|
September 20th, 2009 Police in Naples, Florida said thirty-three year-old Mesac
Damas killed his wife and five children then fled the country. Authorities in North Naples found the bodies around 6:30
p.m. yesterday after receiving a concerned call from Damas’ sister-in-law about the welfare of her sister. “When
the officer walked in the house to do a check, he found a deceased person. As he walked through the house
to see if anyone else was inside, he found other persons deceased,” chief investigator Jim Williams said. According
to Damas’ father, his son has fled the country and is now living in Haiti.
An Orange County man is in jail and
facing murder charges in connection with the death of his 8-month-old son, deputies said.
Staffers
at the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children notified the Orange County Sheriff's Office on Friday evening about the death of infant Roosevelt Bradley III, who had been transported to the hospital in the afternoon
from his father's apartment by an emergency vehicle.
Investigators interviewed both parents at the hospital
on Friday, then arrested Roosevelt Bradley II, 28, on a count of aggravated child abuse.
The county medical examiner
said Saturday that the boy's death was the result of foul play/homicide, according to the sheriff's office. Bradley
is expected to be charged with first-degree murder.
Elizabeth Bradley does not live with the elder Bradley but had dropped her son and his twin sister off
at about noon Thursday to spend time with their father. On Friday, Bradley called the mother and then emergency rescue services
when the child seemed to have medical issues, according to deputies.
Bradley is in the Orange County Jail
Hudson man accused of child abuse after baby
taken to hospitalBy Times Staff
In Print: Thursday, June 4, 2009
HUDSON Baby in hospital leads to Man's abuse charge A
2-month-old girl was taken to the hospital on May 25 for projectile vomiting. Doctors there noticed blood spots on her brain
and sent her to All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg. There, she was diagnosed as having neurological damage and
hemorrhaging in her brain and eyes: All the symptoms of shaken baby syndrome. "I did it," Anthony B. Curatolo told
authorities, according to his arrest report. "I was too rough with her." Curatolo, 22, told investigators the child
might have been injured when he accidentally smacked the back of her head against a doorway while carrying her. Or he might
have bounced her too much in her bouncy swing, he said, according to the Pasco Sheriff's Office report. Kevin Doll, spokesman
for the Sheriff's Office, said the baby was released from the hospital on Sunday and is in custody of caregivers. He would
not release the identities of the caregivers or Curatolo's relationship to the infant. He said the girl's long-term
prognosis is not known. Curatolo, a laborer who lives at 10160 Briar Circle in Hudson, was arrested Monday on a charge of
aggravated child abuse and is being held without bail at the Land O'Lakes jail. According to the Florida Department of
Law Enforcement, this is Curatolo's first arrest in Florida.
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Staggering
numbers released Monday from the Department of Children and Families show a rising plague of severe child abuse in Central
Florida
Since the start of the New Year, 41 children have died in the area, and, just since
last month, five different caregivers were arrested in connection with the death of a child.
Since the beginning
of March, three men and two women have been arrested in Central Florida, each charged in the death of a toddler age 2 or younger.
"The deaths that we have been seeing have been severe, very traumatic injuries, and also a number of injuries,"
DCF spokeswoman Carrie Hoeppner said. DCF said while the overall number of child abuse cases is not up, they are seeing
more severe cases.
So far in 2009 in Central Florida, they're investigating the deaths of 41 children. Among
the tragedies, 15-month-old Blake Rupe of Tavares died from swelling in his brain and six broken bones. His mother's boyfriend,
David Tatara, was arrested last month and charged with Blake's murder.
In a similar case, Michael Reid, 26, was
baby-sitting his girlfriend's 4-month-old son when he called 911 to report the child had stopped breathing. Investigators
said doctors found the baby had suffered severe head trauma. Reid was arrested in Osecola County last week and charged with
murder.
: Tuesday,
June 02, 2009 by Kelly Creswell
| Father arrested on child abuse charges CHARLOTTE COUNTY: A Port Charlotte man is under arrest accused of
breaking his two-month-old son's leg and deputies say this wasn't the first injury to the tiny child. The father of the young boy is behind
bars because according to reports by the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office, doctors found that in just two months of the
baby's life, he suffered three fractures in his legs. The reports say his father,
Bryan Finnegan, was watching young Aiden when he started to fuss. Investigators say Finnegan tried to change his diaper
and pushed Aiden's legs forward. Aiden's mother, Danielle Weinrich, says
she came home and realized, "[His leg] wasn't bruised or swollen or anything. If you moved it he would cry, so we
went to bed and the next morning we woke up and it was swollen." On Christmas
Eve, Weinrich brought Aiden to the hospital and according to deputies' reports, doctors found two previous fractures in
Aiden's legs that were healing. She says it was only then that she realized the
boy's injuries weren't accidental. "He told my dad, who told my mom,
who told me because he wouldn't tell me that he was changing his diaper, and grabbed his legs and pushed them forward
and it popped," the mom said. Danielle says she and Finnegan, who used to live
in the Port Charlotte home, have since split up. She says she's only spoken with
him a few times, but he's been able to see their two sons under supervision. "I'm
really happy about it because we've been through so much, me and the kids, and he hasn't had to do anything. But now
he gets to pay for what he did," said Weinrich. And now, seven-month-old Aiden
is doing just fine. "He's changed a lot. He used to sit there in his swing
and not smile. Now he tries to talk and you can tell he's a lot happier now," said Weinrich. Aiden still can't walk and Weinrich doesn't know if it's related to his fractures. But she says Aiden
is already scheduled for a checkup Wednesday at the doctor's office.
CHARLOTTE COUNTY:
A Port Charlotte man is under arrest accused of breaking his two-month-old son's leg and deputies say this wasn't
the first injury to the tiny child. The
father of the young boy is behind bars because according to reports by the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office, doctors
found that in just two months of the baby's life, he suffered three fractures in his legs. The reports say his father, Bryan Finnegan, was watching young Aiden when he started to fuss. Investigators
say Finnegan tried to change his diaper and pushed Aiden's legs forward. Aiden's
mother, Danielle Weinrich, says she came home and realized, "[His leg] wasn't bruised or swollen or anything. If
you moved it he would cry, so we went to bed and the next morning we woke up and it was swollen." On Christmas Eve, Weinrich brought Aiden to the hospital and according to deputies' reports, doctors
found two previous fractures in Aiden's legs that were healing. She says it was
only then that she realized the boy's injuries weren't accidental. "He
told my dad, who told my mom, who told me because he wouldn't tell me that he was changing his diaper, and grabbed his
legs and pushed them forward and it popped," the mom said. Danielle says she
and Finnegan, who used to live in the Port Charlotte home, have since split up. She
says she's only spoken with him a few times, but he's been able to see their two sons under supervision. "I'm really happy about it because we've been through so much, me and the kids, and he
hasn't had to do anything. But now he gets to pay for what he did," said Weinrich. And now, seven-month-old Aiden is doing just fine. "He's changed
a lot. He used to sit there in his swing and not smile. Now he tries to talk and you can tell he's a lot happier now,"
said Weinrich. Aiden still can't walk and Weinrich doesn't know if it's
related to his fractures. But she says Aiden is already scheduled for a checkup Wednesday at the doctor's office. |
Bradenton father jailed after spanking son
MANATEE
— A 43-year-old Bradenton man was arrested after he reportedly bruised nearly all of a child’s buttocks from a
spanking, according to a Manatee County Sheriff’s Office arrest report. James D. Bryant was arrested on a charge
of child abuse after the boy was in pain when trying to sit down at school Monday. School personnel contacted the abuse
hotline to report the incident. When Bryant was
questioned by investigators, “he believes he didn’t do anything wrong, where he was just being a father. He said
he didn’t get carried away spanking his son,” according to the report. Bryant told deputies he spanked the
child three to four times twice using an open hand because the child was being disrespectful. Byrant remained in the
Manatee County Jail Tuesday night on a $2,500 bond, according to the sheriff’s office Web site.
TAMPA - May2008,
Michael Reid was watching TV when his 17-year-old girlfriend's infant son began to cry. Home alone with
the baby, Reid, 27, told authorities he removed the 6-month-old from his crib and tried to comfort him, but nothing seemed
to work. He grabbed the baby around the waist and shook him back and forth before dropping him onto a pillow.The
baby stopped crying, briefly. Reid picked him up again and walked outside, while bouncing the boy up and down. When
Reid went back into the house, he covered the baby's mouth. The baby continued crying crying so Reid head-butted the infant
with so much force, he told Polk County sheriff's deputies, that his head hurt, too.
When
his mother returned home, she rushed him to the hospital, where doctors confirmed he had been abused. Reid denied it. The
child has survived.
Eleven months later, out on bail and awaiting trial on child abuse
charges, Reid again would be entrusted with the care of a girlfriend's infant son. This
time, the baby, 4-month-old Jeremiah Shaneyfelt of Kissimmee, died.
In the past six years,
mothers' boyfriends were accused in the deaths of 13 children in Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties. The most recent
- that of little Emanuel Wesley Murray, thrown from a car on Interstate 275 in Tampa - especially horrified the public. The
men typically are 18 and 30, unemployed with little education and saddled with criminal records that include substance
abuse or domestic violence. Often, they are the caregivers for children whose mothers work or go to
school. They have no emotional connection to the child and usually don't know how to soothe a crying baby or understand
why it's dangerous to shake an infant. And they almost always lie at first about how a child was injured.
The majority of the children were white infant boys. Forty-five died of physical abuse with more than half of them
suffering head injuries. Most had never been involved with state supervision before their deaths. Moms were
responsible for the majority of neglect fatalities, such as drowning, but the committee also found mothers failed to protect
their children from male abusers.
Overall nationally, biological fathers still account
for the majority of child abuse deaths - about 31 percent, said Don Dixon, chief operating officer for The Children's
Board of Hillsborough County. But with 26 percent of such deaths attributed to mothers' boyfriends, they are "particularly
lethal."
"Most deaths don't occur on the first abuse incident," Dixon said.
"So we have a window of opportunity."
That's when a caseworker can swoop in and refer moms to
shelters or other services. Background checks can be done on boyfriends. If there are problems, children can be removed as
a last resort.
VIOLENT BOYFRIENDS
May 5 -
Richard Anthony McTear Jr., 21, of Tampa, is accused of throwing his girlfriend's 3-month-old son from a car window while
traveling southbound on Interstate 275. McTear is jailed on charges of first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, kidnapping,
felony battery and burglary with battery.
April 28 - In Tampa, Angel
Robles, 25, is accused of killing his live-in girlfriend's 11-month-old son, Isiah Ian McGuire. Robles is charged with
first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse and sexual battery on the child. Examiners determined Isiah died from multiple
internal injuries and trauma to the head.
April 23 - Police say Alfredo Hudson,
21, confessed that he violently shook his girlfriend's 9-month-old daughter, Naomi Petit-Homme, at their Bradenton home.
Hudson is charged with first-degree murder.
April 7 - Michael Joseph Reid,
27, a Polk County man, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of his girlfriend's 4-month-old son in Osceola
County. In May 2008, Reid was arrested on child abuse charges involving injuries to a different girlfriend's 6-month-old
son in Lake Wales. Investigators said the baby was shaken and head-butted. Reid is free on bail awaiting trial in
the Polk case.
March 8 - Kenneth Lopez, 21, allegedly beats
to death his live-in girlfriend's 2-year-old daughter, Gabrielle Randel, because she would not stop crying in their Tampa
home. When Gabrielle didn't go to sleep easily, Lopez allegedly picked her up, wrapped her in a towel and began beating
her. Lopez is charged with first-degree murder.
Sept. 5, 2008 - Robert
Bradwell, 36, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of his girlfriend's 2-year-old daughter, Makaila Thompson,
at their Tampa apartment. Bradwell claimed the child fell into the bathtub while he was outside drinking beer and smoking
marijuana with friends, but an autopsy determined Makaila had been beaten.
May 12,
2008 - The bodies of Lisa Freiberg, 26, and her children Zachary, 7, and Savannah, 2, are found dead in their Lutz
home. Freiberg's live-in boyfriend, Edward Allen Covington, 35 is accused of choking, beating, stabbing, dismembering
and mutilating the family, along with the family dog.
Abuse case suspect
sees court
Wednesday, May 20, 2009 at 11:52 p.m. TRENTON
- Matthew Roland's live-in girlfriend told investigators she tried several times to get Roland to call for help for his
daughter, Kristina Hepp, the night before the 4-year-old died. Chelci Rae Folds said he wouldn't make the call because
he didn't want to go to jail for child abuse.
Folds apparently took no other
actions, and a medical examiner later determined Kristina could have survived her injuries had she received medical care.
On Wednesday in the Gilchrist County Courthouse in Trenton, Folds, 19, made her first court appearance since
being charged with child neglect by failing to protect.
Folds had been living in a Waccasassa mobile home
with Kristina and Roland, 23, when Kristina was found dead inside the home on April 27. Roland was subsequently indicted
on charges of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse. The state is seeking the death penalty for Roland. According
to the Gilchrist County Sheriff's Office, Folds moved into the home in February, a day or two before Roland was given
custody of Kristina.
During Folds' court appearance Wednesday morning, her stepfather said she saw very
little of Kristina in April because Folds was working and Roland, an unemployed sheet metal worker, was the adult at home
tending to the little girl.
In Fold's arrest report, Lt. David A. Aderholt noted that Folds acknowledged
seeing bruises on Kristina's face and head and noticed the little girl was unable to walk or speak, was grinding her teeth
and was unresponsive.
The arrest report stated that "Folds was aware of a prior incident when (Kristina)
suffered injuries also as a result of the father that concerned her at that time as well as this incident, Folds failed to
seek medical attention for the child."
Shelnutt said Folds was the only person working in the household and
that during the last month of Kristina's life she saw very little of the child because Roland would have her ready for
bed when Folds returned home from work.
"The courts knew he (Roland) was a violent person. Child welfare
knew he was a violent person. Me and my wife and Chelci, we did not know this," Shelnutt said.
If Folds
is able to post a $50,000 bond, she will be allowed to move back into the Mayo home of her mother, Barbara Folds, and her
stepfather. However, she may not have unsupervised contact with anyone under age 18 and may have no contact with any of Kristina's
maternal relatives. If convicted of child neglect involving great bodily harm, Folds faces a maximum sentence of 15
years in prison.
Another abuse report linked to Tampa baby
tossed and killed on interstateBy Justin George, Thursday, May 7, 2009 TAMPA
— Someone reported at least one instance of child abuse involving Emanuel Murray in the baby's brief three months
of life, even before he turned up dead along Interstate 275, the Department of Children and Families said Wednesday. DCF
Deputy Regional Director Jan Gregory did not know who made the claim, when the abuse may have happened, or who might have
been involved. Gregory said the report could be released publicly today. It's also unclear if Richard "Ricco" McTear Jr. was a subject of the DCF investigation. He has been charged with homicide in the baby's death. Until recently, McTear
lived with Emanuel's mother, Jasmine Bedwell. Early Tuesday, Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies say, McTear,
21, showed up at Bedwell's apartment, attacked her and threw the baby onto the concrete floor. Then, deputies say, he
picked up the child and drove away, flinging the infant out of the car on Interstate 275 around Fowler Avenue. Since
April 16, McTear had been a wanted fugitive who had not followed his probation requirements. On state supervision since June
30, 2008, he had been required to complete two years of probation for a felony battery charge, according to state probation
records released Wednesday. Probation officials last had face-to-face contact with McTear on March 12. His probation
officer, Elizabeth Kartes, tried to check on him again when she visited Bedwell's home on April 8. He was gone.
Bedwell, 17, told her that he didn't live there anymore. She said McTear hit her three different times and left.
She told Kartes he faced new charges of false imprisonment, child abuse, burglary and battery. The probation officer
checked arrest records. She couldn't find these new charges or anything Bedwell had described. Jo Ellyn Rackleff,
a spokeswoman for the state probation office, surmised that Bedwell either had just filed a police report when the probation
officer showed up or was going to. She continued to search for McTear. Six days later on April 14, Kartes sent a probation
violation report to the court, saying McTear had absconded from supervision and hadn't completed his required public service
hours. On April 16, a judge issued a warrant. On April 20, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office assigned a
warrant detective to the case. The detective went out twice looking for McTear but couldn't locate him, sheriff's
spokeswoman Debbie Carter said. It's unclear whether Bedwell ever filed a sheriff's report against McTear for
the attack she mentioned to the probation officer. She didn't return a phone call. But she did ask for a temporary
injunction or restraining order against McTear on April 7 saying he had beaten her and threatened her. To persuade a judge
to grant the order, she needed to show up for a court hearing Monday. She didn't. With Emanuel dead, a national
outcry followed on cable television and on the streets in Tampa, with people asking why Bedwell didn't do more to protect
her son. Domestic violence abuse experts and victim advocates leapt to her defense in e-mails and letters to the editor
saying it's impossible and unfair to second-guess what Bedwell should have done. Many victims are too scared to
follow through on securing restraining orders, fearful that just asking for one could set off their abuser. Sometimes abusers
use charm or tears to beg for forgiveness, victim advocates said. Other victims' lives are so busy or entrapped that they
can't even get free enough to drive to court. "It's very frustrating," said state Rep. Michael Scionti,
D-Tampa, a former Hillsborough County prosecutor who serves on the board of the Family Justice Center of Tampa, a domestic
violence outreach center. "They'll go so far to try and help themselves, but because they're just victims to
this cycle of violence, they don't have the confidence, the strength, to break free from their abusers." At
least two other ex-girlfriends in McTear's life tried to obtain restraining orders, as well. One didn't show up in
court, too. The other failed to finish required forms. McTear has an arrest record for domestic violence dating back
to the age of 14, state records show. At his first appearance before a judge Wednesday, he heard his charges: felony
kidnapping of a child, two counts of felony battery, aggravated child abuse, two counts of burglary of a dwelling with assault
or battery, child abuse, false imprisonment, violating the probation of his prior felony battery conviction and first-degree
murder. He was denied bail. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Tampa's Moslim Al-Assadi faces new abuse charges after son describes dunking and burning punishmentsRobbyn Mitchell and Drew Harwell, Times staff writers
Thursday, May 14, 2009 TAMPA — A man previously accused of torturing his daughter
faced new charges Wednesday after his son told investigators that his father punished him by shoving his head into a bucket
of water and burning his hand with a hot frying pan. Moslim Al-Assadi, 35, of 8901 N Boulevard was first arrested April
2 after detectives came to Oak Grove Elementary School to talk to his 10-year-old daughter. The girl told Tampa police
that in July 2008, Al-Assadi dunked her head into a tub of water until she could not breathe to punish her for finding his
pornography. Police took the children from the Iraq native and single father, charging him with one count of aggravated child
abuse. As the investigation continued, Al-Assadi's son told detectives that his father made him go outside and fill
a bucket with water, then tied his hands behind his back, turned him upside down and dipped his head into the bucket of water
as a punishment. According to an arrest report, the grade school-age boy also said that his father once burned the bottom
of his hand with a hot frying pan after he improperly prepared a meal. Authorities have responded to six calls about
alleged mistreatment since the family moved to Tampa in 2006. The children's mother, Arlene Heintzelman, 34, stayed in
Pennsylvania when Al-Assadi moved, according to Hillsborough court documents. In 2003, two of the couple's three
children fell from a two-story window while under her watch, according to Northumberland County court documents. Police
rearrested Al-Assadi on Wednesday and charged him with two more counts of aggravated child abuse. He was being held at the
Orient Road Jail without bail.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Man
charged with child abuse; child had bruising, reaction to soap in mouthFriday, May 8, 2009
OCALA
- A 34-year-old Ocala man accused of beating his 8-year-old stepdaughter so hard she child could barely sit and forcing her
to keep a bar of soap in her mouth for approximately 30 minutes was arrested Wednesday. He was charged with child abuse,
according to an Ocala Police Department report. On April 26, an officer contacted the victim after receiving a report
about bruising on the child’s bottom and swelling of her eyes and lip because of an allergic reaction to soap in her
mouth. The officer spoke to the girl’s stepfather, Rana Ramkissoon, 34, and he told the official he punished the
little girl for getting in trouble in school. Three days later, the little girl was tested and had scratches on her
face and bruising on her rear. She told an official from Kimberly’s Cottage that on April 24 Ramkissoon picked her up
from school. When told she received a note from her teacher about getting in trouble, she said he slapped her in the face
multiple times. When she got home, she said, he beat her with a belt and got a bar of kitchen soap and placed it in her mouth. Detective
Stephanie McQuaig developed probable cause to arrest Ramkissoon for child abuse. Two officers went to his home to arrest him,
but he ran from away. He later returned to the residence and was arrested. In August 2006, Ramkissoon was adjudicated
guilty for abusing the victim’s younger sister in late 2005. At the time, the child was 5. Austin L. Miller
Man charged
with felony battery and child abuse
Thursday, April 9, 2009 at 2:01 p.m
.
