teenagers

Published on: November 1, 2018

Orange County Man Accused of Pimping Teens

During an undercover investigation, the authorities have come to suspect a citizen of Orange County of attempting to partake in acts of human trafficking with two girls that the man believed were teenagers.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department, while conducting an investigation, made a mock Facebook account that appeared as if it was the profile of a 16-year-old girl.

On October 19, someone online who appeared to be a man messaged the fake account. A conversation began leading to an alleged offer for the imposter teenager to work in the sex trade with the man serving as her pimp. The investigator reportedly played along and said that she had a friend who was 15 and that they were both working as prostitutes with a current pimp.

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Published on: September 17, 2018

Dad Gave Teens a Lift to the Park for Sex

by Staycie R. Sena

The father of a teen boy is facing charges after driving his son and an underage girl to the park where the teenagers reportedly engaged in sexual activity.

On Sunday night around 11:40 pm, an officer noticed a Toyota in a parking space at McChesney Park. When he went up to the man sitting in the driver’s seat to find out why he was at the location after hours the man reportedly said that he had given his 15-year-old son and a 15-year-old girl a ride to the park.

The officer reported that he asked why the man, identified as 53-year-old Laurence Mitchell, would take his son and the girl to a park in the middle of the night. Mitchell allegedly said that he believed they were just being teenagers and doing “what kids do,” and that they were not causing any trouble.

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Published on: December 16, 2017

Two Teenagers Arrested for Costly Mischief from Church Break In

by Staycie R. Sena

On Wednesday in Seymour, IN, two teenagers were arrested as the suspects of an incident involving a church that was broken into and desecrated in November.

18-year-old Shawn Battice and a 16-year-old unnamed adolescent allegedly used the double doors in the back of the Seymour First Presbyterian Church to illegally enter the building in the early morning hours of November 24. They stole the money out of a collection box in the basement, and then located five fire extinguishers which were affixed throughout the church. The pair discharged the extinguishers into the basement, youth recreation room, sanctuary and choir room, covering the organ, furniture and pianos with the contents, according to Seymour Police Department Detective Sgt. C.J. Foster. A church trustee reported that the total damage caused was assessed at nearly $10,000.

An official investigation led authorities to the teenagers, and they were taken into custody on Wednesday evening. When Battice was interviewed by detectives he said that he and the 16-year-old did in fact enter the church without consent, and that they stole money and used the fire extinguishers to cause the damage.

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Published on: October 30, 2017

Pastor Assaults Teenagers while Posing as Police Officer

by Staycie R. Sena

A pastor from Bridges of Hope Community Church in Minnesota witnessed a couple of teenagers shoplifting snacks from a local grocery store. The way in which he attempt to intervene has earmed him accusations of impersonating a police officer, using pepper spray and becoming physically aggressive with the victims.

Abraam Rodriguez and his cousin went to the store on September 4, and his cousin was seen stealing cereal and fruit snacks worth approximately $10. The man who witnessed them leave the store without paying for the items was identified as Keith Douglas Haskell, the pastor of a church in Owatonna, MN.

Haskell decided to follow the teens to the parking lot and tried to record their license plate number unsuccessfully. He then allegedly continued to pursue them after they pulled away in their SUV.

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