Each State designates specific agencies to receive and investigate reports of suspected child abuse and neglect. Typically, this responsibility is carried out by child protective services (CPS) within a Department of Social Services, Department of Human Resources, or Division of Family and Children Services. In some States, police departments may also receive reports of child abuse or neglect. For more information or assistance with reporting, please call Childhelp USA ®, 800-4-A-CHILD (800-422-4453), or your local CPS agency.

KING, N.C. — A 22-year-old King man is facing sex charges in the assault of a 4-year-old, King police said Thursday.Police said Stephen Ray Buchenauer is charged with first-degree rape of a child and first-degree sex offense of a child.

A 34-year-old Rapid City man whose computer allegedly contained child pornography is being held on $500,000 bond. Rapid City police executing a search warrant at Glenn H. Muscato’s East North Street motel room found several images of child pornography on his computer, according to officials. A video what appears to be the rape of a child between 4 and 6 years old was also found on the computer, according to Pennington County deputy state’s attorney Joshua Zellmer.

MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. – A Macomb County man has been sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to a reduced charge in connection with a fire pit explosion that killed his 6-year-old daughter. Majd Muhammad Al-Shara says he wishes it was him and not his 6-year-old daughter, Aliaa, who died in the September accident at their Lenox Township home.

Dade City, Florida – Deputies have arrested a Brooksville pastor after a girl says he molested her. The girl, who’s between 12 and 16 years old, told deputies Jason Allen Roberts, 36, touched her inappropriately about five years ago. Roberts is currently pastor of the Christian Fellowship Church in Dade City, according to the Hernando County Sheriff’s office. The girl told deputies Roberts came into her bedroom and fondled her private area over her clothing while she was sleeping. When she awoke, Roberts stopped and immediately apologized, she told deputies.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — A former Iowa City elementary school bus driver has been given a 10-year federal sentence for possessing computer images and videos of child pornography. John Grassi is already serving a 10-year state sentence for sexual abuse of a 12- or 13-year-old.

EFFINGHAM, SC –Two women charged with homicide by child abuse in the death of 3-year-old Tylashia Grant made their first court appearance Thursday afternoon at the Florence County Law Enforcement Complex. Jeraldine Brockington, 42, the victim’s great-aunt, and Kesha Grant, 23, the victim’s cousin, appeared before Florence County Magistrate Belinda Timmons, who denied bond for their release because a conviction on the felony charge can carry a 20-year to life sentence.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — An Anchorage woman is charged with child abuse because of a “Dr.Phil” TV show appearance in which the audience saw video of her disciplining a 7-year-old son by putting hot sauce in his mouth and forcing him into a cold shower. The methods chosen by Jessica Beagley were unreasonable, said municipal prosecutor Cynthia Franklin. The lawyer for the 36-year-old mother said the city is intruding into a family matter.

PHOENIX – An 11-year-old girl who had been sexually assaulted was moments later viciously beaten by an adult family member and had to spend six days in the ICU, according to police. On Jan. 10, patrol officers responded to a home in the 8600 block of W Turney in west Phoenix. According to court documents, an 11-year-old girl had been severely beaten by a family member, 34-year-old Jon Gary.

Grants, NM – Police arrested a Grants High School teacher Thursday night for beating two of his children with a stick in a locker room at the school. 27-Year old Armando Melendez faces two counts of child abuse and one count of tampering with evidence. According to the arrest warrant, the 8-year old boys were playing basketball in the high school gym after school hours last week. Melendez took the boys into the locker room and spanked them with a metal stick he had found at the school.

Des Plaines, IL — A Great Lakes man was arrested after he was found having sex with a 13-year-old inside a parked car in Lion’s Woods Forest Preserve. He had met the girl on MySpace when she was 12. Steve Burton, 20, admitted that he had been chatting and texting with the girl for six (6) months, and had met her for sex on at least four (4) other occasions. He stated that he was aware of the girl’s real age.

Alabama: Statute defines child abuse as harm or threatened harm of physical abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, or emotional/mental injury against a child under the age of 18. Statute contains an exemption for religious reasons for a parent’s failure to obtain medical help for the child.

In 2004 there were over 143 million orphaned and abandoned children, in 93 developing countries, worldwide. This is 8.4 % off all children in the world. (unicef) In 2003 alone, more then 16 million children were orphaned. (unicef) Numbers of orphans will increase dramatically by 2010/2015, at an estimated growth of 15 to 20 million per year. (international advocates for children) By 2015, children and youth will account for 45% of the population in developing countries. (worldbank) In Africa, there are 60 million orphaned and vulnerable children (HIV/Aids, conflict, disability, street children). (worldbank) India estimated 35 million orphans in 2003 (unicef)

I’ll let you in on a little secret kids, there’s only a handful of crime blogs out there that are actually worth reading and even fewer ethical bloggers. Luckily for us, the so good he’s scary Rob Taylor just happens to fall into both categories and the following story comes to us from his personal crime blog Greenville Dragnet: A 29-year-old firefighter in South Carolina is currently behind bars today after being charged with first degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor.