Interested-Participant

Following Entry Posted 6/30/2007 11:56:00 PM

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.

Labels: Women With Troubles

Following Entry Posted 6/30/2007 11:53:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/30/2007 10:33:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/30/2007 08:56:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/30/2007 03:45:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/30/2007 01:23:00 PM

Vampire Boy

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

Following Entry Posted 6/30/2007 12:14:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/30/2007 12:07:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/29/2007 05:33:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/29/2007 12:53:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/29/2007 11:20:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/29/2007 09:46:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/29/2007 08:24:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/29/2007 06:16:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/28/2007 08:53:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/28/2007 07:08:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/28/2007 06:23:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/28/2007 05:01:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/28/2007 02:10:00 PM

"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.

Following Entry Posted 6/28/2007 11:22:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/28/2007 08:23:00 AM

"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.

Following Entry Posted 6/27/2007 08:53:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/27/2007 04:49:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/27/2007 02:36:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/27/2007 12:24:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/27/2007 09:25:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/27/2007 08:16:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/27/2007 07:28:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/26/2007 08:58:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/26/2007 03:48:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/26/2007 02:44:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/26/2007 12:21:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/26/2007 09:32:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/26/2007 08:29:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/26/2007 04:45:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/25/2007 04:04:00 PM

"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.

Following Entry Posted 6/25/2007 11:08:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/25/2007 10:21:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/25/2007 12:32:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/24/2007 07:03:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/24/2007 02:08:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/24/2007 12:36:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/23/2007 10:28:00 PM

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?

Following Entry Posted 6/23/2007 08:50:00 AM

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

Following Entry Posted 6/23/2007 01:09:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/22/2007 11:54:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/22/2007 08:46:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/22/2007 07:55:00 AM

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

Following Entry Posted 6/22/2007 05:52:00 AM

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

Following Entry Posted 6/22/2007 12:23:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/21/2007 04:37:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/21/2007 10:38:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/21/2007 08:16:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/21/2007 06:45:00 AM

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

Following Entry Posted 6/21/2007 12:08:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/20/2007 11:32:00 PM

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

Following Entry Posted 6/20/2007 01:00:00 PM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/20/2007 10:00:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/20/2007 08:08:00 AM

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.

Following Entry Posted 6/20/2007 06:22:00 AM

Utah Teacher Gets Early Release

(Tooele, Utah) In August 2006, 42-year-old teacher's assistant at Tooele High School, Leslie Baird, was arrested for sexually abusing several students.

In November, Baird pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree felony forcible sexual abuse in exchange for the prosecution dropping counts of forcible sodomy, supplying alcohol to a minor and dealing harmful material to a minor.

In January 2007, 3rd District Judge Mark Kouris ordered Baird to undergo a 90-day psychological evaluation period with the Utah Prison system.

In April, it was reported that Judge Kouris sentenced Baird to probation.

However, according to the latest report, Baird was actually sentenced to a one-year jail term, starting in January. It has also been reported that Baird was released early from Tooele County Detention Center after her attorney told Judge Kouris that there have been no incidents during her incarceration.

Consequently, Baird served less than half of her sentence. She will be fitted with an ankle bracelet and allowed to serve the balance of her term on house arrest.

Following Entry Posted 6/20/2007 01:08:00 AM

Teacher Darcie Esson Guilty in Sex Case

(Glenwood Springs, Colorado) In December 2006, a 32-year-old English teacher at Elizabeth High School, Darcie Esson, was arrested for allegedly engaging in sex with a 17-year-old male student. Authorities were alerted after the student reportedly bragged about having sex with Esson in a Glenwood Springs hotel room.

At the time, Esson was going through a divorce and had her two children, ages 4 and 8, plus a babysitter in the hotel room with her. The three kids were believed to be asleep when the student entered the room in the early morning hours to have sex with Esson. The babysitter allegedly saw the boy enter the room and the following morning found a used condom on the floor of the bathroom.

Subsequently, Esson was charged with sexual assault of a child by a person in a position of trust. She was released on bond and later hired high-profile attorney, Pamela Mackey, who previously represented LA Lakers star Kobe Bryant in his frenzied celebrity rape case.

Yesterday, Darcie Esson, now 33, pleaded guilty before District Judge Denise Lynch to engaging in sex with the boy.

Esson had been charged with two counts of sexual assault on a child ages 15-17 while in a position of trust, and one count of sexual abuse on a child in a position of trust as a pattern of abuse. She pleaded guilty to a single count of sexual assault on a child ages 15-17 while in a position of trust, and the other two charges were dropped as part of the plea agreement.

Esson faces mandatory lifetime parole supervision, but any time in prison will be up to Lynch, who noted that convictions of such offenses carry a possible indeterminate sentence up to life.

Consequently, it's up to Judge Lynch to determine Esson's punishment, if any, at sentencing, currently scheduled for August 16th. Remaining unexplained in the Esson case is the status of new charges reportedly filed against her last month.

Interestingly, attorney Mackey objected during yesterday's proceedings when Deputy District Attorney Amy Fitch read the "factual basis" of Esson's offense, detailing the activities in the hotel room.

"This has nothing to do with the elements (of the crime)," Mackey said "The press is in the courtroom."

Apparently, shining the light of day on the details of the crime is not beneficial to the defense.

[12/14/07]

Esson sentenced to 90 days in jail.

Following Entry Posted 6/19/2007 09:42:00 PM

Mayor Bloomberg Now Independent

NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg has changed his party affiliation from Republican to independent, fueling speculation that he plans to run for president.

"I have filed papers with the New York City Board of Elections to change my status as a voter and register as unaffiliated with any political party," he said in a statement issued while he was in California delivering political speeches.

"Although my plans for the future haven't changed, I believe this brings my affiliation into alignment with how I have led and will continue to lead our city," the mayor said.

I think this means that, upon review of his performance, Bloomberg finally realized that he has no core values common to either political party. Maybe I should have ended that statement with "no core values."

Following Entry Posted 6/19/2007 04:23:00 PM

Meth Teacher Gets Probation

(Grand Junction, Colorado) Tammie Liberty Lee (formerly Tammie Lee Reed) has been sentenced.

Mesa County District Judge Thomas Deister sentenced Reed, 42, to four years on probation, 21 months of work release, 100 hours of community service and mandatory drug treatment.

The sentence was handed down as part of a plea agreement that dismissed two of Reed's four criminal cases in exchange for two guilty pleas in cases involving possession of more than 1 gram of meth and theft from a check-cashing business.

Deister also granted Reed permission to leave the state to attend her daughter’s wedding next month before she must surrender her driver’s license.

I'm at a loss for words. Obviously, Tammie Liberty Lee (formerly Tammie Lee Reed) is coated with Teflon.

From previous entry - 05/15/07:

The story of former first-grade teacher Tammie Liberty Lee (formerly Tammie Lee Reed) has become ridiculous. Two days after she appeared in court last month and pleaded guilty to drug and check fraud charges, Tammie Liberty Lee failed a drug test. Two freakin' days! So, she was arrested ... again.

Forty-two-year-old Lee has been arrested five times in the last 19 months for methamphetamine possession and various other charges. It appears that all she does is go into jail, gets bailed out and then, apparently immediately, goes and gets more methamphetamine.

All the while, it seems the law enforcement community and prosecuting attorneys explore every conceivable way to avoid punishing her. Time and again, words of probation and treatment and supervision are uttered, but not prison. It's exasperating follow the story.

On Sunday, Lee was arrested on a warrant issued after her failed drug test and today she appeared in court. Judge Richard Gurley set bond at $20,000 and recommended a drug treatment program be included in her sentence.

It's unclear what's going to happen next. Possibly, Lee's plea agreement will be voided because of the new charge. If the plea agreement holds, however, a ruling in expected on June 18th.

And the ruling is -- probation.

[Update 06/30/07]

There should be little surprise here. Less than two weeks after her sentencing, Tammie Lee Reed (Liberty Lee) is arrested again.

Tammie Lee Reed, 42, was arrested Friday afternoon after investigators discovered she lied during her June 18 sentencing hearing to obtain a permit to leave Colorado before reporting for work release, according to court records. She could face charges of attempting to influence a public servant and violating bail-bond conditions, both of which are felonies.

According to a warrant affidavit, Reed's statement that she needed to leave Colorado from July 2 to July 11 for her daughter's wedding in Reno, Nev., could not be true, because her daughter is not scheduled to marry anyone.

Of course, this eventuality will allow the authorities to administer yet another hand-slap. Stay tuned.

[Update 04/10/08]

Reed convicted again. Sentencing in May.

Following Entry Posted 6/19/2007 03:40:00 PM

Illegal Accused of Attempted Kidnapping of Girl, 14

(Brookings, South Dakota) A 20-year-old illegal alien, Juan Manuel Rodriguez, has been arrested for the attempted kidnapping of a 14-year-old Elkton girl.

Assistant Sheriff Scott Sebring says a man had gotten into an Elkton home early Saturday and tried to pull the girl out of a window, but she fought back and the man ran off. Authorities then were contacted about 3:00 AM.

The girl gave authorities a description and a first name, which eventually led to the arrest of Juan Manuel Rodriguez.

Rodriguez has been charged with multiple crimes, including kidnapping and burglary. He was booked into custody at the Brookings County Jail in lieu of $20,000 cash bond.

I guess one would have to know more details but it seems that $20,000 is a fairly low bond amount for an individual who is a definite flight risk.

Following Entry Posted 6/19/2007 01:13:00 PM

Gov. Strickland Bows to Terror Supporters

This just makes me sick.

Ohio's psychologist governor, Ted Strickland, spoke at the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Ohio chapter, annual banquet on Sunday. Strickland told the group he appreciated its promotion of justice and mutual understanding and blah, blah, blah you guys are wonderful.

Obviously, Strickland doesn't mind that CAIR has been implicated as a co-conspirator in a criminal conspiracy to support the Hamas terrorist group. Apparently, it also doesn't bother Strickland that, even today, ski-masked Hamas terrorists are killing Palestinians in a takeover of the Gaza Strip. Do an Internet search if you'd like to see much more of CAIR's actions as a supporter and apologist for terrorists.

But our psychologist governor either hasn't been keeping up on current events or he doesn't care. And, of course, Ohio's lefty media is ignoring Strickland's butt-kissing foray among the CAIR cabal.

I shouldn't be surprised, though. It's business as usual for leftist politicians and the leftist excuse-makers in the media.

Following Entry Posted 6/19/2007 11:11:00 AM

Milwaukee Police Officer Is Illegal Alien

(Milwaukee, Wisconsin) Last month, a Milwaukee police officer named Jose Morales was placed on suspension for investigation as an illegal alien who allegedly stole a dead cousin's identity.

Since that time, it's been confirmed that 24-year-old Oscar Ayala-Cornejo stole the identity of his cousin, Jose A. Morales.

In February, a U.S. Department of Homeland Security agent received an anonymous call from someone reporting Ayala-Cornejo was an illegal immigrant but was using the identity of his dead cousin, the complaint says.

Investigators compared Ayala-Cornejo's driver's license to yearbook photos from two high schools he attended as two different identities, the complaint said. Relatives also admitted Ayala-Cornejo took the identity of Ayala-Cornejo's cousin Jose Morales, who was born in Chicago about seven months before Ayala-Cornejo.

Last week, Ayala-Cornejo agreed to a plea deal with federal prosecutors which specifies six to 12 months in prison, deportation and resignation from the Milwaukee Police.

Interestingly, Ayala-Cornejo's brother, Alexander Ayala, 26, is a U.S. citizen and a Milwaukee police officer. It seems that brother Oscar had an opportunity to become a U.S. citizen by the normal, official route but opted for the illegal method after being encouraged by the Morales family.

Ayala-Cornejo's mother, Maria, told authorities her now-dead husband helped arrange the identity theft with relatives in Chicago, according to the complaint.

Jose Morales died of cancer, Morales' brother, Jamie, told authorities. Jamie Morales said his father volunteered Jose's identity when he died, the complaint said.

Questions still remain regarding the adequacy of background checks and the culpability of other individuals, in particular, Ayala-Cornejo's brother, who was complicit in keeping the identity theft a secret.

Also, according to Chief Deputy District Attorney Jon Reddin, Ayala-Cornejo's criminal acts likely won't affect the resolution of previous cases since he wasn't "a terribly active officer" nor "involved in any major cases." Nonetheless, every piece of paper with Ayala-Cornejo's signature (as Morales) could be impeached.

Sentencing remains to be scheduled.

Tip: slwlion

Companion post at Diggers Realm.

Following Entry Posted 6/19/2007 12:26:00 AM

Woman Accused of Rape of Boy

(Glens Falls, New York) A 53-year-old Queensbury woman, Debra Menhert, has been arraigned in Glens Falls City Court on rape and criminal sex charges involving a 13-year-old boy.

Police were alerted a week ago by the boy's mother.

Menhert reportedly has admitted to the offenses. She was booked into the Warren County Correctional Facility with bail set at $10,000.

Tip: Don Morgenstern

[Update 10/01/07]

[Note: Two spellings have been used in the reporting of this case -- Mehnert and Menhert. According to WhitePages.com, Mehnert is correct.]

Mehnert sentenced to prison.

Following Entry Posted 6/19/2007 12:05:00 AM

Boy, 5, Takes Heroin to School

(Buffalo, New York) State authorities temporarily closed a local day care center last week after a five-year-old boy was found to be handing out packets of heroin. Six children were rushed to the hospital, evaluated and released.

The boy's parents contend that their son must have found the heroin while walking to school with his mommy and two sisters.

"It was all wrapped up in waxed paper and they had smile faces stamped on them like these M&Ms," the child's father, Wayne Clamp said.

He said he was shown the packets of heroin by police after it was confiscated.

The parents insist the heroin didn't come from their house.

"He didn't think it was something bad," Clamp said. "He said it smelled like bread crumbs."

If one believes the parents, it appears that Buffalo's drug dealers are somewhat negligent by leaving packets of heroin on the ground like litter. On the other hand, it's much easier to imagine that the boy picked up the heroin in his house. Police are investigating.

Tip: slwlion

Following Entry Posted 6/18/2007 05:18:00 PM

Hispanic Protest in NE Ohio

(Painesville, Ohio) The temperature and tension are rising in Lake County's Mexican community. In May, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents apprehended 24 illegal aliens in accordance with arrest warrants, separating them from their families.

Since then, federal agents have returned several times with arrest warrants for specific people. But the agents typically question other Latinos they chance upon and detain those suspected of being here illegally.

Greg Palmore, a spokesman for the ICE in Detroit, said federal agents are enforcing the law and will continue to do so.

In response to the enforcement actions, a gathering of about 300 pro-illegal protesters, some imported, rallied yesterday in downtown Painesville.

The crowd included smiling children, grim-faced grandmothers and men in white straw hats common to Leon, Mexico, which has sent hundreds of its sons and daughters to Lake County. Church leaders came from Cleveland and farmworkers rode buses from Northwest Ohio.

They marched six blocks to Veterans Memorial Park, the downtown common, waving American flags and carrying signs.

Word has it that both the Lake County Sheriff's Department and the Painesville Police were placed on cautionary alert for yesterday's rally in preparation for potential disturbances. None materialized. All in all, the protest rally was uneventful.

Companion post at Diggers Realm.

Following Entry Posted 6/18/2007 12:33:00 PM

Parole Boards Define Arbitrariness

One of the reasons I support the death penalty for capital criminals is that it's definite, conclusive and assured punishment. The customary alternative, life in prison, exhibits none of those characteristics.

People sentenced to life, for example, could escape or could be accidentally released via an administrative technicality or they could be pardoned, have their sentences commuted or they could be paroled. In fact, there are so many variables related to life prison terms that one realistically should have a sense of foreboding rather than reassurance when they are imposed.

With all that in mind, Matt Dole relates the story of murderer, William Clumm, convicted in the 1977 premeditated death of his wife and sentenced to life in prison. After 30 years, the Parole Board now apparently thinks Clumm has spent his entire life in prison, obviously disregarding the fact that he's still alive, and the board wants to release him. Growing up without a mother, the children of the murdered woman are outraged that her killer is being released and fear for their own safety. They are asking for support to keep Clumm in the joint.

Go visit.

Following Entry Posted 6/18/2007 10:27:00 AM

Restrictions on Homework

(Toronto, Canada) There is entirely too much educatin' going on in Canada, according to two teenage trustees of the Toronto District School Board. Consequently, teen trustees Nick Kennedy and Ted Kuhn have asked the school board to approve a new homework policy.

The new homework policy the Toronto District School Board is being asked to consider:
- Homework assignments cannot exceed 10 minutes per grade, per night

- No "overloading" students with homework on weekends; assign equivalent of only one night's homework

- Include time spent reading in allotted homework time

- No homework during March Break or Christmas holidays

- No tests on Mondays

The board already approved a policy proposed last week by teen trustee Kuhn that puts "a four-day pre-examination moratorium on major assignments and activities so that students writing exams won't be saddled with homework."

It's believed that the new policy will "help stressed-out students" and provide consistency throughout the district, according to Kuhn.

Also, it's logical to assume that the Toronto District School Board is trending toward possibly having even younger trustees advocating longer recess periods, video games in each classroom and the abolition of school detention. The complete elimination of adult influence on the school board is possibly the utopian goal.

Following Entry Posted 6/18/2007 09:08:00 AM

Upstate NY Woman Accused of Sex with Girl

(Fort Edward, New York) A 28-year-old local woman, Christina M. Garrison, was arrested last week for allegedly engaging in a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old girl. Garrison faces counts of misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a child and felony third-degree criminal sexual act.

A caller to the Washington County Sheriff's office alerted authorities to the alleged sexual relationship.

Garrison was booked into the Washington County Jail with her release contingent on $10,000 cash bail or $20,000 bond.

Following Entry Posted 6/18/2007 12:10:00 AM

Cooking Crab Nets Animal Cruelty Charge

Yngve Ekern, the food writer for the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten, has been accused of animal cruelty by the animal rights group NOAH for writing an article about cooking crab. A criminal charge was dismissed and referred to the Conciliation Board for resolution.

"Showing how to boil living crabs is encouraging law-breaking. Crabs are also covered by the Animal Protection Act, and animals shall not be exposed to pain," NOAH leader Siri Martinsen told Journalisten.no.

"It is highly probable that crabs have the ability to feel pain. We know too little about it and the animals should get the benefit of the doubt," she said.

To resolve the crab-pain issue, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority will establish a committee to examine the question of what crabs can feel during the boiling. Presumably, the committee will contract the services of several eminent crab psychologists.

Following Entry Posted 6/17/2007 10:12:00 PM

Sex Assault of Horse

(Corvallis, Oregon) A 17-year-old male was arrested on burglary and animal sexual abuse after being caught in the barn being rather intimate with a horse. His parents are likely not very proud of his interest in animal husbandry. The teenager was booked into the Linn-Benton Detention Center and released. A court appearance is scheduled for June 20th.

Readers may recall a similar story about horse sex in Washington State that resulted in the death of a participant. There must be something in the water in the Pacific Northwest.

More disturbing is that a critically-acclaimed film called Zoo was trumpeted at the Cannes Film Festival this year for its "mysterious and intensely beautiful" depiction of bestiality.

We can all thank moral relativism for removing all barriers to uncivilized behavior.

Following Entry Posted 6/17/2007 08:49:00 PM

School Principal Gets Jail for Crack

(Tampa, Florida) The 40-year-old principal at Van Buren Middle School, Anthony Giancola, was sentenced this past week to 364 days in jail after pleading guilty to purchasing crack cocaine, possessing crack cocaine and possessing marijuana.

Giancola was arrested in February after buying a $20 rock of crack cocaine from an undercover police officer.

"Just 20, that's all I got," Giancola is heard telling the confidential informant. "I cashed in my change. I'm so [expletive] broke."

Police, in the taped interview, asked Giancola what had brought him to this point and whether he had ever partied or smoked crack in the school. Giancola said he had drugs in his pocket one time, but he never smoked during work.

Giancola did cocaine with prostitutes at local motels, although he never had sex with them, he told police.

What a guy! Sure, Giancola went to motels and did drugs with hookers but there was no sex. Obviously, he's a man of self-restraint and strong character.

Giancola must report to jail by June 30th and he must forfeit his teaching credentials. If he completes an in-jail drug treatment program before his term has expired, the balance of his sentence will be suspended.

Following Entry Posted 6/17/2007 04:48:00 AM

Woman, Man Guilty of Gross Sex Assaults

(Bangor, Maine) On Friday, a jury convicted a 46-year-old woman, Stephanie Stark, and a 49-year-old man, Peter Mills, of multiple counts of gross sexual assault of two women in 2005. Mills was also convicted of assaulting a third woman.

The eight women and four men of the jury found that Stark and Mills drugged the women in order to make them unable to resist sexual attacks.

All three victims in the case testified earlier this week that they believe they drank wine laced with some sort of drug that made them unable to resist the assaults. All three said one or both of the defendants subjected them to sexual acts, some of which involved sex toys and other objects. Each victim said she never consented to any of the sexual acts.

After the verdict, Michael Povich, Hancock County district attorney, praised the "three amazing and courageous women" for coming forward and filing criminal complaints against Mills and Stark.

