During an emotional first day of testimony in the Joshua Komisarjevsky trial, jurors heard tense accounts of the events of July 23, 2007: bank employees who talked with Jennifer Hawke-Petit as she tried to withdraw money to save her family from hostage-takers; an officer who responded to the scene of the Cheshire home invasion; and the neighbor who found Dr. William Petit Jr. bleeding from a serious head wound.

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http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/hc-komisarjevsky-day1-0920-20110919,0,5509496.story

LAGUNA NIGUEL, CA — A 44-year-old woman is accused of having sex with members of her son’s youth hockey team, authorities said. Katia Maria Davis, of Laguna Niguel, was arrested last Wednesday at her home on suspicion of having unlawful sex with a minor under 16 and committing lewd acts with a minor under 14.

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http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-hockey-mom-sex-charges,0,2327493.story

DETROIT – Inside the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice, Sarah Smiatacz told the court, “He violated my soul.” She was talking about 43-year-old Jose Rangel. Normally Action News does not identify victims in cases of sexual abuse but Sarah wanted to get her story out . “When you sentence him today, don’t think of him as my father. He is not my father,” she said. Rangel faced the judge to receive his sentence. He will spend no more than a year in a work release program at the Wayne County Jail. He will also serve three years probation as part of a plea agreement for pleading guilty to second degree criminal sexual conduct.

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http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/wayne_county/a-year-of-jail-time-for-a-man-guilty-of-sexually-abusing-daughter-for-ten-years#ixzz1YQmGQfS9

Kenya Gilliam received six sentences of life in prison Friday after she was convicted of raping a boy over five years. One of the boy’s relatives was in a lesbian relationship with Gilliam. Hamilton County Common Pleas Court Judge Jody Luebbers imposed the sentences on Gilliam after she was convicted Aug. 25 of six counts of rape of a child. Because the victim was younger than 13 when the rapes happened, the crimes carried a potential life sentence. The judge imposed a life sentence on each.

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http://www.wtsp.com/news/article/211178/81/Woman-gets-six-life-sentences-for-rape-of-child

TALLAHASSEE, FL- Giving your child a single spank doesn’t qualify as domestic violence, an appellate court ruled Friday. A three-judge panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal unanimously reversed an injunction for protection against domestic violence.

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http://www.wtsp.com/news/article/211162/19/Fla-Court-1-spank-isn39t-domestic-violence

CHEYENNE — More cases involving sex crimes against children are being prosecuted in Laramie County than in the past, officials say. But it may not be because there are more offenders. “The community is a little more aware of the nature of sex crimes,” forensic interviewer Lynn Huylar said. “People are more apt to make reports.”

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http://www.wyomingnews.com/articles/2011/09/18/news/19local_09-18-11.txt

TULSA, OK — The Oklahoma Department of Human Services has paid about $3.4 million since 2005 to settle lawsuits for child deaths and neglect, according to a newspaper report. The Tulsa World reported (http://bit.ly/p3nfHw ) Sunday said there have been 24 payouts ranging from $15,000 to settle a civil rights violations lawsuit by parents whose children were placed in emergency custody to $700,000 for the death of a child at a child care center.

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http://www.chron.com/news/article/Okla-DHS-pays-3-4M-to-settle-lawsuits-since-2005-2176724.php

ST. PETERSBURG – Authorities in Pinellas County have arrested a 23-year-old St. Petersburg man in connection with an August child abuse case. Rother Lee Pierce was booked into the Pinellas County Jail Saturday night on one count of aggravated child abuse. He is being held on a bond of $20,000.

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http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/dpp/news/local/pinellas/child_abuse_arrest_st_petersburg091711

SAN CLEMENTE, CA– A children’s book author, already charged with molesting a 12-year old girl, is now accused of sexually assaulting a 9-year-old girl. In the most recent case, Michael William Snyder, 44, is charged with felony oral copulation of a child 10 years or younger and a lewd act upon a child under 14, with a sentencing enhancement allegation for committing a sexual offense on more than one victim.

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http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-child-molester-book-author-charged,0,519046.story

A former Osceola County deputy sheriff has been found guilty of several child-sex-related charges. A jury Wednesday found Chad Lakey, 35, guilty of sexual activity with a child, attempted sexual activity with a child, child abuse and battery.

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http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2011-09-15/news/os-osceola-deputy-convicted-sex-abuse-20110915_1_deputy-sheriff-sexual-activity-chad-lakey

CHURCH HILL — A Kingsport woman accused of “excessive” spanking of her 19-month-old son in Church Hill in July will be arraigned on one count of child abuse next week in Hawkins County Sessions Court. Allison Marie Blevins, 28, 332 Claremont Road, Kingsport, was originally set for arraignment Monday, but that case was reset until Sept. 19.  Blevins remains lodged in the Hawkins County jail on $35,000 bond.

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http://www.timesnews.net/article/9035773/kingsport-mom-charged-with-child-abuse-for-39excessive39-spanking

ASHEVILLE, NC —Asheville Police have charged a man and a woman after they said a sexual encounter turned into a kidnapping and case of child abuse. Lieutenant Wallace Welch of the Asheville Police Department said that officers responded to Deaverview Apartments just after midnight in reference to a reported kidnapping of a three year old child. Welch states that officers met with 36 year old Gerri Rae Carpenter who told officers that she had met a man named “Phil” for a blind date and he had driven off with her child.

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http://www2.wspa.com/news/2011/sep/13/police-sexual-encounter-leads-kidnapping-child-abu-ar-2404440/

Ignoring child abuse becomes a criminal offence

NEW ZEALAND–Turning a blind eye to child abuse will now be classified as criminal after Parliament tonight passed a law to hold people accountable. The Crimes Amendment Bill (No 2) creates a new offence of failing to take reasonable steps to protect a child or vulnerable adult from the risk of death, grievous bodily harm or sexual assault, which comes with a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment.

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http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10752053