Sunday, November 30, 2008

Wilbur Dean Terry

The young girl on Fourth Street was not Terry's first accuser, however.

In 2002 two 9-year-old girls claimed he had fondled them at a Cub Scout function in Boca Raton. Two years later, a 5-year-old girl in suburban Boca Raton claimed he molested her in her bedroom.

In both cases, state prosecutors decided not to press charges.


First there were the molestation allegations on Southwest Fourth Street. Then came the ugly arrest.

But the least popular man on the block these days isn't the one accused of molesting a child. It's the father of the accuser.

On this Boca Raton street, long-time neighbors say they've known Wilbur Dean Terry, charged with molesting a 4-year-old girl, as kind and helpful, someone they know and trust.

The girl's father, on the other hand, is not so well-liked. And he permitted a protest in front of his home this week that drew two dozen out-of-towners, three television stations, two newspapers — and the ire of his neighbors.

"Believe it or not, 90 percent of the people here are against me," said the father. "I don't want to live here because of it. It's sad."

The protest, organized by a Broward County advocacy group that canvassed the street with fliers beforehand, only set the fault lines on Southwest Fourth Street deeper. Not a single neighbor attended.

And some on this quiet street of basketball hoops and barrel tile roofs have offered to serve as character witnesses for Terry if his case goes to trial.

While Terry has been investigated at least twice previously on molestation charges, neighbors are quick to say that he hasn't been convicted of anything, and that he's been a good neighbor for more than a decade. He was not arrested or charged in the previous two cases.

"To me it's b.s.," said John Nero, a neighbor. "I've known him 12 years. I don't believe everything that's being said."

It's a reminder that loyalties on suburban streets don't always follow a Hollywood script - and that the messy polarizing effects of an arrest can play out in unpredictable ways.

Some of the underlying reasons are the stuff of regular neighborhood politics. The accuser's father was disliked by many of his neighbors well before he called Boca Raton police in July, saying his 4-year-old daughter had claimed Terry showed her pornographic pictures and later fondled her.

On the other hand Terry, a 43-year-old screening contractor, was a popular figure. He had lived on the street longer than the accuser's father and was quick to give his neighbors a hand with yard work and fix-it jobs.

"He'd help you in a minute," said Donnie Lowell, a former studio pianist who has lived next door to Terry for more than a decade. "I can't say anything bad about him at all."

Terry and his wife were also friends of the accuser's father and family. The father said his young girl would often go to Terry's house to play with Terry's son.

That ended with Terry's arrest and the revelation that he had pornography on his home computer as the girl had claimed.

But the fact that Terry was well liked, while the father of his accuser was not, has affected neighbors' view of the situation.

Investigators say acquaintances are often skeptical of allegations against accused child molesters - particularly in cases where the accuser is a young child.

"Often it goes back to what the neighbors think of the people themselves," said Sgt. Mark Jolly of the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office's special investigations division. "They're going to say, 'Hey, I know them better than you know them.' "

The young girl on Fourth Street was not Terry's first accuser, however.

In 2002 two 9-year-old girls claimed he had fondled them at a Cub Scout function in Boca Raton. Two years later, a 5-year-old girl in suburban Boca Raton claimed he molested her in her bedroom.

In both cases, state prosecutors decided not to press charges.

Most neighbors were not aware of the details of the current investigation or the previous allegations against him. But they said they resented the father's decision to invite television cameras to their street Monday.

Neighbor James Lynch, a retired school master, called Monday's protesters a "vigilante group." He said that whatever the facts, Terry will have his day in court and that until then he should have the benefit of the doubt.

"What we want is justice," he said. "We want him treated fairly."

"25% of all sex offenders re-offend within 15 years"
.........Sarah Tofte


A Boca Raton man accused of showing pornography to a girl faces more charges.

Wilbur Dean Terry was charged with 57 additional counts Friday after police found child pornography images on his computer.

Terry was arrested in August on charges of lewd and lascivious conduct after a man accused him of showing his daughter pornographic materials.

Darren Philpott - Pedophile kills himself - Continues to harm victims from beyond the grave

"Darren Philpott hung himself, but there's millions of Darren Philpotts in our world still. There's tons," Michelle said. "Darren's just one of many."

"This is how I see it. When I capture their image - I capture a piece of time that not even there own mommy's will have. They stay young forever, just for us pedos . . . The vid cam makes them our eternal slaves. They becum our property to do whatever we want too." - written in a chat message by Darren Philpott/canuckboylover

In many ways, it began as a familiar story: A wolf in sheep's clothing. A beloved member of the community exposed as a pedophile and predator.
But when police officers followed an electronic trail into Darren Philpott's basement suite in northwest Regina last fall, they discovered something far larger than they could possibly have imagined: more than three million pornographic images involving hundreds - even thousands - of child victims, and deep connections to the trade of child pornography around the world.

But Philpott was not just a collector. Some of the images show him sexually abusing children. Videos he made show young children naked, filmed without their knowledge in the locker rooms of swimming pools in Regina, and at Philpott's home.

It's been called the biggest child-exploitation investigation in Saskatchewan, and its scope may make history nationwide by the time the case is finally completed. Internationally, Interpol, the FBI and the United States Department of Homeland Security are all involved in various aspects of the investigation.

Within weeks of Philpott's arrest on child pornography charges in October 2007, the popular youth mentor, minister, Big Brother and coach faced new charges for sexually abusing children. Months later, more charges were laid for child sexual abuse, voyeurism and making and sharing child pornography, and Philpott was expecting still more charges. Sources say the 38-year-old was considering a plea deal for life in prison.

Instead, Philpott chose death. He hanged himself inside a shower room at the Regina Correctional Centre two months ago.

Philpott's charges were unceremoniously stayed in court a few days after his death, and the Crown's file is now formally closed.

But it is not over.

At Regina's Integrated Child Exploitation Unit, police investigators continue to work hard on the case, and will likely be doing so for many years. Officers continue to painstakingly examine each photo and video in Philpott's collection, trying to identify more of Philpott's victims, looking for locations, other offenders, and clues that may be of use in the ongoing fight against child sexual abuse around the globe.
Many of children hurt by Philpott continue to be affected by his actions, not only because they were sexually abused by a mentor and friend, but because graphic evidence of that abuse continues to circulate around the world.

Pornographic images of children from Regina already have been found in the course of other investigations outside the country, and more pictures and videos undoubtedly continue to move through the Internet. Many child victims - and their parents - don't even know the images are out there.

But Philpott had plenty of opportunities to put his collection together. He spent months, sometimes years, building up trust with young people and their families, and the extent to which he manipulated his child victims may never be known.

Some he coerced. Others appear to have been threatened, even drugged.

