3/7/14: Today’s Round-up of Child Sex Abuse in the News

LOCAL

Richmond, CA – Teacher arrested, held on sexual abuse allegations
A Northern California elementary school teacher has been arrested on suspicion of sexually abusing students.  Richmond police took Ron Guinto into custody on Wednesday. He faces multiple charges including lewd acts on a child under 14, oral copulation and assault to commit sodomy.  Read more here:

NATIONAL

New York, NY – Former pastor accused of molesting teen at two York churches
Efforts are underway to extradite a former pastor from North Carolina to face charges of sexually assaulting a young girl at two York churches. Police have issued warrants for Cory Dean Moses, 38, of Charlotte, who was a pastor of New Mount Zion Church on U.S. 321 and at Redeemed Christian Ministries on Ross Cannon Street at the time of the incidents. Moses is a registered sex offender in North Carolina. Read more here:

Winston-Salem, NC – Registered sex offender charged with molesting boy
A registered sex offender has been charged with sexually molesting a 7-year-old boy left in his care on New Year’s Eve, court records show. John Frederic Sabbaghrabaiotti, 45, of Mount Pleasant Drive was charged with two counts of sexual offense with a child, one count of taking indecent liberties with a child and felony sex offender-employment violation, arrest warrants say.  Read more here:

Newburgh, NY – Town of Newburgh woman charged with sexually abusing 12-year-old boy
A town woman was arrested Tuesday for sexually abusing a 12-year-old boy at her residence.  Loveina Lockett, 55, was charged with first-degree sexual abuse, a felony, and endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor.  State police said an investigation by the Orange County Child Abuse Unit was prompted by a call to the New York State Child Abuse Hotline which claimed that Lockett sexually abused the boy, who is a relative.  Read more here:

Rockledge, FL – Longtime member accused of molesting children at Rockledge church
Rockledge police said a longtime church member molested two children at the Faith Life Outreach Christian Kathedral on Dixie Lane.  Anthony Berch, 20, who has attended Faith Life Outreach since childhood, is now accused of abusing two children there. A 12-year-old said Berch approached him in February in the church sound room and tried to force him to perform a sex act. When the boy refused, he said Berch threatened him with a screwdriver.  Read more here:

Orlando, FL – Homeless man molested boy at school bus stop, OPD says
A 29-year-old homeless man is in custody after he was accused of molesting an 11-year-old boy at a school bus stop in Orlando on Tuesday.  The suspect, Kyle Yearby, allegedly told a witness “he was not going to jail because he was allowed to be with” the boy, an arrest report said. Read more here:

Willmar, MN – Former pro wrestler takes stand at trial, denies molestation
The 62-year-old Cyrus man accused of molesting a close female relative denied the allegations Tuesday when he testified in his own defense.  Eugene “Buck” Zumhofe took the stand in his criminal sexual conduct trial Tuesday afternoon and denied any sexual involvement with the young woman, now 29.  Read more here:

Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN – Appeals court: Archbishop must testify in clergy abuse lawsuit
Archbishop John Nienstedt must testify under oath about the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ response to child sex abuse charges against local priests, the state Appeals Court affirmed Wednesday.  The Minnesota Court of Appeals refused to consider an appeal by the archdiocese and the Diocese of Winona, which were ordered by a court in February to make Nienstedt and a former vicar general, the Rev. Kevin McDonough, testify under oath about abuse complaints. Read more here:

Powder Springs, GA – Powder Springs teen accused of molesting classmate at school
A Powder Springs teenager has been charged with misdemeanor aggravated child molestation after he was accused of molesting a classmate at school.  Police say Lee Eddie Anderson forced a sexual act on a 15-year-old girl in a secluded classroom at McEachern High School.  Read more here:

Thomasville, GA – Program brings topic of sex abuse to classrooms
Experts say 90% of children who are victims of sexual abuse know their abuser and 60% are abused by a relative or trusted family friend. School leaders in Thomasville city schools are working to protect kids from the horror of abuse. The Thomasville school system is working to prevent child abuse. They’ve got everyone from teachers to custodians on board..  Read more here:

West Bradford Township, PA – Ex-foster parent gets 20 to 40 years in prison
For years, Leroy Mitchell, a respected member of the community molested various children in his care – until one “very courageous 10-year-old girl” broke the cycle, not only reporting the abuse but also agreeing to call the perpetrator, who apologized while police were listening, the prosecutor said.  Read more here:

Salem, OR – Hearing postponed for massage therapist accused of inappropriate touching
A local massage therapist accused by at least six people of inappropriate touching and sexual abuse appeared briefly in court Wednesday morning for what was to be a plea hearing.  Bryce Cioffi, 23, of Turner, has made bail since his last court appearance in late February and appeared out of custody. He faces multiple counts of sexual abuse and invasion of privacy. Read more here:

New York, NY – Brooklyn School Officials Failed To Report Repeated Sexual Assault Of 11-Year-Old Girl
An assistant principal and a guidance counselor at a Brooklyn public school are under fire this week after an investigation determined they mishandled an 11-year-old girl’s allegations that she was being sexually abused by fellow students.  Read more here:

Elizabeth, WV – Former coach, teacher pleads to sexual abuse
A former Wirt County teacher and coach has pled to charges he had an inappropriate relationship with a student.  Lijiah Heiney, 36, entered the plea Tuesday in Wirt County Magistrate Court. The court will return to session May 14 to rule on whether it will accept the plea agreement and deliver sentencing.  In July of last year, Heiney was charged with six felony counts of sexual abuse by a person of trust.  Read more here:

Annapolis, MD – House committee removes age gap from sex abuse bill
Maryland lawmakers have removed a controversial provision from a bill that further restricts adults from having sexual conduct with students. Sen. Jamie B. Raskin (D-Dist. 20) of Takoma Park has proposed a bill to close a loophole that currently lets part-time employees and coaches, substitute teachers and volunteers escape prosecution for sexual conduct with a minor.  Read more here:

Grand Prairie, TX – House committee removes age gap from sex abuse bill
A Grand Prairie man has been sentenced to 60 years in prison for repeatedly sexually assaulting a 12-year-old relative.  Timothy Earl Wesley was convicted of continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14 Wednesday. State district Judge Louis Sturns sentenced him to the term, which carries no possibility of parole, according to the Tarrant County district attorney’s office.  Read more here:

Norwalk, CT – Norwalk Man Convicted Of Sexual Assault Of Teen Relative
A 51-year-old Norwalk man faces up to 60 years in prison after being found guilty of repeatedly sexually assaulting a relative.  Fernando Victorino sexually abused a female relative over a five-year period, the Hour said. The victim reported the abuse in 2011 when she was 17, according to the article.  Read more here:

South Barrington, IL – Former church volunteer indicted in alleged child sex assault
A former Willow Creek Church volunteer who admitted to sexually abusing a boy at the church was indicted today in a separate alleged child sexual assault.  Robert Sobczak, 20, is accused of criminal sexual assault of a teenage relative who has a development disability, according to court records. Sobczak is accused of forcing the boy to perform a sex act at a home in Schaumburg where the two were attending a birthday party.  Read more here:

Pleasant Gap, PA – Pleasant Gap man charged with 1,278 counts of child sex abuse waives hearing
A Pleasant Gap man charged with more than 1,000 counts of child sexual abuse waived his appearance in court this week.  Eric Todd Crader, 33, was in the Centre County Courthouse on Wednesday, but not for his scheduled preliminary hearing. He met with his new attorney, Richard Settgast.  Read more here:

INTERNATIONAL

Dehradun, India – 25-year-old man arrested for ‘molesting’ college girl on WhatsApp
The Uttarakhand police on Monday night arrested a 25-year-old man for “molesting” a college girl from Haldwani by sending her obscene photographs and messages on the popular instant messaging service, WhatsApp.  Read more here:

Markethill, Ireland – Paedophile scout leader given longer sentence
Paedophile former scout leader Colin Finnegan has been handed an extra two years in jail after his sentence for child abuse was ruled to be too lenient.  The child molester from Co Armagh was ordered to serve 13 years in prison by the Court of Appeal.  Finnegan was convicted of 58 sex crimes last year and was originally sentenced to 11 years in jail.  Read more here:

Sydney, Austalia – A Catholic priest has been charged with child abuse allegedly committed at a church-run Bathurst high school in the 1970s and 1980s
The 61-year-old is the eleventh priest or former priest to be charged over historic child abuse at the St Stanislaus secondary college dating back to 1960.  He was arrested at his northern Sydney home on Tuesday and charged with 14 counts of aggravated indecent assault, police said.  It’s alleged he abused two boys at the church-run school between 1975 and 1982. Read more here: