Women With Troubles - August 2007

Here is the compilation of the women who had troubles reported in the news during August 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) Susan Trammell,
teacher - Arrested for trafficking pot,

(AR) Monica Ann Cluck, 25,
teacher, choir director - Arrested for sex assault of boy, 17,

(CA) Amy Lee Kelly, 41,
teacher - Arrested for engaging in sex with two male students, both 15,

(CA) Jean Panzo-Montalbano, 54,
teacher - Gets probation for unlawful sex with male student, 16,

(CO) Charalene Bera, 28,
child counselor - Sentenced to probation for having sex with three boys, aged 15 to 17,

(CO) Erin Marie DeSpain, 23,
neighbor - Arrested for felony child abuse of 2-month-old baby,

(DE) Rebecca S. Hoffmann, 38,
neighbor - Charged with sex crimes involving young girl, 6,

(FL) Janet Lea Hughes, 32,
teacher - Faces state charges for alleged sex with boy, 16,

(FL) Barbara Joyner, 59,
neighbor - Arrested for bank robbery,

(FL) Judith Leekin, 62,
foster mother - Arrested for child abuse in adoption-for-profit scam,

(FL) Mariella Brenlla, 40,
teacher - Arrested for sex with boy, 14,

(GA) Lauren Barchi, 22,
neighbor - Arrested for molesting child, 3,

(GA) Melissa Chase, 28,
teacher - Gets 10 years prison for sex with girl, 16,

(GA) Jody Graham, 43,
neighbor - Arrested for molesting child, 3,

(GA) Carrie O'Connor, 34,
school counselor - Arrested for sex with male student, 16,

(HI) Bette Midler,
famous entertainer and tree killer - Fined for killing hundreds of trees,

(IA) Mary F. Lane, 33,
teacher - Arrested for drugs,

(IL) Jodi Church, 26,
teacher - Guilty of luring boy, 16, over Internet for sex,

(IL) Tiffany Hall, 25,
neighbor - Faces two death penalty trials for murdering a family,

(IN) Lana K. Elsworth, 23,
neighbor - Accused of sex with boy, 15,

(IN) Laura Marie Wilcox, 19,
neighbor - Sentenced to probation for sex with boy,

(KS) Girl, 14,
kid - Accused of sodomy and rape of boy, 13, who is charged with same crimes,

(KY) Jeni Lee Dinkel, 51,
neighbor - Gets 60 days jail for rape of boy, 15,

(LA) Maurna Thornton, 39,
teacher - Accused of carnal knowledge of boy, 14,

(MD) Catherine Anne Delgado, 35,
neighbor - Arrested for burglary,

(MD) Kirsten Ann Kinley, 27,
teacher - Guilty of sex with male student, 15. Sentencing in November,

(MI) Stacy Jeannette Filbert, 28,
neighbor - Violates probation as convicted sex criminal. Sentenced to super-duper probation,

(MI) Tiffany Johnson, 32,
neighbor - Accused of solicitation of murder and sex with boy, 14,

(MI) Michelle Perruzzi, 34,
neighbor - Sentenced to 5-15 years in prison for sex assault of son's 14-year-old male friend,

(MO) Ashley N. Thompson, 22,
neighbor - Arrested for statutory rape of boy babysitter, 15,

(MO) Brenda Lea Russell, 26,
neighbor - Sentenced to 14 years in prison for engaging in sex with son, 10,

(NC) Amanda Maria Athey, 27,
teacher - Arrested for sex with female student, 16,

(NE) Tiffany K. King, 19,
neighbor - Accused of rape of boy, 14,

(NH) Priscilla Champagne, 50,
neighbor - Arrested for making and selling crack cocaine,

(NY) Khemwatie Bedessie, 37,
teacher's aide - Sentenced to 20 years in prison for rape of boy, 4,

(OH) Geraldine Beasley, 62,
neighbor - Arrested for murder,

(OH) Sandra Bratt, 31,
teacher - Arrested for sex with male student, 11,

(OH) Colleen Kempf, 46,
school employee - Guilty of embezzling $490,000. Sentencing in Sept.,

(OH) Gail Browning, 49,
school speech pathologist - Arrested for giving alcohol to minors at teen booze party,

(OH) Vina Reed, 32,
neighbor - Accused of engaging in sex with girl, 15,

(OH) Deavan Ritchie,
neighbor - Arrested for hiding sex abuse of 6-year-old son,

(OH) Renee Smith, 37,
teacher - Gets two years prison for sex, drugs and alcohol offenses,

(OH) Terry Walker, 54,
neighbor - Gets four years prison for incestuous sex with son,

(PA) Nadine Kelly, 38,
neighbor - Gets prison for sex with girl, 12, and boy, 13,

(PA) Angela Nicole Rudy, 23,
neighbor - Gets probation for sex with and baby by boy, 14,

(PA) Linda Van Pool, 36,
neighbor - Arrested for contributing to delinquency for taking nephew, 12, to whorehouse,

(PA) Kathleen Waggoner, 37,
neighbor - Arrested for corruption of minors and endangering the welfare of child taken to whorehouses by providing money,

(SD) Brandie Kenobbie, 27,
restaurant supervisor - Sentenced for rape of child under 16,

(TN) Katie Dawn Fults, 18,
neighbor - Arrested for rape of boy, 12,

(TN) Mary Winkler,
neighbor, minister's widow - Murdered her husband by shotgun blast in back while he was sleeping,

(TX) Jennifer Elizabeth Bagley, 35,
teacher - Sentenced for sexual relationship with female student, 15,

(TX) Debra Castillo, 32,
neighbor - Arrested for prostituting girl, 14,

(TX) Phill Raije Rian, 41,
neighbor - Sentenced to 23 years in prison for sex assault of boy, 16,

(TX) Sherry Turner, 37,
teacher - Sentenced to deferred adjudication for sex with student,

(TX) Diane Waite, 35,
teacher - Arrested for alleged sex with boy, 15,

(TX) Emily S. Willis, 28,
teacher - Pleaded guilty to sex with male student, 14,

(UT) Christy Anne Brown, 33,
teacher - Guilty of forcible sex abuse of male student, 16. Sentencing in October,

(VA) Maria Torres-Corbin, 48,
jail guard - Arrested for sex with inmate,

(VA) Tamara Fay Bonos, 32,
jail guard - Arrested for sex with inmate,

(VA) Jenny A. Humphries, 24,
neighbor - Arrested for sex with boy, 14,

(VA) Wendy Ellen Wills, 33,
teacher - Gets suspended sentence for sexual relationship with male students, aged 17 and 18,

(WA) Diane Amanda Hillman, 39,
school counselor - Charged with rape of female student, 15,

(WA) Christine Marie Johanson, 35,
teacher - Gets six months jail for rape of male student, 15,

(WA) Jennifer Leigh Rice, 31,
teacher - Arrested for kidnapping 10-year-old boy for sex,

(WA) Dawn Marie Welter, 38,
teacher - Sentenced to 60 days jail for sexual relationship with girl, 16,

(WV) Cynthia Ann Flores, 25,
neighbor - Charged with sex assault of boy, 15,

(AUS) Tamara Broome, 31,
neighbor - Released per plea agreement in child abduction case.

As always, thanks to the many tipsters.

Teacher Renee Smith Gets Prison in Sex Case

(Akron, Ohio) In March 2007, a special-education teacher at Springfield High School, Renee Smith, was arrested for engaging in sexual relations with 17-year-old male students of which at least one was a special-needs student in her class.

In July, 37-year-old Smith pleaded guilty in Summit County Common Pleas Court to one felony count of sexual battery, two felony counts of corrupting another with drugs and two misdemeanor counts of furnishing alcohol to a minor.

Earlier today, Renee Smith was in court for sentencing.

Summit County Common Pleas Judge Elinore Marsh Stormer gave Smith two years for each of the second-degree felonies and one year for the other sexual battery offense, ordering the sentences to run simultaneously.

The judge also found Smith to be a Tier Three sexual offender, which means she must register her address with the county sheriff for the rest of her life following her release from prison.

Smith, who had been with the school district for 14 years and had won awards for innovative programs with her special-needs students, told the judge she was "truly sorry for all the hurt and pain" she had caused.

Stormer allowed Smith to say good-bye to her parents, who were seated in the rear of the courtroom, before being led away to the county jail for the initial steps of her state prison sentence.

Smith was in tears.

