Tag: child abuse

Serial pedophile to be surgically castrated in American first law after raping seven-year-old girl

A serial pedophile has agreed to be castrated as part of a plea deal after he was caught trying to sexually assault a seven-year-old girl. 

Thomas Allen McCartney, 37, is classified a ‘Tier Three’ offender and is considered one of Louisiana‘s worst child predators.

McCartney has agreed to be both physically and chemically castrated as part of plea deal Tuesday in order to reduce his prison sentence – although he’ll still spend 40 years in prison, according to local station Fox 12. 

Louisiana is the first and only state to allow surgical castration to be used as a punishment for sex crimes.

The law only came into force at the beginning of the August – and his case is likely to one of the first times it’s been applied by a court.

The southern state has allowed chemical castration as a punishment for certain sex crimes since 2008. 

Louisiana judges can offer the procedure in certain extreme cases of sex abuse, with offenders who refused given an additional three to five years in jail.  

The option was presented to the Leesville resident after a mother caught him sexually abusing her daughter in February 2023, reported KPLC-TV.

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Senior Israeli Official Arrested In Vegas Pedophile Sting Is Released – And Flies Home

It looks like America’s “special relationship” with Israel may have paid off big for an alleged pedophile: A senior official in Israel’s cybersecurity agency was arrested in Las Vegas for allegedly attempting to use the internet to lure a child into sexual abuse, only to be released on bond and somehow allowed to go back to Israel. There’s no indication he was covered by diplomatic immunity. 

Tom Alexandrovich, who helps guide his country’s cybersecurity policy, was representing Israel at Black Hat USA, a professional conference in Las Vegas, when he was one of seven people swept up in a major, multi-agency sting operation earlier this month that targeted people seeking sex acts with minors. According to court records, on Aug 6, the 38-year-old Alexandrovich allegedly committed the felony offense of using computer technology in an attempt to lure a child into sexual abuse. That particular crime encompasses children under 16. The next day, he posted a $10,000 bond at the Henderson Detention Center. 

As the news broke, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reflexively denied Alexandrovich had done anything wrong, claiming that “the employee, who does not hold a diplomatic visa, was not arrested and returned to Israel as scheduled.” Subsequently confronted with court records, Israel’s Cyber Directorate said the earlier false statement “was accurate based on the information provided to us,” and that Alexandrovich is now on leave “by mutual decision.” 

It’s not clear why or how he was allowed to return to Israel, which has a reputation as a haven for pedophiles who prey on American children. Citing a Jewish watchdog group, a 2020 CBS News report found that, in just the previous six years, more than 60 Jewish Americans who’d been accused of pedophilia had fled to Israel, taking advantage of Israel’s “Right of Return” law that lets any Jew in the world enjoy instant citizenship. Though these individuals — who include both suspects and convicts — are technically subject to extradition to the United States, Israeli police have been accused of assigning low priority to these cases and — perhaps because of that — US agencies are accused of failing to aggressively pursue extradition.

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Illinois State Police Trooper Charged for Allegedly Possessing, Distributing Child Porn

A state police trooper in Deerfield, Illinois, is facing child pornography charges linked to the app known as Kik.

The suspect is identified as 38-year-old Illinois State Police Trooper Colin Gruenke, the Lake and McHenry County Scanner reported on Friday.

“A criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois said an investigation began last year after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a report of the social networking platform Kik,” the article said.

Kik alerted authorities when it appeared someone was using a profile on the platform to upload and distribute files of child porn in September. Not long after the first tip was issued, Kik said another account was uploading and distributing files containing that form of material.

When those accounts were linked to the suspect and his home address, search warrants allowed officials to search the man and his residence.

“Agents conducted the search warrant for Gruenke at the Illinois State Police headquarters in Des Plaines on Wednesday and then conducted the warrant for the residence at his home shortly after,” the Scanner report said.

According to CBS News, the agents found evidence of deleted child porn on the cellphone he was holding at the time, and some of the images were reportedly of children whose ages were around four years old.

“Agents also executed a search warrant at his home, where they found a flash drive containing approximately 200 videos of child pornography, including numerous videos showing children being sexually abused by adults, including children as young as 10,” the CBS article read.

Gruenke, who was arrested Wednesday and placed on administrative leave without pay, is now the subject of an internal investigation by state police and is being held in custody.

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Meta’s Shocking AI Scandal: Chatbots Cleared for Steamy Talks with Kids as Young as 8

Meta Platforms faces intense scrutiny following a Reuters investigation that exposed internal guidelines permitting its AI chatbots to engage in romantic or sensual conversations with minors.

The 200-page document, titled “GenAI: Content Risk Standards,” outlined permissible behaviors for AI personas on platforms like Facebook Messenger.

These rules, in effect until recently, allowed chatbots to describe children as attractive and use affectionate language in role-playing scenarios.

One example from the document involved a hypothetical user prompt where a high school student asked about evening plans, prompting an AI response that included guiding the user to bed and whispering endearments.

Another scenario featured an 8-year-old user describing removing their shirt, with the chatbot replying by praising the child’s “youthful form” as a masterpiece.

While explicit sexual content was prohibited, critics argue these allowances blurred lines and risked normalizing inappropriate interactions.

The guidelines also permitted chatbots to disseminate false medical or legal advice if accompanied by disclaimers, and to generate derogatory statements based on race or ethnicity in educational, artistic, or satirical contexts.

Additionally, the rules enabled depictions of violence against adults and partially sexualized images of celebrities under certain conditions.

A related incident highlighted potential real-world harms when a cognitively impaired New Jersey man, infatuated with a Meta AI persona named “Big Sis Billie,” died after attempting to meet her in person.

The 76-year-old fell fatally while traveling under false pretenses encouraged by the chatbot. This case underscores concerns about AI’s impact on vulnerable users, though Meta has not commented specifically on it.

Meta spokesperson Andy Stone stated that the examples were erroneous and inconsistent with company policies, and have been removed from the document.

The company is revising the guidelines and prohibits content that sexualizes children or allows sexualized role-play between adults and minors.

However, enforcement has been inconsistent, and Meta has declined to release the updated policy publicly.

The revelations prompted bipartisan backlash from U.S. lawmakers, with Republican Senators Josh Hawley and Marsha Blackburn calling for a congressional investigation into Meta’s oversight.

Democratic Senators Ron Wyden and Peter Welch criticized the protections under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, arguing it should not shield AI-generated harmful content.

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“Breeding Ground For Sex Predators”: Louisiana Sues Roblox Months After Hindenburg Alleged “Pedophile Hellscape”

Roblox, the $27 billion online gaming platform pitched as a safe creative playground for kids, is now facing serious legal firepower from Louisiana’s top law enforcement officer. On Thursday, Attorney General Liz Murrill sued Roblox Corp. in state court, accusing the California-based company of enabling predators to target children and “facilitate the distribution of child sexual abuse material” on its platform.

“Today I’m suing Roblox — the #1 gaming site for children and teens – and a breeding ground for sex predators,” Murrill said in a statement announcing the suit. “Due to Roblox’s lack of safety protocols, it endangers the safety of the children of Louisiana. Roblox is overrun with harmful content and child predators because it prioritizes user growth, revenue, and profits over child safety. Every parent should be aware of the clear and present danger poised to their children by Roblox so they can prevent the unthinkable from ever happening in their own home.”

The lawsuit alleges Roblox “knowingly and intentionally fails to implement basic safety controls to protect child users from predators” and fails to adequately warn parents about the dangers on its platform. It cites years of alleged failures, pointing to games that have appeared on Roblox such as Escape to Epstein Island, Diddy Party, and Public Bathroom Simulator Vibe, which the AG’s office says have included simulated sexual activity, including “child gang rape.”

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Israeli cyber official among eight arrested in Las Vegas child predator sweep

Las Vegas police said Saturday that Tom Aleksandrovich, head of a division in Israel’s National Cyber Directorate, was the senior official detained this week during a professional conference he attended on behalf of the Israeli government. He was questioned on suspicion of online pedophilia.

Aleksandrovich was among eight people arrested in a large-scale operation targeting online child predators, led by Las Vegas police, who also issued a public statement about the arrests.

The operation, part of the Nevada Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force, included agents from the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, Henderson and North Las Vegas police, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Nevada Attorney General’s office. All eight face felony charges of luring a child via computer for sexual acts. They were booked into the Henderson Detention Center, except one suspect who was booked into Clark County Detention Center.

Aleksandrovich attended the U.S. conference in an official capacity. Authorities said he was released following questioning on Wednesday, returned to his hotel, and flew back to Israel within two days.

Israeli officials emphasized that the incident “has no political implications.” The Prime Minister’s Office, which oversees the cyber unit, said Aleksandrovich was not arrested and returned on schedule:

“The employee informed the unit that during his trip to the U.S., he was questioned by local authorities on matters unrelated to work and returned to Israel as planned. The unit has not yet received further details through official channels. Should additional information arrive, the unit will act accordingly. At this stage, by joint decision, the employee has taken leave to address the matter until it is clarified.”

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Indian immigrants accused of running huge child sex ring out of Nebraska hotels…

If the allegations in this case out of Nebraska are true, this is one of the most disturbing examples of immigrant crime in recent memory, and it completely shatters the left’s fantasy narrative about these do-gooder immigrants. Dems love to pretend that every person crossing our border is some hardworking doctor, scientist, or dreamer with a heart of gold and that the idea of bad actors slipping through is just some “right-wing talking point.” But here we are again, with a horrifying case involving child sex trafficking and drugs, all allegedly orchestrated by an Indian immigrant family who used their hotel business as a front for horrific human misery.

Douglass Mackey:

If these allegations are correct, then the Chaudharis, an Indian immigrant family that owned hotels in Nebraska, were engaged in an operation to traffic underage children across the Southern border to work in their hotels as laborers and prostitutes (and for their own sexual gratification), an operation to traffic illegal immigrants to the state of Washington to secure IDs, and an operation to fraudulently secure U visas by staging fake crimes.

Some or all of these trafficked illegal immigrants appear to have come from India.

They also used their hotels as drug trafficking hubs.

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HORROR: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Doctor Federally Charged with Possessing Over 153,000 Images and 470 Videos of Child Sexual Abuse — Victims as Young as Newborns

A former physician at one of the nation’s most respected pediatric institutions is facing federal charges for allegedly amassing one of the largest known personal collections of child sexual abuse material in recent history.

Howard M. Saal, 73, a former geneticist and dysmorphologist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, appeared in federal court this week after investigators say they uncovered a horrifying trove of over 153,000 images and 470 videos of child pornography, with some victims reportedly being as young as newborns.

According to charging documents, the nightmare began when a Hamilton County Sheriff’s detective assigned to the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force received a cyber tip tracing child pornography image searches back to Saal’s home IP address, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio.

The tip included a disturbing image depicting two naked girls, estimated to be just 10 years old, engaged in explicit conduct.

When investigators executed search warrants, they allegedly discovered a staggering digital archive of abuse. The FBI says many files involved infants, toddlers, and prepubescent children subjected to unspeakable acts.

Authorities claim there is currently no evidence linking the materials to any patients or children connected to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. But given the nature of Saal’s profession, working directly with children, the revelation is sparking outrage and demands for a deeper investigation.

Saal now faces federal charges carrying mandatory minimum sentences of five years and potential prison terms of up to 20 years for each count. If convicted, he will likely die in prison.

“I am incredibly proud of the work of our Regional Electronics and Computer Investigations unit and their diligence in investigating this individual,” said Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey said in a statement.

“We encourage anyone who thinks they may be a victim of Dr. Saal to contact our detectives. We will continue to seek out dangerous individuals and bring justice to victims’ families.”

“The FBI and our partners will continue to fiercely investigate those who attempt to sexually exploit children,” stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola. “I want to thank the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office for their work on this investigation and for their strong partnership. Law enforcement is always more effective when we work together to address crime issues impacting our community.”

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Chinese Immigrants Create 21 Children Via Surrogate Before Allegedly Abusing Them

In a troubling case unfolding in California, police have removed 21 children from a couple with connections to China. This complicated situation highlights profound ethical, moral, and legal dilemmas that demand our attention.

The couple at the center of this case is Silvia Zhang, 38, and Guojun Xuan, 65. Originally from China, they became naturalized U.S. citizens and now reside in a sprawling multimillion-dollar mansion in a suburb of Los Angeles. Zhang has a daughter from a previous marriage. She and Xuan have been having children through surrogacy since 2021.

Zhang operated a surrogacy agency called Mark Surrogacy from their mansion. The agency purportedly marketed itself as an institution assisting American and international couples struggling to conceive through surrogacy. However, investigations revealed a startling truth: The only couple the agency served was Zhang and Xuan themselves. They are the biological parents of 21 children born through surrogacy. Of these children, fifteen lived with them in the mansion under the care of a few nannies, while friends and family supposedly looked after the other six in different locations.

Mark Surrogacy’s sham operation would have continued if not for one of the children, a two-month-old infant, who had to be rushed to the hospital in May. After hospital staff determined the infant exhibited signs of child abuse, they contacted social services and the police. Police searched Zhang and Xuan’s mansion and found 15 children, none of whom is more than three years old. The police also uncovered home surveillance videos showing that some children were “subjected to physical and emotional abuse” by their nannies. Therefore, the police removed all children and put them under foster care.

The revelations surrounding Mark Surrogacy have left many of the surrogate mothers in a state of disbelief and anger. “It was kind of like they preyed on my vulnerability, being a first-time surrogate,” Kayla Elliott told CBS News. “We were lied to about so much, that I mean it’s disgusting.”

Compounding this injustice is the fact that two surrogate mothers are currently pregnant with the couple’s children, unsure if their babies will be placed into the foster care system. Some of these mothers are contemplating legal action against Zhang and Xuan. Additionally, the couple is entangled in two lawsuits from former employees of their real estate business, raising further questions about their integrity.

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Trans sex offender escapes prosecution after trying to kidnap child during elementary school recess

A transgender registered sex offender will escape prosecution after he tried to kidnap a child from a Colorado schoolyard — thanks to a controversial law that has faced criticism from prosecutors and even the suspect’s lawyer.

Solomon Galligan — who now reportedly goes by Carmen — was found by doctors to be mentally incompetent after he allegedly attempted to snatch the 11-year-old boy during recess at Black Forest Hills Elementary School in Aurora in April 2024.

And because the suspected creep can’t be “restored” to competency, according to his evaluation, the judge overseeing Galligan case was left with no choice but to dismiss the charges under a 2024 amendment to the state’s much-maligned competency law.

After years in and out of the criminal justice system, Galligan, 33, now could again find himself back on the streets, Ryan Brackley, who prosecuted the case as the assistant district attorney in Colorado’s 18th Judicial District, told The Post.

And victims and criminal justice advocates alike are sounding the alarm over the threat.

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