Following Entry Posted 8/31/2011 11:46:00 PM

Women With Troubles - August 2011

Reported in news stories during August 2011, here is a compilation of women with troubles. Each name is linked to an Interested-Participant blog entry displaying details.

For a more comprehensive listing, check the Women With Troubles category link. Links to month-by-month compilations are displayed on the navigation bar at left.

(AL) Suzanne Greer Johnson, 41,
Special ed teacher - Accused of multiple alcohol-related motor vehicle charges,

(CA) Sheila Accornero, 42,
school business manager - Accused of embezzling about $400k,

(CA) Sara Cole, 48,
neighbor - Guilty of misdemeanor molesting,

(CA) Karen Flores, 22,
police dept. office worker - Accused of embezzling $100k from police department,

(CA) Annette Hale, 52,
neighbor - Accused of kidnapping boy, 4,

(CA) Tracy Hannah, 39,
neighbor - Arrested for sex with boy, 15,

(CA) Katrina Herrador, 21,
summer camp worker - Accused of sex with boy, 14,

(CA) Rachel Limon,
neighbor - Accused of severely beating boy, 7,

(CA) Michele Ann Newberry, 42,
neighbor - Accused of sex with boy, 15,

(CT) Loni Bouchard, 20,
babysitter - Accused of sex with boy, 14, she was babysitting,

(CT) Candice Kiley, 24,
neighbor - Accused of assaulting girl, 12, for looking at her boyfriend,

(CT) Sandra M. Lanasa, 44,
neighbor - Gets year in prison for sex with boy, 15,

(FL) Tammy Bennett, 52,
teacher - Accused of stealing $150k from school yearbook acct.,

(FL) Alicia Ann Bouchard, 41,
neighbor - Accused of child sex crimes involving girl, 12,

(FL) Priscilla Dale Cole, 48,
teacher - Accused of felony child abuse,

(FL) Brianna Del Rio, 19,
neighbor - Accused of battery with nutcracker,

(FL) Elizabeth Garcia, 19,
neighbor - Arrested for attempted murder of baby,

(FL) Waleska Velasquez, 29,
teacher - Accused of sex with male student, 16,

(GA) Thelma Carter, 46,
neighbor - Accused of murdering boyfriend with stiletto heel,

(GA) Kristin May, 32,
teacher - Arrested for failing to report teacher-student sex,

(IA) Bailey Tokheim, 25,
teacher's aide - Accused of sending naughty pics to student,

(IL) Nicole R. Letcher, 26,
teacher - Gets probation for criminal sexual abuse of student,

(IN) Collene Georges, 35,
teacher's aide - Arrested for being drunk at school,

(IN) Denise A. Hartleroad, 27,
neighbor - Accused of sex with boy, 13,

(KY) Lynda Chase, 37,
school secretary - Gets three years prison for sex with boy, 15,

(KY) Kelly A. Duffy, 21,
alleged prostitute - Arrested for charging $225 for oral sex,

(KY) Shannon Hirchert, 42,
teacher - Accused of sex with two male students under 18,

(LA) Allison Hargrave, 40,
guidance counselor - Gets 30 years prison for sex with girl, 14,

(MD) Rachel Ann Hicks, 37,
neighbor - Gets 12 years prison for sex with boy, 13,

(MO) Levetrea Dione Atkins, 36,
neighbor - Accused of sex with developmentally-challenged boy, 13,

(MO) Christie Bradley, 40,
neighbor - Gets 8 years federal prison for sex with boy, 13,

(NC) Erin Michelle Lewicki, 28,
neighbor - Accused of engaging in sex with boy, 15,

(NC) Leslie Lamb Messer, 38,
teacher - Accused of sex with student,

(NE) Sharon Brewster, 44,
teacher - Accused of arson attack on school admin bldg.,

(NJ) Melissa Redmond, 29,
donut shop worker - Accused of selling sex at donut shop,

(NM) Kathi Hunter, 56,
teacher - Gets judicial supervision for marijuana charges,

(NY) Tara Driscoll, 33,
teacher - Accused of sex with male student under 17,

(NY) Chelsea Rearick, 23,
neighbor - Accused of sex with boy, 13,

(NY) Carolyn Lorrain Wilson, 55,
babysitter - Accused of molesting girl, 11, she was babysitting,

(OH) Stephanie Robinette, 30,
teacher - Gets probation for assaulting cop with breast milk,

(OH) Laura Saylor, 35,
teacher - Accused of drug trafficking,

(OK) Jennifer Kohen-Farrell, 37,
teacher - Accused of liquoring up students, twice,

(OK) Kara McBride, 36,
PTO former president - Gets probation for felony embezzlement,

(OK) Brittany Nicole Smoke, 21,
babysitter - Accused of raping boy she was caring for,

(OR) Angela Lindell, 24,
neighbor - Accused of sex with three boys,

(PA) Melissa Haskell, 38,
neighbor - Accused of murdering boy she was babysitting,

(PA) Ashley Herre-Bagwell, 30,
teacher - Guilty of indecent assault of three female students. Sentencing TBD,

(PA) Heather Prinkey, 37,
neighbor - Accused of molesting girl, 12,

(SC) Joye Renee Maddox, 36,
neighbor - Accused of sex with boy, 14,

(SC) Sandra McDonald, 49,
teacher - Busted for multiple drug charges,

(TN) Cinnamon Davis, 23,
guidance counselor - Accused of sex with student, 17,

(TX) Natalie Deshan Johnson, 32,
neighbor - Accused of sex with boy, 13,

(TX) Amanda Leann Kueht, 28,
substance abuse counselor - Accused of sex with boy, 16,

(TX) Jordan Lane, 27,
teacher - Accused of improper relations with boy, 14,

(TX) Karrie McKinney, 41,
teacher - Accused of sex with student, 16,

(TX) Amanda Ann Nabers, 25,
neighbor - Accused of sex with boy, 13,

(TX) Kaci Pomerenke, 31,
teacher - Accused of sex with boy, 14,

(TX) Sharon Ann Shaw, 40,
school attendance aide - Busted for possession of meth,

(UT) Jeni Lyn Bullock, 30,
neighbor - Gets 120 days jail for materials harmful to children,

(VT) Misty Smith, 35,
neighbor - Guilty of sex with two boys, 11. Sentencing TBD,

(WV) Jenee Lynn Afzal, 36,
neighbor - Accused of sex with stepson. Trial scheduled for September.

Thanks to the tipsters.

Labels: Women With Troubles

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       Following Entry Posted 8/31/2011 11:03:00 PM

Texas Driver's Licenses to Identify Veteran Status

(Austin, Texas) Effective September 1, honorably discharged veterans of the U.S.military will be able to list their status on Texas driver’s licenses.

Reportedly, the feature has been implemented to allow veterans to easily take advantage of benefits and discounts.

Heh.
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       Following Entry Posted 8/31/2011 03:34:00 PM

Libya: Throats Slit to Preserve Honor

Source:

A father slit the throat of his three teenage daughters in an ‘honour killing’ after they were raped by Gaddafi loyalists during the siege of the port city of Misrata.

Allegations of the shocking executions are contained in a report by the respected Physicians for Human Rights group into war crimes and atrocities in the embattled city, which faced two months of being cut off from the rest of Libya.

The father is said to have carried out the ‘honour killings’ because of his humiliation and shame at the rape of the sisters – aged 15, 17 and 18 – in Tomina, on the outskirts of Misrata. The victims were not named.

The horrific story was one of a number to emerge from Misrata after the group sent in a team of interviewers in June to catalogue human rights abuses just after Libyan forces expelled Gaddafi loyalists.

Evidence appears to be entirely hearsay yet I believe the report is largely accurate. It's too believable to deny.

I also believe that honor killings are cultural and the fact that they occurred during a war is incidental. And lastly, I suggest that no outrage will be expressed by "moderate" people nor women's groups.

Meanwhile, slaughtering women in the name of honor will likely continue to be given back-page attention by the media.

Tip: slwlion
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       Following Entry Posted 8/31/2011 10:57:00 AM

"Holocaust" a dangerous word

Words like "meltdown" or "brain-dead" are sometimes used as a form of emphasis rather than as a literal description of anything. But you cannot use "holocaust" that way in Britain, apparently

Football pundit Tony Cascarino triggered an angry reaction on Twitter on Sunday after he described a player as having a "holocaust" of a game.

Discussing defender Armand Traore's performance on the pitch, Cascarino said: "Poor Traore at right back is having a holocaust because he's finding himself against (United winger) Nani, who's literally running him from everywhere and (Arsenal midfielder Andrey) Arshavin's just not tracking his runners."

Angry fans immediately hit out at his comments on Twitter. One user wrote: "Tony Cascarino should be sacked on the spot. He said an Arsenal defender was having a "holocaust". Appallingly ignorant."

Another micro-blogger branded the comment "horrendous", adding: "I hope Tony Cascarino is dealt with appropriately."

Sky Sports News said presenter Natalie Sawyer had apologised straightaway for Cascarino's remarks. It said in a statement: "Tony Cascarino made his comments in the heat of the moment. An immediate apology on behalf of Tony and Sky Sports was made on air as soon as possible for any offence caused."

Source

As everybody knows, I am a strong supporter of Israel but I am inclined to see this as just another kneejerk from the perpetually offended.

Technically, "meltdown" "brain-dead", "holocaust" and "kneejerk" are all used as metaphors and metaphors have a distinguished literary history

Posted by John J. Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.).

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       Following Entry Posted 8/31/2011 05:14:00 AM

Federal Sting Nets Drugs, Guns in Ohio

(Mansfield, Ohio) Federal undercover agents set up a storefront in Mansfield in a year-long sting operation targeting narcotics and weapons traffickers.

The operation concluded yesterday with a press conference at the Richland County Sheriff's Office.

The sting was a cooperative effort between U.S. Attorney Steven Dettelbach's office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Richland County Sheriff's and prosecutor's offices.

Agents seized 70 firearms, 1,316 grams of cocaine, 768 grams of crack, 1,099 oxycodone pills, 215 ecstasy pills, 199 vicodin pills, 5 grams of heroin and 36 pills of Aprazolam.

Federal and Richland County prosecutors indicted 64 people who sold and traded guns and drugs to undercover agents who ran a bogus storefront in Mansfield for more than a year.

ATF led the operation.

Companion post at GunWatch.
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       Following Entry Posted 8/30/2011 10:30:00 PM

Texas Woman Accused of Sex with Boy, 13

(San Antonio, Texas) A 25-year-old local woman, Amanda Ann Nabers, was arrested Monday for allegedly engaging in sex with a 13-year-old boy.

Nabers faces one count of aggravated sexual assault of a child.

Police interviewed Nabers, who allegedly confessed to being in a relationship with a boy whose parent lived nearby.

She denied endangering her children by leaving them alone without supervision, the affidavit states, but she reportedly said she'd sexually assaulted the boy about four or five times, beginning in February.

Nabers was booked into custody at the Bexar County Jail with bail set at $50,000.

Labels: Women With Troubles

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       Following Entry Posted 8/30/2011 12:48:00 PM

Obama Works on Job Creation

Late Saturday night, President Obama spoke by telephone with German Chancellor Angela Merkel about "concerted action" for global job creation.




It's not clear whether the efforts to achieve global job creation will impede efforts to put Americans to work. After all, Obama has promised to produce plans to decrease U.S. unemployment, not global unemployment.
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       Following Entry Posted 8/30/2011 06:40:00 AM

Carolina Woman Accused of Sex with Boy

(Wellford, South Carolina) A 36-year-old local woman, Joye Renee Maddox, has been accused of engaging in sex with a 14-year-old boy.

Maddox faces charges of criminal sexual conduct with a minor 11-14 years old and two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

According to arrest warrants, Maddox had sex with the 14-year-old on Aug. 20. An incident report said that the boy's mother told sheriff's deputies that she had found the teenager in a crawl space with Maddox at Maddox's home. The woman said Maddox has a tall crawl space with a small couch inside, the report said.

The woman told deputies that her son had been spending a lot of time at Maddox's house, and that she had noticed the teen had been drinking alcohol after being over there, the report said.

Maddox was booked into custody at the Spartanburg County Detention Center. She awaits a bond hearing.

Labels: Women With Troubles

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       Following Entry Posted 8/30/2011 05:32:00 AM

Oklahoma Babysitter Accused of Raping Boy

(Pryor, Oklahoma) A 21-year-old Locust Grove babysitter, Brittany Nicole Smoke, has been accused of mixing it up with a boy she was caring for. Smoke has been charged with three counts of third-degree rape.

The child was 11 years old the first time the rape occurred, on or about July 27, 2010, according to a statement filed in the Mayes County Court Clerk’s office. The second occurrence was on or about Feb. 14, after the child had turned 12. The third rape allegedly occurred around June 29.

The child, who lives in rural Pryor, is now 13.

McKee said the boy told someone about the incidents and a family member took the child to the sheriff’s office to be interviewed.

Smoke was booked into custody at the Mayes County Jail with bond set at $200,000.

Labels: Women With Troubles

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       Following Entry Posted 8/29/2011 06:30:00 PM

Where's Gadhafi?

(Algiers, Algeria) The question of where Colonel Gaddafi is hiding has been percolating throughout the media with many believing he's hunkering somewhere in a Libyan bunker.

However, news from Saturday mentions this unconfirmed nugget.

A report on Egyptian radio attributed to rebel sources said a convoy of armoured Mercedes had entered Algeria from Libya and was thought to be carrying Qadhafi.

Given that Algerian political leaders have a cozy history with Gaddafi, it's possible that the report has merit.

Meanwhile, from another source it's reported that al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) launched twin suicide attacks against an Algerian military school, killing at least 18.

A brief statement emailed to AFP in Morocco said AQIM "claims responsibility for the two martyr operations" on Friday which "targeted the heart of Algeria's Cherchell military institution", about 100km from the Algerian capital.[…]

The bombers, one on a motorcycle, reportedly set off explosions a few seconds apart in front of the entrance to the academy's officers' mess hall, just as soldiers were assembled to break the Ramadan fast.

AQIM attacked the Algerian military establishment due to the reported belief that they are in cahoots with Gadhafi. At least 26 have been reported wounded during the attack.

[Update 8/29/11, 6:30 PM]
A new report hints that Gaddafi is hiding in Sirte. Meanwhile, a $2 million bounty on Gaddafi is being offered by a businessmen's club in Benghazi.

Additionally, Gaddafi's wife and three of his children are reported to have fled to Algeria.
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       Following Entry Posted 8/29/2011 01:50:00 PM

School Uniforms

Here's a curious juxtaposition of themes which arguably links to the subject of teacher-student sex.




Comical, yes, but the noticeable number of scandalous teacher-student sex cases has little to do with clothing. In fact, teacher-student sexual episodes are customarily characterized by a lack of clothing. (Story)
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       Following Entry Posted 8/29/2011 12:50:00 PM

School Vouchers in Indiana

(South Bend, Indiana) The Indiana school voucher program, signed into law by Gov. Mitch Daniels in May, is popular.

Weeks after Indiana began the nation’s broadest school voucher program, thousands of students have transferred from public to private schools, causing a spike in enrollment at some Catholic institutions that were only recently on the brink of closing for lack of pupils.

It’s a scenario public school advocates have long feared: Students fleeing local districts in large numbers, taking with them vital tax dollars. In at least one district, public school principals have pleaded with parents not to move their children.

Sounds almost like a prison break.

[Add.] From here we learn that about 70 percent of students using vouchers choose Catholic schools. I suspect this fact really puckers the progressives.
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       Following Entry Posted 8/29/2011 05:46:00 AM

Florida Mom Accused of Attempted Murder

(Marathon, Florida) A 19-year-old local woman, Elizabeth Garcia, has been accused of attempted murder of her two-month-old baby.

Garcia was arrested last Friday.

The Monroe County Sheriff's Office says a video obtained by investigators with the Department of Children and Families shows Elizabeth Garcia trying to hit the child with a rock.

The video reportedly shows Garcia holding the child in one arm and with a piece of concrete in her other hand. When she tried to strike the child, two men nearby were able to stop her.

Garcia has also been charged with carrying a concealed weapon stemming from an incident where she pulled a knife when confronted by deputies.

Tip: slwlion

Labels: Women With Troubles

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       Following Entry Posted 8/29/2011 04:35:00 AM

Delaware Child Rapist Sentenced

(Georgetown, Delaware) Last Friday, 58-year-old Earl Bradley, a pediatrician, was sentenced to 14 life prison terms stemming from convictions on 14 counts of first-degree rape.

Bradley also received 165 years in prison for multiple counts of assault and sexual exploitation of a children.

Bradley recorded homemade videos of the abuse, said prosecutors, who presented the judge with more than 13 hours of videos showing sex crimes against more than 80 victims, most of whom were toddlers.

The case rocked the close-knit community of Lewes, a town of about 3,100 on the southern Delaware coast. Families had to identify victims, and the scandal pitted some spouses against each other, and parents against grandparents. Guilt over leaving children alone with Bradley lurked in the background for some.

Bradley's office in Lewes was known for its many toys, merry-go-round and Ferris wheel. While Bradley secretly recorded some videos in Disney-themed exam rooms, the most brutal attacks occurred in a basement or a backroom where he lured children with promises of candy or toys.

