4/10/14: Today’s Round-up of Child Sex Abuse in the News
LOCAL
Chula Vista, CA – Exclusive: Mother of Chula Vista student calls former teacher’s behavior “the ultimate betrayal”
The mother of a Chula Vista teen who testified that he was molested by his former second grade teacher is speaking out for the first time. “It’s the ultimate betrayal. He betrayed my son. He shamed him. He brought his whole life down,” the boy’s mother said. The boy’s former teacher, 42-year-old John Raymond Kinloch, is behind bars awaiting trial on 44 felony counts, Deputy District Attorney Enrique Camarena said. The San Ysidro man is accused of sexual misconduct with five boys. Of those, Kinloch is accused of physically molesting two of them, Camarena said. Most of the charges against Kinloch are connected to the former student, who is now 17. Read more here:
Sacramento, CA – Editorial: Faced with an initiative, teachers union blinks on discipline bill
The threat of a ballot initiative did the trick, persuading the California Teachers Association to negotiate a new process for teacher dismissal. EdVoice, an educational advocacy group based in West Sacramento, titled its proposed initiative: “Stop Child Molesters, Sexual Abusers and Drug Dealers from Working in California Schools Act.” Attorney General Kamala Harris made it more neutral: “School Employees. Dismissal or suspension for egregious misconduct.” But her ballot summary remained crystal clear: “Speeds process and eliminates 4-year statute of limitations to dismiss or suspend school employees accused of egregious misconduct, defined to include child abuse, sexual abuse of minors, sexual assault on minors or adults, and certain drug offenses.” Read more here:
Fullerton, CA – Fullerton junior high teacher charged with molesting 3 boys
Prosecutors charged a Fullerton junior high school teacher Tuesday with molesting three male students on and off campus and sending them sexual messages. Melissa Nicole Lindgren, 28, of La Mirada is expected to be arraigned Wednesday at North Justice Center in Fullerton on 10 felony counts, including lewd acts on a child, lewd acts on a child under 14 and distributing pornography to a minor, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. Read more here:
NATIONAL
St. Louis, MO – New lawsuit alleges sexual abuse in 1970s at Chaminade College Prep
A new lawsuit against a member of the Marianist Catholic order and school alleging sexual abuse of a minor was filed on Wednesday. The lawsuit, filed in St. Louis County Circuit Court, names the Marianist Province of the United States as a defendant, as well as the Rev. Martin Solma. Solma is head of the Roman Catholic order, which is based here in St. Louis. Read more here:
Tacoma, WA – Former Tacoma math teacher pleads not guilty in latest sex charge
Former Lincoln High School teacher Meredith Powell pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a fourth charge stemming from her alleged sexual misconduct with students. The 24-year-old former Tacoma math teacher had pleaded not guilty Feb. 7 to two counts of third-degree child rape and one count of communication with a minor for immoral purposes. The charges were based on allegations that she engaged in sexual acts with three of her male students, ages 15 to 17, earlier this year. Read more here:
Pahrump, NV – Senate should act now to stop sexual predators in our schools
I still remember the day I learned there was a sexual predator at the high school in my small town of Pahrump — the high school my girls would eventually attend. I assumed that it was just a matter of a phone call or two, and the teacher would be fired. Instead it took 13 years to find justice for the 60 former students who came forward, including six girls who were raped. To this day, I wonder how many of those children could have been spared had someone acted sooner. Read more here:
Marlinton, WV – Former teacher arrested for allegedly having sex with a student
State Troopers with the West Virginia State Police in Pocahontas County made an arrest in a case of sex assault against a minor. Troopers with the Marlinton Detachment arrested Samantha Bartley, 25, on Tuesday, April 8. She is charged with three counts of Sexual Assault by a Guardian. The victim was a student at Pocahontas High School in 2013. Read more here:
Chicago, IL – Tae Kwon Do Instructor Charged With Molesting 8-Year-Old Student
A local elementary school is warning parents after learning a former tae kwon do instructor there was charged with molesting one of his students. He is 61-year-old Triantafilos “Terry” Tottas, a martial arts instructor who runs a tae kwon do studio in Skokie. The victim of the alleged attacks was an 8-year-old boy who took lessons here. Prosecutors say that on three occasions, Tottas kissed, fondled and groped the boy beneath his clothing. He allegedly told the victim what he was doing was “a secret.” Read more here:
Glassboro, NJ- Rowan students’ documentaries tackle rape, sexual assault
A group of Rowan University students are using their inner documentarian skills to bring the topic of sexual assault to the forefront of colleges across America. In cooperation with four other colleges, the university’s PACT5 film series initiative premiered three of their 10 films at Rowan on Saturday. Each video tells its own story, usually profiling a person, but sometimes following a movement against the prevalence of sexual assault not only on college campuses, but across the world. Read more here:
Elon, NC – Lasting effects: sexual assault on college campuses
Every two minutes an American is sexually assaulted, according to data collected in a recent study done by the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network. That means roughly 237,868 American people will fall victim to an act of sexual assault this calendar year. Additionally, 80 percent of those 237,868 victims will be under the age of 30. There are 5,599 students enrolled at Elon University, meaning it is more than likely there are survivors of sexual assault within our student body. Elon makes every effort to ensure university policies on sexual assault are visible to its students, faculty and staff. The university’s website clearly outlines all regulations and policies regarding sexual assault in addition to offering students various courses of action if they have been sexually assaulted. Read more here:
Reno, NV – Possible sexual assault on UNR campus
University of Nevada Director of Police Services Adam Garcia sent the following message to students on campus: For the past 48 hours University Police Services has been investigating and attempting to substantiate a report initially made by a third-party on Sunday, April 6, that a student was sexually assaulted on Tuesday April 1, 2014. Read more here:
Bloomington, IN – Say more about sexual assault
A column written by an anonymous source went live on the Harvard Crimson’s website March 31. And it’s changing how we talk about sexual assault on college campuses. “Dear Harvard: You Win” is an extremely powerful first-person account of woman’s experience through the long and excessively difficult process after being sexually assaulted. Read more here:
Columbia, MO – UM System adds employee obligations for reporting sexual assault
University of Missouri System employees not legally bound by confidentiality will now be obligated to report sexual harassment and assault against students. The Title IX reporting requirement announced late Tuesday afternoon was made through an executive order from UM System President Tim Wolfe. Read more here:
Allendale, MI – Student questions GVPD protocol: Sexual assault raises question of victim blaming
Earlier this year on Jan. 8, students were notified of a sexual assault that took place on Grand Valley State University’s Pew Campus in an email from the GVSU Police Department. This email later became a topic of conversation at the March 26 Teach-In between a student presenter and the officer who penned it. The Teach-In session, “The Power of Language in Campus Rape Culture,” led by GVSU junior Megan Prangley, expanded on the power of language and its effect on college rape culture. The concept attributes the idea of rape and sexual assault to being a part of a society that teaches how to avoid being raped rather than condemning the act, itself. Read more here:
Ocala, FL – Man charged with lewd and lascivious molestation
A man accused of sexually molesting an 11-year-old girl turned himself in to authorities on Tuesday. Luis Armondo Vazquez, 36, surrendered at the Marion County Jail at 6:30 p.m. He was booked on charges of sexual battery and lewd and lascivious molestation. The victim told officials at Kimberly’s Center for Child Protection in late March that Vazquez had touched her inappropriately more than once since January, according to a Belleview Police Department report. On one occasion last month, the girl said, Vazquez came into her room, removed her clothing and attempted to have sex with her. Read more here:
Mequon, WI – Victims of clergy sex abuse protest outside Mass of Atonement
Some victims of sex abuse at the hands of religious clergy attended the Mass of Atonement at Lumen Christi Parish in Mequon on Tuesday. Some joined church leaders in prayer while others protested. Those who protested outside were invited to participate in the Mass, but said they wanted no part of it. About 100 people attended the Mass celebrated by Archbishop Jerome Listecki. Read more here:
Scranton, PA – Hearing continued for accused priest
The preliminary hearing for a Diocese of Scranton Priest accused of molesting a young girl has been continued. The hearing for the Rev. Philip Altavilla had been scheduled for 10:30 a.m. this morning before Lackawanna District Judge Laura Turlip in Archbald. Altavilla, was arrested and arraigned before Turlip April 3. Police charged him with misdemeanor counts of indecent assault, criminal attempt to commit indecent assault and corruption of minors. He was released on $75,000 unsecured bail. Read more here:
Phoenix, AZ – Man, 20 accused of molesting 2 young sisters
A 20-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly molesting two young girls in Phoenix over the past three years. Phoenix police were called after parents of a 14-year-old found a photo on her phone of her exposed breasts on April 3. The 14-year-old girl reported to police that Nathaniel Ray Vargas, had been touching her “everywhere,” according to the police report. She also said he had requested she send him naked photos of herself. Read more here:
Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Jury To Continue Thursday In Trial Of Fmr. Pastor Accused Of Sexual Abuse
The jury has finished deliberating for the day in the case of a former youth pastor accused of sexually abusing four young boys. On Tuesday, the accused pastor, Jeffrey London, 50, took the stand and said he’s been falsely accused. London said the young men who brought the charges, were upset at being evicted from the home he provided for them. London faces 27 counts of child abuse.
Prosecutors said he molested the boys who are now young men. The four were ‘at risk’ children whom prosecutors said viewed London as a ‘father figure.’ Read more here:
Beaverton, OR – Logan Storm in court on child abuse charges
The former Beaverton teacher who fled to Mexico to avoid child pornography charges was back in court Tuesday. Local prosecutors said Logan Storm abused two young girls at a community pool back in 2007. The trial comes a little more than a year after the former Beaverton teacher was convicted of possessing child pornography. Storm fled the country after authorities found his electronic monitoring bracelet ditched in Troutdale. He was later found in Mexico City. Read more here:
Cicero, IL – Cicero youth minister charged with sexual abuse of children
Cicero police announced charges Wednesday against a youth minister at a Cicero church with multiple felony counts resulting from an ongoing criminal sexual abuse investigation. Juan David Ferreras, 43, was employed at Sonido De Alabanza Church, located at 5510 W. 25th St., as a youth minister, photographer and teacher at the church, town spokesman Ray Hanania said. Police alledge Ferreras engaged in sexual acts and sexual conduct with at least six juvenile victims ranging from 9 to 17 years of age. Read more here:
INTERNATIONAL
Stanley, England – Abuse accuser wanted money from Councillor, jury told
A serving councillor told a court that a man who had accused him of sexually abusing him as a schoolboy had threatened to “get him” after he refused to give him £20,000. Councillor Peter McLaughlin, 62, said he had not heard from the man for years, but he phoned him “out of the blue” upon hearing he had been awarded more than £150,000 compensation after suffering post-traumatic stress in a fatal accident while driving a holiday coach in France. Read more here:
Mumbai, India – Serial child molester accused of molesting Bollywood actor’s grandson arrested
Police nabbed a serial child molester Inayat Ali Shabal Ali Sajan (39) from his residence in charge of molesting Bollywood actor’s grandson. Police was in search of Sajan since December 2013, but finally he was trapped by Mumbai police from his house in Bandstand’s Perry Cross Road. According to the investigating team, Inayat Ali had kept a watch on the boy for two days before following him home from school on December 18 last year. Read more here: