- Paedophile witch Robin Fletcher wants supervision conditions eased
Convicted rapist has spent nearly more than nine years under strict order after serving jail sentence.
- Former Archbishop Dies Ahead of Vatican Child Abuse Trial
Jozef Wesolowski had been the most senior Vatican official arrested on allegations of child sex abuse
- Inquiry into historic child abuse to focus on homes allegations
Cardinal Sean Brady leaves after giving evidence to the Historical Institutional Abuse inquiry at Banbridge Courthouse, County Down
Paedophile witch Robin Fletcher wants supervision conditions eased
September 1, 2015 Mark Russell
Convicted rapist has spent nearly more than nine years under strict order after serving jail sentence.
Robin Fletcher is living in a facility for offenders who have finished their sentences but are deemed an unacceptable risk of reoffending. Photo: Craig Abraham
Paedophile witch Robin Angas Fletcher wants authorities to relax the conditions of a strict supervision order he has been under since 2006.
Fletcher, 59, who is legally blind, has been living in the Corella Place sex offender facility in Ararat since his release after serving eight years' jail for raping and prostituting two 15-year-old girls.
He had pleaded guilty to three counts of committing an indecent act with a child under the age of 16, one count of sexual penetration of a person between 10 and 16, one count of child prostitution and one count of attempting to pervert the course of justice.
Under his current supervision order, Fletcher is not allowed to have access to whips or chains capable of providing sexual stimulus, his internet access to sites has to be approved by authorities and he has to comply with electronic monitoring.....
In an interview with Fairfax Media in July this year, Fletcher said he was not confident of being released in June 2016.
"They believe that because I'm a witch, I'm a Satanist," he said. "They also believe all Satanists are liars. I can express remorse and they can say, 'But you're lying.' I can say, 'I don't intend to reoffend', and they simply say, 'But you're lying.'"
During a review of Fletcher's extended supervision order in 2010, the Court of Appeal outlined how Fletcher had been working as a drug abuse and sexual guidance youth counsellor in South Caulfield in the 1990s when he subjected two vulnerable 15-year-old girls to violent sexual acts.
"These acts involved their being whipped and beaten on their naked backs and buttocks with objects including a riding crop, causing pain and physical injury," the appeal judges said.
"He [Fletcher] explained his behaviour as being part of a pagan ritual, justified by his religious beliefs which he described as 'Wiccan'.
"Subsequent to his arrest for these offences he sought the assistance of a fellow prisoner to have the two girls killed so that they could not give evidence against him."....
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/paedophile-witch-robin-fletcher-wants-supervision-conditions-eased-20150901-gjcaba.html
Former Archbishop Dies Ahead of Vatican Child Abuse Trial
Jozef Wesolowski had been the most senior Vatican official arrested on allegations of child sex abuse
By Liam Moloney Aug. 28, 2015
VATICAN CITY—The former papal nuncio to the Dominican Republic, who was under house arrest on charges of child abuse and possession of child pornography, died early Friday, according to the Vatican.
The Vatican said in a statement initial indications were that Jozef Wesolowski, the Polish born-priest who had been the most senior Vatican official arrested on allegations of child sex abuse so far, had died of natural causes....
Mr. Wesolowski, 67, was recalled as ambassador to the Caribbean country in 2013, after a five-year posting, in the wake of reports of sexual misconduct.
He was defrocked as archbishop by a Vatican tribunal last year for sexual abuse of minors in the Dominican Republic. In June, after the pope gave his permission, a Vatican criminal court indicted him on charges of sexually abusing boys in the Dominican Republic and of possessing child pornography. He had been under house arrest inside the Vatican awaiting the start of his trial....
http://www.wsj.com/articles/former-archbishop-dies-ahead-of-vatican-child-abuse-trial-1440759820
Inquiry into historic child abuse to focus on homes allegations
31/08/2015
Cardinal Sean Brady leaves after giving evidence to the Historical Institutional Abuse inquiry at Banbridge Courthouse, County Down
A long-running public inquiry will examine allegations of historic child abuse at juvenile justice institutions when it resumes this week....
In June, the HIA, spent a week examining the failings that allowed notorious paedophile priest Fr Brendan Smyth to continue abusing children over four decades.
Retired Catholic Primate Cardinal Sean Brady was among those who gave evidence and said he hoped light would be shed on a "dark chapter" in the church's history.
The inquiry was set up in January 2013 by the Northern Ireland Executive to investigate child abuse which occurred in residential institutions over a 73-year period from 1922 to 1995.
A total of 16 child care facilities are under investigation and around 300 witnesses are expected to give evidence....
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/inquiry-into-historic-child-abuse-to-focus-on-homes-allegations-31490453.html
Monday, August 31, 2015
Thursday, August 27, 2015
Former franchisee alerted Subway about Jared Fogle, 446 child abuse arrests in South Yorkshire since Jay Report, Mistreated wild animals rescued from Mexico - witchcraft ritual
- Former franchisee alerted Subway about Jared Fogle, lawyer says
- 446 child abuse arrests in South Yorkshire since Jay Report
- Abandoned, mistreated wild animals rescued from Mexico brought to Colorado animal sanctuary (witchcraft ritual)
Former franchisee alerted Subway about Jared Fogle, lawyer says
AP August 27, 2015
NEW YORK -- A former franchisee alerted a Subway advertising executive in 2008 about her concerns about pitchman Jared Fogle, according to her lawyer.
Cindy Mills exchanged phone numbers with Fogle after they met at an event, said Robert Beasley, a lawyer in Florida who represents Mills. After Fogle began talking about paying for sex with minors, the lawyer said Mills alerted a regional Subway contact in Florida where her business was based.
Later, he said Mills alerted Jeff Moody, who was in charge of the Subway Franchisee Advertising Fund Trust, which handles the company's marketing....
Beasley said Mills became comfortable about coming forward after Fogle agreed on Aug. 19 to plead guilty to allegations that he paid for sex with girls as young as 16 and received child pornography. Mills was not immediately available for comment Thursday evening. But according to Beasley:
-Mills offered to show Moody the texts from Fogle, but Moody stopped her and said he didn't want to hear anymore.
-Moody said he had dealt with similar comments, and reassured Mills that Fogle had met a teacher who would get him grounded.
"To me, it was confirmation that they knew about it," Beasley said....
The agreement with Fogle released by prosecutors said Fogle will pay $1.4 million in restitution to 14 minor victims, who will each get $100,000. The document noted that the payments would not prevent any identified or unidentified victims from pursuing civil litigation....
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/former-franchisee-alerted-subway-about-jared-fogle-her-lawyer-says/
VIDEO: 446 child abuse arrests in South Yorkshire since Jay Report
Alex Evans Wednesday 26 August 2015
South Yorkshire Police have arrested 446 people on suspicion of child sexual offences in the 12 months since the Jay Report – with 72 arrests specifically for grooming.
The force’s district commander for Rotherham, Chief Superintendent Jason Harwin, says the figures are evidence police are making progress in tackling Child Sexual Exploitation....
At present, there are 42 current and former South Yorkshire Police officers subject to an Independent Police Complaints Commission investigation over potential misconduct over the Rotherham scandal.
http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/video-446-child-abuse-arrests-in-south-yorkshire-since-jay-report-1-7428238
describes animal abuse
Abandoned, mistreated wild animals rescued from Mexico brought to Colorado animal sanctuary
Phil Tenser, Lindsay Watts Aug 27, 2015
KEENESBURG, Colo. - A dozen wild animals, some used in Mexican circuses, have a new home at a Colorado animal sanctuary.
Mexican naval aircraft brought eight African lions, two lynx, a mountain lion and a coyote to Denver Wednesday night. The menagerie then traveled to the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg, joining about 400 other animals on the 720-acre property.
"They have not been treated right, whether that’s been malnourished or physically abused," said Jason Maxey, with the Wild Animal Sanctuary. "They’ve all suffered quite a bit of neglect and abuse in their life."
Maxey said the lions, most of them cubs, look malnourished and weak. One was limping. Even worse, the rescued coyote was used by its owners for witchcraft.
"They literally would tie his front limbs together and then hang him and then perform whatever witchcraft ritual," said animal care director Rebecca Miceli....
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/front-range/weld-county/abandoned-mistreated-wild-animals-rescued-from-mexico-brought-to-colorado-animal-sanctuary
- 446 child abuse arrests in South Yorkshire since Jay Report
- Abandoned, mistreated wild animals rescued from Mexico brought to Colorado animal sanctuary (witchcraft ritual)
Former franchisee alerted Subway about Jared Fogle, lawyer says
AP August 27, 2015
NEW YORK -- A former franchisee alerted a Subway advertising executive in 2008 about her concerns about pitchman Jared Fogle, according to her lawyer.
Cindy Mills exchanged phone numbers with Fogle after they met at an event, said Robert Beasley, a lawyer in Florida who represents Mills. After Fogle began talking about paying for sex with minors, the lawyer said Mills alerted a regional Subway contact in Florida where her business was based.
Later, he said Mills alerted Jeff Moody, who was in charge of the Subway Franchisee Advertising Fund Trust, which handles the company's marketing....
Beasley said Mills became comfortable about coming forward after Fogle agreed on Aug. 19 to plead guilty to allegations that he paid for sex with girls as young as 16 and received child pornography. Mills was not immediately available for comment Thursday evening. But according to Beasley:
-Mills offered to show Moody the texts from Fogle, but Moody stopped her and said he didn't want to hear anymore.
-Moody said he had dealt with similar comments, and reassured Mills that Fogle had met a teacher who would get him grounded.
"To me, it was confirmation that they knew about it," Beasley said....
The agreement with Fogle released by prosecutors said Fogle will pay $1.4 million in restitution to 14 minor victims, who will each get $100,000. The document noted that the payments would not prevent any identified or unidentified victims from pursuing civil litigation....
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/former-franchisee-alerted-subway-about-jared-fogle-her-lawyer-says/
VIDEO: 446 child abuse arrests in South Yorkshire since Jay Report
Alex Evans Wednesday 26 August 2015
South Yorkshire Police have arrested 446 people on suspicion of child sexual offences in the 12 months since the Jay Report – with 72 arrests specifically for grooming.
The force’s district commander for Rotherham, Chief Superintendent Jason Harwin, says the figures are evidence police are making progress in tackling Child Sexual Exploitation....
At present, there are 42 current and former South Yorkshire Police officers subject to an Independent Police Complaints Commission investigation over potential misconduct over the Rotherham scandal.
http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/video-446-child-abuse-arrests-in-south-yorkshire-since-jay-report-1-7428238
describes animal abuse
Abandoned, mistreated wild animals rescued from Mexico brought to Colorado animal sanctuary
Phil Tenser, Lindsay Watts Aug 27, 2015
KEENESBURG, Colo. - A dozen wild animals, some used in Mexican circuses, have a new home at a Colorado animal sanctuary.
Mexican naval aircraft brought eight African lions, two lynx, a mountain lion and a coyote to Denver Wednesday night. The menagerie then traveled to the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg, joining about 400 other animals on the 720-acre property.
"They have not been treated right, whether that’s been malnourished or physically abused," said Jason Maxey, with the Wild Animal Sanctuary. "They’ve all suffered quite a bit of neglect and abuse in their life."
Maxey said the lions, most of them cubs, look malnourished and weak. One was limping. Even worse, the rescued coyote was used by its owners for witchcraft.
"They literally would tie his front limbs together and then hang him and then perform whatever witchcraft ritual," said animal care director Rebecca Miceli....
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/front-range/weld-county/abandoned-mistreated-wild-animals-rescued-from-mexico-brought-to-colorado-animal-sanctuary
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Why the silence? Child abuse expert weighs in
Why the silence? Child abuse expert weighs in
Anne Schindler, First Coast News August 25, 2015
Pedophiles can wield enormous influence over their victims – and their communities. That power often means the abuse is followed by years of silence.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- As became clear in the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse case at Penn State, pedophiles can wield enormous influence over their victims – and their communities. That power often means the abuse is followed by years of silence.
But child abuse expert Stacy Pendarvis says time – and even justice -- can help restore the balance of power.
Pendarvis is the program manager at the Monique Burr Foundation, a Jacksonville nonprofit that works to end all types of child victimization. She says that while the allegations in the Pak's Karate case may seem staggering, but they fit a familiar pattern – multiple victims, hundreds of incidents, over a period of many years.
"You think of priests pastors and teachers -- they use that position of power to totally manipulate their victims. That just tends to be the norm with pedophiles."
Perhaps the most confounding part of the pattern: silence.
"More often than not, they do not disclose as children. And that sad reality allows offenders to continue to offend year after year after year, and take on new victims."....
http://www.firstcoastnews.com/story/news/local/2015/08/25/why-kids-stay-silent/32357821/
Anne Schindler, First Coast News August 25, 2015
Pedophiles can wield enormous influence over their victims – and their communities. That power often means the abuse is followed by years of silence.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- As became clear in the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse case at Penn State, pedophiles can wield enormous influence over their victims – and their communities. That power often means the abuse is followed by years of silence.
But child abuse expert Stacy Pendarvis says time – and even justice -- can help restore the balance of power.
Pendarvis is the program manager at the Monique Burr Foundation, a Jacksonville nonprofit that works to end all types of child victimization. She says that while the allegations in the Pak's Karate case may seem staggering, but they fit a familiar pattern – multiple victims, hundreds of incidents, over a period of many years.
"You think of priests pastors and teachers -- they use that position of power to totally manipulate their victims. That just tends to be the norm with pedophiles."
Perhaps the most confounding part of the pattern: silence.
"More often than not, they do not disclose as children. And that sad reality allows offenders to continue to offend year after year after year, and take on new victims."....
http://www.firstcoastnews.com/story/news/local/2015/08/25/why-kids-stay-silent/32357821/
Monday, August 24, 2015
Rotherham child sex abuse: more than 1,400 children were sexually exploited, Historical abuse in New Zealand's state institutions: physical, emotional and sexual abuse
Rotherham child sex abuse: Most victims have not yet come forward for help, says lawyer
The Jay Report estimated that more than 1,400 children were sexually exploited
Dave Higgens
Monday 24 August 2015
Only a small fraction of more than 1,400 victims who were sexually exploited as children in Rotherham over a 16-year period have come forward for help, according to a lawyer representing survivors.
A year after the publication of the Jay Report, which produced the estimate that more than 1,400 children had been raped, trafficked, groomed and violently attacked in the South Yorkshire town, David Greenwood said that he believed fewer than 100 of the girls involved have engaged with the raft of new inquiries.
Mr Greenwood, who represents 58 girls who were subjected to sexual abuse by gangs of men in Rotherham between 1996 and 2012, said the much-criticised police and council have made progress in the town in the past 12 months. But he believes many survivors will only trust the system again once a truly independent agency is brought in....
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/rotherham-child-sex-abuse-most-victims-have-not-yet-come-forward-for-help-says-lawyer-10468543.html
'Horrifying' and 'deeply shocking' report into child abuse
Tuesday Aug 25, 2015
Patrice Dougan
A panel tasked with examining historical abuse in New Zealand's state institutions has heard a litany of physical, emotional and sexual abuse, describing it as "horrifying" and "deeply shocking".
However, the Confidential Listening and Assistance Service said the "most shocking thing was that much of this was preventable".
"If people had been doing their jobs properly and if proper systems had been in place, much of this abuse could have been avoided with better oversight," the panel said....
"Serious physical and sexual abuse came from a wide range of people and from both genders. Foster caregivers and extended families, social workers and staff, teachers, the clergy, cooks, gardeners, night watchmen; even other children and patients all took part in abuse.
"We heard of people using their fists and their feet, as well as weapons and other implements on occasion, to attack children. Many very severe beatings for no apparent reason were reported to us."....
The report concluded: "It has become clear to us that the neglect and abuse of children and the previously frequent practice of locking children up in institutions has contributed to a dark legacy of suffering and crime in this country."....
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11502569
Child Abuse Research https://ritualabuse.us
The Jay Report estimated that more than 1,400 children were sexually exploited
Dave Higgens
Monday 24 August 2015
Only a small fraction of more than 1,400 victims who were sexually exploited as children in Rotherham over a 16-year period have come forward for help, according to a lawyer representing survivors.
A year after the publication of the Jay Report, which produced the estimate that more than 1,400 children had been raped, trafficked, groomed and violently attacked in the South Yorkshire town, David Greenwood said that he believed fewer than 100 of the girls involved have engaged with the raft of new inquiries.
Mr Greenwood, who represents 58 girls who were subjected to sexual abuse by gangs of men in Rotherham between 1996 and 2012, said the much-criticised police and council have made progress in the town in the past 12 months. But he believes many survivors will only trust the system again once a truly independent agency is brought in....
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/rotherham-child-sex-abuse-most-victims-have-not-yet-come-forward-for-help-says-lawyer-10468543.html
'Horrifying' and 'deeply shocking' report into child abuse
Tuesday Aug 25, 2015
Patrice Dougan
A panel tasked with examining historical abuse in New Zealand's state institutions has heard a litany of physical, emotional and sexual abuse, describing it as "horrifying" and "deeply shocking".
However, the Confidential Listening and Assistance Service said the "most shocking thing was that much of this was preventable".
"If people had been doing their jobs properly and if proper systems had been in place, much of this abuse could have been avoided with better oversight," the panel said....
"Serious physical and sexual abuse came from a wide range of people and from both genders. Foster caregivers and extended families, social workers and staff, teachers, the clergy, cooks, gardeners, night watchmen; even other children and patients all took part in abuse.
"We heard of people using their fists and their feet, as well as weapons and other implements on occasion, to attack children. Many very severe beatings for no apparent reason were reported to us."....
The report concluded: "It has become clear to us that the neglect and abuse of children and the previously frequent practice of locking children up in institutions has contributed to a dark legacy of suffering and crime in this country."....