Bradley's arrest followed previous police investigations and years of suspicions among parents. His colleagues also questioned his strange behavior, including being overly affectionate with children and not looking adults in the eye.

Disturbingly, Bradley's molestation of children occurred for years despite parents' suspicions and police investigations.

The Delaware medical licensing board was criticized for not reporting alleged illegal behavior by Bradley. Also, state law has been changed to tighten reporting requirements.

Tip: mike
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       Following Entry Posted 8/28/2011 11:14:00 PM

Pennsylvania Woman Guilty of Molesting Girl - Updated

(Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania) Former North Belle Vernon councilwoman Heather Prinkey, 37, pleaded guilty last Thursday to molesting a young girl from October 2007 to September 2009.

The victim was 12 years old when the molestation started.

The deal agreed to by the prosecution required Prinkey to admit guilt rather than allow her to plead no contest to the charges, according to Assistant District Attorney Jackie Knupp.

Prinkey pleaded guilty to charges of statutory assault, aggravated indecent assault, corruption of minors and indecent assault. The prosecution dropped two counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and one charge of corruption of minors.

Under terms of the deal, she will be sentenced to serve two to 10 years in prison, followed by 10 years on probation and a lifetime requirement that she register her whereabouts with the state police.

Formal sentencing awaits completion of a sex offender evaluation, estimated to be three months.

* * * * *
Pennsylvania Woman Accused of Molesting Girl
[Previous 8/3/10 post]
(North Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania) A 36-year-old local councilwoman, softball coach and mother, Heather M. Prinkey, has been arrested for allegedly molesting a girl who was invited for sleepovers with her daughter.

Prinkey has been charged with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, statutory sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault and endangering the welfare of children, plus misdemeanor counts of corruption of minors and indecent assault.

The sexual episodes reportedly occurred between May 2008 and September 2009. The victim was only 13 years old when the sex assaults began.

Prinkey was booked into custody at the Westmoreland County Prison with bond set at $250,000.

Tip: Lame

Labels: Women With Troubles

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       Following Entry Posted 8/28/2011 04:10:00 AM

Oregon Woman Accused of Sex with Three Boys

(Dufur, Oregon) A 24-year-old local woman, Angela Lindell, has been accused of engaging in sex with three teenage boys.

Investigators say she had sex with two 17-year-old boys and a 16-year-old boy between February, 2010 and April, 2011.[…]

The Wasco County district attorney is alerting authorities in Polk County after getting evidence that suggests Lindell may have had sex with another underage student there when she worked with a family member as a volunteer coach.

Yesterday, Lindell surrendered to authorities at the Northern Oregon Regional Correctional Facilities in The Dalles. She was booked and released on $2,500 bail.

Labels: Women With Troubles

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       Following Entry Posted 8/27/2011 10:37:00 PM

Iowa Teacher Accused in Naughty Pics Case

(Eagle Grove, Iowa) A 25-year-old teacher's aide at Eagle Grove High School, Bailey Tokheim, was arrested yesterday for allegedly sending naughty pictures to a student.

Tokheim faces a charge of telephone dissemination of obscene material to a minor.

Authorities say parents of a student contacted police after seeing the inappropriate photos on the teen's computer. The photos were allegedly sent over a seven-month period.

Tokheim was booked into custody and released on her own recognizance.

Labels: Women With Troubles

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       Following Entry Posted 8/27/2011 11:34:00 AM

Florida Teacher Accused of Grand Theft

(Tallahassee, Florida) A 52-year-old English teacher at Chiles High School, Tammy Bennett, was arrested yesterday for allegedly stealing $150,000 from the school's yearbook fund.

Bennett faces charges of grand theft and conspiracy to defraud.

An internal audit led to a criminal investigation earlier this summer. Bennett was placed on paid administrative leave during the investigation.

Bennett was booked into custody at the Leon County Jail.

Interesting. Who knew that a school's yearbook account contained so much cash?

Labels: Women With Troubles

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       Following Entry Posted 8/27/2011 12:23:00 AM

Spain Limits Debt

(Madrid, Spain) Here's a good idea.

Spain's main political powers agreed to amend the constitution Friday to make the government legally obliged to keep its deficit low, an effort to reassure financial markets that it will keep its troubled finances under control and not need a bailout.

The ruling Socialists and the opposition center-right Popular Party cut a deal after hours of frantic negotiations to propose a law under which, starting in 2020, the national deficit cannot surpass 0.4 percent of the country's GDP.

That threshold can be surpassed only in cases of natural disaster, economic recession or other extraordinary circumstances that will have to be declared formally by a vote in Parliament.

The constitutional amendment is expected to be voted on Sept. 2 in the lower house of Parliament, while the actual law is due to be passed by July 2012.

I'd suggest that limiting debt would be beneficial for the U.S. also.
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       Following Entry Posted 8/26/2011 11:49:00 PM

School Secretary Gets Prison in Sex Case - Updated

(Richmond, Kentucky) In May, wheelchair-bound former school secretary Lynda Chase, 37, pleaded guilty to one count of third-degree rape and four counts of third-degree sodomy stemming from sexual relations with a 15-year-old boy.

Yesterday, Chase was sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to register as a sex offender.

She will be eligible for shock probation in 30 days. If she does not receive shock probation, she will be eligible for parole in a little more than five months, defense attorney Jim Baechtold said.

Madison Circuit Judge William Clouse denied probation for Chase, although her attorney vigorously argued for probation or continued home incarceration.

It remains unclear whether Chase will be granted shock probation.

* * * * *
Wheelchaired School Secretary Accused of Sex with Student
[Previous 3/4/11 post]
(Richmond, Kentucky) A 37-year-old wheelchair-bound secretary at Madison Central High School, Lynda Chase, is accused of engaging in sex with a 15-year-old male student.

Chase was cited Wednesday to face one count of third-degree rape and four counts of third-degree sodomy.

The charges were filed by Kentucky State Police after school district officials brought the allegations to their attention, according to Master Trooper Chris Lanham, KSP spokesperson. The case remains under investigation by Trooper Edwin Botkin.

Chase was released on her own recognizance. A court appearance is scheduled for Monday.

Tip: Chuck Simmins

Labels: Women With Troubles

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       Following Entry Posted 8/26/2011 08:58:00 PM

Indiana Teacher's Aide Accused of Intoxication

(Vincennes, Indiana) A 35-year-old teacher's aide at Tecumseh/Harrison Elementary School, Collene Georges, has been arrested for allegedly being intoxicated at school.

Officers say they were called to the school around 1:30 Thursday afternoon to investigate a possibly intoxicated teachers aide.

Georges took a portable breath test that registered .173 percent.

Georges was booked into custody at the Knox County Jail.

Labels: Women With Troubles

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       Following Entry Posted 8/26/2011 06:17:00 PM

OK Teacher Accused of Liquoring Up Students

(Dover, Oklahoma) A 37-year-old sixth-grade teacher, Jennifer Kohen-Farrell, has been arrested for providing alcohol to students during two separate parties.

"We've had at least two parties on record where juveniles were drinking and that's always a concern. It's against the law and it's unsafe," West Henry said, Kingfisher County Sheriff's Department.

The affidavit states, at one party, Farrell brought Mike's Hard Lemonade and several minors drank it.

At the second party, witnesses told deputies she brought a 30 pack of Keystone beer and a bottle of Jack Daniels whiskey.

They say she even stayed the night, sleeping on the couch until 10 a.m. the next morning.

Kohen-Farrell faces charges of contributing to the delinquency of minors.

Labels: Women With Troubles

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       Following Entry Posted 8/26/2011 09:53:00 AM

Social networking increases risk of teen drug abuse: study

This may simply show that drug dependant kids are also more Facebook dependant. The direction of cause is entirely speculative

Time spent social networking increases the risk of teens smoking, drinking and using drugs, according to a national survey of American attitudes on substance abuse.

On a typical day, 70 per cent of teens ages 12 to 17 - 17 million teenagers - spend from a minute to hours on Facebook, Myspace and other social networking sites, according to The National Centre on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University.

But for this same age bracket, social-network-savvy teens are five times more likely to use tobacco; three times more likely to use alcohol; and twice as likely to use marijuana than teens who do not spend any of their day on social networking sites.
Advertisement: Story continues below

"The results are profoundly troubling ... the anything goes, free-for-all world of internet expression, suggestive television programing and what-the-hell attitudes put teens at sharply increased risk of substance abuse," CASA Founder and Chairman Joseph Califano Jr said in a statement on Wednesday.

Knowledge Networks surveyed 1037 teens ages 12 to 17 and 528 parents of these teens over the internet. QEV Analytics conducted the annual telephone survey of 1006 teens 12 to 17, asking questions CASA has used to track trends.

Results revealed that half of teens who spend any time social networking in a given day have seen pictures of kids "drunk, passed out, or using drugs on these sites".

But even beyond the daily teen social networkers, 14 per cent of teens who reported spending no time on such sites in a given day said they have seen pictures of drunk, passed out, or drug-using kids on the sites.

Teens who had seen such pictures were four times likelier to be able to get marijuana, three times likelier to be able to get prescription drugs without a prescription, and twice as likely to be able to get alcohol in a day at most.

Teens who had seen such pictures were also more than twice as likely to think they would try drugs in the future, and much more likely to have friends who used illegal drugs.

"Especially troubling - and alarming - are that almost half of the teens who have seen pictures ... first saw such pictures when they were 13 years of age or younger," the report said. "These facts alone should strike Facebook fear into the hearts of parents of young children."

But the surveys, which also questioned adults, found that nine of 10 parents do not think teens spending time social networking are any more likely to drink or use drugs.

Only 64 per cent of parents said they monitor their child's social networking page.

The authors of the report called for parents - still the greatest influence on a teen's decision whether to smoke, drink, or use drugs - to present a consistent and unified front against substance abuse. "In the cultural seas into which we toss our teens, parents are essential to preventing their substance abuse."

The report also urged operators of social networking sites to curb such images and deny use to adolescents who post them. "Continuing to provide the electronic vehicle for transmitting such images constitutes electronic child abuse," it said.

SOURCE

Posted by John J. Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.).

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       Following Entry Posted 8/26/2011 09:03:00 AM

Afghan Theater: Revision to Standing Orders


From Marine Corps Times Blog:

Audible farting has been banned for some Marines downrange because it offends the Afghans.

That is all.


Tip: C. Nestor
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       Following Entry Posted 8/26/2011 07:33:00 AM

UN Building in Nigeria Bombed, 20 Dead



Bombing - UN Building, Abuja, Nigeria
(Abuja, Nigeria) About 10:24 AM Nigerian time, the United Nations building in Abuja experienced an explosion, claiming several lives.

Reportedly, the 3rd floor of the building was ripped apart by a suicide bomber driving a car packed with explosives.

No confirmation on casualties has been provided. One source, however, reports at least 20 deaths and many wounded.
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       Following Entry Posted 8/26/2011 04:25:00 AM

Death Toll 53 in Mexican Casino Attack



Casino Attack

(Monterrey, Mexico) From yesterday afternoon:

The death toll climbed as workers continued to pull bodies out of a burned casino in northern Mexico, where gunmen spread gasoline and ignited a fire that trapped and killed at least 53 gamblers and employees.

Family members gathered at the caution tape outside the Casino Royale after the Thursday afternoon fire in the northern industrial city of Monterrey, some crying and others yelling at police for providing no information. Later they were allowed to view bodies in the morgue to help identify the victims.[…]

Gov. Rodrigo Medina told the Televisa network late Thursday that the death toll had reached 53. The fire in a city that has seen a surge in drug cartel-related violence represented one of the deadliest attacks on an entertainment center in Mexico since President Felipe Calderon launched an offensive against drug cartels in late 2006.

Survivors report that gunmen stormed the casino about 4 PM carrying containers apparently full of gasoline.

The attackers shouted for the gamblers and employees to get out. Some people escaped. Some darted further into the building and became trapped amid flames and billowing smoke.

Authorities are blaming an ongoing turf war between rival drug cartels.
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       Following Entry Posted 8/26/2011 12:28:00 AM

Cold Sadist with Torture Chamber

(Hamburg, Germany) A 30-year-old local man, Thomas Fischer, has been arrested on multiple charges including kidnapping, explosives, weapons and torture stemming from the discovery of an Israeli woman being held inside a soundproof chamber in his apartment.

Fortunately, the woman escaped and authorities were alerted.

Police suspect that Fischer, known for stalking women, may have an accomplice. It's also believed that he planned and plotted his kidnapping and torture scheme for years.



Fischer's soundproof chamber
How Fischer got the box inside his apartment without drawing attention is a mystery.

A man who imprisoned a woman in his home-made torture chamber rigged with eight bombs may have wanted to get his victim pregnant, it has been claimed.

Thomas Fischer, 30, turned his Hamburg flat into a terrifying lair where he had installed an old soundproofed telephone box to lock up his victim.[...]

Fischer snatched a 26-year-old Israeli woman off the street last Friday and kept her as a handcuffed hostage inside the homemade 'cell' in his flat.

Although it is thought he had planned to imprison her for a number of months, the woman managed to escape after two hours when he forgot to lock the door to the torture chamber.

Having found pregnancy tests inside the apartment, officials now believe Fischer had intended to get his victim pregnant or blow her up if that was not possible.

Fischer has been described as a cold, heartless sadist.

Tip: slwlion
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       Following Entry Posted 8/25/2011 11:51:00 PM

Drug Decriminalization in Colombia

(Bogota, Colombia) The Colombian Supreme Court has ruled that possession and consumption of drugs are not punishable offenses.

According to the court, penalizing the personal use of drugs violates the "free development of personality."

The court found that Legislative Act No.2, 2009, which banned the personal use of drugs, "implies the nullification of fundamental rights, and it represses and sanctions with the severest punishments (imprisonment) the personal decision to abandon one's personal health, a choice that corresponds to their own decision and does not infringe on the rights of other members of society."

Violates the free development of personality? Anyone know what that means?
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       Following Entry Posted 8/25/2011 11:47:00 AM

Pennsylvania Woman Accused in Baby Murder

(Norristown, Pennsylvania) A 38-year-old woman, Melissa Haskell, has been arrested and charged with the murder of a five-month-old boy she was babysitting for 19 years ago.

Haskell was a 19-year-old babysitter for Ryan Bauerly when the infant died on August 26, 1992. The death was originally blamed on sudden infant death syndrome.

Authorities received a tip in April from someone claiming Haskell admitted suffocating the baby. Police said they reopened the investigation and recorded a conversation in which Haskell described putting her hand over the infant's mouth and killing him.

Haskell was booked into custody at the Montgomery County Prison without bond. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for August 30.

Labels: Women With Troubles

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       Following Entry Posted 8/25/2011 09:57:00 AM

Indonesian Flight Attendant Recruitment




The flagship airline of Indonesia has recently been the focus of controversy due to its flight attendant recruitment process.

Female Garuda recruits are told to disrobe and lie on an examination table for palpation by an Indonesian male doctor. The palpation includes gently stroking, caressing and feeling breast tissue and other female parts.

According to a Garuda Indonesia spokeswoman,

“In case of the breast palpation, we conduct it to screen out those who have breast implants. We have a regulation to screen those persons because a sharp drop of air pressure inside the carrier could sometimes cause them health damage.

Also, we conduct full examination of skin on the basis of the religious guideline prohibiting tattoos,” she added.

Post-Palpation
Garuda Indonesia Flight Attendants

Although Garuda denies any impropriety and the recruits give consent, women's groups claim the palpation process is sexist, insulting and borders on sexual assault.
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       Following Entry Posted 8/25/2011 09:50:00 AM

Fla. Teacher Suspended for Posting Anti-Gay Marriage Views on Facebook

We read:

"A Florida history teacher has been suspended after it was revealed he wrote about his objections to gay marriage on his personal Facebook page. Jerry Buell, who was Mount Dora High School’s “Teacher of the Year” last year, reportedly wrote that he almost “threw up” in response to New York’s legalization of same-sex marriage in July.

According to Fox News, the school system received a complaint about the comment Tuesday and suspended and reassigned Buell the next day.

“It was my own personal comment on my own personal time on my own personal computer in my own personal house, exercising what I believed as a social studies teacher to be my First Amendment rights,” Buell told Fox.

Chris Patton, a communications officer for the school system, told Fox there was concern about how Buell might treat gay students in his class. He also disputed the notion that the comments were private.

“He has [more than] 700 friends,” Patton said. “How private is that – really? Social media can be troubling if you don’t respect it and know that just because you think you are in a private realm – it’s not private.”

He vowed Buell will not return to the classroom until “a thorough job of looking at everything – past or previous writings” is complete.

Buell said he thought the school is trying to silence Christian teachers, warning them not to express their views.

Source

A pretty clear 1st Amendment violation by the school there.

Posted by John J. Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.).

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       Following Entry Posted 8/25/2011 09:12:00 AM

Spelling Gathafi's (Qaddifi's) Name




(Tripoli, Libya) Libyan rebels nosing through Colonel Muammar's military compound found his passport which displays the correct spelling of Gathafi, not Qaddifi. The video capture above is poor quality but "Gathafi" can been seen.

You'd think that someone in power for over forty years would have had at least one opportunity to clarify the spelling of his name. But it didn't happen. Consequently, over 100 versions of Gathafi's name have appeared in the media.
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       Following Entry Posted 8/24/2011 11:22:00 PM

Illinois Teacher Gets Probation in Sex Case - Updated

(Morrison, Illinois) Yesterday, 26-year-old English teacher Nicole Letcher pleaded guilty to aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a minor and was sentenced to 180 days jail and 48 months of probation.

* * * * *
Illinois Teacher Accused of Sex with Student
[Previous 5/27/11 post]
(Morrison, Illinois) A 26-year-old English teacher at Fulton (IL) High School, Nicole R. Letcher, has been arrested for allegedly engaging in a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old student.

Letcher faces six charges of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a minor.

River Bend Superintendent Jane Bauer said Letcher was suspended from her job Wednesday after school district administration received a report of an inappropriate relationship between the student and Letcher.

A report was made to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and an investigation was launched by Fulton police. Court records state the alleged victim was born in August 1994.

Letcher was booked into custody at the Whiteside County Jail with bond set at $50,000.

Labels: Women With Troubles

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       Following Entry Posted 8/24/2011 10:43:00 PM

Woman Arranges Sex Between Husband and Child

(Jackson County, Florida) A 41-year-old woman, Alicia Ann Bouchard, has been accused of arranging a sex session between her husband, Matthew Bouchard, 26, and a 12-year-old girl with the intention of getting the girl pregnant and receiving state benefits.

Mrs. Bouchard faces charges of being a principal to sexual battery, soliciting sexual activity with a child, and being a principal to child abuse in the case.

According to the complaint, Mrs. Bouchard also admitted to everything the girl told someone in the shelter home.

According to the complaint, the girl disclosed she had been sexually active with Mr. Bouchard in the presence of Mrs. Bouchard and that Mrs. Bouchard had told her that “the worse that could happen is you would get pregnant.”

The complaint states that, according to Mr. Bouchard’s statement, having the girl get pregnant was actually his wife’s goal in hopes that a pregnancy could lead to more income for the household.

Mrs. Bouchard was booked in to custody at the Jackson County Jail with bond set at $70,000. Mr. Bouchard has been charged with sexual battery and is also being held in the Jackson County Jail.

Tip: slwlion

Labels: Women With Troubles

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       Following Entry Posted 8/24/2011 03:32:00 PM

Terrorist Leader Killed



Kabylie region in red

(Algiers, Algeria) Last Friday in the restive mountainous Kabylie region, a top leader of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Mohammed Abadi, aka Salah Abou Yacine, 53, was killed by Algerian forces.

Government forces clashed with AQIM kidnappers at a checkpoint near the town of Maatkas which left the hostage and two terrorists dead. Reportedly, one of the terrorists killed was Mohammed Abadi.
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       Following Entry Posted 8/24/2011 01:31:00 PM

Woman Pleads Insanity in Child Beating

(Redding, California) A local area woman, Rachel Limon, has changed her plea on the eve of her trial for felony child abuse.

In light of being accused of severely beating a seven-year-old boy within an inch of death, Limon decided to plead she is insane thereby delaying the start of her trial until October 18.

When Sheriff's deputies found the boy, he had broken bones, burns on his body and a collapsed lung.

Rachel Limon will stand trial with her brother, Gregory Matthew Limon, who is charged with child abuse and being an accessory. He faces seven years in prison if he is convicted.

Rachel Limon faces three separate life in prison sentences if she is convicted.

Plans are to have Limon evaluated by court-appointed psychologists.

Labels: Women With Troubles

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       Following Entry Posted 8/24/2011 09:20:00 AM

NJ GOP lawmaker quit over wife's Carl Lewis email

We read:

"A freshman Republican lawmaker resigned because his wife sent "an offensive and racist" email to the Democratic state Senate campaign of nine-time Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis, a GOP official acknowledged Monday.

Delany and his wife, Jennifer Delany, are white. Lewis, a political novice who's among the greatest athletes of all time, is black.

Jennifer Delany's email to Lewis' campaign said, in part, "Imagine having dark skin and name recognition and the nerve to think that equaled knowing something about politics."

"Former Assemblyman Pat Delany's wife inexplicably sent an offensive and racist email in response to a routine email from Carl Lewis' campaign; her actions were inexcusable," Layton said.

Lewis is running for state Senate in New Jersey's 8th Legislative District. Delany was part of the opposing GOP Assembly slate in the district.

Source

I suppose the email was a bit nasty but it was also a fair comment. Does being able to run fast make you a good representative? And is there any doubt that his skin color would have influenced his nomination? An inexperienced know-nothing became POTUS because of his skin color -- and a Nobel prize as well. The racism lies in nominating dummies because of their skin color -- not in criticizing that.

Posted by John J. Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.).

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       Following Entry Posted 8/23/2011 11:41:00 PM

Gallows for Meth



(Alor Star, Malaysia) A 34-year-old Indonesian woman, Nurjanah Mohd Zin, was arrested last May for reportedly boarding a bus in Thailand bound for Kuala Lumpur while allegedly possessing 2.6Kg of methamphetamine.

Narjanah was tried and convicted of trafficking in methamphetamine.

Yesterday, Judge Datuk Mohd Azman Husin of the High Court sentenced Nurjanah Mohd Zin to death.

Labels: Women With Troubles

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       Following Entry Posted 8/23/2011 10:23:00 PM

Texas Woman, 32, and Boy, 13

(Angelina County, Texas) A 32-year-old local woman, Natalie Deshan Johnson, was arrested yesterday for allegedly engaging in sex with a 13-year-old boy.

Johnson faces a charge of aggravated sexual assault of a child.

According to the affidavit, the boy was staying with his grandparents on Aug. 6 and 7 when they told his parents that he was missing.

The boy told his parents that he had slipped away from their residence and Johnson picked him up and took him to his apartment, where he stayed the night of Aug. 6 and had sex with her that night and the next morning. She dropped him off in Moffett later that day, where he called his grandfather to pick him up, he said.

The boy's parents then questioned him about his disappearance, and he told them about his sexual relationship with Johnson.

Johnson was booked into custody at the Angelina County Jail. A bond amount hasn't been reported.

Labels: Women With Troubles

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       Following Entry Posted 8/23/2011 05:07:00 PM

Hospital Incompetence and Insensitivity

(Essex, England) A 27-year-old mother, Danielle Tivey, grieved over the stillborn arrival of one of her twin boys and asked the Southend Hospital for the remains of Tommy so that a proper funeral could be held.

Miss Tivey had to fight for eight months to get the remains since the hospital staff lost the paperwork.

When the remains were finally released, a hospital receptionist simply handed a horrified Miss Tivey a brown envelope containing skin and tissue samples contained in six wax blocks.

Distraught Miss Tivey claimed she was physically sick and the episode left her suffering nightmares and also affected her relationship with her partner, George.

She has now been awarded substantial damages after the ordeal left her with deep psychological scars.

Hospital bosses have apologized.
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       Following Entry Posted 8/23/2011 04:06:00 PM

Vacationer Guilty of Attempted Ship Damage

(Tampa, Florida) A 44-year-old California businessman, Rick Ehlert, pleaded guilty today in federal court to dropping anchor on a cruise ship, MS Ryndam, while underway. The ship was sailing from Tampa to Costa Maya, Mexico, with 1800+ people onboard.

Ehlert faces a possible 20 years in federal prison for attempting to damage a maritime facility and attempting to destroy a life buoy.

According to the plea agreement, on November 27, 2010, the Ehlert attempted to cause damage to the MS Ryndam, a cruise ship, while it was in international waters, by unlawfully dropping the stern anchor on board the ship while the ship was in motion.

Additionally, Ehlert attempted to destroy or disable a life buoy, an item intended to be used in connection with an emergency on board the MS Ryndam, by throwing it overboard.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Coast Guard. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney.

Ehlert claimed he was drunk.
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       Following Entry Posted 8/23/2011 04:49:00 AM

Crimes Punished by Killing Sheep

(Bekwai, Ghana) A local female chop bar (restaurant) owner, Serwaah Serwaah, was accused of collecting urine from three young boys to steam meat and make soup in preparing food for the public.

Alternatively, she said she was making a concoction to cure deafness.

However, after urine collection the three boys became ill and their parents blamed the sickness on Serwaah Serwaah for taking the boys' urine. The parents demanded the urine be returned. Serwaah Serwaah said she had already used it.

Consequently, the parents filed a criminal complaint with the traditional court claiming Serwaah was wicked.

The court then decided that it was wicked of the chop bar operator to commit such a crime and, therefore, decided that the woman should buy two sheep for sacrifice.

