A Georgia father has been accused of locking three of his adopted children in their room for two months after the death of their mother. After receiving a tip off, investigators went to the Conyers, Rockdale, home yesterday, where they found two boys, aged 10 and 15, and a girl, 8, secured in a room. Lev Dzyuba, 37, and his sisters 20-year-old Alina Dzyuba and 26-year-old Natalia Mellon, have been arrested and the children have been taken into protective custody. READ MORE HERE

Tennis Grand Slam Champ Bob Hewitt Charged with Child Rape and Sexual Assault

Tennis champion Bob Hewitt has been charged with rape and sexual assault of children. Hewitt, 73, is accused of raping a girl under the age of 16 in in 1981 in Sun City, South Africa, and another girl under 16 in Boksburg, a city east of Johannesburg, in 1982. The multiple Grand Slam doubles champion is also accused of sexually assaulting a girl under the age of 18 in Boksburg in 1994. READ MORE HERE

LOWELL, Mass. —A Tewksbury man has been ordered held on high bail, accused of raping a girl several times and threatening to cut off her finger if she told anyone about the abuse, the Lowell Sun reported. Scott Brzezowski, 29, has been charged with four counts of indecent assault and battery of a child under the age of 16, four counts of rape of a child with force, four counts aggravated rape and one count of an obscene matter to a minor. READ MORE HERE

Police have arrested 45 men believed to be involved in the biggest child sex ring ever seen in the UK, it emerged today. The arrests come after a year-long investigation into sex abuse allegations across three towns in West Yorkshire.  Most of the suspects – said to be white and Asian – are in their 20s but some of are said to be middle aged, up to their 60s.  Members of the gang are alleged to have abused four girls – some as young as 13 – over several years. READ MORE HERE

Becky and Robert McGuinn kindly took in a special needs woman, to help teach her how to take care of her young son. March 7, 1988 Wanda Reed vanished out the back door with the McGuinn’s 7 month old daughter Melissa. 8 minutes later Wanda returned alone. Melissa was never seen again. READ MORE HERE

MELISSA MCGUINN FACEBOOK PAGE

Florida sets rapists and child molesters free to strike again

The Sun Sentinel set out to examine the effectiveness of the Jimmy Ryce law by determining the number of sex offenders released under the law who went on to commit new sex crimes. The newspaper obtained a database from the Florida Department of Children & Families of inmates screened since the law took effect in 1999, more than 31,000 individuals. Names, birth dates and screening dates were submitted to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The agency matched those against a statewide criminal history database and found 1,384 offenders had been rearrested on sex charges as of April 15. The number may be higher because arrest records do not always list the charge, the agency cautioned. In comparison, 759 sex offenders have been committed to the state’s sex predator treatment center. That means for every one committed, nearly two others were released and then arrested on a sex charge.

To identify offenders who have been convicted of a new sex offense, the Sun Sentinel compared the names, birth dates and screening dates with the Florida Department of Corrections database of felony convictions. Reporters also checked news clips of sex offender arrests. That process identified 594 men. Convictions for probation violations and failure to register as a sex offender were not counted. The tally includes sex-related murders but excludes 49 murders that did not appear to be sexually motivated.

The Sun Sentinel findings present only a partial picture of sexual re-offending since the data do not include arrests in other states or on federal charges. Also, research indicates many sex crimes are not reported and therefore would not result in an arrest or conviction. More than half of the 31,000 individuals screened under the Ryce law had limited ability to commit more sex crimes in Florida, according to corrections records and Florida’s sex offender registry. About 10,000 returned to prison after being reviewed, 1,800 were never released, and more than 4,800 died, were deported or moved to another state. About 7,600 are living in Florida, and the whereabouts of another 5,500 are unknown. At least 130 are listed as fugitives. READ MUCH MORE HERE

————————————————————————————–

PART II

HOW FLORIDA FAILS (click link)

• Rapist Mark Watson had been out of prison just one day when he sexually assaulted another woman near Gainesville.
• Freddie Clemons had been free only two months when he attacked and murdered a janitor in her Tampa middle school.
• Lazaro Justiz, released from the state’s sex predator treatment center, lasted three months before he molested a 12-year-old boy in Lake Worth.

These repeat sex offenders show how Florida’s Jimmy Ryce law has failed at every level, a Sun Sentinel investigation found.

Bullying has long been a problem in our schools, our extracurricular programs and even our churches. Despite what some parents and teachers may claim, this is certainly not a new problem. However, advancements in technology have given rise to more sophisticated bullying.

Educators, parents and government officials are working hard to address the bullying issue, but do they really understand the extent to which cyberbullying plaques today’s students? A quick look at current anti-bullying legislation suggests that the answer is no. Research suggests that one in three kids has been threatened online at some point. Many teens and young adults have been targets of identity theft, robbed of a decent credit history before they even have the chance to get their first loans or credit cards.

Cyberbullying Legislation

Despite the concerns outlined above, adults continue to underestimate the impact cyberbullying has on both its victims and its perpetrators. There has been some effort to include this type of abuse in anti-bullying legislation, however.

Ahead of the curve on the issue of cyberbullying, North Carolina passed a law criminalizing the activity back in 2009. The law is unique in that it targets not just student-based cyberbullying, but also behaviors such as adults disguising their identities and preying on children through chat rooms. Violations of this law are classified as misdemeanors, but most convicted youths are able to expunge their records upon successful completion of parole.

New Jersey has also made efforts to curb bullying that occurs over the internet. The state encourages students to speak out, offering a crimespotters service through which bullied students can report instances of cyberbullying to the police. Known as the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights, this legislation is among the toughest in the nation.

Protecting Children From Cyberbullies

While current efforts in states such as New Jersey and North Carolina are promising, many locales are not covered by sufficient anti-bullying legislation. As such, it is important for parents to take the steps necessary to ensure that their children are not victim of constant harassment. One easy way to keep children safe from internet hazards is to invest in Lifelock identity protection. Designed to prevent identity theft, Lifelock has been great for teens possessing mobile devices.

Also important is communicating with children and ensuring that, no matter what is going on in their lives, they have someone willing to listen. The United States government’s initiative against bullying suggests that parents take at least fifteen minutes each day to talk one-on-one with their children. This daily chat session does not have to always be about serious issues such as bullying; however, by keeping the communication lines open, parents increase the chances of their children approaching when there is a problem. Kids should also know exactly what does and does not constitute as bullying so that they can avoid engaging in the behavior themselves. With a combination of appropriate education, communication and legislation, this problem can be wiped out once and for all.

Author: Patricia Tucker

Salem, Oregon – Sarah Beth Hopkins, a 35-year-old Oregon woman, was jailed Sunday after she allegedly had a seven-month long sexual relationship with her friend’s 11-year-old son. According to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, an investigation was launched after the boy’s mother learned at a church revival that her son had been sexually involved with Hopkins. Hopkins is the mother’s neighbor and close friend, according to the criminal complaint. READ MORE HERE

London (CNN) — Reports that a Scottish teenager took his own life after becoming the victim of an alleged Internet blackmail scam have heightened concerns in Britain over online abuse. Daniel Perry, from Dunfermline, was reportedly the victim of blackmailers who recorded his interactions via Skype with a person he believed was an American girl his own age. They then threatened to show his family the footage unless he paid up, UK media reports say. Instead, the 17-year-old jumped from a bridge last month. READ MORE HERE

Daniel Perry suicide: Family of blackmailed teenager call on David Cameron to help hunt down “scum”

A cop decided he had better things to do at work.  Herbert Eugene Miller, 44, was an auxiliary officer with the Greeneville Police Department until it was discovered that he was using his patrol car computer to search for child pornography.  READ MORE HERE

TEMPE, AZ — Tempe police have confirmed the skeletal remains found in Apache Junction are those of missing 19-year-old Adrienne Salinas. Tempe police Sgt. Mike Pooley said confirmation was made, through DNA testing, by the Arizona Department of Public Safety.  “At this point in the investigation, we do not conclusively know Adrienne’s cause or manner of death. We will continue to work with the Medical Examiner’s office and other law enforcement partners, but we cannot rule anything out and we have not as of yet classified this case as a homicide,” Pooley said in a statement Friday afternoon. READ MORE HERE

CBS 5 – KPHO

Body found in Apache Junction is that of Adrienne Salinas

Boyfriend of missing Adrienne Salinas speaks out

Their lives are lost to nannies, which are charged with caring for them; to family members who are supposed to watch out for them; and, by parents whom they thought loved them.  Who are these victims of such brutality?  That’s right, the children.  Whether it’s in Philadelphia, Washington, Boston, New York, or around the world; just pick up any newspaper, on any given day, and you’ll read at least one story of child-murder that will break your heart. It’s devastating when innocence is lost. It seems as if the killing of innocent children has reached epidemic proportions, with death tolls rising regularly. But what’s more alarming, is that those who commit these heinous crimes against our loved ones have little or no remorse. Strangers and family members, with the conscience of a sociopath, snatch their innocent lives away, with the ease of blowing out a candle.  And it’s frightening! READ MORE HERE

Kid Killers: Child Murderers are Rare, But on the Rise

CHILD MURDERS ON THE RISE IN THE U.S.A.

Federal Health Officials Warn The Number Of Kids Getting Murdered

Hong Kong: Parent-Child Suicides Are Rising

Child among dead in Pitman murder-suicide

PITMAN, N.J. — The Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office and the Pitman Police Department are investigating what appears to be a murder-suicide. Police say the deceased man, woman and child have been identified as 49-year-old Francis Adolf, his wife 44-year-old Bonnie Adolf and their child 6-year-old Francis Adolf Jr. Pitman Police Department officers found the bodies shortly after 10:00 a.m. Tuesday in the home on Kenton Avenue. READ MORE HERE

Montgomery teacher Lawrence Joynes charged with sexual abuse of 15 students

A Montgomery County music teacher has been charged with sexually abusing 14 of his elementary school students during the past eight years and with repeatedly having sex with a seventh-grader in the 1990s, according to court documents released Tuesday. Lawrence W. Joynes, 54, had been a teacher in Montgomery County schools since 1985, and he allegedly abused children in his care as early as 1991 and then from 2005 until shortly before he was arrested in February on a pornography charge, according to court documents. Police wrote in court filings that a principal and later a teacher had been made aware of Joynes’s inappropriate actions with girls in his classroom at New Hampshire Estates Elementary School in Silver Spring and that as a result, his access to students was restricted. READ MORE HERE