http://www.myfoxgulfcoast.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=6587003&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1
| Hearing in sex abuse case postponed again | |
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| Last Edited: Tuesday, 20 May 2008, 7:37 PM CDT | |
| Created: Tuesday, 20 May 2008, 7:37 PM CDT | |
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Wheeleus says there was a two year period when the family lost contact with her young cousin.
Prosecutors say during that time Rebecca McEvoy was the victim of sexual abuse.
The suspect
The man accused in the case is Bob Ingle a former Chickasaw Police officer, and Rebecca's stepfather. Ingle is charged with rape, sodomy, and sexual abuse.
Rebecca was killed in a car accident in January, before the case went to trial. That's when the family ran into a legal roadblock.
"Her voice was silence by her death, but we can't allow it to remain silent." said Wheeleus.
Hearing postponed
The family learned Monday night that Tuesday's court hearing had been postponed.
"I just want to know where the victim's rights are for a speedy trial. This is the fifth time that this has been reset." said McEvoy.
Rebecca's Father Aden McEvoy is worried statements his daughter made before her death won't be allowed as evidence in the trial, because of a law that guarantees the defendant’s right to cross examine a witness.
"She told it to legal professionals. She told it to a doctor. She told it to child advocacy. Now they're saying it can't be used, and it's not right." said McEvoy.
The names of alleged sex abuse victims are rarely reported in the media, but Rebecca's tragic story came to light, because of what her family members call their fight for justice. It's a battle they believe could affect many other families.
"Now that I've been doing all the research I see it's such a broad spectrum. There are so many other children that are affected by this." said Wheeleus.
Rally for sex abuse victims
The family hopes Tuesday's rally in downtown Mobile will raise awareness about Rebecca's story. But, no matter how many delays they encounter, the family is determined not to give up.
"If we can't do it here we'll keep going higher and higher, and see what we have to do to get these laws changed for the victims." said her father.
FOX10 News tried to contact the defendant's lawyer about this story. We want to also give his side. We're still waiting to hear back from him.
The court hearing that was scheduled for Tuesday has been reset for June 10th.
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http://www.myfoxgulfcoast.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=6587177&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1
| Freddie Heard arrested for sex abuse | ||
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| Last Edited: Tuesday, 20 May 2008, 7:37 PM CDT | ||
| Created: Tuesday, 20 May 2008, 7:37 PM CDT | ||
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Photojournalist Guy Turnbow MOBILE, Ala. -- All is quiet on Barretts Lane in Mobile - but neighbors say on Monday police swarmed this street. "I came and sat on my porch and saw all the police cars," said Shirley Smith. Police were looking for 35-year-old Freddie Heard. He’s charged with four counts of first degree sexual abuse and two counts of enticing a child to commit an immoral act. The Investigation "Usually have one or two victims, but four is unusual to have four victims," said Officer Eric Gallichant with the Mobile Police Department. Mobile police got involved in the case after the Department of Human Resources called them to investigate...police say the alleged victims are girls between the ages of 10 and 13. The alleged abuse happened at various locations around mobile...and it spans several years. Neighbors were shocked Neighbors say Freddie Heard was very friendly and neighborly. They were very shocked to hear what he's accused of doing. Clara Johnson's lived on Barretts Lane for 35 years - she says heard was rarely home - but when she did see him - he seemed nice. "Not the type of person you would suspect of this, he was nice when I saw him, like I said very friendly," added Clara Johnson. Freddie Heard wasn't home when we went by - he's in Metro Jail. Mobile Police say this is an ongoing investigation. |
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http://www.brooklyneagle.com/categories/category.php?category_id=4&id=20678
| Bar Mitzvah Tutor Indicted for Sex Abuse by Brooklyn Eagle (edit@brooklyneagle.net), published online 05-20-2008 | ||||||
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http://news10now.com/content/all_news/watertownnorth_country/116467/man-charged-with-sex-abuse/Default.aspx
McElhone is charged with four counts of criminal sexual act in the second degree, aggravated sexual abuse in the fourth, two counts of unlawfully dealing with a child and endangering the welfare of a child.
Police say the abuse occurred over the last three months.McElhone is in jail on $40,000 cash bail.
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http://www.redorbit.com/news/education/1393240/program_to_combat_sex_abuse_in_schools/#
COLUMBIA - Educators across South Carolina will be trained on how to prevent, identify and report cases of students being abused by adults at school or elsewhere, officials announced Wednesday.
Roughly 10,000 teachers, administrators, guidance counselors, coaches and school nurses will become "Stewards of Children" through a program developed by Darkness to Light, a Charleston-based national nonprofit group that seeks to curtail the number of child sex abuse victims and the crime's impact on their lives.
Anne Lee, the group's chief executive, said South Carolina is the first state to tackle such a statewide initiative. She said the group is seeking federal money to expand what she hopes becomes the national model.
She hopes the training program "closes the cookie jar" for sexual predators in schools. If they know fellow educators are watching and are ready to turn them in, they'll get another job, Ms. Lee said.
State schools Superintendent Jim Rex said incidents of inappropriate behavior between students and teachers are rare, but even one is too many.
"So much of what schools do is based on trust. Not only must kids trust their teachers, but parents have to trust those teachers too," he said. "And schools have to earn that trust each and every day. That's what this initiative is all about."
Mr. Rex said it needed to be a statewide push, because if the agency allowed schools to opt into the program, those that most need it might not participate. Colleges are also incorporating the training in their teacher education programs.
Last fall, a nationwide Associated Press investigation found 2,570 educators whose teaching credentials were revoked, denied, surrendered or sanctioned from 2001 through 2005 after allegations of sexual misconduct, from bizarre to sadistic; 99 were from South Carolina, according to discipline records.
Experts who track sexual abuse said those cases are representative of a much deeper problem because of underreporting.
'STEWARDS OF CHILDREN'
WHO GETS THE TRAINING? Beginning this fall, at least one educator from each of the state's 85 school districts will have 6 1/2 hours of training.
WHAT ABOUT THE OTHERS? Those "stewards of children" will train at least 20 percent of educators in their district.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? More than 80 percent of the $162,700 cost of training and materials comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Originally published by Associated Press.
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www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-wi-childabuse,0,6737593.story
Child abuse expert says society becoming desensitized to sex
Associated Press
2:29 PM CDT, May 20, 2008
MILWAUKEE
A child abuse prevention expert says what was considered outrageous years ago is now the norm.
Cordelia Anderson spoke Tuesday in Milwaukee at the national convention of Prevent Child Abuse America.
Anderson displayed images such as Calvin Klein jeans ads and pictures of JonBenet Ramsey, the child beauty queen who was murdered and then compared them to more recent ads and images.
She says the line of outrageousness is shifting as companies target children with sexier ads. For example, she says popular Halloween costumes for kids include French maid outfits.
Anderson says these ads, products, and even songs teach children how to think and act. And when children act in this new way, adults are more likely to treat them as sexual beings.
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On the Net:
Prevent Child Abuse America: http://www.preventchildabuse.org
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http://www.kidk.com/news/local/19082909.html
ONLY ON 3: Man Behind "Worst Child Sex Crimes Ever" Going to Prison
ONLY ON 3: Man Behind "Worst Child Sex Crimes Ever" Going to Prison
By Nate Eaton
58-year-old Michael Nef made headlines last summer when he was arrested and charged with 10 child sex abuse counts.
In a plea deal last September, six of those charges were dropped. Nef pleaded guilty to four and was sent to Cottonwood for 6 months.
Now, Judge Brent Moss has sentenced him to two consecutive prison terms. One term of five to 25 years. The other of five years to life.
Robin Dunn, Jefferson Co. Prosecutor: "In 25 years of sex abuse crimes this is probably the worst."
Michael Nef's crimes shocked an entire community and he will now have at least five years in prison to think about his actions.
Originally charged with six counts of lewd conduct, three counts of rape, and one count of sexual abuse, Judge Brent Moss has ordered Nef to go to prison after he spent 210 days on a rider at Cottonwood and Orofino.
Dunn: "The judge does what's called 'flop the rider' which means he's imposing the original sentence."
A judge rarely flops a rider. When it does happen, it's usually because the criminal doesn't keep the rules or misbehaves while at Cottonwood.
Dunn: "This is one of the very few instances I've seen where they just believe that this offender should not be in the public for a period of time."
Nef was arrested almost a year ago after detectives say he sexually abused children numerous times. He was involved in lewd conduct with a three-year-old, videotaped himself having sex with a 13-year-old, and forced a 12-year-old into lewd conduct with a dog.
Dunn: "In the sex arena of sex offenders, this is probably the worst we've ever seen in Jefferson County."
Because Nef's sentence is a minimum of five years, he won't be automatically released at that time.
Depending on his behavior and other factors, he could be behind bars the rest of his life.
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http://www.wwnytv.net/index.php/2008/05/21/fowler-man-accused-of-child-sex-abuse/
A St. Lawrence County grand jury handed up a 37 count indictment against Marshall Clement of Popple Hill Road.
The indictment includes:
- 13 counts of second-degree rape
- 10 counts of unlawfully dealing with a child
- 8 counts of second-degree sexual act
- 3 counts of third-degree sexual abuse
- second-degree attempted rape
- first-degree sexual abuse
- endangering the welfare of a child
The indictment says Clement gave a 14 year old girl alcohol on several occasions.
Clement also is alleged to have had sexual intercourse and oral sex with a 14 year old girl in June, July and August of 2006 in the Town of Fowler.
He also allegedly had sexual contact with the same teenager in May 2006 in Harrisville and with an 11 year old girl while she was sleeping in December 2005.
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http://www.thestarpress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080521/NEWS01/805210341/1002
Duane and Patricia Tackett
May 21, 2008
Couple face more charges in sex abuse case
By RICK YENCER
ryencer@muncie.gannett.com
MUNCIE -- A Muncie couple accused of sexually abusing a woman in their care for years face additional charges of rape in a case that Delaware County Prosecutor Mark McKinney calls disturbing.
Patricia Ann Tackett, 47, and her husband, Duane R. Tackett, 48, told Delaware Circuit Court 5 Judge Chris Teagle they had no jobs and survived on disability when seeking public defenders to represent them.
This week, Teagle set Sept. 16 trials for the Tacketts, who face felony charges of rape, sexual misconduct with a minor and child solicitation. Duane Tackett has an additional charge of criminal deviate conduct. The Tacketts could face a maximum 20-year prison sentence on each felony charge.
Muncie police arrested the Tacketts two weeks ago after the alleged victim, who is mentally disabled, told an aunt about how Duane Tackett has had sex with her over the past 13 years, since she was a teenager.
Police say that Patricia Tackett was willing to give up the alleged victim to her husband for sex.
The Tacketts remain in jail with Duane Tackett held on a $65,000 bond and Patricia Tackett's bond at $45,000.
Another high-profile abuse case involving an 85-year-old woman allegedly battered by her daughter also saw a preliminary hearing this week.
Terrie L. Moore, 54, appeared before Delaware Circuit Court 4 Judge John Feick and pled not guilty to felony charges of neglect of a dependent resulting in bodily injury, battery resulting in bodily injury, and neglect of a dependent and also a misdemeanor count of criminal mischief.
Police accuse Moore of refusing to feed her mother along with battering her, hiding her hearing aid and false teeth and locking her in her room.
Feick set Moore's trial for Oct. 6, and the defendant has been out on bond since her arrest.
McKinney said a great majority of abuse cases, whether child or elder, are committed by someone close to the victim.
"It seems all the more disturbing when it is a close relation like parent-child particularly because those are the people we all expect to take care of each other," he said.
The prosecutor's office has seen an increase in child- and elder-abuse cases for several reasons.
A rapidly growing population of elders has caused those cases to increase, McKinney said. More child pornography available online also is impacting child-abuse cases.
"Confidence in the system and a better-educated populace who have some idea what to look for and who to report abuse to leads to more reports," McKinney added.
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