LYNN OWEN COZART

WANTED FOR:

Unlawful Flight To Avoid Confinement – Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse, Endangering The Welfare Of Children, Indecent Assault

On February 15, 1996, Lynn Owen Cozart was found guilty of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, endangering the welfare of children, and three counts of indecent assault in the Beaver County Court of Common Pleas, Beaver County, Pennsylvania. These charges stemmed from the discovery that Cozart had molested his three juvenile children from 1984 through 1994. Cozart failed to appear for his sentencing on April 8, 1996, and has been a fugitive since that time. A federal arrest warrant charging Cozart with unlawful flight to avoid confinement was issued in the Western District of Pennsylvania on March 22, 2002.  READ MORE HERE

If you have any information concerning this person, please contact your local FBI office or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate.

Field Office: Pittsburgh

A Queens school employee has been charged with sexually abusing six 9 and 10-year-old schoolgirls, becoming the fifth school worker in New York to be arrested for sexual crimes in recent weeks. Brett Picou, 30, of Public School 52 in Springfield Gardens, is accused of spanking one of the girls, grabbing the children’s buttocks as they walked up stairs and fondling their buttocks over their clothing when he hugged them. READ MORE HERE

Roy Ralph Estrada, a former member of Frank Zappa‘s group the Mothers of Invention and original member of Little Feat, will serve 25 years in prison on child molestation charges. According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Estrada, 68, abused a female family member in Tarrant County after being released from a California prison for another child abuse case. “The victim’s family was unaware that he was a convicted sex offender,” Tarrant County district attorney office spokesperson Melody McDonald said. “Estrada was sentenced to 25 years in a plea bargain agreement and is not eligible for parole.”  READ MORE HERE

MAN FOUND NOT GUILTY OF CHILD ABUSE

The videotape appalled juror Kelly Hurley. A man with a belt draped around his neck was shown berating a 7-year-old boy, shaving his eyebrows and head as punishment and forcing him to do calisthenics. At one point, a slapping sound and the wailing of a child could be heard off camera. The man, Devery Broox, was found not guilty this week of child abuse. Hurley concurred with the verdict, which was based on the legal definition of the crime — but she’s conflicted.  READ MORE HERE

SANTA ANA, CA — A 20-year-old man was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for the murder of his girlfriend’s 9-month-old son. Alexander Barnes was convicted in November of second-degree murder and felony child abuse resulting in the death of Isaiah Prim-Ortiz. Prosecutors contend Barnes was babysitting Isaiah for the first time and became angry because the baby wouldn’t stop crying. They say Barnes repeatedly smashed the baby’s head against a wall, fracturing the his skull and killing him.  READ MORE HERE

WHAT SHOULD I LOOK FOR IF I SUSPECT A CHILD IS BEING SEXUALLY ABUSED?

Physical signs of sexually transmitted disease
Evidence of injury to the genital area
Pregnancy in a young girl
Difficulty in sitting or walking
Frequent expressions of sexual activity between adult and child
Extreme fear of being alone with adults of a certain sex
Sexually suggestive, inappropriate, or promiscuous behavior
Knowledge of sexual relations beyond what is expected for a child’s age
Sexual victimization of other children

Child sexual abuse cases can be very difficult to prove largely because cases where definite, objective evidence exists are the exception. The first indicators of sexual abuse may not be physical signs, but behavior changes or abnormalities. Unfortunately, because it is usually so difficult to accept that sexual abuse may be occurring, the adult may misinterpret the signals and feel that the child is merely being disobedient or insolent. The reaction to the disclosure of abuse then becomes disbelief and rejection to the child’s statements.  READ MORE HERE

RECOGNIZING CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE:

Child Sexual Abuse Victims: How to Recognize the Signs and How to Help from MECP Training on Vimeo.

MALE SEXUAL ABUSE:

EMPOWERING YOUR CHILDREN AGAINST CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE:

A U.S. citizen convicted of child molestation has been turned over to U.S. authorities after being captured in Canada after a decade on the run. Veronique Lalime, a spokeswoman for Canada Border Services Agency, said Thursday that Steven Dyer was transferred to the custody of U.S. officials on Wednesday. He was picked up by border service agents at Montreal’s airport a day earlier.  READ MORE HERE

LOS ANGELES– A soccer coach in East Los Angeles faces charges of sexually assaulting two teenage players, and investigators say there may be more victims. Javier Arrioja, 48, allegedly molested one of the victims, a 15-year-old boy, four times between May and November 2011, the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office said. The case began after the boy told deputies that Arrioja had touched him inappropriately.  READ MORE HERE

MONTEBELLO — Montebello Police confirm that a female teacher at Roosevelt High has been arrested for allegedly having sex with two boys while they were her students. The teacher has been identified as 42-year-old Gabriela Cortez. She was arrested yesterday and booked at the Montebello City Jail.  READ MORE HERE