New Palestine, IN
A youth minister of a New Palestine church was arrested today and charge with child molestation and sexual misconduct with a minor for incidents that happened in 2009 and 2010. The girl was 13-years old at the time.
The girl's family contacted the Department of Child Services last spring, and a criminal investigation was started. Steve Harding, the suspect, denied the allegations last spring, but was given a polygraph test in November, which indicated he was lying when he said he did not have inappropriate contact with the girl.
The suspect is no longer listed in the church's website.
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Showing posts with label criminal investigation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label criminal investigation. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Friday, October 19, 2012
Crimes against Children 10-19-12 Part II
Albuquerque, NM
This morning in Albuquerque federal court, Kenneth Mike Etsitty, 58, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Tse-Yah-Toh, New Mexico, pled guilty to an information charging him with three counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child under the age of 12.
U.S. Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales said that, under the terms of the plea agreement, Etsitty will be sentenced to 18 years of imprisonment to be followed a supervised release term to be determined by the court. Etsitty also will be required to register as a sex offender. Etsitty remains in federal custody pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
Etsitty was charged with aggravated sexual abuse in a criminal complaint filed on May 14, 2012. He was arrested the following day and has been in federal custody since that time.
According to the criminal complaint, the FBI initiated a criminal investigation into Etsitty in February 21, 2012, after a 9-year-old Navajo child disclosed that Etsitty had sexually assaulted her more than 10 times by penetrating her vagina with his finger. Thereafter, during a voluntary interview, Etsitty admitted sexually assaulting the child victim on approximately 10 occasions from the time she was 4 years old and until November 2011 by digitally penetrating her vagina.
Albuquerque, NM
This morning in federal court, Justin Gray, 33, of Ruidoso, New Mexico, was sentenced to a 22-year term of imprisonment to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release for his receipt of child pornography conviction, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales. Gray also will be required to register as a sex offender.
Gray was indicted on July 13, 2011, in a six-count indictment charging him with three counts of distribution and attempted distribution of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct; one count of receipt of visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct; and two counts of possession of matter containing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. According to the indictment, Gray distributed child pornography in October 2010, November 2010, and February 2011; received child pornography in September 2010; and possessed child pornography in March 2011. Gray was arrested on September 12, 2011, and has been in federal custody since that time.
Minneapolis, MN
United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that Tyrel DeMarrias, a/k/a Tyrell DeMarrias, age 24, of Wakpala, appeared before United States District Judge Charles B. Kornmann on October 16, 2012, and pled guilty to an indictment that charged him with sexual assault of a minor. The maximum penalty upon conviction is 15 years in custody, a $250,000 fine, or both.
The conviction arose from the sexual assault of a minor victim in Wakpala, South Dakota, in September 2011. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs-Standing Rock Agency. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mikal Hanson.
Spokane, WA
Today, Michael C. Ormsby, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that LaShuan Roman Nose, age 33, of Elk City, Oklahoma, was sentenced after having been convicted by a jury of assault resulting in substantial bodily injury in connection with the abuse of a toddler. Senior District Court Judge Edward F. Shea imposed the statutory maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment, to be followed by three years of court supervision upon release from prison.
Tampa, FL
A Tampa man faces 50 counts of child pornography possession after he was spotted looking at pictures on the sidewalk of a strip mall, police said.
Benjamin Ashauer, 29, was at the Terrace Collections on East Busch Boulevard in Tampa when a shopper saw what was on his laptop.
Police were called, and they inspected his computer.
Police said they found several pictures of child porn.
Noblesville, IN
Samuel Barnette, 42, Noblesville, faces as many as 20 years in federal prison if he is convicted of charges of distributing child pornography.
Barnette, a former custodian at Promise Road Elementary School, was charged Thursday and if convicted, also could be levied a $250,000 fine and placed on supervised release for life after he completes any prison term.
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
A lost cell phone on a public transit bus landed a Deerfield Beach man behind bars charged with possession of child pornography.
Last August, someone turned in a black and blue Samsung cell phone To the Broward Sheriff’s Office which they said they found on a county bus seat in Pompano Beach. The person said when they looked through the phone’s contents they found a number of images of child pornography.
The phone was turned over to the Detective Jennifer Montgomery, a member of the Internet Crimes Against Child Task Force. A forensic check of the phone’s contents found 463 saved images in the Media/Images Download Folder. A majority of the images, according to the forensic report, depicted nude girls between the ages of three and 12 displaying their genitals or performing sex acts.
Reno, NV
A 26-year-old who had more than 2,000 child pornography videos and
images and who said his favorite show was “SpongeBob SquarePants” was
sentenced Thursday to more than seven years in federal prison.
In a teary plea, David Gonzalez of Reno asked the judge to give him the minimum sentence of five years in prison because he was frequently sexually abused as a child by a relative and a family friend, and was beaten by his mother on a constant basis.