Stephanie Stark & Peter Mills

Two of the women were 20 years old on June 16, 2005, when they went out to a Bar Harbor restaurant with Mills and Stark and then returned to Mills' Bar Harbor apartment. One woman said she blacked out after drinking wine Mills poured for her at his house, while the other said after she drank the same wine she started feeling hazy and oddly detached from her surroundings before she was sexually assaulted by Stark. Both women said they hurriedly left Mills' house feeling ill early the next morning after they awoke in Mills' bed and were sexually assaulted by him.

The third victim, who is 48 years old, testified that she was sexually assaulted by Mills and Stark after they came to her house in Surry on June 18, 2005.

After the verdict was read, Stark and Mills were taken away in handcuffs to await sentencing, tentatively scheduled for "sometime in the next few months."

Tip: Don Morgenstern

[Update 09/27/07]

From Bangor News:

Justice William S. Brodrick sentenced Peter Mills, 50, of Southwest Harbor, to 10 years in prison with none of the sentence suspended. Stephanie Stark, 45, of Bar Harbor, was sentenced to seven years in prison, also with none of it suspended.

On additional charges, each also received consecutive multi-year sentences that were suspended entirely, Mills for seven years and Stark for five. Each will serve three years of probation upon their release from prison but could go back behind bars for the duration of their suspended sentences if they violate any conditions of their probation.

Defense attorneys said they intend to appeal.

Following Entry Posted 6/16/2007 07:27:00 PM

Toddler Given Alcohol at Applebee's

(Antioch, California) The mother of a two-year-old, Kim Mayorga, is making a big deal out of the fact that a local Applebee's restaurant served alcohol to her child in his plastic sippy cup and he became sick.

She had ordered his favorite drink -- apple juice -- but he kept making funny faces and pushing away his plastic, lidded cup.

"Finally, I'm like, 'That's crazy. He loves apple juice,' " she said.

Concerned, Mayorga opened the lid and checked the juice. She was instantly hit by the reek of booze.

"When I called the waitress over, I couldn't believe what I was saying: 'You served my son alcohol.' "

Corporate representatives later told Mayorga that the mistaken beverage poured in her son's cup was their "top-shelf" margarita, complete with Triple Sec and high-quality tequila.

The restaurant keeps apple juice and the premade "top-shelf" liquor fusion in two identical-looking plastic bottles on ice behind the bar, [Applebee's Vice President] Tei said.

Markings on the bottles differentiate the two, but a manager who was working at the time mistakenly grabbed the margarita mixture instead of the apple juice jug.

Logically, the next person pulled over by the cops after getting hammered at Applebee's can say, "Honest, Offishur. All I had was apple juice."

Following Entry Posted 6/16/2007 09:49:00 AM

The Growing Hispanic Brothel Industry

(Nashville, Tennessee) Frankly, I'm thinking that this story doesn't exactly fit into the "doing jobs Americans won't do" meme.

[L]aw enforcement officers tasked with combating the illicit, highly organized businesses say Hispanic brothels are a growing problem in the Nashville area, where single, male immigrant laborers are creating a burgeoning demand for the services of female immigrant prostitutes.

Of course, it is disturbing that the illegals arrive and, instead of becoming customers for home-grown American whores, they demand that Latino hookers be smuggled into the U.S. The U.S. brothel industry and all American prostitutes have been besmirched.

Therefore, hookers are sneaking across the border not to do jobs Americans won't do but to do jobs Americans won't do well enough. Sheesh!

Following Entry Posted 6/16/2007 08:39:00 AM

Convicted Molester Sent Home

As a reminder, here's the history of the case.

(Doylestown, Pennsylvania) Twenty-year-old Telford mother of one, Krystal Gehret, was charged with sexual assault of two different 14-year-old boys in two different counties.

Gehret was convicted of the offenses in both counties and now she has been sentenced in both counties.

Here is a timeline of Krystal Gehret's legal troubles.

In April 2006, Gehret was arrested and charged for engaging in sex with a 14-year-old boy in Montgomery County, Pa. The relationship led to a pregnancy and an abortion. Gehret was arraigned and released on bail.

Later in April 2006, Gehret was arrested and charged for engaging in sex with a different 14-year-old boy in Bucks County, Pa. Allegations surfaced that Gehret also attempted to intimidate a witness. She was arraigned and released on bail.

In August 2006, Gehret pleaded guilty in Bucks County to aggravated indecent assault, statutory sexual assault and other offenses related to engaging in sex with the first 14-year-old.

In January 2007, Gehret pleaded guilty in Montgomery County to statutory sexual assault in connection with a June 2005 incident. She was sentenced to six to 23 months in the county prison and ordered to complete two years probation upon release. Gehret was paroled in March.

Two months ago in Bucks County, Judge Rea Boylan sentenced Gehret to 11 to 23 months in prison for sex crimes committed against a 14-year-old boy. Judge Boylan also sentenced her to a year of probation after her release for intimidating a witness and prohibited her from being alone with anyone under 14 unless approved by child protective services. Sex offender registration is also required.

Apparently, the penal system will be charged with sorting out exactly what Gehret is required to do. As it is, she likely will be in prison for the next year and then be on probation for at least a year. It's not clear how the punishments and conditions will be consolidated since two different jurisdictions are involved. In any event, I think Gehret would have seen harsher treatment had all her crimes been adjudicated in one court.

And let's not forget that Gehret is responsible for the lasting damage of imparting unknown psychological trauma on two boys while bearing a child and aborting another. A few years from now, Gehret will likely be able to shrug everything off and go on with her life. The victims' lives, however, are forever tainted.

And, here's the latest.

A 20-year-old Telford woman who had sex with two 14-year-old boys in 2005 -- and threatened one to prevent him from testifying against her -- won the right to go on house arrest Friday.

Bucks County Judge Rea Boylan ordered Krystle Joy Gehret to be released to house arrest -- living in the home of her grandparents -- as long as she undergoes sex offender treatment and stays away from children.

She was sentenced to 11 to 23 months in prison in April.

So, after two months, she goes home. Apparently all the supervision and treatment and evaluation and crap was too much for the system and the only escape for the judge was to give up and say "The hell with it. Let her go." Just freakin' great!

In a nutshell:

January 2007 - Sentenced to six to 23 months in prison.
March 2007 - Paroled
April 2007 - Sentenced to 11 to 23 months in prison.
June 2007 - Sent home.

Is it any wonder that terror suspects want to be tried by the U.S justice system?

Following Entry Posted 6/16/2007 06:59:00 AM

NJ Teacher - Student Sex Probe

(Kearny, New Jersey) A 27-year-old English teacher at Kearny High School, Celeste Adamski, was suspended from her teaching position on Wednesday for alleged inappropriate sexual activity with up to four male students. Law enforcement authorities were alerted immediately.

According to Superintendent of Schools Robert Mooney, the allegations are serious and sexual but he refused to delineate them.

A student approached Kearny High Principal Al Somma on Wednesday morning and told him about the alleged sexual activity. School officials then called in a student alleged to have engaged in the activity with Adamski and he confirmed the portion of the allegation that pertained to him, Mooney said.

Adamski was brought before school officials accompanied by her union representative, but neither Somma nor Mooney would say what Adamski's response was to the allegations.

After the meeting, Adamski - whose husband, John Adamski, is a history teacher at the high school - was suspended pending the outcome of an ongoing investigation, the school officials said.

The investigation continues.

[Update 10/12/07]

Adamski pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of third-degree official misconduct in the Jersey City courtroom of Superior Court Judge Peter Vazquez.

The charge carries a possible sentence of 3 to 5 years in prison, but there is a presumption of non-incarceration for first-time offenders. Under the plea deal, prosecutors will ask for probation only as a sentence for Adamski, said Hudson County Deputy First Assistant Prosecutor Debra Simon. Adamski is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 30.

As part of the deal Adamski will lose her job at Kearny High School, give up her teaching certificate, and be barred from public employment, Simon said.

"We are looking to put this behind us and move on," said Kearny Superintendent of Schools Robert P. Mooney. "We advise parents and students having any difficulty with this, or any situation, to contact us. We are here to help."

Adamski's husband, John Adamski, continues to teach history at the high school and Mooney said he is in good standing.

Sounds like a hand slap is forthcoming.

[Update 12/01/07]

Adamski given hand slap.

Following Entry Posted 6/16/2007 05:26:00 AM

Ten Years Prison for Sex with Boy

(Gilbert, Arizona) Last February, a 38-year-old student teacher at South Valley Junior High School, Jeri Deanne Perez, was arrested for engaging in sex with a 14-year-old boy. The sex between Perez and the boy, the son of a friend, occurred on six occasions in November and December 2006 at her home.

Last month, Perez accepted the terms of an agreement and pleaded guilty to three felony counts of attempted sexual contact with a minor. As part of the deal, Perez concurred with a sentence of 5 to 15 years in prison, compulsory registration as a sex offender and lifetime supervised probation.

Yesterday, Perez was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Following Entry Posted 6/15/2007 10:12:00 PM

Teacher Bugs Teacher

(Flushing, Michigan) A 44-year-old Flushing Middle School teacher, Anne Marie Harvey, has been accused of bugging another teacher's classroom. She faces a charge of attempted eavesdropping.

FoxNews:

Prosecutors have charged a middle school science teacher with bugging a colleague's classroom. Police accuse Anne Marie Harvey, 44, of planting a wireless listening device on the back of a chair after her daughter complained about problems she was having with another teacher at Flushing Middle School. Police said the bugged teacher found the device and reported it May 18.

Harvey was charged this week with attempted eavesdropping, a misdemeanor with a penalty of up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine. Her arraignment was scheduled for June 25 in Flushing, about 60 miles northwest of Detroit.

Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said the case is unusual and the charge is appropriate.

I remember complaining to my father about one of my teachers in high school and he said, "Tough shinola, Tarzan. Deal with it." I don't think electronic eavesdropping was even considered.

Following Entry Posted 6/15/2007 09:20:00 PM

Teacher Withrow Gets Hand Slapped for Sex with Boy, 11

(Smithfield, North Carolina) In October 2006, a 30-year-old fifth-grade teacher at Polenta Elementary School, Rebecca Withrow, was arrested for engaging in sex with an 11-year-old boy.

The sex reportedly occurred in the classroom between February and June 2003. Subsequently and astonishingly, Withrow was also accused of engaging in sex with the 11-year-old boy's father.

Ultimately, Withrow, a divorced mother of two young girls, was charged with rape, indecent liberties and committing a sex offense against a student.

Reported today, Rebecca Withrow pleaded no contest to committing a sex offense against a student in accordance with a plea deal. In exchange, the rape and indecent liberties charges were dismissed. As a result of the plea, Withrow was sentenced to 120 days in jail with credit given for 40 days already served.

Withrow was also ordered to complete five years of supervised probation and 120 days of community service. No contact with her victim or his family will be allowed.

No information is available regarding Withrow's teaching credentials or whether she will be required to register as a sex offender. Maybe I'm being a little picky but since she is guilty of engaging in sex with an 11-year-old boy in the classroom over a period of several months, it would seem appropriate to take action which would preclude her from offending again.

Tip: Don Morgenstern

Following Entry Posted 6/15/2007 08:33:00 AM

Teacher Guilty of Drug and Weapons Charges

(Kailua, Hawaii) Last February, a 38-year-old math and reading teacher at Kaelepule Elementary School, Bronwyn Kugle, was arrested on federal drug charges and for possessing a loaded weapon not registered to her. Kugle allegedly conspired to distribute cocaine and Ecstasy.

Yesterday, Kugle tearfully pleaded guilty to federal drug and firearms charges including conspiring to traffic in cocaine and Ecstasy and to being a drug user who kept a loaded pistol within easy reach.

Kugle told the court that she is embarrassed and sorry because she is a school teacher.

Sentencing is scheduled for October 5th. According to federal guidelines, she faces at least five years in prison.

[Update 10/10/07]

Kugle sentenced.

Following Entry Posted 6/15/2007 06:53:00 AM

Advertising Aimed High

The latest innovation in advertising has a certain Plains of Nasca element to it. No less than those giant figures in South America which are only visible from the air, commercial promotion is being displayed on British farmland along the flight path of airplanes destined for Gatwick Airport, south of London.

Last week, a 100,000-square-foot silhouette of a naked pole dancer advertising a personal services website was painted on a field, visible to thousands of visitors in and out of Gatwick Airport daily.

The local Surrey council has threatened to sue if the designer, London-based Sports Media Gaming (SMG), doesn't remove it.

SMG has refused, claiming it's not a concern of the local council since it can only be seen from the air. Not only that, but SMG plans to paint similar advertisements on fields beneath flight paths out of Manchester, Leeds and Stansted airports.

Following Entry Posted 6/15/2007 05:46:00 AM

Blogging Doctor Under Investigation

(Cairns, Australia) An Aussie doctor, Gavin Cleland, is being investigated by the Ethical Standards Unit of Queensland Health for disclosing patient information on his MySpace blog. The name of an 87-year-old patient and the details of his rectal exam and enema treatment were released to the public on Cleland's blog.

In Brisbane on Friday, Queensland Liberal leader Dr Bruce Flegg described the incident as "reprehensible."

"Clearly doctors ... have a duty to protect the confidentiality of their patients in all but extreme circumstances," Dr Flegg said.

"It's extremely unusual to divulge patient details, but to publish them on the internet where they could be available for any sort of misuse would be even rarer, and even more reprehensible."

Under the socialized medical care system in Australia, Cleland could be fined a few thousand dollars and called before the Medical Board.

I'm not a medical expert but I think the penalty in the U.S. for violating privacy of patients is civil fines and personal injury lawsuits along with loss of professional credentials, lengthy incarceration and possible lethal injection. I'm not sure but I know that they're real picky.

Following Entry Posted 6/14/2007 11:49:00 PM

Puppy Fed to Snake

(Phoenix, Arizona) A 40-year-old local man, Joseph Beadle, was sentenced today to 90 days in jail and two years' probation for covering his puppy with oil and feeding it alive to his malnourished 8-foot-long boa constrictor.

Beadle has already served 51 days of his sentence after pleading guilty to one count of cruelty to animals. The judge ordered Beadle to undergo a psychological evaluation and a drug test. His snake had to be euthanized because it went crazy.

Interestingly, it's not exactly clear what constituted the cruelty to animals offense. The snake was neglected in an apparent act of cruelty. The puppy was covered in cooking oil and consumed by the snake, also an apparent act of cruelty. Logically, it would seem that Beadle committed two acts of animal cruelty.

Therefore, it's not known whether Beadle is doing 90 days for his treatment of the snake or the puppy.

Following Entry Posted 6/14/2007 10:31:00 PM

CO Teacher Gets 4 Months in Sex Case

(Lakewood, Colorado) In July 2006, Michelle Leigh Tolar, an English teacher and counselor at Jefferson Hills Residential Treatment Center, a troubled youth facility, was accused of engaging in sex with a 16-year-old student.

Tolar was charged with one count of sexual assault on a child by someone in a position of trust and one count of sexual assault.

In March, Tolar pleaded guilty to contributing to the delinquency of a minor and attempted sexual assault on a child.

Today, 27-year-old Tolar was sentenced to four months in jail with work release and 10 years of intensive sex offender probation. She will also have to register as a sex offender.

In court, Tolar apologized to her victim.

Following Entry Posted 6/14/2007 10:37:00 AM

Giant "Rubber Chicken" Dinosaur Found

The skeleton of a giant feathered dinosaur has been found in the Gobi Desert in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Scientists say the bird-like creature, called Gigantoraptor erlianensis, lived more than 70 million years ago and weighed more than 3,000 pounds.

Dr. Henry Gee of Nature magazine said the newly-found dinosaur would have looked strange, "like an extremely gigantic giant rubber chicken."

Heh.

Following Entry Posted 6/14/2007 09:27:00 AM

The Last Appeal?

(Indonesia) The government of Indonesia is known for its harsh treatment of convicted drug users and traffickers. Based upon the following, it also appears that the Indonesians don't particularly like people to complain either.

Five Chinese nationals, a Dutchman and a Frenchman who appealed against the length of their convictions on drug charges were instead sentenced to death this month.

Heh.

Following Entry Posted 6/13/2007 05:27:00 PM

Bilingual Aide Pleads No Contest to Sex Crimes

(Paso Robles, California) Earlier this year, a 24-year-old teacher's aide at Flamson Middle School, Cora Marie Solorio, was arrested for allegedly engaging in a sexual relationship with a 13-year-old male student.

Solorio was charged with lewd and lascivious acts with a minor and oral copulation with a child under 14 years of age. She was booked and later released on $100,000 bond.

Apparently, Solorio functioned as a bilingual tutor although she was initially hired as a clerical worker. It is as a tutor that she met with students. She is a married mother-of-three, maiden name Nungaray, who also was previously a student at Flamson Middle School. Reportedly, she was having marital problems when the relationship with the boy transpired in her cubicle at work and at her home.

Last Friday, Solorio pleaded no contest to committing a lewd act on a child under age 14 and to two charges of having oral sex with a child under age 14 in accordance with a plea bargain. In exchange, the district attorney dropped four counts of a lewd act and three counts of oral sex.

Sentencing has been scheduled for July 18th. Solorio's crimes carry a potential penalty of 12 years in prison.

Getting real, I'll boldly predict that she gets probation with an order for some sort of mandatory counseling. After all, she's a woman, has three kids and seems to be psychologically troubled. In some similar cases, there have been claims that the female child sex offender is bipolar, leading to mitigation of any sentence.

[Update 07/30/07]

Solorio sentenced.

Following Entry Posted 6/13/2007 06:31:00 AM

Most-Wanted JI Terrorist Captured on Java

(Jakarta, Indonesia) Here is some good news in the fight against terrorism.

The top military leader of Jemaah Islamiah (JI), Abu Dujana, was captured Saturday on the island of Java. Indonesian security forces captured 38-year-old Dujana along with seven others. Although Dujana hides behind several aliases, his identity was confirmed by DNA and fingerprints.

Dujana, 38, was wanted for a number of deadly terrorist attacks including the 2002 Bali nightclub bombing, the 2003 Marriott Hotel bombing in Jakarta, the 2004 Australian Embassy blast in Jakarta and attacks on the island of Sulawesi. Police stated that Dujana had control of JI's ammo and explosives, including storage and distribution. It's believed his absence will dramatically affect JI's operations.

Having had formal weapons training in Afghanistan and having met with Osama bin Laden, Dujana has key information regarding JI operations and the interface with al Qaeda. His capture is viewed as a "major triumph" for the Indonesian Police.

The names of the other terrorists captured have not yet been released.

Following Entry Posted 6/13/2007 12:28:00 AM

Teacher Scarlett Gets 3 Days in Jail

(Strongsville, Ohio) In the drawn-out case of 40-year-old teacher Christine Scarlett, we finally have a conclusion.

As a reminder, Scarlett mixed it up with student Steven Bradigan, had a child by him and was charged with multiple counts of sexual battery. Last month, Scarlett pleaded guilty to five counts related to the seduction of Steven Bradigan. Her guilty plea avoided a sensational student-teacher sex trial which was scheduled to begin.

Yesterday, for her guilty plea to three counts of sexual battery and two counts of disseminating obscene materials to juveniles, Christine Scarlett was sentenced to three days in the Cuyahoga County Jail. Judge Ambrose could have given her many years in prison if he had opted for the maximum.

To digress momentarily, I predicted that Scarlett wouldn't see much jail time but three days is significantly less than I imagined. I figured she'd possibly get 60 days or at least 30. Three days puts her punishment in the category of "Why bother?" or "Hey, I'm waiting for the bus."

Nevertheless, Judge Dick Ambrose gave her the three days even though Steven Bradigan spoke up and said that Scarlett had tricked him into having sex so she could get pregnant. Scarlett started boo-hooing when Steven spoke.

"You were not interested in what was good for me," he said. "I feel like I was used and I was a stupid jerk for not realizing it then."

Bradigan's father, Lawrence, also weighed in with the assertion that Scarlett got off too easy and justice was not served.

To round out her hand slap, Judge Ambrose also gave Scarlett 180 days of house arrest and five years' probation.

Following Entry Posted 6/13/2007 12:03:00 AM

WV Woman Accused of Sex with Boy

(Clarksburg, West Virginia) A 25-year-old local woman, Cynthia Ann Flores, is facing trial for allegedly engaging in sex with a 15-year-old boy.

Flores was originally charged with 50 counts of third-degree sexual assault, however, Harrison County Magistrate Frank DeMarco reduced the number of counts yesterday to five in order to make her trial more manageable.

DeMarco also reduced her bond from $100,000 to a more manageable $10,000. Nevertheless, Flores remains in custody at the North Central Regional Jail.

[Update 08/28/07]

Flores pleads guilty. Sentencing in October.

[Update 11/09/07]

Flores gets prison.

Following Entry Posted 6/12/2007 10:56:00 PM

Guilty Plea in Boy Sex Case

(Las Cruces, New Mexico) Last February, a 21-year-old Las Cruces woman, Ashley E. Serna, was arrested for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy she met at the Mesilla Valley Mall. Serna was charged with four counts of third-degree criminal sexual penetration.

Yesterday, Serna pleaded guilty to four counts of criminal sexual penetration of a minor in accordance with a plea deal. With the plea, Serna avoided a trial due to start this week.

