Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Raymond "Vance" Fulkerson Arrested for Sexual Exploitation


The Weld County District Attorney's office formally filed criminal charges on Tuesday against a theater professor at the University of Northern Colorado accused of sex charges.

Raymond "Vance" Fulkerson, 63, faces one count of sexual exploitation of a child, one count of unlawful sexual contact and one count of possession of marijuana.

On July 1, Greeley Police were tipped off by a potential victim who claimed that Fulkerson was watching them using the restroom in Fulkerson's home via a video feed.

The victim also told police that Fulkerson gave music lessons to students in his home and they also may have been watched in the bathroom unknowingly.

Police got a search warrant for Fulkerson's home and found a wireless video camera in the bedroom, and marijuana in a locked bathroom cabinet.

Police also found videos and DVDs with photos of nude men, between 5 and 16 years old, in provocative poses.

Fulkerson will appear in court again on July 30. If convicted, he could face 12 to 18 months in prison.

Martyn Baxter-Smith Pleaded Guilty to Possession of Child Porn

A science teacher now living in Spalding has pleaded guilty to possessing more than 8,600 nude or erotic images of children.

Martyn Baxter-Smith (45) appeared at Boston Magistrates' Court today (Wednesday) and admitted four charges of possessing indecent images of children between August 7, 2007, and April 23 of this year.

After police searched the Boston Grammar School teacher's computer they found 8,644 level one images of children depicting nudity or erotic posing and 35 level two images depicting non-penetrative activity between two children.

They also found videos depicting nudity or non-penetrative sexual activity between children.

Child pornography is graded from levels one to five, level one the lowest and five the highest.

Prosecutor Marie Stace said the images of girls were aged between four and 14 and that there was "no suggestion" that Baxter-Smith, formerly of Wyberton, was distributing the images to others.

In defence, Hilary McLoughlin said Baxter-Smith's collection was "only for personal use".

He will be sentenced at Lincoln Crown Court at a later date after magistrates declined to pass sentence.

Baxter-Smith was released on bail on the condition he resides at his address in Clarence Gardens and that he is not allowed to be in the company of under 16s unsupervised.

Officer Daniel Murray Arrested for Rape & Molesting 15-year-old


A Minden, Louisiana police officer is now on the other side of a jail cell.

Officer First Class Daniel Murray was arrested after reports that he allegedly raped and molested a 15-year-old friend of the family.

On Monday, the Minden City Council unanimously voted to terminate Murray.

Murray had been on paid leave since January when an investigation began into the sexual assault allegations.

That changed back on June 19th to leave without pay following a Webster Parish grand jury indictment.

Murray is currently being held in the Webster Parish Jail on a $400,000 bond.

Former Chief Indicted on Child Sexual Assault Charges

A former police chief in New Jersey has been indicted on child sexual assault charges.

The indictment handed up Wednesday by a Monmouth County grand jury alleges that 61-year-old Robert Holmes sexually assaulted the female victim between April 2005 and March 2007, while she was between the ages of 12 and 14.

Holmes served as chief in Marlboro Township from 1998 until he retired in January.

Prosecutors say Holmes provided alcohol to the child and assaulted her at his home.

Holmes' lawyer, Norman Hobbie, said his client was shocked by the allegations and denies any wrongdoing.

Bail was set at $100,000 pending an arraignment, which has not been scheduled.

Allexander Colletta Charged with 49 Counts of Child Porn


A 21-year-old Boynton Beach man arrested on child pornography charges has been labeled a "super predator" by authorities.

Allexander Colletta has been charged with 49 counts of possession of child pornography, third-degree felonies. He was arrested at his Boynton Beach home Tuesday morning.

Police said Colletta admitted to downloading images of child pornography on his computer.

State prosecutors said a sophisticated computerized data-mining and tracking program was used to find pornographic images on Colletta's computer.

Billy Wayne Welch Sentenced to 5 Years for Possession of Child Porn

A 44-year-old senior chief from the carrier Abraham Lincoln was sentenced to five years in federal prison Monday after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography, court records show.

Senior Chief Aviation Ordnanceman Billy Wayne Welch had served 25 years in the Navy when authorities in December searched his home and ship work space and discovered 16,000 images and 600 videos of child pornography on his computer equipment, court records show.

He pleaded guilty in March to a count of distributing child porn online. Authorities busted Welch after learning that he was swapping child porn online with someone in Florida, according to court records.

Welch initially denied having any child pornography, but later admitted that he had been collecting illegal images for several years, court records show.

The federal judge in Seattle ordered Welch to enter a sexual deviancy treatment program, court records show.

Welch, originally from Ozark, Ala., enlisted in September 1983, Navy records show.
______________________
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20090707/NEWS01/707079938

Navy Lieutenant John Hall Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Porn

A Navy lieutenant commander pleaded guilty Tuesday to one federal count of possessing child pornography.

John J. Hall, 39, admitted having a series of child pornographic photos on his home computer while he lived in Virginia Beach between November 2006 and October 2007.

Federal agents said they discovered that Hall had paid for membership to a child pornography Web site that offers downloads for an $80 fee. A search of his computer revealed about 288 images of child pornography, according to court records.

In the fall of 2007, the agents notified Hall that he was the target of an investigation. The Navy then transferred him to Rhode Island, where he subsequently disappeared and was listed as absent without leave, court records say.

Hall was arrested in November by Naval Criminal Investigative Service agents and sent to a psychiatric hospital for an evaluation.

Court records show that doctors determined that Hall was competent to stand trial.

Hall was caught as part of Project Flicker and Operation Predator, two programs led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that target producers, distributors and recipients of child pornography. More than 11,000 arrests have been made.

Hall is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 26. He faces up to 10 years in prison.

Teacher John Gisler Charged with Sex Crimes to Minor


A Tulsa middle school teacher and former volunteer for Big Brothers Big Sisters has been charged with sex crimes involving a minor.

Forty-one-year-old John Charles Gisler was charged Monday in Tulsa County District Court with one count each of lewd molestation, forcible sodomy and second-degree rape. The arrest report indicates he was taken into custody near 27th and South Harvard on Tuesday.

The victim was 14 years of age at the time the alleged crimes began.

"The allegation is that the suspect began molesting a child at the age of 14," says Tulsa Police Spokesperson Jason Willingham. "He was actually a mentor with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and during one of the mentorship programs he became acquainted with this young man and began molesting him and continued those crimes for three years."

Big Brothers Big Sisters released the following statement Wednesday afternoon:

"Big Brothers Big Sisters is aware of the investigation and arrest involving a former volunteer with our organization. We are alarmed and deeply saddened by reports of any child being harmed. Because there is an ongoing investigation, it would be inappropriate and irresponsible for us to discuss or speculate about any specifics.

However, please know that we make child safety our priority. We have zero tolerance for abuse. Our volunteers and staff undergo thorough screening and background checks and we provide ongoing professional support for our children and families."

Big Brothers Big Sisters says it has no knowledge that Gisler had any contact with any of the organization's children since his relationship with them ended. They say they will work with police to inform any parents whose children may have been in contact with Gisler and they're making professional support available to any concerned families, mentors staff or others with BBBS.

Tulsa Public Schools officials say the victim was not one of Gisler's students, but they say they are conducting an internal investigation at this time.

"Even though we've been assured the allegations do not involve Whitney students, we are conducting our own investigation to ensure the safety and security of our students," says Superintendent Dr. Keith Ballard. "We appreciate the Tulsa Police Department's diligence in protecting the children of Tulsa."

The district's human resources compliance office is investigating to determine if anything may have happened on school property or with Tulsa students.

Gisler has been employed at at Whitney Middle School since August 2005 and was in the school's Science department.

Court records show Gisler is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday for arraignment.
_________________
More Information: http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20090711_19_A7_Plceet986898

Edward Lee French Charged with Possession of Child Porn

A 28-year-old registered sex offender from Mason was charged today for having child pornography at his home, police said.

Edward Lee French was charged with one count of possession of child sexually abusive material and being a habitual offender, Meridian Township police said. The judge set bond at $50,000.

Police on Monday searched French's home, on West Dexter Trail in Mason, because they suspected that he provided alcohol and pornography to minors at a July 4 party he hosted at the Hampton Inn in Okemos, police said.

Police are still investigating that incident, and French next week may face additional charges related to the party, police said.

Raymond Ewing Mack Pleads Guilty to Child Porn

A Scottdale man has pleaded guilty to a child pornography charge and faces a maximum 20-year prison term when he is sentenced in September.

Raymond Ewing Mack, 30, of 410 Eleanor Ave., pleaded guilty to one count of receiving child pornography Tuesday in Federal Court in Pittsburgh.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Soo C. Song said Mack was arrested after an undercover online FBI investigation into the trading of child pornography via peer-to-peer networks.

In July 2007, an FBI analyst obtained downloads of child porn from Mack via computer. Two months later, investigators served a search warrant and seized sexually explicit videos and images of prepubescent children on his computer.