"Mr. Philpott placed himself in every aspect of the community, into every organization or environment where children were involved," said Crown prosecutor Loreley Berra at Philpott's bail hearing.
By 2007, Philpott had been involved with the Big Brother organization for 25 years, starting out as a Little Brother in Winnipeg when he was 13, then moving on to be a Big Brother throughout his adult life. He slipped through screening that included multiple reference and character checks, a criminal record search, interviews with case workers, and informal monitoring.

For Laura (not her real name), whose son was sexually assaulted by Philpott just over a year ago, the horror she has experienced did not end with Philpott's death.

"I'm glad he's dead, but I also don't think he suffered enough," she said. "He's just ruined so many kids' and families' lives. It doesn't just destroy a child, it destroys a whole family."

A video of her seven-year-old boy has already been found during a child pornography investigation in California, and Laura says she's received strange phone calls from men in the United States.

Michelle (not her real name), too, finds limited comfort in the fact that Philpott is no longer a physical threat to her family.

Her son is still struggling with being molested by his former mentor and friend, and the boy is deeply angry that he was fooled by someone he trusted. "Darren Philpott hung himself, but there's millions of Darren Philpotts in our world still. There's tons," Michelle said. "Darren's just one of many."

Joel Gardner - Repeat Sex Offender

A former Upper Pottsgrove man who has a previous conviction for corrupting minors has admitted to possessing child pornography on his home computer equipment.

Joel Gardner, 34, formerly of the 1400 block of Chestnut Grove Road, pleaded guilty in Montgomery County Court to felony charges of sexual abuse of children, possessing child pornography, in connection with a July 2008 incident.

The open plea means prosecutors have no deals with Gardner regarding his potential punishment.

Judge William R. Carpenter deferred sentencing so that probation officials can complete a background investigative report about Gardner. The judge will use that report to assist him in sentencing Gardner at a later date.

Gardner, who most recently listed an address along Willowwood Drive in Douglassville, faces a possible maximum sentence of 10½ to 21 years in prison on the charges.

Gardner, who remains in prison without bail pending sentencing, also must be evaluated by the Pennsylvania Sexual Offender Assessment Board to determine if he meets criteria under the state's Megan's Law to be declared a sexually violent predator. Those deemed to be predators face more stringent restrictions under Megan's Law including a lifetime requirement to report their addresses to state police once they're released from prison and mandatory counseling.

Court documents indicate county probation officials visited Gardner's Chestnut Grove Road home on July 28 and seized computer equipment that contained hundreds of child pornographic images. The images depicted girls who appeared to be between 8 and 12 years old, according to the arrest affidavit.

Some of the images depicted children under 13 either engaged in a sex act or showing their genitals, the criminal complaint alleged.

At the time of his arrest, Gardner was serving probation in connection with a September 2006 conviction of a misdemeanor charge of corruption of a minor. Gardner had been sentenced to three years' probation on Sept. 12, 2006, according to court records.

In the 2006 case, Upper Pottsgrove police alleged Gardner approached a 16-year-old girl who worked at a local fast-food restaurant on Jan. 21, 2006, and offered to pay her $100 if she would have sex with him or get nude for him, according to an arrest affidavit.

The girl went to police told authorities that Gardner had come to the restaurant on numerous occasions since 2005 and harassed her with talk of a sexual nature and slapped her on the butt, according to the arrest affidavit.

Gardner's latest child porn arrest represented a violation of his previous probation and he faces having to serve up to four years in back prison time for violating the 2006 probation.

"25% of all sex offenders re-offend within 15 years"
.........Sarah Tofte

Brian K. Racine - Repeat Sex Offender - THIRD STRIKE



A 45-year-old Level 3 sex offender living on Erickson Road was arrested and charged with two counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14.

Brian K. Racine of 246 Erickson Road was arrested Wednesday after a joint investigation with the Ashby Police Department, the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office and the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families.

Police said Mr. Racine knew the victim.

Mr. Racine is a Level 3 sex offender, the designation given to those most likely to re-offend.

He is being held without bail pending a hearing this week.

Mr. Racine was convicted in 1983 of raping a boy and indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 years old.

In 2003, Mr. Racine pleaded guilty to two federal charges of possessing hundreds of images of homoerotic child pornography, some of which depicted children under the age of 2.

Mr. Racine was sentenced to serve more than three years and five months in a North Carolina prison designed for treating sex offenders.

His prison term was to have been followed by three years of supervised release, and he was ordered to register with the Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry, undergo sex offender counseling and treatment, and treatment for depression and bipolar disorder.

"25% of all sex offenders re-offend within 15 years"
.........Sarah Tofte

Preston W. Childs - Repeat Sex Offender

A Columbia man with a felony conviction of sexual abuse of a minor was arrested Friday after allegedly taking pictures on a cell phone of sexual acts he had with a 16-year-old girl.


A caretaker of the girl allegedly found the photographs Friday on the cell phone of Preston W. Childs and contacted Columbia police, Sgt. Chris Kelley said. The caretaker turned the phone over to investigators.

Childs, 30, of 3110 Alpine Drive, was arrested on suspicion of second-degree statutory sodomy, sexual exploitation of a minor and failure to register a change of address as a sex offender. He remained last night at the Boone County Jail, with bond set at $75,000.

Kelley said the cell phone images were taken during the past two weeks. He described Childs and the victim as acquaintances. It is unknown whether Childs distributed the images.

Childs pleaded guilty in 2003 in Howell County to second-degree attempted statutory rape and was sentenced to five years in prison, according to online court records. He is listed as a registered sex offender using a Worley Street address with the Boone County Sheriff’s Department and Missouri State Highway Patrol.

"25% of all sex offenders re-offend within 15 years"
.........Sarah Tofte

EDWARD EUGENE HARPER

FBI TEN MOST WANTED FUGITIVE

UNLAWFUL FLIGHT TO AVOID PROSECUTION
CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT SEXUAL BATTERY,
CHILD FONDLING, SEXUAL BATTERY

Photograph taken prior to 1994
Photograph taken in 1994
Photograph age progressed in 2008

Aliases: Edward E. Harper, Ed E. Harper, Ed Harper, Eddie Eugene Trimue, Eddie Harper, Eddie Eugene Harper, Edward Eugene Trimue, Ed Harmon, Edward Trimue


DESCRIPTION

Date of Birth Used: March 1, 1946
Place of Birth: New Mexico
Hair: Gray/Brown
Eyes: Hazel
Height: 5'10"
Complexion: Medium
Weight: 165 pounds
Sex: Male
Build: Medium
Race: White
Occupations: Semi-Truck Driver, Mechanic, Forklift Driver, Ranch Handler
Nationality: American
Scars and Marks: None known
Remarks: Harper reportedly subscribed to Sovereign Citizen ideology and claimed to be a member of the Montana Freemen, a group involved in domestic terrorism activities. He has family ties to Arkansas and may have lived and worked in Wyoming and Montana.

