Women With Troubles - June 2007

Here is the compilation of the women who had troubles reported in the news during June 2007. Each name is linked to an Interested-Participant blog entry displaying details.

For a more comprehensive listing, check the Women With Troubles category link.

(AL) Charlene Schmitz, 54,
teacher - Arrested for rape/sodomy of boy, 14,

(AL) Glenna Faye Wiley (aka Glenna Faye Marshall, Glenna Faye Cavender), 42,
neighbor - Gets 10 years in prison for child sex abuse,

(AR) Kimberly Elyse Drozal, 37,
neighbor - Gets 1-year suspended sentence for sex with boy, 15,

(AR) Carolynn A. Hayes, 37,
neighbor - Sentenced to 12 years prison for sex with boy, 13,

(AZ) Alma Hernandez, 27,
teacher - Guilty of sex with boy, 14. Sentencing next month,

(AZ) Jeri Deanne Perez, 38,
teacher - Sentenced to 10 years prison for sex with boy, 14,

(CA) Melissa Dunning, 31,
teacher - Accused of smoking dope with male student, 14,

(CA) Kimberly Hald, 34,
juvenile hall custodian - Accused of oral copulation with male inmate, 17,

(CA) Christine Cameron Johnson, 28,
teacher - Charged with unlawful sex with male student,

(CA) Cora Marie Solorio, 24,
school aide - Guilty of lewdness and oral sex on boy under 14. Sentencing July 18th,

(CA) Anna J. Walker-Vogt, 35,
married, mother of three, neighbor - Sentenced to 300 days jail for providing alcohol and engaging in sex with teen boys,

(CO) Darcie Esson, 33,
teacher - Guilty of sex with male student. Sentencing in August,

(CO) Carrie McCandless, 30,
teacher, cheerleading coach, principal's wife - Gets 45 days jail for sex with male student, 17,

(CO) Tammie Lee Reed (aka Liberty Lee), 42,
teacher - Methamphetamine train wreck arrested again,

(CO) Debra Slaughenhaupt, 49,
neighbor - Accused of sex assault, sexual exploitation of child and child abuse of children under 15,

(CO) Michelle Leigh Tolar, 27,
teacher - Sentenced to 4 months in jail for sex with male student, 16,

(FL) Emily Hernandez,
neighbor - Arrested for child abandonment,

(FL) Johannie Jimenez,
neighbor - Arrested for child abandonment,

(FL) Kelly Marie Lumadue, 32,
neighbor - Guilty of sex with boy, 5. Sentencing in July,

(GA) Susan Carrie, 43,
neighbor - Gets 15 years prison for molestation of girls, ages 15 and 16,

(GA) Melissa Chase, 28,
teacher, girl's coach - Guilty of sex with girl, 16. Sentencing TBD,

(HI) Bronwyn Kugle, 38,
teacher - Guilty of federal drug, firearms charges. Sentencing in October,

(IA) Suzanne Marie Butts,
neighbor - Arrested for stealing toilet paper from courthouse,

(IA) Kelli Cuperus (aka Kelly DeBoer), 39,
teacher, mother of three - Arrested for violating probation after sentencing on child sex charge,

(ID) Roseanna Villanueva (aka Roseanna Maggard), 32,
neighbor - Arrested for sex with boy, 14, who fathered her child,

(IL) Christina Buffington, 26,
neighbor - Gets 180 days in jail, with 43 days credit, for sex abuse of girl, 13,

(IL) Lori Zolno, 32,
teen counselor - Arrested for sex with boy, 16,

(IN) Shauna Hawkins, 32,
jail matron - Accused of sex with male inmate, 35,

(KS) Marsha (Marcy) J. Mote, 37,
teacher - Guilty of sex with girl, 14. Sentencing in September,

(MA) Diane Soule, 55,
teacher - Sentenced to diversion for possession of crack cocaine,

(MD) Michelle Dohm, 42,
teacher - Sentenced to three months in jail for making death threats to students,

(MD) Kirsten Ann Kinley, 27,
special ed teacher - Accused of sex with boy, 14,

(MD) Tiffany Gwen Weaver, 29,
neighbor - Gets probation for ID theft committed to sneak into prison to have sex with murderer boyfriend,

(ME) Stephanie Stark, 46, and Peter Mills, 49,
neighbors - Guilty of multiple counts of gross sexual assault of two women. Sentencing TBD,

(MI) Anne Marie Harvey, 44,
teacher - Charged with electronic eavesdropping of another teacher,

(MI) Unnamed mother, 41,
neighbor - Sentenced to 12 to 22.5 years prison for pimping daughter, 15,

(MN) Diane Marie Johnson, 50,
neighbor - Accused of producing child porn for convicted murderer in prison,

(NC) Rebecca Withrow, 30,
teacher - Sentenced to 120 days jail, with credit for 40 days served, for sex with boy, 11. Allegedly had sex with boy's father too.

(NE) Brandy Reynolds, 25,
teacher - Accused of two-year sexual relationship with boy, starting at age 15,

(NE) Unidentified Foster Mom, 37,
neighbor - Accused of sex with foster son, 15,

(NH) Nicole Belonga, 26,
neighbor - Charged with murder of daughter, 2,

(NH) Theresa Bergeron, 35,
neighbor - Arrested for assault of daughter, 10,

(NH) Chrisias France, 44,
neighbor - Arrested for felony endangerment of girl, 10,

(NJ) Celeste Adamski, 27,
married teacher - Suspended and investigated for alleged sex with four male students,

(NM) Joanna Chavez, 37,
teacher - Pleaded guilty to possession of meth on school grounds. Sentencing yet to be scheduled,

(NM) Ashley E. Serna, 21,
neighbor - Guilty of criminal sex with boy, 15. Sentencing TBD,

(NY) Maria E. Zurita, 28,
teacher's aide - Accused of sex with 16-year-old male students,

(NY) Rebecca L. Becker, 28,
teacher - Accused of sex with 16-year-old male students,

(NY) Joan M. Donatelli, 59,
teacher - Sentenced to community service for snorting cocaine in classroom,

(NY) Magali Friedman, 60,
neighbor - Accused of sex abuse of boy, 14,

(NY) Christina M. Garrison, 28,
neighbor - Arrested for sex with girl, 15,

(NY) Debra Menhert, 53,
neighbor - Charged with rape of boy, 13,

(NY) Lynn Taliento, 43,
teacher - Accused of defrauding elderly woman of $745,000,

(OH) Christine Scarlett, 40,
teacher - Sentenced to 3 days jail for sex with boy, 17, who fathered her a child,

(OK) Jennifer Brumfield, 26,
neighbor - Accused of raping boy, 15,

(OK) Lynn Lewallen (aka Vicky Lynn Lewallen), 44,
teacher/coach - Accused of rape/sodomy of female student, 16,

(OK) Monica Reiko Watson, 43,
neighbor - Sentenced to 5 years prison for attempted solicitation of boy over Internet for sex,

(OR) Melissa Danielle Cullen, 22,
neighbor - Arrested for rape of boy, 14,

(PA) Ashley L. Banks, 24,
neighbor - Accused of rape and corruption of boy, 12,

(PA) Jane Forgione, 61,
teacher - Arrested for assaulting autistic student,

(PA) Krystal Gehret, 21,
neighbor - Sent home after two months of 11 to 23 month sentence for molesting boys,

(SC) Wendie A. Schweikert, 36,
teacher - Sentenced to 10 years prison for sex with boy, 11,

(TN) Christina M. Sawyer, 28,
neighbor, mother of two - Offered diversion for allegedly smoking marijuana with son, 10,

(TX) Jennifer Elizabeth Bagley, 35,
teacher - Accused of sex assault of girl, 15,

(TX) Dina Marie Blakely (aka Dina Marie Blakley and Joan Davis), 38,
neighbor, mother of three - Gets 10 years in prison for sex with boy, 11, who fathered her a child,

(TX) Regina Bowling, 38,
neighbor - Indicted for indecency with boy, 14,

(UT) Leslie Baird, 42,
teacher - Sent home five months into one-year sentence for sex abuse,

(VA) Carrie Ann Bishop, 33,
teacher - Accused of sex with boy, 17,

(VA) Darlene Anna Blagg, 36,
teacher - Sentenced to 30 days in jail for felony indecency with boy under 18,

(VA) Karen Susan Patton, 42,
teacher - Sentenced to 3 years, 11 months, for sex with boys, age 13,

(VA) Naomi Miranda Peters, 26,
teacher - Accused of improper relationship with female student,

(WA) Bonnie Desmond, 20,
neighbor - Arrested for killing 4-month-old son by tying and taping,

(WA) Lydia Korolak, 34,
juvenile detention officer - Pleaded guilty to sex with male inmates, both 17,

(WA) Florena Aurelia Romero, 22,
neighbor - Sentenced to 12 years prison for child sex crimes,

(WV) Cynthia Ann Flores, 25,
neighbor - Accused of engaging in sex with boy, 15,

(AUS) Amanda Louise Thompson, 26,
teacher - Accused of 229 counts of indecency with girl under 16.

Phew! As always, thanks to the tipsters.

Woman, Man Get Prison for Child Sex Crimes

(Seattle, Washington) Last month, a 22-year-old woman, Florena Aurelia Romero, and her 32-year-old sex offender boyfriend, Jamie Lloyd Wallin, were convicted of multiple crimes, including sexual exploitation of minors, involving the sexual mistreatment of three girls, ages 7, 9 and 11.

Prosecutors said Forena Romero had gained the trust of a woman in Bothell and convinced the woman to let her take her three young daughters out for an afternoon photo session. Romero, who is married, brought her boyfriend Jamie Wallin.

This week, Superior Court Judge Michael Downes sentenced Romero to 12 years in prison. Wallin received life in prison without parole, the mandatory punishment because of a prior child molestation conviction.

Uganda Banning Plastic Bags

(Kampala, Uganda) According to State Minister for Environment Jessica Eriyo, Uganda has banned plastic bags of 30 microns and smaller thicknesses, effective July 1st with a grace period to September 1st to allow for depletion of stock. The ban is part of an East African initiative to promote a clean and healthy environment.

Minister Eriyo has called upon "researchers, investors and individuals to think about environmentally friendly replacements" in addition to paper bags.

Correct me if I'm mistaken, but didn't we all have plastic bags shoved down our throats as the environmentally-friendly replacements for paper bags in order to save trees?

Typical. One step forward to save the Earth results in two steps back to fix the screwups.

Intruder Shot in Head

(Portland, Oregon) A 26-year-old home intruder, name not released, received a life-threatening gunshot wound to the head early Friday morning. He had surgery. Present condition is unknown.

About 4:50 a.m., Leroy Hudson, 71, and his wife, Janice, 62, awakened to the sound of a break-in, said Walter Hudson, 49, the second of the couple's nine children. Walter Hudson relayed his parents' account of events:

Leroy Hudson was asleep upstairs and Janice Hudson was asleep downstairs in their home near Northeast 107th Avenue and Glisan Street. When they heard suspicious noises from their enclosed back porch, they met in a hall and got out a gun.

Janice Hudson called 9-1-1 to report an intruder. Leroy Hudson opened the back door of the house and found a man standing in front of him. He demanded to know what the man was doing, hoping to scare him off.

But the man said nothing. Instead, he walked toward Leroy Hudson, and Hudson raised the gun and shot him. Police arrived soon after.

That's a shame.

Female Teacher Guilty of Sex with Girl

(Augusta, Georgia) In November 2006, a 28-year-old teacher and softball coach at Harlem High School, Melissa Chase, was arrested for engaging in sex with a 16-year-old female student.

Chase was charged with felony sexual assault and booked into the Columbia County Detention Center. The sex allegedly occurred at the school.

On Thursday of this week, Judge Carl C. Brown Jr. found Melissa Chase, now 29, guilty of sexual assault at a bench trial in Richmond County Superior Court.

A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.


[Update 08/10/07]

Chase sentenced.

Vampire Boy

Really. Spooky true. Story of the seven-year-old and legit photo here. Go visit.

Homemaker Indicted for Sex with Boy

(Allen, Texas) In April 2006, 38-year-old female homemaker, Regina Bowling, was arrested by Allen police for allegedly having a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old boy. Police caught Bowling with the boy in a parked car at 4:40 AM.

In October 2006, Bowling was arrested again for alleged indecency with a different boy. After both of her arrests, Bowling was booked and released on bond.

In the latest report, court records indicate that Regina Ruth Bowling, now 39, was recently indicted on two counts of indecency with a child. Donald McDermitt, Bowling's attorney, said the charges would be contested.

As a precaution before her case is adjudicated, the court might want to consider doing something to keep her away from the yutes -- er -- youths.

Tip: Don Morgenstern


[Update 07/27/07]

Bowling indicted.

Prison for Woman in Child Sex Case

(Bentonville, Arkansas) In November 2006, Carolynn A. Hayes was charged with engaging in sex with a 13-year-old boy and buying alcohol and cigarettes for him and other youths.

Hayes was arraigned on charges of sexual assault and contributing to the delinquency of a minor before Benton County Senior Circuit Judge Tom Keith.

This week, 37-year-old Hayes pleaded guilty to felony sexual assault and four misdemeanor counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor in accordance with a plea agreement. Deputy Prosecutor Stephanie McLemore dropped a charge of providing tobacco to minors.

Benton County Circuit Judge David Clinger then sentenced Hayes to 12 years in prison and ordered her to complete sex offender treatment while incarcerated. After her release, Hayes must serve an eight-year suspended sentence and register as a sex offender.

Global Warming Shelters

(Germany) The media has raised the alarm about global warming to such an extent that home owners in Germany are now eagerly buying the government-approved Gartenschutzraum or backyard shelter as protection from the weather.

In a country where severe weather is rare, the recent spate of violent storms during the past two summers has unsettled Germans. Surveys show over 70 per cent of Germans are convinced the climate is changing for the worse and that the weather will get more extreme.

Starting price is around $120,000, delivery and installation included.

Curiously Juxtaposed

Listening to the public, the U.S. Senate voted down the idea of amnesty for illegal aliens, most interestingly, on the same day that the bald eagle was removed from the Endangered Species List.

Coincidence or Providence?

You make the call.

Prison for Woman Who Pimped Teen Girls

(Hapeville, Georgia) A 43-year-old local woman, Susan Carrie, was convicted this week of molestation for attempting to force two teenage girls to have sex with a man, Timothy Bridges. Authorities say Carrie plied her 15-year-old goddaughter and a 16-year-old friend with alcohol to prompt them into having sex with Bridges.

Carrie was paid $40 by Bridges. She also put a condom on him. According to the girls' testimony, when they resisted, Carrie disrobed and had sex with Bridges in front of them.

For her conviction on one count of child molestation, Fulton County Judge Christopher Brasher sentenced Carrie to 15 years in prison. She was also ordered to register as a sex offender and forbidden to have any contact with children other than her own daughter.

For his involvement, Timothy Bridges received ten years' probation and was ordered to register as a sex offender. It was claimed that Bridges may have been misled about the girls' actual ages.

Teacher Accused of Assaulting Autistic Students

(Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania) A 61-year-old special-needs teacher at Carbondale Elementary School, Jane Forgione, has been accused of assaulting three autistic boys. She faces a charge of misdemeanor assault which carries a maximum five-year prison sentence if convicted.

It's alleged that Forgione punched a student in the back which left a red mark. Two teachers' aides witnessed the incident.

Another classroom assistant told police she observed questionable behavior by Mrs. Forgione in October and November. For instance, she told police she once saw Mrs. Forgione grab a student by his cheek and twist it, leaving a red mark, and said she witnessed her twisting a student’s ear.

The assistant also said she witnessed Mrs. Forgione once bite a student on his hand hard enough to leave teeth marks.

Another classroom aide told police she saw Mrs. Forgione step on a student's feet to keep him from kicking.

Interestingly, Forgione was the winner of the 2006 Teacher of the Year award from an autism support group. She is married to the Dunmore High School principal James Forgione.

Mrs. Forgione was arraigned before Judge Sean McGraw with bail set at $15,000.

I tend to think that this case is much ado about little. We'll see.

Street Justice and the American Pistol

(Patna, India) On the banks of the Ganges, Patna is a thriving business center in eastern India. Two robbers died there on Wednesday.

From Patna Daily:

Two criminals while attempting to snatch a motorcycle from a man in Patna City on Wednesday got what they deserved when a mob, hearing the scream for help from the victim, surrounded the criminals and beat them up until both died on the spot.

As reported, the mob in Sultanganj caught hold of Jasia and Lulha, two criminals wanted by the Patna City police in several robbery cases, as they tried to escape by firing shots in the air. Using bricks, iron rods and other objects, the crowd beat both of them up resulting in their deaths.

An American pistol and three cartridges were recovered from the criminal's possession, the police said.

Note that an American pistol was involved.

Heh.

London Terror Attack Foiled

An explosive-laden green metallic Mercedes crashed into a garbage dumpster near the Tiger Tiger nightclub about 2AM (London time) and the driver ran from the car. Eyewitnesses alerted police. Police found a "massive" explosive device comprised of two propane tanks and a large number of nails. Explosives experts de-armed the device.

The device was apparently set to detonate in London's theater and nightclub district in the west end of the city. The area is customarily packed with thousands of people throughout most of the day. Nearby is Piccadilly Circus.

Times Online:

A massive manhunt for the driver of the Haymarket vehicle was under way, with police trawling through CCTV footage from last night. Congestion charge cameras situated throughout central London are also capable of tracking where the car came from, and which routes it took.

Terror groups like al-Qaeda are believed to have been planning attacks on nightclubs, which are considered by Islamic fundamentalists to be symbols of Western decadence.

The Mercedes has been impounded and authorities believe it to be a forensics gold mine. London Metro Police have scheduled a press briefing later this morning.


[Update 0715]

From Metropolitan Police Briefing:

Peter Clarke, Deputy Assistant Commissioner for Scotland Yard:

1) Incident began with notification from an ambulance crew of a parked car suspiciously emitting smoke. Ambulance crew had responded to a different emergency.

2) Police investigated and found cans of gasoline, propane gas canisters, and a large number of nuts and bolts. Police called explosives officers.

3) Explosives officers manually disarmed the device. Area cordoned off. Vehicle impounded.

4) Target not known. Peter Clarke stated that they had no counterterrorism intelligence prior to the incident.

5) Metro Police is appealing to the public for information.

Metro Police continue to investigate. Notably, a large quantity of CCTV footage is being reviewed.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Community Service for Cocaine in Classroom

(Lewiston, New York) In February 2007, 59-year-old substitute teacher for the Lewiston-Porter Central School District, Joan M. Donatelli, admitted that she snorted cocaine in front of her fourth-grade students. She was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

In April, Donatelli pleaded guilty in Lewiston Town Court to seventh-degree attempted criminal possession of a controlled substance in accordance with a plea agreement.

Yesterday, Joan M. Donatelli was sentenced by Judge Thomas J. Sheeran to 100 hours of community service. She was also ordered to surrender her driver's license and to continue drug treatment.

Heh.

Teacher, 31, Accused of Getting Doped with Student, 14

(Santa Barbara, California) A 31-year-old teacher at Goleta Valley Junior High School, Melissa Dunning, faces charges related to providing and smoking marijuana with a 14-year-old student under her tutelage. Two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and one count of furnishing a student with marijuana have been filed.

The sheriff's department launched an investigation after the boy's parents relayed their suspicions that Dunning and their son had been smoking dope together during a tutoring session. It's alleged that a second 14-year-old boy was also involved.

The investigation into the matter continues.

School Bus Driver Guilty in Drug Case

(Columbus, Ohio) A 53-year-old bus driver for Columbus city schools, Lawrence Battle, pleaded guilty yesterday to possession of cocaine. Police found a cocaine-filled syringe on Battle's bus when he was pulled over for a traffic violation last January. He was on his way to pick up children at the end of the school day.

Sentencing is scheduled for October 10th in Franklin County Common Pleas Court. Battle faces a possible year in prison and a $2,500 fine.

Is This A Scam or What?

(Toledo, Ohio) The level of complicated mischief engineered by misguided, gullible or incompetent local officials is astonishing. How about a taxpayer-backed, below-prime loan program for local art purchases by qualified needy customers? Just writing that made me wince.

An award should be created, let's call it the Scammy, for best job of screwing the public in an official capacity.

Maggie Thurber has the story. Go visit.

"Burqini" Opposed by Muslim Scholars

A recent Islamic fashion breakthrough was made with the creation of the burqini, a marriage of burqa and bikini. The garment was designed by Lebanese Australian Aheda Zanetti who wanted to provide specialized sportswear for Muslim females while embracing Islam and obeying their Islamic belief in dressing modestly.

The burqini has been described as like a full-length wetsuit with built-on hood, but somewhat looser and made of swimsuit material instead of rubber. Frankly, I think it looks more like pajamas with a shower cap. Either way, it doesn't seem as though the burqini would make athletics easy, rather just possible.

Although some Muslim females are excited about the burqini, the scholars of Islam are opposed. According to Safa Suling Tan of The Muslim Weekly, the burqini shows the shape of one's shoulders, arms, legs, and neck. It is also without extra covering for the chest so the shape of the breast can be seen and, horror of horrors, the feet are exposed for anyone to see.

In summary, the burqini compromises one's faith and displeases Allah.

[According to Tan] "I am sure most of us Muslim women would love to catch a break on the wave, go jet skiing and wake boarding, or just good old free styling, but I am more sure that most of us have given up those pleasures to seek the greatest one -- that of pleasing Allah."

Therefore, the burqini is considered immodest and contrary to the wishes of Allah. And Muslim females should not be thinking of swimming, jetskiing and other beach activities at all.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Female Inmate Demands Sex Toy

(Surrey, UK) A girl prisoner has threatened to take her case to the European Court of Human Rights if she isn't provided with a Rampant Rabbit vibrating sex toy. The unnamed inmate's demand was likely prompted by the fact that 200 drug addicts were recently awarded thousands of British pounds each for being prevented from taking heroin in jail.

The unnamed inmate said: "Drug addicts get help, smokers get cigarettes but what do we legitimate sex addicts get? Zilch." She also protested that conjugal visits are not allowed as they are in other EU countries.

A prison source said: "She has really put a cat among the pigeons with her request.

"She is arguing that it is her right to have a satisfying sex life and that she is being denied it. She will take her case to the European Court of Human Rights if she doesn't get what she wants."

Interestingly, this sex-addicted girl's demand comes the same week that the Swedish Supreme Administrative Court ruled that convicted rapists in prison have the right to possess pornography and pornographic materials.

Jeez, kinda makes me wonder what other benefits are forthcoming for prison inmates. Possibly a harbinger from this week, the psychology lobby tried to have video game playing declared an addiction. The effort failed -- this time. However, don't be surprised if, some time in the future, prisoners will have to be provided with playstations because they have been diagnosed as addicted.

Stupid me, I always thought prison was supposed to be an unpleasant experience. Apparently, I was mistaken.

"Prostitute" Leaving Law Books

(United Kingdom) Check out the latest in British political correctness. Apparently prostitutes don't like to be called prostitutes so the Justice Ministry has drafted legislation to remove the word from law books. It's said that the label "common prostitute" isn't "really helpful."

Instead, a new bill that the Justice Ministry has drafted refers simply to persons who sell sex persistently -- defined as twice or more in three months.

It seems the definition of persistent is quite low. Twice in three months. Nevertheless, those who sell sex less frequently, part-timers (?), would not be subject to arrest since it's no longer a crime.

The new Bill introduces measures to try to get sex workers out of the industry, and in effect decriminalises prostitution for those who are not considered persistent.

In summary, prostitutes will now be "persistents" (I'm guessing) and part-time prostitutes will be -- uh -- what? The girl next door? Infrequently friendly for a price?

My question is who in the government is going to track sales of sex? Or better yet, how is the boffing frequency going to be tabulated? Visual count of customers? Electronic penis meter? Someone must accurately track the sex in order to determine whether the law applies.

And lastly, it surely would be hard to dispute the contention that the prostitutes in Britain seem to be extraordinarily close to decision-makers in the Justice Ministry. If not, why would the Justice Ministry propose this ludicrous legislation?

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Teacher Jailed for Death Threats to Students

(Thurmont, Maryland) In late 2005, sixth-grade teacher at Thurmont Middle School, Michelle Dohm, was indicted for making death threats to students in notes left on lockers and in bathrooms at the school. Dohm was charged with making bomb threats and stalking students. Dohm claims she was framed.

However, according to the prosecution, Dohm wrote notes to four boys, including one message that read, "Tick-tock, tick-tock, is it a bomb or is it a clock?" Court documents also indicate that Dohm's computer was used in creating some of the messages.

In April 2007, 42-year-old Dohm was found guilty on five counts of making false bomb threats to five different students by presiding Frederick County Circuit Court Judge, Julie Stevenson Solt.

Yesterday, Dohm was sentenced to three months in the Frederick County Jail, six months of work release and nine months of house arrest.

The Frederick County School Board has yet to make a decision regarding her employment as a teacher. Dohm has been on unpaid leave since her arrest in December 2005.

Notably, despite being found guilty, Dohm continues to deny writing the death threats. And no motive has been identified.

Voinovich's Platform for Defeat

Senator George Voinovich is laying the groundwork for his defeat in the next election. In a most egregious way, he has disrespected his constituency. He obviously thinks we are all too stupid to understand the issues and his time is too important to explain anything to the voters. Voinovich also believes that Ohioans have been listening to too much radio.

It's one thing to lack conservative values. It's an entirely different mindset to lack common decency, manners and respect for others. Arrogance and elitism are typically the bailiwick of the liberals.

Check the link.

Also, don't miss Nasty, Brutish & Short for a liveblogged account of Senator Voinovich being interviewed on the Sean Hannity radio program. In a nutshell, metaphorically, imagine the captain of the Titanic saying, "There are no icebergs and quit listening to the radio." That was Voinovich.

Lap Dances While Golfing

(Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania) I don't think the PGA sanctions lap dance stations, threebies and nekkid women on the golf course. However, they probably don't prohibit them either. See here and count the number of ball washers in the photo.

Teacher Marcy Mote Guilty of Indecency with Girl

(Coffeyville, Kansas) Last March, a 37-year-old teacher at Tyro Community Christian School, Marsha (Marcy) J. Mote, was arrested for allegedly engaging in sex with one of her students, a 14-year-old girl. Mote was charged with aggravated indecent liberties with a child. She was booked and released on $20,000 bond.

On June 20th, Mote was arrested for violation of her bond conditions that required her to remain away from minors. She had been reported by a private citizen to be in the presence of minors at the Coffeyville Aquatic Center. She was freed (again?) on $20,000 bond.

Yesterday in Montgomery County District Court, Mote pleaded no contest before Judge Roger Gossard to the charge of aggravated indecent liberties with a child. Sentencing before District Judge Russell D. Canaday is scheduled for September 13th.

Guidelines for sentencing specify 50 months to more than 25 years in prison.

Teacher, 54, Accused of Sex with Boy, 14

(Leroy, Alabama) A 54-year-old teacher at Leroy High School, Charlene Schmitz, was arrested last Friday for allegedly engaging in sex with a 14-year-old boy. Schmitz has been charged with second-degree rape and second-degree sodomy.

According to Washington County Sheriff Richard Stringer, the boy's mother alerted authorities after finding numerous sexually explicit emails allegedly sent by Schmitz to her son.

"We questioned witnesses, and the boy confessed to what was going on," Stringer said. "He said it had been happening since April, mostly at her residence."

Stringer said the boy's mother found the e-mails on her son's computer, printed them out and brought them to the sheriff's office.

"There were graphic exchanges about oral sex," Stringer said. "Things you wouldn't expect a teacher to be sending a child, a student."

Stringer said officers confiscated computers and cell phones at the boy's home and at Schmitz's house in an effort to confirm the e-mails printed by the mother. Investigators were still analyzing the contents of Schmitz's computer Tuesday, Stringer said. The sheriff did not say whether his officers had found e-mails to the student on that computer.

Schmitz, a married mother of children older than her alleged victim, was booked and released on Monday on $40,000 bond. A hearing on the case is scheduled for July 24th.

Tip: Travis

Companion post at Conservative Thinking.


[Update 11/28/07]

Schmitz arrested by FBI on federal charges.

Babysitter Gets Jail for Sex Abuse of Girl

(Havana, Illinois) A 26-year-old babysitter, Christina Buffington, pleaded guilty to felony aggravated sexual battery and sexual exploitation of a child for engaging in sexual contact with a 13-year-old girl. In accordance with a plea agreement, prosecutors dropped aggravated criminal sexual abuse and criminal sexual assault charges.

Between March and April, Buffington and Stanley C. Sisk Jr., 36, of 301 W. Race St. in San Jose, were baby-sitting the teen in Mason City. Sisk was charged May 17 for indecent solicitation of a child, aggravated criminal sexual abuse, two counts of criminal sexual assault and sexual exploitation of a child.

Sisk is also accused of having sex with the girl he was baby-sitting, as well as having sex with Buffington while the child was present.

Mason County Court Judge Thomas Brownnfield sentenced Buffington to 180 days in jail and three years' probation. She was also ordered to register as a sex offender. Buffington was given 43 days credit for time already served. Judge Brownfield said he gave her a "favorable disposition" since she has a clean criminal record.

For his part in the alleged crimes and actually having sex with the 13-year-old girl, Stanley Sisk faces more serious charges. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for September 28th. Sisk is currently in custody in the Mason County Jail with bond set at $50,000.

It's not clear how the parents could have allowed a 36-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman to babysit a 13-year-old girl. It's also not clear why a 13-year-old requires a babysitter. There is something screwy about this entire situation.


[Update 09/21/07]

Buffington violates her parole.

Christina Buffington, 26, agreed to a negotiated plea in June and pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child. She was given 180 days in jail and 36 months probation but was released from the Mason County Jail and had her sentenced stayed until the end of her supervised release.

One of the terms of Buffington's parole was that she obtain prior approval from her parole officer before using the Internet. In early August, Buffington's parole officer, who monitors her computer use, noted she had violated her parole agreement by logging into her MySpace account twice in July without approval.

Mason County State's Attorney Kristen Miller said Buffington admitted to violating her parole and was remanded into custody of the Mason County Jail, where she will serve the remainder of her original jail sentence.

Therefore, it appears she will do the entire 180 days. Pretty dumb, eh? Even so, she was treated quite leniently by the court.

LA Juvenile Hall Employee Accused of Sex with Minor

(Los Angeles, California) A 34-year-old Central Juvenile Hall custodian, Kimberly Hald (see below), was arrested last Friday for allegedly sexually abusing a 17-year-old boy in custody. According to LAPD Officer Marjan Mobasser, Hald is being investigated for oral copulation of a minor.

Thus far, Hald has not been charged, however, she is being held on $200,000 bail. A court appearance is scheduled for later today.

Hald has been suspended without pay.


[Update 06/30/07]

The spelling of of the juvenile hall custodian is Hald not Holt. The LAPD got it wrong according to a followup report. Also:

In a brief telephone interview with The Associated Press, Kimberly Hald, 34, denied performing oral sex on the teenage boy at Central Juvenile Hall, as authorities have alleged. She also claimed prosecutors had determined Tuesday to drop their investigation.

"I'm going back to work," the San Pedro resident said Wednesday morning, about 12 hours after being released from a lockup.

Not true, said David Davies, chief deputy for the Los Angeles County Probation Department. Davies said Hald has remained suspended without pay since her Friday arrest.

Hald was released after posting $200,000 bail Tuesday night. Her case is still being investigated.

Tip: Don Morgenstern


[Update 7/8/08]

Hald arrested again.

Virginia Teacher Gets Prison for Sex Crimes

(Wytheville, Virginia) In January 2006, an English teacher at Scott Memorial Middle School, Karen Susan Patton, was arrested for engaging in a sexual relationship with a 13-year-old student.

In October 2006, 42-year-old Patton, a married mother of two, was indicted by a Wythe County grand jury on four counts of unlawful carnal knowledge and one count of non-forcible sodomy.

In March 2007, Patton pleaded no contest to two counts of carnal knowledge and one count of non-forcible sodomy in accordance with a plea agreement. In exchange, Commonwealth Attorney Gerald Mabe dropped two carnal knowledge charges and two contributing charges.

Today, Patton appeared in court for sentencing. For convictions on three felony counts related to molesting two 13-year-old boys, Patton received three years and 11 months in prison. She has already been added to the Virginia sex offender registry.

Patton could have received as much as 25 years so, arguably, she was treated leniently.

Paying for Sex Changes

(Boston, Massachusetts) Here's a bothersome case in federal District Court. The question being adjudicated is:

"Should a murderer serving life in prison get a sex-change operation at taxpayer expense?"

Lambda Legal, a gay and transgender rights group, wants the Massachusetts Corrections Department (read: taxpayers) to pay. The trial has been going on for more than a year.

They should have asked me. I know the correct answer.

Porn for Rapists in Prison

(Stockholm, Sweden) The Swedish Supreme Administrative Court has ruled that convicted rapists are entitled to pornography and pornographic material in their cells.

In March 2006, a district administrative court made the initial decision based on freedom of information being more important than the disruptive threat posed by pornography. The Prison and Probation Service appealed to the Supreme Administrative Court which upheld the lower court ruling.

How nice of the Swedes. Just think, when the convicted rapists are returned to society, they'll be primed to repeat their offenses.

Women Allegedly Have Sex in Bathroom

(Casselberry, Florida) Two Seminole County women, Emily Hernandez and Johannie Jimenez, were arrested after allegedly leaving their children unattended at a community pool and going into the bathroom to engage in sex for almost two hours.

 
Emily Hernandez & Johannie Jimenez
Hernandez said there was no sex, rather she was merely showing off her new breast implants. Authorities say another woman besides Hernandez and Jimenez was present taking pictures. Both Hernandez and Jimenez were allegedly drunk and belligerent prior to being arrested.

If the two women were not having sex and Hernandez was merely showing off her implants as claimed, it's not clear why it took two hours. Presumably, most implanted breasts could be shown in minutes, not hours.

Judge Blames Girl, 10, For Being Raped

(Oxford, England) So far, this is the worst case of "blame the victim" I've seen.

A 25-year-old window cleaner, Keith Fenn, will be released after four months in jail for twice raping a 10-year-old girl.

Judge Julian Hall sentenced Fenn the rapist to two years but only four months remain after being given credit for time served.

Judge Julian Hall decided to be lenient because the girl "didn't look 10."

He caused fury earlier this year by freeing another paedophile, telling him to buy his six-year-old victim a new bicycle.

The judge referred to the 10-year-old as a "young woman," and called her "very disturbed, very needy and sexually precocious."

He told Oxford Crown Court: "She liked to dress provocatively."

Fenn's accomplice, 34-year-old Darren Wright, was able to walk free since he was only sentenced to nine months.

Judge Julian Hall shouldn't be allowed to continue.

Six-Year-Old Suicide Bomber

(Afghanistan) Although this story is outrageous and hard to believe, it's not out of the realm of reason. Undoubtedly, the Taliban is evil.

The story of a 6-year-old Afghan boy who says he thwarted an effort by Taliban militants to trick him into being a suicide bomber provoked tears and anger at a meeting of tribal leaders.

The account from Juma Gul, a dirt-caked child who collects scrap metal for money, left American soldiers dumb-founded that a youngster could be sent on such a mission. Afghan troops crowded around the boy to call him a hero.

Though the Taliban dismissed the story as propaganda, at a time when US and NATO forces are under increasing criticism over civilian casualties, both Afghan tribal elders and US military officers said they were convinced by his dramatic account.

Juma said that sometime last month Taliban fighters forced him to wear a vest they said would spray out flowers when he touched a button. He said they told him that when he saw American soldiers, "throw your body at them."

Unable to use the lure of 72 virgins with a 6-year-old, the Taliban used a different deception. However, being somewhat street-smart, the boy instead went to some Afghan soldiers and asked for help.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Woman Accused of Raping Friend's Son

(Muskogee, Oklahoma) A 26-year-old local woman, Jennifer Brumfield, is facing charges for allegedly raping a 15-year-old boy between May and November 2006. At the request of the boy's mother, Brumfield was caring for the boy during recovery from an injury.

The victim, now 16, testified against Brumfield yesterday. According to defense attorney, Chad Richardson, the boy was reluctant to say anything about Brumfield until he was smacked around a little by his mother.

Nikki Baker Dotson, the assistant district attorney prosecuting the second-degree rape case, discounted Richardson's description of the reaction attributed to the teen’s mother.

"I can imagine how a mother would react after learning her best friend was doing this with her son," Dotson said. "She (the teen's mother) had given this woman a place to stay, and then this happens."

Brumfield has been charged with one count of second-degree rape and one count of using technology (text messages) to facilitate sexual conduct with a minor. She is free on $5,000 bond. A followup court appearance is scheduled for August 9th.

"Pay Union Dues or Change Religions" Unconstitutional

When teacher Carol Katter learned that her Ohio Education Association union dues went to promote abortions, she objected. The OEA told her to pay the dues or change religions. A federal judge ruled otherwise.

(CNSNews.com) - A legal challenge mounted by a teacher in southern Ohio, who said a union official told her to pay dues or change religions, has prompted a federal district court to strike down a state law that allowed only those public employees who belonged to certain denominations the right to claim a religious objection to paying union dues.

"It's wonderful, just wonderful," Carol Katter, a mathematics and language arts instructor in the St. Marys district, told Cybercast News Service on Friday after U.S. District Court Judge Gregory Frost struck down Ohio Revised Code section 4117.09(C) as a violation of her First Amendment rights.

In addition, Frost permanently enjoined the State Employment Relations Board from further enforcing that law, which stated that any public employee who was a member of a "bona fide religion or religious body which has historically held conscientious objections to joining or financially supporting an employee organization ... shall not be required to join or financially support any employee organization."

Kudos to Judge Frost.

Switchable Shoes for Driving

From the UK comes the idea of shoes that transform their shape at the push of a button, going from heeled to flat in an instant.

They were created to solve the problem that women have of sometimes wearing the wrong type of shoe when driving. There's general agreement that stilettos aren't well suited for driving and it's illegal in some places to drive barefoot.

Being from the laces school of footwear, I haven't the foggiest idea where the pushbutton is.

Dog Ate Your Homework? OK, Eat This!

(Lung Village, Nepal) A 3rd/4th-grade teacher named Sushila at the Janajyoti School in Lung village in Pyuthan district forced 82 students to eat cow dung because they didn't turn in their homework.

Angry parents protested, forcing closure of the school. Parents also want action taken against Sushila since she didn't force her own son to eat dung even though he was in the group of homework scofflaws.

Readers can write their own joke on this story.

Sex Offender Teacher Violates Probation

(Sioux City, Iowa) Last month, 39-year-old married mother of three and former teacher at Boyden-Hull Community School, Kelli Cuperus (aka Kelly DeBoer), was sentenced to probation for repeatedly engaging in sex with a 15-year-old male student. Most observers would likely say she was treated leniently by the court. I'd say she was given a gift.

Nevertheless, it seems that probation was too hard and Cuperus (DeBoer) was arrested this past week for felony probation violation.

Cuperus' probation officer, Kimberly Waagmeester, said in the court documents that it's apparent that Cuperus isn't "taking her probation seriously and feels she can do as she chooses."

Honestly, can anyone blame her? If the court can shuffle her off with a hand-slap for a child sex crime, why should she believe that the court would care what she does on probation?

Cuperus faces a court date in the near future when she could be sentenced to prison time.


[Update 09/21/07]

Cuperus/DeBoer sentenced to four months at a residential treatment facility for probation violation.

Woman Accused of Rape of Boy

(Lincoln County, Oregon) A 22-year-old woman from Berkeley, CA, Melissa Danielle Cullen, was arrested after police found her engaging in sex with a 14-year-old boy in her car on the side of the road. Cullen allegedly took the boy without his parents' permission and drove to Oregon.

Cullen has been charged with sex abuse, rape, contributing to the sexual delinquency of a child and custodial interference. It would seem that Cullen could also be charged with a federal offense since she ostensibly took the boy across state lines to be naughty.

Cullen was booked into the Lincoln County Jail with bail set at $90,000.

Tip: Don Morgenstern


[Update 07/27/07]

Cullen arrested again for rape.

Chemical Ali Sentenced to Death

(Baghdad) Remember Saddam Hussein's cousin, Ali Hassan al-Majid (aka Chemical Ali)? He's the monster who used poison gas against innocent Kurds during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War.

Well, Chemical Ali has been sentenced to death by hanging.

Good.

New Parkinson's Treatment

According to the results of a study announced this week, there is new development in the treatment of Parkinson's using gene therapy. Dr. Michael Kaplitt of the New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center and Matthew During, a senior research associate at Weill Cornell, authored the study published this week in The Lancet.

Neuroscientists have identified the cause of Parkinson's as a loss of nerve cells in the midbrain, producing erratic movement control such as tremors, stiffness, speech loss and difficulty with motor function. Typically, the most effective treatment "involves implanting a brain 'pacemaker' to electrically stimulate" affected parts of the brain.

"There are wires and a huge battery pack in the chest. It's a bit Frankensteinian, and patients hate it," During said. "There's about a 30 to 40 percent adverse event rate. Although it works, it comes at a significant cost."

On the other hand, gene therapy requires no wires or batteries stuck in the body and possibly causing infection. Instead, doses of a gene, glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), are injected into the brain and, through a viral process, transferred to the targeted cells. In the study, researchers found that motor skills improved from 25 to 65 percent with no incidents of infection, immune response or toxicity. A larger study is being planned.

Interestingly, washingtonpost.com reports that there are 1.5 million Americans suffering from Parkinson's while sciam.com reports only 500,000 Americans are afflicted. That's quite a difference. Gee, I wonder why. Since Parkinson's disease is at the forefront of the political debate surrounding the use of tax dollars for embryonic stem cell research, you'd think there would be more agreement on the actual number of people with the disease.

Hate Crime Without Hate

Here's a case where three thieves were charged with a hate crime because they selected a gay man as their robbery victim. They didn't hate the gay guy. They just figured that a gay man likely wouldn't put up much of a fight when being robbed. As it is, they gave him a terrible beating which ultimately led to his death.

Three robbers, John Fox, 20, Ilya Shurov, 21, and Anthony Fortunato, 21, were charged with murder under the New York State Hate Crimes Act of 2000, which provides longer prison sentences for crimes motivated "in whole or in substantial part because of a belief or perception regarding the race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, religion, religious practice, age, disability or sexual orientation of a person."

Like I mentioned, the robbers didn't hate the guy. Nevertheless, it appears that when a person commits a criminal act based upon virtually any preconceived notion about another person, it could be deemed a hate crime. Stealing Social Security checks from the elderly -- hate crime. Raping a woman -- hate crime. Taking candy from a baby -- hate crime. Stealing from a church collection box -- hate crime.

What really jerks my chain, however, is that punishment for killing me is less than punishment for killing a protected subgroup in society. Damn, when did my life become less valuable?

Sloped-Roof Sex Tragedy

(Columbia, South Carolina) A young couple, Brent Tyler and Chelsea Tumbleston, both 21, were found on the street by a cab driver early Wednesday morning, naked and barely alive.

They were taken to Palmetto Health Richland Hospital and pronounced dead from multiple trauma. Authorities believe that the couple may have been engaging in sex on the sloped metal roof of the Palmetto Armory Building when they slid off and fell 50 to 60 feet to the pavement.

The families and friends of Tyler and Tumbleston are stunned and saddened by their deaths.

 
Brent Tyler & Chelsea Tumbleston
Fortuitously, police received an eyewitness account from a homeless couple occupying the adjacent garage the night of the incident.

Naomi Mosley and her husband occasionally sleep at the parking garage where the couple gained access to the roof. She says she saw at least some of what led up to the deaths.

"I was getting up, packing up my stuff to get it out of the place," she says, when she noticed a young, nude couple arrive in a car, and climb onto the roof.

"When they came in, they was laughling, laughing and happy," says Mosley. "Her arm was up in the air, and he was pulling her up. He said 'baby I got you.' "

"If I could have gave them a warning, and tell them that's dangerous, go some other place," she says in retrospect.

Instead, Naomi says she and her husband decided to just mind their own business. They packed up their belongings and exited the parking garage around 5:30 a.m. [sic all]

Police found what they believe to be the couple's clothing but no evidence of drugs nor alcohol. Autopsies confirmed that the couple died from injuries sustained in the fall.

Tip: WW

Tahoe Teacher Accused of Sex with Boy

(Truckee, California) A 28-year-old history teacher at Squaw Valley Academy, Christine Johnson, was arrested last month for allegedly engaging in sex with a male student and providing alcohol to minors.

Johnson is scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday on charges of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Apparently the authorities were alerted when rumors spread throughout the school about Johnson's inappropriate relationship with one particular student.


[Update 06/27/07]

Christine Cameron Johnson pleaded not guilty yesterday in Placer County Superior Court. A settlement conference date has been scheduled for July 23th.

Student Gets Prison for Attack on Teacher

(Austin, Texas) An 18-year-old student at Reagan High School, Nathan Manuel Mendoza, was sentenced today to 12 years in prison for attacking a teacher with a pair of scissors and groping her in October 2006.

In accordance with a plea agreement, Mendoza pleaded guilty to attempted aggravated sexual assault with a deadly weapon. In exchange, the prosecution dropped charges of aggravated kidnapping and aggravated assault.

Also part of the sentence is the requirement for Mendoza to register as a sex offender which is interesting since he was already a registered sex offender. Mendoza was classified as a sex offender for being indecent with a 4-year-old girl in 2002. For some reason, the teacher who was attacked by Mendoza was unaware of the risk he posed.

The October incident highlighted confusion over who was supposed to notify schools when sex offenders enroll. Before the incident, Austin police gave the school district monthly lists of juvenile sex offenders registered in Austin; afterward, police changed their policy to alert school officials about juvenile registered sex offenders immediately.

Mendoza's attorney, Berkley Bettis, said both the teacher and Mendoza are victims. Bettis blames the Texas Youth Commission for releasing Mendoza to the public school system. I think Bettis is comparing apples and oranges. Equating a violent attack on the teacher to an administrative problem is ludicrous.

Nevertheless, the root problem in this case is inadequate tracking and notification of the presence of known sex offenders and the deficiencies are not unique to Austin nor Texas. Jurisdictions throughout the nation are having difficulties in monitoring sex offenders.

Ominously, Mendoza will be eligible for parole in six years. Therefore, it's possible that he'll be back on the street at the age of 24, likely just as dangerous.

Christian Purity Rings Banned by School

(West Sussex, England) The Millais School has banned a 16-year-old girl, Lydia Playfoot, from wearing a "purity ring" to symbolize her decision to remain chaste before marriage. The ring is a simple band of silver given to youngsters who complete an evangelical church course preaching abstinence. It is inscribed with a Bible verse.

Leon Nettley, a self-appointed authority on religious symbols and headmaster of Millais, ruled that the ring is mere jewelry, which is prohibited. Playfoot says the ring is an expression of her faith in Christianity and the Bible.

