A Missouri woman believed she had found a blanket filled with puppies under a tree — but it was really a newborn boy. Kaitlin Norton, a 20-year old Ellisville, Missouri woman, gave birth to a baby boy in her boyfriend’s basement laundry room, then abandoned him under a pine tree wrapped in a blanket. Norton had concealed the pregnancy from everyone and her boyfriend, who was away at school, was unaware that Norton was pregnant. READ MORE HERE

ORLANDO, FL — A central Florida man was sentenced Tuesday to the statutory maximum of 20 years in federal prison for receipt of child pornography and 25 years of supervised release. This sentence resulted from an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). According to court documents, Jose Manuel Rivera Jr., 35, of Melbourne, downloaded and collected more than a dozen movies depicting the sexual exploitation and abuse of prepubescent children, some as young as three years old.  Rivera also admitted to molesting a toddler on two separate occasions when the child had previously lived in his family’s home. READ MORE HERE

On the photo-sharing app Instagram, search the keywords #Fairfax, #Rockville or #DC and up pops hundreds of photos from children. Among them, until recently, were many from Kyle, a 12-year-old. His full name, Gaithersburg middle school and favorite Montgomery County hangouts were on public display before his parents put a stop to it. Technically, Kyle was not supposed to be on Instagram, the mobile app owned by Facebook. The company’s policy sets the minimum age at 13. But Kyle said he was able to join easily, no questions asked. Within minutes of setting up his account this past fall, he was uploading “selfies” of his cherubic face and blond mop top and tagging photos of friends with their names. READ MORE HERE

Mom in NM Chases Down Child Abductor; Girl Safe

A mother whose 4-year-old was being abducted chased the suspect down and crashed her vehicle into his car, triggering a manhunt, Albuquerque police said Thursday. The young girl was playing in her yard at an apartment complex in Albuquerque’s North Valley when a group of teenagers saw the kidnapping and ran to alert the girl’s mother. READ MORE HERE

Moms charged after ‘abandoning children aged 6 and 8 with stranger at the beach

Two mothers have been charged with cruelty after leaving their children at a beach bar to go on a Mother’s Day booze cruise, police said. Billie Jean Williams, 27, and 28-year-old Mary Joyce Daffron were arrested after their children, aged eight and six respectively, went up to staff at Gator Joe’s Bar and Grill in Ocklawaha, Florida and said that their mothers had gone. The mothers allegedly left their children in the care of a man they had just met while they went on a booze cruise on Lake Weir on Sunday. READ MORE HERE

A bullied autistic boy is the target of a horrible prank. In Brisbane, Australia, Michael Boggan, a 15-year old autistic boy, lost almost all of his fingers to a home-made explosive disguised as a golf ball. A local boy handed Michael the golf ball, which exploded when it was turned upside down. Several other children were hurt and a set of patio furniture was demolished. READ MORE HERE

Cedar Hill, TX  – Marlena Mints, a 31-year-old health teacher at Bessie Coleman Middle School, has been jailed after she allegedly had sex with at least two students. According to police, an investigation was launched in late April after a coach at the same middle school reported that a 13-year-old student was overheard bragging about having sex with Mints. As the investigation unfolded, detectives learned that Mints allegedly had sexual contact with several students. READ MORE HERE

Manchester, N.H. – Erin Upham, a 20-year-old New Hampshire woman, was jailed last Thursday after she allegedly molested a 3-year-old girl, took photographs of the assault, then sent the images to an Air Force officer stationed in Japan. According to Manchester Police, an investigation was launched late last month after the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations informed them that a service member had received sexually explicit photographs of a young girl. READ MORE HERE

Sex assault suspect: “This time I’m not admitting it”

WEST HAVEN, Conn.  — A West Haven man was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl, police said. Police began investigating in September 2012 after the girl’s mother reported that her daughter confided that she believed she had sex with a family friend who was living with the family. Police said forensic examinations and medical evaluations determined that the child had injuries consistent with a sexual assault. READ MORE HERE

Stuart Hazell should hang for killing Tia Sharp, her father said yesterday. Steve Carter broke down in tears when Hazell dramatically changed his plea to guilty midway through his murder trial. Outside court Mr Carter said: ‘The four days of trial here were very hard to deal with, hearing the vile things Hazell did to Tia.  ‘He should serve his time and then be hung. ‘I do not see today’s events as justice for Tia, merely a legal conviction.’ Hazell suffocated the 12-year-old during a sex attack after months of trawling vile internet pornography sites and filming her as she slept. READ MORE HERE

Police: Man had dungeon for torturing children in Worcester home

WORCESTER, Mass. – A Massachusetts resident charged in an international investigation has pleaded guilty to solicitation of child kidnapping and charges of possession and distribution of child pornography. Forty-year-old Geoffrey Portway, a British citizen living in Worcester, pleaded guilty Monday in federal court. He could face at least 18 years in prison under an agreement with prosecutors. Sentencing is set for August. Portway was arrested in July after investigators allegedly found child pornography and photos of children who appeared to be dead on his computer . READ MORE HERE

Another suspect has been charged in a child torture case in Northville Township following charges against a teen accused of burning a toddler with a lighter. Olivia Suzanne Kwiatkowski, 18, was arraigned Friday on charges she failed to report child abuse in a bizarre incident involving her 2-year-old nephew. Northville Township police have Dylan James Dunlap, 19, of Northville, in custody at the Wayne County Jail, suspected of holding a lighter to the 2-year-old’s chest, hands and wrist while he and Kwiatkowski were baby-sitting the boy. READ MORE HERE

CITY HEIGHTS – A baby was found unconscious and nearly drowned in a City heights apartment, and the mother was arrested Saturday, police said. Whitney Holman, 22, was booked into Las Colinas Women’s Detention Facility on suspicion of attempted murder and child abuse,  Lt. Chuck Kaye of the San Diego Police Child Abuse/Sex Crimes Unit said. READ MORE HERE

Child murder suspect faces judge

NEWTON NC — The man charged with the murder of a Long View 1-year-old stood sullen and silent as his rights were read to him by Judge Gregory R. Hayes on Monday. William Howard Lail, III, 25, charged with one count murder and two counts of intentional child abuse, inflicting serious injury by Long View police on Friday, appeared in District Court in Newton after his lawyer, Victoria Jayne, arrived in court after lunch recess. READ MORE HERE