Cumberland County detectives have charged a Spring Lake man with possessing videos and photographs of children engaged in sex acts.
Timothy John DesJareins, 44, of the 2500 block of Brinkley Drive, was arrested Friday at his home, according to the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office.
He was charged with five counts each of second-degree and third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor. Bail is set at $100,000.
Investigators became suspicious of DesJareins around July 3 after a person found a computer thumb drive in his driveway. The thumb drive contained images of children being forced to have sex with adults, according to a release from the Sheriff's Office
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Former Teacher John Puglisi Convicted of Child Porn
BINGHAMTON
A former Newark Valley High School teacher was convicted Friday of federal child pornography charges.
A jury found 30-year-old John Puglisi guilty of producing child pornography, possessing child pornography and persuading, inducing and enticing a minor to engage in sexual conduct.
He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and up to 30 years, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Miroslav Lovric. Senior U.S. District Court Judge Thomas J. McAvoy is scheduled to sentence Puglisi at 9:30 a.m. Nov. 23.
Puglisi, a former social studies teacher and the father of two children, was accused of sending sexually explicit text messages to a 16-year-old girl with whom he had a sexual relationship. In the messages, he asked the victim to send "more naked pictures" and take pictures of herself in sexual contexts.
The mostly male jury began deliberations around 2 p.m. Thursday, wrapping up later that afternoon. It returned to court at 9:30 a.m. Friday morning and gave their verdict about an hour later, Lovric said.
"They had a lot of evidence to sift through," he said.
Puglisi also faces state counts of felony third-degree rape and misdemeanor endangering the welfare of a child.
During closing arguments, defense attorney Vincent Accardi told the jury that Puglisi is guilty of a state felony, but didn't commit the federal offenses. Their cell phone communication was only a substitute for their previous sexual relationship, he said.
In testimony, the girl said she didn't consider herself a victim and viewed the relationship as consensual. State law considers
Richard Lee Minch Pleads Guilty to Child Porn
United States Attorneys have announced that a Wyoming man pled guilty to charges of extortion and child pornography.
They say Richard Lee Minch, 48, from Wyoming attempted to extort money from a business by threatening to shoot the employee and that he produced images of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Minch will be sentenced in the near future.
According to a press release from U.S. Attorney Donald Davis, Minch faces a sentence of 15 to 50 years in prison and fines up to $500,000.
Investigators say that from November 2, 2008, to January 15, 2009, Minch made multiple threatening and harassing phone calls to stores, restaurants and tanning salons in more than ten states. They say if a female answered the business phone Minch claimed that he had a gun pointed at her and others from outside and threatened to shoot her if she did not follow his instructions.
Minch sometimes demanded money and then asked sexually suggestive questions of the females, including having them describe their body and clothing. In some cases he demanded the victims perform a sexual act on themselves or someone else.
Also, investigators say Minch called minor girls advertising babysitting services on Craigslist. They say he convinced a 13-year-old that he was a CIA Operative and she followed his instructions to take naked photographs of herself.
The release also detailed his criminal history. It says:
1. In 1979, Minch was convicted of indecent exposure after an incident where he blocked the path of a young woman walking with her baby, exposed his penis and began masturbating.
2. In 1984, Minch was again convicted of indecent exposure for exposing his penis to two fourteen-year-old girls outside of Wyoming High School.
3. The same year, Minch, then 24 years-old, sexually molested a six-year old child.
4. In January 1992, Minch was convicted for Attempted Criminal Sexual Conduct in the third degree after he stole a young woman's purse and jacket and then attempted to lure her into a wooded area claiming he had found her belongings. Minch was found hiding in the woods nearby possessing a ski mask, handcuffs, gloves, wire cord, a plastic gun, a knife, a jar of Vaseline, and various sex toys.
5. In June 1994, Minch was convicted of felony extortion and indecent exposure for calling a Mother Hubbard convenience store, claiming to have a gun trained on the store, demanding money, and then instructing the female attendant to commit sexual acts on herself. Police located Minch pulled up next to a pay phone, masturbating in his car. Having violated his probation from the 1992 conviction, Minch was sentenced to prison on August 9, 1994, and was discharged on June 25, 2005.
6. On October 1, 2005, less than four months later, Minch was convicted of trespassing in an area where there had been complaints of a male exposing himself and masturbating while wearing a ski mask. Upon arrest, police found a ski mask in his car.
7. In November 2005, Defendant was convicted of failure to register as a sex offender.
The investigation was done by the FBI, the FBI Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force in Grand Rapids, the Kent County Sheriff's Department, the Grand Rapids Police Department and other investigators from across the country.
The United States Attorney's Office of Western Michigan also credited the arrest as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. The project partners work to educate local communities about the dangers of online child exploitation and to teach children how to protect themselves.
For more on Project Safe Childhood, click here.
They say Richard Lee Minch, 48, from Wyoming attempted to extort money from a business by threatening to shoot the employee and that he produced images of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Minch will be sentenced in the near future.
According to a press release from U.S. Attorney Donald Davis, Minch faces a sentence of 15 to 50 years in prison and fines up to $500,000.
Investigators say that from November 2, 2008, to January 15, 2009, Minch made multiple threatening and harassing phone calls to stores, restaurants and tanning salons in more than ten states. They say if a female answered the business phone Minch claimed that he had a gun pointed at her and others from outside and threatened to shoot her if she did not follow his instructions.
Minch sometimes demanded money and then asked sexually suggestive questions of the females, including having them describe their body and clothing. In some cases he demanded the victims perform a sexual act on themselves or someone else.
Also, investigators say Minch called minor girls advertising babysitting services on Craigslist. They say he convinced a 13-year-old that he was a CIA Operative and she followed his instructions to take naked photographs of herself.
The release also detailed his criminal history. It says:
1. In 1979, Minch was convicted of indecent exposure after an incident where he blocked the path of a young woman walking with her baby, exposed his penis and began masturbating.
2. In 1984, Minch was again convicted of indecent exposure for exposing his penis to two fourteen-year-old girls outside of Wyoming High School.
3. The same year, Minch, then 24 years-old, sexually molested a six-year old child.
4. In January 1992, Minch was convicted for Attempted Criminal Sexual Conduct in the third degree after he stole a young woman's purse and jacket and then attempted to lure her into a wooded area claiming he had found her belongings. Minch was found hiding in the woods nearby possessing a ski mask, handcuffs, gloves, wire cord, a plastic gun, a knife, a jar of Vaseline, and various sex toys.
5. In June 1994, Minch was convicted of felony extortion and indecent exposure for calling a Mother Hubbard convenience store, claiming to have a gun trained on the store, demanding money, and then instructing the female attendant to commit sexual acts on herself. Police located Minch pulled up next to a pay phone, masturbating in his car. Having violated his probation from the 1992 conviction, Minch was sentenced to prison on August 9, 1994, and was discharged on June 25, 2005.
6. On October 1, 2005, less than four months later, Minch was convicted of trespassing in an area where there had been complaints of a male exposing himself and masturbating while wearing a ski mask. Upon arrest, police found a ski mask in his car.
7. In November 2005, Defendant was convicted of failure to register as a sex offender.
The investigation was done by the FBI, the FBI Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force in Grand Rapids, the Kent County Sheriff's Department, the Grand Rapids Police Department and other investigators from across the country.
The United States Attorney's Office of Western Michigan also credited the arrest as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. The project partners work to educate local communities about the dangers of online child exploitation and to teach children how to protect themselves.
For more on Project Safe Childhood, click here.
James Turner Yager Charged with Distributing Child Porn
A Chester man listed on the Virginia Sexual Offender Registry has pleaded guilty in federal court to a second-offense charge of distributing child pornography.
James Turner Yager, 31, was charged last month with sending files over the Internet containing images of child pornography to an undercover FBI agent in San Diego. He faces a minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.
It was Yager's second arrest on child pornography charges. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, he was convicted of similar charges in 2001 in federal court in Richmond and sentenced to four years in prison.
The U.S. Attorney's Office said Yager "engaged in Internet chats with an undercover FBI agent" and eventually provided "dozens of images of child pornography for the undercover agent to download." Last month, FBI agents searched Yager's home on Gary Avenue, off Harrowgate Road near Jefferson Davis Highway, and found computer equipment containing "thousands of images of child pornography," the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
According to the Virginia State Police, Yager is being held at the Pamunkey Regional Jail in Hanover County while awaiting sentencing, which is scheduled for Oct. 9.
James Turner Yager, 31, was charged last month with sending files over the Internet containing images of child pornography to an undercover FBI agent in San Diego. He faces a minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.
It was Yager's second arrest on child pornography charges. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, he was convicted of similar charges in 2001 in federal court in Richmond and sentenced to four years in prison.
The U.S. Attorney's Office said Yager "engaged in Internet chats with an undercover FBI agent" and eventually provided "dozens of images of child pornography for the undercover agent to download." Last month, FBI agents searched Yager's home on Gary Avenue, off Harrowgate Road near Jefferson Davis Highway, and found computer equipment containing "thousands of images of child pornography," the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
According to the Virginia State Police, Yager is being held at the Pamunkey Regional Jail in Hanover County while awaiting sentencing, which is scheduled for Oct. 9.
Help change the laws pertaining to sexual child abuse!
I am writing with a heavy heart and am asking for my laws to be changed regarding limitations on sexual abuse offenders. This is a epidemic that affects many people and it is dishearten to see offenders have such short prison stays. With over 80,000 reported cases a year of sexual abuse in the United States alone, and with it estimated to be at least that number of unreported cases, it’s become clear child sexual abuse has come to be commonly regarded as a great cause of mental health problems at varying ages from child to adult life across North America. There is a two-tiered epidemic going on. First, there are the so-called “baby-boomers” who grew up in a generation where there was a “hush hush” rule about even saying the words sexual abuse, let alone accusing someone of it. So it never became socially acceptable even to report one of the most horrendous experiences a human being can endure and continue to suffer from, untreated, for the duration of their life.
It was right at the beginning of the baby boomers era (1945 – 1964) when the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on Dec. 10, 1948, they declared in Article five: “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment”. It took that generation more than 30 years to begin talking about just how inhuman their perpetrators were throughout the 1940’s to the ‘70’s, and even before that.
Now, we’re faced with the second phase of the psychological remnants of the multiple decades of abuse, pasting it on to the next generations.
All of those thousands of new cases every year being added to the pile aren’t necessarily past victims of sexual abuse. In fact, only a small percentage (approx. 5%) of past victims become perpetrators. Past victims generally feel empathetic towards victims of abuse. This social epidemic that creeps into every neighborhood, and every social class needs to be slowed down at the very least. It’s a leading cause in the Americas of depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – PTSD, and many other psychological disorders which causes our society billions of dollars in medical and mental health care every year. Never mine the costs incurred in the justice system dealing with the offenders.
The really disturbing problem is that one single victim who has grown up with that secret that has tortured her or him for 20 years of self abuse, alcoholism/drug abuse, self-mutilation, thoughts of suicide and or attempts, the sleepless nights and nightmares, wondering if they’ll ever survive, yet waking up every day wishing they hadn’t.
What about the child who is destined to this? Who’s going to stop their pain?
We are asking for a change to help heal. Statue of Limitations-
How is there a limit on how long it takes someone to fight/face the effects of sexual abuse?!? It is proven that these memories can remain buried until something brings them to the surface again... so if it takes them longer to surface than the law allows, then the child molester just lucks out and goes free?!?!
The "act" doesn’t last long, but the "effects" of the act last FOREVER for the victim!
LONGER and STRICTER punishments-
WHY do we give longer/stricter sentences for crimes where no one was hurt?? We lock people up here in the United States for drunk driving, non payment of child support, theft, drugs and many other crimes for longer periods than we do the sick twisted individuals that use our kids as sex toys! I am not saying that these crimes are right, or that they should go unpunished. The man who molested me in the same state for over 12 years straight, then moved on to molest my little cousin for another 8-9 years, and did only a TOTAL of 6 months in the Saginaw County Jail on work release. Does that in anyway sound like a fair law to you??
Life with no parole for child rape or murder-Why in the world are we letting them back out on the streets to do it again? They do NOT need to be roaming our streets to pick out their next innocent victim.
Some type of a tracking system for those who are released back into our neighborhoods-
We can track our pets if they come up missing. We can track our kids with their phones. Why can't we require pedophiles to have a chip implanted if they are being released?
