure women waiting at bus stops into their car and take them home to be tortured and murdered. Fred committed suicide while awaiting trial and Rosemary was convicted of murder in 1995 and is now serving a life sentence.
Over a five month period in 1979, Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris kidnapped, tortured, raped and murdered five women along California’s Pacific Coast Highway. The pair met in prison and continued their relationship once out on parole and were finally arrested after bragging about their crimes to a fellow former inmate.
Truman Capote once speculated that neither Perry Smith nor Richard Hickock were capable of committing murder alone; however, when together the pair formed a third personality, a psychopathic personality, that was homicidal. Hayes recently complained that Komisarjevsky was a poor accomplice and likely Hayes would have killed him soon if they hadn’t been arrested. Komisarjevsky was not brutal enough and didn’t measure up to Hayes’ superior standard, it appears. Perhaps this pseudo-superman phenomenon is more frequent than science has considered and when two criminal personalities merge the outcome is predictable. And, surely, such unholy alliances can have deadly consequences.
** [1] I have some doubts about the attribution of Starkweather’s statement, although it has been attributed to him in many publications. However, by all accounts Starkweather was a dullard and likely not given to reflection about his “plane of existence.”
[ By Dr. Kenneth J. Ryan, a criminologist at California State University. Read his Bio >> ]
Joshua Komisarjevsky has been found guilty of 17 criminal counts including Capital Murder at his trial in a New Haven, Connecticut, court. After the jury sorted through mounds of grisly evidence, including a detailed, taped confession, Komisarjevsky now faces the death penalty. Co-defendant Steven Hayes was found guilty of Capital Murder nearly a year ago and sentenced to death in the July 2007 murders of a mother and her two children in suburban Cheshire, Conn. Komisarjevsky, alleged to be Hayes’ accomplice, is accused of tying Petit sisters Hayley, 17, and Michaela, 11, to their beds, sexually assaulting one child and then pouring gasoline over both before setting the house ablaze. Hayes is alleged to have raped and strangled the mother, Jennifer Hawke-Petit, in her bedroom. Dr. William Petit had been brutally bludgeoned and left to die in the basement of his suburban New Haven home but managed to escape. Hayes later complained that he was surprised Petit escaped because he believed that he had tied him well.
In the aftermath of these gruesome crimes, activists (predictably) reared their heads in protest. Calls for gun control, extended parole periods (both defendants have prior convictions for burglary) and a general call for stricter treatment of criminals were loudly demanded and all were dutifully noted in the press. Indeed, it is a natural thing for people to look for something or someone to blame in the wake of crimes such as these: the criminal justice system is to blame; there ought to be a law; if only the police had done this or that differently. But no law would have stopped this, no regulation, no procedure. No law could have stopped this. It is beyond common sense that any who callously rape and mass murder will have much regard for legal nuance. Still, in a crime so appalling it is not surprising that the general public is overwhelmed and demands an explanation.
Often criminologists in varied sub-disciplines weigh in on crime causation in aberrations such as the Cheshire murders and collectively find themselves stumbling for a suitable explanation. Psychologists will call it sociopathy; sociologists might suggest an upbringing by a loveless mother; economists will suggest impoverished desperation; and the police will suggest drugs, as they always do. Not to say that these are necessarily bad explanations, but in all fairness it is likely that no single explanation will suffice.
Criminologists are asked to identify the causes of crime, ostensibly so that society can devise solutions to stop or reduce its frequency. But nearly all criminologists (that I’ve met, at least) agree that the real causes of crime are beyond institutional control, including legal institutions such as courts or legislatures. And that leads to a very unsatisfying conclusion. I don’t know why the Petit family was attacked, it just doesn’t make sense; however, I do know there is little if anything that any of us can do about it. Deliberations regarding Komisarjevsky’s fate begin Oct. 24.
The Betrayal: Corey Brown seemed to be a doting husband; he’d leave love notes for his wife and make her breakfast in bed. But when Brown’s wife left in the evenings to work a nightshift, he turned his affection towards two of his daughters, who he abused, sexually, mentally and physically.
The Break: Corey Brown’s wife received a call from school officials to come in to pick-up her 9-year-old daughter. When she arrived, she knew something was wrong; that her daughter had been hurt. But it was a bigger nightmare to learn that the man hurting her daughter was not someone from the outside, but a devil she knew very well: her own husband.
Brown claimed he let his relationship with his daughters get out of control; it changed from playful tickling and teasing to nights spent in his room. His wife knew he had an interest in pornography, but his background check had cleared before their marriage, and she never suspected anything sinister.
At sentencing, Judge Nancy Schneider charged Brown with 14 felony counts, which total two life sentences plus 30 years.
"Never in their lives will they ever have to deal directly with you again, but they will be dealing with the effects of what you've done to them all their lives," [Schneider] told Brown.
[This article is by contributing writer Ivy Bigbee. She is a Washington, D.C.-based writer.]
Psychiatrist: Perp may harbor multiple “paraphilias”
Fairfax, Va. - The serial slasher allegedly responsible for at least one of nine reported stabbing incidents involving young women in northern Virginia has been identified as Johnny D. Guillen Pimentel, 40, and may have fled Virginia, Fairfax County (VA) Police said on Sept. 7.
A telephone tip helped authorities to identify the suspect, caught numerous times by store security cameras. Guillen Pimentel’s attacks have brought an anxiety-provoking, new perspective to “cutting in line” to the Washington, D.C., suburb.
Police: Slasher May Have Fled Northern VA
In their update naming Guillen Pimentel as the suspect, police advised that the retail serial assault suspect could have left northern Virginia and possibly could be driving a blue 2003 Honda Civic with license plate number KLX2689.
“We believe he may have fled the area,” police spokesperson Tawny Wright said.
The most recent slashing was on July 25 at Forever XXI in Fair Oaks Mall, Fairfax, Va.
A Ruse, Then Pain
Feigning a mishap, according to victims’ recounts, the slasher creates a ruse or distraction involving falling merchandise and clothes hangers, quickly cutting young women shoppers from behind with a box cutter or razor and then darting away.
One 18-year-old victim told police she noticed several items of clothing falling from a rack behind her as she shopped in the Forever XXI store at Fair Oaks Mall in Fairfax.
The woman stated she saw a man pick up the clothes, then felt a “sharp pain” in her lower hip area, according to authorities. Assault victims’ ages range from 15 to 25, none of whom sustained serious physical injury.
Initially, the victim thought a coat hanger had hit her backside, but she soon noticed that the rear of her denim shorts had been sliced, FCP spokesperson Lucy Caldwell said.
On further inspection, police said, the victim discovered that her buttocks was cut and bleeding. She immediately informed store employees about the wound, which was approximately an inch and a half long. Police were notified.
"Paraphilia," Abberant Sexual Behavior
What deep-seated behavior drives the attacker’s bizarre assaults? Experts say the slasher may manifest a paraphilia, or aberrant sexual behavior; his cutting or stabbing paraphilia is termed picquerism.
Criminal profiler Dr. Robert D. Keppel also has commented on the slasher, whose cutting attacks ” ... involve picquerism, or obtaining pleasure from manipulating sharp objects; in the case of the slasher, stabbing young women and concealing the crime by creating a ruse or disturbance.”
According to forensic psychiatrist Dr. Stephen J. Hucker, a professor of Law & Mental Health Programs at the University of Toronto, paraphilia (i.e. necrophilia, pedophilia, etc.) is “a medical or behavioral science term for what is also referred to as sexual deviation, sexual anomaly, sexual perversion or a disorder of sexual preference.”
Paraphilias -- Hucker names dozens, such as exhibitionism, fetishism, even rare paraphilias such as autoassassinophilia (staging one’s own murder) and hypephilia (fabrics) — are found almost exclusively in males, beginning in early puberty and reaching full development by age 20. In brief:
· Often, there is an overlap of paraphilias, the most common being two to four concurrently present, although cases of up to 10 [abnormal thoughts or practices] have been reported in about 5% of paraphiliacs. · The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM-IV, states that a paraphilia is considered as a psychiatric disorder when it “… causes distress to the individual or harm to others.” It’s important to note that in citing the DSM-IV, Dr. Hucker distinguishes paraphilia as a psychiatric disorder when the behavior goes from harmless to harmful to the self or others.
To learn more about paraphilia prognoses, treatments, and forensic psychiatry, click here.
Photo: Pictured, Johnny D. Guillen Pimentel, the suspect wanted for attacks on women in the Fairfax, Va., region. Credit: Fairfax County Police Department
Three men convicted of beating, mutilating and murdering three 8-year-old boys in 1993 were freed from prison today, after submitting new pleas in their case. They served 18 years.
Using the Alford plea, a rare legal maneuver, Jason Baldwin, Damien Echols and Jessie Misskelley Jr., dubbed the 'West Memphis 3', changed their original plea from not guilty to guilty -- with this tactic, they maintained their innocence but acknowledged the prosecution had enough evidence to convict them.
Craighead County Circuit Judge David Laser changed their sentence to the served 18 years and a 10-year suspended sentence, which means they could return to jail with any future violation of the law.
According to CNN, Baldwin did not want to accept the deal but finally agreed to change their plea to guilty to help release Echols from death row. "This was not justice," he told CNN. "He had it so much worse than I had it ... It's just insufferable to put a person through that."
Baldwin, Echols and Misskelley were found guilty of murdering three Cub Scouts in a satanic worship ritual. Police discovered the bodies of the children in a ditch in West Memphis, Ark., on May 6, 1993. Steven Branch, Christopher Byers and Michael Moore had been bound and one of the boys appeared to have been castrated.
An HBO documentary, Paradise Lost, which aired in 1996, elevated the case and drew national attention, including support for the three from a number of celebrities.
In 2007, attorneys for the men submitted new evidence that identified DNA present at the scene but did not match any of the convicted threesome.
Watch Aphrodite Jones' original report on the case:
Eighteen years after the bodies of his son and two young friends were found, John Mark Beyers shares the moment that he realized something was terribly wrong:
[ By Dr. Kenneth J. Ryan, a criminologist at California State University. Read his Bio >> ]
Warren Jeffs, former FBI Top Ten Fugitive and president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, was convicted on Aug. 4, 2011, of sexually assaulting two children, 12- and 14 year-old girls. The victims were alleged to be two of polygamist Jeffs’ “spiritual wives.” He was charged under Texas law with felony bigamy, aggravated sexual assault and assault. In his defense, Jeffs and FLDS members have argued that Mormon Church founder Joseph Smith once married a 14-year-old child; therefore, marrying children in polygamous relationships surely must be permissible as a matter of religious freedom. But not so, according to the Mormon Church that (minimally) outlawed polygamy in the late 19th century. Nevertheless, polygamy remains the least prosecuted felony in Utah.
Jeffs’ sexual assault on two children in Texas is somewhat different than the 2004 incestuous homosexual sodomy that he was accused of in a Utah civil action involving his 5-year-old nephew; however, the statute of limitations had expired and barred criminal prosecution. In a later criminal trial Jeffs was found guilty of rape but the 2007 convictions were overturned and later dismissed by Utah state prosecutors with prejudice. In other words, Jeffs couldn’t be retried for the rape, even though the appellate retrial order regarded only improper jury instructions. Apparently in Utah, there is an exception for prosecuting the sexual misconduct of prophets.
In an Oedipal twist, among Jeffs’ spiritual wives (numbering nearly 80 at last count), are the widows of his late father. Whilst enjoying the spousal company of his father’s widows or his own wives or perhaps the company of his child brides, as FLDS president he also has arranged and rearranged marriages for others, whether they consented or not, even allegedly taking the wives and children of one husband and giving them all to another. This practice has included the forced marriage of children.
Examining this case, one can’t help but wonder where are the parents of these children, those who should defend their daughters from all that can harm them, mom and dad who should tuck them in at night with stuffed animals in tow and keeping them distant from harm? Is it possible that the mothers of the Texas victims willingly and knowingly offered up their daughters to this madman to be raped? The very unsettling answer is most likely yes. Indeed, what kind of parent would give up their own 12- or 14-year-old child to marry a convicted rapist, a pedophile; therefore, it seems appropriate there must be another level of prosecution in this case. And one might wonder too why Jeffs and his cronies have been given government-issued child abuse get-out-of-jail-free passes for so long. With hope, those days may be finished and raping in the name of God will be prosecuted in Utah.
Since the FLDS was founded more than 70 years ago, the sexual exploitation of children within the organization has become institutionalized. Perhaps in the end we all should be grateful that they don’t participate in religious offerings of human sacrifice. Then again, in a sense maybe they do.
The Betrayal: Youth pastor Daniel Leslie Mooneyham was seeking more than confessions from his church. Under the guise of a fake Facebook profile, Mooneyham transformed into teenage girl “Terri Smith,” baiting young boys with naked pictures of a topless female in the hopes they’d send naked pictures in return.
