Articles Posted in Child Abuse

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A man who was charged with child endangerment and abuse for allegedly chaining his 7 year old son to a bed while he went to work was sentenced to 30 days in jail and 30 days of house arrest.

The father reportedly said he couldn’t afford childcare services while he went to work and didn’t want his son running around the neighborhood. Although the child was not injured by the heavy chain that was secured to his ankle, and the boy had access to water, snacks, and the bathroom, the prosecutor said the father’s actions “absolutely rose to the level of child abuse” according to the Herald Journal.

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Kevin Reilly has served his prison sentences, has paid $6,000 to voluntarily be castrated, and spent more than 10 years in treatment at state mental hospitals. He claims he is no longer a threat to society.

Deputy District Attorney Michael Carroll said that Reilly was charged with molesting six girls between the ages of 4 to 8. He served three prison sentences and was incarcerated at a state mental hospital 14 years ago. Carroll added that “despite the castration, he still has sexual thoughts about prepubescent girls.”

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A mom dropped off her one-year old child at her grandmother’s house at 8 a.m. on a Wednesday morning. She later attempted to contact the grandmother by phone at about 10 p.m. the same night but was unable to reach her. Fearing for the woman’s safety, the concerned daughter called police, who entered the apartment at about 1 a.m. to allegedly find the house empty, with the small child unsupervised, sleeping on the couch.

About fifteen minutes later, the grandmother returned home and reportedly told police she was “sitting on a wall drinking with a friend.” She supposedly returned to her apartment because she saw police and flashing lights around her apartment and thought, “they must be here for me.”

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An Idaho woman recently purchased alcohol for a teenage boy living in her house who was having a birthday, according to investigators. One of the guests at the party was a 14 year old girl who ended up drinking multiple shots of the alcohol and lost consciousness.

Some of the other teens at the party notified the woman of the young girl’s condition. According to reports, instead of calling 911 to report the incident, the woman instead hooked the girl up to an IV drip, administering approximately half a liter of fluid into her veins. She allegedly did not only fail to contact paramedics, but also failed to notify the girl’s parents of the incident as well.

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What to do when Social Services has been called—

You and your husband were arguing the other night. Neighbors called the police. The police told you that they had to arrest one of you and he chose you. You’ve bailed out of jail, you’ve contacted an experienced Orange County domestic violence or criminal defense attorney,  you are prepared for court and then you come home and there it is out of left field- a business card left on your door from the Department of Child and Family Services with a note that you must call a social worker. You call as instructed and are told that “your social worker” needs to investigate “your case.”

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In February, Joe Hundley was aboard a flight from Minneapolis to Atlanta to pay a final visit to his brain-dead son in the hospital and take him off of life support. He had not slept the previous night and was consuming alcohol as a method of coping with the pain and stress of the situation.

He was seated next to Jessica Bennett, who was holding her 19-month old son on her lap. When the flight made its final descent to Atlanta, Bennett’s son began crying. Hundley became agitated and allegedly leaned over to Bennett and told her to “shut that (N-word) baby up.” He repeated the phrase to Bennett before reportedly slapping the child on the face, leaving a scratch below his right eye.

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Police were contacted in February, 2011 about a foul animal odor coming from a house on their street. Officers arrived to the overpowering smell of urine and feces. Besides the floor and other surfaces soaked with cat urine and droppings, the house was infested with both fleas and flies.

The officers entered the home wearing masks, but had to leave upon feeling ill and returned with full hazmat body suits and respirators. They found two children in the home, one who used a couch as a bed, with at least one child having scratches on her arms and legs. Two adults had cat feces on their feet as a result of walking barefoot in the home.

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In 2011, Elizabeth Escalona, a 23-year old mother of five, allegedly attacked 2-year old daughter Jocelyn due to potty training problems. She kicked her in stomach, beat her with a milk jug, and glued her hands to an apartment wall with super glue, according to information brought at trial.

Jocelyn suffered brain bleeding, a fractured rib, bruises, and bite marks, according to doctor’s testimony. Some skin had been torn off her hands as a result of the glue. Glue residue was found on her hands, along with paint chips from the apartment wall. The girl was left in a coma for several days following her injuries. Jocelyn and her four siblings are now living in the protective care of their grandmother.

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When a person is convicted of a sex crime, he or she is often required to register with that state’s sex offender registry. This registry is often made public and includes details of the individual’s crime(s), physical characteristics, and street address. Megan’s Law, as this is referred to, was enacted in response to the 1994 murder of 7-year old Megan Kanka. She was raped and murdered by a convicted sex offender who moved into a house across the street from the family without their knowledge.

Sex offender registration in many states is mandatory, and inclusion on the list often restricts an individual’s ability to obtain gainful employment, especially in professions involving children. Beyond that, cities impose their own ordinances regarding activities banned from sex offenders. In Orange County, sex offenders are banned from surfing at the Huntington Beach pier, fishing in Dana Point harbor, and accessing public parks in Mission Viejo. In Ventura suburb Simi Valley, an ordinance has been established prohibiting sex offenders from decorating their homes and giving away candy on Halloween.

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The Orange County register reports that a Laguna Niguel resident was arrested for drinking and having sex with her son’s underage friends since 2005. The woman, a 45-year old mother of three, is reportedly a “hockey mom” who allegedly met some of her son’s teammates during a sleepover at her home.

When interviewed by sheriff’s detectives, the woman first denied the allegations, but finally admitted to having sex with the older boy. She insists that she thought the older of the two boys was 18, like her son. He turned out to be 16. The woman’s Orange County criminal defense attorney insisted that she was going through a tumultuous divorce at the time, but that she wasn’t pursuing the boy. He also stated that the woman rebuffed the advances of the younger 13-year old.

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