Abominations

Soldier Charged With Taking Bathroom Videos

An Army sergeant has been charged with secretly photographing and videotaping at least a dozen women at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, including in a bathroom. The Army said that Sgt. 1st Class Michael McClendon is facing charges of dereliction of duty, mistreatment, entering a women's bathroom without notice, and taking and possessing inappropriate photos and videos of women who were naked or in various states of undress. Read more...

Former SMU Student Acquitted of Sexual Assault

Donald Cuba, a former Southern Methodist University junior who was accused of raping a freshman in a campus dorm room in February 2012, was acquitted of a sexual assault charge. A juror leaving the courtroom said there wasn't enough evidence for a conviction. She said it was a difficult case and the jurors were "pretty messed up" about it. "There was a lot of emotion involved in this," said the woman, who did not give her name. "We know all the kids on both sides went through a lot this year. We hope some policies change at SMU as to the way they handle these cases." Read more...

Sex Offender Charged With Molesting 11-Year-Old

A registered sex offender was arrested after allegedly molesting an 11-year-old girl in Renton. Keith Raymond Geyman, 62, was charged with rape of a child in the first-degree after he allegedly lured the girl and her brother into his motor home and then molested her. He is being held on $100,000 bail, though prosecutors are requesting $1 million due to the repeat nature of the crime. Geyman's criminal history includes a 1984 conviction for deviate sexual conduct (with a 2002 probation violation) for sodomizing a 9-year-old boy in Montana, a 1981 second-degree assault charge and second-degree burglary charges from 1969 and 1979. Read more...

Offender Gets 35 Years on Child Porn

A convicted sex offender was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison in U.S. District Court on four child pornography charges. Carey E. Gonyer, 44, of Charleston also was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John Woodcock to a lifetime of supervised release following his prison term. Gonyer was found guilty by a jury in July on three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor in the production of pornography and one count of possession of child pornography, after 1½ days of testimony.The jury of seven women and five men deliberated for two hours and 40 minutes. Read more...

Judge: Lesbian Couple Can't Cohabitate

A judge has ruled that a North Texas lesbian couple can't live together because of a morality clause in one of the women's divorce papers. The clause is common in divorce cases in Texas and other states. It prevents a divorced parent from having a romantic partner spend the night while children are in the home. If the couple marries, they can get out from under the legal provision — but that is not an option for gay couples in Texas, where such marriages aren't recognized. Read more...

5-Year-Old Testifies in Sexual Assault Trial

On a TV screen, the jury watched a 5-year-old girl color as she gave her testimony of the alleged March 2012 sexual assault during a trial in Cascade County District Court. Deputy County Attorney Amanda Lofink began questioning the girl by asking her whether she knew the difference between telling the truth and a lie. "Telling the truth is exactly what the truth is," the girl said. "Lie, and you have to get in trouble." Read more...

FBI Searches for Fugitive Sex Offender

The FBI was searching for a fugitive registered sex offender after finding pornography at his home in Concord. James Brian Webb, 43, cut off a tracking device after child pornography was found in his possession, according to an FBI news release. He was last seen at his home in Concord. Officers discovered child pornography images at the home and issued warrants for his arrest. He was wearing a GPD tracking device as the result of multiple sex offense convictions, authorities said. Read more...

Police Investigate Sex Offender's Death

Chippewa Falls police are investigating the death of a convicted sex offender, The Chippewa Herald reports. Christopher R. Vought, 27, was found dead at an unspecified location in Chippewa Falls after a woman called police requesting a welfare check. Police did not give more details about Vought's death, saying only that officers are investigating. Read more...

Officer Arrested for Lewd Conduct

A Los Angeles police officer was arrested near Castaic on suspicion of committing lewd acts with children, department officials said. Miguel Angel Schiappapietra, a six-year veteran of the LAPD, was arrested Saturday, said LAPD Cmdr. Andrew Smith. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department confirmed that Schiappapietra was arrested but would not elaborate on the exact nature of the crimes or what, if any, relationship the 28-year-old officer has to the victims. Schiappapietra was off duty at the time of his arrest and was booked on suspicion of lewd conduct with children under the age of 14. Read more...

Mob Attacks Sexual Assault Suspect

In a rare display of vigilantism, about 30 people taunted, attacked and detained a man who they suspected of committing recent sex crimes in Pueblo, Colo., according to city police. The man was later released by police, who cited a lack of evidence for charges. Pueblo Police Department Captain Kenny Rider told U.S. News the crowd was angered by three cases: a sexual assault, an attempted kidnapping and a case of indecent exposure. Several members of the community have assumed a connection between the cases, but police have not. Read more...

Repeat Sex Offender Gets 20 Years

A Nebraska man convicted for the third time of having sex with young children has been sentenced to at least 20 years in prison. Jake Laner, who is 26, has been sentenced in Madison County District Court on a charge of first-degree sexual assault. His prison sentence is 25 to 50 years but a mandatory minimum means he must serve 20 years before he's eligible for release. Read more...

Man Gets 25 Years in Child Sex Case

Pascagoula resident Kendrick Jackson, 39, pleaded guilty today to 3 counts of touching of a child for lustful purposes and 1 count of sexual battery involving 3 different victims, who were all younger than 14. The crimes date back to December 2006 until July 2011, according to District Attorney Tony Lawrence's office. Judge Dale Harkey sentenced Jackson to 15 years in prison on the 3 touching charges, the maximum penalty. Read more...

Cancer, Rape Fraud Case Stuns Community

Carol Connell remembers well the gift she gave Sara Ylen, a friend seemingly forced to bear too much misery. Ylen, a Michigan mother of two young boys, said she was battling cancer just a few years after a man was convicted of her rape. "It was a little box, a very ornate box, to hold a prayer. She needed God to look over her," Connell said, recalling the 2008 lunch when she gave Ylen the jewelry. "Sara was visibly touched." Connell now can't help but wonder whether Ylen was showing gratitude or simply perpetuating years of jaw-dropping deceit. Read more...

Hero Cop Charged With Rape

A former "top cop," who had the honor of sitting next to first lady Michelle Obama during a televised presidential speech four years ago, is facing rape allegations. Richard DeCoatsworth left a party with two women, according to authorities. The women called authorities and said once they arrived at a second, undisclosed location, the retired officer pulled a gun on them, the Philadelphia Police Department said in a statement. Read more...

Teen Expelled for Lesbian Relationship

An 18-year-old Florida student's senior year has become a nightmare — because she was in a same-sex relationship with a 15-year-old, her family says. Kaitlyn Hunt was arrested Feb. 16 for having a physical relationship with a younger classmate, who was her girlfriend at the time, mom Kelley Hunt Smith wrote on Facebook. Under Florida law, Hunt could see up to 15 years in prison and must register as a sex offender. Read more...

Teacher Arrested in Online Child-Sex Sting

A Campbell private schoolteacher was arrested this week after he was caught sexually soliciting someone he thought was a 13-year-old girl but was actually a police officer conducting an online sex sting, San Jose police said. Grant Blair, 41, of Campbell, was arrested on suspicion of arranging to meet a minor to engage in lewd or lascivious behavior, a felony, police said. Investigators say Blair, who teaches fourth and fifth grade at Old Orchard School in Campbell, made the illicit contact online and "agreed to meet for sexual activity," according to a police news release. Read more...

Woman Charged With Biting Boyfriend's Penis

A 19-year-old Southeast High school student was arrested after she allegedly bit her boyfriend's penis when he refused to have sex with her, according to the Manatee Sheriff's Office. Krystle Harrison, 19, was arrested and charged with domestic battery, according to the arrest report. The couple have been dating for three years and have an infant child together. Harrison made a sexual advance, but her boyfriend said several times that "he did not want to partake," a deputy wrote in a report. Read more...

DNA Links Inmate to 1986 Rape of Deaf Woman

Kansas City cold-case sex-crimes detectives have linked a federal inmate to the unsolved rape of a deaf woman in 1986, according to court records. Jackson County prosecutors charged Alphonso Henderson, 50, with robbery, forcible sodomy and three counts of rape. He is in a Virginia federal penitentiary for being a felon in possession of a firearm. His previous record includes convictions for assault, false imprisonment, sodomy and burglary. He was set to be released in about 12 years, but police said the new charges could keep him behind bars much longer. Read more...

Princeton Coach Charged With Child Porn

An assistant soccer coach at Rider University who previously coached at Princeton University was charged Thursday for allegedly possessing movies showing "prepubescent boys engaging in a variety of activities, including wrestling and showering, while completely or partially naked." Jorge A. Roman, 48, is charged with one count of possessing images of child pornography after authorities raided his Princeton, N.J., home Wednesday and allegedly found several videos containing hours of child pornography. Authorities allege he ordered films exploiting nude, underage boys more than 40 times. Read more...

Army Sergeant Accused of Sexual Abuse

An Army sergeant who served as a sexual assault prevention and response coordinator at Fort Hood, Tex., is under investigation for allegations of pandering, abusive sexual contact, assault and maltreatment of subordinates, Pentagon officials said. The inquiry comes as the White House, the Pentagon and the armed services are struggling to deal with the deepening problem of sexual assault in the military. Read more...

Offender Took Thousands of Up-Skirt Videos

Investigators are searching for more than 100 women they say were victimized by a registered sex offender who secretly shot videos up their skirts. Mylyn Johnson of the Antelope Valley was arrested in March and faces 15 felony charges including false imprisonment, burglary and several counts of "unlawful recording of undergarments," according to a statement from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Detectives found thousands of videos of more than 100 women on Johnson's phone, storage devices and inside his home. Authorities said the women ranged in age from their teens to about 50 years old. Read more...

Man Gets 18 Years for Sex Crimes

A 49-year-old Marengo man was sentenced to 18 years in prison for sexually assaulting an underage family member for more than a decade. McHenry County Judge Sharon Prather said Brian Minder's sex crimes, which began when the female victim was 5 years old and lasted until she was 20, were unthinkable. Read more...

Sex Offender Accused of Molesting Girl

A registered sex offender who lives in Safety Harbor has been charged with sexual battery of a child under 12 years old, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. John Richard Polgar Jr., 54, was arrested for molesting a girl he knew at a private Safety Harbor residence in June 2011, deputies said. He remained in the Pinellas County Jail Thursday with bail set at $100,000. Read more...

Suspect in Child Exploitation Video Nabbed

One day after authorities released photos of a man purportedly culled from sexually explicit videos, a suspect is under arrest and his alleged child victim has been identified and taken to safety. Authorities declined to name the man pending his appearance in federal court. Even before his arrest, he had been charged as a "John Doe" with producing and distributing child pornography. The man was arrested a day after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials issued a public appeal for help, releasing five photographs of the man clipped from the videos. Read more...

School Bus Driver Charged With Sex Assault

A school bus driver for a Gurnee district has been arrested and charged in connection with the alleged sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Office. Kristin Miks, 32, of Wildwood, was charged with two counts of criminal sexual assault and four counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, according to a statement the sheriff's office. Miks also was arrested last month on animal cruelty charges, according to police and prosecutors. Read more...

Accused Sex Offender Gone Missing

A Town of Chenango man police say had a sexual relationship over an extended period of time with a child under 11 years of age has gone missing. Police arrested 54-year-old Paul Terwilliger on April 29th. He made bail and was then reported missing on May 8th. Police searched his home on airport road and quarries at off of neighboring Kattelville Road. Read more...

Lifeguard Held in Rape of 14-Year-Old

A Thurston County judge found probable cause to hold a 19-year-old lifeguard at the Great Wolf Lodge in Grand Mound on investigation of third-degree child rape and second-degree rape for an alleged sexual assault on a 14-year-old girl who was a guest at the waterpark resort. The lifeguard was arrested at Rochester High School, where he is a senior, about 14 hours after he allegedly raped the girl in his car roughly two miles from the lodge. Read more...

Abortion Doctor Spared Death Sentence

Former Philadelphia abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell, who was found guilty of first-degree murder, was spared the death sentence Tuesday after he agreed to forgo an appeal. The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office agreed to two life sentences without the possibility of parole in exchange for not appealing. Prosecutors had sought the death penalty, but Gosnell's age would have made it unlikely he would be executed before his appeals ran out. Read more...

HIV Positive Teacher Assaults Student

An Illinois special-needs teaching assistant accused of molesting a teenage student in school while knowingly infected with HIV remained jailed Tuesday as police investigated another claim of similar misconduct by the man involving a different student. Prosecutors in St. Clair County east of St. Louis charged Mario L. Hunt, 35, on Monday with felony counts of criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual abuse and "transmitting" HIV through intimate contact during the first half of 2011, when the student was 17. The transmission charge means a defendant merely exposed a victim to the virus that causes AIDS, not necessarily causing actual infection. Read more...

Man Gets 99 Years for Sex Assault

An Erath County jury found Matthew Barksdale guilty of aggravated sexual assault of a child Tuesday and sentenced him to 99 years in prison. Barksdale, 30, was arrested by Stephenville police in November 2012, after his live-in girlfriend claimed her four-year-old daughter made comments leading her to believe she had been sexually abused. Jurors heard testimony regarding evidence linking Barksdale to the crime. Read more...

Police Solve 5 'Maintenance Man' Rape Cases

The Atlanta Police Cold Case Squad has charged one man with five rapes that took place in 1986 and 1987. Daniel Wade, 61, was indicted on May 10. Investigators believe he could have committed as many as 29 rapes in DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett counties nearly 30 years ago. The assaults became known as the Maintenance Man rapes, as they all occurred in apartments. Police said Wade would gain entry to some of his victim's apartments by posing as a repair man. They don't think he worked for any of the apartment complexes. Read more...

Border Agent Charged With Sexual Assault

A South Texas Border Patrol agent was arrested on a sexual assault charge for an alleged incident with a woman he was guarding in a Corpus Christi hospital. According to the complaint, Philip Westerman, 42, was guarding a woman who had entered the country illegally at Christus Spohn Hospital Corpus Christi-Memorial on April 28 when the alleged assault occurred. U.S. Marshals arrested Westerman in McAllen on a charge of second-degree sexual assault, said Nueces County First Assistant District Attorney Gail Loeb. Read more...

Assault Suspect: 'This Time I'm Not Admitting It'

A West Haven man was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl, police said. Police began investigating in September 2012 after the girl's mother reported that her daughter confided that she believed she had sex with a family friend who was living with the family. Police said forensic examinations and medical evaluations determined that the child had injuries consistent with a sexual assault. Read more...

Lehigh Acres Man Arrested on Sexual Assault

Fort Myers police arrested a Lehigh Acres man after they said he broke into a minor's room and sexually assaulted her. Darwin Reyes-Romero, 24, faces charges of sexual assault on a victim 12 or older with special conditions, burglary and false imprisonment, according to a Fort Myers Police Department report. Police said the victim had been sleeping in her bedroom for about an hour when she realized a man was standing over her and holding her down, while kissing her neck and sexually assaulting her. Read more...

Sex Offender Extradited to Sheridan

A man has been arrested in Texas and brought back to the Sheridan County Detention facility to face charges related to child sex abuse. Sheriff Dave Hofmeier has confirmed Bryan Thomas Jones, 30, is being held on 14 counts of sexual exploitation of a child and one charge of sexual abuse of a minor. Sheridan Media News will have more information on this case when it becomes available. Read more...

Man Gets 30 Years for Rape of 13-Month-Old

Ralph Maestas acknowledged he had kicked a 13-month-old girl, the daughter of the woman he'd been living with for a few months on Charleston SE in the fall of 2009. But contrary to evidence at a sentencing hearing, he insisted through his attorney that he had not anally raped the child, whose injuries were so severe that she required emergency surgery and a colostomy. Read more...