ALLEGANY, N.Y.  – A man from Cattaraugus County has pleaded not guilty to sexually abusing a young child. Prosecutors say John Williams, 29, of Olean sexually abused a child under the age of 11 between March 2006 and November 2007 in the Town of Allegany. READ MORE HERE

State senator’s son pleads guilty to child rape charges

CHEHALIS — The 15-year-old son of state Sen. Brian Hatfield, D-Raymond, pleaded guilty Tuesday in the juvenile division of Lewis County Superior Court to four counts of first-degree rape of a child and four counts of first-degree child molestation for crimes that reportedly took place in Hatfield’s homes in Lewis and Pacific counties, according to court documents. According to the Centralia Chronicle, the 15-year-old was taken into custody and booked into the Lewis County Juvenile Detention Center before being released into his father’s custody. READ MORE HERE

Washington Rape Case Linked To State Senator

(CNN) — Detectives on Saturday arrested the 12-year-old brother of Leila Fowler on “charges of homicide” in connection with the 8-year-old girl’s death, Calaveras County, California, Sheriff Gary Kuntz said. The brother — who Kuntz did not name, but did speak publicly after his sister’s death — was arrested at 5:10 p.m. (8:10 p.m. ET) at a county sheriff’s office substation in his hometown of Valley Springs, according to the sheriff. READ MORE HERE

An Arlington sex offender has been arrested on federal charges of emailing videos showing toddlers being raped by adults. Barry Robert Turner, 42, also expressed his desire to rape young girls, according to a complaint filed by the FBI. He was arrested on Friday and remains in custody pending the filing of formal charges against him. READ MORE HERE

Fugitive child rape suspect arrested in Utah

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – An accused child rapist from Agawam, who federal authorities said taunted them with messages like “catch me if you can,” has been caught by U.S. Marshals in Utah. According to a news release from the U.S. Marshals Service, John T. Blomquist, 34, was arrested outside a bar in Moab, Utah on Wednesday evening. READ MORE HERE

An Army major and his wife pleaded not guilty on Thursday to federal charges alleging the couple abused their three foster children by withholding food and water, making the children eat red pepper and assaulting them to the point of breaking their bones. Dressed in full military uniform, John Jackson appeared with his wife Carolyn Jackson in federal court in Newark, New Jersey on 17 counts of endangerment, assault and conspiracy.  A trial date was set for July 8, and each of the Jacksons was allowed to remain free on $250,000 bail. READ MORE HERE

DeJesus’s Family Is “Adopting” Her Instead

Gina DeJesus’ family is planning to ‘adopt’ Michelle Knight and look after her as their daughter after Michelle rejected a meeting with her own mother, a friend of Felix and Nancy DeJesus has revealed to MailOnline. Lupe Collins, a neighbor who helped the DeJesus family look for Gina since she disappeared in 2004, said Nancy DeJesus told her in a phone call on Thursday that she and her husband are trying to convince Michelle, now 32, to stay with them. ‘She was Georgina’s sister for ten years in that house and she’s still her sister now,’ Ms Collins said.  READ MORE HERE

A surrogate father who spent ten years in jail for shaking his baby son to death has been freed after new evidence revealed the boy died of poor health. Drayton Witt, who was convicted in 2002 of second-degree murder in the death of his four-month-old son Steven. But this week, an Arizona Superior Court judge dismissed all charges against Mr Witt and he is now reunited with his wife, Maria.  The 31-year-old was not Steven’s biological father, but helped Maria raise him and had given the child his last name, according to Slate. Mr Witt said Wednesday that he was overcome with joy knowing the case was finally closed for good. ‘I can start my life over again,’ he told the Arizona Republic. READ MORE HERE

Congolese troops fleeing the M23 rebels last November raped at least 97 women and 33 girls, some as young as 6, according to a UN report. The report, released on Wednesday covered “mass rape, killings, and arbitrary executions and violations resulting from widespread looting,” UN spokesman Martin Nesirky told reporters. A report by the UN Joint Human Rights Office said most of the rapes took place over November 22-23 in the eastern Congo town of Minova. READ MORE HERE

NEWPORT NEWS, VA – A Newport News community held a candlelight vigil for 4-year-old Madyson Van Cleave Hook. Police say she was murdered by her mother’s boyfriend. 23-year-old Carl Cottee Jr. was babysitting Madyson alone on Friday when emergency dispatchers received a call that the little girl was not breathing. Cottee is now facing murder, child neglect and cruelty charges. READ MORE HERE

LOS ANGELES — Eight years after he testified in the Michael Jackson molestation trial that the pop star never touched him, an Australian choreographer has filed a claim against the singer’s estate alleging “childhood sexual abuse.” Attorneys for Wade Robson, who knew Jackson and stayed at the singer’s Neverland Ranch as a teenager, has asked a Los Angeles judge to allow him to make a late claim as creditor in Jackson’s estate. READ MORE HERE

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina authorities are accusing a couple of using zip ties to bind their 4-year-old daughter’s wrists and ankles to a baby gate. Raleigh police say 26-year-old Gerald Thomas Swinehart and 28-year-old Marlaine Victoria Coffey are accused of tying the child to a gate with plastic ties normally used by electricians. They also say Swinehart pushed or kicked the girl so hard her lower teeth broke through her lower lip. READ MORE HERE

MOTHER SHOOK 2-YO CHILD 

Florida mom Chelsea Hugget, 21, is behind bars after murdering her 2-year-old Aliyah Marie Branum at home; Hugget says the toddler wouldn’t stop whining.  Police were called to the Hugget’s home on April 26th where they found the toddler in distress; they rushed her to the hospital where she was pronounced dead shortly after. READ MORE HERE