Repeat Offenders Want Second Chance

(Cleveland, Ohio) An Ohio lawmaker introduced a proposed law that would help convicted repeat offender felons to obtain employment. State Sen. Shirley Smith gathered a forum at Cleveland State University yesterday to discuss her proposed legislation.

If passed, the law would allow the criminal records of felons to be sealed or expunged after staying out of trouble for five years. Supposedly, the law would apply to low-level repeat offenders who deserve redemption.

Proponents say the new law would apply only to low-level nonviolent offenders, an assertion that was questioned at the forum.

Senate Bill 197, as it is currently written, includes felonies such as manslaughter, reckless homicide, domestic violence, stalking and abduction, said Victor Vigluicci, prosecutor for Portage County. He feels that these crimes are too violent to qualify for expungement.

Several panelists and most audience members disagreed, noting that a judge's discretion could solve this potential problem.

First of all, if manslaughter, et al., are low-level nonviolent crimes, I'm Donald Trump.

Secondly, when I think of nonviolent crimes, forgery, fraud, counterfeiting and embezzlement come to mind. Now, if a person is a repeat embezzler or forger, I don't believe prospective employers would like the information hidden from them.

Lastly, I'm not without sympathy for the plight of felons after they complete their time and I believe in redemption. Individuals can achieve redemption in the eyes of God and in the eyes of those who were harmed, but I don't believe that people can be redeemed by passage of a law.

And, unless there's a new arithmetic, it's impossible to give repeat offenders a second chance. As repeat criminals, they've already used up their first and second chances. As a minimum, repeat offenders should be asking for a third chance.

Texas Teacher Sentenced in Sex Case

(San Angelo, Texas) A 37-year-old teacher and athletic trainer, Sherry Turner, was caught being intimate with a student, kissing and sexual touching, in a parked car in October 2006. Subsequently, Turner was charged with improper relationship between an educator and a student, a second-degree felony. The gender of the student was not reported.

Turner resigned from the Christoval, TX, school system in the spring where she taught elementary school and was also an athletic trainer for the district's middle and high school. Christoval is a flyspeck of a town south of San Angelo with a population of less than 500.

This week, Turner agreed to plead guilty to one count of having an improper relationship with a 17-year-old student in accordance with an agreement. The agreement provides for seven years of deferred adjudication.

Under deferred adjudication, a defendant enters a plea of guilty and then the judge may postpone the actual finding of guilt and place the defendant on a probationary term. If there are no infractions during the probation period, the case will be dismissed without a finding of guilt.

Evidently, Turner has the opportunity to slide on the offense, assuming she stays out of trouble. That is, except for the sting of having to pay a $2,500 fine and surrender her Texas teaching certificate.

Girl Gets Gun and Shoots

Something I received in an email. It's probably third-hand.

Two illegal aliens, Ralphel Resindez, 23, and Enrico Garza, 26, probably believed they would easily overpower a home alone 11-year-old Patricia Harrington after her father had left their two-story home. It seems the two crooks never learned two things: they were in Montana, and Patricia had been a clay shooting champion since she was nine. Patricia was in her upstairs bedroom when the two men broke through the front door of the house.

She quickly ran to her father's room and grabbed his 12 gauge Mossberg 500 shotgun.

Resindez was the first to get up to the second floor only to be the first to catch a near point blank blast of buck shot from the girl's knee crouch aim. He suffered fatal wounds to his abdomen and genitals. When Garza ran to the foot of the stairs, he took a blast to the left shoulder and staggered out into the street where he bled to death before medical help could arrive.

It was found out later that Resindez was armed with a stolen .45-caliber handgun he took from another home invasion robbery. The victim, 50-year-old David Burien, was not so lucky as he died from stab wounds to the chest.

Patricia staved off a robbery and potential rape because her parents taught her how to use a gun. Her parents just didn't hide a gun in the house and not educate her on the power that a firearm provides.
Ignorance can be deadly, but fortunately for this Montana family, knowledge was power.

I've thought about going to Montana. I would get a pickup truck and raise rabbits and have my wife cook them.

Tip: slwlion


[Update 09/01/07]

According to Snopes.com, there is no evidence that this story is true.

Be Very Afraid

Damn!

Just as I was finishing up my comprehensive plan to survive global warming, the pandemic bird flu, gargantuan fires and storms, the inevitable mega-tsunami and the overdue super volcano eruption, along with the mathematically-predicted asteroid impact and desertification and toxic contamination of the environment -- not to mention the menace of obesity and lead and trans fats and smoking, I now find that there's an impending global food crisis.

I need a fear keeper, someone who can dedicate several hours daily tracking and communicating all the things that are supposed to scare the pants off me. Inquire within.

Early-Release Criminals Flooding Britain

Given a choice, I'd much rather have over-crowded jails than experience a violent crime. But, not everyone feels the same, in particular, liberal judges.

Criminals released early from prison because of the overcrowding crisis have committed a further 48 offences since the controversial scheme was introduced.

When added to the eight committed by those released in the first few days of the scheme, it brings the total number of new offences to 56.

So, they let the prisoners out early and they commit more crimes. What a shock! Frankly, I'd suggest the terms of incarceration are too short to begin with.

Hell, rather than being mugged, carjacked or murdered, I would sanction the use of hydraulic rams to fit more prisoners behind bars.

It's worth mentioning that the Brits aren't the only folks putting relief valves on prisons. The U.S. has been releasing prisoners due to overcrowding for years. Great freaking program! Catch them, jail them, release them, catch them again, jail them again, release them again ....

With liberalism, no problems are ever solved. They are merely launching pads for newer, bigger problems.

Greenpeace Stunt Delays Ship

(Port Dover, Ontario) Greenpeace is a pain in the ass.

On a breezy Lake Erie yesterday, two young people climbed a rickety scaling ladder up the side of a massive freighter and locked themselves to the conveyer belt device that helps to unload the ship's cargo.

A third used mountaineering gear to attach herself to the stern, just above the huge rudder, and hung there for nearly three hours.

Others, bouncing in rubber dinghies in metre-high waves, used long-handled rollers to paint white slogans on the rusting hull.

Ultimately, three people were arrest and the bulk ore carrier Algomarine was delayed for four hours. Dominque Du Sablon, 20, and Emily-Elizabeth Storey, 22, both of Toronto, and Charlie Latimer, 25, of Vancouver, are facing two counts of mischief.

Despite their motives, these Greenpeace goobers' antics are an impediment to business by delaying the operation of the vessel. Consequently, their "mischief" represents a cost to business which I believe should be reimbursable. The shipping company should send them a bill for damages due to lost revenue. If Greenpeace doesn't pay up, the group should be sued.

Unfortunately, Greenpeace is seldom held accountable for the restraint of trade occurring while seeking publicity. Nor is Greenpeace customarily held accountable for the property damage caused by vandalism.

Somebody should be going after Greenpeace's pocketbook.

Female Teacher Sentenced for Sex with Schoolgirl

(Tyler, Texas) In May 2007, a 35-year-old teacher, Jennifer Elizabeth Bagley, was accused of engaging in a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old female student in one school district while she continued to teach in a different school district.

She was charged with sexual assault of a child and improper relationship between an educator and a student.

Yesterday, Bagley was convicted by a Smith County jury of having an improper relationship between educator and student. Then 241st District Judge Jack Skeen Jr. sentenced Bagley to 10 years probation with six months to be served in the Smith County Jail. The judge also ordered intensive supervision for the first three years of probation but specified no requirement to register as a sex offender.

Notably, Bagley testified during the penalty phase and vehemently denied she did anything wrong.

Ms. Bagley, who said she was bisexual, said "I haven't had sex with no students. ... I haven't given any students or children drugs."

She said a teacher who supplies drugs and alcohol to students and has sex with them should be punished with the maximum 20-year sentence. She said the jury's guilty verdict was incorrect and the girl who testified they had sex was a liar.

Heh. Bagley's okay and everybody else is wrong.

Bagley also faces trial in October on a charge of sexual assault of a child involving the same victim.


[Update 01/24/08]

Bagley has additional 10-year probation sentence imposed, to run concurrent.

Jobless and Lovin' It

(London) Check out some of the latest numbers from the British Office for National Statistics.

Despite pumping billions of British pounds into helper schemes, 20 percent of households exist entirely on government benefits. Another way to put it, not even one person is employed in one out of every five British homes.