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11502569
Child Abuse Research https://ritualabuse.us
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Josh Duggar after Ashley Madison hack, Two New Women Accuse Bill Cosby of Sexual Assault, Australian actress in 'Prisoner' convicted of child abuse
Josh Duggar after Ashley Madison hack: 'I have been the biggest hypocrite ever'
By Dana Ford, CNN Thu August 20, 2015
(CNN) Reality TV star Josh Duggar is apologizing after being outed as one of the 32 million people who used the cheating website Ashley Madison.
Hackers stole customers' information from the website and released it to the public this week, exposing something Duggar tried to keep secret.
"I have been the biggest hypocrite ever. While espousing faith and family values, I have secretly over the last several years been viewing pornography on the internet and this became a secret addiction and I became unfaithful to my wife," Duggar said in a statement Thursday....
According to an analysis from the cybersecurity company Trustify, Duggar paid Ashley Madison some $986 between 2012 and 2015. He used the name, josh_the_man, and described himself as an "attached male seeking female," according to the analysis....
http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/20/us/josh-duggar-ashley-madison/
Two New Women Accuse Bill Cosby of Sexual Assault
By Alexandra Hurtado 08/20/2015
The list of women accusing Bill Cosby of sexual assault grew Thursday, with two new women publicly coming forward in New York City with their stories.
The two accusers join a group of more than 40 women who allege they were drugged and sexually assaulted by the comedian.
Charlotte Fox and "Elizabeth" – who asked that her real name not be used – detailed their allegations against the 78-year-old comedian in a press conference held by civil rights attorney Gloria Allred, who is representing the alleged victims. The women were also joined in support by another alleged Cosby victim, Sarita Butterfield, who came forward with her story last November....
Cosby is scheduled to give his testimony on Oct. 9, after a California judge ordered the actor to give a deposition in the civil suit filed by Allred's client Judy Huth – who claims the comedian molested her at the Playboy Mansion when she was 15 years old....
http://www.people.com/article/bill-cosby-two-new-accusers-sexual-assault-claims
Australian actress in 'Prisoner' convicted of child abuse
Associated Press August 20, 2015
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Veteran actress Maggie Kirkpatrick, who played a violent and sadistic warden nicknamed "The Freak" in a cult Australian soap opera set in a women's prison, has been convicted of molesting a 14-year-old psychiatric hospital patient in her home more than 30 years ago. The series was known as "Prisoner" in Australia....
http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2015/08/20/australian-actress-convicted-child-abuse/32037645/
By Dana Ford, CNN Thu August 20, 2015
(CNN) Reality TV star Josh Duggar is apologizing after being outed as one of the 32 million people who used the cheating website Ashley Madison.
Hackers stole customers' information from the website and released it to the public this week, exposing something Duggar tried to keep secret.
"I have been the biggest hypocrite ever. While espousing faith and family values, I have secretly over the last several years been viewing pornography on the internet and this became a secret addiction and I became unfaithful to my wife," Duggar said in a statement Thursday....
According to an analysis from the cybersecurity company Trustify, Duggar paid Ashley Madison some $986 between 2012 and 2015. He used the name, josh_the_man, and described himself as an "attached male seeking female," according to the analysis....
http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/20/us/josh-duggar-ashley-madison/
Two New Women Accuse Bill Cosby of Sexual Assault
By Alexandra Hurtado 08/20/2015
The list of women accusing Bill Cosby of sexual assault grew Thursday, with two new women publicly coming forward in New York City with their stories.
The two accusers join a group of more than 40 women who allege they were drugged and sexually assaulted by the comedian.
Charlotte Fox and "Elizabeth" – who asked that her real name not be used – detailed their allegations against the 78-year-old comedian in a press conference held by civil rights attorney Gloria Allred, who is representing the alleged victims. The women were also joined in support by another alleged Cosby victim, Sarita Butterfield, who came forward with her story last November....
Cosby is scheduled to give his testimony on Oct. 9, after a California judge ordered the actor to give a deposition in the civil suit filed by Allred's client Judy Huth – who claims the comedian molested her at the Playboy Mansion when she was 15 years old....
http://www.people.com/article/bill-cosby-two-new-accusers-sexual-assault-claims
Australian actress in 'Prisoner' convicted of child abuse
Associated Press August 20, 2015
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Veteran actress Maggie Kirkpatrick, who played a violent and sadistic warden nicknamed "The Freak" in a cult Australian soap opera set in a women's prison, has been convicted of molesting a 14-year-old psychiatric hospital patient in her home more than 30 years ago. The series was known as "Prisoner" in Australia....
http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2015/08/20/australian-actress-convicted-child-abuse/32037645/
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Former Subway spokesman Jared Fogle to plead guilty in child abuse case Fogle agrees to plead guilty to allegations he paid for sex acts with minors and received child abuse images, and to pay $1.4m in restitution to 14 victims
Former Subway spokesman Jared Fogle to plead guilty in child abuse case
Fogle agrees to plead guilty to allegations he paid for sex acts with minors and received child abuse images, and to pay $1.4m in restitution to 14 victims
Mahita Gajanan and agencies
Wednesday 19 August 2015
Longtime Subway sandwich pitchman Jared Fogle has agreed to plead guilty to allegations that he paid for sex acts with minors and received child abuse images that he knew had been secretly produced by the former director of his charitable foundation, federal prosecutors said in court documents released on Wednesday.
Fogle will plead guilty to one count each of travelling to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor and the distribution and receipt of child abuse images after appearing in court in Indianapolis on Wednesday morning.
Prosecutors said that under the plea deal, each side will seek a sentence from 5 to 12.5 years in prison. Further hearing dates have not yet been decided.
Court documents said Fogle agrees to pay $1.4m in restitution to 14 minor victims, who will each receive $100,000. Fogle will also be required to register as a sex offender and undergo treatment for sexual disorders....
Federal prosecutors allege in the documents that the married father of two travelled to pay for sex acts, including with minors, from 2007 until as recently as June and that he repeatedly planned business trips to coincide with his sexual pursuits.
On 3 November 2012, Fogle allegedly paid a 17-year-old girl who he had found online to engage in sex acts while he was staying at the Plaza Hotel in New York City, according to the papers. Several months later, he again paid her for sex acts while staying at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, according to the document, which says the girl told Fogle her age when they first met and that he knew she was a minor.
After the first meeting, the document said, Fogle texted the girl and offered to pay her a fee if she could find him another underage girl to pay for sex acts.
During these discussions, Fogle “stated that he would accept a 16-year-old girl, while stating that the younger the girl, the better”, the document said.
Between 2011 and 2013, Fogle also repeatedly sent text messages to other escorts, “soliciting them to provide him with access to minors as young as 14 to 15 years”, the document said, adding that he would only make such requests after engaging in sex acts with the escorts to “insure that they were not undercover police officers”.
The document also alleged that Fogle on multiple occasions received sexually explicit images and videos produced by Russell Taylor, 43, who ran the charitable Jared Foundation. The foundation sought to raise awareness about childhood obesity and arranged for Fogle to visit schools and urge children to adopt healthy eating and exercise habits....
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/aug/19/jared-fogle-plead-guilty-child-abuse-case
Court documents of Jared Fogle case
http://ftpcontent2.worldnow.com/wthr/PDF/foglepc.pdf
Fogle agrees to plead guilty to allegations he paid for sex acts with minors and received child abuse images, and to pay $1.4m in restitution to 14 victims
Mahita Gajanan and agencies
Wednesday 19 August 2015
Longtime Subway sandwich pitchman Jared Fogle has agreed to plead guilty to allegations that he paid for sex acts with minors and received child abuse images that he knew had been secretly produced by the former director of his charitable foundation, federal prosecutors said in court documents released on Wednesday.
Fogle will plead guilty to one count each of travelling to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor and the distribution and receipt of child abuse images after appearing in court in Indianapolis on Wednesday morning.
Prosecutors said that under the plea deal, each side will seek a sentence from 5 to 12.5 years in prison. Further hearing dates have not yet been decided.
Court documents said Fogle agrees to pay $1.4m in restitution to 14 minor victims, who will each receive $100,000. Fogle will also be required to register as a sex offender and undergo treatment for sexual disorders....
Federal prosecutors allege in the documents that the married father of two travelled to pay for sex acts, including with minors, from 2007 until as recently as June and that he repeatedly planned business trips to coincide with his sexual pursuits.
On 3 November 2012, Fogle allegedly paid a 17-year-old girl who he had found online to engage in sex acts while he was staying at the Plaza Hotel in New York City, according to the papers. Several months later, he again paid her for sex acts while staying at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, according to the document, which says the girl told Fogle her age when they first met and that he knew she was a minor.
After the first meeting, the document said, Fogle texted the girl and offered to pay her a fee if she could find him another underage girl to pay for sex acts.
During these discussions, Fogle “stated that he would accept a 16-year-old girl, while stating that the younger the girl, the better”, the document said.
Between 2011 and 2013, Fogle also repeatedly sent text messages to other escorts, “soliciting them to provide him with access to minors as young as 14 to 15 years”, the document said, adding that he would only make such requests after engaging in sex acts with the escorts to “insure that they were not undercover police officers”.