Mooneyham even targeted some of the boys in his own congregation.
The Break: Determined to beat her husband at his own game, his wife Jami created a fake Facebook account of her own, posing as a teenage boy to send messages to her husband. She shuttered his operation by reporting him to the FBI, and then filed for divorce in a flash.
The Betrayal: Harold stowed away a stash of $100 bills to support his addiction to internet porn and prostitutes. Harold attended “business meetings” turned cheap hotel meet-ups, and sent thank you notes for ladies’ “services".
When first confronted by his wife, Kathryn, about his addiction, Harold pointed the finger at their two sons, claiming they were to blame for the naughty websites that appeared on his computer.
The Break: Determined to expose the man for his kinky crusades, his family collected a binder full of evidence, and traced Harold’s X-rated online adventures. When Harold claimed he wasn’t interested in counseling, Kathryn kicked the perv to the curb with a divorce notice.
The fact that a serial killer has been preying on prostitutes on Long Island has not escaped the minds of the women who ply their trade on the streets in and around New York City.
"I've been watching the news about what is going on at Gilgo Beach," a Long Island sex worker who goes by the name of Exit 55 said in an interview with Metro US. "Somebody out there is crazy and doing very bad things. I'm extra careful and carry a gun now, and I never did before."
Police on Long Island began stumbling upon bodies December, when they found the remains of four women between Oak Beach and Gilgo Beach; they were in an advanced state of decomposition. All four have been identified.
Since that initial discovery, the remains of four additional unidentified people have been found in the same geographical area. Authorities are also awaiting the results of tests on two sets of bones believed to be human that were found on the beach last week.
There is a possibility that the same killer is responsible for at least four murders that occurred in New Jersey more than four years ago.
In some instances, identifications of remains are still pending, but investigators say that the majority of the victims in both states were involved in prostitution at the times of their deaths. In a recent interview with Investigation Discovery, forensic psychiatrist Dr. Park Dietz, president of Park Dietz & Associates, said that prostitutes are often prime targets of serial killers.
"The highest risk victims for sexual serial killings are prostitutes and drug addicts," Dietz said. "The reason they are so high risk is that they are usually loners and they are looking for anonymous sexual encounters - even the violent kind. It takes greater skill to lure attractive women from where there are likely witnesses and get away with killing a series of them than it does to lure prostitutes unobserved and to get away with killing a series of them."
Despite the risks involved, girls like Exit 55 don't plan on seeking another form of employment.
"I have a lot of bills," she told Metro US. "I have to work."
Some girls are, however, taking extra precautions to protect themselves. Speaking with the same media outlet, another sex worker who goes by the name Hot Bun said she carries pepper spray and never goes out alone.
The discovery of nearly a dozen sets of human remains in Long Island, N.Y., has set off a massive police dragnet, attracted national media attention and - as is always the case in any high profile serial killer investigation - resulted in rampant speculation.
Generic profiles of the serial killer are emerging, describing him as a middle-aged white male, with above-average intelligence - who may or may not stand out among the island's more than 7,400,000 residents. Recent headlines have also centered on the supposition that the killer is most likely an ex-cop who is familiar with investigative techniques.
"[These are] among the many sorts of mythologies that creep into news stories and, sadly, into some police work," forensic psychiatrist Dr. Park Dietz told Investigation Discovery. "The world has changed in so many ways, many of which we can thank shows like CSI for, that offenders are more evidence weary than ever before."
Police in Long Island began stumbling upon bodies in December when they found the remains of four women between Oak Beach and Gilgo Beach whose bodies were in an advanced state of decomposition. All four have been identified. Since that initial discovery, the remains of four additional unidentified people have been found in the same geographical area. Authorities are also awaiting the results of tests on two sets of bones believed to be human that were found on the beach yesterday.
"Look at this from the offender's point of view," said Dietz. "If you are a male whose primary sexual interest is serious torture, watching the victim die as she is strangled or having sex with a corpse, it is hard to find a consenting partner."
At least two of the Long Island victims died from asphyxiation, according to death certificates.
"Most people who have one of those desires have multiple inhibitions - religious beliefs, morality, social conscience and other factors - that inhibit them from doing whatever they wish," Dietz continued. "It is not the perverse desire alone that leads someone with these desires to kill; they also have to be lacking those inhibitors."
The pervasive nature of the aforementioned desires goes without saying. However, experts have found that those who are not limited by their inhibitions also typically suffer from psychopathy
"It would include a lack of conscience, lack of feelings and of participatory anxiety," Dietz said. "So, the vast majority of sexual serial killers have both kinds of conditions: the paraphilia - the sexual deviation - and the combination of anti-social and narcissistic personality traits that is also now called psychopathy."
In addition to the social and moral inhibitions that the average human being carries with him or her is the fear of the potential consequence for his/her actions. The weighing of those consequences can have a great impact on the decision-making process. When talking serial murder, the crimes will typically carry a maximum sentence of life without parole and the possibility, in participating states, of the death penalty. Those potential penalties, however, are of little concern to the serial killer.
"The calculus of the offender differs from that of the law-abiding citizen in several ways," Dietz said. "One is a misapprehension of the odds of being caught. The offender has a different take on that than [does] the law-abiding citizen. Law-abiding citizens imagine they will be caught most of the time for bad things they do, [whereas] offenders are certain they won't be caught."
Photo Credits: Victims: Police file photos; Park Dietz: Contributed by Dr. Dietz
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission from Discovery Communications. All quotes must include a link back.
Authorities in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania arrested 39-year-old John Christopher Forehand last week for allegedly using the social networking Web site Facebook to locate and sexually proposition his estranged 13-year-old biological daughter.
According to the criminal complaint, Forehand, using the name "Bad Daddy," recently contacted his daughter and told her that he had been having "inappropriate" dreams about her. He graphically described a variety of sexual acts and proposed meeting her for sex, allegedly telling her, "Not many other fathers and daughters are this brave, so not many of them are so lucky to experience all these pleasures."
Police say the girl did not fully understand everything Forehand was saying to her and that it was not until she looked up the meaning of some of the words that he used that she realized what he was asking; at that point, she reported the situation to her mother, who, in turn, contacted the Ephrata Borough Police Department.
On Oct. 6, an agent with the state Child Predator Unit took over the girl's email account, during which time Forehand allegedly sent multiple messages, urging his daughter to meet him for a sexual liaison. Posing as the girl, the agent agreed to a meeting with Forehand.