The sheep would then be slaughtered and the blood used to pacify the gods and purify the spirits of the three children.

The sacrifice is scheduled to be performed tomorrow Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at the court’s sitting to free the children from any spiritual bondage, as well as any sickness they have contracted as a result of the woman’s activities.

Serwaah was also ordered to pay GH¢500 (about $330) compensation to the children and their parents.

Note that the above instance of crime and punishment, in conjunction with an unrelated recent occurrence, support the contention that crimes in Ghana are typically punished by killing sheep.
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       Following Entry Posted 8/23/2011 04:41:00 AM

Huge rate of criminality among illegal immigrants

A generally unnoticed aspect of Obama's new deportation plan for illegals is the assertion by the Obama admin. that the immigration service has the capacity to deport serious criminals only. That's a heck of a lot of serious criminals! Around 400,000 in fact. It is graphic testimony to the high rate of criminality among illegals -- and it's not "racists" who are saying so. This could well be a foot-shot for the Left in the medium term.

Posted by John J. Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.).

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       Following Entry Posted 8/22/2011 11:00:00 PM

Texas Teacher Accused of Improper Relations

(Honey Grove, Texas) A 27-year-old teacher formerly with the Honey Grove ISD, Jordan Lane, has been accused of engaging in an improper relationship with a 14-year-old boy.

According to Chief Mark Johnson of the Honey Grove Police Department,

"the improper conduct happened after hours, after school hours. What I gathered through the investigation, the relationship started during the school year but it didn't really get deep into a relationship until the end of the year."

Honey Grove Police, along with another agency, conducted a forensic interview at the young man's home. They also spoke with local witnesses to build what they consider a strong case against Lane. The investigation that began August 2nd, 2011 is nearing a close.

"We are going to re-evaluate what I'm doing and there may possibly be different charges filed other than what I have filed," said Johnson.

Chief Johnson is working closely with Fannin County District Attorney Richard Glaser to determine if Lane will be charged with one count of having an improper relationship or several counts of aggravated sexual assault.

Lane was booked into custody and subsequently released on bond.

Labels: Women With Troubles

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       Following Entry Posted 8/22/2011 08:39:00 PM

If You're Wondering


MEDIA SALARIES

Position --- Average --- Minimum --- Maximum

News Director - $95,600, $18,000, $300,000

News Anchor - $90,500, $18,000, $737,500

News Producer - $35,100, $18,000, $86,000

This shows that the big bucks go to on-air people. If you want to make lots of money, get your face in front of a camera.
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       Following Entry Posted 8/22/2011 08:24:00 PM

California Woman and Boy

(Porterville, California) A 39-year-old local woman, Tracy Hannah, was arrested Saturday for allegedly engaging in sex with a 15-year-old boy.

Hannah faces charges of child molestation and sexual intercourse with a minor.

On Saturday, at approximately 5:40 p.m., officers located the 15-year-old and interviewed him regarding the allegations.

He reportedly said that in August of 2010, when he was 14-years-old, he began a sexual relationship with Hannah.

Police report that the relationship has continued since that time.

Hannah was booked into custody with bond set at $100,000.

Labels: Women With Troubles

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       Following Entry Posted 8/22/2011 06:54:00 AM

"Illegal" is a slur?

I would have thought it was a description. But if it is a slur it is an earned one

"It is rare that a story involving illegal immigration goes by on Fox News or their blog, Fox Nation, without the use of the slur "illegals" to describe undocumented immigrants.

Fox News has chosen to ignore the specific instruction of the Associated Press Style Book, which urges journalists not to shorten the phrase to exclude the word "immigrant," and calls by several news associations to stop using the word because it "pollutes" and can "skew public debate" on immigration.

Source

Posted by John J. Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.).

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       Following Entry Posted 8/22/2011 05:23:00 AM

Vietnamese Girls Sold in China




The gross mismatch between male and female births in China is creating significant problems which logically will continue. With 118 boys born for every 100 girls, millions of Chinese men will be forced to live without wives.

And then there's this:

Police in China have launched an investigation into the suspected abduction of 100 Vietnamese women who had been sold as brides to Chinese men, state media said.

The missing women had been living in remote villages in the central province of Hunan, the official Xinhua news agency reported, quoting local police and family members.

After the women disappeared, some husbands received phone calls ordering them to pay ransoms or their wives would be sold again, Xinhua said.

The report did not say when the women disappeared.

Therefore, women have become a marketable commodity in China. Naturally, we can expect feminist leaders to express outrage in the near future.
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       Following Entry Posted 8/21/2011 08:53:00 AM

Pastor Rapes Five Sisters

(Eastern Region, Ghana) The Head Pastor of African Faith Tabernacle, Rev. Paul Nkansah, admitted to raping five sisters at Akyem Akiase in the Eastern Region, saying he committed the crimes on orders from celestial powers.

The rapes came to light when a girl died after being sent to Rev. Nkansah for spiritual healing. Stricken with grief, the girl's family consulted an oracle who said Rev. Nkansah could not heal because he had raped five sisters. The girls confirmed the rapes.

The mother complained to a meeting of tribal chiefs and one of the sisters detailed how the rapes occurred.

She said at midnight, the pastor poured water and oil into a bucket and sent her to a bush on a hill and instructed her to strip naked and bath.

She said on their return to the prayer camp, Pastor Nkansah invited her to his bedroom where he smeared her body with anointing oil before telling her that he had been instructed by the ‘Holy Spirit’ to have sex with her, which was necessary for her deliverance, a request which she resisted.

The victim said Pastor Nkansah dipped his hands into a glass and took some powder and sprinkled it on her face and body.

She said she became unconscious and when she regained consciousness, she realised that she had been raped by Pastor Nkansah, who warned her not to reveal her ordeal to anybody, otherwise she would die prematurely.

The other four victims, including a 15-year-old junior high school (JHS) student, also revealed how they were allegedly raped by the pastor, using the same tricks.

For raping the five sisters, Pastor Nkansah was fined a ram and two bottles of schnapps.

Granted, there are significant cultural differences between Ghana and the U.S. but, even so, it appears that the pastor received quite lenient punishment for raping five sisters.

[Add.] By the way, in the category of useless trivia, Accra, Ghana, is the world capital closest to 0 degrees longitude and 0 degrees latitude.
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       Following Entry Posted 8/20/2011 09:13:00 PM

Study: Global Warming May Make Aliens Eat Humans

(University Park, Pennsylvania) Researchers at Penn State University and NASA in a joint study have proposed that alien environmentalists could attack the Earth because of global warming.

The study discusses how the aliens could "attack and kill us, enslave us, or potentially even eat us" in order to protect the galaxy from man-made climate change.

The study theorizes aliens would worry that earthlings might damage other planets along with Earth. Consequently, the aliens may "seek to preemptively destroy our civilization in order to protect other civilizations from us."

The name of the study is "Would Contact with Extraterrestrials Benefit or Harm Humanity? A Scenario Analysis."

Arguably, the study would better fit in the category of cartoon fantasy rather than scientific research. Of course, being described as a "joint study" could be an indication that some altered reality was relied upon. I contend that taxpayer funding for this type of 'scenario analysis' is imprudent.

Tip: Graham K.
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       Following Entry Posted 8/20/2011 06:35:00 AM

The latest scare: Walruses to become "endangered"

There's tens of thousands of them in just one location and plenty of food for them but some of them might stampede! The Horror!



Maybe parts of the Arctic have melted but if so it COULD NOT be the result of global warming. Why? Because even the Warmists now concede that there has been NO global warming for the last 10 years or so. So any changes in Arctic ice MUST be due to natural local factors such as changing winds and ocean currents

Tens of thousands of walruses have come ashore in north-west Alaska because the sea ice they normally rest on has melted. US government scientists say this massive move to shore by walruses is unusual in the United States. But it has happened at least twice before, in 2007 and 2009. In those years Arctic sea ice also was at or near record low levels.

The walruses "stretch out for one mile [1.6 kilometres] or more. This is just packed shoulder-to-shoulder," US Geological Survey biologist Anthony Fischbach said in a telephone interview from Alaska. He estimated their number at tens of thousands. Scientists with two federal agencies are most concerned about the 900-kilogram female walruses stampeding and crushing each other and their smaller calves near Point Lay, Alaska, on the Chukchi Sea.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service is trying to change airplane flight patterns to avoid spooking the animals. Officials have also asked locals to be judicious about hunting, said agency spokesman Bruce Woods.

The federal government is in a year-long process to determine if walruses should be put on the endangered species list.

Fischbach said scientists don't know how long the walrus camp-out will last, but there should be enough food for all of them.

