Bonesteel Woman Sentenced for Child Abuse

United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Bonesteel, South Dakota woman convicted of child abuse was sentenced on February 11, 2014, by U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange.
Maria Janis, age 35, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in custody, three years’ supervised release, a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, and $17,123 in restitution.
Janis was indicted for child abuse by a federal grand jury on April 12, 2013. She pled guilty on November 19, 2013.
Janis, her husband Robert Prue, and several minor children have lived in several states, including Arizona and Washington, before they moved to South Dakota and the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation in the spring of 2011. Over an extended period of time, Janis learned Prue was sexually abusing some of the children. Janis said she believed the children when they told her about the abuse but would leave the children in Prue’s supervision nonetheless. Janis was also aware Prue had methamphetamine and alcohol problems during the time he was around the children.
Once in South Dakota, Janis learned Prue was persisting in his efforts to sexually abuse some of the children. Janis did not take steps to protect the children but continued to expose them to harm by leaving them with Prue while she would leave the house. Between June 22, 2011 and September 22, 2011, while in South Dakota, Prue engaged in efforts to accomplish sexual acts with one of the victims, a minor.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Maher prosecuted the case.
Janis was immediately turned over to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

4-year-old boy in luxury apartment found dead; baby sitter arrested

A baby sitter was arrested after a 4-year-old boy was discovered dead on Wednesday in a luxury New York City apartment building, according to the New York Police Department.
The child was found unconscious and unresponsive with visible bruising, cuts to his arms and legs and burns to his body, said Detective Markowski. (NYPD policy is not to give out the full names of its detectives).
He was pronounced dead at Roosevelt Hospital in New York.
In a new conference, NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton said the boy suffered "horrific injuries sustained over period of days."
The 28-year-old baby sitter has not been charged, according to NYPD Detective Ort. She did not confess to killing the boy, but police said she made statements to them that she abused the child.
Julie Bolcer, a spokeswoman for the Office of Chief Medical Examiner, said the office is looking into the cause and manner of the death.

Dutchman Accused of Filming 400 Nude Children

Prosecutors have accused a Dutch man of abusing around 400 boys and girls aged 12-14 he met in online chat rooms, coercing them into committing sexual acts via webcam. Victims have so far been identified in the Netherlands, the U.S., Belgium and Spain.

Prosecution spokesman Evert Boerstra said the suspect was arrested in July but prosecutors only revealed the scale of his alleged crimes at his trial Friday. Under Dutch law, he has not yet entered a plea, and is identified only as "Michel S."

A string of child abuse cases have horrified the Netherlands in recent years, including the 2012 conviction of Latvian-born Dutchman Roberts Mikelsons for physically abusing 67 children, including infants. Mikelsons filmed and distributed his acts, leading to 83 additional child pornography arrests around the globe.

Swearing toddler in 'thug' video taken into protective custody

A Nebraska toddler who repeated a slew of profanities in an online video has been taken into child protective custody, Omaha police said Wednesday.
While authorities found nothing criminal in the video, officials from the Omaha police's Child Victim Unit and the Nebraska Child Protective Services took the infant and three other children into custody on Wednesday, the police department said on its Facebook page.
The joint investigation found safety concerns, the statement said.
CNN learned of development through Twitter.
In the video, the diapered child is bombarded with obscenities and racial slurs by the adults around him.
The African-American toddler knocks down a chair and gives nearly as good as he gets, responding to some of the comments with an upraised middle finger and telling one of the adults at one point, "Shut up, bitch." The adults laugh and prompt him to repeat other crudities.
Just another day on the Internet -- until the police union in Omaha, Nebraska, posted the clip on its website to highlight what it called the "cycle of violence and thuggery" the community faces.
Police union draws fire over swearing toddler 'thug' video
The Omaha Police Officers Association came under fire from the city's police chief, the ACLU and at least one community leader. They say the move needlessly antagonizes the city's minority communities, who make up about a quarter of Omaha's 409,000 residents.

Sgt. John Wells, the union's president, said the video was "disturbing" and "offensive."
"The focus here isn't on any particular ethnic group. The focus here is on the troubling behavior towards this child," Wells said. "This behavior is going to potentially lead this child down a path that is completely unhealthy."
On the website where the video is hosted, the union said the clip came from "a local thug's public Facebook page."
"We here at OmahaPOA.com viewed the video and we knew that despite the fact that it is sickening, heartbreaking footage, we have an obligation to share it to continue to educate the law abiding public about the terrible cycle of violence and thuggery that some young innocent children find themselves helplessly trapped in," the police union wrote in a post accompanying the video.
"Now while we didn't see anything in this video that is blatantly 'illegal,' we sure did see a lot that is flat out immoral and completely unhealthy for this little child from a healthy upbringing standpoint," it added.
Wells said one of the adults mentions a local street gang in the video.
"That is why when we talk about the culture, the criminal culture, that this is to try to break the cycle and deal with the culture of violence and the culture of gang activity," he said.
But in a city where police officers' treatment of minorities led to lawsuits, criminal charges against two officers and the firings and reassignments of several others in the past year, critics say the video is poking at raw wounds. Willie Hamilton, president of the community activist group Black Men United, said the union "crossed a line by doing this."
"For them to take a video out of context -- a 2-year-old who doesn't have the brain capacity to know what's going on -- and to say that this child, because two adults acted inappropriately, is going to end up in a life of crime is totally inappropriate," Hamilton said.
And the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska, which filed an excessive-force suit against the Omaha Police Department on behalf of an African-American family on Monday, said the union's use of "racially charged language" was "very disconcerting."
Police Chief Todd Schmaderer tried to distance his agency from the controversy in a statement issued Tuesday, saying that the union's website and Facebook page are separate from those of the Omaha Police Department and that he has little authority over the public statements of union members.
"With that background and understanding, I want to make it explicit and clear that the views expressed on the OPOA Facebook page do not necessarily reflect the official stance of the Omaha Police Department," Schmaderer said. "I strongly disagree with any postings that may cause a divide in our community or an obstacle to police community relations."
Wells said union members have turned the video over to the department's child victim unit, which will work with child-welfare agencies to investigate the circumstances. He said the organization "didn't think we'd get this big of a reaction."
"Hopefully, the impact is, it gives law-abiding citizens what law enforcement deals with on a daily basis, and it sort of throws back the blinders that these type of problems are going on," he said. "And we can have a very frank and open discussion on how to tackle these issues and come up with solutions."

Police union draws fire over swearing toddler 'thug' video

he diapered child is bombarded with obscenities and racial slurs by the adults around him.
The African-American toddler knocks down a chair and gives nearly as good as he gets, responding to some of the comments with an upraised middle finger and telling one of the adults at one point, "Shut up, bitch." The adults laugh and prompt him to repeat other crudities.
Just another day on the Internet -- until the police union in Omaha, Nebraska, posted the clip on its website to highlight what it called the "cycle of violence and thuggery" the community faces.
Now, the Omaha Police Officers' Association is under fire from the city's police chief, the ACLU and at least one community leader. They say the move needlessly antagonizes the city's minority communities, who make up about a quarter of Omaha's 409,000 residents.

Sgt. John Wells, the union's president, said the video was "disturbing" and "offensive."
"The focus here isn't on any particular ethnic group. The focus here is on the troubling behavior towards this child," Wells said. "This behavior is going to potentially lead this child down a path that is completely unhealthy."
On the website where the video is hosted, the union said the clip came from "a local thug's public Facebook page."
"We here at OmahaPOA.com viewed the video and we knew that despite the fact that it is sickening, heartbreaking footage, we have an obligation to share it to continue to educate the law abiding public about the terrible cycle of violence and thuggery that some young innocent children find themselves helplessly trapped in," the police union wrote in a post accompanying the video.
"Now while we didn't see anything in this video that is blatantly 'illegal,' we sure did see a lot that is flat out immoral and completely unhealthy for this little child from a healthy upbringing standpoint," it added.
Wells said one of the adults mentions a local street gang in the video.
"That is why when we talk about the culture, the criminal culture, that this is to try to break the cycle and deal with the culture of violence and the culture of gang activity," he said.
But in a city where police officers' treatment of minorities led to lawsuits, criminal charges against two officers and the firings and reassignments of several others in the past year, critics say the video is poking at raw wounds. Willie Hamilton, president of the community activist group Black Men United, said the union "crossed a line by doing this."
"For them to take a video out of context -- a 2-year-old who doesn't have the brain capacity to know what's going on -- and to say that this child, because two adults acted inappropriately, is going to end up in a life of crime is totally inappropriate," Hamilton said.
And the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska, which filed an excessive-force suit against the Omaha Police Department on behalf of an African-American family on Monday, said the union's use of "racially charged language" was "very disconcerting."
"Officers should be working to build a culture where anyone feels comfortable calling law enforcement," ACLU of Nebraska Executive Director Becki Brenner said in a written statement. "The manner in which the Officers Association has discussed this incident has done nothing but further erode community trust and reinforce the need for independent oversight, trainings, and other reforms."
Police Chief Todd Schmaderer tried to distance his agency from the controversy in a statement issued Tuesday, saying that the union's website and Facebook page are separate from those of the Omaha Police Department and that he has little authority over the public statements of union members.
"With that background and understanding, I want to make it explicit and clear that the views expressed on the OPOA Facebook page do not necessarily reflect the official stance of the Omaha Police Department," Schmaderer said. "I strongly disagree with any postings that may cause a divide in our community or an obstacle to police community relations."
Hamilton said the statement was too little, too late. Schmaderer was speaking out only "because this thing is on the Internet and went viral," he said.
"What do you think it's going to do about the trust level? You think we're going to call you and tell you anything? No. All this is doing is highlighting that."
Wells said union members have turned the video over to the department's child victim unit, which will work with child-welfare agencies to investigate the circumstances. He said the organization "didn't think we'd get this big of a reaction."
"Hopefully, the impact is, it gives law-abiding citizens what law enforcement deals with on a daily basis, and it sort of throws back the blinders that these type of problems are going on," he said. "And we can have a very frank and open discussion on how to tackle these issues and come up with solutions."

Parents Accused of Brutally Killing 2-Year-Old Make Outrageous Excuses

If you don't want your day completely ruined, I suggest you stop reading. A sweet, 2-year-old boy named Aiden Calvo died allegedly from brutal beatings inflicted by his own parents. The beatings were so horrifying and violent that even veteran police officers were disturbed by what they found when they discovered this poor toddler's body. Aiden suffered broken bones; a fractured skull; and bleeding from his brain, among other incredibly horrific, hard-to-believe injuries no human should ever endure in their lifetime.

His parents, Elizabeth Calvo, 21, and Adam Garber, 25, have been arrested by police and face murder charges. If found guilty, let's hope Georgia puts that death penalty to use. It truly doesn't get more awful than this.

According to reports, Aiden woke up in the middle of the night on December 16 and told his parents he had problems with his eyes. He was sent back to bed, and, according to his 5-year-old brother, when he woke up in the morning, he had "stuff" coming out of his nose and mouth. Authorities responded to a 911 call and found the toddler seizing and bleeding. The father said that Aiden may have eaten chemicals or ingested "poison from the carpet," but police determined that long list of brutal injuries could only have occurred from "non-accidents." Officials believe there was an extensive history of abuse with the parents. After Calvo and Garber were brought in for questioning, they reportedly turned on one another, each blaming the other for the abuse.

To say this is disturbing and heartbreaking is an understatement. Children look to their parents as a source of comfort, not pain. And the fact that both parents reportedly were involved in this makes the situation so much worse. You'd think one parent would have stepped in to stop things. This poor child had no one.

If convicted, let's all pray that these monsters are forced to suffer like their innocent child did. It won't bring back Aiden or undo the awful things that have been done, but at least it's some justice.

Kansas City mother pleads guilty to keeping 10-year-old in closet

A Kansas City woman has pleaded guilty to abusing her 10-year-old daughter who was found in a locked closet in 2012.

The woman entered the plea Tuesday to felony child abuse, child endangerment and assault charges. The Associated Press is not naming her to protect the child's identity. The woman will be sentenced April 25 and prosecutors have agreed to seek a prison sentence of no more than 20 years.

The girl weighed just 32 pounds when she was found in a urine-soaked closet. She told authorities that she hadn't been allowed to eat for days and hadn't attended school since kindergarten.

The Kansas City Star reports the woman told a judge Monday she was pleading guilty because she believes the state's case is strong enough to convict her.

Man in Toddler-Slapping Plane Case to Be Sentenced

A man who pleaded guilty to slapping a crying toddler on a flight is due in federal court for sentencing.

Joe Rickey Hundley pleaded guilty in October after reaching a plea agreement with federal prosecutors. His sentencing is set for Monday morning.

Prosecutors say Hundley used a racial slur to refer to the 19-month-old boy, who's black, and then hit him under the right eye as the flight from Minneapolis began its descent to the Atlanta airport last February.

The misdemeanor simple assault charge carries a possible prison sentence of up to a year and a fine of up to $100,000. Prosecutors have recommended six months in prison, but Hundley reserved his right to argue for a lower sentence.

The judge isn't required to follow the recommendations in the plea agreement.

5-year-old missing for months before police alerted. Why?

Five-year-old Jeremiah Oliver was last seen by his Massachusetts relatives on September 14. But the investigation into his disappearance didn't begin until last week when the authorities were first alerted to it.
Now, the child is feared dead, his mother and her boyfriend are in custody, and everyone is left wondering how a child could simply vanish unnoticed for three months.
How could this happen, especially to a child who was supposed to be receiving monthly visits from a state-provided social worker?
Turns out, tragically, Jeremiah was not getting the visits, state officials say.
Who's to blame?
The finger pointing, demands for accountability and calls for investigations are reverberating throughout the state.
"This is a deeply concerning case of neglect and abuse," said Olga Roche, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families. The state agency was charged with the responsibility of protecting children from child abuse.
Roche called the situation "a serious failure" and put the blame squarely on the shoulders of the boy's social worker and supervisor, both of whom were quickly fired.
"The social worker assigned to this case did not conduct the required in-person, monthly checks on the family," Roche said in a statement. "And the supervisor failed to enforce that policy."
Neither the social worker nor the supervisor have been named, but their union spokesman says they have been made "convenient scapegoats" at an overwhelmed agency.
"We are disappointed that Commissioner Roche is more interested in finger-pointing than accepting responsibility for yet another tragedy on her watch," said Jason Stephany of the Service Employees International Union Local 509, which represents caseworkers at the Department of Children and Families. "Instead, the Commissioner has chosen a convenient scapegoat to deflect blame from department administrators."
More blame to go around
But Gov. Deval Patrick hinted Friday that they might not be the only two held accountable.
"I've asked the Commissioner to look into the question about whether responsibility goes beyond those two," he said in an appearance on Boston Public Radio. "I have some reason to believe it does."
The last documentation of an interaction with Jeremiah was in May, according to Department of Children and Families spokesman Alec Loftus.
In June, Loftus says the social worker was told that Jeremiah had moved to Florida to live with his grandmother, but never bothered to follow up or verify whether that was the case.
The last time a visit to the home occurred was in November, at which Loftus says the social worker left behind a business card indicating that this would be DCF's final visit.
Just days later, on December 2, Jeremiah's 8-year-old sister disclosed to counselors at her elementary school that her mom's boyfriend, Alberto Sierra, 22, had abused her, according to a police affidavit.
Multiple calls to Sierra's attorney have gone unreturned.
"As a result of those statements" the affidavit continues, "[she] and [another brother that isn't Jeremiah] were removed from the home and taken into protective custody."
When cops asked Elsa Oliver, 28, where her third child Jeremiah was, she told them that he had moved to Florida, a law enforcement source involved in the investigation told CNN.
This time, however, she was going to have to prove it.
Where is Jeremiah?
Oliver went before a state juvenile judge at a hearing on December 13, where she was "observed to have bruises, disheveled hair, and appeared to have been assaulted," according to court documents.
She refused to divulge Jeremiah's whereabouts, according to the source.
The judge ordered her to produce the child within 72 hours. The time passed with no sign of Jeremiah.
Oliver was arrested.
The mother has been charged with two counts of reckless endangerment of a child and two counts of accessory after the fact of a felony (assault and battery with a dangerous weapon), according to a statement from Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early. A plea of not guilty was entered on her behalf.
Those charges may not necessarily pertain to Jeremiah and more details could emerge at a December 24 hearing, a spokesman for the district attorney's office said.
Elsa Oliver's attorney, James Gavin Reardon, wasn't able to elaborate either.
"I met with her for 10 hours and was unable to obtain any significant information" Reardon said, prompting him to seek a mental health evaluation to determine whether she was even competent enough to stand charges.
He says that evaluation is currently underway.
Sierra, meanwhile, is charged with two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and two counts of assault and battery on a child causing bodily injury, according to the district attorney's office said.
A plea of not guilty was also entered on his behalf.
He also has a hearing scheduled for December 24.
For now, authorities are holding out hope that Jeremiah might be out there somewhere, and they're asking anyone who might know anything to call the Massachusetts State Police.

Young Parents Sentenced to 60 Years in Prison for Starving Baby

21-year-old Justin and Brittany Alston were sentenced to 60 years jail time after they were charged with neglecting and abusing their child who they nearly starved to death.

The couple explained to authorities that they didn’t feed their child “because they had better things to do.”

A teen was attending a party at the couple’s home when he heard a faint whimpering coming from the room. He entered the room only to find a severely malnourished baby lying in his own feces and vomit. He immediately called an adult to the home, and baby Riley was immediately rushed to a local hospital.

Close to death, doctors fed the baby through an IV until he was finally able to accept food.

“These parents, I don’t know if they wanted him to die but they were waiting for him to die and I believe if he had they’d have thrown him in the trash,” Hood County District Attorney Robert Christian said.

For the past few months, Riley has been in the care of a foster family.

“The foster mother is not a nurse. All she did was feed this baby,” Christian added. “The only difference between the pictures is a few months and food.”

KIYC: Fair Lawn teacher Bill Scarnaty accused of abusing special needs student

FAIR LAWN - A Fair Lawn High School teacher has been placed on leave while the school district investigates a classroom video that depicts him screaming at a special education student. And a Kane In Your Corner investigation finds this may not be the first time the teacher’s behavior has been an issue.

The video, which has gone viral on YouTube, shows the teacher telling the student, “Shut your mouth. Don't you ever for one second in your life think that you're going to tell me anything. You are my God damned student, you get that? I'm your teacher. Don't ever tell me what to do. You get it now?"

After the student returns to his desk, the teacher tells him to “Go cry to your counselor!”

Fair Lawn Schools superintendent Bruce Watson says, “We deeply regret the actions that took place in the classroom,” and says the teacher has been placed on leave while the district conducts a full investigation. Watson would not release the teacher’s name but News 12 New Jersey has confirmed he is Bill Scarnaty, a teacher and former coach, who also competes in semi-pro bodybuilding.

Some parents tell Kane In Your Corner there have been complaints about Scarnaty’s classroom behavior for years. One parent, who asked not to be identified, says Scarnaty has told his daughter
“to shut up, she asks too many questions and he doesn't want to hear her voice anymore.”

Scarnaty’s behavior may have been the cause of his sudden resignation as Fair Lawn High School’s baseball coach in 2008. Sources within the school district say the resignation came after Scarnaty was accused of kicking a student.

Kane In Your Corner attempted to contact Scarnaty but he has not returned calls.

Arthur Gerald Reid Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking of Children

Michael J. Moore, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, announces that Arthur Gerald Reid, 27, of Macon, Georgia, pled guilty to sex trafficking of children on Monday, December 23, 2013. The defendant’s guilty plea was entered before the Honorable Hugh Lawson, United States District Court Judge, in Macon, Georgia.
In his plea agreement, the defendant admitted that beginning in September 2011 and continuing until February 2013, he prostituted a juvenile victim from various motel rooms in Macon, Georgia, and in Tybee Island, Georgia, through the utilization of backpage.com, an erotic services website. Mr. Reid was physically violent toward this juvenile victim. The defendant was encountered by law enforcement on February 26, 2013, at a Macon, Georgia, motel. In his custody and control was the juvenile victim connected to  Mr. Reid's guilty plea, as well as two additional juvenile victims. Mr. Reid admitted to prostituting these juveniles through the utilization of backpage.com. Hidden within the motel room was a BB gun, which the juveniles believed to be an authentic firearm.
At sentencing, Mr. Reid will be subject to a maximum statutory penalty of life imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years, a fine of $250,000, or both and a term of supervised release of five years up to lifetime supervision. Mr. Reid will also be required to register as a sex offender and will be subject to potential additional prosecution should he fail to register as required by Title 18, United States Code, Section 2250.
“The defendant seized upon the opportunity to exploit these vulnerable victims. All children deserve to be safe from predators like the defendant, and it is the duty of the law to protect them. These three victims are not alone, and my office will continue to vigilantly prosecute any and all who seek to gain from the abuse of children,” said United States Attorney Michael J. Moore.

Isabel Woman Sentenced for Simple Assault of a Minor

United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that an Isabel, South Dakota woman convicted of simple assault of a minor was sentenced on November 25, 2013, by U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno.
Crystal Lee Reeder, a/k/a Crystal Taylor, age 29, was sentenced to six months of probation and a $25 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Reeder was indicted for child abuse by a federal grand jury on June 12, 2013. She pled guilty on September 19, 2013, to simple assault of a minor.
In May 2012, the victim went to Reeder’s home to visit. During the visit, Reeder asked the victim, who was under the age of 16, inappropriate questions and offered alcohol to the victim, which she refused. While the victim was sitting on the couch, Reeder engaged in offensive touching of the victim and a simple assault of the victim’s person.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cheyenne River Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mikal Hanson prosecuted the case.

Former Hudson County Teacher Pleads Guilty to Distributing Images of Child Sexual Abuse Over the Internet

TRENTON, NJ—A former substitute teacher at a private school in Jersey City, New Jersey, today admitted to distributing images of child sexual abuse over the Internet, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Guy West, 45, of Jersey City, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Peter G. Sheridan in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with one count of distribution of child pornography. West was working as a permanent substitute teacher who regularly taught and supervised children between the ages of 2 and 14 at the time of his January 2013 arrest.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made during West’s guilty plea proceeding:
West admitted that on December 18, 2012, he made images and videos of child pornography available that were stored on his home computer for others to download via a peer-to-peer file-sharing network. On that date, an undercover law enforcement agent successfully downloaded 120 images and 24 videos of child sexual abuse from West via the file-sharing network.
As part of his guilty plea, West agreed to forfeit the computers and computer accessories he used to commit the offense.
The count of distributing child pornography to which West pleaded guilty carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for February 4, 2014.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI Newark Division’s Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford in Newark; officers of the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Robert Cowan; and the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Gaetano T. Gregory with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Alfonzo Walsman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office General Crimes Unit in Newark.
Defense counsel: Nace Naumoski Esq., Roseland, N.J.

Parmelee Man Pleads Guilty to Child Abuse

United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that Joseph Morrisette, age 43, of Parmelee, South Dakota, appeared before U.S. District Judge Roberto A. Lange on September 16, 2013, and pled guilty to count one of the indictment that charged him with child abuse.
The maximum penalty upon conviction is 10 years of imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and an additional two years of supervised release upon revocation. Restitution and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund may also be ordered.
The conviction stems from an incident on July 9, 2013, when Morrisette was babysitting several children at his home while he was drinking. He was intoxicated and struck the victim, giving the child a black eye.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Maher prosecuted the case.
Morrisette was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing which has been set for November 26, 2013.

NJ father charged with raping kids; ages 5 and 7

JERSEY CITY — A northern New Jersey father faces sexual assault, child abuse and endangerment charges for allegedly raping his two girls after they were returned to his custody from foster care.

The Jersey Journal reports that the 35-year-old Jersey City resident, whose name is being withheld to protect his daughters’ identities, began raping the girls when one was 5 and the other 7.

The attacks came to light this week after a therapist treating one of the girls notified New Jersey child protective services.

The newspaper cites court documents saying the girls, now 12 and 14, both reported being fondled and raped by their father for years since being returned to his custody from foster homes in 2006.

The father did not speak during a court appearance Thursday in Jersey City.

Shawnee Man to Serve 90 Months in Prison for Abuse of 4-Year-Old in Indian Country

OKLAHOMA CITY—Justin L. Ellis, 26, of Shawnee, Oklahoma, and a tribal member of the Kickapoo Tribe, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Court Judge Stephen Friot to serve 90 months in federal prison for malicious injury of a 4-year-old child on the federal lands held in trust for the Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma, announced Sanford C. Coats, United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma.
According to court records, on November 10, 2012, Ellis, a tribal member of the Kickapoo Tribe, repeatedly burned a 4-year-old child on the buttocks and legs with a lit cigarette on Kickapoo Tribal land in in Pottawatomie County. Ellis pled guilty on June 3, 2013. At sentencing, the court went above the sentencing guidelines of up to 51 months in prison to fashion a 90-month sentence appropriate to the crime. Upon release from prison, Ellis will be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for an additional three years.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Don Gifford, II.

New York Man Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for Possessing Images of Child Sexual Abuse

NEWARK, NJ—A New City, New York man and former employee of a New Jersey country club was sentenced today to 37 months in prison for possessing images on his computer of children being sexually abused, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
John C. Zerega, 55, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty to a one-count information charging him with possession of child pornography. Judge McNulty imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
As early as October 19, 2011, Zerega downloaded videos and images of child pornography on the Internet via peer-to-peer file sharing software. On December 20, 2011, law enforcement officials executed a search warrant at Zerega’s residence and seized his laptop computer, which contained numerous pictures and videos depicting child pornography, including pictures of prepubescent children engaging in sexual activity and being sexually abused.
In addition to the prison term, Judge McNulty sentenced Zerega to 10 years of supervised release and required him to get mental health testing and treatment. Zerega also must register as a sex offender.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI Newark Division’s Cyber Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Special Prosecutions Division.

Milford Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Child Pornography

David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that Rolan Sosa, 36, of Milford, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 60 months of imprisonment for receiving and distributing child pornography. Sosa also was ordered to pay a $20,000 fine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 16, 2011, detectives assigned to the Connecticut Child Exploitation Task Force in New Haven logged into a publicly available Internet file sharing program and downloaded 14 images of child pornography from a shared directory maintained by Sosa.
On December 15, 2011, Sosa was arrested at his residence in Milford. On that date, law enforcement agents also seized Sosa’s laptop computer. Subsequent analysis of the seized computer revealed 110 images and 134 video files of child pornography. Included in his collection of child pornography were images of children under the age of 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Forensic review also revealed that Sosa distributed child pornography images and videos through the file sharing program located on his computer.
Sosa has been detained since his arrest. On October 9, 2012, he pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Connecticut Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Henry Kopel.
The Connecticut Child Exploitation Task Force, which is housed at the main FBI office in New Haven, investigates crimes against children occurring over the Internet and provides computer forensic review services for participating agencies. For more information about the task force, or to report child exploitation crimes, please contact the FBI at 203-777-6311.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.

Rock Rapids Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Child Pornography and Destroying Evidence

A man who distributed child pornography and destroyed evidence pled guilty on February 14, 2013, in federal court in Sioux City.
Lennon Slade, age 27, from Rock Rapids, Iowa, was convicted of one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of destruction of evidence.
At the plea hearing, Slade admitted that, between July 2011 and September 2011, he distributed child pornography. In a plea agreement, he admitted that, when officers were attempting to execute a search warrant at his house, he was inside the house destroying evidence.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Mark W. Bennett will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Slade was taken into custody by the United States Marshals Service after the guilty plea and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Slade faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, $500,000 in fines, $200 in special assessments, and supervised release for five years to life following his imprisonment.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “Resources.”
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 12-4080.