But that's not all. Of the households where nobody has a job, only one in five has anyone who is actively looking for a job. Therefore, of the households where nobody has a job, 80 percent don't even have anyone looking for a job.

Evidently, the Brits are giving all of life's essentials to the have-nots and the have-nots are kicking back and enjoying the socialist dream -- utopia. Karl Marx would be so proud.

Survey: Newspapers Gloomier

A survey has found that newspapers are doing even worse than previously anticipated. The outlook has gone from gloomy to gloomier.

Fitch Ratings:

Continued declines in retail, auto, and help-wanted at a time when "key economic indicators for the U.S. economy have been broadly healthy for most of the year and as such should be supporting the retail, national and other classified categories," suggest a so-called secular, or permanent, decline in the important classified revenue stream, Fitch suggests.

I'd suggest that part of the problem is that newspapers have gotten away from reporting the news in lieu of "crafting" the news.

Ironically, newspapers poor performance during times of a healthy economy could be attributed to, among several reasons, the fact that they don't report the existence of a healthy economy.

Heh.

Christine Marie Johanson Sentenced

(Longview, Washington) In November 2006, 35-year-old teacher's aide at Hudson Park Elementary School in Rainier, Christine Marie Johanson, was indicted by a grand jury on counts of rape, sodomy, sexual abuse and furnishing liquor to a minor. All charges resulted from a months-long sexual relationship with a 15-year-old boy.

Ultimately, Johanson faced charges in both Washington and Oregon and was under investigation by the FBI. For history of the case, see here and here.

Recently, Johanson pleaded guilty to one count of rape in Cowlitz County, Washington, in accordance with an Alford plea on July 11th. Her plea was entered just before the scheduled start date for her trial.

Yesterday, accompanied by her husband, a visibly-shaken Johanson arrived in the Cowlitz County courtroom and was sentenced to six months in jail. She expressed remorse and apologized to everyone for the "pain, stress and anger" she caused. She vowed to make better choices in life.

Regarding the charges she faces in Columbia County, Oregon, Johanson has a court appearance scheduled for tomorrow at which time she is expected to plead guilty to reduced charges in accordance with an agreement. I'll update this post after tomorrow's proceedings.

Tip: Don Morgenstern


[Update 09/01/07]

(Columbia County, Oregon) Johanson pleaded guilty to four counts of third-degree rape yesterday. Sentencing is scheduled for October 3rd. She faces a possible 30 months in prison.


[Update 10/04/07]

Johanson sentenced to 360 days jail in Oregon.

No Jail: Teacher Did Boy Thinking of Ex-Husband

(Downey, California) In April 2007, a 53-year-old special ed teacher's assistant at Downey High School, Jean Panzo-Montalbano, was arrested for allegedly engaging in sex with a 16-year-old boy.

Panzo-Montalbano worked for a county-wide special program which placed her in contact with the boy whom she allegedly raped at various locations, including his home. The Downey Police Department was alerted to the situation by the victim.

In May, Panzo-Montalbano pleaded not guilty in Downey Superior Court to six felony counts of unlawful sexual intercourse and one felony count of oral copulation of a person under 18.

A plea deal specifying no jail was then presented to Panzo-Montalbano which she accepted. For a guilty plea to one count of unlawful sex with a minor, Panzo-Montalbano was sentenced by Downey Superior Court Judge Burt Barnett to probation, house arrest and community service. Even so, Panzo-Montalbano complained afterward that she had been "railroaded" into accepting the deal.

Jean Panzo-Montalbano, 54, also acknowledged that she had engaged in repeated sex with the 16-year-old student and became an unhealthy distraction for him at a time when he was struggling in school.

"I'm guilty in a way that, as an adult, I should have not let this kid get into my head," she told the Press-Telegram. "It's like a little kid. If you don't keep them occupied, they'll find a toy instead."

Then she added: "I was that toy for that kid."

Panzo-Montalbano, a Bellflower resident with no prior record, was charged in April with six felony counts of unlawful sex with a minor and one count of oral copulation of a person under 18. She agreed to plead guilty to one count of unlawful sex with a minor in exchange for a sentence of three years probation, plus 45 days of house arrest and 800 hours of community service.

And she had more to say about how the boy initiated the relationship, how she laughed it off at first and how the special education environment is so lax that children are allowed to be overtly sexual. Panzo-Montalbano also said the boy reminded her of her ex-husband.

In rebuttal, Sandi Gibbons of the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office reminded everyone that Panzo-Montalbano pleaded guilty. "That's self-explanatory. She can rationalize it any way she wants," said Gibbons.

Heh.

Tip: Don

Child Counselor Gets Probation for Sex Crimes

(Glenwood Springs, Colorado) In February 2007, a 28-year-old child care counselor at the Emily Griffith Center in Rifle, Charalene Bera, was convicted by a jury of charges related to engaging in sex with three boys in her care.

The 9th Judicial District Court jury found Bera guilty of sexual assault on a child 15- to 17-years-old by a person in a position of trust, sexual assault on a child, and unlawful sexual contact.

Yesterday, Bera was sentenced by Judge Daniel Petre to 10 years' probation, a special intensive supervised version, despite the desires of Assistant District Attorney Jeff Cheney who wanted two years in prison.

Judge Petre, presiding over a courtroom of tears, might have been swayed in his ruling by an overriding sense of sympathy or compassion or a preference of not incarcerating female criminals.

An aunt and uncle said they traveled from Iowa to say what a good person she is and how they'd trust her with their kids. None of the boys who testified against Bera or their family members came to court.

Bera said she doesn't blame the troubled boys who testified against her for their lies, and telling authorities what they wanted to hear.

"I would never hurt anybody, ever," Bera said. "To be taken to jail - I would be hurting everyone because I wouldn't be able to take care of my grandmother, or the horses."

"All I was doing was helping because I thought I could change the world," she added later. "I didn't know boys could lie and deceive."

Judge Daniel Petre compared what he's learned of Bera to a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde character.

"Sex offender intensive supervised probation, because it is so disruptive and so intensive, protects the public, provides deterrence ... and provides an element of punishment," Petre said. "It also opens the door to a much greater extent than prison does to rehabilitation."

Nevertheless, DA Cheney believes Bera's denial of guilt was a tactic to influence the sentence and that she is not in touch with reality. Also, a man convicted of sleeping with teen girls would go to prison. In closing, Cheney remarked, "Ms. Bera could not tell the truth if it hit her in the face."

Well, apparently the judge believed her.


[Update 09/22/07]

Oops! Charalene got arrested.

Charalene Dawn Bera, 29, was arrested by a Mesa County Sheriff's Department deputy on Sept. 11 and posted a $1,000 bond, authorities said.

According to an arrest affidavit, Bera went to the Sheriff's Department to register on Sept. 5.

However, she allegedly made false statements to deputies about registering with the Grand Junction Police Department but did not complete a Police Department registration form. Bera was arrested at her grandmother's house in Grand Junction after failing to return phone messages from a deputy or to register, the affidavit said.

It appears that Bera has little respect for the law.

Tip: Don Morgenstern

Human-to-Human Bird Flu Proved

(Seattle, Washington) A study of a 2006 bird flu outbreak in Indonesia resulted in the finding that the virus has mutated and was transmitted from person to person.

Experts at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research center in Seattle used statistical analysis and a computerized disease-transmission model to show the disease spread between a small number of people in one family.

The chain of infection involved a 10-year-old boy who likely caught the virus from his 37-year-old aunt who had been exposed to dead poultry and chicken feces.

Researchers say the boy then probably passed the virus to his father.

All but one of the flu victims died. All of those who contracted the disease had long, close contact with other ill family members prior to getting sick.

Not good, however it's not a surprise either. Experts have predicted the mutation leading to person-to-person transmission would occur at some point.

Georgia Trio Accused of Child Molestation

(Peachtree City, Georgia) On August 13th, a man and two women were arrested by Peachtree City Police for child molestation involving a three-year-old.

Police Chief Jim Murray indicated that Paul Graffeo, 39, Jody Graham, 43, and Lauren Barchi, 22, allegedly engaged in sexually explicit photo sessions in front of a three-year-old boy. The photos are believed to have been taken between September 1, 2005, and September 1, 2006, at Graffeo's home.

According to Murray, police received information from a man who said he found sexually explicit pictures in a desk used by Graffeo, and turned them over to police.

"The pictures showed sexual explicit acts between two women, and the young boy was right next to them," said Murray.

Murray said the Peachtree City Police Crimes Against Children Unit was able to identify the house where the pictures were taken, and the two women in the photographs.

  
Paul Graffeo - Jody Graham - Lauren Barchi
The father of the three-year-old, 34-year-old Micah Burns, is also a suspect in the case. Burns was arrested in Michigan and is awaiting extradition in the Bay County Jail.

Initially, Fayette County Magistrate Bob Ruppenthal denied bond since the three are considered a threat to the public. At a followup bond hearing yesterday, Graffeo's bond was set at $250,000 and for Graham and Barchi, $150,000. Bond conditions include no contact with children nor witnesses and Graffeo must remain under house arrest with a GPS monitor.

The investigation continues. There is a fear that the photos, reportedly multiple in number, might have been posted on the Internet.

Tip: Don Morgenstern

Female Counselor and Girl, 15

(Puyallup, Washington) Earlier this month, a 39-year-old counselor at Ballou Junior High School, Diane Amanda Hillman, was arrested for raping and molesting a 15-year-old female student.

Hillman was charged with third-degree child rape and third-degree child molestation.

Authorities were alerted by the girl's mother who expressed concern about text messages her daughter received from Hillman. Subsequently, the daughter revealed details of the sexual relationship to an investigator.

Not guilty pleas were entered on Hillman's behalf and Pierce County Superior Court Judge Kathryn Nelson set bail at $10,000.

The school system placed Hillman on administrative leave.


[Update 05/11/08]

Hillman sentenced to five years in prison.

Utah Teacher Guilty in Sex Case

(West Valley City, Utah) In July 2007, a 33-year-old former English teacher at Cyprus High School, Christy Anne Brown, was arrested after allegedly being caught in flagrante delicto in a parked car with a 16-year-old student in the wee hours one morning.

According to the police, Brown had sex with the boy at least three times between April and July.

Yesterday, Brown pleaded guilty to three counts of felony forcible sexual abuse.

Third District Judge Tyrone Medley questioned Brown as to whether she knew that she was forfeiting the chance to have a trial by entering the guilty pleas. After her attorney, Walter Bugden, outlined the facts in the case, the judge asked Brown, "Is this a true and accurate description of the conduct you engaged in?"

"Yes," Brown replied.

Brown wept as she pleaded guilty to each count as read aloud by Medley.

Sentencing by District Judge Stephen Henriod has been scheduled for October 19th. According to this report, Brown faces a possible 30 years in prison.

Heh. I'll believe it when I see it. Recent history has shown that Utah courts are very lenient toward female sex offenders. In fact, it will be historic if Brown receives anything other than probation.

Tip: Don Morgenstern


[Update 10/19/07]

Brown sentenced -- if you could call it that.

Virginia Woman and Boy, 14

(Staunton, Virginia) A 24-year-old woman, Jenny A. Humphries, was arrested for engaging in a long-term sexual relationship with a 14-year-old boy. She has been charged with felony carnal knowledge of a child.

Authorities discovered the alleged sexual relationship while investigating property crimes for which Humphries faces additional charges of grand larceny, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and obtaining money by false pretenses.

Humphries was booked into custody at the Middle River Regional Jail in Verona.

The Irish Nurse Connection

Suffering from chronic shortages, Irish hospitals sent recruiters to the Philippines in the year 2000 to lure nurses to come and work in Ireland. As a result, a huge proportion of more than 10,000 foreign-born nurses working in Ireland today are Filipino. And they remain Philippine nationals since it is so difficult to obtain citizenship or even get long-term visas.

Suffering from chronic shortages, Canadian hospitals have launched a recruitment program to lure Filipino nurses from Ireland to Canada. Fast-track work visas, better wages, affordable subsidized housing grants and even low-interest car loans are being offered.

Canadian nursing recruiters are coming to Ireland, rather than going directly to the Philippines, as they feel that Filipinos nurses working there will presumably have acquired first-rate English, and be fully up to speed with Westernised hospital environments.

So, nurses leave the Philippines for a better deal in Ireland. Then, nurses start leaving Ireland for a better deal in Canada. What's next? I don't know but it's worth mentioning that nurses get permanent residency visas upon arrival in the U.S.

Want Some Gas, Little Girl?

Interesting report from the outback.

AN Aboriginal elder who exchanged petrol for sex with three teenage girls at a remote indigenous community has been sentenced to eight years in jail.

Winkie Ingomar, 52, pleaded guilty last month in the South Australian Supreme Court to five counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with the girls.

The girls, aged 13 and 14, visited Ingomar at his caravan in Yalata, 1,000km northwest of Adelaide, between January and June last year.

Ingomar's caravan was parked in a bush camp about 200 metres from the main road, and he had sex or touched the girls one at a time while another waited outside, the court heard.

He then gave the girls petrol knowing they would sniff it.

Heh. So, the girls sniffed Winkie's gas.

Now, that's a sentence I couldn't have predicted I would ever write.

Female Boss Sentenced for Sex with Boy, 15

(Sioux Falls, South Dakota) In March 2007, a 26-year-old fast-food restaurant supervisor, Brandie Kenobbie, was arrested for engaging in sex with a 15-year-old boy who she supervised. Police were alerted to the offense by the Department of Social Services. Kenobbie was ultimately charged with rape of a child under 16.

Yesterday, now 27-year-old Kenobbie pleaded guilty to the rape charge and was sentenced by Circuit Judge Glen Severson to five years in prison with all but 160 days suspended. With credit for time served, Kenobbie only has nine days jail remaining. Judge Severson also imposed two years' probation.

Based on available information, there was no order to register as a sex offender nor get counseling nor stay away from the victim nor any other of the usual add-ons when a person is convicted of a sex crime.

Not only that, but neither the name of the fast-food restaurant involved nor Kenobbie's employment status was reported. After all, the appropriateness of employing a convicted rapist at McDonald's or Burger King or Subway should be questioned.

Maryland Teacher Guilty in Sex Case

(Columbia, Maryland) In February 2007, a 27-year-old former special education teacher at Hammond Middle School, Kirsten Ann Kinley, was arrested for engaging in sex with a 15-year-old boy.

Kinley allegedly emailed explicit photos of herself to the boy and had sex with him on two occasions in December 2004 and January 2005. After the victim exposed the relationship to a therapist, police were alerted.

In June 2007, a second student accused Kinley of inappropriate sexual conduct and Kinley was indicted on three counts of third-degree sex offense against a 14-year-old boy. Meanwhile, the Howard County Board of Education terminated her employment.

Today, Kirsten Ann Kinley pleaded guilty to one count of third-degree sex offense in accordance with an agreement with the prosecution. The charges related to the second boy were dropped because he refused to cooperate with the prosecutors.

The plea deal specifies a sentence of up to 18 months in prison. Kinley will also be prohibited from using the Internet since that is where she developed the relationships with the boys. Sentencing is scheduled for November 15th.

Tip: Don Morgenstern


[Update 11/15/07]

Kinley sentenced to prison.

Greenpeace Stunt Backfires

(Bangkok, Thailand) Last April, the Thai government passed a law banning open-field trials of genetically-modified crops. Greenpeace was elated.

Recently, it was reported that the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry was going to seek cabinet approval for a lifting of the ban on open-field trials of transgenic crops. Greenpeace was not amused and reacted by dumping tons of papayas at the entrance to the ministry.

Three truck loads of transgenic papayas sent the message to the ministry that Greenpeace wanted the ban to continue. It was believed that public and political support to keep the ban would follow the papaya protest. But it wasn't to be.

Passers-by and onlookers formed a flood of people grabbing up papayas.

[A]fter the dumping, people flocked to load up on the free papayas, ignoring the environmental organisation's campaign against the dangers of GM fruit -- a message Greenpeace has been trying to get through to the government and the public for years.

Many passers-by, who mostly knew nothing about transgenic fruit, said they did not care about any health risks. They were just thinking about how hungry they were.

"I don't care if they're dangerous," said papaya salad seller Gig Krueyat, 70. "I don't know what the threat is ... nothing serious, I think ..."

Mrs Gig helped herself to three sacks of the fruit in minutes. Others, including some ministry officials and Rasi Salai dam protesters from Sri Sa Ket province who were camped near the ministry, also did not let the opportunity slip by.

A man waiting in traffic for the lights to go green near the ministry, leapt out of his car and joined the feast.

"I'm not scared of GM papayas. Rather, I'm scared I won't have any to eat," said Ubon Ratchathani villager Ampon Tantima, 31, before rushing back to his car with the free fruit.

Heh. Even ministry officials rushed out to get some papayas.

WV Woman Guilty of Sex with Boy

(Clarksburg, West Virginia) In June 2007, 25-year-old Cynthia Ann Flores, charged with engaging in sex with a 15-year-old boy, had her criminal complaint revised to reflect five counts of sexual assault.

Flores originally faced 50 counts but Harrison County Magistrate Frank DeMarco reduced the number in order to make her trial more manageable.

Yesterday, Flores pleaded guilty to five counts of third-degree sexual assault for engaging in sex with the boy between July and November 2006. A pre-sentence evaluation has been ordered. Sentencing is scheduled for October.

I'm wondering what happened to the other 45 crimes.


[Update 11/09/07]

Flores gets prison.

Queeruption Challenges Culture

To display tolerance toward alternative lifestyles, it's important to understand the substance of the lifestyles. A look at alternative lifestyle organizing conferences aids in understanding.

One such conference is Queeruption, held annually since 1998 and this year in British Columbia. Queeruption is a gathering of homosexual lifestyle proponents with the purpose of organizing efforts to agitate and inform "complacent homo-gentrified communities everywhere." Try to understand.

From XTRA West (CAUTION: Language alert!):

The stench of makeshift shitters and Port-o-Potties spreads across the camp.

An outdoor kitchen contains a metre-wide wood cook stove. For weeks leading up to the event, dumpster divers collected food from back alley bins. Others have either stolen or donated food.

Still, meals regularly run out before the last 100 people get to the front of the meal line. A second cooking shift prods the smoking fire, calling for more volunteers to collect fallen branches.

Activists arrive from Ireland, Israel, Germany, Finland and France. Young queers ride the rails from across America just to be here. By the weekend, the camp hemorrhages, numbering over 350, well beyond the land's capacity to sustain us.

Hygiene becomes a critical issue. Mossy glades reek like an after-hour nightclub urinal. At the next morning's all-camp meeting, we discuss the growing menace of dog shit.

One Seattle dyke walks onto the land and instantly gets overwhelmed. She becomes overwrought as others attempt to calm her. She drags her reluctant gay boyfriend back to the cement and crush of Vancouver's Pride parade.

Hanging out in this Punk Park is a disorienting rush. Naked, tattooed, multigendered bodies roam everywhere.

The highest percentage of gender-fluid folk I've ever seen at a mixed event, our trans kin are core to this 10th Queeruption. Here, we're living the new norm.

Gee, what fun!

This year's event was held from August 1st to August 7th in the natural surroundings of the Sunshine Coast. The hope was for participants to make a connection between "radical queer struggles and ecological ones." Remember, with understanding comes tolerance and with tolerance we can have a new norm.

There's much more at the link. Before proceeding, I'd suggest that readers prepare themselves with an extra measure of willingness to understand.

Robber Shotgunned Dead

(Wichita, Kansas) A 27-year-old armed robber, Alexander R. Mies, entered the Salyer Pharmacy on Saturday and demanded drugs from owners Tom Lundberg and Fred Karban. Not a good idea.

[T]he man pulled out his gun while yelling and demanding Lortabs and narcotics, Lundberg said.

That's when Lundberg ran to grab a shotgun he has kept at the pharmacy since a 1993 robbery attempt.

When Lundberg came out of the back room, he saw the intruder pointing the handgun at co-owner Fred Karban, Lundberg said.

At one point, the man ducked behind the counter and Lundberg thought he was going to leave.

"Then, he came right back up and pointed it at Fred," Lundberg said.

"And then, he pointed it back at me, and then I shot him. That's pretty much the end of it."

One shotgun blast. To the head. The end.

Diaper-Free Movement

There's a new trend in raising infants and toddlers where no diapers are used. Instead, the parent(s) read instinctive signals from the child and then react to get the child to a place where urination and defecation can occur.

As an example, a parent would read the child's body language, called "elimination communication," and know when it was time to scoot him/her off to the bathroom or another suitable elimination venue.

Devotees of the trend start the practice at birth of the child. The benefit of not having to buy diapers is trumpeted.

I don't know if this idea would work for most people. Parents probably don't have the time luxury to lord over a kid 24/7 in anticipation of some utterance of elimination communication. Right now, diaper-free sounds like a bunch of shinola, figuratively and literally. My final thoughts, however, will come after I bone up on the Berlitz of "elimination communication."

Even so, for unemployed, insomniac parents with obsessive-compulsive disorder, diaper-free sounds perfect.

Voice of the People Rally - August 26, 2007

On Sunday, people gathered in Freeland, Pennsylvania, to voice outrage at current U.S. immigration policies. Freeland is close to Hazleton, the city trying to implement anti-illegal alien ordinances. Hazleton's local measures are on hold as the issue is tied up in a court battle.

Speakers at the rally were stalwart supporters of effective border controls and proponents of aggressive law enforcement. They included Freeland Mayor Tim Martin, John Rucki of NJ Citizens for Immigration Reform, Dan "Digger" Amato of Diggers Realm and Ruth Miller of Illegal Protest. A number of individuals from Voice of the People also spoke including Frank Scavo, Greg Griffin, Arlene Thomas, Renee Butts, Andrew Woodring and Dan Smeriglio. Voice of the People organized the event.

For the record, I was there in spirit, rather than in person. Fortunately, Digger has comprehensively blogged the rally, complete with pics and videos. As a grassroots effort, all participants deserve applause. Polls show that most Americans back their efforts.

I'd like to encourage readers to visit Digger's post on the Freeland Rally and get a snapshot of ordinary citizens standing up in support of border security and law enforcement. You'll get a sense of being there.

Texas Woman Booked for Prostituting Girl, 14

(Fort Worth, Texas) A 32-year-old local woman, Debra Castillo, was arrested Saturday by Fort Worth Police for allegedly prostituting a 14-year-old girl.

Reportedly, Castillo was cruising the neighborhood in her vehicle and offering men the opportunity to have sex with the girl for $50. The relationship between the girl and Castillo is unknown.

Also arrested was 32-year-old Jorge Martinez for sexual assault of a child. Based on available information, it appears that Martinez accepted the offer of having sex with the girl.

Castillo and Martinez were booked into custody at the Mansfield Correctional Facility with bond set at $10,000 each.

Tip: Don Morgenstern

$8,000 for Fossilized Penis

No, this isn't a report about Hugh Hefner.

(Beverly Hills, California) There's quite a bit of buzz about the sale at auction of a fossilized walrus penis for $8,000. The four and one-half foot long bone was sold to the company that owns the Ripley's Believe It or Not museums. Observers predicted that it would sell for at least $12,000.

The penis came from a species of walrus that went extinct about 12,000 years ago and it was found frozen and well-preserved in the Siberian permafrost.

If one does the math, the penis was sold for about $150 per inch which, I agree, is low. It sounds more like a rental price, not a sale price. Inquire within.

China Accused of Computer Espionage

(Berlin, Germany) Presumably marring German-Chinese relations, a news source has reported that computers in the offices of Chancellor Angela Merkel, as well as computers in the foreign, economy and research ministries, have been infected with Chinese spy software.

The so-called "Trojan" espionage programs were concealed in Microsoft Word documents and PowerPoint files which infected IT installations when opened, SPIEGEL reported. Information was taken from German computers in this way on a daily basis by hackers based in the north-western province of Lanzhou, Canton province and Beijing.

German officials believe the hackers were being directed by the People's Liberation Army and that the programs were redirected via computers in South Korea to disguise their origin.

German security officials managed to stop the theft of 160 gigabytes of data which were in the process of being siphoned off German government computers. "But no one knows how much has leaked out," a top official told SPIEGEL.

The Chinese government has vehemently denied the allegations, saying there is no evidence. However, Germany's domestic intelligence agency, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, uncovered the hacking operation which gives credence to the accusations. Statistically, one domestic intelligence agent estimates that 60 percent of alleged espionage cases involve China.

German companies now are fearing that China may have infiltrated their company computers to steal trade secrets. Concern has been expressed by the Economics Ministry.

Investigators caution that businessmen should not leave their laptop computers in hotel rooms while at official functions because of the risk of data theft. And all information transferred from China to German corporate headquarters should be encoded. "I have become really worried about Chinese espionage in the technology area," says Hartmut Schauerte, parliamentary minister in the Economics Ministry and a China specialist.

The suspicions are now so deep that the motives of Chinese researchers at German universities are being questioned.

Heh. The same suspicions should apply to foreign researchers at American universities.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Greenpeace Changes Hotel Light Bulbs

(Hong Kong) According to a statement by Greenpeace, its sneaky enviro-radicals replaced incandescent bulbs with fluorescent tubes in the chandeliers of the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel. Also, Greenpeace activists unfurled a banner yesterday blaming Mickey Mouse for global harm.

Better watch out, folks, Greenpeace apparently has no qualms about trespassing to forcibly modify someone's carbon footprint. What's next? Maybe they'll trespass and replace gas-powered lawn mowers with push-powered ones. Or maybe they'll trespass and replace automobiles with bicycles.

With a fanatic following displaying cult-like behavior, anything is possible with Greenpeace.

Wordpress Blocked in Thailand, Turkey

According to the watchdog website Don't Block This Blog (DBTB.org), the nations of Thailand and Turkey just recently blocked the entire Wordpress.com domain for all Internet users.

In Thailand, visitors to the blocked websites will see a message in Thai which translates as follows.

"Sorry. TOT Plc., as an organization of Thai people, has restrained the access to this website as it contains content, text, and/or picture that is unappropriated which affects the mind of Thai people all over the country and cannot be accepted."

Therefore, the government has determined that the "mind of Thai people" is affected by "unappropriated" material at Wordpress.com. It's not clear what "unappropriated" means.

Regarding Wordpress being blocked in Turkey, it appears that one blog owned by a proponent of creationism prompted a court order to block the entire Wordpress domain. However, an effort has been launched to collect signature on a petition to unblock blogs in Turkey.

Meanwhile, it appears that all Blogspot blogs are still banned in Pakistan. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority initially instituted the ban in March 2006 on Blogspot as a result of one blog carrying the infamous cartoons of Muhammad. However, a savvy blogger block workaround for determined bloggers has been developed using Google Docs.

Child Molester Gets Refresher Hand Slap

(Cassopolis, Michigan) In May 2007, a 28-year-old mother-of-four, Stacy Jeannette Filbert, pleaded guilty to criminal sexual conduct for engaging in sex with a runaway 15-year-old boy. Consequently, Circuit Judge Michael Dodge sentenced Filbert to a one-year jail term, which he suspended, and three years' probation.

Meanwhile, during the proceedings Cass County Prosecuting Attorney Victor Fitz told the court that Filbert was in a perpetual state of immaturity and the runaway 15-year-old "was not blameless." So, a 28-year-old woman with four children, who are in foster care, walks away from court after a conviction of a child sex crime and the prosecutor asserts the crime is not all her fault. Hand slap? I think so.

In the latest development in the life of Stacy Jeannette Filbert, she violated her probation by leaving the state of Michigan without notifying her probation officer. As a result, Filbert appeared once again before Judge Dodge for a sentencing hearing on Friday. During the hearing, Judge Dodge continued Filbert's previously-imposed three years of probation and, for the violation, he ordered Filbert to enhanced probation in the Kalamazoo Probation Enhancement Program.

Therefore, the court determined that regular probation wasn't sufficient and imposed an enhanced probation program. Presumably, if the enhanced program fails, the special super-duper probation program will be imposed.

Another hand slap? I think so.

Texas Woman and Neighborhood Boy, 15

(Fort Worth, Texas) A 35-year-old local woman, Diane Waite, was arrested by Fort Worth Police Wednesday for allegedly engaging in sex with a 15-year-old boy. Waite has been charged with sexual assault of a child.

Authorities were alerted by the boy's parents.

Waite and the boy were acquainted in the neighborhood and the sexual episode allegedly occurred on August 7th. Reportedly, the boy was lying on Waite's bed when she initiated the sex. Why the boy was on her bed wasn't reported.

Police and Child Protective Services continue to investigate.

Two Jail Officers Accused of Sex with Inmate

(Prince William County, Virginia) Within the past two weeks, two Prince William County corrections officers have been arrested and charged for allegedly engaging in sex with one male inmate on house arrest.

A master jail officer, 48-year-old Maria C. Torres-Corbin was jailed without bail and later transferred to a different jurisdiction on a felony charge of carnal knowledge of an inmate. After her arrest, Torres-Corbin resigned her position as a corrections officer. A court appearance has been scheduled for October 4th.

Thirty-two-year-old Tamara Fay Bonos, an entry-level corrections officer, was also arrested and charged with felony carnal knowledge of an inmate. Bonos was placed on administrative leave and resigned her position shortly thereafter. She also has a court date of October 4th.

 
Maria Torres-Corbin and Tamara Fay Bonos
Interestingly, although both Torres-Corbin and Bonos allegedly mixed it up with the same guy while he was on house arrest, neither woman is believed to have been aware of the other. The alleged sex is reported to have occurred at the inmate's Manassas home during the officers' off-duty hours.

Tip: Don Morgenstern

Woman Arrested for Making Crack Cocaine

(Pelham, New Hampshire) A 50-year-old local woman, Priscilla Champagne, was arrested Thursday for allegedly making and selling crack cocaine at her home.

Detectives began watching Champagne's residence in June after information gathered from other investigations led police to believe she was selling cocaine there, Pelham police Lt. Gary Fisher said.

Soon after the investigation began, Fisher said members of the surveillance team observed a large number of people going to and from the home.

"It was indicative of drug activity," Fisher said.

Through further investigation, detectives gained information that Champagne was supplying small amounts of both forms of cocaine to a large amount of local customers as well as people from the Lowell and Dracut, Mass., area.

Champagne has been charged with felony counts of manufacturing crack cocaine, felony sale of cocaine, felony sale of crack cocaine, felony possession of cocaine and misdemeanor counts of transporting cocaine and possession of marijuana.

Five other people were also arrested in the operation by Pelham Police. Robert Roy, 57, of Pelham; Ezequiel Nieves, 27, of Lawrence, Mass.; Theresa Jutras, 36, of Lowell, Mass.; Richard Ryder, 53, of Lowell, Mass. and Michael Desjardins, 36, of Dracut, Mass. were all released on personal recognizance after arrest. The same applies for Champagne. All have a September 10th court appearance scheduled in Salem District Court.

Personal recognizance, eh? As serious as the charges are, it would seem appropriate for some amount of bail. On a different note, Priscilla Champagne has spooky eyes. They seem to follow you around the room.

Dozens of Illegals in One House

(Alamo, Texas) Federal authorities arrested 58 illegal aliens housed in one single-story residence on Thursday. Found were 43 men and 15 women including 33 Mexicans, 19 Brazilians, three Hondurans, two El Salvadorans and a Peruvian.

Assuming the house was a three-bedroom ranch, typical of single-dwelling units in the region, the illegals were packed in with barely enough floor space to stretch out. Hopefully they enjoyed at least two bathrooms.

Reportedly, they are being held "pending formal removal back to their home countries."

Blogger versus NYT

Tom Blumer at BizzyBlog prompted a roiling fraternity of visitor commentary with a post which criticized a New York Times economic news piece by David Cay Johnston. In a nutshell, Tom contends that data are ignored or incompletely analyzed and the facts cited were twisted to present a negative impression. I agree. In fact, I'd say the NYT applies the technique regularly.

To his credit, Johnston weighs in but mistakenly asserts that his integrity was attacked. I don't think so. Tom opined on the reporting, not the reporter.

Nonetheless, the informative post and comment thread are entertaining -- even if one is not thrilled by economic statistics. Go visit.

Marin County Teacher and Two Boys

(Marin County, California) A 41-year-old teacher and divorced mother-of-two, Amy Lee Kelly, faces charges for allegedly engaging in sex with two 15-year-old boys. Kelly taught at Bacich Elementary School of the Kentfield School District until last year. She has been charged with lewd acts upon a child and unlawful sexual intercourse.

According to Chief Deputy District Attorney Kathryn Mitchell, the alleged sex occurred on October 20, 2006, when Kelly went to visit a friend and got so drunk on wine and beer that the friend took her car keys.

That evening, the 15-year-old Redwood High boys showed up at the house to visit the daughter of Kelly's friend. Both boys had consumed alcohol.

At some point during the visit, the daughter noticed that one of the boys was no longer downstairs. She went upstairs and saw the boy and Kelly engaging in sexual activity on her bed, the affidavit said.

Upset, the daughter went back downstairs. Later in the night, she realized the second boy was also gone, so she went back upstairs and saw the second teen having sex with Kelly, Mitchell said.

"(The girl) was upset and took photographs of defendant while defendant was naked and in the presence of one of the male juvenile subjects," Mitchell wrote.

Last month, a warrant was issued for Kelly's arrest. Subsequently, she was booked and released on bail.

Oddly, when interviewed by investigators, neither of the two 15-year-old boys could positively identify Kelly in a photo array as the woman they had sex with. One was 90 percent certain while it was 50-50 with the other.

Kelly has an appearance in Marin Superior Court scheduled for September 6th.


[Update 04/24/08]

From Marin Independent Journal:

Amy Lee Kelly, 41, of Benicia pleaded guilty to one felony count of oral copulation of a person under 18 years old and one misdemeanor count of battery. She faces up to three years in prison when she is sentenced June 11 before Judge Faye D'Opal.

Kelly was initially charged with two counts of lewd acts upon a child and one count of unlawful sexual intercourse, but prosecutors amended those counts in the plea bargain. Kelly could have faced more than four years in prison under the original charges.

She will not have to register as a sex offender.

"I think that in light of the evidence it's a good outcome for society and the interests of justice," said Deputy District Attorney Teresa Leon Varela.

Kelly's attorney, Michael Semansky, declined to comment after the hearing.

Kelly's teaching career is presumably over.

Fidel Castro Unofficially Dead

Everybody awaits the news flashes as a growing body of opinion believes that Fidel Castro has expired. There has just been no official announcement.

Personally, I don't think circumstances will dramatically change with Castro gone. Cuba will still be an impoverished police-state communist country with brother Raul in charge.

Of course, one must conclude that Hugo Chavez will now inherit the position as being the New World's most prominent thug communist. I expect Chavez to now aggregate socialist aggressors under him and manage their crimes from his oil-fed continental perch.

Without Castro, there will be a new chair with a new ass but the same evil -- ambitious authoritarian socialism.

Illegal Arrested for Pleasuring Himself in Public

(Nashville, Tennessee) A 24-year-old illegal alien, Raul Tovar, was arrested by Franklin Police after he was found pleasuring himself under a pedestrian bridge on Thursday.

Tovar has been charged with indecent exposure, evading arrest, resisting arrest, and criminal impersonation. Initially, Tovar lied to the police about his true identity which was later confirmed by fingerprints.

Tovar was booked into custody at the Williamson County Jail with no bond. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency placed a hold on Tovar.

Teacher Arrested for Trafficking Pot

(Calhoun County, Alabama) A teacher at Saks Middle School, Susan Trammell, was arrested Thursday and charged with marijuana trafficking. Her husband, Robert Trammell, was also arrested on the same charge.

Authorities were tipped after seeing a noticeable number of marijuana plants outside the Trammell household.

Drug Task Force Commander Richard Smith said the officers saw the marijuana plants outside the Trammell's home on Bucks Drive off of Gilberts Ferry Road near Ohatchee during a helicopter flyover Tuesday.

Once they obtained a search warrant, agents raided the home and found a man inside who was taken into custody and identified as Trammell. When Trammell's wife did not show up for work at Saks Middle School Wednesday, school officials asked her to report to the board of education building Thursday, where she was arrested.

Apparently, the Trammell's had a prominent marijuana farm adjacent to their home. Not a good idea.

Experienced dealers in contraband usually remember the term "plausible deniability" and conduct their criminal activities away from their residences.

Female Teacher Accused of Sex with Boy

(Adams County, Ohio) A 31-year-old third-grade teacher at Peebles Elementary School, Sandie Bratt, has been accused of engaging in sex with a boy. The sex reportedly began six years ago when the boy was 11. He is now 17.

Bratt is also accused of giving the boy money and transporting him to locations where he could buy drugs.

Note that Adams County is in rural southern Ohio about 50 miles east of Cincinnati.

Tip: Don Morgenstern


[Update 08/25/07]

Sandra Bratt appeared before Judge Alan Foster yesterday on a charge of felony sexual battery. She remained in custody yesterday on $50,000 bond. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for August 30th.

Added pic. Thanks Don.


[Update 01/16/08]

Sandra Bratt was sentenced to seven years in prison after admitting to having a long-term sexual relationship with her young victim. After release, Bratt faces five years probation and registration as a sex offender.

Woman, Teen and Child Sex Tape

(Camden, Delaware) A 38-year-old local woman, Rebecca S. Hoffmann, has been arrested for allegedly videotaping a 16-year-old boy as he performed sexual acts on a six-year-old girl.

Hoffman has been charged with sexual exploitation of a child, sexual solicitation of a child, second-degree unlawful sexual contact, and endangering the welfare of a child. All the charges are felonies.

The 16-year-old boy, whose name is withheld, was charged with four counts of first-degree rape, second-degree unlawful sexual contact, endangering the welfare of a child, and second-degree conspiracy -- also all felonies.

The alleged crimes were exposed when police responded to a neighborhood call and arrested three trespassers.

The three tresspassers told police they had seen a video with sexual contact between the teenager and the child.

Two of the tresspassers told police that they had taken the tape with them. Another person gave the tape to state police that afternoon.

The 16-year-old, who was arrested the next day on related charges, identified Hoffmann to police as the person operating the videocamera. Her voice was audible on the tape, giving directions to the girl, according to court records.

The girl, who is residing with her father out-of-state, told a Virginia camp counselor about sexual abuse by Hoffmann on July 6.

Hoffman is in custody at the Delaware Women's Correctional Institution with bail set at $44,000. The 16-year-old boy is in custody at the Stevenson House with bail set at $130,000. I'll be in the bathroom preparing to throw up. This report makes me sick.

Rusty Crayfish Invading Canada

(Manitoba, Canada) Canadian biologists are asking the public to be on the lookout for the rusty crayfish (Orconectes rusticus), a brutish Ohio native that is invading Falcon Lake in Whiteshell Provincial Park, in southeastern Manitoba.

From the Ohio basin, the rusty crayfish likely traveled by being carried as bait by fishermen. Once established, the rusty crayfish has proven to be virtually impossible to eradicate. As an invasive species, they eat more than native, demure Canadian crayfish.

According to Water Stewardship spokeswoman Wendy Ralley, the rusty crayfish is much more aggressive.

Ralley said the area of Falcon Lake where the rusty crayfish were found no longer has any native species left.

"They will out-compete our native species by occupying their hiding spots. They'll actually physically remove our native species out of the prime hiding spots, and that makes our native species more apt to be preyed upon by predatory fish."

The new crayfish could also "severely reduce" lake and stream vegetation, leaving native fish without any cover, spawning habitat or food.

The public is being asked to never collect or transport the crayfish for any reason to help stop the spread of the bruisers. And since May 1st, it's been illegal to possess any type of crayfish in Manitoba.

CCTV Catches Filthy Flashers

(Worthing, West Sussex) Crikey! Brit babes lifting tops and exposing themselves! How utterly imprudent!

Two 21-year-old women will appear at Chichester Crown Court to answer charges of outraging public decency after they lifted their tops and exposed their chests to CCTV cameras as they sat on a beach.

The gesture at Worthing, West Sussex, last month could lead to a six-month jail sentence for Abbi-Louise Maple and Rachel Marchant.

To top everything, the innocence of two 15-year-old boys was ripped from their beings as they watched the two lusty exposers.


[Update]

Charges dropped. Here's their picture.


Abbi-Louise Maple and Rachel Marchant
The Chief Crown Prosecutor, Sarah Jane Gallagher, in consultation with Sussex Police, decided prosecution of the case would not be in the public interest. I would agree. Britain has serious problems with crime which should be given priority over a simple outraging public decency case.

Tip: WW

Ohio Mom Gets Prison for Incest

(Toledo, Ohio) In July 2007, a 54-year-old local mother, Terry Walker, pleaded guilty to one count of sexual battery for engaging in a three-year sexual relationship with her son, 28-year-old Kevin Ware. She faced a possible five years in prison.

Yesterday in Lucas County Court, Terry Walker was sentenced by Judge Ruth Ann Franks to four years in prison. Judge Franks also ordered Walker to be classified as a sexually oriented offender.

