INCEST - Promise Not to Tell

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The Wellhouse - I-20: The Sex Trafficking Superhighway

Video Description:
"Sex trafficking, the forced prostitution of women and girls, is a billion-dollar industry and growing. As shocking as it may seem, it is happening here in America. It is happening in your city, at this very moment. That is why The WellHouse needs your help. By collaborating with law enforcement, we can rescue victims from the sex trade, nurturing and helping them realize their potential. Together, we can change the story of these lives." - The Wellhouse

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UK - Public urged to report images of online child sex abuse

Susie Hargreaves, Chief Executive of IWF, says it is vital for the public to keep reporting any images of child sex abuse they may inadvertently come across online.

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Child Sexual Assault Public Awareness Spot by Kelsey Jones

The best way to prevent sexual abuse is to talk to your kids, teach them about good touch / bad touch and what to do if they are ever touched in a sexual way, and educating them in schools, not mass hysteria and disinformation in order to get voted into office or get money for your organization.

Learn the facts about sex offender re-offense rates and other myths & facts.

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Is Oprah and Lisa Ling glamorizing sexual abuse, torture and pain? You be the judge!

We are not saying they are or aren't, but Oprah has been talking about sexual abuse for years. And now she's coming out with a show on sex, abuse and torture? WTF? Hypocrites comes to mind! I guess sex does sell!

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TX - Female cop (Kellie Helleson) performs cavity search on two women during traffic stop by David Farrell, should be in prison and on the sex offender registry for life! This is sexual assault!

Original Article

12/18/2012

Two Texas women are suing after state troopers subjected them to a humiliating and invasive 'roadside body cavity search' that was caught on video.

Female trooper Kellie Helleson is seen in the footage aggressively searching the private parts of [name withheld], 38, and her niece, [name withheld], 24, in front of passing cars.

The women, who claim the trooper used the same rubber glove for both of them, were initially stopped by Helleson's colleague David Farrell on State Highway 161 near Irving after he saw one of them throw a cigarette butt out the window.
- And if one had a disease, this officer could've spread it to the other. Yeah, I hope they win in court!

Farrell can be heard in the disturbing video questioning the pair about marijuana though he failed to find any evidence of the drug in the vehicle.

However, he requested the women be searched after allegedly claiming they were 'acting weird.'

The lawsuit states he then tried to 'morph this situation into a DWI investigation,' according to the Dallas Morning News.

[name withheld] passed a roadside sobriety test and the women were given warnings for littering.

[name withheld] said Helleson irritated an anal cyst she suffers from during the search, causing her 'severe and continuing pain and discomfort.'

The suit said: '[name withheld] was overwhelmed with emotion and a feeling of helplessness and reacted stating that Helleson had just violated her in a most horrific manner.'

The two women are also suing the director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, Steven McCraw, who they claim ignored previous complaints about 'unlawful strip searches, cavity searches and the like.'

The [name withheld]' lawyer Scott H. Palmer said the shocking incident, which was filmed on one of the trooper's dash-mounted cameras, was a roadside 'sexual assault.'

He said the Texas Rangers investigated his clients' complaints but failed to take any action against the troopers.

'You can see what's happening clearly,' he told the Dallas Morning News of the video. 'No one's ever seen the likes of this. We can't let them get away with it.'

Update:

• Texas officer suspended during investigation into roadside cavity search

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The Invisible War (Rape In The US Military)

Web Site | DVD

Description:
From Oscar®- and Emmy®-nominated filmmaker Kirby Dick (This Film Is Not Yet Rated; Twist of Faith) comes The Invisible War, a groundbreaking investigative documentary about one of America's most shameful and best kept secrets: the epidemic of rape within the U.S. military. The film paints a startling picture of the extent of the problem-today, a female soldier in combat zones is more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire. The Department of Defense estimates there were a staggering 19,000 violent sex crimes in the military in 2010. The Invisible War exposes the epidemic, breaking open one of the most under-reported stories of our generation, to the nation and the world.

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DC - Bill that expands child sex abuse reporting requirements advances

Original Article

11/15/2012

By Tim Craig

Nearly all adults in the District would be held liable if they fail to report suspected child sex abuse under a bill tentatively approved Thursday by the D.C. Council.

The legislation, which comes in the aftermath of the Penn State University sex-abuse scandal, would greatly expand existing city laws requiring mandatory reporting for government workers, teachers and counselors who work closely with children.

After reports surfaced at Penn State that some adults failed to report potential warning signs of abuse by former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, council member Phil Mendelson (D) pushed to broaden reporting laws to cover all but a few exempted adults in the District.

