RAINN NETWORK: The statistics of sexual assault arequite alarming and show one in six women and one in 33 men will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime. Approximately every two minutes someone is assaulted. Sadly, 60% of assaults aren’t even reported and two-thirds of victims know their attackers.
So what can you do to help? There’s a list of things you can do to get involved. Take a look at the GET INVOLVED category on RAINN’s website. RAINN also provides free online training for crisis centers and volunteers. The 24/7 hotline is staffed with counselors who care and want to make a difference.
If you are a victim, and you have not reported the rape, please take time to reach out.
Investigators say Morgan vanished on October 17, 2009 while attending a concert outside the John Paul Jones arena in Virginia. She was separated from friends around 8:30 p.m. when she walked out of the front entrance. Authorities say Morgan called her friends inside and told them she was finding a ride home, and that they shouldn’t wait for her. State police officials report Morgan was last seen by the ticket office on the University Hall side of the building. Morgan’s body was found on a farm in Albemarle County a little over three months after she vanished from the Metallica concert. Investigators told me her body could have been on the farm as many as 100 days.
On what would have been Morgan Harrington’s 21st birthday, family and friends gathered to remember this beautiful college student. Over the weekend, a homemade quilt was left for Morgan on the Copley Road Bridge, the last place she was seen, and 21 purple balloons were released into the sky. Attached to each balloon was the sketch of the man police believe could be responsible for her abduction and possibly even her murder. Investigators say Morgan vanished on October 17, 2009 while attending a concert outside the John Paul Jones arena in Virginia. She was separated from friends around 8:30 p.m. when she walked out of the front entrance. Authorities say Morgan called her friends inside and told them she was finding a ride home, and that they shouldn’t wait for her. State police officials report Morgan was last seen by the ticket office on the University Hall side of the building. Morgan’s body was found on a farm in Albemarle County a little over three months after she vanished from the Metallica concert. Investigators told me her body could have been on the farm as many as 100 days.
Investigators say the same man who may have killed Morgan Harrington could be the same suspect that committed a sexual assault against a female in 2005. Virginia State Police officials confirm there is a forensic evidence link between the 2005 assault and the murder. Both cases are unsolved, but at least now authorities have a sketch to release to the public. Virginia State Police spokesperson Corinne Geller told me today that the Virginia Department of Forensic Science processes and analyzes all of the evidence and lab work for every department. They notified the Virginia State Police of the link in the cases. The authorities from the state police in turn contacted Fairfax City Police and compared notes. Geller said, “It’s one of those things, you never know what the next phone call is going to bring.” She added, “We know he (the man in the sketch) had contact with her (Morgan) the night of her disappearance, but they don’t know if he is responsible for her death. We are looking to identify and question him, and put the next pieces of the puzzle together.” Within 24 hours of releasing the sketch, the state police had 50 leads. Right now theirtime is spent eliminating duplicates between the departments and prioritizing the tips.
All crimes against children make my stomach turn. There’s nothing worse than having an innocent child fall prey to a molester. Unfortunately, that seems to be the circumstances surrounding this next case. The FBI needs your help identifying this unknown man, whom they believe is preying on an innocent child. The images of the suspect were cut out to show to the public.
According to the FBI, on February 21, 2004the agency began its Endangered Child Alert Program (ECAP), “a new and aggressive approach to identify unknown individuals involved in the sexual abuse of children and the production of child pornography.”
This system uses the media exposure to feature adults preying on children. You can check out all of the active cases at the FBI website.
According toSupervisory Special Agent Jason Pack with the FBI National Press office, “ECAP is intended to aggressively pursue and thwart individuals who would abuse or harm our nation’s children. Child Exploitation continues to be a significant problem. There is no work more important than protecting America’s children and freeing them from the cycle of victimization. Through our strategic partnerships with state and local law enforcement agencies, we are able to make a difference.”
Shaniya Davis is one of those cases that comes up in conversation frequently. I am often asked how a child could allegedly be sold by her mother as a sex slave to pay off a debt. If Shaniya was never passed off to Mario McNeill like a piece of trash, she may still be alive today. Test results show Shaniya died from asphyxiation, and McNeill is charged with first degree murder and first degree rape. He is being held without bond and is currently behind bars. Shaniya’s mother, Antoniette Davis, is charged with child abuse in the form of prostitution, human trafficking, obstructing an official investigation and filing a false police report. Unfortunately, Davis is out on bond, and has been roaming free since February 21st. She is scheduled to appear in court on June 3, 2010 to face charges.
Bradley Lockhart, Shaniya’s father, is taking a proactive approach to combat child prostitution and crimes against children. This is why he created Shaniya Speaks. The organization says the goal is, “to bring voice to Child Exploitation and Sexual Crimes against Children.” Bradley will tour the country and be the voice for his murdered child. He will use his personal experience to educate the public on these types of horrific crimes against children.
Hundreds of young athletes gathered yesterday to help raise money for the Chelsea King Memorial Scholarship fund. Chelsea was raped and murdered as she jogged in San Diego by convicted sex offender John Albert Gardner III. Gardner pleaded guilty earlier this month to her murder, and the murder of 14-year-old Amber Dubois.
Nearly 60 teams played in baseball games around the county and paid entry fees hat raised more than $20,000 for Chelsea’s fund. The money will go to a student at Poway High School where Chelsea would have graduated this year.
Gardner issued a public apology over the weekend. The note was given to CBS News 8 in San Diego by an unnamed source and says, “I’m sorry. I wish I could take it back. I know that it doesn’t mean anything to anybody but I really am sorry for everything. I wish that I was able to get help when I tried to get help. I tried to seek out help and was not able to get any.” News 8 also says just days before Chelsea’s murder Gardner claims he tried to admit himself into a mental hospital, but was denied.
I confirmed that investigators and Explorers from the Philadelphia Police department descended on Fairmount Park over the weekend to remind the public that a serial rapist and murderer is still out there. I spoke with Sgt. McEntee this morning and he says, “Every spring there’s a lot of events at the park, and we want to keep it in the forefront of the public’s mind to generate more tips.” More than 100 members of the Philadelphia Police department were distributing fliers at all the locations the suspect hashit since 2003. DNA evidence links the attacker to all the cases. The most recent attack was in August 2007. “This is somebody’s cousin, brother, uncle, we don’t think this is going to be your average guy that has a record, this is someone who flies under the radar,” says McEntee. Police and Explorer’s reminded joggers not to exercise alone, and to be aware of their surroundings.
MTV spotlights sexting, explaining what it is and sharing true life stories of how it ruined some teen’s lives. It is true that many teens simply don’t understand that sexting is considered child pornography, and many parents don’t realize this practice even exists. However, there are serious repercussions. A Thin Line highlights “Sexting in America” in parts I, II & III. This series is easy to watch for parents and teens. Richard Guerry with the Institute for Responsible Online and Cell phone Communication talks about how the proactive photos are often stolen and sold on a digital black market to drive underground websites. The moral is, if you don’t want the photo haunting you later in life, then don’t take the picture. MTV says 1 in 5 sexting messages sent are forwarded on to others.
This week the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office is moving forward with charges against four 15-year-olds at a high school for posting naked pictures of female classmates on the Internet. The teens are cited for possession of harmful matter depicting a person under 18 and sexual exploitation of a minor and will have to face a juvenile court judge.
The suspect in the UCLA assaults was allegedly caught in the act on campus and arrested Monday night. Investigators say they nabbed Calixto Marcellana Nitro, 63, on campus Monday night while they were conducting surveillance. He was charged with sexual battery in seven separate incidents against women.
Earlier this week,I was reading through news reports and came across a story FOX in Los Angeles did on sexual assaults on the UCLA campus. Thankfully, none of the women were seriously injured, but there were six “crotch grabbing” attacks. I’ve noticed that crimes like these, if the suspects aren’t captured, can escalateinto something more than merely for the thrill of it all. Although this seems like something minor because a rape did not occur, it is actually extremely serious. This suspect appears to like the reaction of the women, and springs his attacks unexpectedly.
In all the cases, police say the students were distracted, usually talking on their cell phones. According to investigators the suspect is described as Hispanic, 40 to 60 years of age, around 5’6,” and about 150 to 180 pounds. The suspect is also known to wear a baseball cap of sorts. He is known to attack between the hours of 3:30 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.
Michelle Sigona is a crime fighting, victims advocate extraordinaire, but for Michelle -- the good fight doesn't stop there. In her spare time, she is a volunteer firefighter -- and now, she is tackling the issues and cases that mean the most to her....
So what can you do to help? There’s a list of things you can do to get involved. Take a look at the GET INVOLVED category on RAINN’s website. RAINN also provides free online training for crisis centers and volunteers. The 24/7 hotline is staffed with counselors who care and want to make a difference.