Mack pleaded guilty in 2001 and 2007 in Fayette County for corruption of minors. He will be required to register as a sex offender.

Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 30 before Senior U.S. Judge Maurice Cohill.

Mack remains in the custody of U.S. marshals pending sentencing.

Robert Pratt Arrested for Molesting & Abusing Stepson


For years, a man regularly confined his adolescent stepson to a bedroom rigged with an alarm, molested him several times a week and often denied him food, water and access to a bathroom, authorities said.

The 17-year-old boy, who lived with his stepfather for nearly six years, told police Robert J. Pratt would smash his head into a wall when he resisted his advances and sent him to school in long-sleeved shirts and pants so no one would see his bruises and scars.

Pratt was being held without bail on sex assault charges, accusations that surprised acquaintances who know him as a quiet, helpful neighbor.

The boy came forward after Pratt, 37, of Bennington, kicked him out of the apartment they shared and he moved in with his mother, who lived in the same apartment complex.

Once there, he told her and a counselor about his life with Pratt. He had moved in with him when he was 10 or 11, when Pratt and the mother split up. He said the abuse started about a year later and he never told anyone of it because Pratt threatened him, sometimes with a loaded gun.

Investigators, trying to verify the boy's claims, had the boy wear a wire to record a conversation with Pratt. In that conversation, the victim asked Pratt why he sexually abused him.

"I have tried to block that out," Pratt replied.

Questioned by police, Pratt didn't deny the sexual activity but attributed it to the victim's "desires," according to an affidavit filed by Vermont State Police Trooper Tyler Burgess.

"When this was brought to the attention of law enforcement, we all were taken aback at the pervasive and lengthy abuse that was going on, and had been going on for years," prosecutor Erica Marthage said Wednesday. "It was concerning to all of us that this was something we potentially missed for this long. It just makes you wonder."

Pratt, who has no prior criminal record, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to six charges including aggravated sexual assault, lewd and lascivious conduct with a child and unlawful restraint.

He was ordered held without bail. His lawyer, public defender Marie Wood, didn't respond to two messages left by The Associated Press on her voicemail. There was no answer to a knock at his apartment door at the Applegate Apartments, where the abuse allegedly occurred.

The boy's mother no longer lives in the complex; she could not be located for comment Wednesday.

Neighbors and acquaintances interviewed Wednesday were surprised by the charges against Pratt, who goes by R.J. They described him as a quiet, slightly built man who was into camping, hunting and fishing.

"He's not that type. ... I don't think he's got a mean bone in his body," said Mary Hunt, who said she's known Pratt since they were children.

Another neighbor, Stanley Brookins, said Pratt was always quick to help others, especially if it involved fixing a car.

"I've never seen him argue with anyone, never heard a cross word," Brookins said.

That's not the picture painted by police and prosecutors.

They say Pratt sometimes threatened the boy with a loaded rifle, threatened to kill him or grabbed his genitals, asking "Whose is this?" as he pulled.

"I'd have to reply 'yours' or he'd pull harder," the boy told investigators.

The boy was confined to an apartment bedroom with no toilet, sometimes for so long that he had to relieve himself into a wall-mounted telephone jack.

The homemade alarm system consisted of a magnet that stuck to a metal strip on the floor so that when the door opened, it signaled, according to the affidavit.

At Christmas, Pratt would let the boy open gifts, then put them in a box, duct tape it and store it in the basement.

"There are days I cried myself to sleep and wanted to die," he said.

Pratt's decision to part ways with the victim coincided with the boy's maturation, according to Marthage, the prosecutor. He's now 6 feet tall and has put on about 100 pounds since moving in with his mother.

"It all fits. He got too big. Once the kid gets to be bigger than the defendant, then both control and persuasion are affected," Marthage said.

_______________

Daniel Rowe Sented to 4 years for Possession of Child Porn

A Holmes County man was sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty to possessing child pornography. The Attorney General’s CyberCrime Unit arrested Daniel Rowe in October 2008 after discovering his possession of numerous images of child pornography.

Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum Wednesday said that the investigation was initiated by a tip reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that images of child pornography had been located by an internet service provider.

CyberCrime investigators traced the images to Rowe's residence in Bonifay. After Rowe’s arrest, forensic analysis identified numerous pornographic images of young boys between the ages of eight and 12 years old.

The case was prosecuted by the State Attorney’s Office for the 14th Judicial Circuit. Holmes County Sheriff’s Office assisted with the execution of the search warrant and the arrest.

Under the Exploited Children’s Rights Act, one of the Attorney General’s top priorities during the 2008 Legislative Session, Rowe may be subject to civil lawsuits filed by any of the Florida children depicted in the images located on Rowe’s computer. The law allows victims of Florida-based child pornography to seek civil remedies against those who download images of their abuse.

14-year-old Boy Charged with Sexually Assaulting 3 & 6-year-old Girls

Waco police arrested a 14-year-old by on charges that he sexually assaulted a 3-year-old girl and a 6-year-old girl.

The arrest came after an investigation of complaints police received in April. Police still are investigating. Police say the assaults happened in a home in North Waco.

The name of the boy being charged will not be released because he is a minor.

Joey James Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Porn

A 26-year-old Bloomington man pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography during a hearing in federal court Monday.

Joey James admitted to possessing a total of seven pornographic images of children younger than 12. James is out on bond, awaiting his Sept. 21 sentencing.

United State District Court Judge John D. Rainey will decide James' sentence, which could be as long as 10 years in prison with a $250,000 fine. James could also be subject to a lifetime of supervised release, during which he would have to register as a sex offender and get treatment as prescribed by the court, according to the United States Attorney's office.

The Corpus Christi Police Department computer crimes unit investigated the charges against James, after his employer told police a flash drive containing child pornography was found on the floor of James' workplace. Assistant United States Attorney Carol Wheeler is prosecuting the case.

Trial for Daniel Callan Accused of Molesting Student Postponed

APPLETON

The sexual assault trial of a former fifth-grade teacher accused of molesting a student has been postponed.

Daniel R. Callan, 26, of Menasha was scheduled to go on trial Monday on charges of first-degree sexual assault of a child, causing a child to view sexual activity and two counts of exposing genitals to a child.

Callan’s attorney, Kevin Musolf, asked Outagamie County Judge Dee Dyer on Tuesday for a delay to better prepare. Musolf said, in his motion, he “has not fully completed his investigation of this case and needs time to review the discovery provided.”

Dyer took the case off the trial calendar and scheduled a status hearing for Aug. 31.

Callan is accused of molesting a 10-year-old boy, one of his students at St. Bernadette’s Elementary School in Appleton, in a school restroom on May 5, 2008.

The boy reported the incident to his parents and, the next day, two Appleton police officers interviewed Callan in his classroom after classes were dismissed for the day.

Callan admitted to police that he had sexual contact with the boy.

At a Feb. 23 motion hearing, Musolf sought to suppress Callan’s incriminating statements, claiming Callan felt he was under arrest and gave his statements under duress.

Dyer denied the suppression motion, ruling the police acted properly.

Clayton Shoemate Arrested for Abusing Child

Charges were dismissed. 

Cops in Mexico arrested a man accused of abusing a child in Austin. Mexican immigration authorities took Clayton Douglas Shoemate, 38, of Austin into custody Tuesday night in Piedras Negras, Mexico. Shoemate was deported and the U.S. Marshals' Lone Star Fugitive Task Force met him at the Port of Entry in Eagle Pass. They arrested him for an outstanding January 2008 charge in Austin alleging he was involved in sexual assaults against a child. Shoemate is in the Maverick County Detention Center in Eagle Pass waiting to be returned to Travis County. __________________________

http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/local/The_Daily_Blotter_07_08_09

Paul Oliver Charged with Sexual Asault

A City Point man has been charged with sexual assault after inappropriately touching his daughter for about two years.

Paul N. Oliver, 53, was charged in Jackson County Circuit Court with repeated sexual assault of a child. Oliver, a convicted sex offender in Michigan, reportedly physically abused one of his daughters at 9 years old and later began sexually touching her, according to the criminal complaint.

The daughter, now 20, reported the incidents last February after a social worker contacted her to discuss possible past and present abuse in the household. The woman, who has since moved out, said her father started abusing her when she was 9, beginning with an incident where he reportedly slammed her head into a wall when she didn’t do laundry. She recounted another incident about six years later when he pushed her head into a wall, choking her and breaking her glasses because she looked at him defiantly.

According to the complaint, the woman said the sexual abuse started when she was 15 when Oliver would grab her breasts and buttocks, claiming he was trying to teach her “what it was like in the real world.” She said sometimes he would pin her down while other times he would remove her shirt.

The woman said she told her mother about the abuse, but the mother reportedly said Oliver was acting like that because he was on medications. The mother also reportedly made the daughter rub Oliver’s back after an injury, according to the complaint.

The woman told authorities that Oliver frequently physically abused her and her siblings, although there was only one other incident where Oliver sexually touched one of the other children, the complaint stated.

Oliver has an initial appearance set for July 13. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 40 years imprisonment and a $100,000 fine.

John Kenneth Jackson Arrested for Possession of Child Porn

ST. PETERSBURG

A 69-year-old retiree was arrested Wednesday on charges that he possessed hundreds of images and videos depicting child pornography.

The youngest victim in those images, authorities say, may have been as young as 3-years-old.

John Kenneth Jackson was arrested by a state task force on 30 counts of possession of child pornography and one count of promoting child pornography.

A tip led investigators to Jackson. An investigator with the Attorney General's CyberCrime Task Force traced images of child pornography back to Jackson's computer, authorities say. Jackson is accused of posting online a video file of a girl less than 13-years-old being sexually abused so that others could download it.

According to numerous arrest reports, investigators found "hundreds" of images and video files of children ages 3 to 16 being sexually abused and exploited. Three computers and various CDs and DVDs were also seized from his home for further examination.

Some of the children in the images have been previously identified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Jackson, of 4420 Ninth Avenue N, will be booked into the Pinellas County Jail.
____________________________
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/jul/08/st-pete-man-accused-possessing-child-porn/news-breaking/

Ethan Andrew Wagner Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Porn

HARRISONBURG

A Mount Crawford man accused of downloading child pornography pleaded guilty Tuesday in Rockingham County Circuit Court.

Ethan Andrew Wagner, 20, of Scotts Ford Road, pleaded guilty to one felony count of possession of child pornography.

As part of a plea agreement, Judge James Lane handed Wagner a three-year suspended sentence and three years of supervised probation.

The investigation into Wagner started on Nov. 21 when a friend of his brought Wagner's computer to the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office.

The friend said that while using the computer he had come across videos of children having sex with adults, prosecutors said.

The friend told investigators that Wagner came over to his Penn Laird home with the computer the night before to play video games, according to court records.

After playing for a few hours, they left for the evening and Wagner made arrangements to pick the computer up at a later time.

The following day, the friend said he began to use the computer to play video games and check to see what music and videos Wagner had downloaded, according to court records.

While browsing through videos, the friend found a partially downloaded video that had a sexually explicit title that implied that child actors were involved. In one video, it appeared that a girl of about 7 years old was engaged in lewd act with an adult.

In court Tuesday, Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Chris Miller told the judge that Wagner confessed during a police interview.

"He said he was just curious, it aroused him and that he was embarrassed by it," Miller said.

David Camp Charged with Having Child Porn

The former chairman of the Moore County Board of Education was arrested by federal officials last week on child pornography charges.

David Camp, 44, of Stewart Hollow Road, Lynchburg, was taken into custody last Thursday by agents with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement [ICE].

Camp is being held without bond in a federal holding facility in Chattanooga.

According to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chattanooga, Camp used a computer on or about Feb. 18 of this year to distribute images with "children engaged in sexually explicit activities."

On Monday, ICE agent Jonathan Hendrix filed an affidavit alleging that agents in Los Angeles found a web site that allowed small "thumbnail" images to be posted and which had "numerous links to various adult pornography websites."

The affidavit claims that the web site also had a chat feature.

Hendrix alleges that Camp uploaded 12 child pornographic pictures to the site that were intercepted by the ICE agents in Los Angeles.

The affidavit also states that during a chat, Camp provided a cell phone number that was registered to him and that the computer's IP (Internet Protocol) address was also registered to Camp.

When Camp was interviewed by ICE agents last Thursday, "he stated and admitted that he had been receiving and distributing pornographic images of children for the last 5 years up to and including the previous night of July 1, 2009," the affidavit states.

Camp also admitted using the web site to receive and distribute the images.

Moore County Sheriff Mark Logan and a number of his deputies also assisted ICE agents with the arrest.

Michael Moon Sentenced to 20 years for Possession of Child Porn at the Airport


Michael Moon, 40, of Medina, was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for trying to fly out of Cleveland Hopkins International Airport with 46 photographs of child pornography in his checked luggage.

Moon pleaded guilty to four counts of pandering sexually-oriented material involving a minor, 46 counts of illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material and two counts of possessing criminal tools. Moon was arrested July 29 at the airport, Assistant Prosecutor Jesse Canonico said.

Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Kathleen Ann Sutula also labeled Moon a sexual offender who will have to register his home and work addresses with a sheriff's office every 180 days for 25 years.

Larry Clark in Court for Child Rape

Accused child rapist Larry Clark was in court Wednesday.

District Court Judge Trudy White denied a request to reduce his $200,000 bond.

Clark was arrested in 2006 for allegedly impersonating a police officer in order to molest a 16-year-old boy.