“We are interested in sending a clear message,” said Mendelson, now the council’s chairman, noting that 18 states have similar regulations. “This is a bill that simply establishes a policy, that everyone has to report if they know or have reason to believe a child has been sexually abused.”

But the proposal is prompting some unease about government overreach that would set the stage for a surge in thinly vetted complaints, which could lead to false accusations.

“I think we definitely want to achieve more reporting, but there is definitely some concerns around how [authorities] will handle the level of reports that they will get and potentially false allegations,” said council member Kenyan M. McDuffie (D-Ward 5), a former Prince George’s County assistant state’s attorney. “And does having lots of false allegations have the effect of making it more challenging to prove some of these cases?”

Under the bill, which must be voted on a second time before it goes to Mayor Vincent C. Gray for his signature, anyone 18 or older “with knowledge or reasonable cause” to believe an adult is abusing someone younger than 16 must “immediately” report it to police or Child and Family Services. Violators can be fined $300.

Attorneys and ordained ministers are exempt to protect attorney-client and clergy-penitent privileges. Victims of sex abuse would not be required to report past abuse.

For caregivers, teachers and other government officials covered by existing reporting laws, the bill increases penalties to a $1,000 fine and up to 180 days in jail.

In an interview, Mendelson cautioned that he expects penalties to be rarely enforced. But the legislation comes amid a broader debate about the public’s responsibility to be vigilant of abuse vs. the right to privacy.

Read the entire article here

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PA - Inaugural conference on protecting children opens to sold-out crowd

Original Article

10/29/2012

UNIVERSITY PARK - Despite the rain, Penn State’s first national conference on the topic of child sexual abuse kicked off today (Oct. 29) to a sold-out crowd. The two-day “Child Sexual Abuse Conference: Traumatic Impact, Prevention and Intervention” is being held at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel on the University Park campus.

For the conference, Penn State convened some of the nation’s top experts in child sexual abuse and child trauma research, prevention and treatment for a public forum on this nationwide problem.

Doris MacKenzie, director of the Justice Center for Research at Penn State, and one of the organizers of the conference, opened the conference by introducing Penn State President Rodney Erickson, who spoke about the how the conference, and several other University initiatives to address the problem of child sexual abuse, came to be.

“The origins for this conference go back to one year ago, in the weeks following the release of the Jerry Sandusky grand jury presentment,” said Erickson. “During that time, our thoughts and hearts went out to the victims of these horrific crimes, and as a community we resolved to move forward by using all that is right about Penn State to tackle what is an insidious, hidden and epidemic issue."

“The statistics about child sexual abuse are frighteningly high – one in four girls and one in six boys abused before the age of 18. In 80 percent of the cases the abuse is perpetrated by a family member or trusted friend,” he added. “It deeply saddens and disturbs me to think of these children -- most of whom never tell anyone, even when asked. But that may be starting to change.”

“Child abuse is a tragedy for children, for families and for society, and the time to step up the effort to stop it is now. For our part at Penn State, we believe we can contribute to this effort by doing what we do best; that is teaching, research and service. This conference is one of our many initiatives to serve that end.”

The first presenter of the day was David Finkelhor, director of the Crimes against Children Research Center, co-director of the Family Research Laboratory, professor of sociology, and university professor at the University of New Hampshire. He has been studying the problems of child victimization, child maltreatment, and family violence since 1977 and is considered the foremost expert on childhood victimization, with a special emphasis on childhood sexual abuse. Finkelhor’s presentation is available on WPSU’s YouTube channel.

Original Article

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CA - Bill to protect child actors from sex offenders becomes law

Original Article

Why is another law needed? Aren't the existing laws sufficient?

09/28/2012

By Dawn C. Chmielewski

A bill banning registered sex offenders from representing young talent in California has been signed into law after winning broad support in Hollywood from film studios, actors unions, agents and managers.

The state measure requires screening of acting coaches, managers, photographers and others in the entertainment industry who have unsupervised access to minors. The new law, signed Thursday by Gov. Jerry Brown, sets up a permit process by which these professionals would submit their names and fingerprints to the state labor commissioner to be checked against the national database of registered sex offenders. It takes effect Jan. 1.

“For us, this has been a long time coming,” said Anne Henry, co-founder of the nonprofit advocacy group BizParentz Foundation, which sponsored the bill. “We’ve seen the problem escalate, and we’ve seen more public cases.... We could see that the problem of pedophiles in the entertainment industry wasn’t going to go away. That meant we had to take action to protect our children.”

BizParentz tried unsuccessfully to push similar legislation through in 2006, but that bill never made it out of the state Senate Appropriations Committee amid opposition from some in the entertainment business.

Awareness of child sexual abuse has changed dramatically in the wake of the Penn State scandal that resulted in the conviction of former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky on 45 counts involving 10 boys. The matter struck closer to home when The Times reported last fall that a convicted child molester had been helping cast child actors in mainstream Hollywood movies. Within weeks, another case surfaced: Longtime child talent manager [name withheld] was arrested Nov. 29 on suspicion of child molestation. He pleaded no contest in June to two counts of molestation.

An examination by The Times identified at least a dozen child molestation and child pornography prosecutions since 2000 involving actors, managers, production assistants and others in the industry, based on court documents and published accounts. Advocates and professionals who work with victims of child sexual abuse say predators exploit the glittery allure of Hollywood to prey on aspiring actors or models.

“Instead of blaming the stage parents or blaming the kids for being in the industry, suddenly pedophilia was in their face in the schools and colleges and in Hollywood,” said Henry, whose group conducted a campaign to build support for the bill. “And they realized this was probably more common than anybody thought.”

In February, Assemblywoman Nora Campos (D-San Jose) introduced the bill, AB 1660 (PDF), to provide greater protections for young actors.

The Assn. of Talent Agents and the Talent Managers Assn. wrote letters supporting the bill, as did the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists union, saying that a screening process would improve the safety of child actors.

“The entertainment industry is a unique setting where minors of all ages interact with various people, not knowing if those individuals have been convicted of predatory behavior,” wrote Thomas Carpenter, then chief labor counsel of SAG-AFTRA. “While the recent reports of harmful situations are not the norm, the safety measures set forth [in the bill] will strengthen the tools given to those tasked with protecting children.”

The major film studios also lined up behind the measure through the industry’s trade group, the Motion Picture Assn. of America. The MPAA applauded the governor’s decision to sign the bill into law. The measure passed the state Assembly and Senate in August by wide margins.

“We were all supportive of this from the beginning,” said Vans Stevenson, the MPAA’s senior vice president of state government affairs. “We think it’s important and critical legislation that makes it clear that young actors are protected.”

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FL - State Helps Lauren Book Launch Sex Abuse Prevention Initiative In Schools

Lauren Book

Original Article

If she does it without introducing her own hate into the mix, then we approve, and this should be done across the country. Erin Merryn is another person who has been pushing for this.

09/27/2012

By Sascha Cordner



The state launched a new initiative Thursday that educates elementary school about sex abuse prevention. The effort is inspired by sexual abuse survivor Lauren Book, who’s also the creator of the new program called “Safer, Smarter Kids.”

In a kindergarten classroom of Tallahassee’s Apalachee Tapestry Magnet School of Arts, Lauren Book read a book called “Do You Have A Secret?” As she was reading, she continually asked the kids questions as part of the “Safer, Smarter Kids” curriculum.

“Do you think it’s okay to keep an unsafe secret if someone asks you too," asked Book.

"No," replied the kids.

"Louder, I can’t hear you," exclaimed Book.

"Nooo," screamed the kids.

"Very Good," Book told the kids. "It is not okay for somebody who has done something that they’re not supposed to do to tell you to keep that secret.”

Lauren Book is a sexual abuse survivor, who was abused by her nanny for six years when she was a child. She and her father now run “Lauren’s Kids,” a group that aims to educate adults and kids about sexual abuse. But, Book says she didn’t want to stop there, and unveiled her new initiative that educates elementary school kids statewide about child abuse prevention in six, 30-minute lessons:

“They learn things like their safety stop sign, which gives them five or more seconds to stop and think about a situation makes them feel. They talk about their TFA, which is ‘Think, Feel, and Act.’ What do they think about a situation, how does it make them feel, and how are they going to act upon that? We do address the difference between safe touch and unsafe touch. And, we do that from a place of fun, not fear," said Lauren.

"And, we go over strangers! 90-percent of the time children are abused by someone they know, they love and they trust, and a lot of times, kids think it’s somebody wearing black, with messy hair, a bad nose, that has a gun, a knife, or a sword, who’s about to kidnap them.”

Both sides of the aisle worked together in the 2011 Florida Legislature to make sure Book's initiative got funding. Democratic Senator Bill Montford says as a result of Book’s lobbying efforts, her initiative was able to get off the ground of Florida.

“When you can get the Florida Legislature to put out millions of dollars for a program that has this much of an impact and do it so quickly, you know it’s a good program," remarked Montford. "I have four grandchildren, got another one on the way, October 29th, and I’m so glad that they will have the opportunity to go through this program themselves. So, as a grandfather, as a legislator, as a senator, I fully embrace this effort.”

Book was joined by other lawmakers, like Representatives Alan Williams and Michelle Rehwinkel-Vasilinda as well as the state’s Department of Children and Families Secretary David Wilkins and Superintendent of Leon County Jackie Pons Schools in launching the effort.

See Also:

• Nation’s Toughest Child Sex Abuse Reporting Law Takes Effect Today in Florida

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Protecting yourself and your children from sexual assault

Original Article

09/17/2012

By Amanda Edwards

There are tools women have been taught since childhood to stay safe from sexual assault. We do these things without even thinking about it in an effort to reduce our risk of becoming a victim. However, in this new age of technology, there are new tips we can use and strategies we can teach our children to reduce the risk of sexual assault.

According to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN), one in every six women in the United States will be the victim of a completed or attempted rape in their lifetime.

How to protect ourselves from sexual assault:

• Don’t share too much information on the internet whether it is selling something on a classified page or checking in via social media, the entire world wide web does not need to know where you are and what you’re doing all the time.
• Park under the light in the parking lot and carry keys like a weapon, sticking out between fingers.
• Make eye contact with individuals who cross your path instead of looking down or texting on your phone (this one is new as cell phone use has increased and we often walk and talk or text.)

We can protect our children too:

• Teach children to never disclose their personal information to strangers (this includes on the internet) and warn them of possible consequences of oversharing.
• Explain that your child should not be afraid to report any adult contact that makes them feel uncomfortable or scared.
• Instill a sense of self-confidence and respect for self in your children. Targets for sexual assault are often kids who seem weak and insecure, needing love or approval from an adult.
• Never leave them unattended.
• Teach them to use their phones appropriately and to never be distracted by their phone when alone in their community.
• Get to know their teachers and coaches.
• Teach children to say “no” and to use stranger awareness skills.
• Do your best to keep them in your direct care and supervision as much as possible since up to 90 percent of child molestation cases are perpetrated by someone they know.

Women and children are most often the victims of sexual assault (although men are victims of rape too and can use these same prevention strategies) and the internet has only increased our risk of being victimized.

While most internet use is safe, it’s important to remember to value your (and your family’s) privacy in the interest of self-preservation. And, as always, be aware of your surroundings and teach children to respect themselves so much that they’d never be dreamed of as a target for a perpetrator they may already know.

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How survivors can speak out for prevention (In a positive manner)

Excellent video, and it's good to hear something positive instead of the usual hate and harassment ex-offenders experience by a majority of the population!

Video Link | Stop It Now!

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Unstructured Therapeutic Disclosure - Treating Psychosexual Trauma Disorder

* * * WARNING * * *

This film contains the testimonies of survivors of child abuse. It may cause distress.


Video Link | Web Site

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KS - Abuse of inmates is ‘rampant’ at Kansas women’s prison

Original Article

09/06/2012

By JOHN HANNA

TOPEKA - Sexual misconduct and abuse of inmates at Kansas’ prison for women is “rampant throughout the facility” and persisted even as federal officials investigated problems there, according to a U.S. Justice Department report released Thursday.
- So ask yourself this, if it's rampant, which we believe it is for all states, why are we not seeing in the news where tons of officers/guards are being arrested and put on the sex offender registry?  Are they being protected?  We think so!

The department’s Civil Rights Division concluded that Kansas failed to deal adequately with problems at the Topeka Correctional Facility after the National Institute of Corrections recommended more than two dozen changes in January 2010 and the prison’s top administrator was reassigned.

The report also cited a shortage of female officers and said the prison’s policies and staffing are inadequate.

The Justice Department launched its investigation in April 2011. The findings were reported to Gov. Sam Brownback in a letter Thursday from Thomas Perez, the assistant U.S. attorney general for civil rights.

The letter warned that U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder could file a lawsuit if the department does not believe Kansas is properly resolving the problems by late October.

“We conclude that TCF fails to protect women prisoners from harm due to sexual abuse and misconduct from correctional staff and other prisoners in violation of their constitutional rights,” Perez said in his letter. “The women at TCF universally fear for their own safety.”

Department of Corrections spokesman Jeremy Barclay said the agency is reviewing the Justice Department’s report and would comment later.

In 2010, the state increased the penalties for staff having sex with inmates, requiring prison time. Corrections Secretary Ray Roberts conducted an internal investigation after Brownback appointed him and in April 2011 announced that 100 new security cameras and new policies had been put in place.
- What about being placed on the sex offender registry for life, like everyone else?

In June, Brownback and legislative leaders agreed to have the state pay $30,000 to a former Topeka Correctional Facility inmate who was forced by an officer into having sex in 2008. The officer had pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual relations and was placed on probation.
- Was he/she also placed on the sex offender registry for life and fired?  Probably not!

The Justice Department letter lists 21 steps it expects the Department of Corrections and the prison to take. They included enforcing a “zero tolerance” policy against sexual abuse and a policy to prevent any employee, contractor or volunteer suspected of sexual misconduct from having contact with inmates until an investigation is completed.
- So you say sexual abuse, but what about consensual sex?  Are you saying that is okay?

Potential problems at the prison were highlighted by the Topeka Capital-Journal in a series of stories in 2009. The newspaper reported that inmates and staff said as many as one-third of the prison’s 250 employees had been involved with an illegal black market that included exchanging drugs for sex with female inmates.

As of Wednesday, the prison housed 684 inmates.

“They live in a highly charged sexual environment with repeated and open sexual behavior, including sexual relations between staff and prisoners and non-consensual sexual conduct between the female prisoners, open and notorious sex parties, and public nudity,” Perez’s letter said.
- All of which should be banned and anyone who does this, should be convicted of a sex crime and put on the registry like everyone else.

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AL - DOJ Looking Into Ala. Prison Sex Abuse Claims

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TX - Grandfather describes beating death as an accident

Original Article

06/11/2012

By Sonny Long

The grandfather of the 4-year-old girl whose father beat a man to death said Monday that his son was sorry the man died.

"My son. Sorry," the grandfather said in broken English Monday afternoon yards from where the incident took place Saturday off Lavaca County Road 302. "It was an accident."

The father told law enforcement that he caught the man molesting his daughter and tried to physically stop him.

Lavaca County Sheriff Micah Harmon said the father expressed regret after the beating occurred.

"He was very remorseful. I don't think it was his intent for the man to die," Harmon said.

The incident took place through a metal gate, down a rut-filled - almost gully-filled drive in a pasture behind a barn where the father was tending to horses, Harmon said.

No charges have been filed in the case and neither the father nor the 47-year-old man who died has been identified by law enforcement.

"We are still having trouble locating the deceased's next of kin," the sheriff said. "The chief deputy has been in Gonzales running down some leads, but his family may end up being from out of the country."

Across the county road from where the beating took place, a neighbor said the family who owns the property are "good people."

"They have horses and chickens over there and come out every day to feed and water them," said the neighbor. "They are good people, good hard-working people."

District Attorney Heather McMinn said that once the investigation is complete and turned over to her office, she will present it to a grand jury.

Video Link

Our comments on the video below:
So Nancy, you are an ex-lawyer right, who is suppose to look at all evidence before jumping to conclusions, right? So since this man is dead, he'll never be able to tell his side of the story and you just assume what the father says is true? Come on, remember what you were taught? So the message I see here is, if you want to kill someone, just accuse them of molesting your child, kill them so they cannot speak, then you will be made out to be a hero! That is just pathetic and not what the "justice" system is suppose to be about. I can understand beating the man a couple times, but enough times to kill him? I believe this is involuntary man-slaughter and the father should be punished for it. We cannot have vigilantes running around doing as they wish, but that's not what I get from Nancy's comments!

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Court video of 911 call

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GA - Child Abuse Reporting Laws Changing in Georgia

Why is this only for those who work with children and not everyone in the public? Anybody who suspects child abuse should report it! Also, you mention those who work at colleges as well. Aren't people who go to colleges adults?

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Invisible War (Trailer)

I have no doubt that people are being sexually abused in the military, but "500,000" sounds like one of those magical Goldilock numbers to us, not too much, not too less.

Video Description:
In this devastating exposé of injustice, Academy Award-nominated documentarian Kirby Dick uncovers the epidemic of sexual abuse that pervades America's military system, in which over 500,000 US soldiers have been victimized.

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Childhood Sexual Abuse... you can overcome victimization

Our Comments Left On The Video:
Children are not educated on the dangers of the world, or what to do when sexual abuse is occurring, who to talk to, how to fight back, etc. Until we do that, and stop showing bogus "statistics" that are not true to instill fear in the people, nothing will be solved. The truth and education is the key, IMO.

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