"I'll take very good care of my little girl," Forehand wrote, according to the affidavit.
The following day, agents from the Child Predator Unit and Ephrata Police arrested Forehand when he arrived at a predetermined meeting place. During a search of Forehand's vehicle, authorities seized a camera, tripod and box of condoms. A second search, conducted at his home Lititz, resulted in the seizure of several additional items, including a digital camera, a camcorder and computers. Those items are currently being analyzed by the Attorney General's Computer Forensics Unit.
Kansas Attorney General Steve Six, along with the Riley County and Lawrence police departments, are asking college students to be vigilant during collegiate fall breaks because of a serial rapist who is suspected of committing multiple rapes in Lawrence and Manhattan.
According to police, more than a dozen attacks that have occurred in the two areas since 2000 share significant similarities. The victims' characteristics as well as the manner of the attacks and the times when they occurred all suggest that a single serial rapist is responsible.
The rapist is believed to stalk his victims prior to the attack. He targets female students who live off-campus in homes or apartments and breaks in at night while they are asleep. In some instances, no sign of forced entry was found, suggesting the rapist had gained entry through an unlocked door or window.
Descriptions of the rapist's height and weight have varied in the victims' reports; however, police believe he is a slender, white male of medium height in his mid-20s. Police say the suspect is usually armed and wears something over his face to disguise his identity.
Students are asked to limit their travel during fall break and to pay close attention to activities in their neighborhoods.
"Take extra safety precautions and report any suspicious activity to local law enforcement immediately," Six said.
Six said that law enforcement agencies are working diligently not only to identify the rapist but also to educate the public about how they can avoid being victimized.
Police in Waterford Township, Mich., have accused 35-year-old Aimee Louise Sword, aka Aimee Pope, of sexually assaulting her biological teenage son, whom she reportedly put up for adoption over a decade ago. Since the reports first surfaced late last week, the mainstream media has had a field day examining details of the story; however, some of the "facts" in the case could be a bit skewed.
According to the majority of reports in the mainstream media and on the Internet, Sword "tracked down" her son on the Internet and then proceeded to "seduce" and "rape" him. That definitely makes good fodder for a ratings grab, but is it entirely true? According to a source close to the case, Aimee did not track down her son at all but was approached by a social worker and asked to get involved in his life because he was having a lot of problems. Which is true? At this point, who knows?
So what of the alleged rape? Unfortunately, we really don't know much about it. According to police, Child Protective Services contacted them late last year and informed them that an incestuous relationship had occurred between Sword and her son. Authorities have yet to provide any information about when or where the alleged incidents took place.
Sword's attorney told The Oakland Press that his client "maintains her presumption of innocence." Several of her friends are also standing by her, leaving several comments on the Internet. In one, which was quoted in an article by mlive.com, the author claims there is a lot more to the story than has yet to be revealed and that "putting an innocent woman through this is unjust."
An article at unfictional.com suggests that Sword was "coerced" and gave in "due to the feeling of guilt of having him put up for adoption." The same article quotes someone who claims to have known Sword and says she was "not sound of mind" and "somewhat of a smooth talk con person."
Experts are also busy weighing in on the case. In an interview with Myfoxdetroit.com, Gerald Shiener, chief of Consultation and Liaison Psychiatry at Sinai Grace Hospital in Detroit, said, "Our first reaction to hearing about something like this is that this is every man's nightmare. It's an abomination. This could be his first sexual experience, and his first sexual experience could be something so conflicted, so unusual, so prohibited that it will stay with him for life."
"The ninth annual Trafficking in Persons Report sheds light on the faces of modern-day slavery and on new facets of this global problem. The human trafficking phenomenon affects virtually every country, including the United States. In acknowledging America’s own struggle with modern-day slavery and slavery-related practices, we offer partnership. We call on every government to join us in working to build consensus and leverage resources to eliminate all forms of human trafficking." - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Authorities in Mars Hill, Maine, have arrested 30-year-old Julie M. Carr for allegedly broadcasting the abuse of her own child over a live Internet stream.
According to Maine State Police, the investigation into Carr began last week, after the Child Exploitation Investigation Team of England's West Midlands Police arrested an unidentified 18-year-old man in Walsall, England, for possession of child pornography. Among the porn that was allegedly found on the suspect's computer were videos that showed a woman committing sexual acts on a young child. Police say at least one of the videos had been made just days earlier.
"Our officers worked through the night on Thursday and Friday to ensure the identification and safety of these children," West Midlands Police Detective Chief Inspector Dave McCrone said in a statement obtained by FOXNews.com.
West Midlands investigators were able to trace the source of the video to the United States, prompting them to notify officials at the U.S. Embassy. Using information obtained from British investigators, the FBI was able to further trace the source of the video to Maine. According to Maine State Police Det. Sgt. John Cote, investigators were then able to positively identify the woman in the video as Carr.
On Friday, state police detectives, federal agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency carried out a search warrant at Carr's home. What if anything was found is unknown; however she was taken into custody at that time and charged with gross sexual assault and sexual exploitation of a minor.
Carr's four children, aged 18 months to five years, have reportedly been placed into protective custody by the state. Authorities have yet to comment on the age of the victim in the alleged video and or whether they suspect more than one child was abused.
On Monday, Carr appeared before Superior Court Justice Kevin Cuddy by videoconference. A plea was not entered; however bail was set at $100,000 surety or $50,000 cash. Additional conditions, including no contact with anyone under age 18, were also set.
Following the hearing, Aroostook County District Attorney Neale Adams refused to comment on the case. In addition, all affidavits in the case have been withheld. According to the DA's office, they want to ensure Carr receives a fair trial.
Jeffrey Pickering, the attorney who represented Carr during her arraignment, has also refrained from commenting on the case.
Carr has been unable to make bond and is being held at the Aroostook County Jail in Houlton. She is expected to make her next court appearance on Sept. 18.
If convicted on both charges, Carr faces up to 40 years in prison.
Photo Credit: Police file photo
Please note: Persons appearing in mug shots may not have not been convicted of the charges for which they are accused and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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Police in the Haizhu district of South China's Guangzhou province have arrested a 13-year-old boy for brutally murdering a three-year-old girl and then having sex with her corpse.
According to statements made by the victim's family, Wang Xiaoyi was playing outside on the evening of May 19, when she suddenly disappeared.
"When she didn't return till dark, we got worried," Xiaoyi's father, Wang Long, told the South China Metropolis Daily. "We went out to search for her, and at about 8 p.m. we noticed police barricades near an apartment building nearby. There was word that a little girl had fallen to her death from the building. We stepped closer and found it was our daughter."
The incident was initially believed to be a tragic accident; however, closer inspection of the body revealed trauma that was not consistent with a fall. A postmortem examination on May 21 confirmed those suspicions. According to the medical examiner, the girl was first murdered and then sexually assaulted. The criminal investigation then led police to a troubled teen, who they say has confessed to the crime.
"We have arrested the boy and are interrogating him to determine the motive of the murder," said a spokesperson with the Haizhu district public security bureau.
According to police, the boy, whom they have not identified, was walking home from school when he noticed Xiaoyi playing near his apartment building. When no one was looking, the accused grabbed the girl and took her to his house, where he allegedly bound her hands and feet before drowning her in a basin of water.
After killing the child, police say the suspect had sex with her corpse and then threw her body out the window of his fifth-floor apartment.
Neither of the suspect's parents was home at the time of the incident.
Police have yet to comment on a motive in the case; however, local psychologists are pointing the finger at pornography and the Internet. At this time, there is no indication that the boy had access to either.
While the reason behind the crime remains unclear, it is painfully clear to the victim's family that their daughter's killer cannot be punished for taking her life.
"The court cannot punish anyone below the age of 14 with criminal sanctions," Huang Aihua, a lawyer at the Guangzhou Hebang Law Firm, said in an interview with chinadaily.com.
According to Aihua, the suspect, if found guilty, would only face civil liabilities.
"The victim's family can request compensation for mental anguish, death, and funeral charges," he said.
Since the suspect in this case - an individual who is obviously very troubled - will not serve a single day behind bars, one must wonder what further acts he is capable of committing and - most importantly - will he strike again? After all, his age gives him a free pass to murder...
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Abbie Jane Swogger, a former stripper and special education teacher's aide from New Kensington, Pa., pleaded guilty today to 10 charges stemming from a 2008 arrest warrant which accused her of having sexual contact with teenagers and furnishing them with drugs and alcohol.
Swogger, 36, originally faced some 40 charges; however, most of them were dropped by Allegheny County prosecutors in exchange for her guilty plea. Under those terms, the charges she pled guilty to today included involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a minor.
"I want to say I'm very, very sorry for hurting anybody -- my family, the families of the victims," Swogger said in court, adding, "I'm sorry for not being the role model I should have been."
The charges against Swogger came about in February 2008, when police went to New Kensington's Clarion Hotel to investigate the reported runaway of two teenage girls. When investigators arrived on the scene, they discovered that Swogger, someone they knew had had previous contact with the girls, had checked into a room at the hotel. When police questioned Swogger about the runaways, she said that she had not seen the two teens. Suspicious about her claims, investigators conducted a search of her hotel room and found the two missing teens, along with another teen and alcohol, crack cocaine, drug paraphernalia, and condom wrappers. Investigators also reported smelling marijuana inside the room.
As a result of the incident, police charged Swogger with possession with intent to deliver, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and four counts of corruption of a minor.
During a later interview with Fox News, Swogger said she had booked the hotel room so she could party with some adult friends and not the teens found there.
"I got a hotel room with me and my girls, and my son came to the hotel with his friends," Swogger said. "I did not serve them any alcohol.... If there was marijuana there, it was not mine."
Swogger admitted that there were open condom wrappers inside the room but denied having sex with anyone.
"I did not have any sex," she said, adding, "If they were having sex, they kept it pretty discreet."
In the days following Swogger's arrest, the Highlands School District sent her a letter about her conduct and failure to show up for work.
"She did not follow proper procedures in not showing up for work," Superintendent Karol Galcik told Post-gazette.com. "We said that she had a choice to resign or we would be taking this to the school board."
Swogger responded by formally resigning from her position.
In April 2008, police filed 33 additional charges against Swogger, including involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault, corruption of minors, unlawful contact with a minor, and selling or furnishing liquor to minors. Those charges were brought against Swogger after nude photos of her surfaced on the Internet.
According to the criminal complaint, Swogger had hosted a party on Jan. 18, 2008, at the home of a 15-year-old boy. During the party, she allegedly stripped in the presence of three men and four boys, whom she allegedly allowed to touch her inappropriately.
The charges also revolved around statements given to police by a 17-year-old boy who claimed he had sex with Swogger on numerous occasions. The boy also admitted to receiving alcohol and drugs from her.
The complaint also detailed another incident in which Swogger allegedly attempted to hire two girls to beat up a third girl whom she believed was responsible for posting the party pictures on the Internet.
Swogger initially denied all of the charges, saying, "They're lying to save their butts from getting in trouble." However, somewhere along the line - perhaps due to the amount of jail time she was facing - Swogger decided to make a deal with prosecutors and admit her quilt in some of the charges.
"I wanted to make sure she was not working with children anytime in the near future," Assistant District Attorney Laura Ditka told wpxi.com. "These charges should preclude her from working with children for the entire time of her life. She doesn't have good judgment when she has access to minors."
Upon approving the plea deal, Judge Kevin Sasinoski sentenced Abbie Jane Swogger to a three-to-six-year prison sentence. In addition, he ordered Swogger to serve 36 years of probation.
As a result of her conviction, Swogger will also be required to register as a sex offender.
Photo Credit: Police file photo
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There have been some new developments in the case of a bizarre love triangle involving a Chandler, Ariz., teacher and two former students that came to a murderous end last month. Since that time, investigators have released a police report that reveals new details about the case. In addition, a grand jury has handed down a single-count indictment charging one of the participants with second-degree murder.
Details about the case came to light on April 10. On that date, a 911 caller reported a stabbing in the 2500 block of W. Ironwood in Chandler. When investigators arrived on the scene, they found 18-year-old Samuel Valdivia suffering from an abdominal knife wound. Also present at the scene were 20-year-old Sixto Balbuena and 48-year-old Tamara Hoffmann (photo here).
According to statements given to police, Balbuena, a sailor in the U.S. Navy, made a surprise visit to Hoffmann's home about 2:00 a.m. Upon entering the home, he found Hoffmann and Valdivia together in a bedroom. Hoffmann was naked, and Valdivia was clad only in boxer shorts. A confrontation ensued, during which Valdivia attempted to apologize to Balbuena.
According to the newly-released police report, Balbuena went into a rage and punched and kicked Valdivia several times. He also threw several objects at Valdivia, including a computer printer. At one point, Balbuena produced a knife he had taken from the kitchen and stabbed Valdivia in the abdomen. Following the stabbing, Balbuena called 911.
The police report states that neither Hoffmann nor Balbuena attempted to help Valdivia after the stabbing. When officers arrived on the scene, they found the couple "sitting quietly on couches in the living room." The report further states that both had blood stains on their bodies and clothing.
Balbuena allegedly admitted stabbing Valdivia, telling police he did not intend the wound to be fatal, but the knife "just went in too far." Balbuena then directed officers to the bathroom, where they found Valdivia unconscious and bleeding on the floor.
Paramedics treated Valdivia's injuries at the scene and transported him to a local hospital, where he later died.
According to the report, Balbuena said he felt remorse for stabbing Valdivia. Prior to learning of his death, Balbuena wrote him a note that read: "I feel sorry for the hurt that I have caused you. I bid you luck and a safe recovery."
Balbuena also wrote a second letter to Hoffmann.
"Tamara, I really don't have much to say," he wrote. "I love you and I still can't believe any of this. Please, I ask for some peace of mind. If there was anything going on tell me, and for how long. What happened, happened. Just give me some peace. I love you and maybe always will. Tamara mi amor para siempre [My Love for Always.]"
As an expert criminal profiler who has studied and investigated serial killers for over 20 years, Dr. Deborah Schurman-Kauflin has had contact with some of the world's most elusive hunters. Dr. Schurman-Kauflin is also the only profiler who has ever interviewed and profiled a large group of female serial killers. As a result of her first-hand experience, Dr. Schurman-Kauflin has come away with a vast knowledge of female predators - a knowledge that gives her unique insight into the Sandra Cantu murder case.
"Though rare, such predators are more common than the general public knows," Dr. Schurman-Kauflin told Investigation Discovery. "Why? In most instances, when a female rapes and kills a victim, the act is done in conjunction with a male partner. As such, when caught, the females play innocent and blame the male. This strategy has proven highly effective over the years because people are hesitant to believe that a woman could rape and murder. But it does happen, and sometimes, the female will act alone."
Of the many interviews that she has conducted, Dr. Schurman-Kauflin said that the only offender who ever made her feel uncomfortable was a female sex killer who bragged about the pleasure she felt whenever she drew blood with a knife. That same offender also told Dr. Schurman-Kauflin that given the opportunity, she would kill again.
"These offenders are a unique breed in that they have a real taste for hurting helpless victims," Dr. Schurman-Kauflin said. "They enjoy the feeling they get when using objects to rape. In fact, female rape killers will often use jagged instruments when they attack. These women are especially brutal with female victims, and will almost always mutilate the genitalia. Such women have told me that they chose to hurt their victims so viciously because it turned them on. Like their male counterparts, it was sexually exciting."
According to Dr. Schurman-Kauflin, it is the gender of these "super predators" that allows them access to almost any type of victim.
"To capture their prey, these women use a rouse to trick their victims who are always smaller in size," Dr. Schurman-Kauflin said. "They use their gender as a cover for their evil intentions because most people find it hard to believe that the fairer sex could rape and kill a child. However, children are not their only victims. Such offenders have been known to target adults since everyone is less wary of a woman."
Through her studies, Dr. Schurman-Kauflin has learned that female killers are drawn to traditionally feminine jobs, such as nursing, care giving, teaching and the sex trade.
"These fields give them natural cover to get close to victims," she said. "Like their male counterparts, female sex killers fantasize about rape and murder. However, unlike men, women tend to be less selective about the type of victims they choose. For instance, male sex killers typically prefer certain types of victim such as twenty-year-old blondes. But for the women, victim age and gender are less important than opportunity. Female predators search for that which is easy to get. If she works in a nursing home, she may go after the elderly and rape them in their beds. If the woman works as a prostitute, she will target customers. If she teaches, she often sets her sights on students. These women crave what is familiar to them, and they watch their prey over time to assess how easy it would be to attack. The killers tend to have spotty work histories as well as a string of failed relationships. They dabble in sexual relationships and will try everything from lesbianism to child molestation. Emotionally they find it hard to be centered, and family will cover for the women when they engage in strange behavior."
A bizarre love triangle involving a teacher and two former students in Chandler, AZ, came to a murderous end last week.
The police say they received a 911 call on April 10 from a caller who reported a stabbing in the 2500 block of W. Ironwood in Chandler. When investigators arrived on the scene, they found 18-year-old Samuel Valdivia suffering from an abdominal knife wound. Valdivia was immediately transported to a local hospital, where he was admitted into the intensive care unit.
While doctors rushed to save Valdivia's life, investigators tried to piece together the events that led to the stabbing by interviewing two individuals who were present at the scene when they arrived – 20-year-old Sixto Balbuena and 48-year-old Tamara Hofmann (photo here).
During their questioning, investigators discovered that the incident was precipitated by a bizarre love triangle that dated back several years.
After receiving a teaching degree from Arizona State University, Hofmann secured a teaching job at Kyrene Elementary School District, where she remained for a time before transferring to Marcos de Niza High School in 2004, where she taught high school math.
The first inkling of problems surfaced in 2006, when Chandler police found Hofmann in a parked car with Balbuena, who at that time was a 17-year-old student of Hofmann's. According to the report, officers questioned the pair and found Hofmann's bra inside Balbuena's pocket. Police suspected that the two were involved in a sexual relationship; however, they had no other proof and the investigation was closed.
A separate investigation, launched by the principal at Marcos de Niza, resulted in a formal reprimand, a 10-day suspension without pay, and reassignment to another department. According to Hofmann's personnel file, allegations had been made that she had hugged and kissed Balbuena
Hofmann was later removed from her position, at which time she applied to and was hired by Eldorado High School where she met Valdivia.
In the hours before the stabbing, Hofmann called Valdivia's house and spoke with his mother, telling her that she needed to speak to Valdivia regarding something to do with school. Shortly thereafter, Valdivia sneaked out of the house and went to meet Hofmann.
There must be something in the water in Apache Junction, Ariz. For the second time in two months, an Apache Junction High School girls' basketball coach has been indicted on charges of sexual misconduct involving a student.
The most recent case, involving 25-year-old Raeanna Jewell, came to light on March 26 when the mother of a 16-year-old student noticed suspicious text messages on her daughter's cell phone. The messages were allegedly sent by Jewell. The exact context of those messages has not yet been released. However, some of the texts purportedly included inappropriate images, a practice commonly referred to as "sexting."