During normal summers, the males go off to play in the Bering Sea, while the females raise their young in the Chukchi. The females rest on sea ice and dive from it to the sea floor for clams and worms. "When they no longer have a place to rest, they need to go some place and it's a long commute," Fischbach said. "This is directly related to the lack of sea ice."

Loss of sea ice in the Chukchi this summer in the northern hemisphere has surprised scientists because last winter lots of old established sea ice floated into the region, said Mark Serreze, director of the National Snow and Ice Data Centre. But that has disappeared. Although last year was a slight improvement over previous years, Serreze says there has been a long-term decline that he blames on global warming. "We'll likely see more summers like this," he said. "There is no sign of Arctic recovery."

SOURCE

Posted by John J. Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.).

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       Following Entry Posted 8/20/2011 06:23:00 AM

Pak Suicide Bomber Kills Dozens

(Jamrud, Pakistan) The death toll is at 50 with more expected after a teenage suicide bomber exploded himself among worshippers at a mosque yesterday.

No one claimed responsibility for the attack in Jamrud, a main town in Khyber, but officials suspected Taliban militants who have been active for past years in the tribal region that shares border with Afghanistan.

Officials earlier said 34 people had been killed.

"Many of the wounded succumbed to their injuries, adding to the toll that may rise further as there are still people in critical condition," region's top government administrator Mutahir Zeb said.

Zeb said the attack was carried out by a teenage boy who struck when worshippers were offering prayers.

The mosque is located in an area inhabited by Kokikhel tribesmen, who are opposed to Taliban activity and have been fighting to push them out of their region. "The blast could be a reaction to that," Zeb said.

It will take time to determine total casualty count and overall property damage.

Note that this incident is only one in a continuum of instances where Muslims murder Muslims. Empirically, infidels are not the main enemy of Muslims. It's themselves.
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       Following Entry Posted 8/20/2011 06:16:00 AM

Biebermania

Arguably the going rate for unsullied flowers trends with moral decay.

According to Mexican news outlets, the hysteria around Justin Bieber’s upcoming Mexico City concert has reached such levels that a girl has even offered to trade her virginity for a ticket.

“My virginity for a ticket to Justin Bieber,” one girl wrote on Facebook, according to El Norte.

Heh. In the olden days, I bet a virgin could get two tickets.

[Update] Here's a video showing the hysteria of young girls after learning that the Bieber concert had been sold out.




Heh.
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       Following Entry Posted 8/19/2011 08:47:00 PM

Carolina Teacher Busted for Marijuana

(Bishopville, South Carolina) A 49-year-old teacher at Lee County Career and Technology Center, Sandra McDonald, was arrested after deputies found more than five pounds of marijuana at her home. Another resident, 45-year-old Fitzgerald Wilson, was also arrested.

McDonald and Wilson face charges of manufacturing of marijuana, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and possession of controlled substance.

While waiting on the warrant, deputies say they questioned one of the occupants of the home who admitted to having two pounds of marijuana inside.

After the search warrant was executed deputies say they found five pounds and thirteen plants of marijuana in and around the residency.

In addition, two bags of what they believe were a control substance was discovered, says deputies.

McDonald and Wilson were booked into custody at the Sumter-Lee Detention Center.

Labels: Women With Troubles

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       Following Entry Posted 8/19/2011 06:49:00 PM

Penis Amputation Case - Updated

(Shelbyville, Kentucky) Phillip and Deborah Seaton have filed a lawsuit seeking unspecified damages against Dr. John Patterson for performing an unwanted 2007 penis removal.

Proceedings have commenced in Shelby County Circuit Court. The Seatons claim they were harmed by the penis removal due "loss of service, love and affection."

Dr. Patterson of Louisville contends he found cancer while performing a circumcision and had to remove Mr. Seaton's penis. (h/t slwlion)

* * * * *
Man Sues Over Penis Amputation
[Previous 9/29/08 post]
(Shelby County, Kentucky) Dr. John M. Patterson of Frankfort is being sued in Shelby County Circuit Court for amputating a man's penis without consent. Dr. Oliver James of Shelbyville is also being sued for administering the anesthetic during the surgery.

Phillip and Deborah Seaton of Waddy, say Phillip went to Patterson last October for a circumcision, which resulted in the doctor removing Phillip's penis, according to the newspaper.

The lawsuit states that, "Despite having no consent to remove his penis and despite being advised by Phillip that he did not want him to remove any part of his penis other than the foreskin, Dr. Patterson removed the penis," the newspaper reported.

James is included in the suit because he gave Seaton a general anesthetic after assuring the patient he wouldn't, according to the [Shelbyville] Sentinel.

The lawsuit claims the amputation was intentional.

Obviously, unauthorized removal of the penis is more than a simple Oops!
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       Following Entry Posted 8/19/2011 11:09:00 AM

Sex Crimes Lawyer Accused of Sex Crimes

(San Francisco, California) A local lawyer, Robert Michael Hoffman, 50, is in trouble. He faces rape and other sex charges.

A San Francisco employment lawyer who specializes in sexual harassment cases has been charged with rape and other crimes for allegedly attacking three women who came to his apartment in response to his Craigslist ad for rough sex.

Therefore, it appears Hoffman stops other people from harassing women while he roughs them up during sex, allegedly.

Heh.
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       Following Entry Posted 8/19/2011 10:00:00 AM

Tennessee Woman Told to Remove American Flag Outside Her Optometry Office

We read:

"Dawn Kamin said she would expect opposition to the flying of an American flag in more liberal parts of the country – but not the suburbs of Memphis, Tenn. Kamin said she was ordered to remove an American flag she had posted outside her optometry office.

According to a letter sent to Dr. Kamin, the flag pole and the flag violated the bylaws of the business condominium group. She was told to take down the flag or face the consequences.

However, a spokesman did release an email to Fox News Radio noting that the Corporate Center Condominiums, run by Tesco Properties, prominently flies two American flags. “Placing additional flags in common areas in order to bring greater attention to a particular business is inappropriate,” the spokesman wrote.

Kamin said she was flying the flag to honor the military. “I have family in the military and we have really become aware of our freedoms and what our soldiers do for us,” she said.

Kamin demanded to see the business condominium’s bylaws, but she said so far Tesco Properties has not complied. “They didn’t give me anything in writing,” she said. “All they gave me were threats.”

Source

A nasty lot by the sound of it.

Posted by John J. Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.).

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       Following Entry Posted 8/19/2011 09:51:00 AM

Protection Order in Penis Shooting Case



Taurus .380 Semiautomatic

(Chandler, Arizona) Known for accidentally shooting his own penis, 27-year-old Joshua Seto has obtained an order of protection against his fiancee, Cara Christopher, 26, claiming she conspired to burglarize his home.

Note that Christopher owned the gun, a pink Taurus .380, Seto used to shoot his package as he was putting it in his pants.

The bullet struck his penis and went through his scrotum and left thigh, police said. He underwent surgery, and has since been released from a hospital, Chandler police Sgt. Joe Favazzo said.

Police are still investigating the shooting amid questions about the versions of the accident they received from Seto and Christopher.

In the order of protection signed Aug. 8, the court said Christopher must neither contact nor commit crimes against Seto and his female relative, whom they lived with at one point.

Speculation is that wedding plans are on hold.
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       Following Entry Posted 8/19/2011 09:03:00 AM

New Disease



Tick
(Beijing, China) A new tick-borne viral disease, severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), has emerged in central and eastern China.

According to the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 280 cases have been identified and at least 10 people have died.

The CDC said that most of the victims suffered nausea, fatigue and a lack of appetite. The disease reduces white blood cell and platelet counts, which can lead to organ failure and death.

However, Pang Xinghuo, deputy head of the Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, told China Daily on Sunday that residents in the capital do not need to worry.

"So far, the center has not received any reports of tick infections from hospitals in the city. The center has a mechanism to closely monitor cases such as this," she said.

Pang suggested that, to be on the safe side, it would be better to wear long-sleeved clothes when lying or walking in the grass and to take showers after returning home.

Offhand I'd suggest that China is a world leader with respect to new deadly diseases. I easily recall medical alerts for the bird flu, SARS and the Hong Kong flu coming from China. Note, however, that I'm not a medical statistician and my suggestion could be uninformed.
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       Following Entry Posted 8/19/2011 08:29:00 AM

Texas School Aide Busted for Meth

(Kilgore, Texas) A 40-year-old attendance aide at Kilgore Heights Elementary School, Sharon Ann Shaw, was arrested along with an acquaintance, James Hodkinson, 40, after officers pulled the pair over at 3 AM Tuesday in a traffic stop for a broken tail light.

Officials said the pair were arrested and charged with delivery of a controlled substance and for the unlawful carrying of a weapon.

