2/27/14: Today’s Round-up of Child Sex Abuse in the News
LOCAL
Sacramento, CA – Push underway to remove sexual predators from classrooms
Removing sexual predators from the classroom is the new push at the state Capitol. Senate Bill 843, authored by Sen. Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana, is designed to protect children by making it easier to get rid of teachers who have sex with their students. “Many districts don’t take action at all,” Correa said Wednesday. Some school districts have paid up to $300,000 just to dismiss teachers accused of sexual misconduct, Correa said. Read more here:
Berkeley, CA – Students file complaints against UC Berkeley for allegedly mishandling sexual assault cases
Thirty-one current and former UC Berkeley students filed two federal complaints against the campus Wednesday for allegedly mishandling sexual assault and harassment cases, bolstering the nationwide movement to prevent incidents of sexual assault on college campuses. Read more here:
Santa Maria, CA – Pioneer Valley basketball coach is accused of sexually assaulting a student
The Lady Panthers clawed their way through an intense first-round CIF game against Alta Loma High School Feb. 22 at the Pioneer Valley High School gym—without the leadership of their head coach, Brian Hook. The team lost 55-57, adding to the heartache already generated by a recent incident involving Hook, 53, and the Santa Maria Police Department. Police announced in a Feb. 20 press release that officers arrested Hook—who also worked as a social science teacher at the school—on suspicion of sexually assaulting a minor. Read more here:
NATIONAL
Boston, MA – Therapist gets 10 years for indecent assault of boy
An adoptive mom tried to break her son away from an unlicensed DCF-approved therapist, but was thwarted by the Dorchester man who was sentenced yesterday to 10 years in jail for sexually abusing the boy, records obtained by the Herald show. The mom, no longer able to cope with the teen’s
behavior problems, told his Boston school counselor in 2010 she wanted to end
individual therapy with Kenneth Edwards and go to the state Department of Children and Families “to get some help,” Read more here:
Dallas, TX – Former Garland Soccer Coach Sentenced for Child Sexual Abuse
Former Garland soccer coach Bernardo Mondragon-Guzman has been sentenced to prison for sexually assaulting two boys he used to coach. Mondragon-Guzman plead guilty Tuesday afternoon to one charge of continuous sexual abuse of a child and two counts of indecency with a child. Read more here:
Casper, WY – Albany County P.E. teacher, coach resigns amid sex abuse charge
An Albany County School District physical education teacher and girls’ basketball coach resigned before being arrested and charged with four counts of sexual abuse of a minor, the Albany County Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday. The 25-year-old male suspect, whose name has not been released, was arrested Saturday. Read more here:
Lexington, KY – Former Middle School Coach Pleads Guilty To Sex Offenses
A former Scott County middle school girl’s golf coach pleaded guilty to sex offenses in court Wednesday. Jason Carpenter was originally facing up to 20 years behind bars and 36 counts of sexual abuse, but after his plea deal his charges were reduced and he is looking at two years in prison. He must also register as a sex offender. Read more here:
Albuquerque, NM – School volunteer charged with abuse
A volunteer with the Albuquerque Reads program has been accused of inappropriate contact with a 5-year-old boy at Atrisco Elementary School. Robert Milne, 66, of Albuquerque, was charged in a criminal complaint with criminal sexual contact of a minor. He was booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center and later bonded out. Milne denies the allegation. Read more here:
Grand Junction, CO – Army recruiter accused of sexual assault of Colorado high school student
The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office says a U.S. Army sergeant is facing criminal charges after he was accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl who attended a high school where he worked as a recruiter. Sgt. Randy Loushin, 31, was issued a summons on Tuesday on suspicion of misdemeanor sexual assault in connection with allegations he had sex on multiple occasions with a Central High School student. Read more here:
INTERNATIONAL
Montreal, Quebec, Canada – Shedding light on the issue of consent
Consent should not be about fighting someone off. If there was any point driven home at McGill University’s first Forum on Consent on Wednesday afternoon, it was that. Also, that there is a real desire among students to have a sexual assault policy, instead of having the important matter covered by the broader sexual harassment policy. And that, try as you may, it’s still hard to get guys to show up at panel discussions about consent. Read more here: