Child seduction charges for an Indiana teacher

Safe Havens, International

A high school golf coach and teacher was arrested over the weekend and charged with child seduction after being found naked in his truck with a 17-year old student. He admitted to having had sex with the student.

The teacher is reportedly married to a school administrator in the district.

The teacher has resigned from the district.

Crimes against Children 2-26-14

New Jersey man pleads guilty to possessing images of child abuse

Indiana man arrested for sexually assaulting a middle school girl

Nevada man sentenced for pimping a minor as a prostitute

New York man sentenced for child pornography

California teacher arrested on sexually assaulting a student

Arizona teacher arrested for transporting minors for illicit sexual conduct

Pennsylvania Middle School teacher arrested for sexual assault of a student

Illinois Boys & Girls Club counselor convicted of sexual assault of a minor

Colorado school employee sentenced for sexually assaulting an 8-year old

Crimes against Children 2-11-14

FBI opens cold case of 1975 kidnapping

California teacher sentenced for enticement of a minor

Minnesota man sentenced for child abuse

The FBI recovers a missing Alabama girl in California

Pennsylvania man pleads guilty to receiving child pornography

Florida man charged for transporting child porn

Massachusetts man charged for enticing a child

Wisconsin woman charged with kidnapping an infant

School shootings are not just an American thing

Safe Havens, International

A student carrying a rifle used that rifle to threaten a security guard into allowing him to enter School No. 263.  Once the boy was in the school, the security guard called the police.  When they responded, the boy shot and killed one of the police officers, then killed a teacher.

He then took a classroom hostage, but let them all go before the police ended the siege.

No word, as yet, of any reason for the attack.

Crimes against Children 12-14-13

Florida man guilty of possessing Internet child pornography

Minnesota man sentenced for sexual abuse against a minor

Puerto Rican arrested for child porn

Guilty plea from former teacher for distribution of child pornography

Member of Navajo Nation sentenced for producing child porn

Texas man sentenced for child sexual exploitation

Massachusetts man sentenced for distribution of child pornography

Indiana man indicted for child exploitation

Evil in Arapahoe High School

Centennial, CO

Fox News is reporting that a young man, angered at being kicked off the debate team, brought a shotgun to school, targeting the teacher.  The teacher left the school, presumably in an attempt to draw the student out of the school.  Inside, the student shot a 15-year old student, in critical condition in the hospital, then killed himself.

As always there are many questions, but I will let the information develop a bit before I start asking them.

I am just happy that it wasn't any worse than it was.

The Future Looks Bright

Today I had the honor of speaking with Caleb, Alie, Brook and Emily, 5th grade students at an elementary school in South Carolina.  Mrs. Raper, their teacher, contacted me a week or so ago about speaking to her students.  Their school had recently changed their severe storm preparedness protocols, and the students had some ideas for making students safer during a tornado.

Mrs. Raper and I were able to connect via Skype, and I spent over twenty minutes answering the questions they had about tornadoes, and about my experiences with tornadoes.  I was impressed with the depth of their questions.  They had clearly prepared for the session, and were very polite and considerate.  Their questions were also efficient, focusing on the task at hand instead of asking questions that were not connected to the discussion. 

I have been in education for twenty-five years now, and Caleb, Alie, Brook and Emily gave me plenty of hope for our future.  They were curious, they were inquisitive, they were respectful, and they were definitely motivated to better themselves through learning.  Their parents should be proud, as should Mrs. Raper.  It is easy to jump on the "public education is bad" bandwagon with the numerous awful stories we see in the media, but Mrs. Raper's leadership, and the behavior of her students, tells me the future is bright.

Caleb, Alie, Brook, Emily and Mrs. Raper, thank you for the honor of speaking with you today!

Crimes against Children 11-1-13

New York man charged for murder plot against a sex trafficking witness

Ohio man sentenced for child pornography

Maryland man charged with seeking illicit contact with a minor and child pornography

Minnesota man guilty of sex trafficking of a minor

FBI seeks unsub in child molestation case

Minnesota teacher accused of assaulting student with an 11-pound backpack

Pennsylvania teacher accused of raping student, more victims possible

Mescalero Apache guilty of assaulting a16-month old child

More details in Danvers, MA murder case

Danvers, MA

A classmate of the 14-year old student who murdered Colleen Ritzer last week said that the teacher had asked the boy to stay behind after class.  The boy had been doodling in his notebook instead of taking notes.  The classmate said the boy did not appear to be agitated.

After following the teacher into a restroom and beating her, the assailant slashed her throat, dumped her body into a recycling bin, and then dumped her body in the woods behind the school.  He then went to go watch a Woody Allen movie.

No motive has been established.

Crimes against Children 10-25-13

Illinois martial arts instructor pleads guilty to sexually abusing three students

Former New Jersey teacher pleads guilty to distributing images of child sexual abuse over the Internet

New York man pleads guilty to child pornography

Former Kansas school employee sentenced for child sexual exploitation

New York man indicted on child porn 

Fatality identified in Sparks City school shooting

Sparks City, Nevada

The fatality from today's shooting in Sparks Middle School has been identified.  Michael Landsberry, a math teacher at the middle school, was in the Nevada National Guard, and was also a former Marine.

Witnesses say that when a shot rang out, Mr. Landsberry came to investigate.  The student shooter pointed a gun at him, and Mr. Landsberry told him to put it down, whereupon he was shot and killed.  The shooter subsequently shot and wounded two other students.

Mr. Landsberry is survived by his wife, two step-daughters, and a legacy of giving his life as a shield for others.

Loss of Honor 8-24-13

Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Band director has inappropriate relationship with student

Special Ed teacher charged with child sexual assault and child pornography

Teacher suspended without pay after charge he inappropriately touched an 8-year old girl

New Jersey teacher charged with sexually assaulting a student

Toms River, New Jersey

A former Spanish teacher has been charged with an inappropriate relationship with a male student.  She faces up to ten years in prison and becoming a registered sex offender.

Crimes against Children 8-6-13

New York man transports a minor across state lines for sex

Washington, DC teacher pleads to child pornography charges

Minnesota man charged with sexual abuse of a minor, and aggravated incest

New Jersey school bus driver gets time for distributing child abuse images

North Dakota man pleads guilty for sexually abusing a minor

New Jersey man gets prison time for child pornography

Minnesota woman charged with child abuse

Texas man produces child porn, gets prison time

Child porn gets Texas man arrested

Crimes against Children 5-28-13

Attorney sentenced on child exploitation charges

Kansas City man charged with possession of child porn

Sexual assault on a school bus

Teacher charged with sexual assault of student

Washington man sentenced for producing child pornography

Teacher sexually assaults student in parking lot

Teacher guilty of sexual assault

Teacher sexually assaults student, gets suspended

Student assaulted by Wisconsin teacher

Maryland man transports child porn, cops plea

Woman charged in sex trafficking of minor

Crimes against Children 5-22-13

FBI seeks sex offender on the run

Kansas City man produces child pornography

High school student reports sexual assault

Teacher investigated for sexual assault

Parents worried after sex attack

Oregon man charged with sex trafficking of a child

Crimes against Children 5-21-13

Illinois man pleads to child pornography charge

Kentucky man sentenced for child porn

Child porn leads to 20 years for Maryland man

Kansas man produces child porn, gets 260 years

Canadian transports minor with intent to have sex

Pittsburgh man possesses child porn

New Jersey man distributes images of child abuse from work

Parents angry with sexual assaults at school

Attempted sexual assault at middle school

Teacher in jail for sexually assaulting students

Student assaulted by substitute teacher

Safe Havens, International

School Safety in the News 5-17-13

School safety overshadowed by gun control debate: Sandy Hook Moms

School board candidates not concerned about school safety

Schools try to balance school safety with the innocence of their children

Louisiana school safety bill requires school/LEO cooperation

Budget issues limit Wyoming's school safety choices

County officials unsure of how to implement SROs

The Tuckahoe Union Free School District to hold special school safety meeting

Teacher complaints over marijuana, I.D. badges, lack of discipline

Child Abduction Digest 5-16-13

Student recants Arizona abduction report

Colorado police look into reported abduction near school

5-year old abducted from apartment complex, suspect arrested

Tips to avoid abduction

A man with Oklahoma plates was approaching girls near a bus stop in Iowa

Teacher helps thwart attempted abduction