Gonzalez pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography after he was caught sharing the illicit images last year by detectives in the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
This morning in Albuquerque federal court, Kenneth Mike Etsitty, 58, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Tse-Yah-Toh, New Mexico, pled guilty to an information charging him with three counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child under the age of 12.
U.S. Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales said that, under the terms of the plea agreement, Etsitty will be sentenced to 18 years of imprisonment to be followed a supervised release term to be determined by the court. Etsitty also will be required to register as a sex offender. Etsitty remains in federal custody pending his sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
Etsitty was charged with aggravated sexual abuse in a criminal complaint filed on May 14, 2012. He was arrested the following day and has been in federal custody since that time.
According to the criminal complaint, the FBI initiated a criminal investigation into Etsitty in February 21, 2012, after a 9-year-old Navajo child disclosed that Etsitty had sexually assaulted her more than 10 times by penetrating her vagina with his finger. Thereafter, during a voluntary interview, Etsitty admitted sexually assaulting the child victim on approximately 10 occasions from the time she was 4 years old and until November 2011 by digitally penetrating her vagina.
Albuquerque, NM
This morning in federal court, Justin Gray, 33, of Ruidoso, New Mexico, was sentenced to a 22-year term of imprisonment to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release for his receipt of child pornography conviction, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales. Gray also will be required to register as a sex offender.
Gray was indicted on July 13, 2011, in a six-count indictment charging him with three counts of distribution and attempted distribution of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct; one count of receipt of visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct; and two counts of possession of matter containing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. According to the indictment, Gray distributed child pornography in October 2010, November 2010, and February 2011; received child pornography in September 2010; and possessed child pornography in March 2011. Gray was arrested on September 12, 2011, and has been in federal custody since that time.
Minneapolis, MN
United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that Tyrel DeMarrias, a/k/a Tyrell DeMarrias, age 24, of Wakpala, appeared before United States District Judge Charles B. Kornmann on October 16, 2012, and pled guilty to an indictment that charged him with sexual assault of a minor. The maximum penalty upon conviction is 15 years in custody, a $250,000 fine, or both.
The conviction arose from the sexual assault of a minor victim in Wakpala, South Dakota, in September 2011. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs-Standing Rock Agency. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mikal Hanson.
Spokane, WA
Today, Michael C. Ormsby, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that LaShuan Roman Nose, age 33, of Elk City, Oklahoma, was sentenced after having been convicted by a jury of assault resulting in substantial bodily injury in connection with the abuse of a toddler. Senior District Court Judge Edward F. Shea imposed the statutory maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment, to be followed by three years of court supervision upon release from prison.
Tampa, FLA Tampa man faces 50 counts of child pornography possession after he was spotted looking at pictures on the sidewalk of a strip mall, police said.
Benjamin Ashauer, 29, was at the Terrace Collections on East Busch Boulevard in Tampa when a shopper saw what was on his laptop.
Police were called, and they inspected his computer.
Police said they found several pictures of child porn.
Noblesville, IN
Samuel Barnette, 42, Noblesville, faces as many as 20 years in federal prison if he is convicted of charges of distributing child pornography.
Barnette, a former custodian at Promise Road Elementary School, was charged Thursday and if convicted, also could be levied a $250,000 fine and placed on supervised release for life after he completes any prison term.
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
A lost cell phone on a public transit bus landed a Deerfield Beach man behind bars charged with possession of child pornography.
Last August, someone turned in a black and blue Samsung cell phone To the Broward Sheriff’s Office which they said they found on a county bus seat in Pompano Beach. The person said when they looked through the phone’s contents they found a number of images of child pornography.
The phone was turned over to the Detective Jennifer Montgomery, a member of the Internet Crimes Against Child Task Force. A forensic check of the phone’s contents found 463 saved images in the Media/Images Download Folder. A majority of the images, according to the forensic report, depicted nude girls between the ages of three and 12 displaying their genitals or performing sex acts.
Reno, NV
A 26-year-old who had more than 2,000 child pornography videos and
images and who said his favorite show was “SpongeBob SquarePants” was
sentenced Thursday to more than seven years in federal prison.In a teary plea, David Gonzalez of Reno asked the judge to give him the minimum sentence of five years in prison because he was frequently sexually abused as a child by a relative and a family friend, and was beaten by his mother on a constant basis.
Gonzalez pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography after he was caught sharing the illicit images last year by detectives in the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Responding to a Fire
I was at the Bus Garage, monitoring radio traffic as I usually do in the morning, when I got a phone call from Tony Strangeway. There was a fire at Sugar Creek Elementary, Tony's school.
I dropped everything and headed over to the school.
I arrived to the expected scene. There was a couple of fire trucks, command vehicles, and hundreds of children and teachers. I checked in with Chief Randy Brandlein of the Sugar Creek Township Fire Department, and he told me what he knew in between radio calls from the firefighters inside.
A fire had been set in a boys restroom. Some toilet paper had been wadded up on the floor and set on fire, and the flames ignited the toilet paper dispenser right above it. The plastic dispenser had melted, creating toxic fumes, and the flames had almost overcome the flame-retardant ceiling tiles directly above it.
As he related the details to me, he got word that all of the kids were accounted for. This was a difficult proposition as the fire had occurred right after bus drop off and right at the end of breakfast, so many teachers only had partial classes. Chief Brandlein then got a call that a school employee had suffered from smoke inhalation.
Head custodian Kim Tarplee had grabbed a fire extinguisher and had attempted to put out the fire. While she couldn't do that, she did slow the fire down enough to allow the fire department to come in and put it out, and spared the school from worse damage. In the process, she inhaled some smoke and fire extinguisher powder, and had to be checked out by paramedics. She was a true Sheepdog that morning,
In the meantime, Tony was demonstrating why he had been previously selected as the Indiana Principal of the Year. He provided great leadership for kids and teachers alike, even as he was furious that someone had set fire to his school. Jim Voelz, principal of the nearby Doe Creek Middle School, came over to assist, and I began the investigation.
After about an hour, the fire department cleared the building, and the students were allowed to return and resume classes. I had received some names of possible student suspects, and began contacting parents, as the Hancock County Sheriff's Department had sent over a couple of detectives to begin the criminal investigation.
For the next four hours, Tony and I interviewed students, spoke with parents, and coordinated with the detectives, to no avail. We could not identify who had set the fire, so we had to console ourselves with the knowledge that kids would talk, and we might yet find out who had done it.
The very next day, we did find out. Some kids did talk, and when confronted the perpetrator admitted his guilt. The young man faces expulsion, and criminal charges. I happen to know a bit of background on the youngster, and this was the latest problem to beset his family. He did not intend to harm anyone, but just wanted to get rid of the school. Kids frequently laughed at him, and school had become such an unhappy place that he wanted it out of his life.
All in all, it was a sad day for one young boy and his family, but it was also a chance for the staff of Sugar Creek Elementary to shine, and shine they did. It always makes me proud when I see fellow educators rise up and excel in the protection of their charges.
Well done, Sugar Creek Sheepdogs!
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I dropped everything and headed over to the school.
I arrived to the expected scene. There was a couple of fire trucks, command vehicles, and hundreds of children and teachers. I checked in with Chief Randy Brandlein of the Sugar Creek Township Fire Department, and he told me what he knew in between radio calls from the firefighters inside.
A fire had been set in a boys restroom. Some toilet paper had been wadded up on the floor and set on fire, and the flames ignited the toilet paper dispenser right above it. The plastic dispenser had melted, creating toxic fumes, and the flames had almost overcome the flame-retardant ceiling tiles directly above it.
As he related the details to me, he got word that all of the kids were accounted for. This was a difficult proposition as the fire had occurred right after bus drop off and right at the end of breakfast, so many teachers only had partial classes. Chief Brandlein then got a call that a school employee had suffered from smoke inhalation.
Head custodian Kim Tarplee had grabbed a fire extinguisher and had attempted to put out the fire. While she couldn't do that, she did slow the fire down enough to allow the fire department to come in and put it out, and spared the school from worse damage. In the process, she inhaled some smoke and fire extinguisher powder, and had to be checked out by paramedics. She was a true Sheepdog that morning,
In the meantime, Tony was demonstrating why he had been previously selected as the Indiana Principal of the Year. He provided great leadership for kids and teachers alike, even as he was furious that someone had set fire to his school. Jim Voelz, principal of the nearby Doe Creek Middle School, came over to assist, and I began the investigation.
After about an hour, the fire department cleared the building, and the students were allowed to return and resume classes. I had received some names of possible student suspects, and began contacting parents, as the Hancock County Sheriff's Department had sent over a couple of detectives to begin the criminal investigation.
For the next four hours, Tony and I interviewed students, spoke with parents, and coordinated with the detectives, to no avail. We could not identify who had set the fire, so we had to console ourselves with the knowledge that kids would talk, and we might yet find out who had done it.
The very next day, we did find out. Some kids did talk, and when confronted the perpetrator admitted his guilt. The young man faces expulsion, and criminal charges. I happen to know a bit of background on the youngster, and this was the latest problem to beset his family. He did not intend to harm anyone, but just wanted to get rid of the school. Kids frequently laughed at him, and school had become such an unhappy place that he wanted it out of his life.
All in all, it was a sad day for one young boy and his family, but it was also a chance for the staff of Sugar Creek Elementary to shine, and shine they did. It always makes me proud when I see fellow educators rise up and excel in the protection of their charges.
Well done, Sugar Creek Sheepdogs!
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