A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

Following Entry Posted 6/12/2007 06:50:00 PM

Making Child Porn For A Convict

(Stillwater, Minnesota) A 50-year-old woman, Diane Marie Johnson, faces charges related to the production of child pornography at the urging of a convicted murderer.

According to a Washington County criminal complaint, 45-year-old Oak Park Heights Prison inmate Joseph Soltis offered "a large sum of money" to a female friend if she allowed someone to photograph her as she engaged in sexual acts with the teen.

He chose Johnson, a friend of his from Circle Pines, to be the photographer, and she allegedly took the shots of the teen, who was 14 at the time, on three occasions between January and May, the complaint stated.

Johnson told investigators she took the photos because she was afraid of Soltis.

Although both women knew Soltis, prosecutors say, they didn't know each other before the photo sessions.

According to the complaint, Soltis asked Johnson to have the teen and the woman watch pornographic movies before the photo sessions, and the photographer had the girl dress provocatively and wear suggestive makeup.

Soltis was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a 57-year-old woman in 1999. He won't be eligible for parole until 2033. It's not known whether Soltis will be charged in the case.

Johnson is scheduled to appear in Washington County District Court tomorrow to face felony counts of aiding and abetting the use of a minor in a sexual performance or pornographic work. If convicted, she faces a possible 10 years in prison.

Tip: SKE

Following Entry Posted 6/12/2007 12:01:00 PM

Gay Foster Parents Indicted for Child Sex Crimes

(Hartford, Michigan) Two former foster parents and same-sex couple, Kurt Alfred Amundson, 42, and Robert George Shafer, 43, have been indicted by a federal grand jury for alleged sexual exploitation of a child and possession of child pornography.

Both have been charged with exploiting a child by producing images of a young boy engaged in sexually explicit conduct. It's not known whether the boy, described as an 11- or 12-year-old, was a foster child of Amundson and Shafer. A court appearance is scheduled for tomorrow for both men.

Interestingly, Amundson was heralded as a homosexual foster parent in a 2003 article, "The Changing Face of the American Family."

When asked about his role as a same-sex foster parent he said mentoring children was not satisfying enough for him.

"It was helpful, but I wanted to carry the relationship beyond that," he said in the article.

According to the indictment, there was carrying on and then some.

Tip: SKE

[Update 08/06/07]

Amundson and Shafer plead guilty.

Following Entry Posted 6/12/2007 09:29:00 AM

Dog Smacked Hard, Eye Pops Out

(Phoenix, Arizona) Sun City West veterinarian Dr. Joshua Winston was arrested for smacking the bejeezus out of a five-pound Chihuahua five times in the head, temporarily blinding one eye of the dog. According to a statement from the Maricopa County Sheriff's office, Winston was observed by two other veterinary techs when he dislodged the dog's eye.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio said the dog has a good chance of regaining its eyesight. Wilson faces animal cruelty charges.

"We don't give them (animal abusers) a court summons, we take them to jail," Arpaio said.

Heh. Nothing namby-pamby about Sheriff Joe. Given a reason, he'll put anybody in jail.

Following Entry Posted 6/12/2007 08:30:00 AM

Hells Angels Guilty Under RICO

(Seattle, Washington) Three Hells Angels gang members were convicted yesterday by a federal jury of racketeering and conspiracy. Richard "Smilin' Rick" Fabel, 49, Rodney Rollness, 46, and Joshua Binder, 31, face long prison terms upon sentencing.

According to Jeffrey Sullivan, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington, the convictions under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) statute show that the Hells Angels is not a harmless social organization that sells T-shirts and ride motorcycles.

The victory was by no means complete. After 13 days of deliberations, the jury returned a not-guilty verdict on a witness-tampering charge and deadlocked on 10 charges, including the only two against a fourth defendant, Ricky Jenks, 29, of Spokane. Sullivan said the government will seek new trials for all four defendants on each of those 10 charges.

Nonetheless, there are likely some sad faces in the clubhouse.

Following Entry Posted 6/12/2007 06:40:00 AM

Sharpton Has It Almost Right

(Los Angeles, California) Okay, everybody knows too much about Paris Hilton already. The media have been spoon-feeding the public of her travails not only daily but hourly. And a great cheer was heard when she was put back in -- sort of -- jail.

The medical ward she now calls home still irks many people, though. It's been said that people hate Paris but I disagree. I think they hate the fact that the privileged in society always seem to get away with breaking the rules and Paris just represents one who -- sort of -- didn't. She went back to jail, albeit in a fancy-schmancy medical ward, and all the common folks, those who have been frustrated over time when a neighbor, schoolmate or colleague gave the finger to authorities and got away with it, believe she received her just rewards. Yeah, the good guys finally won one.

No, people don't hate Paris Hilton as much as they hate seeing the rich in society play by different rules. Even now, Paris has special privileges -- her own medical suite, her visitors go to the head of the line -- which still rubs raw with many common folk. This is where Al Sharpton, someone with whom I rarely agree, has something almost right. He's thrown his voice into the mix by stating that if rich white people can get special perks in jail, why not rich black people?

It's a good point. If rich white people are given preferences so should rich black people. Likely there's some stats indicating that rich blacks in jail are discriminated against when compared to rich whites in jail. Like I mentioned, Sharpton has that point right, however, he's wrong in thinking that anyone should be getting special treatment in jail.

In the eyes of the law, everyone should be treated the same -- white or black, rich or poor. I know it's idealistic thinking and doesn't represent the real world but at least it's a goal to keep in mind.

By the way, I contend that people are fired up about the illegal alien issue for the same reason. Border-crossers are breaking laws with impunity and it makes people angry. It's not a race issue and makes no difference whether the trespassers are Hispanic or Chinese or Middle Eastern, they are breaking the law and getting away with it. And I'm not talking just about sneaking into the U.S., although that's part of it. Among many other crimes, it's also the ID theft, the drug smuggling, the human trafficking and the drunken driving. All the while, the illegals are given preferential treatment. It's like law enforcers consider them to be radioactive.

Regular American citizens wouldn't get away with the same. Consequently, they're angry. The current immigration law proposals also make Americans angry because they just compound existing problems without a glimmer of hope for a secure border. Any politician advocating the latest iniatives who says that the border will be secured is a liar. Take that to the bank.

Tip: WW

Following Entry Posted 6/12/2007 12:28:00 AM

Upskirting the Teacher

(San Diego, California) The local school system may have a discipline problem with some students. It appears that a group of the unruly used a cell phone to videotape under a female teacher's skirt and then posted the images on the Internet.

"They were able to film about 7 seconds up her skirt," says SDEA President Camilee Zombro. When another student told the teacher about the footage, "She was horrified. The whole staff was horrified, as were we," said Zombro.

Now, over 100 teachers and staff at Hoover have signed a petition, which they will present to the school board at Tuesday's meeting. They are angry that the boys responsible were only suspended for 5 days. The teacher wanted them kicked out of school.

"We certainly don't want this to set a precedent," said Zombro.

School district officials declined to comment.

Following Entry Posted 6/11/2007 09:24:00 PM

Butts Busted for Boosting Buttwipe

(Marshalltown, Iowa) A local woman, Suzanne Marie Butts, was stopped by police outside the Marshalltown Courthouse and found to be carrying three rolls of stolen toilet paper. A bathroom vigilante tipped the police to the theft. When queried by a local TV reporter, Butts refused to discuss the situation without her lawyer.

According to Marshalltown Police Chief Lon Walker, the theft would normally be a misdemeanor but, for some undisclosed reason,

"She's facing three years incarceration for three rolls of toilet paper," Walker said.

Butts was also arrested for stealing $30 from a family member and, according to the media report, she faces four charges of theft -- apparently one count for each stolen roll of toilet paper and one for the theft from a family member. By any measure, Butts doesn't seem to have the right stuff for a career in crime.

As an aside, wouldn't it be nice to have Sheryl "Single Square" Crow weigh in on this story.

Tip: slwlion

Following Entry Posted 6/11/2007 11:46:00 AM

Blind Man's Blunder?

(Jiangxi Province, China) Two Bujia township officials were sentenced to prison for contracting with a blind man to build a bridge. The bridge collapsed during construction and injured 12 people.

Heh.

Following Entry Posted 6/11/2007 08:56:00 AM

Indoctrinating the Electorate

(United Kingdom) According to the influential think-tank Civitas, political correctness has hijacked the British educational system. This fact doesn't surprise regular observers of the political scene but its announcement puckers advocates of the PC agenda.

Called The Corruption of the Curriculum, the report says that teachers are charged with promoting the government's political agenda rather than imparting knowledge to students.

Unfortunately, the U.S. public education system is largely infected with the same special interest political agenda.

Following Entry Posted 6/11/2007 07:11:00 AM

Slipping Into Something More Convertible

While standing in my yard, enjoying the sunshine and fresh air, I saw a neighborhood woman walking down the street. I had never seen her before but noticed that her looks were rather unremarkable and she was carrying a very large handbag, gripped with both hands. She clomped away in a pair of clog-like sandals and, as her upper torso concentrated on captaining the big handbag, her stride had a kind of twisty motion. She disappeared in the distance and I went about my business of enjoying the summery weather.

Later, I heard a car drive up and looked out my window. Right in front of my house was this brand-new red convertible driven by a dark-haired babe with an American Idol smile. The car was a MX-5 Miata, candy apple red with sporty aluminum wheels. Smart. Very smart.

The woman, actually a young lady, got out of the car with flair as if the car had imparted some spirit to her demeanor. Her long legs swung out the door and she stood up nobly to display her lithe physique. Her effulgent pony tail swung from side to side as she moved. She closed the door and then reached into the back seat and retrieved her very large handbag, gripped it with both hands and clomped away, strutting with kind of a twisty motion.

Following Entry Posted 6/10/2007 11:50:00 PM

Women Dying for Truth

In the past two weeks, three female journalists in the Afghanistan/Iraq theater have been murdered.

May 31st - Shakiba Sanga Amaj, 22, reporter for Shamshad TV, was gunned down in her home in Kabul, Afghanistan.

June 5th - Zakia Zaki, human rights activist, mother of six and program director for Peace Radio, was blasted with automatic weapons by intruders in her home in the Jabal Saraj district north of Kabul.

June 7th - Sahar Hussein al-Haideri, reporter for the Voices of Iraq (Aswat al Iraq) news agency, was gunned down while waiting at a taxi stand near her home in Mosul, Iraq.

I'm waiting for the mainstream media to memorialize the lives and condemn the deaths of these brave women. They were heroes in every sense of the word.

Condolences to the families.

Following Entry Posted 6/10/2007 10:01:00 PM

Odd Story Tests Credulity

(Winter Springs, Florida) A 24-year-old Central Florida man, Keith Ferdinand Gumbs, was arrested this past week for weapons and drug charges after being pulled over by police for expired tags on his car. Gumbs was charged with carrying a concealed weapon, marijuana possession and non-moving traffic violations.

Interestingly, Gumbs was found to be driving on a suspended license. Not a surprise, Gumbs record indicates that his license has been suspended 33 times.

Uh -- is that possible? Based upon his age, he couldn't have had a license for more than eight years. Therefore, he had more than four license suspensions per year, every year. Spring, summer, fall and winter, like clockwork. If one assumes the judiciary acted prudently, it doesn't make a lot of sense. One would think that even the most mind-numbed robotic judge would have given Gumbs some jail to interrupt the regularity of his license suspensions.

Of course, it's possible that the reported number of suspensions is not accurate.

Tip: slwlion

Following Entry Posted 6/10/2007 07:11:00 PM

Big-Time Arms Dealer Nabbed

(Madrid, Spain) International weapons trafficker Monzer al-Kassar was arrested Thursday evening by Spanish police in Madrid. Earlier in the day, an indictment was unsealed charging Kassar with conspiring to sell arms to rebels in Colombia.

The indictment resulted from illegal actions by Kassar after he was caught in a sting operation crafted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. Good.

Kassar has been a particularly nasty player in the mix of terrorists, despots and criminals threatening U.S. interests and American citizens. He provided everything from Saturday night specials to surface-to-air missiles.

In Romania, co-conspirators Tareq Mousa al-Ghazi and Luis Felipe Morena-Godoy were also arrested in the operation. The three were indicted on four separate conspiracy counts "including the supplying of material support to a foreign terrorist group; conspiring to kill U.S. nationals, officials and employees; and conspiracy to acquire an antiaircraft missile."

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Following Entry Posted 6/10/2007 07:15:00 AM

Jail Staffer Accused of Sex with Inmate

(Bedford, Indiana) A 32-year-old former chief matron for the Lawrence County Police Department, Shauna Hawkins, was arrested last week for alleged felony sexual misconduct with a 35-year-old jail inmate, Kevin Edwards, in September and October 2006. Jail staff and other inmates reportedly made the allegation that Hawkins performed oral sex on the inmate.

Hawkins was booked into the Lawrence County Jail and released on $500 bond.

As chief matron, Hawkins oversaw the operation of the jail kitchen.

Tip: Don Morgenstern

[Update 02/13/08]

From Times Mail:

Shauna Hawkins, 33, 502 Younger Road, is scheduled to have a jury trial in early April. She is accused of sexual misconduct, a Class D felony, for reportedly performing oral sex on an inmate at the jail on two occasions.

More later.

[Update 04/13/08]

Thirty-three-year-old Shauna Hawkins was found guilty by a Lawrence County jury of sexual misconduct with an inmate.

"We're disappointed, not happy," defense attorney Stephen Oliver said. "We'll see where it goes from here."

Lawrence County Prosecutor Michelle Woodward said Hawkins could remain free on the initial bond until her sentencing hearing; no date has been set.

Woodward said the case was difficult because it involved a sex crime with a witness who is a jailed inmate. That resulted in testimony from jail officers and inmates.

In closing arguments, Woodward recapped the witnesses' testimony and said it proved that Hawkins twice performed a sex act on inmate Kevin Edwards.

Earlier Thursday, Edwards testified against Hawkins.

So, we wait for sentencing.

Following Entry Posted 6/10/2007 05:45:00 AM

What Exactly Is The Secret?

(United Kingdom) Check out this leading story in today's Sunday Times.

Secret plan to send Harry to fight Taliban

Army chiefs are planning to deploy Prince Harry quietly to Afghanistan in an attempt to deter him from quitting the army.

I'm guessing that the plan is considered secret because they haven't told Harry, yet. Telling everyone else apparently doesn't count.

Following Entry Posted 6/09/2007 09:59:00 AM

Female Art Teacher and Female Student

(Wise, Virginia) A 26-year-old art teacher at Appalachia High School and Appalachia Primary School, Naomi Miranda Peters, has been arrested for allegedly engaging in an improper relationship with a female high school student.

Peters was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor as police continue to investigate.

According to Wise County Sheriff's Department Chief Investigator Mike Holbrook, Peters is also under investigation on more serious allegations involving another underage female student. It's alleged that Peters also told one girl to lie about the inappropriate relationship with the other girl.

Peters was booked and released on $5,000 unsecured bond. A June 27th court appearance has been scheduled.

[Update 07/12/07]

From TriCities.com:

Naomi Miranda Peters, 26, of Scott County, received a 10-day suspended jail sentence and one year of unsupervised probation for asking a student to lie to police during an investigation of an alleged improper relationship with a girl student at Appalachia High.

The investigation into an alleged improper relationship continues.

Following Entry Posted 6/09/2007 09:55:00 AM

School Bus Seat Belt Law Passed

(Austin, Texas) Gov. Rick Perry signed the school bus seat belt law on Friday. It applies to all school buses bought on or after September 1, 2010. Lap and shoulder restraints will be required.

No information has been provided to indicate how much taxes will be increased to pay for the school bus seat belts. However, while Texas politicians are rifling the wallets of taxpayers, they might as well just spring for student front and side airbags at the same time.

By the way, the law came about because two students died last year when a charter bus carrying a soccer team overturned. Thankfully, the legislators opted for seat belts instead of banning soccer teams or charter buses.

Following Entry Posted 6/09/2007 08:42:00 AM

Filipino Informants Get Bounty

(Manila, Philippines) For their role in the killings of al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf terrorists, four Muslim men in the southern Philippines were rewarded with more than $10 million by the U.S. government. American tax dollars at work.

Two of the men were former Abu Sayyaf rebels who turned themselves in and led Philippine soldiers to the grave of their leader. They shared $5 million.

Two Muslim farmers who tipped off army commandos about another militant leader who was then killed in a gunbattle in January shared another $5 million bounty.

A masked informant receives a briefcase of money.

The two former rebels led troops to the exact spot where Abu Sayyaf chief Khaddafy Janjalani was buried after being mortally wounded in a gunbattle on Jolo last year.

Information from the two farmers helped troops track down and kill Abu Solaiman, the spokesman for the group and also known as "the engineer."

The search continues for other terrorists, most notably the Indonesians Dulmatin and Umar Patek. Both are members of Jemaah Islamiah, linked to Abu Sayyaf, and wanted for their part in the Bali bombings.

Let's hope the cash doesn't mysteriously fall into the hands of the bad guys.

Following Entry Posted 6/09/2007 12:21:00 AM

VA Teacher's Aide Gets 30 Days for Sex Crimes

(Wise, Virginia) In March 2007, a 36-year-old teacher’s aide at Powell Valley High School, Darlene Anna Blagg, was indicted by a Wise County grand jury for alleged sexual exploitation of students.

Blagg, of Big Stone Gap, faced nine counts of indecent liberties with a juvenile by a person in a supervisory position. A mother alerted Wise County Sheriff's Department investigators after finding inappropriate text messages sent to her son by Blagg.

In the latest development, Blagg pleaded guilty to three felony counts of taking indecent liberties with a child under 18 while employed in a supervisory role over children. In exchange for her plea, Blagg was sentenced by Circuit Judge Joseph Carico to 30 days in jail, a three-year suspended prison sentence, two years of supervised probation, and one year of unsupervised probation.

Blagg must also have no contact with the victim and never seek or hold a job in the future where she would be in a supervisory role over children. Blagg was ordered to register as a sex offender for life.

Next for Darlene Blagg, a married mother of two young children, is to report to the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail on June 15th to begin serving her 30 days.

Following Entry Posted 6/09/2007 12:09:00 AM

Teacher Has Meth in Classroom

(Los Lunas, New Mexico) In March 2006, a 37-year-old first-grade teacher at Valencia Elementary School, Joanna Chavez, was arrested and charged with possession of methamphetamine on school grounds with intent to distribute. Chavez was booked into custody with bond set at $200,000.

In November 2006, Chavez was arrested in another incident after police found her carrying two bags of meth at a car wash.

Yesterday, Chavez pleaded guilty to one felony count of possession of meth with intent to distribute and to a felony count of possession of a controlled substance after charges from her two arrests were consolidated. Her guilty plea came the week before her trial was scheduled to start.

At sentencing, yet to be scheduled, Chavez faces a possible four and one-half years in prison.

Following Entry Posted 6/08/2007 08:12:00 PM

Teacher Carrie McCandless Gets Jail

McCandless back in jail for violating probation. See update 4/1/08.

Following Entry Posted 6/08/2007 06:24:00 PM

Teacher Duct Tapes Student

(Setauket, New York) A 57-year-old gym teacher at Paul Gelinas Junior High School, Matthew Foster, has been arrested for endangering the welfare of a child and assault.

Foster allegedly wrapped a 15-year-old student's legs in duct tape because he was late for class and, subsequently, the student broke his arm in a fall while attempting to remove the tape.

According to school officials, wrapping students in duct tape is not an authorized method of dealing with tardiness and corporal punishment is prohibited in the state of New York.

Foster has been placed on paid leave.

Following Entry Posted 6/08/2007 05:28:00 PM

Mom Gets 10 Years for Child Sex

(Katy, Texas) In August 2006, a local mother-of-three, Dina Marie Blakely (aka Dina Marie Blakley and Joan Davis), was arrested for allegedly engaging in sex with an 11-year-old neighborhood boy. She was charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child.

Apparently to avoid the emotional and psychological impact of a trial, Blakely decided to plead guilty.

From MyFox Houston:

Dina Blakely, who had the young boy's baby, admitted to aggravated sexual assault of a child under the age of 14. The victim was her best friend's son.

The victim came forward last July when he was 13 years old. That was when Blakely told the boy he was the father of her child.

The boy then told a family member who told his mother. The boy's mother than called police.

Yesterday, 38-year-old Blakely was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

For those who believe that there is no harm done when adult females molest boys, think about this case. A 13-year-old is the father of a two-year-old toddler who has lost his mother to prison for the next ten years. Two other children will also not have a mother at home for the next decade. The "family" in the Blakely family has evaporated. The 13-year-old father's family has been stressed and will likely suffer a humiliating social stigma for years. The overall psychological damage to the toddler and the 13-year-old, not unimportant, won't be known for decades.

You can count on it, harm is done when adult females molest boys.

Following Entry Posted 6/08/2007 03:30:00 PM

Prison Sex ID Thief Gets Probation

(Baltimore, Maryland) In April, 29-year-old Tiffany Gwen Weaver pleaded guilty in Baltimore Circuit Court to identity theft for using false ID to enter prison and have sex with her prisoner boyfriend.

Prosecutors said that on Nov. 13 Weaver used a falsified Maryland State Bar Association identification badge to gain entry to the Maryland Reception Diagnostic and Classification Center in downtown Baltimore.

Once inside the prison and alone with her inmate boyfriend, Jason Beau Moody (doing 30 years for manslaughter), a prison employee spotted "Moody behind Weaver, who had her skirt up." However, according to Weaver's attorney, Mr. Bates, "There was no thrusting whatsoever." Since Weaver has never been in trouble before and there was no thrusting, Mr. Bates planned to urge the court to impose probation when she is sentenced.

In the latest development, Weaver gets probation before judgment.

Weaver was sentenced yesterday to three years of supervised probation and 300 hours of community service. She had pleaded guilty in April to identity theft and use of false government identification.

The 29-year-old restaurant worker and Reisterstown resident, who said she loves animals and volunteers at a homeless shelter, could have spent up to six months behind bars.

But Baltimore Circuit Judge Althea M. Handy called her a "young person with a bright future" and granted her probation before judgment, meaning the convictions can be wiped from her record if she successfully completes the probation.

It's beyond me what the judge is thinking. The young person with a bright future 1) is not all that young, 2) has no problem stealing the identity of another, 3) is devoted to a convicted killer and willing to break laws to be with him. With those attributes, the only future brightness for Weaver would appear to be as a gangster's moll.

Following Entry Posted 6/08/2007 01:03:00 PM

Woman, 60, Accused of Child Sex Abuse

(Endicott, New York) A 60-year-old local woman, Magali Friedman, was charged this week with sex crimes against a 14-year-old boy.

Friedman faces two counts of first-degree felony sexual abuse and one count of second-degree misdemeanor criminal trespass. The alleged criminal incidents occurred in May.

Friedman was booked into the Broome County Jail without bail.

Following Entry Posted 6/08/2007 12:05:00 PM

Grandma Accused of Child Sex Assault

(Grand Junction, Colorado) In March 2007, a 49-year-old grandmother, Debra Slaughenhaupt, was arrested for investigation of multiple counts of sexual assault, sexual exploitation of a child and child abuse. Two children under 15 were removed from Slaughenhaupt's filthy home.

From Denver Channel:

The Mesa County Sheriff's Office was notified of the situation by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents about an Internet child pornography case out of Toronto, Canada, with ties to the small town near Grand Junction, Colo.

Investigators reviewed 62 pages of Internet chat text sent between April 29, 2006, and Dec. 1, 2006, in which the Canadian man asked Slaughenhaupt to have the children, ages 9 and 3, perform sexual acts on her and send the images via a Web camera, according to the affidavit.

Slaughenhaupt was booked into custody on $100,000 bond.

In the latest development, from GJSentinel.com:

During a brief court hearing Tuesday, Public Defender John Burkey said Debra Slaughenhaupt, 49, is prepared to accept a plea agreement from prosecutors and asked District Judge Richard Gurley to set a plea hearing.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Tammy Eret declined to discuss the details of the agreement but said Slaughenhaupt will plead guilty to two felony charges. The agreement contains no sentencing provisions, meaning Gurley could sentence Slaughenhaupt to anything from probation to prison.

Slaughenhaupt faces 11 felony counts. She remains in the Mesa County Jail.

[Update 10/02/07]

Slaughenhaupt sentenced.

Following Entry Posted 6/08/2007 01:09:00 AM

Juvie Guard Guilty in Treats-for-Sex Case

(King County, Washington) In July 2006, a 34-year-old juvenile detention officer, Lydia Korolak, was charged with four felony counts of custodial sexual misconduct for luring teenage inmates into sex using special privileges, treats and threats.

From Seattle P-I:

The two teens -- both 17 at the time -- said Korolak visited them in their cells at the Youth Services Center.

According to court records, encounters with one of the victims, who said he received later bedtime hours and special food in exchange for sex, started in 2001. He initially did not view her overtures as a crime.

Another teen told investigators that he had sex with Korolak in 2002 because she told him she would report him as a troublemaker if he did not cooperate, court records said.

Yesterday, Korolak, now 35, pleaded guilty to two counts of felony custodial sexual misconduct with two teenage male inmates. The original four counts were consolidated into two.

Sentencing is scheduled for July 20th (different source says June 20th) by King County Superior Court Judge Charles Mertel. Korolak faces a possible 20 months in prison.

[Update 07/28/07]

Korolak sentenced.

Following Entry Posted 6/07/2007 11:56:00 PM

Female Teacher Accused of Sex With Girl

(Tyler, Texas) Here's an odd case. A 35-year-old teacher, Jennifer Elizabeth Bagley, was accused of mixing it up with a 15-year-old female student in one school district while she continued to teach in a different school district.

There must have been a breakdown in notification.

From Chron.com:

Jennifer Elizabeth Bagley, 35, was arrested May 30 and remains in Smith County Jail on bonds totaling $100,000. She faces a charge of sexual assault of a child and a charge of improper relationship between an educator and a student.

Bagley began the alleged sexual relationship in 2004 when she was working in the Bullard school district, Smith County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Randy Meadows said.

A Smith County grand jury indicted Bagley on May 3. Her last day of substituting for the Tyler school district was May 24, according to school records.

The school district was unaware of the indictments until May 30, said Angela Jenkins, the communications director for Tyler schools.

It appears that better communication is needed between law enforcers and school districts.

Tip: Don Morgenstern

[Update 08/30/07]

Bagley sentenced.

Following Entry Posted 6/07/2007 10:15:00 PM

Is That An Energy Drink in Your Pocket?

(New York City) A 29-year-old local man, Christopher Woods, is suing the manufacturer of a vitamin-fortified energy drink called Boost Plus seeking unspecified damages.

Woods claims that the drink "gave him an erection that would not go away and caused him to be hospitalized."

From NBC10.com:

The lawsuit said Woods, 29, drank the nutrition beverage, which is made by the Novartis pharmaceutical company, on June 5, 2004.

Woods' court papers said he woke up the next morning "with an erection that would not subside" and sought treatment of the condition. According to court documents, Woods had surgery to relieve the condition known as severe priapism. He was implanted with a Winter shunt, which moves blood from one area to another.

The lawsuit, filed late Monday, said Woods had problems that required a hospital visit and medical procedures to close blood vessels on his penis.

A spokesman for Novartis had no comment.

Tip: slwlion

Following Entry Posted 6/07/2007 07:15:00 AM

New Bacteria Found - Bartonella rochalimae

(San Francisco, California) The Bartonella family of bacteria contains different species known to cause a menu of maladies including the painful trench fever seen during World War I and the troublesome "cat scratch fever" which affects 25,000 Americans yearly.

In the latest news, University of California - San Francisco (UCSF) researchers have discovered another member of the Bartonella family.

UCSF researchers have identified a new species of bacteria, similar to the bug that caused trench fever in World War I, in an American tourist who was sickened after a spending three weeks trekking in Peru.

The culprit is a microscopic bacterium resembling a baked bean with a straggly beard. The university scientists have named it Bartonella rochalimae (ro-cha-li-ma-e), after a prominent Brazilian scientist, Henrique da Rocha-Lima, who decades ago identified the bacterium that causes typhus, and named the bacteria that caused trench fever, a painful scourge that immobilized tens of thousands of World War I soldiers.

A team led by Dr. Jane Koehler, an infectious disease specialist at UCSF Medical Center, tracked down the new organism after culturing a blood sample from a 43-year-old woman who came down with a chronic fever two weeks after returning from Peru, her legs covered with bug bites.

So, one gets the straggly-bearded, baked bean bacteria by bug bites. Bummer.

Fleas, sandflies and lice are mentioned as culprits. Also, according to Dr. Koehler, people with compromised immune systems, experiencing high and persistent fever, need diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible or they could die. Treatment is dosages of antibiotics.

Following Entry Posted 6/07/2007 05:52:00 AM

Broadcast Networks Plunging

Last week produced a series of new lows for broadcast television networks. Most notable were the figures for the "CBS Evening News" which chalked up its smallest audience since 1987 and the figures for NBC's whole lineup, expressed well in the following observation.

NBC's average prime-time audience of 4.8 million people last week was the smallest since at least 1991, the earliest Nielsen Media Research records could immediately be traced. It's likely you'd have to go back to the days of black-and-white sets to find a smaller number.

Heh.

Following Entry Posted 6/07/2007 12:40:00 AM

Marijuana Mom Offered Diversion

(Murfreesboro, Tennessee) Last month, a 28-year-old mother of two, Christina M. Sawyer, was arrested for allegedly smoking marijuana with her sons, ages 5 and 10.

Sawyer was booked on charges of child neglect, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

This week, Sawyer appeared in General Sessions Court:

The case against a Murfreesboro mother accused of smoking marijuana with her 10-year-old son was diverted Tuesday in favor of a three-year probation period, officials said.

Christina M. Sawyer, 28, of 1306 Eagle St. must serve 90 days in the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center and will be prohibited from seeing her two children without supervision for three years.

Officer Chris Waters, who arrested Sawyer, said she must comply with laws and the Department of Children's Services' action plan or else she could be sentenced to additional jail time.

Sawyer is scheduled to return to court in August for acceptance of the state's diversion offer.

Following Entry Posted 6/06/2007 08:51:00 AM

Teacher Gets Probation in Crack Cocaine Case

(Hudson, Massachusetts) At the beginning of the 2006-2007 school year, a fifth-grade teacher at Forest Avenue School, Diane Soule, was arrested on charges of possessing and distributing crack cocaine. Soule was jailed and bailed out after a few hours. Two days later, she resigned her teaching position.

This week in Marlborough District Court, 55-year-old Soule was sentenced to probation after pleading guilty in accordance with an agreement. Soule admitted to possessing cocaine in return for dropping the distribution charge. Her trial was originally scheduled to start today and it's believed a jury would likely have sentenced her to prison.

Soule's sentence of two years probation also includes the customary supervision, evaluation, counseling, blah, blah blah .... that seldom seem to do much but keep counselors, supervisors and evaluators employed. And, and this is a big AND, if she stays out of trouble for two years, her record will be wiped clean.

No information was provided regarding the status of her teaching credentials.

Following Entry Posted 6/06/2007 07:41:00 AM

British Health Care Waiting List Crisis

(United Kingdom) Despite all the promises of politicians to cut the time Brits must wait for National Health Service (NHS) care, new data indicate that some patients must wait "in excess of one year" and over half of all patients must wait "longer than 18 weeks."

The 18-week target, set in 2004, is widely considered to be among the most ambitious of the Government's aims for the NHS. A baseline estimate published in December suggested that 35 per cent of patients across the country were treated within this time.

At that time up to a quarter of patients needing operations such as hip or knee replacements were estimated to wait between one and two years for surgery, with a small number waiting longer than this.

