Oregon Coach Set for Trial in Sex Case

(Coquille, Oregon) In February 2009, a 36-year-old track coach at Coquille High School, Wendi Boutiette, was arrested for the alleged sexual abuse of at least one of her athletes, a male teen.

The married mother-of-two faced charges of second-degree sexual abuse, contributing to the sexual delinquency of a minor and sexual misconduct. Boutiette was booked and released.

Following Boutiette's arrest, Coquille police investigators seized more than 200 "bra and panty" photos from her home as evidence. In March, Boutiette's attorney, David Terry, demanded the return of the "lingerie" photos and subpoenaed Coos County District Attorney Paul Frasier and Coquille Police Chief Mark Dannels to appear in court on the issue. Unfortunately, Mr. Terry sent them to the Coquille court while the proceedings were held in North Bend.

“The subpoena directed me to appear in Coquille,” Frasier said. “I don’t know what Mr. Terry is doing.”

Nevertheless, Frasier recused himself due to a conflict of interest and gave the case over to Douglas County Deputy DA Shannon Sullivan who said she is holding the photos until they have been adequately reviewed.

Meanwhile, Chief Dannels made four copies of the photos and passed them around to his staff -- as part of the investigation, of course.

This week, Boutiette appeared in North Bend Circuit Court and rejected a plea offer from the prosecution.

David Terry, says they opted against a plea deal.

"The offer was for her to plead to the two misdemeanors and they would throw out the felonies and that's unacceptable to my client, she didn't do anything wrong, and she's continued to maintain that."

As a result, Boutiette's trial on felony and misdemeanor counts of sexual abuse with a minor has been scheduled by Judge Paula Bechtold for October. Meanwhile, Terry requested to have Boutiette's successful lie detector test results admitted as evidence.

No news has been found on what ultimately happened with the "lingerie" photos.

Must not speak ill of prostitutes??


From Australia:

"The Salvation Army has apologised over an advertisement published in newspapers on Friday which has outraged sex workers.

The Australian sex workers association, the Scarlet Alliance, was protesting over the Salvos' ad in newspapers that drew attention to its rehabilitation efforts. The ad told the story of 'Rick', saying, "To get Rick out of prostitution, we had to resort to smuggling.''

Scarlet Alliance president Elena Jeffreys said the Salvation Army had exploited the sex worker involved and was encouraging community discrimination against legal prostitution. "The Salvation Army has shamefully chosen to capitalise on stigma against sex workers in its advertising for their Shield doorknock,'' Ms Jeffreys, who was allowed to speak at the event, said before the apology was announced.

Source

It seems that nothing is wrong any more. Will discrimination against pedophiles be outlawed next? I think I might live to see it. I can hear it now: The pedophile was born that way. He can't help it. It's a medical problem, not a criminal one. And then after a while it won't even be a medical problem and we might even see "Pedophile Pride" marches in our streets.


Posted by John Ray.

Jury Convicts Despite "Penis Defense"

(Seattle, Washington) A 25-year-old local pimp, Brandon Lemar Brown, was convicted yesterday by a King County jury on charges of raping and pimping out a 15-year-old girl.

In his defense, Brown asserted that he couldn't have raped the girl because she was unable to accurately describe his penis. Unfortunately for Brown, the penis defense, as it has become known, failed to convince the jury.

The penis defense is based on the contention that a rape victim should be able to describe the assaulting penis, especially so if it is memorable. Brown testified that his penis was quite remarkable since it was half-circumcised, it was covered with some type of marks and it was small.

To combat Brown's defense, King County Deputy Prosecutor Sean O'Donnell called a Seattle police detective, who photographed Brown's penis, to testify on its appearance. The photos were shown to jurors while they deliberated.

After just a few hours deliberating, jurors on Thursday found Brown guilty of third-degree child rape and promoting commercial abuse of a minor. Brown faces up to 12 years in prison, a sentencing date hasn't been set.

Notably, Brown has a previous conviction for communicating with a minor for immoral purposes.

Quran Incident in Greece - Updated

(Athens, Greece) During Greek police patrol yesterday (5/20), an officer entered a Syrian-owned coffee shop, took a customer's Koran, tore it up, threw it on the floor and stomped on it.

As a result, about 1,000 immigrants from Syria, Pakistan and Afghanistan demonstrated in the streets today (5/21). Store windows and cars were smashed.

Police have launched an internal investigation and charges are expected to be filed.

Given the explosive outrage expressed in the Muslim world regarding previous incidents of Koran destruction, we can probably expect to hear more about this incident.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.


