Joliet, Illinois – Marlena Hammond, a 38-year-old Illinois woman was arrested Tuesday after she allegedly had sex with three underage relatives in her care. According to the Will County Sheriff’s Office, an investigation was launched nearly 9 months ago when a family friend reported to Joliet police that one of the victims had complained about being sexually abused by Hammond.

Missouri — A Columbia man has been arrested at his home for possessing a large amount of child porn. The Boone County Sheriff’s Cyber Task Force had received a tip. Joel W. Hartenbower, 38, was booked and charged with three counts of possessing child porn after evidence was seized from his home. A large amount of photos and videos of children, young as two to four years old, engaging in sexual contact were discovered on his computer.

A gym teacher in Whittier is under arrest, charged with committing lewd acts on a child. 29-year-old Jesse Serrato was teaching physical education at East Whittier Middle School. Serrato is accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a 14-year-old student at the school over a period of several months.

On March 2, paramedics where called to the Centralia, Washington home of 25-year-old Laura Lynn Hickey after neighbors heard her screaming. She was rushed to a hospital, where she told doctors she’d just suffered a miscarriage. They could find the fetus under her kitchen sink…

The jury in the trial of five people accused of using a black magic influenced cult to sexually abuse children and young adults in Carmarthenshire has found five defendents guilty of 39 serious sex offences. At Swansea Crown Court, alleged cult leader Colin Batley, 48, was found guilty of 27 offences – including rape, buggery, indecency wih children and causing prostitution. His wife, Elaine Batley, 47, was convicted of 5 offences, incuding indececy with a child and indecent assault.

FREEHOLD — A Florida man wanted in Tennessee on eight counts of strong-arm rape of a child has been apprehended in West Long Branch by U.S. marshals.Salvatore N. Pisano Jr., 52, of Tamarack, Fla., was picked up by members of the New York/New Jersey Fugitive Task Force, which received a tip from marshals in western Tennessee pinpointing his whereabouts, The Jackson Sun reported.

BOUNTIFUL, UTAH — Police arrested a member of Gov. Gary Herbert’s staff on Monday and booked him on several counts of child abuse. Stephen J. Coleman, 40, was arrested at the Utah State Capitol around 4 p.m., after police questioned him regarding some information that was passed their way.

CASA is hosting a training session to teach citizens how to become a child advocate. Once trained an advocate is appointed to a case where they form a trusting relationship with the children they serve. In order to become an advocate one must be 21 years of age, have a valid ID, be able to pass a criminal background check and have current auto inssurance and transportation. This month’s training dates are March 28 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. and April 4, 11 and 18 from 5:30 to 9 p.m

ESPANOLA, N.M. — Authorities in Rio Arriba County say a 24-year-old man is suspected of abusing and sexually assaulting a 17-month-old girl in his girlfriend’s home outside of Espanola. KRQE-TV reports that Nathan Montoya was arrested Tuesday and charged with child abuse resulting in death. Montoya has been convicted of molesting a teenager in the past.

The death of a 6-year-old Terrytown girl on Sunday has been ruled a homicide, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office has booked the girl’s father with murder. Bella Lopez was pronounced dead Sunday shortly after 2:30 p.m., after paramedics found her wet, naked and not breathing at her family’s apartment in the 1900 block of South Forest Lawn Drive in Terrytown. Deputies and paramedics were called to the apartment by her father, Miguel Lopez, who called authorities and told them the child was not breathing.

A Columbia, Illinois man is jailed, charged with soliciting teenagers for sex. Authorities say Facebook was his tool of choice. 28-year-old Roy Browne is charged with two counts of soliciting minors. He’d add them on Facebook, find their phone number and send them explicit texts, police allege. He was caught in a sting, when one teen turned his phone over to police.

Edgewater, FL – A Volusia County man has been arrested after being caught in a bedroom molesting 4-year-old girl he had undressed. Henry Erb, 23, allegedly had the little girl lying on her stomach as caressed her body while exposing his penis. Erb has been charged with Lewd and Lascivious molestation, which is considered a Life Felony in Florida.

The state Department of Children and Families investigated previous allegations of abuse against an Old Saybrook woman who is now accused of forcing her son to sleep in a plastic dog crate, but took no action, a warrant application for the mother’s arrest reveals. Kathlyn Anthony, 54, of River Road, was charged Sunday with risk of injury to a minor and arraigned Monday in Superior Court in Middletown. She is free after posting $100,000 bail.

These resources provide State and national data on the number of children in the child welfare system, trends in foster care caseloads, and well-being outcomes. Learn about sources of data and statistics on children and families in the child welfare system and considerations for understanding the limitations and potential use of the available data.