CAUTION

EDWARD EUGENE HARPER IS WANTED FOR HIS ALLEGED INVOLVEMENT IN SEXUAL BEHAVIOR WITH TWO GIRLS, AGES 3 AND 8, IN MISSISSIPPI. THE GIRLS LIVED NEAR HARPER AND REPORTEDLY VISITED HIM AT HIS HOME. HARPER WAS CHARGED WITH SEX CRIMES AND ARRESTED. HARPER WAS RELEASED ON BOND, BUT HE FAILED TO APPEAR FOR A COURT HEARING IN 1994, AND HIS BOND WAS REVOKED.

REWARD

The FBI is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading directly to the arrest of Edward Eugene Harper.

CONSIDERED DANGEROUS

IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS PERSON, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL FBI OFFICE OR THE NEAREST U.S. EMBASSY OR CONSULATE.

Saturday, November 29, 2008

James Huskey pleads guilty - "The way to catch a predator is to find another predator first"


Hakes showed a graphic pockmarked with red dots representing the hundreds of locations where authorities have confiscated videos and images in the series since June of this year — the picture does not include those confiscated prior to June 2008.

An international investigation culminated Tuesday in a former LaFayette tennis coach pleading guilty in federal court to creating, distributing and receiving child pornography.

James Bartholomew “Bart” Huskey, 38, is accused of posting videos on the Internet during a period of years. He originally pleaded not guilty July 23.

Huskey appeared before Judge Robert L. Vining Jr. in U.S. District Court in Rome wearing a faded orange Polk County Jail uniform.

With his head down and hands behind his back, he answered “yes sir” to the judge’s questions.


Finally, Huskey straightened up for a brief moment and looked at Vining as he pleaded guilty to all charges.

Huskey is set to be sentenced Feb. 5, 2009, and could face as many as 70 years in prison and a fine as much as $750,000.

The case began when Australian authorities notified the FBI in June 2006 about a group of child pornography traders who used sophisticated security measures to keep from being caught by law enforcement.

In this investigation a particular series, known as the “Tara” series of videos and pictures, came to light, and the FBI aggressively worked to identify the child being abused and tracked down the location of Huskey who was producing and distributing the pictures and videos.

The case was extremely time-sensitive because the images had grown increasingly violent, prosecutors said, with Huskey shown brandishing a knife and using threatening behavior toward the victim.

Huskey was arrested in June and admitted to the abuse and posting images to the internet. The child also identified Huskey as the perpetrator.

During a search of Huskey’s home, the FBI found hundreds upon hundreds of disturbing images on Huskey’s computer, as well as the footage of the “Tara” series and many of the items depicted in images being traded around the world.

“The images in this case are horrific and that doesn’t even begin to describe the images,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Francey Hakes. “This case ranks right up there with the worst I’ve seen in 12 and a half years.”

Hakes showed a graphic pockmarked with red dots representing the hundreds of locations where authorities have confiscated videos and images in the series since June of this year — the picture does not include those confiscated prior to June 2008.
“(The series) is very sought after by people who have the same interests as Mr. Huskey,” she said. “It will be distributed throughout the world for many years to come unfortunately.”

The child is currently in protective custody and has been referred for a wide variety of therapeutic services provided to victims of child sexual abuse, said authorities.

“The guilty plea today of Mr. Huskey helps bring this tragic and twisted crime closer to a close. The rehabilitation and recovery of Mr. Huskey’s juvenile victim is, however, just beginning,” FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Greg Jones said. “The Atlanta Office FBI would like to express its gratitude to the many and varied law enforcement agencies who worked so hard toward this successful outcome.”

The case has a direct link to 15 other child pornographers in Florida, members of which were part of a sophisticated trading ring over the Internet.

Hakes said once a ring is cracked then more often than not, the U.S. Attorneys office will offer plea bargains during interrogation to each of the accused suspects in the alleged ring to turn them against each other.

“The way to catch a predator is to find another predator first,” Hakes said.

Friday, November 28, 2008

Patrick Conlan - Repeat Sex Offender - Pedophile

"You committed this offence while you were out on bail for an offence in Lincoln with a five-year-old girl and you also have two other previous convictions."
A Convicted paedophile has pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images.

Patrick Conlan had already been charged with sexual assault on a five-year-old.

While out on bail awaiting his court case, his computer was found to contain two videos showing sexual acts with children, one of which was a category five – the highest category of indecency.

Conlan, of Holcombe Street, Normanton, claimed he was downloading adult pornography and the videos had come to him as pop-ups.

His barrister, Michael Cranmer-Brown, told the court his client had phoned the police to tell them the videos were on his computer and that he had not actively searched child pornography sites for them.

Police raided Conlan's house on July 9 and took away his computer before arresting him later that day. Derby Crown Court heard that Conlon, 42, had three previous convictions for sexual indecency, dating back to 2003.

These included indecent assault on a 14-year-old girl and offences against girls aged 11, five and seven.

Prosecuting barrister, James Allen, told the court: "On the day Conlon was arrested, he was interviewed by the police and admitted looking at pornography on a daily basis.

"He is already disqualified from working with children and the Crown request that his computer is taken away."

Conlon's barrister argued that if his computer was taken away, his client could simply buy another one.

But Judge John Burgess snapped back: "I have seen the videos – I am taking his computer away."
Judge Burgess told the court that in viewing the two video clips, each around 15 minutes long, he felt that the category four clip was "more distressing" than the more serious category five one.

Judge Burgess told Conlan: "You accept that these videos are on your hard drive and you kept them for your own sexual gratification.

"You committed this offence while you were out on bail for an offence in Lincoln with a five-year-old girl and you also have two other previous convictions.

"I have seen the videos and they are absolutely revolting.

"They show a child being utterly degraded.

"This evil market (for child pornography) exists because of people like you and children suffer harm because of you.

"You are contributing to this market."

Conlan had previously been sentenced to two years and nine months' imprisonment by Lincoln Crown Court for the assault on the five-year-old girl, an offence committed while he was living in Lincoln.

Judge Burgess sentenced Conlon to 14 months, to run consecutively, for the indecent images offence.

He will also be banned from using a computer capable of downloading files unless a police officer is with him.

"25% of all sex offenders re-offend within 15 years"
.........Sarah Tofte

Police Arrest 9 in Child Porn Bust - Nevada

A task forced busted a child pornography ring in southern Nevada, taking nine people for having child porn. One of the men is accused of creating that pornography and police say they've rescued a child who was being abused by one of the men.

It took weeks of undercover work stopping criminals who get on the computer and prey on children. Men hiding in the anonymity of cyberspace were arrested and exposed for peddling child porn online.

"If anybody downloads videos and images of children being raped, we're going to come get you. We're going to find you and we're going to arrest you," said Metro Sergeant Troy Barrett.

SLIDESHOW: Pictures of Suspects Arrested in Child Pornography Bust

The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force announced nine child pornography arrests, ranging from Thomas Krattenmaker busted by a Metro undercover detective to Hector Gonzalez who was turned in by his employer for allegedly downloading child porn.

And then there's a man already familiar with the law. Michael Ward, a registered sex offender, now caught again in this sting, police say, for sexually abusing children.

"During his assaults of the juveniles, he produced, which means he captured, the images of the attacks," said Sgt. Barrett.

To protect the victims, police would not elaborate about ward's case. At this point, police don't believe there are any other victims from this latest sting, but everything is still under investigation.

"It's a huge problem, not only here in the valley, but nationwide," said Stephanie Parker with Nevada Child Seekers.

Parker says parents should be aware of online dangers, "For parents who allow children to go into their bedroom with a computer with internet access, you might as well invite a stranger in from off the street to go up to that child's room."

Predators lurking in cyberspace could target your child, gaining harmful personal information in just minutes, "The information that predators can find out is, you wouldn't believe it. People are just floored."

She says you should monitor your kids' computer time and watch for a change in their behavior. The internet is a good tool, but authorities say it also attracts too many with bad intentions.

It's easy to say to talk to your kids, but that's difficult because a lot of parents aren't aware of what's all on the web.

Police encourage parents to educate their children about accessing certain websites and the dangers that are on the Internet. Police recommend these websites:
www.cybertipline.com and www.netsmartz.org.

For more information on safety resources for parents or to inquire about internet safety classes, you may call Nevada Child Seekers at 458-7009.

MICHAEL WARD
Michael Ward is facing federal charges of producing child pornography. His victim was a local child and police say there may be others.
Thomas Krattenmaker
Hector Gonzalez
Paul Smith
Terry Ziegler
Juan Vega
Daniel Combes
Anthony Flores

William Lester Johnson - Repeat Sex Offender - VICTIM: 6 years old


On Tuesday afternoon, a registered sex offender was arrested for another child molestation.

Decatur County Deputies surrounded a residence at 1119 Old Pelham Road and took 52 year old William Lester Johnson of Climax into custody.

He was charged for the molestation of a 6 year old child. Sheriff's Investigator Brian Donalson stated the molestation occurred sometime over the last several months.

Johnson is a registered sex offender who was convicted in 1996 in Calhoun County for the molestation of an 8 year old. He was released in July of 2005 after serving a 10 year sentence.

"25% of all sex offenders re-offend within 15 years"
.........Sarah Tofte

Steven Vaughn Teague - Repeat Sex offender - obsessed with little boys



A repeat sex offender obsessed with little boys is headed to prison again.

A judge today initially sentenced Steven Vaughn Teague to 25 years after he admitted to a string of child-pornography charges in Albuquerque. However Teague will end up serving considerably less time than that.

Teague, 38, is no stranger to prison. He was convicted on child porn charges in Alaska in 2000 and sentenced to three years in federal prison.

Today he was back in the same position.

"Steven Teague has a sick and dangerous fascination with child pornography," prosecutor Raul Torrez said during the sentencing hearing.




Teague was the subject of a special investigation by the New Mexico Attorney General's Office that began in the spring of 2007.

Investigators found numerous images of child porn on a computer thumb drive belonging to Teague and on his cell phone.

The images included pictures and videos of little boys engaged in sex acts organized according to age groups.

The judge saw some of those images in court today. During the hearing Teague admitted he has a problem.

"I am very sorry for this,' Teague told District Judge Kenneth Martinez. "I want help. I take full responsibility."

Martinez handed down the 25-year sentence but suspended all but eight years.

As it stands, with credit for time served, Teague will spend 6 1/2 years in state prison.

Martinez is also pushing for Teague to get sex-offender counseling while in prison.

Teague originally faced more than 30 child-porn charges, but that number was reduced to six in a plea deal.

According to the prosecutor handling the case there is no evidence that any of the boys appearing in Teague's child porn collection were from New Mexico.

"25% of all sex offenders re-offend within 15 years"
.........Sarah Tofte

Richard Siler - Repeat Sex Offender - Babysitter molester


Police arrested Richard Siler, a registered sex offender, for allegedly sexually abusing three children left in his care.

Syracuse police told the Deseret News that say a 14-year old girl came forward this week claiming she had been sexually abused by Siler in 2003 and 2004. The girl's mother also claims she was fondled by Siler several times.

Police said they have identified three children and an adult woman who were sexually abused.

Police said Siler and his wife baby-sat children of friends.

Siler was booked into Davis County Jail on investigation of 12 counts of aggravated sex abuse of a child and three counts of sex abuse.

He was placed on the sex offender registry for attempted sex abuse of a child in 1999. Syracuse police Lt. Tracy Jensen told the Deseret News that Siler was no longer on probation or parole, but he remained on the registry.

"25% of all sex offenders re-offend within 15 years"
.........Sarah Tofte

Christopher Stubbings - A dangerous and manipulative pedophile

Christopher Stubbings controlled a worldwide network of paedophiles, acting as treasurer for a 60-strong network who revelled in what a judge said was "depravity" the likes of which she had never seen.

Police who raided Stubbings' home found 159,872 images and 6,448 videos of child abuse on two hard drives and a CD.

Of these were 85 were Level 5 films, the most serious category, one of the highest number ever recovered. Stafford Crown Court heard that officers rarely find more than two or three.

Stubbings was caught following a two-year investigation spearheaded by the FBI and police in Australia to bring down the paedophile ring.

Twenty-two members of his group were arrested, although the leader, known only as "Yardbird", remains on the run.

He admitted eight offences, including indecent assault, commissioning child abuse videos and possessing and distributing of sick images.

Sentencing him to 25 years in jail, Mrs Justice Julia Macur said she was appalled by details of his crimes.

She said: "In my career dealing with criminal and family cases involving the physical, emotional and sexual abuse of children I have never witnessed such deplorable images and of such depravity."

She said any agency considering him for release in the future should view the footage he owned before making their decision, adding: "I do think that you are a dangerous and manipulative man."

During the complex investigation, previous attempts to crack into Stubbings' computer remotely had been foiled by a complicated web of encryption and passwords used by his sickening group.

But when officers raided his home in Kings Bromley, Staffs, in February this year, they found his computer on and ready, giving them instant access to his files.

When he was interviewed by Staffordshire Police, Stubbings said: "You know what men are like. Some choose to collect stamps. I choose to collect images of children."

Stubbings, who used the online name of Helen, was snared when officers discovered postings commissioning child abuse films and money changing hands.

As part of the investigation, eight girls were rescued, including a ten-year-old from Belgium who was forced to carry out sex acts on her father.

Paul Griffiths, head of the Victim Identification Team at the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre, said Stubbings' arrest was "one of the most important in its impact in UK and worldwide paedophiles".

Det Insp Ronnie Walker, who led the investigation into Stubbings' activities, said Stubbings and his colleagues went to "great and sophisticated" lengths to avoid detection.

He added: "The investigation was, due to the secrecy of the network, complex and time-consuming, and had the added urgency because live child abuse was taking place."

Walter E. Absher - Filthy old child molesting pedophile


A man being held in Floyd County for allegedly inappropriately touching three young girls is now being charged with 35 counts of class A felony child molestation in Clark County.

Walter E. Absher, 71, of Nicholasville, Ky., is accused of molesting three female family members in Floyd County. The new charges relate to molestation that allegedly occurred in Clark County.

One girl, now 14, said Absher began touching her private parts when she was 5 years old, according to a probable-cause affidavit filed in Clark County Superior Court No. 1. She reportedly told a forensic interviewer at the Child Advocacy Center that Absher would come in her room at night, and she would wake up with her pants down.

She said that when she would cry, he would stick a sock in her mouth. He also allegedly threatened to set the house on fire if she told anyone.

The girl said when she was in third grade, Absher would put duct tape over her mouth, take off her clothing and tie her to the bed with rope. She even put a special lock on the inside of her closet door so that he could not get to her, according to the affidavit.

She reportedly did tell someone at school about the abuse when she was younger, but Absher denied the allegations and the girl said she was beaten for telling.

Absher told a detective that he did rub the girl’s breasts, but denied having sex with her, according to the affidavit.

The molestation reportedly began at his residence in New Washington.

Absher was first charged in Floyd County after the girl said she witnessed him touch her 12-year-old sister’s and 8-year-old cousin’s genitals at their residence in New Albany, according to a probable-cause affidavit. The 12-year-old allegedly told police she was fondled.

Absher was charged in Floyd County with two counts of child molesting, a class C felony, and sexual misconduct with a minor, a class D felony. He has a final pretrial conference scheduled for Jan. 6 and jury trial scheduled for Jan. 26.

The charges in Clark County were filed Nov. 12. He faces 20 to 50 years in prison for each class A felony.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Bart Huskey - Pleads guilty - Filthy Pedophile

Dr. Meginley says the best rehab
for those offenders is containment - and that's
exactly what's in store for Huskey



The investigation into Bart Huskey started two years ago in Australia when a member of an international child pornography ring was arrested and started to give information to the F.B.I. The investigation then moved to Maine where detectives analyzed a number videos which then lead them to Lafayette, Georgia in August, and then to Rome today where Bart Huskey plead guilty.

James "Bart" Husky seen on the right leaves the federal courthouse in Rome Georgia after pleading guilty to some of the worst child pornography crimes in the world.

This comes after the FBI says Husky distributed a violent series called the "Tara Series" to a sophisticated international ring.

"Unfortunately this series has now become one of the most top distributed and traded series throughout the world," Assistant United States Attorney Francey Hakes says.

Since Huskey's arrest prosecutors say they've found images from the "Tara Series" in more than a 1,000 cases in the United States. Many of the recorded acts are too descriptive for air, but the FBI says Huskey started abusing the child in the series years ago and appears in some pictures with a knife pressed against her face, neck, and genitals.

"It's about power, it's about control, it's about dominance," Dr. James Meginley says.

A dominance that Dr. Meginley has seen for years - that's because Meginley, who is a certified sex therapist, works with both the victims of sexual abuse and with sex offenders.

"I would say clearly the majority have offended against children and again the majority have offended against children that were well known to them," Meginley says.

That's because Meginley says children offer familiarity, trust, and are easily accessible. He says that parents should look for warning signs of abuse including changes in personality and moods.

He also says the majority of offenders typically end up being family members of the victims, but do have the ability to tell right and wrong. But for a small number, including Huskey, it can be much more difficult.

"For some people who are um clearly pathological and don't really know right from wrong they don't have a clear sense of that," Meginley says.

And Dr. Meginley says the best rehab for those offenders is containment - and that's exactly what's instore for Huskey - he faces seventy years in prison and will be sentenced in February.

Ronald Keith Mack

A registered sex offender faces new charges alleging
he sexually abused four victims under the age of 7.


A registered sex offender faces new charges alleging he sexually abused four victims under the age of 7.

Ronald Keith Mack, 42, could face up to 265 years in prison if convicted on the eight charges against him, ranging from first-degree sexual abuse of a minor to failure to register as a sex offender.

Authorities Tuesday said they are still investigating Mack and asked anyone with information on him to contact the Casper Police Department. Investigators did not detail the allegations and the charging documents against Mack are unavailable because Natrona County Circuit Court does not release information on cases involving alleged underage victims.

Mack, a Chicago native who has a previous Wyoming conviction for indecent liberties with a minor, appeared in circuit court Tuesday afternoon, where a judge set his bond at $75,000. A slight man who wore his hair in a braided ponytail, Mack told the court he has lived in Casper for about four years.

When Judge Michael Patchen asked the defendant specifically where he lived, Mack said he lived at Natrona County Detention Center.

Earlier Tuesday morning, Casper police Sgt. Steve Schulz released a brief statement seeking the public's help in the Mack investigation. Schulz did not elaborate on the statement other than to say the investigation is ongoing.

Police arrested Mack earlier this month on drug and interference allegations, according to police records provided to the Star-Tribune before he was charged with sexual abuse.

Mack is listed on Wyoming's sex offender registry because of his 1995 conviction in Natrona County for indecent liberties with a minor. The registry indicates he was born in Chicago and has several aliases including Ronnie Mack, Ricky Moore, Lee Baker and Ernest Lee Baker.

Mack has twice served time at Wyoming State Penitentiary, according to Department of Corrections spokeswoman Melinda Brazzale.



In April 1994, he went to prison after having his probation revoked in relation to a burglary case three years earlier. He was paroled in September 1994.

Nine months later, Casper police arrested Mack after a 6-year-old girl told her mother a man had tried to molest her, court documents show. That October, Mack pleaded no contest to the indecent liberties charge and a judge sentenced him to three to five years in prison.

Department of Corrections records show Mack finished his sentence in March 1999. Information on whether Mack received sex offender counseling while incarcerated is not public, Brazzale told the Star-Tribune in an e-mail.

In court Tuesday, Assistant District Attorney Dan Itzen said Mack has a previous burglary conviction in Illinois.

Anyone with information on Mack can contact police at (307) 235-8278.