[Update 5/22/09]

From Daily Times:

Around 1,500 demonstrators marched through the working class district of Kypseli towards the Omonia Square in the city centre, where there were scuffles with officers and tear gas was fired, said police.

Word is spreading.


[Update II 5/22/09]

(Athens, Greece) Muslim protesters demonstrated for the second day due to the "Quran Incident," as it's become known.

Demonstrators marched through Athens on Friday chanting "Allah is great" and carrying banners proclaiming "Hands off immigrants".

"We want the officer or officers involved to be prosecuted, and the government to issue an apology," Manala Mohammed, a Syrian national, told the Associated Press news agency.

"We want people to show us respect."

The protest in the city's Omonia square was organised by leftist, immigrant and anti-racism groups, which have previously complained of police brutality against immigrants.

Muslims are generally dissatisfied with conditions in Greece. After sneaking into the country, they're shocked to find no jobs waiting for them and they end up having to live in miserable, overcrowded apartments. The Quran incident easily ignited violent demonstrations.

How 'Bout a Nice Cup of Coffee?




Smooth.

Brooklyn Principal Arrested for Assault

(Brooklyn, New York) During a discussion yesterday regarding corporal punishment in Brooklyn Public School 29, Principal Sean Keaton, 38, apparently disagreed with the opinions of teacher Robert Segarra, 49.

As a result, Keaton stood up, said "I'm tired of you," and commenced beating the hell out of Segarra.

Keaton was arrested.

Regarding the issue of corporal punishment, I suspect that Principal Keaton strongly favors it.

Taliban Bans Western Clothing as Un-Islamic

(Peshawar, Pakistan) People are being warned by Taliban thugs about wearing Western clothing.

“I received a piece of paper written in Pushto, saying that doctors and medical workers are wearing un-Islamic dress which should be stopped,” said Abdul Hammed Afridi, chief executive of Peshawar’s main government hospital. “It was from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP),” he said. [...]

“Last week one of our colleagues was kidnapped by the Taliban, beaten and warned that pharmaceutical staff should stop wearing western dress,” said Nasir Khan, president of a medical representatives’ organisation. “They put a warning letter in his pocket after beating him,” he said.

Western-style trousers and T-shirts appear to be the targets of the campaign.

Don't let Leftists get away with their sneering ignorance

So I'm sitting around with family, and one conservative member mentions something he saw on Fox News.

A progressive member starts in with the passive-aggressive giggle of dismissal, and then the condescending "you mean you watch Fox News?"

And the conservative member says "Yup. Fair and balanced."

More giggles. "Oh, gosh! Do you know how many lies they tell?"

Now normally when this progressive member disparages Fox News (this is certainly not the first time) I keep my mouth shut in the name of family harmony. Which I think, unfortunately, only re-enforces the idea in such people's minds that their assertion is correct. But I decided I needed to chime in this time. The giggles are one thing. The condescension I usually gloss over. But the "lies" thing. I wasn't going to let that drop.

"No. I don't know. Tell me a lie Fox News has told."

Giggles. "Well I don't watch it."

"So you don't watch it, but you know they tell lies? How do you know they tell lies?"

"Well I read somewhere..."

"You read somewhere? How do you know that wasn't a lie?"

"Well I don't. They all do it, that's what I'm saying."

"Then why single out Fox?"

"Well I read somewhere that they were the worst."

"And you believe what you read?"

"Well let's not get into anything political. Why can't people just talk about things anymore?"

Why not indeed. Who brought it up? Who got nasty about it?

Fortunately, I suppose, the phone rang. It was for the progressive.

So I'm sitting here thinking ... "Fox News lies, but you don't have any examples and you don't watch it. They all lie, but you know Fox is 'the worst' because you read something one of the other liars wrote?"

The problem is, they're used to people either politely keeping quiet, backing down, or patting them on the head for echoing what they've been instructed to believe and many others have accepted ... typically the people they hang out with.

Don't let it happen anymore. When anyone tries to espouse how "hateful" conservative-friendly networks and show hosts are, make them back it up. Watch them back down. Stop an echo.

SOURCE

Posted by John Ray.

"The Hell of Living in America"

Minneapolis imam Hassan Mohamud said that if you donate to his mosque, it will "save you from the hell of living in America."

Maybe it's just me, but if America is hell I say, "Leave!" "Go!" Beat it.

Surely, there must be fifty ways to leave America [with apology to Paul Simon].

Slip out the back, Mack,
Make a new plan, Hassan,
Be a gone dude, Mohamud,
Just get the hell out.

There. Everything is fixed now.

Levity aside, imam Hassan Mohamud has been singled out as a radicalizing influence over young Somali men who keep disappearing from U.S. cities, reportedly after hearing the call for jihad.

Ironically, giving to Mohamud's mosque won't have any effect on "the hell of living in America," it just means that his followers will be living in hell with empty pockets.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Cat Killer At Large in Florida

(Miami, Florida) Miami-Dade Police are searching for any information that could lead to the arrest of an alleged serial cat killer. Last week, about 20 cats were found maimed and killed in neighborhoods of Cutler Bay and Palmetto Bay. No arrests have been made as investigators continue to pursue the mystery.

Residents have been warned to keep their cats inside.

The Humane Society of the United States has offered a reward of $2,500 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the serial cat killer.

Tip: slwlion

Florida Imam Arrested for Sex Assault of Boy

(Tampa, Florida) The imam of Masjid Omar Al Mukhtar mosque, Yasser (aka Yaser) Mohamed Shahade, 35, has been arrested by Tampa Police for the alleged sexual assault of a 13-year-old boy.

Shahade is an Egyptian who arrived two months ago to become the mosque's full-time imam.

The alleged victim's father actively supported bringing Shahade, his wife and two daughters to Florida when the mosque needed a leader. Although no background check was performed, Shahade appeared qualified.

Some mosques allow boys to stay overnight as a way of freeing them from family pressures and encouraging prayer.

So, for the past four weekends, the father had allowed his two sons to stay a night with Shahade at the mosque. [...]

Saturday night, the boys ended up in the imam's private room at the mosque, the father later learned.

He said his son gave him this account: The boys watched television with the imam and then the imam prayed. The imam gave the 13-year-old a glass of water.

The boy's next memory came at 6 a.m. Sunday. He awoke on the edge of the imam's bed and felt the imam on top of him, the father said. Shahade got off him and left the room, the father said.

The boy woke his younger brother, then called their mother, who told their father. The father instructed the 13-year-old not to go to the bathroom or wash. He knew physical evidence would be important. He told the boys to wait outside for him.

He consulted with a Muslim doctor and took his son to Tampa General Hospital. The hospital put him in a private room and told him to call police. The boy talked to a nurse, three detectives and a social worker. He was examined at a rape crisis center. Police arrested Shahade at the mosque.

Notably, there are indications that the 13-year-old's younger brother may also have been sexually assaulted on a previous overnight visit.

Shahade has been charged with sexual battery. He was booked into custody at the Falkenburg Road Jail without bail. Since he is an Egyptian citizen in the U.S., immigration officials have been notified.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

Madoff Bailout Proposed

(New York City) The U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan has been asked to form an economic action committee (EAC) to bailout Ponzi-schemer Bernie Madoff for all his bad debts. The EAC is expected to launch a campaign to have government employees contribute a portion of their income to Bernie Madoff.

Okay, okay, that's all horse manure but how is it different from asking Sarah Palin to bailout Hillary Clinton? I contend it isn't and, yes, Sarah Palin has been approached about paying off Hillary Clinton's campaign debt.

Bizarre.

Phony Colleges Provide Cover for Terror Suspects

(United Kingdom) A disturbing report is surfacing in the UK from the TimesOnLine.

Thousands of young Pakistanis exploited a hole in Britain’s immigration defences to enrol as students at a network of sham colleges, The Times can reveal.

The gateway, opened by fraudsters who have earned millions from the scam, has allowed in hundreds of men from a region of Pakistan that is the militant heartland of al-Qaeda and the Pakistani Taleban.

Eight of the terror suspects arrested last month in Manchester and Liverpool were on the books of one college. It had three small classrooms and three teachers for the 1,797 students on its books. Another college claimed to have 150 students but secretly enrolled 1,178 and offered places to a further 1,575 overseas applicants, 906 of them in Pakistan.

Eleven colleges in London, Manchester and Bradford have been tied to three Pakistani businessman running the fraudulent scheme which reportedly has fueled a surge in student arrivals from Pakistan. Between 2002 and 2007, Pakistani nationals entering the UK grew from 8,000 to 27,000.

The Immigration Minister, Phil Woolas, said the UK Border Agency is investigating. Heh.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.

OK to "out" allegedly homosexual politicians?

There seems to be a bit of a furore about an NPR review of a TV "documentary" which aims to expose various GOP politicians as secretly homosexual. NPR cut out of the review all mention of the more weakly substantiated claims in the film and that has provoked much criticism from the Left -- who claim it as a breach of free speech etc. See a summary of the matter by computer industry groupie Robert X Cringely.

I don't see that the Left have any reasonable cause for complaint, however. What Cringely and his ilk seem not to see is that NPR was obviously just protecting itself against lawsuits. Any politician identified as a homosexual who turned out not to be one could obviously sue for a very large sum in damages over the defamation. I don't think any court (except perhaps the 9th Circus) could have failed to find that a false allegation of homosexuality would be very damaging to a conservative politician.

The movie maker probably has too few assets to be worth suing but NPR is a different proposition. As we know, it seems these days that you don't sue the guy who actually did the harm but rather someone who is somehow connected to him. And NPR just didn't want to get involved.

Posted by John Ray.

Homegrown Terror Cell Busted

(Bronx, New York) Four African-American men were arrested by FBI agents last night for allegedly plotting to detonate explosives at two synagogues in the Bronx and to shoot down an airplane. Three of the men are reported jail house converts to Islam and all are residents of Newburgh, about 60 miles north of NYC.

All four men were US-born.

Arrested was alleged ringleader James Cromitie of Newburgh, the son of an Afghan immigrant and his African American wife.

Cromitie served a long stretch in prison in the past.

Alleged henchmen David Williams, Onta Williams and Leguerre Payen were busted with him.

The four had been the subjects of a year-long investigation in which FBI agents posed as terrorist supporters willing to provide C-4 explosives and a Stinger missile. The missile was intended for use against an airplane at Stewart National Guard Base in Newburgh.

Arraignment is scheduled for today in White Plains federal court.


[Update 0700 EDT] The four men have reported aliases: James Cromitie, also known as Abdul Rahman; Onta Williams, also known as Hamza; David Williams, also known as Daoud; and Laguerre Payen, also known as Amin.

Cromitie told investigators that he was upset about the war in Afghanistan and that many Muslims were being killed in Afghanistan and Pakistan.


[Update 0730] More details from another source:

FBI agents posing as militants sold them what they thought was 30 pounds of C-4 and a plane-downing Stinger missile.

The weaponry was all phony.

The men were arrested as they planted fake bombs in front of the Riverdale Temple in the Bronx and under cars parked in front of the synagogue.

They also allegedly planned to blow up a nearby Jewish Community Center.

Witnesses said an NYPD vehicle blocked a black SUV outside the temple and then officers broke in the windows and handcuffed the four men inside the car.

More later.


[Update 1130 EDT] Interesting point here. The New York Times struggled through 500 words in the story of the homegrown terror plot before the word "Muslim" was ostensibly considered sufficiently buried.

Wisconsin Woman Gets Jail for Sex with Boy

(Washburn County, Wisconsin) In March 2009, a 29-year-old local woman, Dawn M. Thomas, pleaded guilty to second-degree sexual assault of a child and to child enticement with sexual contact stemming from a relationship with a 14-year-old boy. The sex occurred in May 2008 when the boy was babysitting Thomas' child.

Thomas had forced a 14-year-old boy into intercourse and other sex acts multiple times on May 12, 2008, and offered him alcohol, while he was baby-sitting her child overnight.

Later that week, his mother intercepted text messages from Thomas indicating the acts and telling him to keep them secret, the report said. She testified later in court that she had had suspicions upon his return, and that Thomas had said some inappropriate things in front of her son before that.

Though the boy denied it when asked, his mother reported the issue to human services.

When a deputy interviewed the boy, he admitted he felt forced into these acts, and that Thomas indicated that more would occur in the future when he baby-sat.

Earlier today, Thomas was sentenced to nine months in jail, six years of probation and ordered to register as a sex offender.

Coach Emma Painter Gets Prison in Sex Cover-Up - Updated

(Woodbury, New Jersey) Former Kingsbury High School hockey coach Emma Painter has finally been sentenced. For witness tampering and official misconduct, Painter was given four years in prison. She must complete two years before she will be eligible for parole.

Painter is appealing her sentence and will remain free on bail until her case is reviewed.

* * * * *
Emma Painter Guilty in Teacher-Student Sex Cover-Up - Updated
[Previous 12/20/08 post]
(Gloucester County, New Jersey) Ending the non-jury trial of 46-year-old Emma Painter, Superior Court Judge M. Christine Allen-Jackson announced a verdict this week.

Painter, the former Kingsway High School phys ed teacher and coach, was found guilty of second-degree official misconduct and third-degree witness tampering.

The convictions resulted from Painter trying to persuade a Kingsway student to recant statements about a sexual relationship with former teacher, Erica Umosella. Twenty-nine-year-old Umosella pleaded guilty in January 2008 to third-degree official misconduct stemming from the sexual relationship with the female student. Umosella was sentenced to probation and prohibited from ever teaching in New Jersey again.

Judge Allen-Jackson said Painter tried to convince the student, through conversation and notes, that she held Umosella's job and freedom in her hands.

Painter did not ask the student whether the relationship actually occurred, but "told [the student] what she should do get Miss Umosella out of jail," the judge said.

Senior Assistant Gloucester County Prosecutor Audrey Curwin, said the case was about "protection of children from undue - and criminal - influences by those responsible for their supervision and education."

Painter remains free on $10,000 bail. Sentencing is scheduled for February 13.

Interestingly, Umosella received probation for an illicit relationship with a student while Painter will likely go to prison for attempting to cover up the teacher-student sex.


* * * * *
2nd Teacher Charged in Teacher-Student Sex Case
[Previous 5/20/07 post bumped]
(Glassboro, New Jersey) Earlier this month, 28-year-old female gym teacher and coach at Kingsway Regional High School, Erica Umosella, was charged with engaging in sex with a 17-year-old female student.

Now, another gym teacher/coach at Kingsway, Emma Painter, 44, has been charged with second-degree official misconduct and third-degree witness tampering. According to Bernie Weisenfeld of the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office, Painter is alleged to have communicated with the 17-year-old student and urged her to recant her accusations of a relationship with Umosella.

Painter heads the Kingsway Department of Health and Physical Education and is the head field hockey coach. She has been suspended from her teaching position, with pay.

Painter was booked and released on $10,000 bail.

Venezuela to Honduras Drug Connection

From El Informador: (Guadalajara, Mexico) Here's evidence of Venezuela being involved, to some unknown degree, with drug trafficking.

The Honduran police reported today that a small plane with Venezuelan markings had been found in the department [state ] of Olancho, burned by presumed narcotraffickers. The plane landed early this morning near the town of San Francisco de Becerra.

Authorities said the plane could transport “no more than” 500 kilos of cargo. Local witnesses said the pilots unloaded the unknown cargo and loaded it into several waiting vehicles.

So far this year, more drugs have been seized in Honduras than last, although no figures were given. In the past six months, some seven Venezuelan airplanes have landed in Honduras and at least four have been apparently deliberately set on fire.

It's quite telling when the traffickers intentionally sacrifice an airplane with each drug shipment. Also, either Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is complicit in the drug trafficking or someone is trying to set him up. I don't believe that Venezuelan-flagged airplanes could operate and disappear regularly without his knowledge.

C-130 Crashes in East Java

(Magetan, East Java, Indonesia) A C-130 military transport plane carrying troops and families crashed into residences and burst into flames yesterday on approach to an air force base.

The plane was carrying at least 109 passengers and crew when it went down in Geplak, a village 520 kilometers east of Jakarta, including troops and their families. At least 10 children were among them.

At least 98 people were killed, including two on the ground, and 15 others survived, said Bambang Samudro, chief of the military air base in Magetan. Many of the injured suffered severe burns.

The country’s air force, long underfunded and handicapped by a recently lifted US ban on weapons sales, has suffered a series of accidents, including a Fokker 27 plane that crashed into an airport hangar last month, killing all 24 onboard.

The airworthiness of Indonesian military and commercial planes is questionable. The planes are old and suffer from poor maintenance, making air travel risky.

$1,500 per Pound to Marry Plumper



Candidate Brides
(Shishi, Fujian) Via the Internet, the daughter of a wealthy Chinese businessman posted an offer to pay 10,000 yuan (about $1,500) for one pound of meat.

When asked, the woman, named Shi, admitted that the meat is not some kind of delicacy, rather it's her own flesh. Shi is 5'3" and weighs 166 lbs. and she's looking for a husband. A dowry amount will be based on her weight.

Last month, Miss Shi invited a few female coworkers over to her house to eat. One of her coworkers said that Miss Shi had very attractive facial features, and that if she were thinner, she would surely be very beautiful.

Miss Shi decided right then to lose weight, but she had not realized that her father would respond by smacking the table and saying “Forget losing weight! My daughter’s every jin [jin = 1.1 lb. or 0.5 kg] is worth 10,000 yuan. Let’s see what man can properly feed my girl and when it’s time to get married, the more meat on her bones the bigger her dowry will be.”

Apparently, this type of dowry is not uncommon in China. Thus far, no deal has been struck regarding Miss Shi so, if any readers are interested, the opportunity is still open. Give or take, the dowry amount should be around $200,000.

It's reported that Miss Shi has a great personality.

Also: The Jawa Report