Medical personnel, police, and school officials appear to be learning about more incidents of violence against children and teens than they used to, but there is still substantial room for improvement in reporting, researchers said. Among some 2,650 youths in a telephone survey who reported exposure to violence in the previous year, 45.7% said the authorities knew about at least one of the violent incidents, according to David Finkelhor, PhD, of the University of New Hampshire in Durham, and colleagues. A similar survey conducted in 1992 indicated that only about 25% of violent incidents were reported to schools or police.

AUSTIN – A 4-month-old baby was seriously injured on Thursday after he was allegedly beaten by his father, according to Austin police. Austin police responded to a home in the 1800 block of Burton Drive when a woman flagged down officers and said she was in a fight with her husband, Felixino Villegas, 36. She told police he also hurt their infant son. When police tried to get into the couple’s apartment, Villegas refused to open the door and police forced their way in. Villegas initially struggled and resisted arrest, but police restrained Villegas and were able to arrest him.

John and Roseanne Kincheloe are both scheduled to be in Buffalo County court Wednesday in separate cases. John Kincheloe is charged with incest. Roseanne Kincheloe is charged with child abuse. WEAU 13 News obtained court records detailing the abuse that allegedly happened in the Eleva couple’s home. According to police reports, Buffalo County investigators interviewed two young girls about the sexual and physical abuse back in November.

POPLAR BLUFF, MO – Police on one Region 8 city arrest two people accused of abusing two small children. According to the Poplar Bluff Police Department, Donnisha Nelson and Sterling Marshall were arrested and charged with 2 counts of endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree. Police say they found a 23-month old boy with burns on several parts of his body, and a 3-year-old with a broken jaw in the care of both Nelson and Marshall.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va – Can’t say I blame 21-year-old Jermaine Morgan for pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the death of 2-year-old Jordan Ferebee. He got 10 years in prison with 10 suspended. Had he went to trial, there was more than enough evidence to show that Morgan beat his friend’s little boy too death and a jury may have not been as lenient towards a man who beat a toddler hard enough to tear his liver.

INDIANAPOLIS — Police are investigating the death of a newborn baby following allegations the mother ingested rat poison prior to giving birth. Investigators say the pregnant Bei Bei Shuai mentioned to some of her friends in Anderson on December 23 that she had ingested rat poison. Those friends said they immediately convinced Shuai to check into St. Johns Hospital in Anderson.

Police suspect he molested men and boys in the past, possibly over a period of 30 years, officials said.
REDONDO BEACH — A former Redondo Beach reserve police officer has been charged with drugging and raping a friend before shaving off his body hair. John Haig Marshall, 55, was arrested on New Year’s Day on a felony charge of penetration with a foreign object while using a drug, according to police. He is free on $100,000 bail. He was originally arrested in October 2009 after a 29-year-old acquaintance claimed he was sexually assaulted when he went to Marshall’s home to fix his computer, Redondo Beach police Sgt. Phil Keenan said.

Survivors: It is estimated that there are 60 million survivors of childhood sexual abuse in America today (Forward, 1993) Long term effects of child abuse include fear, anxiety, depression, anger, hostility, inappropriate sexual behavior, poor self esteem, tendency toward substance abuse and difficulty with close relationships.

An estimated 905,000 children were victims of child abuse or neglect in 2006 (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2008). While physical injuries may or may not be immediately visible, abuse and neglect can have consequences for children, families, and society that last lifetimes, if not generations.

Darlington, SC – Niosha Latrice Kelly, a 27 year old mother was arrested early Sunday morning. She was charged with unlawful neglect of a child. Police were called to the suspect’s residence before 12:30 a.m. Sunday after EMS personnel first were called to the scene. It is standard procedure for police to respond to EMS calls in the city. Niosha was home caring for her three children. Her 17 day old baby girl suffered two skull fractures. It is unclear as to how the injury occurred as Niosha gave police a few different stories.

WETUMPKA—The Elmore County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of a 6-year-old girl who died early Tuesday morning when someone fired up to 18 rounds from a high powered rifle through the home where she was sleeping. It marks the first homicide of the year for Elmore County, said Sheriff Bill Franklin. “Any homicide is bad, but you’re dealing with a 6 year-old here,” he said. “She was asleep in her bed when she was struck by the bullet in her side.”

A Rowan County man is charged with first-degree rape of a child under the age of 13 and five counts of first-degree sexual offense on a child under the age of 13. Spencer police said Larry Dwayne Connor, 43, was charged in Mecklenburg County on Saturday, then taken to Rowan County and booked into the Detention Center on New Year’s Day.

KENNEWICK — Former Prosser mayor Linda Lusk now faces two more charges, including child rape, for alleged sexual contact last year with a 14-year-old Prosser High School boy. Benton County Superior Court Judge Carrie Runge on Monday denied a request by Lusk’s attorney to block the added charges of rape and communication with a minor for immoral purposes. Lusk, 49, now faces three felonies. The new charges came after failed discussions with Lusk’s attorney, Scott Johnson.

YORKVILLE — A Montgomery man will spend the next 29 years in prison for sexually assaulting a 3-year-old girl. Late last month, Joe Harvey Jr., 28, 0-99 block of Marnel Road, Montgomery, was given consecutive sentences of 25 years for predatory criminal sexual assault and 10 years for aggravated battery of a child, the Kendall County state’s attorney’s office said.