A sex offender has been jailed on child rape charges after three children told Cheney police he’d assaulted them. A forensics technician and a Cheney police detective searched a trailer belonging to Bruce L. Austin, 55, at 2225 First St. in Cheney on Tuesday. They seized a computer, cameras and other evidence, including a letter from New York about sex offender registration. Austin is in Spokane County Jail on $250,000 bail, where he was booked Oct. 8 after his alleged victims described the abuse in interviews with child specialists.

A two-year-old girl was raped in her home in Slovo Park, Mthatha, Eastern Cape police said on Thursday. “The child was at home alone during the rape (on Wednesday),” spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Mzukisi Fatyela said. “When the mother arrived home the boy was busy raping the child. He managed to flee the scene.”

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — CBS Atlanta sat down with the mother of an alleged 12-year old rape victim.Because she is a rape victim, CBS Atlanta will not identify the child or her mother.The child came to her mother last week and said a family member raped her.”She did say it happened more than once. We just started crying together,” said the child’s mother.DeKalb County police arrested Fulton County police officer Michael Wilson and charged him with rape, aggravated child molestation and false imprisonment.

A 29-year-old Lawrence man Thursday pleaded guilty to having sex with a 6-year-old girl and possessing child pornography in June. Steve A. Williams admitted to the acts Thursday morning in front of Douglas County District Judge Michael Malone. Williams, who had lived with his mother in northern Lawrence, was arrested and charged this summer with five counts, but Douglas County District Attorney Charles Branson said the plea was important because Williams still could spend the rest of his life in prison.

A team of Monash University researchers has released the findings of a study, which indicates child sexual abuse may be a trigger for the onset of psychotic illness later in life.

The study suggested that children, who were sexually abused, appeared to be at higher risk of developing schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. The research was led by Margaret Cutajar and included research by Professor Paul Mullen, Professor James Ogloff, Dr Stuart Thomas, Associate Professor David Wells and Josie Spataro. The findings of the study were reported in the November issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Previous studies established that abused children were more likely to develop depression, anxiety, substance abuse, borderline personality disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder and suicidal behavior, according to background information in the article.

A 25-year-old man was convicted late Tuesday of murdering his 9-week-old daughter, who suffered three major fractures of the skull. Relatives of the convicted man, Mark Anthony Leyba, erupted into “angry shouts and threats aimed at the judge, jury and others in the courtroom” as the verdict was announced, according to Pam Russell, spokeswoman for the Jefferson County district attorney’s office. The jury was quickly escorted out of the courtroom while deputies responded to the outburst, Russell said.

Reed City, MI – According to police, 19-year-old Stephen Graham-Wright and his girlfriend, 20-year-old Kayla Grillo, have been arrested and accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 6-year old girl. Police say the child was taken from her home in Hersey Township early Sunday morning, and assaulted at another home in Big Rapids. Grillo reportedly swiped the kid that morning and took her to a get-together at Wright’s home. Police say that at some point during the visit, the child was sexually assaulted.

West Palm Beach, FL – A substitute teacher for Belvedere Elementary School has been fired after allegedly biting a 6-year-old autistic student on the arm in front of other teachers. It’s not being reported what provoked the man to attack the boy, but the two teachers who witnessed it reported the incident immediately. After learning what happened the school principal escorted the unidentified teacher, who had been filling in for a speech teacher, out of the classroom.

FLUSHING, N.Y.—A woman is in police custody for allegedly throwing a 2-year-old boy from a balcony, according to the Queens District Attorney’s office. The incident occurred shortly after 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at an apartment building located on Leavitt St. in Flushing. Young Jerry Zhao was pronounced dead at New York Hospital shortly after going into cardiac arrest. Queens District Attorney Richard Brown identified the woman as 53-year-old Xiao Aiu Cai, who he said is on medication to treat her deep depression.

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. — A teenage mother, found still cradling her wounded infant, was shot to death during a drive-by shooting that left two people dead and four others wounded. The victims were standing between two parked cars at 6:24 p.m. Tuesday in the gang-infested Dream Homes neighborhood when a vehicle pulled up and the driver asked, “Where you from?” Moments later, there was a burst of gunfire, said Lt. Chuck Robinson.

COVINGTON, Ga. — A 9-month-old baby is in critical condition at an Atlanta hospital after she was attacked by two raccoons while sleeping in her crib in the same room as her mother. Authorities say they are investigating how the raccoons got inside the home and whether the family was keeping the animals as pets. Newton County Sheriff’s Lt. Tyrone Oliver says authorities arrived about 4 a.m. on Wednesday after the mother called 911 to say the baby had been attacked. She was bitten severely on her head and on other parts of her body.

The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Thursday morning approved a motion by the defense to stay the trial of Brian David Mitchell, the man accused of kidnapping Elizabeth Smart in 2002, and is now considering whether to move it out of Utah. Mitchell’s defense attorneys told reporters they have left the courthouse and are disappointed the 10th circuit waited so long to halt the trial. Brian David Mitchell had not left the courthouse as of 11:30 a.m. Thursday.

LOS ANGELES — The law restricting sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of parks and schools has been temporarily blocked by a California judge. The ruling halts enforcement of portions of the measure known as Jessica’s Law. It forbids sex offenders from residing within 2,000 feet of a public or private school, or a park where children gather. Superior Court Judge Peter Espinoza’s ruling this week says parolees are forced to become homeless or go to prison because the law gives them few housing options.

A 21-year-old Lafayette father arrested last week on suspicion of shaking, squeezing and throwing his infant son was charged Tuesday in a Boulder County Jail courtroom with knowing or reckless child abuse resulting in death. The charge is a class 2 felony punishable by up to 48 years in prison. The Boulder County District Attorney’s Office also charged Joaquin Campos with misdemeanor child abuse and harassment charges related to a previous domestic violence incident that was reported by his common-law wife, Angela Pickering. Campos, who appeared in court wearing an orange- and white-striped jumpsuit and rimmed glasses, is being held at the jail on $500,000 bond.