W.Va. child sex abuse victims suing Mormon officials, UK gang raped and abused babies

David Clohessy: A test of justice for W.Va. child sex abuse victims
By David Clohessy  Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Justice comes rarely for victims of childhood sexual assault. When it does, it’s only after a painful legal process. This week in Charleston, an appeals court could make that already difficult process even harder for West Virginia victims who use civil courts to warn the public about predators....

A dozen children and their parents are suing Mormon officials for allegedly enabling and concealing the heinous abuses committed by a now ex-Mormon, Christopher Michael Jensen. There’s no doubt about Jensen’s guilt — he was convicted of assaulting youngsters in both Utah and West Virginia.

But Mormon officials are fighting hard to defend themselves. In fact, they’ve convinced a judge to appoint a private lawyer to defend Jensen, a move that’s exceedingly rare in civil cases. Worse, they’ve persuaded that judge to force the victims to pay half of Jensen’s defense lawyers’ fees.

In the United States, we have a long and honorable tradition of making sure that every accused person, no matter how egregious his or her purported crimes, has legal representation. But no one is guaranteed an attorney in a civil matter. And very few, in a civil court, ever have to pay to help the opposing side.... http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20150421/GZ04/150429951/110

'Vile and depraved' UK gang raped and abused babies
22 April 2015

Members of a paedophile network whose crimes were described as the most "vile and depraved" police had seen have been convicted of arranging abuse.

The UK-wide gang raped and abused babies and young children, streaming the attacks online to fellow members.

John Denham, 49, and Matthew Stansfield, 34, had denied plotting sex crimes against the victims.

They were found guilty after a trial at Bristol Crown Court. Five other members had earlier admitted various offences.

The group used the internet to plan and stream abuse and tried to groom pregnant women in order to find new victims, the trial heard.

In one case, they groomed a mother and father before their child was born.

Officers from the National Crime Agency, which led the investigation, said the crimes were the most "vile and depraved" it had ever investigated....

Prosecutor Robert Davies told the jury in the Denham and Stansfield trial: "This prosecution will take you into a world you wished did not exist.

"The evidence exposes the shocking interest a group of men had in sexually abusing babies, toddlers or pre-school children.

"A real baby was for certain abused and raped by some of those involved.".... http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-32413502