Walker's son, Kevin Ware, has his own problems. He has been charged with rape of a seven-year-old girl.

Ohio Teacher and Teen Booze Party

(Oak Harbor, Ohio) A 49-year-old speech pathologist for the Benton-Carroll-Salem School system, Gail Browning, is facing three counts of furnishing alcohol to minors. Browning allegedly hosted an alcohol party for teens in her home. She has resigned her position with the school system.

At least five teens, friends of the Brownings' children, were drinking at the Brownings' home during the weekend of Oct. 13-15, the teens told prosecutor's office detective Don St. Clair.

Three said the Brownings came home during the party Oct. 14 and took keys away from those who drove to the home, court records show.

Gail Browning then drank beer with the group and joined in the drinking game "beer pong," the teens told St. Clair. Another said both adult Brownings played beer pong with the teens, records show.

But wait, there's more. It appears that the seriousness of the underage drinking was compounded by one teen who left the party, stole a car owned by Magistrate Bruce Winters and crashed it.

During the evening, 19-year-old Robert Booher IV disappeared from the house, the teens told St. Clair. Authorities later arrested Booher after he tried to get into Winters' home, stole Winters' Honda Civic and rolled it on Toussaint North Road.

Winters, who presides over domestic-relations cases at Ottawa County Common Pleas Court, lives near the Brownings on Portage River South Road. Authorities have not been able to determine how Booher, who said he does not remember much of the night, arrived on Winters' doorstep, Mulligan said.

Booher IV got six months in jail after pleading guilty to car theft.

Gail Browning denies hosting an underage party and has pleaded not guilty to the charges. A court appearance is scheduled for November 2nd. Since Gail Browning's husband, Kevin, was also involved, he faces counts of furnishing alcohol to minors. Thus far, he has not entered a plea.

Police: Woman Took Boy to Brothels

(Donora, Pennsylvania) A 36-year-old local woman, Linda Van Pool, has been arrested for taking a 12-year-old boy to local whorehouses where he had vaginal and oral sex with at least two women. Van Pool faces charges of endangering the welfare of children, corruption of minors along with prostitution and related offenses.

Van Pool was arraigned Wednesday before District Judge Mark A. Wilson. She was booked into custody at the Washington County Jail with bond set at $5,000. A court appearance is scheduled for September 20th.

Also implicated in the case is 37-year-old Kathleen Waggoner. She allegedly provided the cash for the boy to frequent the houses of ill-repute. Interestingly, it's reported that the money actually belonged to the boy as part of a Social Security payment.

In May, Waggoner was charged with corruption of minors and endangering the welfare of children. She now awaits trial.

Incidentally, I would suggest that it should raise an eyebrow or two that such a small town as Donora (population 5,356) has two known houses of prostitution. They are identified as being located in the 100 block of Fifth Street and the 700 block of McKean Avenue. One must presume the authorities are looking the other way or prostitution has been legalized in Pennsylvania.


[Update]

Another source indicates that Van Pool is actually the 12-year-old boy's aunt. It's also stated that police expect to arrest the two prostitutes in the near future. Added pic of Van Pool.

Tip: Commenter WW


[Update 09/01/07]

(Donora) A 24-year-old woman, Loretta Figolah, was arrested for having sex with the 12-year-old boy for money. She faces counts of corruption of minors, unlawful contact/communications with a minor and prostitution.

According to police, the boy's mother, Kathleen Waggoner, gave money to the boy's aunt, Linda Van Pool, to escort the boy to a woman who would allow him to see her breasts. Van Pool then paid Figolah $30 after she had sex with the boy. Apparently, $30 bought the boy not only a look at the breasts also a run at the dessert buffet.

Figolah was booked into the Washington County Jail with bond set at $50,000. Waggoner is free on $2,500 bond. Van Pool is free on $5,000 bond.

Figolah has a court date scheduled for September 7th.


[Update 05/08/08]

Case closed. Van Pool, Figolah, Waggoner and Tammy Lickert sentenced to various terms in lockup.

Penis Set on Fire

(Moscow, Russia) I've heard of burning love but never would I have guessed that a penis could catch fire.

A woman set fire to her ex-husband's penis as he sat naked watching television and drinking vodka, Moscow police said Wednesday.

Of course, the Russians have reputations for consuming quantities of vodka which could possibly pickle the flesh. If so, maybe this guy's penis lit up like a 4th of July sparkler.

Otherwise, I don't believe the penis will burn on its own. Naturally, I'm excluding those cases involving opportunistic bacteria of intimacy.

Tip: CN

Cable Kicking Broadcast Butt?

In the never-ending tug of ratings between broadcast television and the cable networks, opinions and loyalties vary but one fact seems certain. Fewer and fewer viewers are tuning in to NBC, CBS, ABC, et al., while cable mainstays Nickelodeon, TNT, USA and others are enjoying lofty perches.

Some people are firm in the belief that original programming on cable is consistently better than that shown on the broadcast networks.

All in all, ad-supported cable will double the viewership of broadcast TV in prime time this summer for the first time, 52.4 share to 24.2 share.

Puffer Fish Kill

(Bangkok, Thailand) With regard to puffer fish, I'm following W.C. Fields' advice.

Although banned since 2002, puffer fish continues to be sold in large quantities at local markets and restaurants, said Narin Hiransuthikul of Bangkok's Chulalonkorn University Hospital.

"Some sellers dye the meat of puffer fish and make it look like salmon which is very dangerous," Narin said.

Narin said over the past three years more than 15 people have died and about 115 were hospitalized from eating the fish.

The ovaries, liver and intestines of the puffer fish contain tetrodotoxin, a poison so potent that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it can "produce rapid and violent death."

The fish is called fugu in Japan, where it is consumed by thrill-seeking Japanese gourmets for whom the risk of poisoning adds piquancy.

Piquancy, eh? No thanks.

Teacher, 40, Boy, 14, Bumpy-Bumpy

(Coral Gables, Florida) A 40-year-old eighth-grade teacher at Ponce De Leon Middle School, Mariella Brenlla, was arrested for allegedly engaging in sex with a 14-year-old eighth-grade male student. Brenlla has been charged with lewd and lascivious battery on a juvenile.

According to Dade School Board officials, Brenlla was re-assigned to another job in the school when the investigation was launched in February.

Tip: Don Morgenstern

Girl's Privates Pierced to Control Promiscuity

(Collier County, Florida) Sometime between August and October 2004, a woman became so frustrated with her 13-year-old daughter's sexual behavior that she had the girl's genitals pierced. The intent was to make the girl's sexual relationships with two adult men, one of which was the mother's 30-year-old boyfriend, much more difficult or impossible. The hope was that she would stop doing it. The piercings consisted of a post and a connected hoop.

Now I must mention that none of this makes any sense to me. If two adult men are sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl, they should be prosecuted for child sex abuse. Not only that, but one was the mother's boyfriend? What's with that?

Regarding the post and the hoop as preventive measures, you got me. I can only think of a goal post and hula hoop, not typical appurtenances for the genitals. I don't even know how to combine the two. Imagine for a second someone attempting to stab you with a spear. Tell me how a post and a hoop will protect you. Frankly, the post and hoop approach is essentially perfume on a skunk. Long ago, the mother lost control of her daughter and anything she now does is too late. Post and hoop, padlock, even a zipper ain't gonna cut it.

Nevertheless, based upon available reports, neither of the adult men have been prosecuted. Reportedly, a warrant has been issued -- whatever that means. The mother, however, faces charges of aggravated child abuse with a possible sentence of 30 years in prison. She is scheduled for trial on October 23rd. The mother is currently free on $50,000 bail.

The mother's lawyer, Donald Day, plans to argue that the case is about parental rights as opposed to child abuse. The girl was totally out of control, Day said, and the piercings were a form of a modern chastity belt.

Day has painted the mother as someone who had exhausted all alternatives to prevent her daughter's continuous promiscuity, from curfews, to counseling, to locking her up. So she asked someone to pierce her daughter's private area to make it difficult to have sex.

Meanwhile, Tammy Jane Meredith of Baton Rouge, LA, the woman who actually inserted the piercings in the genitals of the 13-year-old, was sentenced to a year in jail after being convicted of one count of child abuse and one count of operating a body piercing service without a license. Although both felonies carried possible five-year prison sentences, Meredith agreed to testify against the girl's mother and was given a lesser term.


[Update 10/26/07]

Mother is acquitted.