The Stop Abusing Your Children campaign is committed to raising child abuse awareness in communities by holding rallies, organizing fundraisers, placing ads and producing public service announcements. Our mission is to encourage people to stand up against child abuse by reporting child abuse and saving a child’s life. This organization is a operated by The Anna Forlenza Foundation , which is legally a non profit organization in the state of California.

HAGERSTOWN — A Hagerstown man convicted this summer of assaulting a blind infant was sentenced Monday in Washington County Circuit Court to 10 years in state prison. Clyde Eugene Gatrell III, 21, formerly of 1056-C Noland Drive, was found guilty of second-degree child abuse and two counts of second-degree assault following a June 30 bench trial before Circuit Judge Donald E. Beachley, who announced his verdict July 19.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police are investigating a case of child abuse involving triplets. Investigators say the children are just 3 months old, and they lived in a home off Dapple Court in northeast Charlotte. One infant suffered head trauma, facial bruising and a hemorrhage around the left eye usually associated with suffocation, according to court documents. The girl’s sister had similar injuries, but they were not as severe. Her brother was not injured.

HOUSTON — A Houston woman is accused of sexually assaulting a young boy and at the same time, according to prosecutors, putting that young boy’s life in danger. That boy says he is still scared. He still can’t fathom that someone he knew would allegedly put his life at risk like this. We’re not revealing the 12-year-old boy’s identity.

SOUTHINGTON—A 20-year-old woman already charged with having a sexual relationship with an underage boy she was hired to baby-sit was arrested Monday morning on new charges, police said. Southington police allege that Loni Bouchard, of West Main Street in Clinton, sexually assaulted another 14-year-old boy who was known to her in November of 2010.

ST. LOUIS — A southern Illinois woman who authorities say hid her young son, often in a crawl space, for nearly two years as part of a custody dispute has been ordered to spend two years on probation without more jail time. Shannon Wilfong, 32, pleaded guilty Monday in Franklin County to five misdemeanors, including obstructing a peace officer. Wilfong was sentenced to $1,500 in fines and 30 days in jail – a judge credited her with time she already has served – on that count and fines of $100 on each of four counts of unlawful interference with child visitation.

Once a parent realizes that child sexual abuse is most often perpetrated by a known and trusted adult, the next step is to learn how child molesters typically operate. When you understand the process the molester follows, it becomes easier to spot the subtle signs of sexual abuse.

PORT HURON, MI–Sunday’s Walk for Kids’ Sake was personal for Terri Strauchman. Strauchman of Port Huron is the guardian to her three young grandchildren because their mother abused them, she said.This was her second year participating. “I think it’s great,” she said of the event. “I don’t think there’s any other town that does this.” The walk is the kickoff event for the week-long Community Roof-Sit event, which raises money for the St. Clair County Child Abuse/Neglect Council. This is the 17th year for the event.

NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. – The trial for a North Kingstown mother accused of strangling her 8-year-old daughter because she wouldn’t take a bath more than two years ago is underway. During opening statements Friday morning, prosecutor Stephen Regine said Kimberly Fry, 38, strangled her daughter Camden, 8, with her bare hands, inside their North Kingstown home back in 2009.

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.

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.

MaleSurvivor, a leading, global not-for-profit organization dedicated to overcoming sexual victimization of boys and men, issued a statement today officially saluting three prominent U.S. figures who have come forward with their stories about sexual abuse. They are committed to preventing, healing, and eliminating all forms of sexual victimization of boys and men through support, treatment, research, education, advocacy, and activism.

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.

Working with victims of physical, sexual and mental abuse is an area filled with difficultly. It becomes even harder when dealing with children. For Mary Jo McVeigh, a counselor and child trauma expert, who has worked with children for over 25 years, it was a random interaction between her pet dog and a young client that opened her eyes to a new approach, one which is producing unexpected results.