During the course of the investigation, Apache Junction police determined that Jewell had allegedly engaged in inappropriate contact with the teen inside a restroom at the high school gym. Police say that the incidents occurred between Jan. 1 and March 26. Upon completing their investigation, police arrested Jewell on March 29.
The allegations came as a shock to many local residents. Prior to becoming a girls' basketball and softball coach, Jewell was a star basketball player at Washington's Gonzaga University, where, in 2005, she completed her career, having scored over 1,000 points.
"Rae is a dominant force offensively and defensively," former teammate Katie Prichard said in a March 2005 interview with gonzagabulletin.com. "She can drive and pull-up and shoot the lights out at the three-point line. She also has really quick feet and is strong and tough. Rae is a solid contributor and consistent."
The article went on to describe Jewell as an aggressive player with tremendous rebounding skills.
A bizarre case of incest is unfolding in Cass County, Missouri, involving a man who allegedly fathered four children with his daughter. Three of those children are now dead and the fourth is in protective custody.
According to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, Danial "Danny" M. Rinehart, 47, began molesting his 19-year-old daughter six years ago. During those years, Rinehart impregnated his daughter on at least four separate occasions.
The skeletal remains of two of the children were recently found in coolers on a property in Harrisonville. The third child's skeletal remains are believed to be on an Indian reservation in Oklahoma.
Charges against Rinehart include statutory rape, endangering the welfare of a child, one count of second-degree murder, two counts of incest and two counts of accessory abandonment of a corpse.
On Monday, the office of John F. Wood, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a federal grand jury had indicted a man and woman on charges that the couple allegedly trained the woman's young daughter to be a dominatrix.
According to a news release issued by Wood's office, former Blue Springs, Mo., residents Todd B. Barkau, 35, of New York and an unnamed 44-year-old woman have been charged by a federal grand jury in a seven-count indictment.
"The federal indictment alleges that, from Jan. 1, 2000, to Feb. 20, 2005, Barkau participated in a venture to entice a minor to engage in commercial sex acts," the news release reads. "Barkau is also charged with one count of selling a child for sexual exploitation, two counts of inducing a child who was in his custody and control to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the production of visual depictions, one count of advertising and publishing a notice of images that involve the sexual exploitation of a child, one count of the enticement of a child to engage in prohibited sexual conduct and one count of transferring obscene material to a minor."
Barkau was arrested in New York on May 9 and made his first court appearance the following day. The victim's mother was arrested in Dallas, Texas, on May 12 and made her first court appearance the same day.
"The victim's mother, who is not being identified in this release in order to protect the victim's identity, is also charged with participating in a venture to entice a minor to engage in commercial sex acts and with inducing a child who was in her custody and control to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the production of visual depictions. This indictment marks the first time nationwide that a parent of the victim has been charged with commercial sex trafficking of their own minor child in a human trafficking case."
According to the news release, Barkau began to engage in sexual intercourse with the child in 2000, when the girl was just 12 years old. The release further alleges that Barkau sexually groomed the child to become a BDSM dominatrix and forced her to engage in sexual activities with other men. Barkau allegedly used sexually explicit Internet Web sites as a tool for training the child.
"When the child was 14 years old," the motion alleges, "Barkau created a business out of his home where he advertised the child over the Internet as the star 19-to-20-year-old BDSM dominatrix, 'Mistress Alisha,' on a Web site that he created. For two years, Barkau allegedly had the child, as 'Mistress Alisha,' sexually dominate men with BDSM performances during online video sessions and in-person sessions. This allegedly included sexual sessions, which involved, among other things, bondage, beatings, burning...
Despite reform efforts by victim's rights organizations and the enactment of new laws and procedures by the House and the Senate, sex crimes continue to rise in the U.S. In recent years, the introduction of the sex offender registry has proven helpful in locating and monitoring sex offenders; however, statistics show it has done little to avert future crimes and prevent convicted offenders from re-offending.
It is time for lawmakers in the United States to re-evaluate the sentencing guidelines for convicted sex offenders. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the average sentence for a convicted rapist is 7.4 years. Other studies suggest that number is somewhat higher, at 11.8 years. Regardless of the actual number, most of the offenders, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, serve as little as 5.4 years of the original sentence before being paroled back into society.
A Bureau of Justice Statistics report, released in 2002, shows that violent offenders accounted for 50 percent of all state prisoners. Among that percentage, 142,000 of those inmates were serving time for rape and other sexual assaults. Fast-forward to 2003, (the most recent statistics available) and that number increases to 148,800. According to the Center for Sex Offender Management (CSOM), the number of imprisoned sex offenders grows by more than 7 percent every year. Some say it is a minimal increase -- a mere 6,800 inmates in the most recent study. However, I think the victims of those 6,800 offenders would strongly disagree.
The recidivism rates of sex offenders remain unclear. Many studies have been conducted over the years; however, none of these studies seem to arrive at the same number. According to CSOM's Web site, "studies on sex offender recidivism vary widely in the quality and rigor of the research design, the sample of sex offenders and behaviors included in the study, the length of follow-up, and the criteria for success or failure. Due to these and other differences, there is often a perceived lack of consistency across studies of sex offender recidivism."
In 1990, W. L. Marshall, D. R. Laws, and H. E. Barbaree released their studies in the Handbook of Sexual Assault. They found that the recidivism rate for specific types of offenders varied. According to their research, incest offenders ranged between 4 and 10 percent, rapists between 7 and 35 percent, child molesters with female victims between 10 and 29 percent, child molesters with male victims between 13 and 40 percent, and exhibitionists between 41 and 71 percent.
In a follow-up study conducted that same year by M. E. Rice, G. T. Harris, and V. L. Quinsey, which was published in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence, the researchers looked at 54 rapists who had been released from prison. Of those 54 convicts, 28 percent were reconvicted of a sex offense and 43 percent went on to be convicted of a violent offense.
Police now say Swogger posed nude with minors and had sex with at least one teen
In February, police in New Kensington, Pennsylvania, arrested 34-year-old Abbiejane Swogger, a former stripper and special education teacher's aide, after they found her in a hotel room with drugs, alcohol, condoms, and three teens. Since that time, there have been new developments in the case, resulting in the filing of 33 additional charges, including involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault, corruption of minors, unlawful contact with a minor, and selling or furnishing liquor to minors.
