HAGERSTOWN, Md. — A woman has pleaded guilty in Hagerstown to second-degree child-abuse stemming from the alleged rape of a 5-year-old girl. Thirty-four-year-old Christy Woods, formerly of Oliver Springs, Tenn., entered the plea during a court hearing Monday. In return for her plea and her agreement to testify against a co-defendant, prosecutors placed other, more serious charges on the inactive docket.

A bill that would fine someone who knowingly filed a false report of child abuse passed a divided Oregon House on Tuesday.Representatives voted 37-23 to pass House Bill 2183, which makes the intentional filing of a false child-abuse report a violation subject to a $720 fine.

Colorado Springs, CO- Jeremiah Lovato, a 39-year-old Colorado Springs man has been sentenced to 119 years in jail after he brutally beat his adoptive son with lumber and stomped on his testicles to immobilize him. According to the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, Lovato was arrested in January, 2010 after the boy hopped a fence and scrambled to safety, following nearly two years of repeated abuse.

FULLERTON – A sex offender with 9 prior convictions has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison after he was found with a massive stash of child pornography, including photos showing children being tortured and mutilated, authorities said Tuesday. Vaughn Robert Biby, 47, pleaded guilty Tuesday to one felony count each of possession and control of child pornography, and sexual exploitation of a child, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s office.

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Male caregivers are responsible for two-thirds of child deaths and near-fatal injuries in Minnesota, according to a new study. The Child Mortality Review Board carried out the state-mandated study by researching more than 200 preventable deaths of Minnesota children between 2005 and 2009. In most of them, the children were being cared for by unemployed fathers, stepfathers or boyfriends of the mothers. Half of the incidents involved children less than 1 year old.

OKLAHOMA CITY — An Oklahoma County judge denied bail to an Oklahoma City police sergeant who is charged with 36 felonies and one misdemeanor after being accused of sexual abuse of several children.Dressed in an orange jumpsuit, Sgt. Maurice Martinez faced a judge Monday.

ILION, N.Y. — An Ilion man has been arrested on charges he physically abused a two-year-old. The Village of Ilion Police Department arrested David Comstock Jr., 30, Monday morning after a neighbor called to report the abuse. Police say Comstock’s young child was found with injuries all over his body, including bruising and swelling to the face, arm and entire back side.

Plymouth, WI-A Plymouth man has been charged with child abuse after beating up his teenage son over a food fight. 48 year old Alan Wambold has been formally charged with felony physical abuse of a child after his 13 year old son and started an oatmeal fight with his younger sister where they flung oatmeal at each other, making a mess in the kitchen.

A Chicago man raped a 6-year-old girl while her young brother watched from under his blankets, Cook County prosecutors said Saturday in bond court. Jerry Harris, 38, was held Saturday in lieu of $1 million bail. He is charged with predatory sexual assault of a child, a felony.

Dreamcatchers has been named to a new list of 2011 Top-Rated Nonprofit Organizations by GreatNonprofits, the leading provider of user reviews for nonprofit organizations. The top-rated nonprofits list is composed of organizations that have received at least ten positive reviews from stakeholders, such as volunteers, donors, or clients.

ANOTHER MONTH and another dead kiddie, another predictable murder scene and another predictable range of suspects. It will be no surprise if the person arrested over Serenity’s death turns out to fit the classic profile – young, Maori, male, most likely a beneficiary, well-known to police and other government agencies, and with a history of booze and drugs. Another refugee from Loserdom.

Eddie VanHouten has been on the run since late 2005, after cops in California say he violated his probation. In 2004, Eddie Monroe VanHounten was arrested for some heinous, despicable crimes: molesting two young girls, ages 6 and 7. Once in custody, he pled guilty to two counts of felony child molestation. After serving a year in jail throughout court proceedings, VanHouten was granted 10 years probation and forced to register as a sex offender.

PLEASANT HILLS, Pa. — A local school administrator has been suspended and accused of sex crimes against two children.The suspect, Leslie Smith, is facing some pretty serious charges.One of the victims is a mentally challenged child.According to court paperwork, the abuse is alleged to have occurred over years.Friday night, the suspect was behind bars. His job and his status as a respected member of the community is in jeopardy.

SALT LAKE CITY – 39 men were arrested in Operation Frosty Lime Squeeze. The Utah Attorney General says law enforcement officers collected enough images of child porn, that if they were stacked one on top of the other, they would rise nearly 2000 miles high. This is the largest sweep of this kind in state history. Agents tracked down men who were collecting and sharing child pornography as well as taking the photos.