Officers said a can disguised to look like a an arersol lubricant WD-40 was found in the vehicle and contained meth.[…]

Nacogdoches officials said in addition to finding 11 grams of meth in the can, the vehicle also had what they suspected was stolen property and tools commonly used in burglaries. Officials said officers had consent to search the vehicle.

Shaw and Hodkinson were booked into custody.

Labels: Women With Troubles

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       Following Entry Posted 8/19/2011 12:26:00 AM

Religious Hostility at VA Cemetery - Updated

Volunteers at the Houston National Cemetery have been told to remove "God" and "God bless you" from their vocabulary.





On a personal note, my father was a decorated WWII soldier whose grave is in the Houston National Cemetery. I suggest that cemetery director Arleen Ocascio be fired.

* * * * *
Houston VA Cemetery Censors God & Jesus From Funerals
[Previous 7/1/11 post bumped]
This is a disgrace. Many of those buried at the cemetery would have been Christians of one sort or another so a blanket ban on Christian references disrespects them.

"Earlier today The Blaze covered a breaking story out of Houston, where three different veterans groups have filed suit against the Veterans Administration, alleging a First Amendment violation when the VA censored the memorial services at the Houston National Cemetery by prohibiting words like ‘God’ and ‘Jesus’ from being spoken during funerals.

Arleen Ocascio, the director of the VA cemetery in Houston who told groups that they cannot use specific religious language on the property, has been offered the opportunity to respond to this story and has not yet returned our calls. Ms. Ocascio has informed other media outlets that she cannot comment on any issue currently being litigated. In the meantime, calls for Ocascio’s resignation or termination are building.

Source

Posted by John J. Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.).
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       Following Entry Posted 8/18/2011 10:15:00 PM

Carolina Woman and Boy

(Boone, North Carolina) A 28-year-old local woman, Erin Michelle Lewicki, has been accused of engaging in sex with a 15-year-old boy last month.

Lewicki faces two counts of felony indecent liberties with a child.

The 28-year-old was booked into custody with bond set at $20,000. An October court appearance has been scheduled.

Note that the reporting describes the alleged offenses by Lewicki as a brief "summer fling." I suggest if it were a 28-year-old male offender mixing it up with a 15-year-old girl, the report would display more objective terminology.

Labels: Women With Troubles

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       Following Entry Posted 8/18/2011 07:15:00 PM

Animal Rights Porn?

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) reportedly will seek a .xxx domain reserved for pornography.

Presumably, a website with raw, hardcore pornography will encourage people to eat more tubers, shoots and leaves, thereby protecting animals.

PETA maintains that a strict vegan diet makes a body gorgeous and vegan foods are natural aphrodisiacs.

Heh.
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       Following Entry Posted 8/18/2011 09:50:00 AM

What is the optimum temperature?

Australian grape-grower Erl Happ became interested in climate when trying to work out what climate was best for grape-growing. And, as every grape grower knows, some climates are better for grapes than others. So instead of the common academic focus on average temperature, Happ became interested in how that average is made up. He looked at temperature by region and season rather than by some uninformative global average. What he found was that temperatures in different regions and seasons moved in different directions at the same time. While one region or season was cooling another was warming.

So this regional/seasonal disparity very strongly made an explanation in terms of CO2 useless. AGW theory could explain uniform warming only and uniform warming is NOT happening. Looking at average temperature artificially hides what is actually happening.

He sees a large influence for clouds in temperature change, and like many skeptics sees the influence as being "more-clouds=cooling". Warmists say the opposite of course. I don't find the argument he uses to justify that claim particularly strong but there are other arguments leading to the same conclusion so that is not really a problem.

What IS important I think, is his emphasis on what the optimum temperature is at any point on the earth's surface. And he defines optimum as what is best for plant growth -- seeing that we all ultimately depend on plants for food and much else.

He says that 25 degrees Celsius is optimum and, since I come from a place (tropical Australia) where the temperature is around that, I have to agree. Anybody who has seen the mad growth of vegetation in the tropics can be in no doubt that most of the earth is TOO COLD. So even if the Warmists were right, we have nothing to fear.

And even Warmists these days are retreating from the rising sea level scare. 91% of the earth's glacial ice is in Antarctica and Antarctica is way too cold for any foreseeable temperature rise to melt the ice there.

I reproduce what Happ says about optimum temperature:

What is the utility of the globe to humanity at this particular point in the evolution of the Earth's disparate climatic regimes? Has there been an improvement or deterioration in recent times? To answer these questions we must look at the pattern of temperature change by latitude.

Summer maxima are short of the 25°C optimum temperature for plant growth.

Why is it considered that the globe is in danger of becoming too warm? Our interest is in ensuring that the capacity of the planet to support life in all its forms is not impaired. In the warmest parts of the globe, the parts considered thus far, temperature is sub optimal for plant growth and particularly so in the southern hemisphere. All life depends upon plants. We would be better off if the planet were warmer. It is further cooling that represents a threat to human welfare. We have plenty of scope on the upside.

Another recent article here on the theme that more warming would be good for us.

Posted by John J. Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.).

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       Following Entry Posted 8/18/2011 08:58:00 AM

Everybody Sing

This post is dedicated to the unheralded.




From here.
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       Following Entry Posted 8/18/2011 06:12:00 AM

Utah Woman Gets Jail in Sex Case - Updated

(Vernal, Utah) In May 2011, Jeni Lyn Bullock pleaded guilty to two counts of dealing in materials harmful to a minor, a third-degree felony, and two counts of lewdness involving a child, a class A misdemeanor.

Consequently, Bullock was sentenced yesterday to 12 years prison, suspended, and given 120 days in jail.

Defense attorney Scott Williams said his client had “engaged in sexual contact with an adult male in the presence of two minor children, aged 6 and 8 years old.”

“Those were dark times for (Bullock), who was using drugs then, but she has since turned her life around,” Williams said Wednesday in court.

“There is no threat of re-offending and she has genuine regret for what she did,” he added, asking for leniency in sentencing.

Twelve years prison reduced to four months jail, eh? Helluva deal.

* * * * *
Utah Woman, 29, and Boy, 6
[Previous 7/29/10 post]
(Vernal, Utah) A 29-year-old woman, Jeni Lyn Bullock, has been accused of sexually abusing a six-year-old boy. Bullock has been charged with aggravated sex abuse of a child and sodomy on a child.

Uintah County sheriff's detective Leonard Issacson, in a probable cause statement, said the child disclosed an incident of sodomy and sex abuse during a March 10 interview. Issacson interviewed Bullock, who is related to the child, five days later.

"She waived her rights and talked with me about the case," the detective said. "She told me that there was contact with the minor child and that the contact with the child (was) for her sexual gratification."

Bullock was booked into custody at the Uintah County Jail and later released on $50,000 bond.

Thanks Lame.

Labels: Women With Troubles

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       Following Entry Posted 8/17/2011 11:47:00 PM

Muslim Imam Accused of Sexual Assault

(Toronto, Ontario) A 48-year-old Muslim imam at the local Baitul Mukarram Islamic Society, Mohammad Masroor, has been arrested for the alleged sexual assault of at least five victims, both male and female.

The alleged offenses reportedly occurred between November 2008 and July 2011. Masroor faces multiple counts of sexual assault and threatening death.

Det. Const. Karen Armstrong told a Wednesday morning press conference that “Mohammad Masroor was a leader in the community, he was in a position of trust. Because he was in a position of power, we believe there are other victims.”

A 12-year-old boy called Sajid prays at the Baitul Mukarram mosque. He knew Mr. Masroor, and although he was not aware of the charges laid against the man who once taught him the Koran, the young boy says what constitutes acceptable behaviour depends on where you are.

“I don’t think it’s really like that, because masroor was a good man, he didn’t do anything bad,” says Sajid, who did not want last name used. “It’s not like that because back home, like in Bangladesh, you’re allowed to hit people. It’s OK.”

Mr. Masroor has lived and worked in many countries, Det. Armstrong said, including France, Germany, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and, most recently, in the U.S. in Florida and Michigan.

Masroor is in custody.

[Update]
From another source:

The issue is being treated as a sensitive one since it may become difficult to avoid inter-community tension over the arrest.

In an anti-jihadist site vladtepesblog.com, a reader says, "What I find very interesting is the fact that the Toronto Police are keeping secret the age of the victims. Almost certainly they are underage (certainly the male victims) – why not mention this fact?

"If a priest was involved – or any other non-Muslim male – the very first thing we would learn was the age of the victims followed up with how despicable the crimes are. No such value judgement here.

"But because the accused is a Muslim, they keep this info secret lest he get labelled as a 'pedophile'. It is disgusting to see how Toronto Police treat these Muslim criminals with kid-gloves."

Political correctness in a child sex investigation, eh?
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