PHILADELPHIA — A young man told a jury in a criminal priest-abuse case Wednesday that he was sexually assaulted as an altar boy by two Philadelphia priests and that he soon turned to drugs for relief. The witness, a policeman’s son, said he started smoking marijuana the summer he turned 11 to deal with the abuse, and has since tried drug treatment 23 times to battle addictions to heroin, painkillers and other drugs. READ MORE HERE

The shamed council boss at the centre of the Baby P case has presided over another child abuse scandal, it emerged yesterday. A damning report into the horrific neglect of ten children in Haringey, North London, blamed ‘wholly dysfunctional’ management at the council department meant to protect them – led by Sharon Shoesmith.  READ MORE HERE

WOODLAND PARK — A Passaic County police officer sent a 12-year-old girl explicit photos of himself in uniform and tried to set up a sexual encounter with her, days after meeting the girl while assisting her family in an unrelated police matter, authorities said today. Woodland Park Police Officer Steven Vigorito Jr. pleaded not guilty in Superior Court in Paterson to charges ranging from attempted aggravated sexual assault to luring and enticing a child. READ MORE HERE

A seven year old girl had to have eleven of her teeth extracted by dental surgeons after months of neglect and beatings at the hands of her drunk mother.

The girl, and her 11-year-old brother, suffered a horrific catalog of abuse that included regular beatings with sticks and belts. he had such irredeemably rotten teeth by the end of the ordeal that she still has problems eating, nearly four years on. Even when the boy, who had also been suffering from an untreated ear infection, asked his mother why she was hurting them, she callously replied: ‘Because I feel like it.’ READ MORE HERE

Man Guilty of Raping Disabled 7-year-old Girl

HUNTINGTON BEACH — A 30-year old man has been found guilty of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 7-year old developmentally disabled girl. Daniel Vlas Flores, 30, was convicted of kidnapping to commit a sexual offense, sexual intercourse, sodomy and sexual penetration of a child 10 years old or younger, according to the Orange County district attorney’s office. READ MORE HERE

James Speidel, a 36-year-old Nike executive, cut the gas line outside his home, filling it with natural gas, in an attempt to blow it up with his sleeping wife and children inside. According to The Daily Mail, Speidel’s wife, Laura, 38, smelled the gas in the middle of the night and rushed herself and the four children out of the house.  READ MORE HERE

A Ohio woman who was charged for dressing up as a teenage boy in order to have sex with girls is going back to jail. Patricia Dye, 32, a sex offender who was arrested in 2010 for dressing up as a boy and tricking a 16-year-old girl into having sex with her, is going back to jail because she failed to notify the Butler County sheriff about her move to California. READ MORE HERE

A 14-year-old boy was left in critical condition after a fight during a dodgeball game. Preston Hodge, 14, was rushed to the hospital after being beaten up by a bully over a dispute during a dodgeball game in Longfellow Middle School, he suffered from broken cheekbones and severe cuts. READ MORE HERE

Gay male survivor of child abuse and bullying speaks out.  

Statistics show that over 80% of boys and men do not come forward about abuse out of fear and shame.  Patrick Dati was one of those statistics but after years of depression and attempts with suicide he has decided it was time to tell his story.

Patrick is honored to have been working in conjunction with the SAMHSA/ US Department of Human Services sharing his story for their 2012 National Trauma Campaign as a trauma victim who has survived.  He is a public advocate and speaker for several anti-child abuse and bullying organizations such as National Association of Adult Survivors of Child Abuse and RAINN-Rape and the Abuse & Incest National Network and now an advisor board member with Dreamcatchers for Abused Children, Inc.

Patrick Dati speaks publicly to stop bullying, to promote education and awareness about the serious issues of child sexual abuse and bullying to break the silence, and create change and action.  Patrick Dati lived to finally “break the silence” that plagued him through his life.  Patrick was a victim of notorious serial killer John Wayne Gacy, as one fateful day when Patrick was just a child, he was raped in a public restroom, and threatened to never tell anyone about the assault.  This would profoundly affect Patrick’s life and haunted him as he suffered alone with this secret.

Patrick’s world began to spiral downward, and his true inner pain was hidden, as he was able to masque the true pain he was in and kept it hidden from his family and those around him. His life was not his own, and it became apparent that he was not living his own life but the life his family expected him to. After many years of keeping the truth hidden from his family, Patrick finally allowed his family to know that he is gay, and is comfortable with his choices in his life. Patrick suffered sibling bullying due to his “differences” and was bullied at school as a young man.

Years ago as part of my own therapy he put his thoughts and experiences down on paper.  He is now working with publishers to get his story out and help support these causes.  His mission in life is to help others who suffer and show them it is okAY to come forward. Patrick’s goal is to continue to speak publicly about the issue of bullying and child sexual abuse, and he has had many interviews on major national networks and television stations. Please see Patrick’s website www.youandmecanstopbullies.com for more information or to contact Patrick Dati at media@youandmecanstopbullies.com.

“Keeping Kids Safe, and Grown-Ups Sane”

Proactive Prevention Parenting Strategies for Today’s World! *Designed for parents with children 2-13* Have you put off talking about predatory behavior because you just don’t know what to say? Have recent media stories regarding predators and abductions had you scared or confused? Are you unsure of how or when the best time is to start talking about personal safety? Are you afraid that talking about sexual abuse will ruin their innocence?  Is your child between 2-14 years of age? Are you anxious at the reality of your child’s growing independence or the beginning of school? Do you want to learn how to reduce your child’s risk of sexual abuse and abduction?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then a P.E.A.C.E of Mind workshop can help you feel in control and empowered! READ MORE HERE

Jamie was ten years old when he saw his first pornographic sex scene. During a sleepover, a classmate offered to show him ‘some funny pictures’ on his laptop. ‘At first I found it a bit scary and a bit yucky,’ Jamie told me as he shifted uncomfortably on his chair during our therapy session. ‘I didn’t know it was possible for people to do those sort of things — and there were lots of nasty close-ups. But it gave me funny feelings and the pictures started to stick in my head.’  READ MORE HERE

16-YO Missing Honor Student’s Killer Arrested

BALTIMORE, MD — A Baltimore man has been indicted on a charge of first degree murder in the death of Phylicia Barnes, a North Carolina teen who disappeared in Baltimore in 2010, authorities said. Charges against Michael Johnson, the ex-boyfriend of the victim’s sister and the last known person to see Barnes alive on Dec. 28, 2010, were announced Thursday at a news conference. READ MORE HERE

WHY DIDN’T ANYONE SAVE HIM?

A ten-year-old boy’s brutal death at the hands of his stepfather could have been avoided after it was revealed the boy called 911 twice in the past year to report abuse. Abdifatah Mohamud, from Buffalo, New York, was found beaten to death in his family’s basement last week. He was bound, gagged and struck repeatedly with a rolling pin. Though the Buffalo Police Department is investigating how officers handled the calls, they did confirm they reported the allegations to Erie County Child Protective Services – who are accused of not doing enough to help the boy or remove him from the home.  READ MORE HERE

LITTLEROCK, Calif. — A teenager charged in the 2010 slashing death of his 11-year-old cousin and a knife attack on her 14-year-old sister was sentenced to prison Thursday. A judge sentenced Lonnie Lee Liner to 11 years, plus 15 years to life in accordance with a plea deal. READ MORE HERE