"It is really important to me because in the Bible it says we should do this," she told BBC radio. "Muslims are allowed to wear headscarves and other faiths can wear bangles and other types of jewellery. It feels like Christians are being discriminated against."

Playfoot plans to take her case to the High Court, seeking to overturn the ban.

Heh. Christians being discriminated against. Imagine that.


[Update 06/27/07]

Lydia Playfoot presented her case to the High Court, claiming that her human rights have been violated.

If she is successful, she could set a legal precedent over which items can be classed as a cultural expression of religion.

It echoes a row last year in which a British Airways worker, Nadia Eweida, was banned from wearing a cross at work. BA eventually lifted the ban.

In a written statement before the court in Central London, Miss Playfoot stated that the school's ban had sent a signal to pupils that Christianity was a lesser religion than others.

Paul Diamond, appearing for Miss Playfoot, accused the school authorities of relying on "folk lore" to make their decision. Mr Diamond, who also represented Ms Eweida in the British Airways case, said: "Secular authorities cannot rule on religious truth . . . secular authorities and institutions cannot be arbiters of religious faith."

The school rejected Miss Playfoot's claims, arguing that the ring was not an integral part of the Christian faith and contravened its uniform policy. The only jewellery pupils at the school were allowed to wear were stud earrings, it claimed.

The High Court has taken the case for review and will issue a judgment at a future date.


[Update 07/16/07]

High Court rules against Playfoot.

Aussies Ban Booze, Porn From Aborigines

(Canberra, Australia) The Australian government is banning whiskey and dirty movies from the Aborigines because of high rates of child sex abuse. A government report found that the intergenerational cycle of child sex abuse was an "epidemic" in Aboriginal families.

Australia's prime minister announced plans Thursday to ban pornography and alcohol for Aborigines in northern areas and tighten control over their welfare benefits to fight child sex abuse among them.

It's not exactly clear what impact the "control over welfare benefits" has on child sex abuse. Nonetheless, Aboriginal leaders are outraged by the prohibition.

"I'm absolutely disgusted by this patronizing government control," said Mitch, a member of a government board helping Aborigines who were taken from their parents under past assimilation laws who uses one name. "And tying drinking with welfare payments is just disgusting."

"If they're going to do that, they're going to have to do that with every single person in Australia, not just black people," she said.

Howard said the sale, possession and transportation of alcohol would be banned for six months on the Aboriginal-owned land, after which the policy would be reviewed. The child abuse report found drinking was a key factor in the collapse of Aboriginal culture, contributing to neglect of children and creating opportunities for pedophiles.

Logically, it is prudent to keep the kids away when men get all liquored up along with being excited by steamy sex flicks, but I'm not so sure that banning booze and porn will do anything other than create a black market for the stuff at elevated prices.

If the ban is challenged in court, it should be interesting to hear the government's justification for unequal treatment under the law.

Tip: slwlion

Mexican Murder Plotter in Canada

(Montreal, Canada) An 18-year-old Mexican, Edwin Scarlotte Mata Lima, was arrested this week for allegedly plotting to abduct and murder a Montreal couple who had won a $27 million lottery jackpot. The couple, Zenovij Pacholuk and Dolores Coffey, won the second-largest lottery windfall in Quebec history.

According to Montreal police, Lima was planning a home invasion in Pacholuk and Coffey's house in the working-class LaSalle neighbourhood, after which the plan was to force Pacholuk to go to the bank to withdraw large sums of money -- possibly as much as $10 million.

Investigators allege he was intending to then kill the couple.

Sources say that Lima chatted up his plan to friends and acquaintances and made overtures to buy a gun. One associate alerted the authorities. Before Lima could obtain a firearm, police intervened.

It's not known whether Lima was in Canada on a valid visa or illegal, but it is known that he displayed immature criminal aptitude. Accomplished extortionists and murderers don't tell everybody what their plans are.

Interestingly, this case has raised questions about the privacy of lottery winners since "Loto-Quebec reserves the right to publish, for advertising purposes, the names, addresses and photos of winners." I'd say that policy effectively paints a bulls-eye on every winner.

Tip: slwlion

Intruder Shot Dead by Homeowner

(Orlando, Florida) Three men blasted their way into a house about 11 PM Wednesday in an attempted home invasion robbery. Two of the intruders left, reportedly one with a stab wound inflicted by an occupant of the residence. One intruder remained, having been immobilized by a fatal gunshot to the chest.

Heh.

From another source:

Deputies said one of the victims hid in a closet with an AK-47. He told detectives he heard two gunshots that were fired into the ceiling. When one of the home invaders tried to open the closet door, the frightened victim fired the high-powered rifle three times and killed the intruder.

The names of the shooter and his 21-year-old target were not disclosed.

AK-47. Double heh.

Drunk Illegal Caused Fatal Crash

(Nashville, Tennessee) A 22-year-old Tennessee State University student, Joycelyn Gardiner, was killed last Saturday when her car was broadsided by a Ford Expedition driven by an allegedly drunken and belligerent illegal alien Mexican, Victor Javier Benitez, 24.

Gardiner was set to graduate from TSU in August with a degree in criminal justice. Tragically, she was pronounced dead at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

According to investigators, Benitez ran a red light and made no effort to brake prior to plowing into Gardiner's car. Benitez suffered a head laceration and a broken rib. He faces a charge of vehicular homicide.

For the record, Benitez was nabbed in February 2006 on three counts of auto burglary and sentenced to one year of probation. In November 2006, Benitez spent a week in jail for public intoxication, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct.

People are questioning why Benitez wasn't deported. I'm one of them but, frankly, I don't think it would have made a difference. Deporting illegals is a waste of time because they quickly return through the imaginary southern border. As an example, I recently heard about one guy that Sheriff Arpaio in Arizona arrested who had been deported five times. A lot of good it did.

Carbon Dioxide Removal Scheme

According to the New York Sun, a company called Planktos Inc. plans to dump hundreds of tons of iron filings into the Pacific Ocean, near the Galapagos Islands, to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The iron filings are supposed to produce a plankton bloom to absorb thousands of tons of CO2. Planktos Inc. hopes to sell carbon credits to "individuals who want to offset their personal greenhouse gas emissions."

Apparently, the way this scheme is supposed to work is with environmentally-indoctrinated useful idiots, needing to fortify their arrogance, paying money to Planktos Inc. so the company can set sail and toss a bagful of iron filings into the ocean. Presumably afterward, elevated snootiness will be acquired by official holders of one-bag, two-bag, three-bag, and so on "carbon credit certificates."

Unfortunately, serious questions have surfaced regarding the scheme. One is that it's illegal to dump without a permit under the London Dumping Convention and U.S. law. However, the company says it plans to use non-U.S. flagged vessels so no American permits nor environmental impact assessments will be necessary. Why comply when you can deny?

Furthermore, one Canadian environmental group stated:

"The overwhelming scientific conclusion based upon numerous governmental and intergovernmental experiments is that iron seeding is risky and may only temporarily sequester carbon dioxide."

Planktos, however, is alleged to have conducted its own experiments. It's said that in 2002 Planktos borrowed a yacht owned by singer Neil Young, sailed toward the Southern Cross and conducted its own experiments.

Despite all the voodoo ecology, I'm curious about the source of the iron filings. Where does one get hundreds of tons of iron filings? Furthermore, doesn't iron first have to be made out of iron ore which requires massive amounts of heat in blast furnaces fueled by coke which puts massive amounts of CO2 in the atmosphere?

It seems to me that tons of CO2 would be created in the production of tons of iron filings which would be thrown into the ocean to remove tons of CO2. At the end of the cycle, you're back where you started.

And when you consider the energy, and resultant CO2 emissions, required to transport the tons of iron ore and iron filings on trains, trucks and ships, the whole process seems that it might create more CO2 than is absorbed by the plankton bloom.

I'm also flummoxed on how one would measure the quantity of CO2 removal by iron filing plankton blooms. It would seem to be a necessary number to calculate carbon credits per bag of iron filings, or vice versa.

Of course, I probably need an expert in global warming to explain the errors in my thinking.

Intruder Shot and Killed

(Hayward, California) A man being chased by police broke into a home about 4:30 PM yesterday and was shot dead.

From SFGate:

The man, accompanied by a woman, had refused to stop near West Tennyson Road near Patrick Avenue and got onto northbound Interstate 880, driving erratically, police said.

Hayward police decided not to chase the car. Within minutes, however, the couple knocked on the door of the home owned by the parents of a San Leandro police officer, authorities said.

The officer, who was not on duty at the time, opened the door as he held his baby in his arms. The man at the door forced his way inside, police said.

The officer got into a fight with the suspect. During the altercation, the officer shot the man several times. The man was pronounced dead at Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley.

The baby was not hurt.

The woman fled but was later caught hiding several blocks away. Their car was found on Happy Land Avenue, a block away from where the home where the shooting occurred.

From Happy Land to the Last Roundup should be the flight of every intruder. Heh.

Nasty Woman Gets Prison for Child Sex Abuse

(Evergreen, Alabama) A 42-year-old woman, Glenna Faye Wiley, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to two counts of child sexual abuse and was sentenced to two concurrent 10-year terms in prison.

Wiley (aka Glenna Faye Marshall, Glenna Faye Cavender) was convicted of abusing her own children, a 17-year-old boy and a young girl.

There was no plea bargain in the case and, according to Conecuh County District Attorney Tommy Chapman, she will have to serve at least three years before she is eligible for parole.

Facing trial in November on the same charges is Glenna's husband, 59-year-old Jack Wiley. Husband Jack, however, is not biologically related to the children.

News observers may recall the case of the Wileys who were apprehended after an intuitive and persistent Georgia woman, Tracie Lee Dean, encountered the little Wiley girl at a convenient store and became suspicious.

Dean saw a young girl who seemed to be unattended. When Dean tried to talk to her, an older man intervened, and, Dean said, she felt threatened by him. The girl tried to go with her, Dean said. As she stood holding the door, the man grabbed the door, too, telling Dean she could leave.

Once outside, Dean called 911 and told the operator about the upsetting encounter. She even took down a license plate number from the man's car.

Soon, though, officials told her that the man was the child's grandfather, and all was OK. Dean refused to accept that and for days worked online and on the telephone checking for missing children.

Feeling sure that the girl was in danger, Dean drove 300 miles back to the store, persuaded a store employee to let her see security tapes and met a sheriff's deputy, who followed up on her story.

On Jan. 20, 2006, officers arrested Jack Wiley, then 58, and his wife, Glenna Faye Wiley, then 40. The two had been scamming churches and relief agencies for years by following natural disasters across the Southeast and pocketing handouts, officials said.

The children are reported to be doing well in foster homes.

Tip: Don Morgenstern

Teacher, 40, Weds Student, 16

(Brunswick, North Carolina) On Monday of this week, Mr. and Mrs. Hager reluctantly gave permission for their 16-year-old daughter, Windy, to get married.

Later in the day, 40-year-old science teacher and track coach at South Brunswick High School, Brenton Scott Wuchae, married student and track team member, Windy Hager.

On Tuesday, the Brunswick County School Board approved the resignation of Brenton Wuchae, one week after it had been submitted. Following a closed-door meeting, Superintendent Katie McGee said, "I am shocked and disheartened by what transpired."


[Update]

Thanks to a commenter, there's additional information from another source. In a report from November 2006 after a state cross-country meet, Windy Hager relates that her motivation comes largely from Coach Wuchae.

"He's very encouraging. He's always telling us how proud he is," the South Brunswick sophomore said.

"I'm proud of where I finished but he seems to be even more proud of me. He's always been encouraging."

[ ... ]

Hager said her experience at the state meet has given her specific goals for next season, goals she feels are within her grasp.

"You always think about next year; you want to make it better," she said. "That's what gives me the drive."

Based upon Hager's comments, it doesn't appear that being a June bride was on her mind eight months ago.

Teacher Guilty of Sex with Boy, 14

(Phoenix, Arizona) A 27-year-old teacher's aide at Andalucía Middle School, Alma Hernandez, has pleaded guilty in Maricopa County Superior Court to attempted sexual conduct with a 14-year-old boy.

In accordance with a plea agreement with the county attorney's office, Hernandez will receive a minimum of 10 years in prison.

According to Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas, Hernandez found the 14-year-old boy at a playground, took him to her car and had sex with him. The boy's parents learned of the incident and alerted the police.

"This a troubling sign of the times with the recent spate of teachers, teachers aides and others school employees preying on children," Thomas said at a news conference.

To counter the trend of child sex offenders being sentenced to a mere year in jail and probation, Thomas said he instituted minimum 10-year terms. Last week, teacher Jeri Deanne Perez received a 10-year sentence for child sex offenses in the same jurisdiction.

Hernandez is scheduled to be sentenced on July 25th.

Tip: Don Morgenstern

Idaho Woman Arrested for Sex with Boy

(Caldwell, Idaho) A 32-year-old local woman, Roseanna Villanueva (aka Roseanna Maggard), was arrested last Thursday for allegedly engaging in sex with a 14-year-old boy who fathered her child.

Villanueva faces a charge of lewd and lascivious conduct with a minor under 16.

Court records indicated that police began an investigation in June 2005 after receiving a report that Villanueva had sexual intercourse with a then-14-year-old male. The teen had moved in with Villanueva and her husband in the spring of 2005 while Villanueva was acting as his temporary guardian. The case was reopened in October 2006, when a picture of Villanueva, the teenager and a baby appeared on a Web site Villanueva maintained, claiming the teen as the baby's father.

The teen told officers in an interview that he and Villanueva had intercourse almost daily for a two-week period after he moved in with her.

"(The teen) said after the first incident they had sex almost every day until their relationship became known by the church and Villanueva's husband," according to court documents. A paternity test showed that the teen was 99.99 percent likely to be the baby's father.

If convicted of the charges against her, Villanueva could be sentenced to life in prison. Currently, she is free on $25,000 bond.

Mom Pimps Daughter to Boyfriend

(Muskegon Heights, Michigan) In August 2006, a 41-year-old woman was booked on charges of criminal sexual conduct for arranging for her 15-year-old daughter to have sex with her 37-year-old boyfriend, Michael J. Fitzgibbon, while the woman recuperated from surgery in the hospital. For his part, Fitzgibbon was also charged with criminal sexual conduct. The woman apparently arranged the deal to prevent losing her boyfriend while she recovered from an operation.

A written agreement was prepared and the woman, her daughter and the boyfriend all signed it. The agreement specified sexual services to be performed by the daughter along with her pay and other remuneration, including body piercings and clothing. About 20 episodes of sex occurred pursuant to the agreement.

On Monday of this week, the woman was sentenced to 12 to 22.5 years in prison after pleading no contest to three counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct. Fitzgibbon was sentenced to several decades in prison for his part in this case and other cases of criminal sex involving a 12-year-old girl.

The woman's name isn't be made public to protect her teen daughter.

Baby Dies After Being Tied & Taped by Mom

(Lake Stevens, Washington) A 20-year-old local woman, Bonnie Desmond, awoke on Monday about 11 AM to find her four-month-old son, Noah James Petersen, dead in his crib. She called 911 after calling her fiance, the infant's father. Rescuers arrived and found that the baby had been dead for several hours.

The baby's father said he had not checked on his son before leaving for work Monday morning because he was running late.

He told police that at times the couple would "swaddle" the baby in a swaddling blanket -- which he referred to as a "baby straitjacket" -- to calm the infant. He said the mother told him she couldn't find the blanket Sunday night so she had tied the baby's arms close to his body with his pajamas, according to the report.

Desmond also said that she taped a pacifier to the baby's face to keep it in his mouth. Unfortunately, it appears that tying up the baby boy and taping a pacifier in his mouth might have been too much stress for a four-month-old. The final determination of the cause of death awaits the ruling of the Medical Examiner's Office.

Nonetheless, Bonnie Desmond was arrested and booked Monday night to face a charge of first-degree manslaughter. She is in custody at the Snohomish County Jail with bail set at $500,000.