According to the latest criminal complaint, Swogger hosted a party on January 18 at the home of a 15-year-old boy, during which time she allegedly stripped in the presence of three men and four boys, whom she allegedly allowed to touch her inappropriately. Police learned of that incident after Swogger's February arrest, when photos taken at the party of a nude Swogger appeared on the Internet...
Patrick O. Kennedy, 43, is one of two people facing execution in the United States for a crime other than murder. According to his lawyers, Kennedy's sentence is unconstitutional and should be deemed cruel and unusual punishment. The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to begin hearing arguments in the case today.
On the morning of Mar. 2, 1998, Kennedy called a 9-1-1 from his New Orleans, Louisiana home and told the dispatcher his 8-year-old stepdaughter had been raped. According to his own account, Kennedy was alerted to the incident when he heard screams coming from outside. When he ran to investigate, he said he discovered his stepdaughter lying in the grass in a side yard. Kennedy stated that she told him two boys had grabbed her and raped her.
When Deputy Michael Burgess of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office arrived at the Kennedy residence, he observed a small pool of coagulated blood in the side yard, but noticed no other signs indicating a struggle or rape had taken place at that location. However, as Burgess walked through the garage, he noticed a trail of blood drops leading to the house. The droplets suddenly stopped inside the house, but reappeared at the bottom of a nearby stairway and were visible leading up the stairs and to a bedroom, where he found the child lying on a bed, wrapped in a bloody blanket. As Burgess surveyed the situation, Kennedy took a towel and began wiping blood from his hands. When Burgess asked him how he got the blood on his hands, Kennedy said it was a result of carrying his stepdaughter from the backyard to the upstairs bathroom, where he said he cleaned her up. This explanation might have been feasible; however, Burgess found it suspicious that Kennedy did not have any blood on his clothes. It was also suspicious that he would clean her up in the bathtub, an action that would surely hinder investigators in obtaining evidence of the rape.
Those of you who followed my articles at Crime Library will no doubt remember the case of James Allen Wamsley, a 17-year-old resident of Benton County, Washington, who was arrested last year for first-degree rape of a child. Now, some nine months later, the case has finally come to an end…sort of.
On May 28, 2007, Tabitha McBean, a friend of the Wamsley family, accepted an offer by Wamsley to baby-sit her two children, a 3-year-old and a nine-month-old baby boy. Tabitha was grateful to have a break from her parental responsibilities but her relief turned to horror some nine hours later, when she returned home to discover blood in her infant's diaper. Concerned, Tabitha, along with Wamsley's mother, Teresa Moen, immediately transported the infant to Kadlec Medical Center in Richland, where it was discovered he had been the victim of a brutal sexual assault. The injuries proved to be so severe that the infant had to be transferred to a Spokane hospital for surgery.
"The child had been brought in, injuries to the child demonstrated that some sort of sexual assault had occurred," Richland Police Captain Mike Cobb said in a May 2007 interview with KNDU-TV. "This is probably one of the most disturbing type of events that ever occurs to a police officer or a family member. So it's nothing we ever want to hear, nothing we ever want to investigate, but unfortunately, all too often we have to."
As a result of the criminal investigation, police arrested Wamsley and charged him with first-degree child rape. The Washington Administration Code describes the crime as, "sexual intercourse with another who is less than twelve years old."
Wamsley was initially charged as a juvenile, however during a later appearance before Benton County Superior Court his case was moved to adult court and he was transferred to the Benton County Jail...
Police in Killeen, Texas, are investigating the alleged sexual assault of a 4-month-old girl at a local day-care center. The incident, which is still under investigation, is horrible in its own right; however, retaliatory actions by the day-care center against the infant's mother are equally despicable and disturbing.
"Officers responded to the Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center on Wednesday, February 20, 2008 at 9:45 p.m. in reference to a welfare concern," reads a press release the Killeen Police Department posted to their Web site Monday. "The mother of the victim drove to Darnall after she left the day-care [center] and asked for her child to be checked for unusual bruising. An officer met with doctors at Darnall who advised that the 4-month-old female had bruising consistent with a sexual assault."
The incident allegedly took place at Little Blessings Child Care Center at 803 N. 10th St. in Killeen. Nishea Porter, a caregiver at the facility, told Temple-telegram.com that she discovered the injuries while caring for the infant. Porter pointed them out to the infant's mother, Kristie Simmons, when she came to pick up her daughter.
"When I saw it, I didn't think anything of it," Porter said. "I asked her if the baby had a diaper rash, and she said, 'No.' After I told her, she started pacing around, panting and fanning herself."
Porter denied media reports that police currently suspect a Little Blessings employee; however, Monday's police press release states that they have "identified an employee of the day-care [center] as a suspect in the case." In addition, News8austin.com posted an article yesterday that claimed, "There has been an arrest of an employee at the day-care [center], but charges are pending."
Police in New Kensington, Pennsylvania, have charged 34-year-old Abbiejane Swogger, a former stripper and special education teacher's aide, in connection with an incident that occurred last week when police found her in a hotel room with drugs, alcohol, condoms, and three teens.
According to police, they went to New Kensington's Clarion Hotel on Feb. 21, 2008, to investigate a reported runaway of two teenage girls. When investigators arrived on the scene, they discovered that Swogger had a room there. They then questioned her about the runaways. Swogger allegedly told police that she had not seen the teens, who had been missing since the previous evening. When investigators asked her for permission to search her suite, she consented, at which time the stunned officers discovered the two missing teens, along with another teen, inside the room with alcohol, crack cocaine, drug paraphernalia, and condom wrappers. Investigators also reported smelling marijuana inside the room...
During my more than 10-year career as a crime writer, I have covered countless crimes and atrocities. I've developed a pretty thick skin when it comes to covering humankind’s most deviant acts. However, every now and then I still come across a case that makes me take a step back and wonder what the world is coming to. Such was the case with a crime I learned about yesterday in south England involving the alleged rape of a young mother by a group of teens who filmed the incident and posted a clip of it on the popular video-sharing Web site Youtube.com.
The video was roughly three minutes long and showed the unconscious victim, a 25-year-old mother of two, being raped by a teenager. The victim’s children, ages two and four, could be heard crying in the background.
The victim allegedly told police that on the day the incident occurred she had been invited to a friend's house. While there, she was offered a glass of champagne, but shortly after drinking from the glass she felt strange and began to fall in and out of consciousness. It was then, she alleges, that three teen boys, aged 14 to 16, took turns raping her over a 14-hour period...
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