SEXUAL ABUSE AGAINST CHILDREN

The weekend arrest of an Illinois man who police said had a sexual encounter with a 12-year-old Hamilton County girl is a stark reminder that parents must be vigilant about children's Internet use, a local victims' advocate says."Child sexual abuse knows no boundaries," said Toby Stark, executive director of Chaucie's Place, a Hamilton County organization that supports juvenile victims of sexual and physical abuse. "It does not discriminate. It's really something all of us in society have to pay attention to."Westfield police arrested Samuel Henzel, 29, Oak Park, Ill., on Saturday at Comfort Suites, 15131 Thatcher Lane.He faces preliminary charges of sexual battery and confinement, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and drug possession, according to a written release from Mike Wheeler, Westfield police public information officer.Police did not say how Henzel and the girl met online but said the girl was riding her bike when Henzel picked her up and took her to the motel near U.S. 31 and 151st Street.Henzel told police that he and the girl communicated online and had planned their meeting in Westfield, the release said. Police also said Henzel told them he knew the girl's age.Police did not say where in Hamilton County the girl lives, whether she required medical treatment or what her condition was.An era of widespread online communications through computers and cell phones makes it more difficult for parents to shield impressionable children from sexual risk, Stark said."The message is to keep the lines of communication open with your children," she said. "You have to pay attention to the worlds your child is living in, but sadly, things can happen."

Man sentenced to 30 years in prison on child sex abuse charge


A man has been sentenced to three decades in federal prison for sexually abusing a child on Fort Bragg in May 2009.

Andres N. Aznar, 24, of Moca, Puerto Rico, was sentenced Friday to 30 years in prison followed by a life-term of supervised release, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney George E.B. Holding.
Aznar was ordered to pay nearly $300,000 in restitution.

Aznar pleaded guilty in May of this year to aggravated sexual abuse, according to the release.

He was charged in June 2009 with five counts of aggravated sexual abuse and one count of sexual abuse. The additional charges were dismissed as part of a plea arrangement, according to court records.
The charges stemmed from an investigation of sexual assaults against two children living in on-post quarters. Aznar was a civilian living on Fort Bragg at the time.

According to an affidavit filed by an FBI agent, Aznar engaged in sexual acts with a 5-year-old girl.

According to the indictment, Aznar committed the offenses on at least five occasions and forced a sexual act between the girl and a 4-year-old boy. Court documents say Aznar threatened the children to perform the acts and told them not to tell anyone about them.
The assaults were discovered by the victims' mother during a family trip to Texas, according to court documents.

After a medical exam, the allegations were investigated by Army Criminal Investigation Command and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Aznar was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood. The national program is aimed at prosecuting crimes against children.

Roanoke Rapids man charged with child prostitution






Roanoke Rapids, N.C. — Roanoke Rapids police have arrested a man amid accusations that he drugged and used minors in prostitution.

Kevin Johnson, 50, of 812 W. Fifth St., was charged with one count of participating in the prostitution of a juvenile and 12 counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Deputy Police Chief Adam Bondarek said that Johnson has been charged in a case involving a 15-year-old, but investigators suspect that there are multiple victims. He said that Johnson gave the victims a controlled substance.

More details of the case weren't released.

Johnson was placed in the Halifax County jail under a $5,000 bond. His first court appearance was set for Dec. 15.

Ormond teen charged with forcing sex on missing girl


November 4, 2010


Police arrested an 18-year-old man and charged him with forcing sex on a missing 13-year-old girl in Ormond Beach earlier this year.

Zachary C. Paulus, 18, of Buena Vista Avenue in Ormond Beach, was charged Tuesday with sexual battery on a helpless person, according to Volusia County Branch Jail records.

Ormond Beach police said Paulus was one of three males who assaulted the girl in March, according to an incident report. The girl told Child Protection Team staff she remembered being inside a bathroom shower with someone on top of her and another voice asking, "Are you done yet?"

Police did not release Paulus' co-defendants' names because they were minors.
Investigators found DNA evidence on the girl linking her to Paulus, according to the report.

Paulus posted $10,000 bail Wednesday, a jail officer said.

Paulus also was arrested in April on a charge of dealing in stolen property -- after police said he and another suspect pawned the girl's necklace while she was intoxicated at the house with the third suspect.

Louisville Metro man indicted for child sex abuse

Wednesday, November 3, 2010 11:23 PM EST



LOUISVILLE, KY - A Louisville man is charged with a dozen counts of child sex crimes. 49-year old Vincent Unger was indicted by a Jefferson County grand jury Nov. 3 on charges that he abused three children.

According to the indictment, Unger sexually abused the children, two girls and a boy all under the age of 16, between September 2009 and April 2010.

Unger is being held at Louisville Metro Corrections on a $15,000 full cash bond.

Parents want assurances nursery sex abuse scandal won't happen again


Vanessa George

PARENTS of children abused by paedophile Vanessa George have demanded assurances it can't happen again.

It comes as a report is today published into how George, was able to abuse babies in her care at Little Ted's nursery in Laira.

One mother, who is in regular contact with many other parents, voiced their overriding feeling, saying: "I want to know how it happened, how no one ever knew what went wrong and what changes are they going to do to make sure it can't happen again."

The Serious Case Review (SCR) – normally only carried out following the death of a child – was launched just hours after George's arrest last year. The release of the report was initially delayed due to the police investigation and court cases, but last month the Plymouth Safeguarding Children's Board revealed it was "disappointed" at the length of time Ofsted was taking to finalise and 'sign off' the document.

Speaking last June, Bronwen Lacey, director of services for children and young people at Plymouth City Council, said reviews were carried out "to determine what lessons, if any, can be learned by the agencies involved."

Some parents met the authorities last night at St Paul's Church in Efford to hear what the report would contain. The executive summary – an edited and reduced version – was to be released online this morning. However, some parents feel it may not be enough to satisfy those who are still haunted by George and her vile practices.

One mother asked: "Was it complacency? We know she was a devious cow, but how much could have been avoided? "We just want an end to it, but for many of us it'll never go away because she won't divulge the names of those she abused. "I want all the information, everything. I think all the families have been through hell."

One father hoped the review – which he felt had taken a "phenomenal amount of time" – would change the rules on the use of mobile phones in nurseries and schools. He said: "Having mobiles in there, especially now they all have cameras, was such a simple mistake, but with such phenomenal consequences.

We now know she had two phones on her. "When you're caring for someone, especially young children, you shouldn't be using or distracted by a mobile phone as well. It should be across the board – no mobile phones. Lock them away until lunch break. "Otherwise you are allowing people who are like that the opportunity to take such photographs."

However, while many parents were keen to learn everything they could, others wanted it to all go away. One mother said: "I didn't watch the documentary which was on recently about the case. I saw her face and just turned it off. I do think mobile phones should not be in nurseries for a start. "The parents I know don't want to know any more; they just want to forget it all."

The summary can be seen online from 10am today at: http://www.plymouth.gov.uk/homepage/socialcareandhealth/childrenssocialcare/reportingabuseandneglect/localsafeguardingchildrenboard.htm

A Houston County jury has found a 49-year-old man guilty of rape and sodomy of a Dothan girl. Assistant Houston County District Attorney David Atwell said the jury found Randy Lee Schoonmaker guilty of two felony counts of first-degree sodomy, a single felony count of first-degree rape and felony sex abuse. Houston County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Schoonmaker in February.Atwell said Schoonmaker will be sentenced by Circuit Court Judge Larry Anderson on Friday, Dec. 3. Schoonmaker faces 10 to 99 years or life in prison for the class A felony crimes of first-degree rape and first-degree sodomy, and one to 10 years in prison for the first-degree sex abuse charge.Atwell said the victim in the case testified during the trial about what happened to her, and how the sexual assaults first started when she was 12 years old. He also said another man and woman testified they were also sexually assaulted by Schoonmaker.“He started out with sexual abuse and it escalated over the years to rape and sodomy,” Atwell said. “I’d like to see him get a maximum consecutive sentence. I felt like this man has damaged too many lives.”Attorney Eric Davis, who represented Schoonmaker, said the defense questioned the motives of the victims in the case, and why there was a delay in their reporting the sex crimes to law enforcement.

Dogs take the witness stand with abused children

November 4, 2010 8:07 AM EDT

Dogs take the witness stand with abused children 1:50

TYLER, TX - Smith County officials have approved a plan to let dogs accompany abused children during courtroom testimony. The idea is that therapet dogs will offer comfort while a child is on the witness stand. Five-year-old Cinnamon will soon be a courthouse regular.

"I think it's going to be really cool to see how these dogs become apart of our children's success stories," said Rebecca Cunio with the Smith County Children's Advocacy Center.

In certain criminal cases, Cinnamon will accompany abused children during their testimony at trial. "To me it seems like such a natural combination," said Cunio.

Cunio works with abused children. She says Cinnamon will be one of many therapet dogs lending a paw.

"Can you imagine her with the little kids, isn't that so sweet? I can just imagine," she said.

She says therapet dogs, like Cinnamon, will give those kids emotional support during those down times. "Dogs come with such an accepting presence and they present no judgement," said Cunio.

While a child testifies, therapet dogs like Cinnamon, will sit right below the child, giving them comfort and confidence while they share their story. Smith County prosecutor Guy Conine says he was ecstatic when Cunio came to him with the idea.

"Anything you can do to make a child, a young child feel more comfortable, more at ease, it's going to help them with their testimony," said Conine.

Cunio hopes abused children on the witness stand will find peace knowing a friend is right there with them. "I can already see that happening so I'm very excited to see what the future will bring for our children," she said.

Using Cinnamon will be approved case by case, but the courts say if it will help a child, they're all for it.Prosecutors say hearings will be held to decide if a dog will be allowed to accompany a child during testimony

Officials: Girls Age 13,16 Sold For Sex

2 Arrested In Teen Prostitution Case
November 4, 2010

MARION COUNTY, Fla. -- Marion County deputies said they have made two arrests in connection with teen prostitution.

Deputies said John Morgan charged men to have sex with a 13-year-old girl and a 16-year-old girl at parties and at a motel where he kept them.

He is also accused of having sex with the girls himself, deputies said.
Deputies also arrested Ronald Brown, saying he also had sex with the teens.

Morgan and Brown remain in jail, according to deputies, but specific charges and bail information have not yet been released.

Pamela Ortega pleads guilty to raping her own children

November 4, 2010


SPOKANE -- The Grant County woman accused of sexually abusing her children and broadcasting it on the internet pleaded guilty Tuesday to four counts of First Degree Rape of a Child.

Pamela Ortega has an eight-year-old daughter, six-year-old son and had also babysat a two-week-old infant. She told police that she video chats with men online and lets them watch as she has sex with her daughter and performs sexual acts on her son.

Orgeta also admitted to sexually abusing the two-week-old baby she babysat.Investigators believe she abused her children over a dozen times, which was watched by men from the Tri-Cities and Spokane to countries all over the world.Ortega was turned in to authorities in April by a source in Europe who contacted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, saying Ortega offered her daughter to him for sex.Each count of child rape carries a possible sentence of 20 years to life in prison.

Ortega will be sentenced in December.

Police say her children are now safe.

TRENTON — Former Assemblyman Neil Cohen — pale, clinically Convicted ex-Assemblyman Neil Cohen is sentenced to 5 years, may seek rehabilitation

Published: Friday, November 05, 2010, 6:00 AM

TRENTON - Former Assemblyman Neil Cohen — pale, clinically depressed and barely speaking — was sentenced Thursday to five years in prison for viewing and printing photos of underage girls at his legislative office.

Cohen, a Democrat who sponsored bills aimed at protecting children, pleaded guilty in April to a second degree charge of child endangerment by distributing child pornography.

"By viewing and distributing child pornography, Mr. Cohen made himself a part of the network of suppliers and users whose actions serve to promote this abhorrent exploitation of children," Attorney General Paula Dow said. "Prison is the appropriate sentence for his crime."

Cohen, 59, of Paramus, may serve only three months in prison if prosecutors do not oppose his application to the state’s Intensive Supervision Program, aimed at rehabilitating offenders by releasing them from prison and placing them under the close oversight of probation officers.

Cohen’s lawyer, Mark Tuohey, said that would help his client receive mental health treatment. Cohen has been involuntarily committed at the Trenton Psychiatric Hospital and has attempted suicide, said Tuohey, who asked the judge to show leniency."It is what it is, and he regrets this," Tuohey said. "It is a tragic situation, but one that must be viewed in the context of a life well lived."

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
• Sentencing for former N.J. Assemblyman Neil Cohen is postponed• Former N.J. Assemblyman Neil Cohen pleads guilty in child-porn case• Assemblyman Neil Cohen resigns amid child porn probe

• Former N.J. Assemblyman Neil Cohen pleads guilty in child-porn case
Cohen, under medication for depression, did not make a statement. Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union), who shared a legislative office with Cohen, wrote to the judge last month asking for a limited sentence.

"It’s apparent Neil is a broken man, a sullen man, a disheartened man, a man with one foot in the grave," Lesniak wrote. "In effect, he has been in prison for over three years, missing only the walls and bars that go along with it."

Superior Court Judge Gerald Council, sitting in Trenton, said he does not intend to undermine the plea agreement of five years reached between prosecutors and Cohen’s lawyers. "It’s a sad day," Council said. "The fact of the matter is Mr. Cohen led a solid life of public service before this unfortunate incident."

Council ordered Cohen to enter the prison system Nov. 15. Cohen will be required to register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law, pay about $2,000 in fines and be barred from public employment, elected office and social networking websites. Cohen was an assemblyman for more than 16 years. His crime was discovered when he printed child pornography using his state computer and placed the images in the desk of a female receptionist in his legislative office. He resigned when the investigation became public, and was later indicted on five counts including official misconduct, reproduction of child pornography, distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography.

If he had been convicted on all counts, he would have faced up to 33 years in prison.Deputy Attorney General Anthony Picione said authorities found 34 pornographic images of children on computers at Cohen’s law office and legislative district office — including photos of underage girls identified in a national database of missing and exploited children.

"These are real victims," Picione said.

More Charges for 58-year-old Man Arrested for Sexual Conduct with Teens


Larry Wayne Hamric

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. -- Detectives searching for more underage victims of a man currently in jail have found what they were seeking, and this time drugs are involved.

Larry Wayne Hamric, 58, was arrested in late October on charges of making sexual advances toward children.

According to the Clay County Sheriff's Office, the investigation began in Green Cove Springs Oct. 5, when a caller said a man in a white truck was calling children to his truck and making sexual remarks to them. Investigators couldn't find the man at that time.

Three days later, another call came in with a similar story, and a similar description, also in the middle of Green Cove Springs.

The victim, a 17-year-old male, was in a Starbucks store, and when the suspect returned, police were not far away.

The CCSO said there were two juveniles in the truck with Hamric when he drove up.

The investigation revealed numerous juveniles have had contact with Hamric in the past several months, two of whom said he made sexual advances toward them.

Detectives believe Hamric met the young males at City Park.

Hamric was arrested last Friday and charged with lewd and lascivious conduct, and that's when more calls started coming in to police.

There was already an investigation underway into a 14-year-old girl who was given several Lortab pills in September.

She told police she was given the pills on two occasions, and said Hamric wanted her to sell them to "make some extra money."

Hamric now faces two additional charges related to the new information.

Detectives still want to hear from anyone else who may have been victimized by Hamric. Call the Green Cove Springs Police Department at 904-529-2220 if you have any information.

Sex offenders get felony for social networking



Jalee Beverly

Stephen Michael Broadie

Emil Brunner

Ahrmad Griffin

Christian Johnson

Lester Packingham Jr.

Cenntell Thomas

Raquim Watson

Brandon Whitehurst



Raleigh, N.C. — North Carolina law enforcement agencies are cracking down on sex offenders who use social networking sites, following a two-year-old state law.

The 2008 law makes it a felony for convicted sex offenders to create profiles on social networking websites, such as Facebook and MySpace, where children can be members.

"We need to protect our children, and this is one of the ways that we do it," North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper said.

As law enforcement agencies get training on how to find sex offenders online, investigators are becoming increasingly active in enforcing the laws, he said.

"It's an important law. Sometimes it takes a year or so for new laws to get out there and for people to realize that they are there," Cooper said.

In July, the Durham Police Department and Durham County Sheriff's Office served 11 search warrants on MySpace and Faceboo arrested eight sex offenders in a sting operation to enforce the law.

• Jalee Beverly, 28, of Rosetta Drive; 2002 convictions for two counts of statutory rape of a child under 6, first-degree kidnapping
  
• Emil Brunner, 23, of Glenn Road; 2009 conviction for indecent liberties with a child
  
• Ahrmad Griffin, 34, of Holloway Street; 2003 convictions for two counts of indecent liberties with a child
  
• Christian Johnson, 34, of Shiva Court; 2008 convictions for two counts of indecent liberties with a child
  
• Lester Packingham Jr., 29, of Pike Street; 2002 conviction for indecent liberties with a child
  
• Cenntell Thomas, 26, of North Roxboro Street; 2007 convictions for two counts of indecent liberties with a child
  
• Raquim Watson, 23, of South Alston Avenue; 2008 convictions for two counts of indecent liberties with a child
  
• Brandon Whitehurst, 22, of Campus Walk Avenue; 2005 conviction for incest with a child.
  

The Harnett County Sheriff's Office also arrested a registered sex offender, Stephen Michael Broadie, 23, of 2218 Old U.S. 421 in Lillington, on charges of setting up a Facebook profile. Broadie was convicted of indecent liberties with a child in 2006, according to state Department of Correction records.

The attorney general said that sentencing will vary, depending on the suspect's prior criminal history.

"It sends a strong message that we're not going to tolerate sex offenders who troll the Internet, trying to send inappropriate material to our children," Cooper said.

Mayor Accused Of Sex With Teen Takes Plea Deal

Police: Mayor Met Boy, Thought He Was 21

November 5, 2010

The mayor of a Central Florida town has to resign from office as part of a plea deal in a sex case.

The Ledger of Lakeland reported that 33-year-old Mulberry Mayor John Julian Mullis had faced one count of sexual activity with a minor over an incident with a 17-year-old boy.

He pleaded no-contest to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct Friday as part of a plea deal that requires him to resign from office.

An arrest affidavit said the boy told a teacher about a consensual sexual relationship with Mullis, who said the boy had listed his age as 19 on a social networking website. Investigators said the mayor thought the teen was 21 years old.

Gov. Charlie Crist suspended Mullis in November.

Mulberry, with about 3,200 residents, is south of Lakeland.

FBI: 69 children, 99 pimps found in national bust


Monday, November 8, 2010; 10:39 AM

WASHINGTON -- The FBI says it has found 69 child prostitutes across the country during a crackdown on the sexual exploitation of children over the last three days.

Federal, state and local authorities in 40 cities also arrested 884 people, including 99 suspected pimps, on a variety of charges.The children were found during Operation Cross Country V, a three-day roundup targeting child traffickers and pimps.

The FBI is working with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to identify the children. The child victims are removed from prostitution; the adults face a variety of state and local charges.

Sexually abused kids at higher risk of schizophrenia


Sydney, Nov 8 – Sexually abused children are likely to develop psychotic illnesses later in life, a study says.
Researchers from Monash University, Australia, say that such children are more likely to develop schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, which includes post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal behaviour and substance abuse.

Margaret Cutajar and her colleagues from Monash compared rates of psychiatric disorders among 2,759 sexually abused children under 16 years with 4,938 individuals from a comparison group, reports the journal Archives of General Psychiatry.

Over a 30-year period, individuals who had experienced childhood sexual abuse had double the rate of psychosis and schizophrenia disorders than those in the comparison group, the study found.

Many cases of childhood sexual abuse never come to light, and the overall population of abused children may be significantly higher than the official figures, a Monash University statement said.

‘Children who come to attention following sexual abuse should receive ongoing clinical and social support in the knowledge that they are at greater risk of developing a psychotic illness,’ the authors said.

​




Lucifer Hawkins

Don't you think when you name your kid Lucifer you consign him to a life of mugshots? And the 30-year old Oklahoma City man isn't a burglar, embezzler, crook or even a wife-beater, but arguably the most heinous thief of all (apart from murderer) -- he steals young children's innocence. Yeah, Hawkins is a pedophile.

And now he's a recidivist. Hawkins was convicted of raping a 5-year old girl back in 1997, and served nine years of his 15-year sentence before being released in 2006. He's a registered sex offender -- or is supposed to be, but he stopped registering last year and changed his appearance. He was arrested in January, served three months and then was released.

Apparently he was homesick for his cellblock. Last week he was picked up for suspected rape of a six-year old boy. Even his mother (who claims his birth father named him; she calls him by his middle name, Scott) believes he belongs behind bars. "He's just a terrible person and he's my son and it's just really devastating... He needs to be in prison."

There you have it, a man not even his mother could love.

​Timothy Montgomery

It's clear that Lucifer Hawkins is a serious douche, but Timothy Montgomery does him one better. The 52-year old Evansville, Indiana colostomy bag didn't just molest a 7-year old girl, repeatedly, but he gave her genital herpes.

And while this is the first time Montgomery's ever been charged with pedophilia, his wife ran a daycare center in the '90s before it was shut down because Montgomery was suspected of behaving inappropriately with the children. But he was never arrested. According to the little girl, Montgomery molested her on many occasions. He only remembers twice. According to a detective, he told police that he "prided himself on being able to show attention and affection to kids... they really ate that up."

You know the part in the Jane's Addiction song, "Pigs In Zen," where Perry Farrell sings, "Some people should die, that's just unconscious knowledge"?

This is who he was talking about and it's not unconscious at all.

Former Court Official Confesses to Rape of Teen Prisoner, Gets Probation



Here's a horrific miscarriage of justice: Tony Simmons, a former counselor in the New York City juvenile justice system, pleaded guilty to raping a handcuffed 15-year-old girl in the elevator of the Manhattan Family Courthouse, and sexually assaulting two other teenagers in his custody. He was sentenced last month to 10 years' probation. He also has to register as sex offender.

To give you a sense of perspective, the 15-year-old whom Simmons raped in the elevator got 12 months in prison for filing a false police report. She says she was prosecuted for falsely denying that she knew who jumped her on her way to school.


The judge who approved the plea deal tried to excuse the extraordinarily lenient sentence by saying that the prosecutor didn't object to probation. No objection appears in the transcript, but the prosecutor insists he objected during an off-the-record sidebar conversation with the judge.

The prosecutor, Amir Vonsover, says he held out for a one- to three-year prison term in exchange for a guilty plea. Even a three-year sentence would be a slap on the wrist for a confessed serial sexual predator who targeted helpless minors in his care.That said, we shouldn't rush to blame the Vonsover for the light sentence. He probably didn't let Simmons off easy because of any secret fondness for rapists. The victim from the elevator admired Vonsover enough to name her son after him, so it's safe to assume she felt he was on her side.

Vonsover faced a strategic dilemma. If he offered a plea deal that carried serious jail time, Simmons and his lawyer might have preferred to take their chances in court. Vonsover probably agreed to a watered-down punishment because he wasn't sure he could get a conviction of the case went to trial.

That might have been a good call on Vonsover's part. Realistically, a jury might not have believed a black teen prisoner accusing a white court officer of rape with no witnesses and (as far as I can tell from media reports) no physical evidence. Simmons could easily have walked. He might even have gotten his job back. If Vonsover hadn't struck some kind of plea deal, Simmons could still be out there raping girls.

So, we're faced with a systemic problem. We can't shift all the blame to a rogue prosecutor or a lax judge. Prisoners are easy prey for unscrupulous officials because they're physically controlled and unlikely to be believed. The power dynamics are such that prison officials can rape inmates with near impunity. Predators like Simmons know it.

Maybe there's some way to retroactively stiffen Simmons' sentence.Better yet, maybe the public outcry will motivate authorities to investigate him for other sex crimes. Simmons is suspected of victimizing many other girls over the course of his 16-year career. The guy allegedly kept a special stash of condoms and cookies at courthouse.

Unfortunately, it might just as difficult to get a conviction next time around. Sexual predators tend to have long histories of abuse.

Maybe they'll need to try him for several crimes before a jury is finally willing to convict. It's not a foregone conclusion that a jury will reject the allegations of a prisoner, it's just that the odds are worse than they would be if the victim fit into a more readily sympathetic category. And it's tough to get a rape conviction based on the victim's uncorroborated testimony at the best of times.

It sucks that society has to spend so much money and time to get one dirtbag behind bars. But just going to that much trouble would send a message to prison officials who think they're untouchable.

It's possible that there are stronger cases against Simmons waiting to be uncovered. Maybe more victims will come forward now that they have some reason to hope they will be taken seriously. Maybe Simmons had accomplices or enablers. Rapists often do. Maybe these helpers could be unmasked and pressured into testifying against Simmons. Maybe he abused women on the outside, too. They authorities won't know until they look.

Hopefully, the outrage will motivate the City of New York to reexamine its policies and procedures to ensure that officials have the least possible opportunity to abuse prisoners. Are there enough surveillance cameras inside the courthouse?

Is there a strong whistle blower program in place to encourage other officials to turn in their abusive colleagues? Are we screening and supervising juvenile counselors closely enough? Did Simmons' supervisors miss warning signs? An official inquest could help answer these questions.

One thing is certain, public outrage over prisoner rape is the first step towards ending the abuse. NOW-NYC is circulating a petition demanding justice for Simmons' three victims.

A predator walks: Letting child rapist off without prison time is an outrage in every way


Editorials


In a travesty gross enough to make a blind statue cry, a juvenile justice counselor who sexually assaulted youngsters he was supposed to protect will be spared a minute of prison time.

Tony Simmons pleaded to having intercourse with a 15-year-old and oral sex with a 16-year-old, and to forcibly molesting another 15-year-old. Grotesquely, the assaults took place in the Manhattan Family Court building.

Simmons' plea bargain calls for him to accept a sentence of 10 years' probation and sex offender treatment. That the Manhattan district attorney's office and Acting Supreme Court Justice Cassandra Mullen agreed to it beggars the imagination.

DA Cy Vance called the sentence "outrageously lenient," yet his assistant made no fuss when the arrangement was placed on the record.

The judge is said to have harbored doubts about whether the DA was confident as to the strength of the case against Simmons.Just as disturbing, Simmons would have faced no more than four years on any of the charges had he been convicted. The youth and vulnerability of his victims and his abuse of the juvenile justice system would have counted for nothing.

Question: Can this devil of a deal be undone?

FBI finds 3 girls in child sex trafficking sting

Updated: 1:03 pm

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The FBI says it recovered three girls in a child sex trafficking sting operation that resulted in prostitution charges against 19 adults in the Portland area.

FBI agents said they worked with more than a dozen other local and federal agencies in the Portland and Vancouver, Wash., metro area to run the sting last Thursday through Saturday.

The Portland metro operation was part of Operation Cross Country 5, marking the fifth national law enforcement action against child sex trafficking.