BETHPAGE, N.Y. — He was a well regarded pediatrician, but now allegations have surfaced that for years Dr. Rakesh Punn has been sexually abusing and secretly video taping young girls.

“When the girls would be laying on the examination table he would ask them to put on a blindfold,” Assistant District Attorney Anne Donnelly told reports.

PHOENIX – According to statistics, 24.2 percent, or nearly one in four Arizona children under the age of 18 in Arizona, are experiencing food insecurity according to new research released last week by Feeding America. The study was funded by the ConAgra Foods Foundation, and Feeding America’s Leadership Partner in the Fight to End Child Hunger.

Only Arkansas and Texas have a higher percentage of food insecure children.

An unusually hot summer has prompted many residents to take to the water, and first responders are seeing more fatal drownings than in years past. It’s a trend that is concerning officials and one they say could easily be avoided.

“So far this year, we have already had five drownings and last year all total we had six,” said Marie Blevins, EMS training officer. “We are on the increase, and we’re concerned that this number can continue to rise, and we want to try and prevent it.”

OKLAHOMA CITY — Thursday’s arrest of a 69-year-old Payne County man for sex crimes against his own family brought to light the disturbing reality that has destroyed thousands of children and their families’ lives. That’s why experts say it is so important to recognize early warning signs.

Many children who have been molested by a family member keep their abuse a secret because they are ashamed or afraid to break up the family, and when it is revealed, it is often by accident.

Charles Lewis Gordon IV and Ashley Nicole Gordon have been charged with homicide by child abuse after their youngest son, 9-month-old Andrew, was found dead in a soiled crib.

There’s a couple turns about healthcare, post-traumatic stress, and genetic disorders in this story. The Post and Courier has some good reporting on the story; read it here.

East St. Louis, IL (KTVI-FOX2Now.com) – A Baptist minister charged with child abuse. The man is accused of fondling an eight-year-old child. Reverend Charles Moore of the United States Baptist church in the 1600 block of East St. Louis is charged with two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. He is 57 years old.

Lawsuit: Signs of abuse reported before 3-year-old was killed by mother’s boyfriend

The state has reached a $2.1 million settlement with the family of a 3-year-old Tacoma boy who was beaten to death by his mother’s boyfriend after signs of possible abuse were reported to social workers.

Michael-Kekoa Ravenell’s father reached the agreement with the state Department of Social and Health Services on Thursday. The settlement has not yet been approved by Pierce County Superior Court.

Marion county – Police arrested a man in question for abusing a baby Friday afternoon.

Authorities found 37-year-old Jason Coffee at a home on Indy’s west side.

Johnston County Sheriff Steve Bizzell says 21-year-old Douglas Richardson of Smithfield was charged with felony child abuse with severe bodily injury after he took the child to a hospital Friday claiming she had been hurt in a fall from a bed.

Bizzell said there was evidence of sexual abuse and the girl had a serious head injury along with bites, cuts and bruises all over her body.

PALM SPRINGS – A woman was arrested today on suspicion of child abuse in the suspected drug overdose death of a 16-year-old girl.

The girl’s death was reported about 11:40 a.m. July 5 in the 2900 block of Escoba Drive, Palm Springs police Sgt. Melissa Desmarais said.

DES MOINES, Iowa —More than half of the perpetrators listed in Iowa’s child-abuse registry — including those accused of committing bestiality in the presence of a child — may have their names removed from the list because of a recent Iowa Supreme Court order.

State officials believe pulling those 28,000 cases off the registry could create a public safety hazard. In a rare move, they’re seeking to delay the order for at least a couple of weeks.

A Berino, New Mexico mother claims her one-year-old son fell off a bed and began having seizures, but Dona Ana County sheriff’s investigators say it’s a case of child abuse.

The baby was in a coma at University Medical Center in El Paso as of Saturday morning.

Authorities have charged 26-year-old Erica Sigala with intentional child abuse, resulting in death or great bodily harm.

A 1988 missing persons’ case involving two popular Carrollton girls is drawing new attention because of modern technology.

On March 19, 1988, Stacie Madison and Susan Smalley were two normal girls who attended Newman Smith High School just months away from graduation. However, after that night, the city of Carrollton was changed forever. That evening, Madison and Smalley traveled to many locations across the Metroplex. According to police, the girls went to the mall, then to a friends party in Arlington and then to a Steak and Ale restaurant in Addison where Smalley worked.

The parents of a four-year-old boy who sparked a police search after wandering off overnight have been charged with leaving the child home alone.

Concerns for Cody Kahui grew after it was discovered he was missing from his bed at his home in Roche Ave, Christchurch, about 3am.