A New Jersey man brought a courtroom to tears as he confessed to murdering his former Boy Scout troop leader. Clark Fredericks admitted to breaking into the home of Dennis Pegg, 68, on June 12, 2012, and stabbing the man over 20 times. Fredericks, whose confession was part of a plea deal with the prosecution, claims that Pegg raped him for years when he was a child. READ MORE HERE

NORMANDY PARK, Washington — Police arrested a child care provider accused of raping a 5-year-old girl after the victim’s father allegedly walked in on the abuse. A father walked into a classroom at his daughter’s day care center on June 5 and found a 31-year-old male teacher and his daughter crouched behind a bookshelf. The teacher allegedly told the father he was having a “tickle fight” with the girl. After the father and daughter left, the girl allegedly told her dad the teacher touched her inappropriately. READ MORE HERE

MINNEAPOLIS – A 17-year-old Minneapolis boy is charged with second-degree murder in what prosecutors are describing as the extremely violent murder of his girlfriend’s toddler. The teen was charged in a juvenile petition Monday in the beating death of the 2-year-old girl, who died from complications of internal injuries June 10. KARE 11 is not naming the defendant because he has not been certified to be tried as an adult, although that is expected to happen. In Hennepin County it is presumed that suspects who are 16 or 17 years old will be prosecuted in the adult system unless there is an overriding reason to keep the matter in juvenile court. READ MORE HERE

We’d all like to think that when we see something bad happening that we’d step forward to render aid. But in reality most of us don’t. And although some people won’t take the initiative to help, they will take the time to photograph or videotape the event and post it on the internet. Why?

The Bystander Effect – The bystander effect occurs when the presence of others discourages an individual from intervening in an emergency situation. Social psychologists Bibb Latané and John Darley popularized the concept following the infamous 1964 Kitty Genovese murder in Kew Gardens, New York. Genovese was stabbed to death outside her apartment while bystanders who observed the crime did not step in to assist or call the police. Latané and Darley attributed the bystander effect to the perceived diffusion of responsibility (onlookers are more likely to intervene if there are few or no other witnesses) and social influence (individuals in a group monitor the behavior of those around them to determine how to act). In Genovese’s case, each onlooker concluded from their neighbors’ inaction that their own personal help was not needed.

Good Samaritan Law – offer legal protection to people who give reasonable assistance to those who are injured, ill, in peril, or otherwise incapacitated. The protection is intended to reduce bystanders’ hesitation to assist, for fear of being sued or prosecuted for unintentional injury or wrongful death. An example of such a law in common-law areas of Canada: a good Samaritan doctrine is a legal principle that prevents a rescuer who has voluntarily helped a victim in distress from being successfully sued for wrongdoing. Its purpose is to keep people from being reluctant to help a stranger in need for fear of legal repercussions should they make some mistake in treatment. By contrast, a duty to rescue law requires people to offer assistance, and holds those who fail to do so liable. Good Samaritan laws vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, as do their interactions with various other legal principles, such as consent, parental rights and the right to refuse treatment. Most such laws do not apply to medical professionals’ or career emergency responders’ on-the-job conduct, but some extend protection to professional rescuers when they are acting in a volunteer capacity.

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10 Things You Can Do as a Bystander

What Would You Do if You Were Witness to Child Abuse?

Reporting Crimes: Witnessing, Ignoring, Falsely Reporting, and Lying

An Elkmont couple has been charged with aggravated child abuse after the woman’s two children received second- and third-degree burns over large portions of their bodies. Derrick Defoe, 29, and Amanda Marie Reyer, 22, were booked early Sunday, according to Limestone County Sheriff’s Office officials. READ MORE HERE

2 killed, 3 injured in York Twp. home invasion
YORK TOWNSHIP, MICHIGAN – An Indian River woman remains hospitalized after a vicious attack left her son and his half-brother dead and three others injured in York Township on Saturday. Vicki Moore, 31, received severe injuries when she and four others were stabbed during a home invasion at about 6 a.m. June 13 in the 9800 block of Crane Road, her uncle Bryce Moore said Sunday. Bryce Moore said the whole family is devastated by the attack, in which Vicki Moore’s son, Timber Brown, 12, and his half-brother Jon Brown, 26, were killed. READ MORE HERE

5 stabbed in York Township home invasion that killed 2, police confirm

• Fundraising site seeks donations after 2 slain, 3 injured in York Township

PENNSYLVANIA – Hampden Township Police are on the lookout for a man who is suspected of abusing an 11-month-old child, according to a news release. Andrew S. Rivera, 22, is sought after an 11-month-old girl was admitted to the Harrisburg Hospital emergency room with injuries consistent with abuse, police said. Rivera is an acquaintance of the child’s mother. READ MORE HERE

Hillsborough County, Florida — A worker in the after-school program at Cypress Creek Elementary School has been fired and charged with one count of child abuse of a 10-year-old boy. Erica E. Berrios, 19, of Wimauma, chased the victim and then placed a plastic grocery bag over the child’s head, preventing the child from breathing for about 30 seconds on Wednesday at the school in Sun City Center. The child had to rip a hole in the bag to breathe. READ MORE HERE

Couple plead guilty to starving their 3-yo, 11 lb. disabled daughter – found with flea bites, visible bones, 

PA- A couple has pleaded guilty to starving their three-year-old disabled daughter to death. Carlos Rivera and Carmen Ramirez admitted on Thursday to killing little Nathalyz, who had Down’s Syndrome, in September 2013 and endangering her four other siblings aged three to nine, including her twin brother, in their Philadelphia home. Weighing just 11lbs at the end of her life – with bedsores, visible bones, and very little hair on her head – Nathalyz was described by the judge as ‘an Auschwitz child’.  Rivera, 30, and Ramirez, 27, will be sentenced on September 4 and face life in prison. Their children are in foster care. READ MORE HERE

TEXAS – Former Grape Creek English Teacher Allison Lewallen admitted to having sex with one of her teenage male students in court last week, entering a guilty plea in exchange for a deal that landed her 10 years probation and forced her to forfeit her teaching license. The deal was agreed upon by prosecuting attorney Bryan Clayton, Lewallen and her defense attorney Theodore “Tip” Hargrove. Called to order June 5 at 8:30 in the morning, the parties were content with the agreement, save for the victim’s mother, who had shown up with a typewritten letter that was passed on to Judge Ben Woodward.  READ MORE HERE

AUBURN, Washington — A 3-year-old Washington state girl was beaten severely for weeks and suffered fractures and at least 20 bruises all over her body before she died, court documents said. The girl’s 21-year-old mother has been arrested for investigation of murder reported Q13 FOX News. She did not appear in court Thursday, waiving her right to be there. But court documents said the medical examiner counted at least 20 bruises on the body of the little girl. A prosecutor told the court the girl not only had bruises but fractures all over her body, too. Officials say the injuries proves extensive abuse. READ MORE HERE

3-YO Girl Severely Beaten by Mother for Weeks Before Her Death: Court Documents

Police say 3-year-old Washington State girl … YouTube

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee — A Maryland man has been arrested at a Knoxville motel on child sexual abuse and pornography charges. The U.S. Marshals Service for the Eastern District of Tennessee said 41-year-old Mario Baez of North East, Maryland, is accused of repeatedly raping a 7-year-old girl for almost a year and photographing the act. READ MORE HERE

BROCKTON, Massachusetts —A Brockton grandfather and his adult son were indicted Tuesday on 92 charges related to raping and sexually assaulting a female victim over several years, both separately and together. Lawrence C. Svedine, 81, of Brockton, was indicted on 46 counts of rape of a child, two counts of intimidation of a witness, two counts of assault and battery with a deadly weapon and one count each of incest, threat to commit a crime, violation of a protection order, purchase or possession of visual material of a child depicted in sexual conduct and assault and battery. READ MORE HERE

AUBURN, Alabama – Auburn Police were notified that the 5-year-old girl who was a victim of aggravated child abuse has died as a result of her injuries. Caley Presley, 5, passed away at Children’s of Alabama hospital in Birmingham. The physician in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit pronounced her dead at 6:30 p.m. on Monday. “It has been a traumatic experience for all involved, but we are committed to bringing justice to Caley,” Capt. Lorenza Dorsey said, with Auburn Police. READ MORE  HERE