If you changed your avatar on Facebook last week to that of a cartoon character in support of “anti-child violence”, you can tell all the haters to suck it, because some actual charities actually benefited from the “social media awareness campaign.” It still stands to reason that not one child has been or stands to not be abused by tiny squares bearing the image of Spongebob, but at least some people got off their asses and did something in response to the campaign. (Although it’s possible it was in response to the backlash, and being told via Facebook that their profile pics are really not impactful one way or the other regarding whether kids are abused.)

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Nancy Collins, the custodial grandmother of of Sylar Newton, was arrested Christmas morning on a child abuse warrant. The 57 year-old was found by Flagstaff police at an area motel. Yavapai County sheriff’s officers had been searching for Collins since Thursday when she and her daughter Christina Priem were charged with intentional child abuse relating to the death of Sylar. Collins was booked into the Coconino County jail district detention center. She was also charged with felony drug violations. The charges against Collins and her daughter relate directly to events leading to Sylar Newton’s death while in their custody.

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – A registered sex offender was arrested Wednesday on 280 counts of sexual battery. Osceola County Sheriff’s detectives arrested Thomas Galbraith, 38, after a victim from a previous arrest came forward with new information. Galbraith was originally arrested in October of 2009 and charged with four counts of Lewd & Lascivious Battery and one count of child abuse after a 13-year-old victim reported sexual abuse from a family member. Galbraith was convicted in December of 2009 on 2 counts of Lewd & Lascivious Battery and was registered as a sex offender serving 10 years of probation.

PEMBROKE PINES —The Broward Sheriff’s Office says a speech pathologist accused of possessing child pornography could face more charges — as deputies investigate allegations that he victimized children. Warren Day, 66, of Pembroke Pines, was arrested on 50 counts of possession of child pornography Wednesday after authorities identified his computer as the device used for uploading and sharing child-pornography images on the Internet. Now, the Sheriff’s Office said it is investigating allegations that Day victimized a girl several years ago. Citing the open case, the agency on Thursday didn’t describe what happened to the girl, who is now an adult. Deputies are asking anyone with information to come forward.

MCCRACKEN COUNTY, Ky – Sheriff’s Detectives have arrested Ronald Saunders II in connection with the death of two year old Conner Bachuss. Conner Bachuss was found unresponsive in his residence on December 5, 2010 and was taken to Lourdes Emergency Room by Mercy Regional EMS. He was transported to Kosairs Children’s Hospital where he later died from his injuries. Examinations from the state medical examiner and Kosairs Children’s Hospital revealed that Bachuss had multiple small puncture wounds on the bottoms of his feet and on other areas of his body. Subsequently, a push pin was found in Bachuss abdomen. The tack had apparently been ingested by Bachuss at some point.

CLIFTON, CO – The 22-year-old mother, Kayla Settle, of two was arrested on suspicion of setting fire to her apartment last month while her brother and two children were inside. On Nov 19 her daughter woke her up because their apartment was on fire and luckily everyone inside were able to get out safely. Settle later told investigators that she had woke up that night to a masked man with a gun in her kid’s room. She said he sexually assaulted her and knocked her unconscious before setting a fire in her kid’s room. After further questioning, Settle finally admitted she had made up the intruder story and she was the one who set the fire.

RIVERSIDE– A toddler in Riverside suffered injuries to her face and head after being attacked by the family pit bull. Riverside County Animal Services Captain Tammie Belmonte said officers responded to a call Wednesday night involving an attack. Officers and emergency responders with the city of Riverside initially handled the 911 call from the residence in the 9500 block of Arlington Avenue. Animal Control Officer Lorena Barron made contact with the victim’s parents at Parkview Community Hospital Medical Center in Riverside. Due to the severity of the injuries, the victim was later transferred to the Loma Linda University Medical Center.

LOS ANGELES — A newborn baby was turned over to an L.A. fire station on Christmas Eve under California’s Safe Haven Law which allows a parent or legal guardian to hand over a baby rather than abandon the child. L.A. Fire officials say on Friday afternoon a woman, whose identity is being kept confidential, brought a newborn baby girl to the Exposition Park fire station on South Hoover Street. Fire crews helped the woman, and took in the child who was healthy and well fed.

Easton, PA – Joseph A. Urquia, 21, has a history of child abuse. Last year, he admitted to assaulting his daughter, who was 3 months old at the time, by spanking her and causing a large bruise across her entire buttocks. Urquia told an Easton detective he had struck the baby “out of frustration”. Originally accused of felony aggravated assault, Urquia eventually pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of simple assault, a misdemeanor, and was sentenced to 18 months of probation by Northampton County Judge Leonard Zito. Yes, you read correctly, they allowed him to plead to a lesser charge. He is still on probation for this offense.

In February 2008, 7-week-old Caitlynne Bohlen of Grand Island died from suffocation after her mother’s boyfriend reportedly placed a pacifier in her mouth, wrapped a blanket around her head and used a pillow to squeeze her against the side of her crib. Twenty-three-year-old Christopher Klein is serving five to seven years in the Nebraska State Penitentiary for manslaughter in her death.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Lots of kids are dreaming of Christmas joy this week, but for two local children, abuse has taken that away, and those accused are paying the price.On Monday, police in Mount Washington, Ky., arrested Ashley Sneed, 20, at her apartment and charged her with abusing her 2-year-old son, who suffered bruising on his back, legs and even his private areas.Sneed said her son was injured after falling in the snow. Doctors said otherwise as they treated his injuries.A $500,000 cash bond was set for Sneed Tuesday.Sneed entered a not guilty plea.

THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN living in poverty in Ireland has increased since 2008, while the number of children who were victims of abuse cases has also risen. The figures are confirmed in the official State of the Nation’s Children report, a biannual document published for the third time yesterday. PA reports that the document showed how many of Ireland’s more vulnerable children were missing out on basic services because of the level of poverty in which they live.

A paper released by the University of Auckland has called for recognizing child sex abuse as a public health issue. The document appeared in the Women & Health journal is based on the study of the needs of survivors. It brought out the problems and challenges that female child sexual abuse survivors experienced when seeking health services. In New Zealand, around 25% of women are victims of child sex abuse and more suffering associated with general medical and mental health problems are suffered by adult survivors.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – I don’t know which pisses me off more. Child abusers, or the women who allowed it. Well, maybe not allowed it, but through their lack of common sense, attributed to it. Case in point, Johnny Juliot and his girlfriend, Tara Hack. They met through a friend and although they had not known each other long, Juliot was already abusive towards her. But this did not stop her from letting Juliot watch her son, 4-year-old Tony Hack, because she says he was never violent towards the boy. When she arrived home on one of these occasions, she was greeted with Juliot carrying her son limp in his arms, blood coming from his mouth. They both took Tony the hospital and while there, Juliot left. Doctors told Hack her son’s skull fractures and bruising had come from getting the crap beat out of him, calling it the worst case of child abuse they’d ever seen.