The figures showed that most specialities treat between 30 and 50 per cent of inpatients within 18 weeks. In trauma and orthopaedics the figure is only 20 per cent.

The disturbing numbers were contained in a leaked email which also gave advice on how to spin the news when the wait-time data are released to the media. How nice? The socialized medical scheme doesn't work very well so the official stance is to spin the news.

A while back, I had to wait a week to see a doctor and was a little irked. I can't imagine being told that I have a 50-50 chance of seeing a doctor in four and a half months. Of course, if the Dems get their way, I won't need to do any imagining.

Following Entry Posted 6/06/2007 06:55:00 AM

Muhammad Name Tops for British Boys

(United Kingdom) According to the British Office of National Statistics (ONS), the name Muhammad appeared in the Top 30 of the official names register for the first time in 2000.

For 2007, Muhammad is second behind Jack in the register and it is anticipated to become the leading choice for newborn boys by the end of the year.

Most Popular Names - Baby Boys in Britain (2007)

1) Jack
2) Muhammad
3) Thomas
4) Joshua
5) Oliver

Just think, in a couple decades a plurality of young men in Britain will be named Muhammad. Isn't that ducky?

Following Entry Posted 6/06/2007 05:59:00 AM

Twice-Deported Illegal Crashes, Kills

(Raleigh, North Carolina) A twice-deported illegal alien Mexican, Ricardo Contreras (aka Michael Delatorre), has been accused of driving drunk, crossing the median on I-40, crashing into two vehicles and killing one driver. At the scene, 54-year-old George Smith of Cary, NC, died.

Contreras may face additional charges for driving a stolen vehicle.

Okay, let's run down the checklist.

Illegal alien? - check
Using alias? - check
Driving stolen vehicle? - check
Unlicensed driver? - possibly
Driving drunk? - check
Crash? - check
Injury or fatality? - check
Previously deported? - check
Deported more than once? - check

Contreras was booked into the Wake County Jail with bail set at $1.2 million. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials put a hold on Contreras for possible deportation.

Meanwhile, the case has prompted the Hispanic advocacy agency, El Pueblo, to call for more education of Latinos regarding drinking and driving.

Following Entry Posted 6/05/2007 11:58:00 PM

Woman Guilty in Child Sex Case

(Fort Smith, Arkansas) A 37-year-old local woman, Kimberly Elyse Drozal, pleaded guilty this week to fourth-degree misdemeanor sexual assault of a 15-year-old boy in accordance with a plea agreement. In return, Drozal received a one-year suspended sentence to be served concurrent with an 18-month sentence imposed earlier by a conviction in a federal money-structuring case.

The sexual assault case was originally discovered during investigation of the federal case for money-structuring (cooking the books to avoid reporting requirements). A videotape was seized during a raid which showed Drozal and local businessman Chris Drosopoulos inducing the 15-year-old in sexually explicit conduct. The incident occurred between November 2004 and June 2005.

Subsequently, both Drozal and Drosopoulos were charged with federal counts of sexual exploitation of a child. Drosopoulos was convicted of the money-structuring and sex charges and received seven years in prison. Drozal was convicted of the money-structuring charge and got 18 months. She avoided the federal sexual exploitation rap under the condition that she plead guilty in state court.

When released from federal prison, Drozal must register as a state sex offender.

Following Entry Posted 6/05/2007 10:42:00 PM

Foster Mom and Foster Son

(Lincoln, Nebraska) A 37-year-old woman and foster mom was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy in her care.

From KETV:

Court records show that the boy was placed with the woman and her husband in September 2002. He stayed until May 2004, when he began to run away and cause other problems. He was again placed in the woman's home in May 2005.

The following month, he told police about the alleged assaults, officers said. The woman denied the boy's story and was not charged.

In January, the boy gave police more information, including a recording of two meetings with her.

She was arrested last week and jailed on suspicion of first-degree sexual assault.

Identities in the case have not been disclosed in order to protect the innocent.

Following Entry Posted 6/05/2007 06:21:00 AM

Huge Lake Trout

(Blue Mesa Reservoir, Colorado) Wow! This is impressive. A 50 lbs. 5 oz. lake trout was caught by Don Walker on Blue Mesa Reservoir on May 23rd. Walker caught the fish on a rod and reel after seeing it on his depth finder.

Don Walker and prize lake trout
Walker says he fought the record fish for 25 minutes before netting it. I'm envious.

Following Entry Posted 6/05/2007 12:40:00 AM

Nebraska Teacher Faces Sex Charge

(Fremont, Nebraska) Last week, an arrest warrant was issued for Brandy Reynolds, a 25-year-old former teacher at Omaha Baptist Academy, for allegedly engaging in a two-year sexual relationship with a male student starting when the boy was 15.

Yesterday, Reynolds was arrested then released after posting 10 percent of a $50,000 bond. Reynolds faces a charge of first-degree sexual assault. If convicted, she could be sentenced to a very long prison term.

Oh, wait a second, I forgot momentarily that she's a woman. Therefore, upon reconsideration, I speculate that she will see no more than 60 days in jail if convicted. It's likely that she won't even see that.

It's pretty sad when the toothlessness of the court system can be predicted with a measure of confidence.

Tip: Don Morgenstern

[Update 08/16/07]

Reynolds pleads no contest to reduced charges. Sentencing scheduled for Sept.

[Update 09/24/07]

Reynolds gets prison.

Following Entry Posted 6/04/2007 11:50:00 PM

Rice Cakes and Water

(Conewago Township, Pennsylvania) Food nazism has surfaced in the Northeastern School District. First, it was decided to measure the body-mass index (BMI) of all the students as part of a wellness program and keep the results less than confidential.

Parents are upset since their fifth-grade kids are now overly self-conscious, even alarmed, about their weight and in some cases have refused to eat. The weasely school board blames "government mandates."

The wellness program also eliminates pizza and cupcake parties for special occasions in the classroom and provides replacement "baskets of healthy alternatives." How yummy!

In summary, the wellness program is making some people sick. I'll predict that vegetarianism will ultimately be pushed.

Following Entry Posted 6/04/2007 11:39:00 PM

Plot to Overthrow Laotian Government

(Fresno, California) Although it may sometimes appear that plotting the overthrow of the U.S. government is an everyday political exercise, plotting the overthrow of a foreign government while on U.S. soil is a serious felony.

Neighbors said federal agents swarmed a house about 10 Monday morning. Those who live on the street say they showed up in military type vehicles with full body armor on and large guns.

It's just one of 8 places searched in the Central Valley in an investigation that has international ties. One by one FBI and ATF agents raided several homes and at least one business.

Government Officials are tying together an investigation that has spanned 6 months. Under arrest are 8 people, including several prominent Hmong leaders.

77 year old General Vang Pao is being charged as the ringleader for plotting to overthrow the communist government of Laos. Also charged are Lo Cha Thao of Clovis, Hue Vang of Fresno, Lou Tao of Sacramento, Youa True Vang of Sanger, Chung Yang Tao of Fresno, Chue Lowe of Stockton and Seng Vue of Fresno.

Federal Officials say the group was planning to make an initial purchase of 125 AK-47 assault rifles, 20 thousand rounds of ammunition and crates of smoke grenades.

It wasn't too long ago that America actually helped in plots to overthrow communist governments. Times have changed. The U.S. now helps protect the commies.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Following Entry Posted 6/04/2007 06:00:00 AM

Home-Schooled Champion

Congratulations are in order for 13-year-old Evan O'Dorney, winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee for 2007. Also deserving of praise are Michael and Jennifer O'Dorney who home-schooled Evan to be a champion.

Kudos to the entire O'Dorney family and to the success of home-schooling.

Tip: slwlion

Following Entry Posted 6/03/2007 07:17:00 AM

Teacher Hit With New Sex Charges

(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.

This week, a second student accused Kinley of inappropriate sexual conduct. As a result, a grand jury indicted Kinley on three counts of third-degree sex offense against a 14-year-old boy. Also, the Howard County Board of Education terminated her employment.

Kinley remains free on $75,000 bond.

[Update 08/28/07]

Kinely pleads guilty. Sentencing in November.

[Update 11/15/07]

Kinley sentenced to prison.

Following Entry Posted 6/03/2007 05:04:00 AM

Woman Sentenced for Soliciting Boy

(Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) In September 2006, a woman from Parkville, Missouri, Monica Reiko Watson, was arrested by the FBI on a complaint of traveling across state lines for the purpose of engaging or attempting to engage in illicit sex. Watson allegedly solicited sex from an undercover officer who posed as a 15-year-old boy.

According to the FBI, the boy's parents alerted the authorities after discovering that their then 14-year-old son was receiving inappropriate communications from an adult woman. A detective then assumed the identity of the boy and continued the communications with Watson.

Since her arrest, 43-year-old Watson has pleaded guilty to enticing a minor through a computer and traveling between states with the intent to engage in sexual conduct with a minor. Subsequently, Watson was sentenced to five years in prison. She is currently serving her time in a federal penitentiary in Florida.

Following Entry Posted 6/02/2007 03:05:00 PM

JFK Terror Plot

(New York) Breaking today, it appears to be a home-grown cell with suspected links to Jamaat al-Muslimeen in Guyana and Trinidad. Four men, thus far, are implicated. The plan was to blow up jet fuel facilities at Kennedy Airport along with fuel pipelines throughout Queens.

Reportedly, the plotters were under surveillance for a year before being busted and the operation never progressed past the planning stage. Nonetheless, one could get antsy with two significant plots (Ft. Dix Six and JFK Four) thwarted in mere weeks.

From NYT:

Federal law enforcement officials and New York City police said today that four people have been charged with conspiring to bomb Kennedy International Airport.

The plan, which was described by United States Attorney Roslynn R. Mauskopf as "one of the most chilling plots imaginable," involved a former airport worker who is a United States citizen of Guyanese descent and a former member of the Guyanese parliament, who is also an imam.

The former airport worker, Russell Defreitas, was in custody in Brooklyn and was expected to be arraigned this afternoon. The former Guyanese parliament member, Abdul Kadir, and Kareem Ibrahim of Trinidad, were in custody in Trinidad. A fourth man, Abdel Nur, of Guyana, was still being sought, law enforcement officials said.

Jamaat al-Muslimeen was founded by Imam Yasin Abu Bakr, a former Canadian student named Lennox Phillip who converted to Islam, went to Trinidad and Tobago and began an Islamic career. An attempted takeover of the Trinidadian government by Jamaat in 1990 failed.

Jamaat al-Muslimeen has enduring links to Libyan leader Muammar al-Qaddafi. Up until today, Jamaat al-Muslimeen was largely known for kidnappings and extortion of businessmen and fellow Muslims.

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