The document also alleged that Fogle on multiple occasions received sexually explicit images and videos produced by Russell Taylor, 43, who ran the charitable Jared Foundation. The foundation sought to raise awareness about childhood obesity and arranged for Fogle to visit schools and urge children to adopt healthy eating and exercise habits....
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/aug/19/jared-fogle-plead-guilty-child-abuse-case
Court documents of Jared Fogle case
http://ftpcontent2.worldnow.com/wthr/PDF/foglepc.pdf
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
Former Subway spokesman Jared Fogle to plead guilty to child pornography charges, Catholic church in Scotland asks forgiveness from child abuse victims, Edward Heath child abuse claims
- Former Subway spokesman Jared Fogle to plead guilty to child pornography charges
- Catholic church in Scotland asks forgiveness from child abuse victims
- Executive director of Jared Foundation arrested on child pornography, exploitation charges
- Police records search finds no link to Edward Heath crime
- Edward Heath child abuse claims: Prison officer makes further allegation against former Prime Minister
Former Subway spokesman Jared Fogle to plead guilty to child pornography charges
August 18, 2015, by Amanda Rakes - Digital Manager and Shannon Houser
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (Aug. 18, 2015)— FOX59 has confirmed Jared Fogle, the former Subway spokesman, is expected to plead guilty to possession of child pornography charges.
Sources say Fogle will accept a plea deal Wednesday. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will hold a press conference tomorrow afternoon to discuss the deal and charges against Fogle.
Fogle’s attorney, Ron Elberger, had no comment in regards to the plea deal. He said any information regarding the charges would come from the attorney’s office. Elberger did say Fogle’s suspension with Subway continues.
Subway issued the following statement to FOX59 Tuesday:
“We have already ended our relationship with Jared and have no further comment.”....
Earlier this year, Russell Taylor, the former director of the Jared Foundation started by Fogle, was arrested in a child pornography case. He was accused of possessing and producing child pornography. Investigators said a search of Taylor’s home turned up more than 500 videos with images of child pornography....
http://fox59.com/2015/08/18/former-subway-spokesman-jared-fogle-to-plead-guilty-to-child-pornography-charges/
Executive director of Jared Foundation arrested on child pornography, exploitation charges
April 29, 2015, by Greg Margason - Digital Producer and Kendall Downing
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind (April 29, 2015)– There’s trouble at the top for a central Indiana-based foundation started by Subway spokesman and Indiana native Jared Fogle.
The executive director of the Jared Foundation, 43-year-old Russell Taylor, is behind bars, preliminarily charged with child exploitation, possession of child pornography, and voyeurism....
http://fox59.com/2015/04/29/executive-director-of-jared-foundation-arrested-on-child-pornography-charges/
Catholic church in Scotland asks forgiveness from child abuse victims
Archbishop Philip Tartaglia pledges to make reparations and change practices after independent report accuses bishops of covering up crimes for decades
Severin Carrell Scotland editor Tuesday 18 August 2015
The Scottish Catholic church has offered a “profound apology” to victims of child abuse and the church’s failure to investigate and punish the culprits, after a damning independent report into its conduct.
Archbishop Philip Tartaglia, the official head of the Scottish church, told a congregation in Glasgow on Tuesday that their bishops were “shamed and pained” by the abuse suffered by children and adults over recent decades. “We say sorry. We ask forgiveness.”
After pledging to act on an independent inquiry commissioned by the church, which accused its bishops of covering up the crimes for decades, Tartaglia said: “Child abuse is a horrific crime. That this abuse should have been carried out within the church, and by priests and religious [orders], takes that abuse to another level....
The McLellan inquiry was set up by Scotland’s bishops in November 2013 after a string of highly damaging historical abuse scandals came to light, including repeated child abuse by paedophile priests, which was often covered up or ignored, systematic abuse by staff at Fort Augustus Catholic boarding school, and the admissions of sexual misconduct against adult priests by Cardinal Keith O’Brien, then the UK’s most senior Catholic.
The church’s own investigations in 2013 disclosed that there were also 46 live allegations of abuse against priests made between 2006 and 2012, leading to seven prosecutions.
In 2013, there were another 15 allegations made, six of which were historical. Three priests were removed from roles involving the public, and two cases are with Scottish prosecutors, with prosecutors also studying allegations of abuse by nine men at Fort Augustus between 1967 and 1992....
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/18/catholic-church-in-scotland-must-support-abuse-survivors-review-says
Police records search finds no link to Edward Heath crime
18 August 2015
A police force has said it has found no evidence to link Sir Edward Heath to a crime in its area.
However, North Yorkshire Police said it had passed a "piece of intelligence" to Wiltshire Police, the force leading inquiries into the former prime minister.
The force added the intelligence was "not connected to the North Yorkshire area".
Wiltshire Police said it "wouldn't discuss any intelligence passed to us".
North Yorkshire Police launched the search of its records earlier this month following allegations of child sex abuse levelled against Sir Edward, who was Conservative prime minister between 1970 and 1974....
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-33981298
Edward Heath child abuse claims: Prison officer makes further allegation against former Prime Minister
18 August 2015 By Mikey Smith
Wiltshire Police has received a further allegation relating to Sir Edward, but he's no longer under investigation in North Yorkshire
A prison officer has made a further allegation against Sir Edward Heath.
The alleged offence is reportedly being dealt with by Wiltshire Police, and is not thought to have taken place in North Yorkshire, according to Sky News.
The Wiltshire force is leading the investigation against the former Prime Minister, which now involves seven forces across the country....
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/edward-heath-child-abuse-claims-6274351
- Catholic church in Scotland asks forgiveness from child abuse victims
- Executive director of Jared Foundation arrested on child pornography, exploitation charges
- Police records search finds no link to Edward Heath crime
- Edward Heath child abuse claims: Prison officer makes further allegation against former Prime Minister
Former Subway spokesman Jared Fogle to plead guilty to child pornography charges
August 18, 2015, by Amanda Rakes - Digital Manager and Shannon Houser
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (Aug. 18, 2015)— FOX59 has confirmed Jared Fogle, the former Subway spokesman, is expected to plead guilty to possession of child pornography charges.
Sources say Fogle will accept a plea deal Wednesday. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will hold a press conference tomorrow afternoon to discuss the deal and charges against Fogle.
Fogle’s attorney, Ron Elberger, had no comment in regards to the plea deal. He said any information regarding the charges would come from the attorney’s office. Elberger did say Fogle’s suspension with Subway continues.
Subway issued the following statement to FOX59 Tuesday:
“We have already ended our relationship with Jared and have no further comment.”....
Earlier this year, Russell Taylor, the former director of the Jared Foundation started by Fogle, was arrested in a child pornography case. He was accused of possessing and producing child pornography. Investigators said a search of Taylor’s home turned up more than 500 videos with images of child pornography....
http://fox59.com/2015/08/18/former-subway-spokesman-jared-fogle-to-plead-guilty-to-child-pornography-charges/
Executive director of Jared Foundation arrested on child pornography, exploitation charges
April 29, 2015, by Greg Margason - Digital Producer and Kendall Downing
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind (April 29, 2015)– There’s trouble at the top for a central Indiana-based foundation started by Subway spokesman and Indiana native Jared Fogle.
The executive director of the Jared Foundation, 43-year-old Russell Taylor, is behind bars, preliminarily charged with child exploitation, possession of child pornography, and voyeurism....
http://fox59.com/2015/04/29/executive-director-of-jared-foundation-arrested-on-child-pornography-charges/
Catholic church in Scotland asks forgiveness from child abuse victims
Archbishop Philip Tartaglia pledges to make reparations and change practices after independent report accuses bishops of covering up crimes for decades
Severin Carrell Scotland editor Tuesday 18 August 2015
The Scottish Catholic church has offered a “profound apology” to victims of child abuse and the church’s failure to investigate and punish the culprits, after a damning independent report into its conduct.
Archbishop Philip Tartaglia, the official head of the Scottish church, told a congregation in Glasgow on Tuesday that their bishops were “shamed and pained” by the abuse suffered by children and adults over recent decades. “We say sorry. We ask forgiveness.”
After pledging to act on an independent inquiry commissioned by the church, which accused its bishops of covering up the crimes for decades, Tartaglia said: “Child abuse is a horrific crime. That this abuse should have been carried out within the church, and by priests and religious [orders], takes that abuse to another level....
The McLellan inquiry was set up by Scotland’s bishops in November 2013 after a string of highly damaging historical abuse scandals came to light, including repeated child abuse by paedophile priests, which was often covered up or ignored, systematic abuse by staff at Fort Augustus Catholic boarding school, and the admissions of sexual misconduct against adult priests by Cardinal Keith O’Brien, then the UK’s most senior Catholic.
The church’s own investigations in 2013 disclosed that there were also 46 live allegations of abuse against priests made between 2006 and 2012, leading to seven prosecutions.
In 2013, there were another 15 allegations made, six of which were historical. Three priests were removed from roles involving the public, and two cases are with Scottish prosecutors, with prosecutors also studying allegations of abuse by nine men at Fort Augustus between 1967 and 1992....
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/18/catholic-church-in-scotland-must-support-abuse-survivors-review-says
Police records search finds no link to Edward Heath crime
18 August 2015
A police force has said it has found no evidence to link Sir Edward Heath to a crime in its area.
However, North Yorkshire Police said it had passed a "piece of intelligence" to Wiltshire Police, the force leading inquiries into the former prime minister.
The force added the intelligence was "not connected to the North Yorkshire area".
Wiltshire Police said it "wouldn't discuss any intelligence passed to us".
North Yorkshire Police launched the search of its records earlier this month following allegations of child sex abuse levelled against Sir Edward, who was Conservative prime minister between 1970 and 1974....
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-33981298
Edward Heath child abuse claims: Prison officer makes further allegation against former Prime Minister
18 August 2015 By Mikey Smith
Wiltshire Police has received a further allegation relating to Sir Edward, but he's no longer under investigation in North Yorkshire
A prison officer has made a further allegation against Sir Edward Heath.
The alleged offence is reportedly being dealt with by Wiltshire Police, and is not thought to have taken place in North Yorkshire, according to Sky News.
The Wiltshire force is leading the investigation against the former Prime Minister, which now involves seven forces across the country....
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/edward-heath-child-abuse-claims-6274351
Monday, August 17, 2015
Child abuse victims murdered and bodies dumped in lake
Child abuse victims murdered and bodies dumped in lake
THE detective who cracked the Stephen Lawrence case has been investigating claims that child abuse victims were murdered decades ago and their bodies dumped in a lake.
By James Murray Sun, Aug 16, 2015
Retired Clive Driscoll spent years investigating child abuse by paedophiles in south London.
In his book, In Pursuit Of The Truth, he recalls interviewing a troubled woman called Vicky, who later starved herself to death. She detailed horrific ritual abuse.
The former detective chief inspector writes: “She talked about a place in Kent where she had been taken, along with other children, and made to run away from dogs.
“They were dumped in the woods and given a head start before the hunting pack was released. She survived. Other kids weren’t so fortunate.”
Mr Driscoll took her back to the isolated spot near Gravesend and discovered landmarks she mentioned from her childhood after being adopted by an abusive couple. He says in the book: “So Vicky’s facts weren’t wrong. In turn, everything else she told me needed taking seriously, including the fact that the injured children were thrown into a lake.
"When I checked the police records, I discovered that body parts belonging to five people had been found there.”.... Kent Police said they had no records of human remains being found in a lake during the Sixties....
http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/598643/Stephen-Lawrence-detective-child-abuse-victims-dumped-in-lake
THE detective who cracked the Stephen Lawrence case has been investigating claims that child abuse victims were murdered decades ago and their bodies dumped in a lake.
By James Murray Sun, Aug 16, 2015
Retired Clive Driscoll spent years investigating child abuse by paedophiles in south London.
In his book, In Pursuit Of The Truth, he recalls interviewing a troubled woman called Vicky, who later starved herself to death. She detailed horrific ritual abuse.
The former detective chief inspector writes: “She talked about a place in Kent where she had been taken, along with other children, and made to run away from dogs.
“They were dumped in the woods and given a head start before the hunting pack was released. She survived. Other kids weren’t so fortunate.”
Mr Driscoll took her back to the isolated spot near Gravesend and discovered landmarks she mentioned from her childhood after being adopted by an abusive couple. He says in the book: “So Vicky’s facts weren’t wrong. In turn, everything else she told me needed taking seriously, including the fact that the injured children were thrown into a lake.
"When I checked the police records, I discovered that body parts belonging to five people had been found there.”.... Kent Police said they had no records of human remains being found in a lake during the Sixties....
http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/598643/Stephen-Lawrence-detective-child-abuse-victims-dumped-in-lake
Thursday, August 13, 2015
TLC sets airdate for child sexual abuse documentary ‘Breaking the Silence’
TLC sets airdate for child sexual abuse documentary ‘Breaking the Silence’ ASSOCIATED PRESS Thursday, August 13, 2015
LOS ANGELES — TLC network has set an airdate for its new documentary to raise awareness about child sexual abuse.
The film, "Breaking the Silence," will air at 10 p.m. EDT Aug. 30, the network said Thursday.
To be broadcast commercial-free, the documentary aims to shine a light on the challenges faced by those affected by child sexual abuse, as well as raise awareness of where people can turn for help.
An estimated one in 10 children will be the victim of sexual abuse before the age of 18, with an estimated 42 million survivors in America today, the network says....
The film was first announced last month when TLC pulled the plug on its hit series "19 Kids and Counting" after reports surfaced that one of its stars, Josh Duggar, the oldest of the family's 19 children, had fondled four of his sisters and a baby sitter a dozen years before, when he was a teenager.
The documentary is built around the stories of child-abuse survivors. Among them is Erin Merryn, a mother, two-time survivor and driving force behind "Erin's Law," legislation passed in 26 states....
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/tlc-sets-airdate-child-sexual-abuse-documentar-article-1.2324690
LOS ANGELES — TLC network has set an airdate for its new documentary to raise awareness about child sexual abuse.
The film, "Breaking the Silence," will air at 10 p.m. EDT Aug. 30, the network said Thursday.
To be broadcast commercial-free, the documentary aims to shine a light on the challenges faced by those affected by child sexual abuse, as well as raise awareness of where people can turn for help.
An estimated one in 10 children will be the victim of sexual abuse before the age of 18, with an estimated 42 million survivors in America today, the network says....
The film was first announced last month when TLC pulled the plug on its hit series "19 Kids and Counting" after reports surfaced that one of its stars, Josh Duggar, the oldest of the family's 19 children, had fondled four of his sisters and a baby sitter a dozen years before, when he was a teenager.
The documentary is built around the stories of child-abuse survivors. Among them is Erin Merryn, a mother, two-time survivor and driving force behind "Erin's Law," legislation passed in 26 states....
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/tlc-sets-airdate-child-sexual-abuse-documentar-article-1.2324690
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
Pakistan police officers, spy fired over child abuse scandal, Three More Women Come Forward to Accuse Bill Cosby of Sexual Assault, study shows link between trauma exposure and physical health
- Pakistan police officers, spy fired over child abuse case
- Inside the Pakistani village torn apart by child sex abuse scandal
- Three More Women Come Forward to Accuse Bill Cosby of Sexual Assault
- UCT PhD study shows link between trauma exposure and physical health
Pakistan police officers, spy fired over child abuse case
Associated Press August 12, 2015
(AP) — A top government official in eastern Pakistan says he has fired a provincial intelligence chief and three senior police officers for failing to act against a gang that blackmailed the families of children it sexually abused.
Shahbaz Sharif, the chief minister of Punjab province, made the announcement late Tuesday on social media. It comes amid widening outrage over the child sex abuse scandal, which locals say involves more than 270 children.
Sharif said he had dispatched the province's police chief to ensure that "investigation is carried out without discrimination and local influence."
Sharif is the brother of Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. A lawyer for victims has accused local politicians and police of allowing the gang to operate for years, something authorities have denied.
http://news.yahoo.com/pakistan-police-officers-spy-fired-over-child-abuse-095041967.html
Inside the Pakistani village torn apart by child sex abuse scandal
By Sophia Saifi Wed August 12, 2015
Child sexual abuse ring busted in Pakistan
....Punjab province, Hussain Khan Wala is at the center of a child abuse scandal that has rocked the country.
Villagers accuse police officials of covering up a pedophile ring, after videos emerged of their children being molested by members of a prominent and influential local family.
They say the abuse had been going on since at least 2009, and that the children were blackmailed to steal from their homes to prevent the videos from going public.
"My child stopped going to school; whenever they saw him, they took him into the fields, in the house," the 35-year-old mother of one victim told CNN. "They raped him for five hours and now it's finally coming into the open."....
Lawyer and children's rights activist Latif Sera says more than 270 children were victims of the pedophile ring, whose members abused children in the fields and in their homestead, outside which, the words "No Entry" are painted in Urdu.
Sera said it was here that the children were drugged, abused and hung upside down naked from ropes.
Sexual abuse and blackmail
A deep well sits ominously in the house's entrance; villagers tell CNN the family would threaten to drown the children if they complained to their parents.
A 15-year-old boy filmed in one of the videos told CNN he was first raped at the age of nine, after he was approached by a man with a gun while collecting water for his grandfather.
"As soon as I went inside he locked the door. He called out and five more men came in. I started screaming and they covered my mouth. Each of them had a weapon - one had an axe. They said they would cut me into tiny pieces if I made a single sound. Then they raped me."
He said the abuse continued for another four years, during which time he stole to keep his attackers quiet.
"I stole jewelry and money for them, otherwise they said they would kill me and hyenas and dogs would eat my body," he explained. "I found $1,300 for them to leave me alone. I stole from my own home, my own family."
Punjab police say 14 suspects have been arrested in connection with the case. A gang of 20 to 25 people is believed to have been involved in the abuse....
On Tuesday, Punjab province's chief of police announced that the suspects wold be tried in a terrorism court to expedite the process. He said 3 police officials have been suspended pending an investigation....
http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/12/asia/pakistan-child-sex-abuse-scandal-village/
Three More Women Come Forward to Accuse Bill Cosby of Sexual Assault
By Christine Pelisek 08/12/2015
Three more women have publicly come forward with accusations that Bill Cosby sexually assaulted them in the 1970s and '80s. The three women, including an actress who appeared on The Cosby Show and the former wife of a vice president at the William Morris Agency, joined the more than 40 women who allege they were drugged, sexually assaulted or sexually harassed by the comedian.
At a press conference Wednesday, civil rights attorney Gloria Allred, who is now representing more than 21 accusers, said the three women are speaking out now to show their support for other accusers who have been criticized by Cosby's attorneys.
"There is no statute of limitations on free speech," says Allred. "A person who alleges that she or he is a victim can speak out at any time."
Cosby has consistently denied the allegations of sexual assault....
http://www.people.com/article/bill-cosby-new-accusers-sexual-assault-claims
UCT PhD study shows link between trauma exposure and physical health
RDM News Wire 11 August, 2015
A study by a University of Cape Town (UCT) doctoral graduate has demonstrated a clear link between trauma exposure‚ chronic physical conditions and other mental disorders - the first time that a scientific study has established this link.
These findings could be useful in designing interventions aimed at reducing the burden of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)‚ chronic physical conditions and other mental disorders‚ UCT said in a statement on Tuesday.
Using the data collected in the South African stress and health study‚ associate professor Lukoye Atwoli found that there was an association between trauma exposure and chronic physical conditions such as arthritis‚ cardiovascular disease‚ respiratory disease and chronic pain.
He also found a link between trauma exposure and other mental disorders‚ such as mood and anxiety disorder. Trauma exposure also increased the risk of chronic physical conditions such as chronic pain‚ cardiovascular and respiratory disease and arthritis....
http://www.timeslive.co.za/lifestyle/2015/08/11/UCT-PhD-study-shows-link-between-trauma-exposure-and-physical-health
- Inside the Pakistani village torn apart by child sex abuse scandal
- Three More Women Come Forward to Accuse Bill Cosby of Sexual Assault
- UCT PhD study shows link between trauma exposure and physical health
Pakistan police officers, spy fired over child abuse case
Associated Press August 12, 2015
(AP) — A top government official in eastern Pakistan says he has fired a provincial intelligence chief and three senior police officers for failing to act against a gang that blackmailed the families of children it sexually abused.
Shahbaz Sharif, the chief minister of Punjab province, made the announcement late Tuesday on social media. It comes amid widening outrage over the child sex abuse scandal, which locals say involves more than 270 children.
Sharif said he had dispatched the province's police chief to ensure that "investigation is carried out without discrimination and local influence."
Sharif is the brother of Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. A lawyer for victims has accused local politicians and police of allowing the gang to operate for years, something authorities have denied.
http://news.yahoo.com/pakistan-police-officers-spy-fired-over-child-abuse-095041967.html
Inside the Pakistani village torn apart by child sex abuse scandal
By Sophia Saifi Wed August 12, 2015
Child sexual abuse ring busted in Pakistan
....Punjab province, Hussain Khan Wala is at the center of a child abuse scandal that has rocked the country.
Villagers accuse police officials of covering up a pedophile ring, after videos emerged of their children being molested by members of a prominent and influential local family.
They say the abuse had been going on since at least 2009, and that the children were blackmailed to steal from their homes to prevent the videos from going public.
"My child stopped going to school; whenever they saw him, they took him into the fields, in the house," the 35-year-old mother of one victim told CNN. "They raped him for five hours and now it's finally coming into the open."....
Lawyer and children's rights activist Latif Sera says more than 270 children were victims of the pedophile ring, whose members abused children in the fields and in their homestead, outside which, the words "No Entry" are painted in Urdu.
Sera said it was here that the children were drugged, abused and hung upside down naked from ropes.
Sexual abuse and blackmail
A deep well sits ominously in the house's entrance; villagers tell CNN the family would threaten to drown the children if they complained to their parents.
A 15-year-old boy filmed in one of the videos told CNN he was first raped at the age of nine, after he was approached by a man with a gun while collecting water for his grandfather.
"As soon as I went inside he locked the door. He called out and five more men came in. I started screaming and they covered my mouth. Each of them had a weapon - one had an axe. They said they would cut me into tiny pieces if I made a single sound. Then they raped me."
He said the abuse continued for another four years, during which time he stole to keep his attackers quiet.
"I stole jewelry and money for them, otherwise they said they would kill me and hyenas and dogs would eat my body," he explained. "I found $1,300 for them to leave me alone. I stole from my own home, my own family."
Punjab police say 14 suspects have been arrested in connection with the case. A gang of 20 to 25 people is believed to have been involved in the abuse....
On Tuesday, Punjab province's chief of police announced that the suspects wold be tried in a terrorism court to expedite the process. He said 3 police officials have been suspended pending an investigation....
http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/12/asia/pakistan-child-sex-abuse-scandal-village/
Three More Women Come Forward to Accuse Bill Cosby of Sexual Assault
By Christine Pelisek 08/12/2015
Three more women have publicly come forward with accusations that Bill Cosby sexually assaulted them in the 1970s and '80s. The three women, including an actress who appeared on The Cosby Show and the former wife of a vice president at the William Morris Agency, joined the more than 40 women who allege they were drugged, sexually assaulted or sexually harassed by the comedian.
At a press conference Wednesday, civil rights attorney Gloria Allred, who is now representing more than 21 accusers, said the three women are speaking out now to show their support for other accusers who have been criticized by Cosby's attorneys.
"There is no statute of limitations on free speech," says Allred. "A person who alleges that she or he is a victim can speak out at any time."
Cosby has consistently denied the allegations of sexual assault....
http://www.people.com/article/bill-cosby-new-accusers-sexual-assault-claims
UCT PhD study shows link between trauma exposure and physical health
RDM News Wire 11 August, 2015
A study by a University of Cape Town (UCT) doctoral graduate has demonstrated a clear link between trauma exposure‚ chronic physical conditions and other mental disorders - the first time that a scientific study has established this link.
These findings could be useful in designing interventions aimed at reducing the burden of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)‚ chronic physical conditions and other mental disorders‚ UCT said in a statement on Tuesday.
Using the data collected in the South African stress and health study‚ associate professor Lukoye Atwoli found that there was an association between trauma exposure and chronic physical conditions such as arthritis‚ cardiovascular disease‚ respiratory disease and chronic pain.
He also found a link between trauma exposure and other mental disorders‚ such as mood and anxiety disorder. Trauma exposure also increased the risk of chronic physical conditions such as chronic pain‚ cardiovascular and respiratory disease and arthritis....
http://www.timeslive.co.za/lifestyle/2015/08/11/UCT-PhD-study-shows-link-between-trauma-exposure-and-physical-health
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
We Believe the Children - What Beck Left Out, Pakistan child abuse video case - 400 videos of 280 minors - 20 to 25 people abused the children
Richard Beck admits that his work is not investigative journalism. He describes it as history. But historians do not rely on secondary sources for major arguments and historians do not omit evidence for the sake of telling a simplified story.
Pakistan:
a gang of 20 to 25 people had abused the children between 2009 and 2014
around 400 videos were made of 280 minors
What Beck Left Out
August 8, 2015
By Ross E. Cheit
The witch-hunt narrative, as described in my book, has deep roots in American culture. It ranges from Salem Massachusetts to the McCarthy hearings of the 1950s. The power of those cautionary tales, however, causes many people to drop their skeptical guard when told that something is a modern day witch-hunt. So it is with the conventional wisdom about the highly publicized day-care sexual abuse cases from the 1980s.
Richard Beck, a comparative literature major from Harvard who works at a literary magazine, is the latest one spreading the witch-hunt narrative about those cases. His book, We Believe the Children, based largely on secondary sources, reaches the same conclusions that Debbie Nathan and defense lawyer Michael Snedeker offered twenty years ago. In both instances, the authors repeatedly omitted significant evidence that contradicts the witch-hunt narrative. Consider some examples of what Beck left out:
Beck reduces all of the medical evidence in the McMartin case to a single paragraph and insinuates that there was no credible medical evidence substantiating sexual abuse (pp. 155-56). But Beck does not tell his readers that even defense lawyer Danny Davis allowed that the genital injuries on one girl were “serious and convincing.” Beck also did not mention that the vaginal injuries on another girl, one of the three involved in both McMartin trials, were considered as proving sexual abuse “to a medical certainty.” Beck also fails to mention that the case began when Judy Johnson saw a drop of blood. Beck allows that the boy was examined twice and, as he put it, both doctors reported suspected child abuse (p. 34). But Beck did not disclose the basis for those reports: the Emergency Room doctor observed the “red and roughened” area around the boy’s anus, concluding that there “appeared to be some friction like trauma to the rectal area.” The pediatric expert who subsequently examined the boy described discolored bruising patterns and said that his anal injury “was within the last week” (Cheit, p. 25). That is why Ray Buckey was arrested....
Beck discusses the Kniffen and McCuan case from Bakersfield, California, presenting them as victims of a witch-hunt (pp. 70-72). But Beck never mentions considerable medical evidence against the McCuans, including vaginal scarring and trauma to the lining of the anus, that occurred between 1980 and 1982 (when Rod Phelps was away). Debbie Nathan once wrote that this evidence “seriously weakened Alvin and Debbie’s protestations of innocence.” But Beck ignored this evidence entirely, also neglecting to mention that the McCuan daughters, unlike the Kniffen sons, have never recanted their claims against their parents. Finally, Beck notes that the convictions of the Kniffens and McCuans were set aside, but he does not reveal that the judge opined that “it may be that all of the acts reported actually occurred” (Cheit, pp. 119-123)....
Beck claims that “no pornography” was ever found in any of these cases (p. xvi). But he neglects to mention that Isabel’s Day Care, not far from the McMartin Preschool, had exactly that kind of evidence. So did the Rainbow Day Care Center case in Fort Lauderdale. So did Robert Shell’s case in Massachusetts. Also, two defendants in the Bakersfield cases were convicted partly because there was photographic evidence of their sexual abuse of children: Charles Bishop and Grant Self (Cheit, pp. 163-165).
Beck also claims that Jesse Friedman, who pleaded guilty to child sex abuse charges, was falsely convicted (pp. 173-181). But he does not mention that Friedman failed two lie detectors, both arranged by his own lawyer, and that the psychological evaluation, also arranged by his own lawyer, concluded that Friedman was a “psychopathic deviant” who was “capable of committing the crimes with which he was charged.” Beck also does not mention that he has never spoken to a single one of the fourteen men who formed the basis for the case. This is significant since Andrew Jarecki, who directed the film, never spoke to the vast majority of actual complainants in the case, either. Nor does Beck acknowledge that two of those men wrote a letter in 2004, objecting to the movie, and attesting to sexual abuse by Jesse Friedman (Cheit, pp. 130-133)....
Beck acknowledges Frank Fuster’s 1982 conviction for lewd and lascivious assault on a minor, but he quickly adds, without any apparent skepticism, that “Frank had always maintained his innocence.” (p. 142). But Beck does not tell his readers that Fuster actually admitted the actions charged in that case, and then tried to minimize them, while testifying at his Parole Violation Hearing three years later (Cheit, p. 337). Here is how Fuster explained what he did to a 9-year-old while driving her home one night:
This is how I touch her chest area. I don’t see any sexual movement here. I also touch her in the vaginal area. That’s it. That’s the whole case.
Nor does Beck acknowledge Frank Fuster’s long record of documented lies about his manslaughter conviction. As I said in The Witch-Hunt Narrative: “one wonders how anyone could cite his denials with utter credulity and without any acknowledgment of the considerable evidence to the contrary” (Cheit, p. 338)....
Richard Beck admits that his work is not investigative journalism (p. xxv). He describes it as history. But historians do not rely on secondary sources for major arguments and historians do not omit evidence for the sake of telling a simplified story. A comprehensive examination of the actual transcripts—something that Beck did not do in a single case beyond McMartin—reveals a different picture. As I wrote last summer:
In many of the cases proclaimed to be witch hunts, looking closely at the record revealed substantial evidence of abuse and compelling reasons that jurors voted to convict. It’s true that I also found cases where people were charged who shouldn’t have been. Yet even in some of those cases, there was strong evidence of abuse. A crime was committed and a child was assaulted by someone who was never apprehended, but only the false accusation story lives on.
And so it is with Richard Beck’s history of these cases.
http://blogs.brown.edu/rcheit/2015/08/08/what-beck-left-out/
7 charged in Pakistan child abuse video case
By Sophia Saifi, Ralph Ellis and Laura Smith-Spark, CNN
Tue August 11, 2015
Kasur, Pakistan (CNN) Seven people accused of blackmailing scores of children into making sex videos and then blackmailing them again by threatening to sell the recordings have been arrested in Pakistan's Punjab province.
Police Officer Rai Babar Saeed said a gang of 20 to 25 people had abused the children between 2009 and 2014 in the village of Hussain Khan Wala in the Kasur district.
Chaudhary Hamid, a villager, said the gang blackmailed the children into engaging in sexual activity again and again to stop the videos from being leaked. Parents were also blackmailed, he said.
At least one CD shop in Kasur had been selling the videos, Saeed said. In most of the videos, the faces of criminals are not shown, but the child's face can be seen clearly, the officer said.
Latif Sara, a lawyer representing parents of the abused children and the head of a nongovernmental organization called Children Abuse Protection, said 274 videos had been circulated.
According to a survey by the group last week, one in three of the 500 households questioned in the district of Kasur had a child who had been sexually abused, Sara said.
CNN affiliate Geo TV reported higher numbers, saying around 400 videos were made of 280 minors.... http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/10/asia/pakistan-child-abuse/
Number of arrests in child abuse scandal rises to 14 August 10, 2015
KASUR: The number of accused arrested in the child abuse scandal has risen to 14 after police made two more arrests on Monday.
The arrests came after the interim bail extension of five accused was denied by a local court. Police said seven accused are on judicial remand.
Main accused confesses
Haseeb Amir, the main accused of Kasur child abuse scandal, has confessed to subjecting children to abuse and making their videos.
SP Investigation Kasur said that in a statement given to the police the main accused of the child abuse scandal admitted to committing the crime of sexually abusing children and capturing the same in videos.
On Saturday, the nation was shocked by reports of gang of criminals producing and selling illicit videos of child sexual abuse in Ganda Singh Wala area of Kasur in Punjab province for the last 10 years.
Investigations into the massive child sexual abuse scandal – termed the biggest in the country's history – revealed that around 400 videos were made of 280 minor victims of sexual abuse by the organised gang of over 25 criminals.
Several parents of victims were consistently blackmailed and coerced into paying hundreds of thousands of rupees with threats of releasing the videos in public. Reports said families in the locality were helpless as officials all along remained apathetic to the incident....
http://www.geo.tv/article-193765-Number-of-arrests-in-child-abuse-scandal-rises-to-14
Monday, August 10, 2015
Expert on Ritual Murders About the Triple Homicide in the Florida Panhandle, Santeria priest claims sexual assault was part of healing ritual, Child abuse scandal in Pakistan
- We Asked an Expert on Ritual Murders About the Triple Homicide in the Florida
- Santeria priest claims sexual assault was part of healing ritual, police say
- Child abuse scandal shocks Pakistan, families angry at police
We Asked an Expert on Ritual Murders About the Triple Homicide in the Florida Panhandle August 6, 2015 By Allie Conti Staff Writer
This week, people across the country have been freaking out about a crime story that sounds like it came straight out of the good season of True Detective. A sheriff in Florida's Panhandle, which is also known as the Redneck Riviera and characterized by conservatism and religiosity, announced at a press conference that a ritualistic triple-murder took place in Pensacola last week....
But is it possible that we should be taking the allegedly ritualistic part of this tragedy more seriously? Dawn Perlmutter, an expert on ritual killings and former director of the Institute for the Research of Organized and Ritual Violence, says her phone has been blowing up since the news of the murders broke. (I managed to catch her 20 minutes before she took the stage at the International Association for Identification Crime Scene Conference, where she was giving a lecture on—you guessed it—ritual murders.) Apparently, these kinds of crimes are more prevalent than people might think. "I've worked on cases in Ohio, and Florida, and New York," Perlmutter said. "They're international, and not specific to either rural places or cities. They can happen everywhere."....
VICE: Hey Dawn. First off, what makes something a ritual murder?
Dawn Perlmutter: What distinguishes a ritualistic killing from a standard homicide is that it goes beyond what's necessary just to kill someone. There's overkill or mutilation. But even more than that, it's usually some kind of symbolic evidence. For example, symbols carved into the body, there can be symbols painted on the floor, it can be the positioning of the body, the staging. These are your pretty standard signs. They tend to be multiple homicides also. And then you get into other types of things, like significance of dates, or significance of holidays specific to different ideologies....
People seem very riled up by this—understandably. But how common is ritual murder?
I've worked on dozens of ritual murders and testified on them. In terms of statistics, I don't think they're as common as bank robberies, but they're certainly more common than serial killing. They occur. They definitely occur. A lot of people don't believe that they happen, but I just testified in two cases in LA, one last month, that was a ritual killing by a couple. And one was by a young Satanist in LA who murdered his mother. In both of those cases, there was severe mutilation and positioning of the bodies, so there was no doubt they were ritual murders.
What's the most interesting case you've worked on?
I don't know if interesting is the right term. One of the cases that was very disturbing to me was one in Toledo, Ohio, that involved a priest who ritually killed a nun in the sacristy of the chapel on Easter Saturday. It was a 25-year-old cold case, so it was nice that we could still solve it, and he was convicted. But that was disturbing because so many victims came out saying that had been done, and it was actually horrifying in a number of ways that it had gone on for so long....
http://www.vice.com/read/we-asked-an-expert-in-ritual-murders-about-the-triple-homicide-in-the-florida-panhandle-806
Santeria priest claims sexual assault was part of healing ritual, police say
By Veronica Rocha August 6, 2015
A Santeria priest has been accused of sexually assaulting a girl during what he claimed were healing rituals, Montebello police said Thursday.
Police are trying to find Pablo Pinto Mata, 46 — known as a “Santero,” or priest — who often performed healing rituals at his business, Los Angeles Import, in the 2400 block of Whittier Boulevard in Montebello, police said.
But police said his so-called healing rituals were a ploy used to assault a teenager....
In 2013, Mata performed three healing rituals on a 16-year-old girl, police said. During those incidents, the girl had to disrobe. The third time, Mata forced the girl to disrobe and he sexually assaulted her, police said.
Mata told her the assault was part of a ritual common in Santeria, a faith of the Caribbean.
Police think there may be other victims who were sexually assaulted....
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-santeria-sex-assault-20150806-story.html
Priest of Caribbean Santeria religion 'used HEALING ritual as cover to sexually abuse 16-year-old girl'
Pablo Pinto Mata, 46, is accused of sex attack against girl in 2013
Allegedly used three-part ritual to dupe her into undressing for attack
Mata has business linked to Santeria in Montebello, California
The faith has roots in Africa and incorporates elements of Catholicism
By Kieran Corcoran For Dailymail.com 7 August 2015
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3189944/Priest-Caribbean-Santeria-religion-used-HEALING-ritual-cover-sexually-abuse-16-year-old-girl.html
describes abuse
Child abuse scandal shocks Pakistan, families angry at police
HUSAIN KHAN WALA, Pakistan By Mehreen Zahra-Malik and Mubasher Bukhari Mon Aug 10, 2015
Parents at the center of a growing child abuse scandal in Pakistan accused police on Monday of failing to do enough to break up a pedophile ring in Punjab province, the prime minister's political heartland.
Villagers in the central Punjabi village of Husain Khan Wala told Reuters that a prominent family there has for years forced children to perform sex acts on video. The footage was sold or used to blackmail their impoverished families.
Rubina Bibi says her 13-year-old son was a victim, but when she tried to file a report at the Ganda Singh Wala police station a month and a half ago, "the police station clerk told me to get lost and I was thrown out".
"My son is in the videos, he is a victim," she said. "Our children were forced into this. They were humiliated. But the police are treating them like criminals."
Another mother, Shakila Bibi, said: "I went to the police station to file a complaint, but instead of registering a (report), they took my son into custody."
Her 15-year-old son is still in jail, she said....
Lawyer Latif Sra, representing some of the victims, said: "I have personally met hundreds of parents who have not yet come forward to file official complaints, either out of fear or shame."
Police have arrested seven suspects, but downplayed the scale of the abuse, suggesting a land dispute may have sparked accusations.
"It's a very murky situation," said Babar. He added that seven cases involving 11 children had been registered.
Activist Mobeen Ghaznavi said he had 130 video clips containing abuse.
"People are afraid. They are being threatened and intimidated," he said.
Suraiya Bibi said the abusers threatened her family when she complained to police....
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/10/us-pakistan-child-abuse-idUSKCN0QF0K120150810
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
Authorities: Congregation elders didn’t report child abuse
Authorities: Congregation elders didn’t report child abuse
By Randall Chase AP August 5, 2015
DOVER, Del. — The Delaware attorney general’s office is suing a Jehovah’s Witnesses congregation in Sussex County, claiming that elders failed to report an unlawful sexual relationship between a woman and a 14-year-old boy, both of whom were congregation members.
After speaking with attorneys this week, a New Castle County Superior Court judge scheduled oral arguments in the civil action against the Laurel congregation for Nov. 9.
Under Delaware law, any person, agency, organization or entity who knows or in good faith suspects that a child is being abused or neglected must call a 24-hour hotline to report it. The law specifically states that the reporting requirements apply to health care workers and organizations, school employees, social workers, psychologists and law enforcement officials.
But a lawyer for the congregation is arguing that the elders of the Jehovah’s Witnesses congregation are protected from the reporting requirements by clergy privilege, similar to the confidentiality of a church confessional.
“It’s a First Amendment issue,” defense attorney James Liguori said.
Department of Justice authorities say the boy reported to his mother in January 2013 that he and Katheryn Harris Carmean White, who worked as a teacher’s aide at Seaford Middle School, had engaged in a sexual relationship. According to the complaint, the boy and his mother met that same day with congregation elders Joel Mulchansingh and William Perkins.
The two elders met a few days later with Carmean White, who confirmed the ongoing sexual relationship, according to the complaint.
“At no time ... did defendant elder Mulchansingh and defendant elder Perkins contact the 24 hour child abuse report line to report the alleged incident of child sexual abuse,” Delaware Deputy Attorney General Janice Tigani wrote....
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/authorities-congregation-elders-didnt-report-child-abuse/2015/08/05/5456821a-3b91-11e5-b34f-4e0a1e3a3bf9_story.html
By Randall Chase AP August 5, 2015
DOVER, Del. — The Delaware attorney general’s office is suing a Jehovah’s Witnesses congregation in Sussex County, claiming that elders failed to report an unlawful sexual relationship between a woman and a 14-year-old boy, both of whom were congregation members.
After speaking with attorneys this week, a New Castle County Superior Court judge scheduled oral arguments in the civil action against the Laurel congregation for Nov. 9.
Under Delaware law, any person, agency, organization or entity who knows or in good faith suspects that a child is being abused or neglected must call a 24-hour hotline to report it. The law specifically states that the reporting requirements apply to health care workers and organizations, school employees, social workers, psychologists and law enforcement officials.
But a lawyer for the congregation is arguing that the elders of the Jehovah’s Witnesses congregation are protected from the reporting requirements by clergy privilege, similar to the confidentiality of a church confessional.
“It’s a First Amendment issue,” defense attorney James Liguori said.
Department of Justice authorities say the boy reported to his mother in January 2013 that he and Katheryn Harris Carmean White, who worked as a teacher’s aide at Seaford Middle School, had engaged in a sexual relationship. According to the complaint, the boy and his mother met that same day with congregation elders Joel Mulchansingh and William Perkins.
The two elders met a few days later with Carmean White, who confirmed the ongoing sexual relationship, according to the complaint.
“At no time ... did defendant elder Mulchansingh and defendant elder Perkins contact the 24 hour child abuse report line to report the alleged incident of child sexual abuse,” Delaware Deputy Attorney General Janice Tigani wrote....
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/authorities-congregation-elders-didnt-report-child-abuse/2015/08/05/5456821a-3b91-11e5-b34f-4e0a1e3a3bf9_story.html
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
Milwaukee archdiocese settles with clergy abuse survivors for $21 million, Edward Heath abuse claims: Five forces investigating ex-PM
Milwaukee archdiocese settles with clergy abuse survivors for $21 million
Aug. 4, 2015 By SCOTT BAUER, Associated Press
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee said Tuesday that it will pay $21 million to more than 300 victims of clergy abuse in a settlement that would end a four-year bankruptcy proceeding.
The proposed deal, which will be part of a reorganization plan submitted to a bankruptcy court later this month, was to be reviewed by a judge overseeing the case at a Nov. 9 hearing. Archbishop Jerome Listecki called the settlement a "new Pentecost," but an attorney for the victims, along with advocates for those abused by clergy, decried the settlement as a paltry amount.
Milwaukee is one of 12 Roman Catholic dioceses nationwide to file for bankruptcy in the past decade over a flood of abuse claims. The settlement announced Tuesday is among the smallest per-victim payments yet in these cases. The actual amount each victim receives will be determined by an appointee of the bankruptcy court....
http://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2015/08/04/apnewsbreak-milwaukee-archdiocese-settles-for-21-million
Edward Heath abuse claims: Five forces investigating ex-PM
August 7, 2015
Edward Heath, who was prime minister from 1970 to 1974, died in 2005
Five police forces are investigating claims of historical child sexual abuse involving former PM Sir Edward Heath.
The Met, Wiltshire, Kent, Jersey and Hampshire forces are conducting separate inquiries into the late MP.
The BBC understands Wiltshire Police halted an inquiry into a brothel keeper in the 1990s after she said Sir Edward was involved in child sexual abuse.
The Sir Edward Heath Charitable Foundation said it was confident he would be cleared of any wrongdoing.
'Case dropped'
On Tuesday night, Hampshire became the fifth force to say it was investigating "allegations", but gave no further details.
The BBC's home affairs correspondent Dominic Casciani says claims made by the brothel keeper, that Sir Edward was a client, meant that she had left herself open to prosecution.
However, the case against her was allegedly discontinued between 1990 and 1995....
Operation Midland: The BBC understands Sir Edward is being looked at as part of the operation examining claims that boys were abused by a group of powerful men at locations across southern England and in London in the 1970s and 1980s. It has focused on the Dolphin Square estate in Pimlico, south-west London.
Operation Whistle: The States of Jersey Police has confirmed Sir Edward forms part of its investigation into historical allegations of abuse. It says some of the allegations relate to abuse "within institutions or by people of public prominence".
Operation Hydrant: A nationally co-ordinated exercise to collate all allegations of historical abuse involving high profile-figures. The operation has been notified of Sir Edward being named in connection with an allegation of sexual assault in the 1960s....
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-33770021
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