CHESTERVILLE, SOUTH AFRICA  — A 15-year-old South African girl who was kidnapped and then repeatedly raped during a three-and-a-half month ordeal managed to escape on Monday, local police said. A suspect has been taken into custody and is facing charges. The teenager, who is from the town of Madadeni in KwaZulu-Natal province, went missing at about 8 p.m. local time on March 29 after she was threatened with a knife and a firearm. She was taken to the town of Chesterville, nearly 250 kilometers (155 miles) southeast of Madadeni, where she was repeatedly drugged and raped for months. READ MORE HERE

A Broward County man who filmed himself performing sex acts on two children he was helping care for described that time in his life as “a period of madness.” But the judge, the federal prosecutor and Randy Jerome Pozdol’s own defense attorney all agreed on one blunt word to describe the crimes: “Reprehensible.”  Pozdol, 68, was sentenced Monday in Miami federal court to the maximum term of 30 years — akin to a life sentence — on his conviction for one count of producing child pornography. U.S. District Judge Joan Lenard rejected the defense argument for a lighter sentence based on Pozdol not having a prior record, saying, “There aren’t many offenses in the U.S. code more heinous than this.”  READ MORE HERE

Mom ordered to stand trial in toddler’s death

Although no evidence was presented that Brittney N. Betzold personally caused any of the bruises that covered her 14-month-old son’s body, the Salina woman was bound over for trial Monday on charges of first-degree murder, aggravated endangerment of a child and child abuse because she allegedly did not act to protect him. READ MORE HERE

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT. This story contains graphic details of sexual violence against children and may not be suitable for young readers. PROVO — Even with an extra cushion on her seat, the little girl could barely see out of the witness stand Monday morning as she clutched her favorite blanket and told the court she had been molested. “He touched me on,” the girl said, pausing to look around the courtroom, her pigtails swinging, “right under my leg.”  READ MORE HERE

A 41-year-old convicted sex offender — who resigned nine years ago as principal of Sherwood High School — is facing new charges of molesting a 12-year-old boy and possessing child pornography.  A judge in Multnomah County Circuit Court Monday raised Robert Paul Patton’s bail by $250,000 — to a total of $700,000. Judge Eric Bergstrom said he was raising Patton’s bail because it is “paramount” to protect the community. Bergstrom said he took into account the nature of the pending charges and Patton’s 2003 sexual-abuse convictions for taking a 16-year-old boy he’d met online to motels in Tigard and Tualatin for sex.  READ MORE HERE

Father James Brennan will be retried in the landmark priest child sex abuse case. He’s accused of sexually abusing a 14-year-old boy in 1996. Jurors could not agree on a verdict in his first trial. On Monday morning, Philadelphia prosecutors announced they’ll put Brennan on trial again. READ MORE HERE

It’s hard to pin down the numbers. The American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry says child sex abuse is reported 80,000 timesa year. But experts acknowledge those numbers are just a drop in the bucket. Many more child sex abuse cases never go reported. “Most of the kids don’t report that someone did something to them; there’s the whole shame factor,” said Steven Lancaster, executive director of the nonprofit Childhelp Alice C. Tyler Village, a residential treatment center for abused children in Lignum, Virginia.  READ MORE HERE

THE BROKEN ROAD:  A MOTHER’S JOURNEY

THE BROKEN ROAD by Paige Walker is a moving story of a mother’s strength and courage as she dealt with the betrayal, anger and trauma from the sexual abuse of her daughter at the hands of her best friend’s husband. It moves through the emotional journey of her need to seek revenge and justice but instead found acceptance and forgiveness of her daughter’s perpetrator.  PURCHASE BOOK ON AMAZON (or) KINDLE EDITION

After years of being free on bail, a former principal from a Montessori school is now sentenced to spend up to seven years behind bars for her nearly-decade-long affair with one of her students. Lina Sinha, now 46, was told off by a New York judge during a court hearing today as she turned herself in to spend between 28-months and seven years behind bars. The relationship dates back to 1995, when Sinha was a principal at the Montessori International School in Manhattan and she began a romantic affair with one of her 13-year-old students. READ MORE HERE

STATE COLLEGE, Penn. — Saying it is “a stark wake-up call to everyone involved in college sports,” the National Collegiate Athletic Association announced a $60 million fine against Penn State University on Monday and took away 14 seasons of football victories from the late Joe Paterno. The school was also banned from the postseason for four years and will lose 20 football scholarships a year for four seasons, NCAA President Mark Emmert said. Emmert said the unprecedented fine will be paid over five years to fund programs that serve the victims of child sexual abuse.  READ MORE HERE

Colorado  Victims Remembered with Poignant Stories

The Arapahoe County Coroner’s Office in Colorado has released the names of the 12 victims of Friday’s shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado.

Jessica Ghawi, 24, was an aspiring sports journalist described by her mother as an energetic woman, “easy to fall in love with.” Ghawi survived shootings at a Toronto mall last month, and later blogged about the experience:

“I was shown how fragile life was on Saturday. I saw the terror on bystanders’ faces. I saw the victims of a senseless crime. I saw lives change. I was reminded that we don’t know when or where our time on Earth will end. When or where we will breathe our last breath.”

Veronica Moser, 6, described as a “vibrant” child who had just learned to swim, was shot along with her mother Ashley Moser in Friday’s attack. Ashley Moser remains in critical condition in the hospital after gunshots to the neck and abdomen. According to the Denver Post, she passes in and out of consciousness asking for Veronica, unaware of her daughter’s death.

John T. Larimer, 27, joined the Navy last year and was stationed at Buckley Air Force Base in Colorado.

“I am incredibly saddened by the loss of Petty Officer John Larimer — he was an outstanding shipmate,” Larimer’s commanding officer, Cmdr. Jeffrey Jakuboski, said.

Matthew McQuinn, 27, of St. Paris, Ohio, died after diving on top of his girlfriend Samantha Yowler to shield her from bullets. Yowler and her brother survived the attack.

Recent high school graduate Alexander J. Boik, 18, has been described as “the life of the party.” He loved softball, movies and hoped to become an art teacher. According to his girlfriend, Lasamoa Cross, the pair were secretly engaged.

Jesse E. Childress, 29, was also stationed at Buckley Air Force Base as an Air Force reservist. Childress loved sports, the Denver Broncos, comic books and superhero movies. According to the Denver Post, Childress had recently named his brand new car the “Batmobile.”

Jonathan T. Blunk, 26, also died shielding his girlfriend, Jansen Young, from gunfire, pushing her under a seat while shots were being fired. Formerly in the Navy, Blunk worked at a hardware store in Colorado at the time of the shooting.

Rebecca Wingo, 32, was working toward an associate of arts degree at the Community College of Aurora. Her father Steve Hernandez wrote on his Facebook page, “I lost my daughter yesterday to a mad man, my grief right now is inconsolable, I hear she died instantly, without pain, however the pain is unbearable.”

Alex M. Sullivan was celebrating his 27th birthday at the time of the attack. He died just two days shy of his first wedding anniversary with his wife Cassie on Sunday. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Alex’s family has called him their “real life superhero.”

Gordon Cowden, 51, went to the midnight showing of “The Dark Knight Rises” with his two teenage children, both of whom survived unharmed.

“He will be remembered for his devotion to his children and for always trying his best to do the right thing, no matter the obstacle,” Cowden’s family said in a statement.

Micayla Medek, 23, graduated from William C. Hinkley High School in Aurora and had been attending the Community College of Aurora. According to the Los Angeles Times, Medek was saving up for a trip to India.

A friend described Alexander Teves, 24, as “One of the best men I ever knew. The world isn’t as good a place without him.” Teves loved Spider-man and his alma mater, the University of Arizona. He had just earned his master’s degree in counseling psychology from the University of Denver.

After Day of Agony, Families in Colorado Get Tragic Confirmation

AURORA, CO — Stories of heroism, zest for life and a birthday celebration that turned tragic emerged as family and friends shared information on loved ones killed in Friday’s mass shooting at an Aurora movie theater. Almost all of the 12 victims were young, one was only 6, with so much life ahead of them. The cause of death in all cases is related to gunshot wounds, according to the Arapahoe County Coroner’s Office. CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LIST OF VICTIMS

—————————————————————————————–

Police now searching for second “person of interest”

Evidence shows months of plotting ahead of Colorado shooting

CLICK HERE: The following information is updated as details become available:
Video: In-depth coverage: Victims identified as investigation into shooting spree continues
Video: Columbine principal no stranger to tragedy
Video: Suspect described as “smart, quirky loner” Hendrik Sybrandy reports from suspect’s childhood neighborhood in San Diego.
Video: Many victims in theater shooting were kids
Video: Aurora Public Schools opens its doors to victims, evacuees (press release)
Video: Suspected gunman fits profile of a lone gunman, expert says
Video: Theaters boost security in wake of Aurora shootings
Video: Alleged gunman passed background check, legally purchased weapons
Photo Gallery: Aurora theater shooting scene, suspect’s booby-trapped apartment …
Video: Police detain man enraged over loss of child in Aurora theater shooting
Video: Man shared beers with suspect, called him ‘well-educated’ owner of ‘intelligent smirk’
Web Poll: Should it be legal to own an assault rifle?
Raw Video: Raw Video: 3-month-old injured in Aurora theater shooting released from hospital
Raw Video: Crowd exits Aurora theater after shooting …
YouTube Video: Scene outside Aurora theater shooting …
Raw Video: Witnesses say ‘bullets were flying through wall’ of Aurora theater …
Raw Audio: Police radio communications from Aurora theater shooting …
Raw Video: Morning Aurora Police press conference from theater shooting …
Raw Video: Emotional Aurora theater shooting witness describes seeing wounded children …
Social Media: Follow the public reaction online …
Raw Video: Witness says shooter ‘had the gun in my face’

Moves to criminalize smacking may gain traction with the release of a new study that finds a direct link between the physical punishment of children and adult onset of mental illness. The study, published in the prestigious Pediatrics journal, looked at the link between physical punishment and mental disorders in more than 20,000 American adults aged 20 and over. The authors were interested in the psychological impact of physical discipline “in the absence of more severe child maltreatment (ie, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, physical neglect, emotional neglect, exposure to intimate partner violence).” Taking into account socio-demographic variables and a family history of dysfunction, they found that “harsh physical punishment in the absence of child maltreatment is associated with mood disorders, anxiety disorders, substance abuse/dependence, and personality disorders in a general population sample.”  READ MORE HERE

 
———————————————————-

NORMAN — A former University of Oklahoma social work professor who is awaiting trial on a charge of sexually abusing children helped train state DHS child welfare supervisors for 15 years before his contract was terminated in December 2011, The Oklahomanhas learned.  READ MORE HERE

A 56-year-old man West Virginia man has been jailed after allegedly fathering three grandchildren with his daughter over a 13 year period. Police in Charleston, West Virginia, arrested Charles Shamblin Jr. on charges of second-degree sexual assault, incest and sexual abuse by a parent or guardian. According to the Daily Mail, the alleged abuse began when the girl was seven years old and continued until she was 20. The Charleston police report that Shamblin’s daughter gave birth to three of her father’s grandchildren.  READ MORE HERE