An increase in Los Angeles County’s infant mortality rate in 2007 erased much of the progress made since 2003, according to an annual report released Tuesday.

The report from the Inter-Agency Council on Child Abuse and Neglect is based on statistics gathered by child abuse experts, law enforcement and social welfare agencies. The report analyzes the deaths of children who were killed by caregivers, committed suicide or died in accidents, and tracks overall abuse reports.

LONGVIEW, Wash. – A former youth minister at Calvary Chapel is accused of abusing one of the girls he was supposed to help guide.

Michael Louis Anthony, 43, is charged with having a sexual relationship with a then 15-year-old girl and is currently in jail.

A 46 percent jump in child-abuse reports last month has Cumberland County officials worried that their depleted ranks of social workers won’t be able to protect vulnerable youths.

The county Department of Social Services received 427 reports of child abuse or neglect in March, up from 292 in February. The highest previous monthly total since last summer – 354 – came in December.

ONE OF THE FOUNDERS of the online encyclopedia Wikipedia told the FBI that the outfit was serving up kiddie porn.

Wikipedia co-founder Larry Sanger, who left the project in 2002 due to what he described as “disagreements” whinged to the feds about drawings of kids and cartoons accompanying some paedophilia-related entries. In his view such graphics were depictions of child abuse.

RACINE – Authorities are investigating a former Racine County Human Services Department employee accused of filing false reports on child abuse cases he never investigated.

Todd O’Brien, a child protective services initial assessment worker, was fired this week for allegedly filing detailed reports about child abuse cases he was supposed to be investigating.

LEADVILLE – The Lake County Sheriff’s deputy who resigned after shocking 30 high school students with a Taser at a career fair is now facing several charges, including multiple counts of child abuse.

9NEWS has learned that the Lake County District Attorney’s office is charging former Deputy John Ortega with 11 counts of child abuse resulting in injury, one count of child abuse with no injury and nine counts of reckless endangerment.

EVANSVILLE, IN (WFIE) – An Evansville child is hospitalized in Cincinnati after police say she sustained serious abuse.

Police were called to St. Mary’s when a 5-year-old girl was admitted that had signs of child abuse.

The 22-week infant died one day later in intensive care at a hospital in the mother’s home town of Rossano in southern Italy.

The mother, pregnant for the first time, had opted for an abortion after prenatal scans suggested that her baby was disabled.

BROOMFIELD, Colo. — A 19-year-old Broomfield man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend and having sex with the corpse pleaded guilty to a lesser charge Monday.Alex Pacheco, 19, was accused of killing 13-year-old Kelsey Shannon.Shannon disappeared Oct. 14, 2008. Her decomposed body was found three months later in a drainage ditch a short distance from her home.

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A Roman Catholic priest in Brazil is facing charges he abused eight boys in cases dating back to 1995, prosecutors said Wednesday, adding to a growing list of allegations against clergy in Latin America.

Father Jose Afonso, 74, is accused of abusing altar boys between the ages of 12 and 16, Sao Paulo state prosecutors said in an e-mailed statement.

Erin Flynn said she and Patrick Hall had just finished snorting lines of heroin, with a 5-month-old boy nearby, when she stepped outside to smoke a cigarette. When she returned to the Fairfax County townhouse a few minutes later, the infant had a piece of paper in his mouth that might have had some of the drug on it.

RACINE COUNTY – An employee of the Human Services Department has been fired and is under criminal investigation for allegedly filing false reports on child abuse cases he never investigated.

Todd O’Brien, a child protective services initial assessment worker with HSD who investigated complaints of child abuse and neglect, was terminated Tuesday, said Racine County Human Services Director Debra Jossart.

SIERRA VISTA — A 6-year-old boy remains in guarded condition after police arrested the child’s relatives on abuse charges, police said Tuesday.

MODESTO, CA – The detective handling the case of a 10-year-old Modesto girl who was allegedly abused at the hands of her step-mother and father says the child is doing much better.

Det. Marta Delgado said the girl and her siblings were removed from the home of Steven Michael Andrews, 28, and Jessica Nicole Leyva, 23, during of the course of the investigation which began April 4. That is when Modesto police were called to the residence to investigate a report of child abuse.