If we have to release them back into our neighborhoods then we need to be able to track them! Then we would have a much better chance of finding these poor kids who are snatched right out of their yards and houses! The minute an Amber Alert is issued on a child the tracking could begin on all known child predators. In MOST cases, that is who has them!! Many times they are never seen alive again! I believe if this had already been in place when little Nevaeh Buchanan in Monroe, Michigan, went missing, they would have had a chance of finding her alive. If they could have only started tracking the person of interest immediately….maybe little Nevaeh would be alive today
.
Some may say that is against human rights....
WHY should someone who uses a child for sexual pleasure have ANY RIGHTS???? Do our kids have the RIGHT to be kids, the RIGHT to be safe when they play in their yards and the RIGHT to enjoy life??. 88% of molestations are never reported (millions each year in the U.S. alone). The children do not tell for many reasons—shame, fear, guilt, relationship to offender, possible upheaval to family unit. Per most studies, 1 of 3 girls and 1 of 5-6 boys are molested—1.5 billion humans. The effects in adulthood can be critical— including earlier average mortality. Many victims die younger. I believe that this a a epidemic that is easy to over look but with studies like this show that 1 in 3 girls are molested. By changing the laws on offenders will allow repeat offenders from molesting again. The laws must be changed state to state due to Statutes of Limitations.
This petition ends on Dec 31.
Sign the petition: http://www.change.org/actions/view/help_change_the_laws_pertaining_to_sexual_child_abuse
It was right at the beginning of the baby boomers era (1945 – 1964) when the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on Dec. 10, 1948, they declared in Article five: “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment”. It took that generation more than 30 years to begin talking about just how inhuman their perpetrators were throughout the 1940’s to the ‘70’s, and even before that.
Now, we’re faced with the second phase of the psychological remnants of the multiple decades of abuse, pasting it on to the next generations.
All of those thousands of new cases every year being added to the pile aren’t necessarily past victims of sexual abuse. In fact, only a small percentage (approx. 5%) of past victims become perpetrators. Past victims generally feel empathetic towards victims of abuse. This social epidemic that creeps into every neighborhood, and every social class needs to be slowed down at the very least. It’s a leading cause in the Americas of depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – PTSD, and many other psychological disorders which causes our society billions of dollars in medical and mental health care every year. Never mine the costs incurred in the justice system dealing with the offenders.
The really disturbing problem is that one single victim who has grown up with that secret that has tortured her or him for 20 years of self abuse, alcoholism/drug abuse, self-mutilation, thoughts of suicide and or attempts, the sleepless nights and nightmares, wondering if they’ll ever survive, yet waking up every day wishing they hadn’t.
What about the child who is destined to this? Who’s going to stop their pain?
We are asking for a change to help heal. Statue of Limitations-
How is there a limit on how long it takes someone to fight/face the effects of sexual abuse?!? It is proven that these memories can remain buried until something brings them to the surface again... so if it takes them longer to surface than the law allows, then the child molester just lucks out and goes free?!?!
The "act" doesn’t last long, but the "effects" of the act last FOREVER for the victim!
LONGER and STRICTER punishments-
WHY do we give longer/stricter sentences for crimes where no one was hurt?? We lock people up here in the United States for drunk driving, non payment of child support, theft, drugs and many other crimes for longer periods than we do the sick twisted individuals that use our kids as sex toys! I am not saying that these crimes are right, or that they should go unpunished. The man who molested me in the same state for over 12 years straight, then moved on to molest my little cousin for another 8-9 years, and did only a TOTAL of 6 months in the Saginaw County Jail on work release. Does that in anyway sound like a fair law to you??
Life with no parole for child rape or murder-Why in the world are we letting them back out on the streets to do it again? They do NOT need to be roaming our streets to pick out their next innocent victim.
Some type of a tracking system for those who are released back into our neighborhoods-
We can track our pets if they come up missing. We can track our kids with their phones. Why can't we require pedophiles to have a chip implanted if they are being released?
If we have to release them back into our neighborhoods then we need to be able to track them! Then we would have a much better chance of finding these poor kids who are snatched right out of their yards and houses! The minute an Amber Alert is issued on a child the tracking could begin on all known child predators. In MOST cases, that is who has them!! Many times they are never seen alive again! I believe if this had already been in place when little Nevaeh Buchanan in Monroe, Michigan, went missing, they would have had a chance of finding her alive. If they could have only started tracking the person of interest immediately….maybe little Nevaeh would be alive today
.
Some may say that is against human rights....
WHY should someone who uses a child for sexual pleasure have ANY RIGHTS???? Do our kids have the RIGHT to be kids, the RIGHT to be safe when they play in their yards and the RIGHT to enjoy life??. 88% of molestations are never reported (millions each year in the U.S. alone). The children do not tell for many reasons—shame, fear, guilt, relationship to offender, possible upheaval to family unit. Per most studies, 1 of 3 girls and 1 of 5-6 boys are molested—1.5 billion humans. The effects in adulthood can be critical— including earlier average mortality. Many victims die younger. I believe that this a a epidemic that is easy to over look but with studies like this show that 1 in 3 girls are molested. By changing the laws on offenders will allow repeat offenders from molesting again. The laws must be changed state to state due to Statutes of Limitations.
This petition ends on Dec 31.
Sign the petition: http://www.change.org/actions/view/help_change_the_laws_pertaining_to_sexual_child_abuse
Nelvin Paz Wanted for Child Sexual Abuse
Police say a man brought a 14-year-old girl from Pennsylvania to northern Virginia for sex, and now officers need your help tracking him down.
Leesburg Police say 24-year-old Nelvin Paz, also known as Isai Paz, had met the girl before. And on Tuesday, they arranged to meet and travel to the D.C. area.
Her parents didn't know about the trip, and they reported the girl as a runaway.
The girl was found unharmed in a single-family home in Leesburg on Wednesday. Paz is now wanted for indecent liberties and child sexual abuse. He is described as a Hispanic man, 5-foot-7, 150 pounds with brown eyes, black hair and a large tattoo on his left shoulder.
Leesburg Police are asking anyone with information about his whereabouts to call 703-771-4500. Or if you want to remain anonymous, call 703-443-TIPS.
Raymundo Gonzalez Sentenced to 29 Years for Sexual Assault
Raymundo Gonzalez told Judge Daniel Shanes he did not sexually assault a young family acquaintance.
"I am not guilty," Gonzalez said Friday. "That is the only thing I have to say."
But that was not enough to dissuade Shanes from sentencing him to 29 years in prison.
Gonzalez was arrested by Waukegan police in June last year on allegations that he had sex with, and fondled a family acquaintance starting when she was 10 years old and which ended shortly after the girl turned 14.
Gonzalez, 50, of the 600 block of Elmwood Avenue, was found guilty in December on two counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, two counts of criminal sexual assault of a child, and four counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.
Assistant State's Attorney Jim Newman told the court that Gonzalez "assaulted the pre-teen on a daily basis that caused serious harm to her."
Gonzalez testified during the trial that his confession was forced.
Newman, who said Gonzalez confessed to police that "he had a problem," demanded that the judge remand Gonzalez to prison for 42 years.
"It will deter others from committing these offenses," Newman said. "It will be valuable to the community."
Defense attorney Jed Stone wanted the court to show leniency, considering that Gonzalez had never committed a crime and that he believed the girl concocted the tales of abuse.
"This is scary," Stone said of sending an innocent man to prison. "This abuse never happened."
Gonzalez plans to appeal the decision.
"I am not guilty," Gonzalez said Friday. "That is the only thing I have to say."
But that was not enough to dissuade Shanes from sentencing him to 29 years in prison.
Gonzalez was arrested by Waukegan police in June last year on allegations that he had sex with, and fondled a family acquaintance starting when she was 10 years old and which ended shortly after the girl turned 14.
Gonzalez, 50, of the 600 block of Elmwood Avenue, was found guilty in December on two counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, two counts of criminal sexual assault of a child, and four counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse.
Assistant State's Attorney Jim Newman told the court that Gonzalez "assaulted the pre-teen on a daily basis that caused serious harm to her."
Gonzalez testified during the trial that his confession was forced.
Newman, who said Gonzalez confessed to police that "he had a problem," demanded that the judge remand Gonzalez to prison for 42 years.
"It will deter others from committing these offenses," Newman said. "It will be valuable to the community."
Defense attorney Jed Stone wanted the court to show leniency, considering that Gonzalez had never committed a crime and that he believed the girl concocted the tales of abuse.
"This is scary," Stone said of sending an innocent man to prison. "This abuse never happened."
Gonzalez plans to appeal the decision.
Thomas Farquharson Charged with Sex Abuse
A Petersburgh man was charged with sex crimes involving minors, State Police at Brunswick said Saturday.
Thomas B. Farquharson, 53, of State Route 2 was arrested on charges of first-degree criminal sexual act, first-degree sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child, accused of having sexual contact with two girls younger than 11.
Farquharson was arraigned in Petersburg Town Court and sent to the Rensselaer County jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.
_______________________
http://www.cbs6albany.com/news/arrested-1265035-petersburg-child.html
James Berke Arrested for Sexual Assaulting 4 & 7-year-old
A judge Friday sentenced a Gorham man to 50 years in prison for sexually assaulting two girls, videotaping the incidents and sharing images of the victims with other computer users.
James Berke, 46, performed sex acts with a 4-year-old girl and a 7-year-old girl. Evidence seized by investigators, including several videotapes and a bottle of chloroform, suggested that Berke used the chemical compound to render his victims unconscious during some of the assaults.
"This is about as bad as it gets, in my view," Justice Roland Cole said at the sentencing hearing in Cumberland County Superior Court.
Cole said it is rare for investigators to have such damning proof of guilt as he did in this case. "Those tapes are vile and disgusting," Cole said. "But for the tapes, he might not be facing very many serious charges here at all."
Cole convicted Berke on March 16 after a jury-waived trial. The judge sentenced him Friday on six counts of gross sexual assault, three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, three counts of unlawful sexual contact and one count of violation of privacy.
Cole acknowledged that the sentence could mean Berke will spend the rest of his life behind bars. Berke would likely serve at least 35 years in prison before being eligible for any sentence reduction due to good behavior.
The judge said he has sentenced hundreds of defendants for sexual assault, and this case included some of the most disturbing behavior. "In my view he presents a very real risk" to reoffend, Cole said.
The prosecutor, Deputy District Attorney Meg Elam, said the most serious aggravating factor in the case was the fact that Berke distributed images of the assaults to people he chatted with online, and possibly to online bulletin boards.
"He stored it and shared it, and these girls and their families now live with the very real fear that these images will be traded among other pedophiles forever," Elam told Cole. "He deserves every minute of 50 years," she said.
At a few points during the hearing, Elam turned and spoke directly to Berke.
"They were not your peers, they were not your friends, they were not your willing sexual partners," Elam said. "They were little children who should have been able to depend on you.
"You would have kept doing it if those teenage girls had not stopped you by looking at your computer," she said.
The investigation began on March 22, 2008, when Gorham police Detective Dana Thompson received a call from a distraught mother. The woman was friends with Berke and had allowed her three children to spend time with him and sleep over at his homes. Berke had moved several times in the previous few years.
The night before the mother called police, two of her children and one of their friends had stayed at Berke's home in Gorham. The 14-year-old witnessed her 7-year-old sister walking out of the bathroom with Berke, who was carrying a camera.
While Berke slept that night, the 14-year-old and her friend used a memory card to make a copy of the videotape that was stored on Berke's camera. The tape showed the 7-year-old using the bathroom.
Thompson got a warrant, and on March 25 he and other Gorham officers searched Berke's home. They seized computer equipment, cameras, DVDs, videotapes, negatives and film, according to police reports. Berke was arrested on April 1 after investigators from the Maine Computer Crimes Task Force reviewed the evidence.
Sarah Churchill, Berke's defense attorney, asked Cole to send Berke to prison for 15 years. She said Berke is genuinely remorseful and he is a good candidate for treatment and rehabilitation.
"He full well understands the depth and the breadth of what he did to these kids," she said.
Although it provides no solace to the victims or their families, Churchill said, there are far worse categories of sex assault against children, such as cases involving penetration, torture and the use of weapons, none of which were done by Berke.
"Everyone in this room realizes that these cases are the most difficult that the court or any of the parties have to deal with," Churchill said. "None of us really understand why people commit this kind of behavior in the first place."
James Berke, 46, performed sex acts with a 4-year-old girl and a 7-year-old girl. Evidence seized by investigators, including several videotapes and a bottle of chloroform, suggested that Berke used the chemical compound to render his victims unconscious during some of the assaults.
"This is about as bad as it gets, in my view," Justice Roland Cole said at the sentencing hearing in Cumberland County Superior Court.
Cole said it is rare for investigators to have such damning proof of guilt as he did in this case. "Those tapes are vile and disgusting," Cole said. "But for the tapes, he might not be facing very many serious charges here at all."
Cole convicted Berke on March 16 after a jury-waived trial. The judge sentenced him Friday on six counts of gross sexual assault, three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, three counts of unlawful sexual contact and one count of violation of privacy.
Cole acknowledged that the sentence could mean Berke will spend the rest of his life behind bars. Berke would likely serve at least 35 years in prison before being eligible for any sentence reduction due to good behavior.
The judge said he has sentenced hundreds of defendants for sexual assault, and this case included some of the most disturbing behavior. "In my view he presents a very real risk" to reoffend, Cole said.
The prosecutor, Deputy District Attorney Meg Elam, said the most serious aggravating factor in the case was the fact that Berke distributed images of the assaults to people he chatted with online, and possibly to online bulletin boards.
"He stored it and shared it, and these girls and their families now live with the very real fear that these images will be traded among other pedophiles forever," Elam told Cole. "He deserves every minute of 50 years," she said.
At a few points during the hearing, Elam turned and spoke directly to Berke.
"They were not your peers, they were not your friends, they were not your willing sexual partners," Elam said. "They were little children who should have been able to depend on you.
"You would have kept doing it if those teenage girls had not stopped you by looking at your computer," she said.
The investigation began on March 22, 2008, when Gorham police Detective Dana Thompson received a call from a distraught mother. The woman was friends with Berke and had allowed her three children to spend time with him and sleep over at his homes. Berke had moved several times in the previous few years.
The night before the mother called police, two of her children and one of their friends had stayed at Berke's home in Gorham. The 14-year-old witnessed her 7-year-old sister walking out of the bathroom with Berke, who was carrying a camera.
While Berke slept that night, the 14-year-old and her friend used a memory card to make a copy of the videotape that was stored on Berke's camera. The tape showed the 7-year-old using the bathroom.
Thompson got a warrant, and on March 25 he and other Gorham officers searched Berke's home. They seized computer equipment, cameras, DVDs, videotapes, negatives and film, according to police reports. Berke was arrested on April 1 after investigators from the Maine Computer Crimes Task Force reviewed the evidence.
Sarah Churchill, Berke's defense attorney, asked Cole to send Berke to prison for 15 years. She said Berke is genuinely remorseful and he is a good candidate for treatment and rehabilitation.
"He full well understands the depth and the breadth of what he did to these kids," she said.
Although it provides no solace to the victims or their families, Churchill said, there are far worse categories of sex assault against children, such as cases involving penetration, torture and the use of weapons, none of which were done by Berke.
"Everyone in this room realizes that these cases are the most difficult that the court or any of the parties have to deal with," Churchill said. "None of us really understand why people commit this kind of behavior in the first place."
Dana Stevenson Tries to Stab Young Boy in Grocery Store
A young boy received minor injuries from a woman who allegedly held a knife to his throat in the middle of a crowded grocery store in Vallejo, according to authorities.
The Vallejo Police Department says they received reports just after noon Saturday that a woman was trying to stab people inside a Grocery Outlet at 66 Admiral Callaghan Lane. When officers arrived, they say they found store employees and shoppers holding down 47-year-old Dana Stevenson.
Stevenson allegedly walked into the produce section of the story and put a seven-year-old boy in a chokehold and placed a steak knife against his neck.
Witnesses say she began "rambling" about Chinese organized crime and Michael Jackson while dragging the boy from one side of the produce section to the other.
The boy's stunned parents began grappling with the woman. The boy's mother grabbed the suspect's knife hand, sustaining a small laceration in her palm, and the father wrestled the suspect's arms away from the boy.
Other bystanders jumped in to restrain her until police officers arrived.
The child sustained minor scrapes and abrasions on his neck and was shaken up, but otherwise unharmed, according to police. The family says they didn't know the suspect.
Stevenson was arrested and charged with felony child endangerment, kidnapping and assault with a deadly weapon
The Vallejo Police Department says they received reports just after noon Saturday that a woman was trying to stab people inside a Grocery Outlet at 66 Admiral Callaghan Lane. When officers arrived, they say they found store employees and shoppers holding down 47-year-old Dana Stevenson.
Stevenson allegedly walked into the produce section of the story and put a seven-year-old boy in a chokehold and placed a steak knife against his neck.
Witnesses say she began "rambling" about Chinese organized crime and Michael Jackson while dragging the boy from one side of the produce section to the other.
The boy's stunned parents began grappling with the woman. The boy's mother grabbed the suspect's knife hand, sustaining a small laceration in her palm, and the father wrestled the suspect's arms away from the boy.
Other bystanders jumped in to restrain her until police officers arrived.
The child sustained minor scrapes and abrasions on his neck and was shaken up, but otherwise unharmed, according to police. The family says they didn't know the suspect.
Stevenson was arrested and charged with felony child endangerment, kidnapping and assault with a deadly weapon
Police arrested 44-year-old Timothy John DesJareins at his home on Friday.
Deputies said they began investigating DesJareins earlier this month when someone found a computer thumb drive in his driveway.
Officials said on it were photos and videos of children being forced to have sex with adults.
DesJareins is charged with five counts of second degree sexual exploitation of a minor and five counts of third degree sexual exploitation of a minor.
Investigators said additional charges against DesJareins are expected.
DesJareins is being held in the Cumberland County Detention Center under a $100,000 bond. He is due in court on Monday.
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http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=6933749
Deputies said they began investigating DesJareins earlier this month when someone found a computer thumb drive in his driveway.
Officials said on it were photos and videos of children being forced to have sex with adults.
DesJareins is charged with five counts of second degree sexual exploitation of a minor and five counts of third degree sexual exploitation of a minor.
Investigators said additional charges against DesJareins are expected.
DesJareins is being held in the Cumberland County Detention Center under a $100,000 bond. He is due in court on Monday.
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http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=6933749
Ryan Gregory Stice Charged with Child Abuse
Ryan Gregory Stice, 24, of Bremerton was charged with first-degree child abuse Thursday in Kitsap County Superior Court in connection with injuries found on his 3-month-old son.
Child Protective Services alerted Bremerton Police after an infant boy was taken to Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital in Tacoma with a broken leg on July 19.
Doctors there found eight of his ribs and both collar bones had also been broken and were at varying stages of healing, according to court documents. The baby has since been released from the hospital and is in satisfactory condition, according to police.
Stice told police he didn’t intentionally hurt the child. He said he was lifting the baby from a swing and when he put him on the couch he heard a snap, according to reports. He said he didn’t call 911 because a neighbor whose mother was a nurse came over and said the baby’s hip likely came out of its socket and would be sore for a few days, but wouldn’t need medical attention, according to court documents.
He told officers the baby’s other broken bones were likely a result of him swaddling the child and squeezing the baby too tightly when he wouldn’t stop crying, according to reports.
Police and CPS continue to investigate the case. Stice is being held in jail on $50,000 bail. His next court date is scheduled for Aug. 12.
Child Protective Services alerted Bremerton Police after an infant boy was taken to Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital in Tacoma with a broken leg on July 19.
Doctors there found eight of his ribs and both collar bones had also been broken and were at varying stages of healing, according to court documents. The baby has since been released from the hospital and is in satisfactory condition, according to police.
Stice told police he didn’t intentionally hurt the child. He said he was lifting the baby from a swing and when he put him on the couch he heard a snap, according to reports. He said he didn’t call 911 because a neighbor whose mother was a nurse came over and said the baby’s hip likely came out of its socket and would be sore for a few days, but wouldn’t need medical attention, according to court documents.
He told officers the baby’s other broken bones were likely a result of him swaddling the child and squeezing the baby too tightly when he wouldn’t stop crying, according to reports.
Police and CPS continue to investigate the case. Stice is being held in jail on $50,000 bail. His next court date is scheduled for Aug. 12.
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