PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A judge in Pennsylvania dismissed the last of five sex-abuse lawsuits filed against the Emmy-winning puppeteer who voiced the “Sesame Street” character Elmo. The ruling did not weigh the merits of the claims but said 25-year-old accuser Sheldon Stephens filed suit too late against actor Kevin Clash. Stephens accused Clash, now 53, […]
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — An Alabama man accused of going on a shooting spree in a rural community was charged Monday with killing the man who molested his daughter more than a decade ago and trying to kill a stepdaughter’s boyfriend. Sheriff’s officials in Cullman County, located about 50 miles north of Birmingham, said the […]
AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — A Maine man charged with killing and dismembering his father was ordered Thursday to undergo a mental health evaluation at a court appearance that ended with him declaring himself “the Lord, Father of life” and asking the gathered media to follow him on Twitter. Leroy Smith III, 24, told an investigator […]
Former Elmo voice actor Kevin Clash gained a legal victory in court as the United States Court of Appeals dismissed three sexual abuse lawsuits against him. The dismissals, which occurred this month, involve alleged victims Cecil Singleton, Kevin Kiadii and a man identified only by the initials “S.M.” The men claim Clash sexually abused them […]
WASHINGTON (AP) — The government says 1 in 10 youths at juvenile detention facilities around the country reported having been sexually victimized by staff or by other youths. The study by the Bureau of Justice Statistics found that among the more than 1,300 youths who reported victimization by adult staff, 9 out of 10 were […]
WASHINGTON (AP) — Military leaders said Tuesday that sexual assault in the ranks is “like a cancer” that could destroy the force, but they expressed serious concerns about far-reaching congressional efforts to strip commanders of some authority in meting out justice. Seated side-by-side at a long witness table, Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the […]
SELMA, Ala. (AP) — A Selma high school teacher has been arrested on sex crime charges after authorities say she had inappropriate relationships with two students. The Selma Times-Journal reports LaTengela Williams, a health teacher at Selma High School, was jailed Friday with bond set at more than $1 million. District Attorney Michael Jackson says […]
FREEPORT, N.Y. (AP) — A Long Island middle school principal has been arrested on charges he had sex with a teenager he met online. Newsday reports J.W. Dodd Middle School principal John O’Mard was arraigned Wednesday after being arrested on criminal sexual act charges. He faces up to four years in prison if convicted. Police […]
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles will pay nearly $10 million to settle four cases alleging abuse by a now-defrocked priest who told Cardinal Roger Mahony nearly 30 years ago he had molested children, attorneys confirmed Tuesday. The cases involving ex-priest Michael Baker span 26 years from 1974 to 2000. Two were set for […]