"25% of all sex offenders re-offend within 15 years"
.........Sarah Tofte

Calvin Moore - Repeat Sex Offender Victim: 11 year old boy


Police arrested a convicted sex offender who they say forced his way into a neighbor's South Philadelphia home and sexually assaulted an 11-year-old boy while his father was running an errand.

Calvin Moore, 29, of the 2000 block of Morris Street, was apprehended yesterday afternoon following hours of an intense overnight investigation looking for the assailant, said Capt. John Darby of the Special Victims Unit.

"The good thing is, with a quick investigation and an aggressive investigation, we were able to get this person into custody quickly," Darby said. "If there are any other victims out there, we are here for them."

The victim was home with his older brother Tuesday night when their father ran out for the errand near their home on South 17th Street, Darby said.

A short time later, the younger boy answered the door and was confronted by a man who made a sexual advance toward him, Darby said. As the boy tried to shut the door, the man forced his way inside, injuring the boy on the head, Darby said.

Once inside, Darby said, the man attacked the boy while his older brother was in another room. The man quickly fled. When the father returned a short time later, he called police.

Darby said that the boy did not know the man who attacked him. But, Darby said, the boy told police that the man had confronted him before in the neighborhood and had made a sexual advance toward him at that time.

"It appears this was not random," Darby said. "He targeted a specific child."

Darby said that the assailant had been watching the home and waiting for the father to leave.

Authorities obtained a warrant for Moore's home, which was searched yesterday when authorities took him into custody.

Moore faces a list of charges, including burglary and sexual assault.

Darby said Moore was in compliance with the law as a registered offender.

According to the state Web site, Moore was convicted of sexual assault in 2001. Court records show that Moore was arrested in Philadelphia in 1998 and 1999 and pleaded guilty in 2001 to rape and indecent assault where the victim was a minor.

He was sentenced to 21/2 to eight years, to be followed by four years of probation, according to court records.

Moore's name and photograph appear on the Pennsylvania State Police Web site of registered sex offenders: www.pameganslaw.

state.pa.us/

Police asked anyone who might have been victimized by Moore to call the Special Victims Unit at 214-685-3251.

"25% of all sex offenders re-offend within 15 years"
.........Sarah Tofte

Brendon James Macneill - Repeat Sex Offender - Trolling for victims


A man accused of repeated sexual crimes against children is once again in custody in the GTA.

Brendon James Macneill was picked up Thursday morning in Mississauga, arrested for breaching a probation order which forbade him from having any communication with children under the age of 14.

Peel Police also fear he's been communicating not just with kids in Toronto, but children across the country.

An investigation into Macneill's most recent actions is underway, preventing police from elaborating any further on details pertaining to the case, including Macneill's preferred methods of interaction.

There are reports, however, that the 37-year-old tried to lure a child over the Internet and a complaint was filed from somewhere in Nova Scotia.

If you've had any contact with Macneill or know someone who has, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.

"25% of all sex offenders re-offend within 15 years"
.........Sarah Tofte

Clifton Allen Lavinskey Sexual fiend - a monster gets 30 years to think about it

The prosecutor noted that Lavinskey also initially placed blame on the girl, claiming she initiated their early sexual encounters. Giardini called the case "appalling."

Giardini said that the 30-year sentence showed that Wood appreciated "the damage done to young people at the hands of monsters such as Clifton Lavinskey."

A Grand Bay man who sexually accosted a young girl over four years and was charged with incest received a 30-year prison sentence Wednesday in Mobile County Circuit Court.

In exchange for guilty pleas to second-degree rape and first-degree sex abuse, the incest charge against 36-year-old Clifton Allen Lavinskey was dropped.

Circuit Judge James Wood imposed the sentences — 20 years for rape, 10 years for sex abuse — and ordered that Lavinskey serve them consecutively.

Assistant District Attorney Steve Giardini, who prosecuted the case, said a police investigator testified that the sexual relationship between Lavinskey and the girl began when she about 12 and ended when she was 15 and pregnant.

Lavinskey did not address the court Wednesday, and the victim, now in her late teens, was not present, the prosecutor said.

Giardini told Wood that in a statement to investigators following his 2007 arrest, Lavinskey admitted having sex with the girl almost daily.

The prosecutor noted that Lavinskey also initially placed blame on the girl, claiming she initiated their early sexual encounters. Giardini called the case "appalling."

Giardini said that the 30-year sentence showed that Wood appreciated "the damage done to young people at the hands of monsters such as Clifton Lavinskey."

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Jason Pate - Repeat Sex Offender - Sadistic Bastard

"From all of the evidence recovered thus far, this man appears to be a major distributor of child pornography to any deviant person in the world who has access to a computer"



Police executed a search warrant and arrested Jason Pate on Nov. 19, 2008 at Pate's home in Nashville.

Pate was charged with sexual exploitation of a minor after detectives seized two laptops networked together that were linked to a computer tower that contained multiple internal and external hard drives. According to a Metro police press release, the tower appeared to act as a computer server for the alleged purpose of sending and receiving massive amount of child porn.

The seized equipment contained thousands of sexual images of minors and stories that described the sexual molestation of children, including infants and toddlers. Police said the forensic analysis of Pate's computer system will take several weeks.

Pate, a registered sex offender, was previously convicted of exchanging child pornography over the Internet and was charged with sexual exploitation of a minor on Dec. 17, 1996, in Michigan.

"From all of the evidence recovered thus far, this man appears to be a major distributor of child pornography to any deviant person in the world who has access to a computer," said Chief Ronal Serpas.

On Wednesday, Pate, who worked at a computer software development company, was scheduled for a 9 a.m. court date in Judge Leon Ruben's general sessions court for a preliminary hearing.

Pate was lodged in the Davidson County Jail in lieu of $250,000 bond.

Federal authorities have also been briefed on the Pate's case given the magnitude and the suspect's prior federal conviction.

"25% of all sex offenders re-offend within 15 years"
.........Sarah Tofte

Kelly D. Snodgrass - Repeat Sex Offender


A sex offender who tried to lure young girls this summer was sentenced to eight years in prison this morning.

Kelly D. Snodgrass, 38, of Elyria, pleaded guilty in September to two counts each of attempted pandering obscenity involving a minor, attempted illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material or performance and criminal child enticement.

Snodgrass withdrew a motion to revoke his guilty plea and Lorain County Common Pleas Judge Christopher Rothgery sentenced him to eight years. The maximum sentence Snodgrass could have received was 22 years in prison.

"25% of all sex offenders re-offend within 15 years"
.........Sarah Tofte

Guadalupe Gutierrez-Juarez - "impulsive, manipulative opportunist"

"This is a life sentence you've imposed on a little girl," said Moss. "You've robbed her of her childhood ... and I think the sentence is appropriate."


The man accused of raping and impregnating a 10-year-old girl was sentenced Tuesday, in a case that Judge Brent Moss called "one of the most disturbing of my career."

Guadalupe Gutierrez-Juarez, 38, was sentenced to a minimum of five years to life at the Idaho State Penitentiary. Gutierrez-Juarez had previously pleaded guilty to two charges of rape at a hearing on Oct. 14.

The majority of Tuesday's sentencing focused on the results of Gutierrez-Juarez's psycho-sexual evaluation. While not classified as a "sexual predator," the evaluation does show Gutierrez-Juarez to be an "impulsive, manipulative opportunist." The evaluation also indicates that this may not have been Gutierrez-Juarez's first sexual offense.

"He has no concept of the long-term impact of his behavior," said Penelope North-Shaul, one of the Fremont County prosecutors. "According to the psycho-sexual evaluation, Mr. Gutierrez-Juarez shows no remorse ... He belongs in prison."

Guadalupe Gutierrez-Juarez told the judge that he was "very remorseful."

"I swear I will never do this again," said Gutierrez-Juarez.

Defense Attorney Paul Butikofer said that while Gutierrez-Juanez does warrant legal punishment, he has already been severely punished.

"Mr. Gutierrez-Juarez has already spent the last seven months in jail," Butikofer said. "He will be subject to deportation. He has lost his job, his girlfriend and his children."

But despite this defense, Judge Brent Moss delivered his verdict without hesitation.

"This is a life sentence you've imposed on a little girl," said Moss. "You've robbed her of her childhood ... and I think the sentence is appropriate."

Gutierrez-Juarez was initially arrested on April 28 and charged with rape after St. Anthony police were contacted by medical authorities and notified that the 10-year-old daughter of Isabel Chasarez was pregnant. Gutierrez-Juarez and Chasarez had been living together in St. Anthony.

Chasarez has already been sentenced to one to 10 years in prison for failing to provide prenatal care for her 10-year-old daughter.

Both the 10-year-old victim and her baby have been taken into protective custody by the Idaho Health and Welfare Department.

Guadalupe Gutierrez-Juarez has 42 days to file a court appeal.

Joshua M. Borden - Whining Pedophile

“The nature of this crime is depraved and disturbing,” Judge Michael P. Barnes writes in the opinion. “Borden repeatedly molested (the girl). ... The long-term implications of this sexual abuse on the victim cannot be predicted. Borden’s statement of remorse simply does not and cannot make up for the harm he inflicted on this young child.”

The Indiana Court of Appeals denied on Wednesday a convicted child molester’s appeal, after he claimed the sentence he received was too long based on his criminal history and expression of remorse.

Madison Superior Court 3 Judge Thomas Newman sentenced Joshua M. Borden, a former Madison County Community Corrections guard, to eight years in prison in April after he pleaded guilty to three counts of child molesting involving a 7-year-old girl.

Each charge was a Class C felony punishable by two to eight years. The eight-year sentence was the maximum allowed in a plea agreement with prosecutors.

Border, 33, argued Newman should have given him a shorter sentence because he didn’t have any criminal history and expressed remorse. However, in an unanimous opinion of the three-judge Appeals Court panel, the argument was rejected.

“The nature of this crime is depraved and disturbing,” Judge Michael P. Barnes writes in the opinion. “Borden repeatedly molested (the girl). ... The long-term implications of this sexual abuse on the victim cannot be predicted. Borden’s statement of remorse simply does not and cannot make up for the harm he inflicted on this young child.”

According to a probable cause affidavit filed with the charges:
Police began their investigation after child protective services officials were contacted because the girl was discovered inappropriately touching herself while at school. The girl told investigators Borden had fondled her at least once in the past and that Borden sometimes asked her to touch him.

During questioning, Borden told detectives the girl “turned him on,” according to the affidavit. He admitted the girl touched him in a sexual way once, and that he fantasized about the 7-year-old.

Community Corrections officials previously said Borden was fired not long after the allegations surfaced on Oct. 19. He had been hired on Oct. 1 and had earned $8 per hour. He had passed a background check and did not have a criminal record.

Borden is serving his term at the medium-security Plainfield Correctional Facility. With good behavior, his earliest possible release date is October 2011, according to the Indiana Department of Correction.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Jason R. Putney - Repeat Sex Offender - Before he even made it to trial!!!


A 27-year-old man has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for the receipt and distribution of child pornography.

Jason R. Putney will begin a term of supervised release for the remainder of his life when he leaves jail.

During his pretrial release over the summer, Putney was arrested and accused of sexually assaulting two girls at an Omaha Wal-Mart and Super Target.

Police said Putney groped and fondled a 10-year-old and a 12-year-old girl.

The alleged assaults took place at a Wal-Mart on 132nd and L streets and a SuperTarget near 180th Street and West Center Road.

On April 8, Nebraska State Patrol investigators executed a search warrant on Putney's apartment. They found 70 images and 90 videos of child pornography on his computer, according to the Nebraska State Patrol.

"25% of all sex offenders re-offend within 15 years"
.........Sarah Tofte

Michael G. Ward - Repeat Sex Offender


Authorities are requesting that parents ask their children if they might have been victims of a sex offender netted by a multi-agency child pornography task force today.

Las Vegas police Lt. Troy Barrett said they want to make sure there are no other victims of 42-year-old Michael G. Ward, who was arrested on three counts of statutory sexual seduction, one count of use of a minor in the production of pornography and 20 counts of possession of child pornography.

“Parents, if you know this person, talk to your children,” Barrett said.

Court records show Ward in 1998 pleaded guilty to assault and battery and lewdness with a child under 14 years of age. He was sentenced to a minimum of two years in prison.

Barrett said there were a “few” victims involved in Ward’s latest arrest.

He wouldn’t go into detail about those cases, or identify the neighborhoods where Ward or the alleged victims live. Nor did he provide the names of schools the alleged victims might attend.

But he said police didn’t believe Ward distributed the photos and home videos he took.

Ward was one of nine suspects nabbed in the last few days by a task force made up of officers from the Metropolitan and Henderson police departments and the FBI.

Police said there were no victims in the other cases.

The other suspects are:

—Elbert Bernard, 59, was arrested on five counts of possession of child pornography.

—Daniel Combes, 46, was arrested on 15 counts of possession of child pornography.

—Anthony Flores, 32, was arrested on 20 counts of possession of child pornography.

—Hector A. Gonzalez, no age provided, was arrested on 10 counts of possession of child pornography after his employer noticed the information on his work computer, Barrett said.

—Thomas K. Krattenmaker, 22, was arrested on six counts of advertising or distributing child pornography and 20 counts of possession of child pornography.

—Paul Smith, 51, was arrested on 20 counts of possession of child pornography.

—Juan Vega, 37, was arrested on 20 counts of possession of child pornography.

—Terry K. Ziegler, 56, was arrested on 15 counts of possession of child pornography.

Christopher J. Seeley - Repeat Sex Offender - Civil Commitment


An Eau Claire man will remain in a secure mental health facility after he was found to be a sexually violent person.

An Eau Claire County jury made that finding Monday against Christopher J. Seeley following a six-day trial.

Judge William Gabler ordered Seeley to the custody of the state Department of Health and Family Services for an indefinite period of time.

The state Justice Department in 2007 filed a sexual predator petition against Seeley, claiming he is a sexually violent person and should be committed for treatment.

According to the state's petition:

Seeley suffers from mental conditions that predispose him to engage in acts of sexual violence.

Seeley is dangerous because his mental disorders make it likely he will engage in future sexual violence.

Seeley, 34, was sentenced to a year in prison in 2005 for sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman.

He pleaded no contest to a felony count of third-degree sexual assault.

According to court records, Seeley had sexual contact with the woman Sept. 28, 2003, without her consent while they were in a car in Carson Park.

Seeley was also convicted of third-degree sexual assault in Eau Claire County in 1999.

Robert Wirtz - Repeat Sex Offender


A 46-year-old Winter Haven man was sentenced Tuesday to nine years in prison for molesting a teenage girl he met while volunteering at his church.

Circuit Judge Keith Spoto also sentenced Robert Wirtz to 12 years' probation.

The judge declared him to be a sexual predator.

Wirtz attended Trinity Congregational United Church of Christ in Winter Haven.

During his sentencing hearing, Wirtz said he was guilty of having a "compassionate heart."

He denied molesting the girl, who was 16 at the time, and a 13-year-old boy in another incident.

At trial, Wirtz testified that he offered to take the girl to his home July 6, 2007, so she could have a break from watching her siblings.

However, the girl told jurors that Wirtz offered to take her to the store, but then drove her to his home.

The girl testified that she fell asleep watching television and awoke to find Wirtz fondling her.

A jury found Wirtz guilty Sept. 11 of sexual battery.

In a separate incident, the boy told investigators that Wirtz fondled him and talked about sex.

Prosecutors dropped the charges relating to the boy after Wirtz was found guilty of molesting the girl.


"25% of all sex offenders re-offend within 15 years"
.........Sarah Tofte

Internet Solicitation Laws Ruled CONSTITUTIONAL

Yet Carla Sigler with the Calcasieu DA's office says the law is regulating conduct, not speech and that trying to solicit a child is not protected speech. "What is prohibited is somebody sexually soliciting a minor child via the Internet or someone they suspect to be a minor child. The act of typing in the email communication and soliciting that child is conduct rather than speech."

A judge in Calcasieu finds the law used to prosecute online predators is constitutional -- even if the original version was poorly written.

The online predator law is a big help to law enforcement trying to catch those who would use computers to solicit sex from children. The challenge was to the original state law which has since been amended in a way that some defense attorneys think fixes it.

King Alexander. with the public defenders office, had argued the law infringes on a person's right to free speech. "Electronic textual communication has been held by the United States Supreme Court to be free speech and that's precisely what this statute criminalizes."

Yet Carla Sigler with the Calcasieu DA's office says the law is regulating conduct, not speech and that trying to solicit a child is not protected speech. "What is prohibited is somebody sexually soliciting a minor child via the Internet or someone they suspect to be a minor child. The act of typing in the email communication and soliciting that child is conduct rather than speech."

Alexander also argued the law made criminal communication that would be legal face to face between a 17 year old and 18 year old. "It criminalizes a solicitation over the computer that would be perfectly legal to do verbally in person. In fact it would be perfectly legal to go ahead and consummate the conduct that's being proposed."

But Sigler says those aren't the kind of cases being prosecuted. "The majority of cases that we have in our office are when someone who is in their forties or fifties is trying to sexually solicit a minor child who is thirteen or fourteen years old."

After hearing argument from both sides judge Todd Clemons agreed the original law may have been poorly written, even flawed, but is not unconstitutional.

As well, Judge Clemons says the law serves a compelling interest of the state, by protecting minors from being solicited by adults for sexual purposes.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Mark Carpenter - Baby Raping Principal


A former assistant principal at Lee Road Junior High School pleaded guilty Monday to raping a 6-year-old girl and possessing child pornography.

Mark Carpenter, 54, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for raping the girl in 1986, before he was hired by the St. Tammany Parish school system.

Carpenter, of the Covington area, was arrested at the Lee Road school on Oct. 8, 2007, and taken to the St. Tammany Parish jail after questioning. He resigned as assistant principal the next day.

He was accused of sexually abusing the girl for 10 years, from the time she was 6 years old until she was 16, authorities said. The victim is now 27.

Carpenter was originally charged with aggravated rape, which can carry a sentence of life in prison, but Ronnie Gracianette, chief of trials for the parish district attorney's office, said Monday that the victim and her family were happy with the plea agreement.

State Judge Elaine Dimiceli sentenced Carpenter to 30 years for the forcible rape charge, without the benefit of parole, probation or suspension of sentence. He received five years for the child pornography charge. The sentences will run at the same time.

The maximum sentence for forcible rape is 40 years. Possession of child pornography is punishable by a maximum of 10 years in prison.

The day after his arrest, school officials sent students home with a letter assuring parents that the allegations had nothing to do with the school.

Carpenter joined St. Tammany Parish schools as a teacher at Lyon Elementary School in Covington during the 1997-98 school year.

He worked at Lyon Elementary for nine years before becoming parishwide assistant principal in 2006. He was assigned to Lee Road Junior High School in 2007, temporarily replacing an assistant principal who was on leave.

The incidents that led to Carpenter's arrest came to light through the victim's conversations with her family in 2007.

The week before Carpenter's arrest, Anthony Vincent "Vince" Ularich III, 60, a former Slidell Pathways School special education teacher, was arrested and booked with 275 counts of possessing child pornography involving children 8 to 10 years old.

Ularich resigned from his teaching position the day before his Oct. 5, 2007, arrest. He immediately admitted possessing the images, authorities said, and pleaded guilty to the charges May 7. He was sentenced June 2 to seven years in prison.

Then in March, a former Slidell school janitor was booked with sexual assault. Dino Jay Schwertz, 42, of Slidell was booked with rapes of two 10-year-old boys at W.L. Abney Elementary, and Slidell police later booked him with additional sex crimes after more children came forward.

Schwertz was charged with nine counts of aggravated rape, two counts of child molestation and two counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile, in incidents police say occurred in the school bathroom over several weeks last fall.

He is in the St. Tammany jail in Covington awaiting trial.