OCALA - A 44-year-old man who reportedly
abused a woman and her 11-year-old son was arrested by deputies and charged with felony battery, child abuse, battery on a
law enforcement official and resisting without violence, according to sheriff’s officials. Because
the incident involves child abuse, officials would not disclose the relationship between the man arrested and the victims. The woman called the Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday and told them she was beaten by Karl Andreas Zahradka.
She said she and her 11-year-old son have been abused by him for years. The victim and Zahradka have children together. The woman said on Wednesday she asked Zahradka to help her wrap a wound on her right ear she said was caused
by him. The victim said Zahradka became agitated and began punching and pushing her. She said the ear began to swell and was
bleeding, so she went to the hospital for treatment. When she returned, she said Zahradka
got upset while looking for scissors, and began hitting her 11-year-old son with a wooden drum stick. The woman then called
deputies. After taking photographs of the victims injuries, deputies went to arrest Zahradka.
He refused to go with officials and was bitten on the right leg by a K-9 dog. He was treated for his injury and then taken
to the Marion County Jail. Officials noted they’ve visited the northwest home on
at least two occasions where callers have reported alleged child abuse. Each time, the woman and the 11-year-old boy denied
the allegations. However, on Wednesday, they admitted that the allegations were true, but said they did not want to cooperate
with officials out of fear.
Infant death suspect was awaiting
trial in earlier child abuse
Published: April 7, 2009 A 27-year-old Davenport man who is charged with killing an infant in Osceola County on Monday was out on bail awaiting trial in an earlier
child abuse case. Osceola County deputies arrested Michael Joseph Reid Jr. on a charge of first-degree murder. The 4-month-old infant died Saturday as
a result of his injuries, which were consistent with child abuse, investigators say. In May,
Polk County deputies arrested Reid in the abuse of a different child. Reid was charged then with aggravated child abuse, child neglect,
unlawful sexual activity with a minor and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The infant was seriously
injured during the May incident, which involved a head butt, Polk deputies say.
Lehigh Acres teen's death led to 'wake-up call' at DCFBy AMY BENNETT
WILLIAMS • awilliams@news-press.com • March 29,2009
While
she was alive, 13-year-old Michelle Fontanez often felt weak and afraid.
Yet in death, she became strong. What happened — or didn’t happen — in the last few days
of the Lehigh Acres 13-year-old’s life has had transforming power. It’s helped remake the agency that should have protected Michelle from the man who allegedly raped and
killed her in 2006: her stepfather, Alberto Hernandez. Hernandez
goes on trial Tuesday. He’s facing the death penalty, charged with first-degree murder, sexual battery on a family member
and aggravated child abuse. George Sheldon, secretary
of Florida’s Department of Children and Families, calls Michelle’s death “a wake-up call” —
a tragedy that signaled to state leaders that something was seriously wrong with DCF in Southwest Florida. “Since Michelle’s death, DCF has tightened down on making sure kids don’t
slip through the cracks,” said Lee County circuit judge James Seals, who oversees child dependency court in Lee County.
“There’s much more emphasis now on training ... there’s more oversight to make sure that important things
don’t escape their notice.” 'Not my problem'That wasn’t always the case. Although Michelle told DCF caseworker Erica Cesare she feared Hernandez, that he’d been sexually abusing
her since she was 5, the agency didn’t ask a judge to shelter Michelle. Another social worker told Cesare that Michelle was afraid to go home and might hurt herself. Cesare’s
reply: “Not my problem.” Instead, the agency
sent the girl back and asked Hernandez to leave while they investigated. He moved to a neighbor’s, then returned a few
days later to allegedly rape and kill Michelle. Later
examination revealed a number of blunders: • DCF
hadn’t checked the family’s past, although The News-Press was able to learn that child abuse complaints against
her mother, Migdalia Hernandez, twice led to children being removed from the home in Massachusetts. (The News-Press has repeatedly
tried to speak with Migdalia; she has never responded. She has been charged with no crime in this case.)
One killed in attempted-murder suicide in Miami-Dade; child called policeBY ROBERT SAMUELSA
man shot and killed his wife early Sunday morning before turning the gun on himself.Details
are few, but Miami-Dade police said the incident happened around 9:30 on the 6700 block of Southwest 14th Terrace. A
child who was at the home contacted the police. The wife, whose name was not released, died at the house. The man,
whose name was also not released, is in critical condition at Ryder Trauma Center. Last Sunday,
a man shot his wife and three others before killing himself after a domestic dispute. On
February 25, Pablo Amador, a piano teacher and father of four, killed his wife, two daughters and then himself with a gun.
TAMPA -- A 2-year-old girl died Sunday after deputies say her
mother's boyfriend beat her inside a Tampa hotel. Gabrielle Randel cried and cried Saturday night when 21-year-old Kenneth
G. Lopez, left, thought she should be sleeping, sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter said. So, Lopez wrapped the girl in
a towel, wound a sheet around her face and body and beat her with his hands, Carter said. Sunday
morning, at 5 a.m., Gabrielle's mother, Danielle McCleary, 23, called authorities to report her child was unconscious
and not breathing. Gabrielle was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital with blunt trauma to the forehead, multiple bruises, abrasions
and a hand mark on her body, according to an arrest report. She was pronounced dead at 1 p.m. Sunday, Carter said. McCleary
told deputies she and Lopez had been living at the Homestead Studio Suites Hotel, 5401 Beaumont Center Blvd. just off of Hillsborough
Ave., for two weeks after moving here from Illinois. Also in Room 108 at the time was Gabrielle's 3-year-old brother,
who is now in custody of the Department of Children and Families. When questioned about the incident, Lopez admitted
to beating the girl, Carter said. He was charged with aggravated child abuse. Additional charges stemming from the toddler's
death are pending a Medical Examiner's review.
Police Say Lake County Man Killed Girlfriend's Child Thursday,
March 05,2009 TAVARES -- A Lake County man was charged with second-degree murder and child abuse after the
death of his girlfriend’s young son.
David Tatara, 27, was watching the 15-month-old in December.
He told investigators he found the boy on the floor under his playpen, and that he likely got hurt climbing out.
The boy died days later. Doctors said he had six partially healed bone fractures.
Months prior to Blake's
death, the Department of Children and Families closed a case involving abuse allegations in the home.
DCF has since admitted it was negligent in monitoring
the child's well-being
Couple charged with child abuseFebruary 25, 2009 04:55:00 PM PANAMA CITY — A Panama City woman and her boyfriend
were arrested Tuesday night on accusations of abusing an 11-year-old boy with Downs Syndrome, authorities said. Tina
Gainer and Shelton Deon Watson Jr., both of Panama City, were arrested on charges of child abuse after they were reportedly
observed at the Massalina Public Housing complex holding down Gainer's son and striking him with a leather weightlifter's
belt, according to Panama City Police Department officials. According to multiple eyewitnesses, Watson, 31, held the
boy down while Gainer, 45, struck him in the face, chest, legs and crotch with the belt, causing bodily harm, police said. Police
investigators said the child has been removed from the mother's custody and place with the Florida Department of Children
& Families, where he will be placed in foster care. The child did not require immediate medical attention, investigators
said but was scheduled to see a physician Wednesday. Gainer and Watson were taken to Bay County Jail and are expected
to make a first court appearance Wednesday, jail officials said.
Welfare
workers warn not reporting child abuse can be deadlyWelfare workers warn that child sexual
abuse flourishes because, far too often, adults fail to act when children cry for help.South Dade dad kills wife, two
teen daughters and himself; son escapes A former tenor with the
Greater Miami Opera chorus shot and killed his wife and two daughters Wednesday morning as his 16-year-old son fled their
South Miami-Dade home, Miami-Dade police said. Miami Herald Staff CaROL MARBIN MILLER
For half her life, Priscila Amador may have kept a deadly secret. Since
she was a small girl, her father had been molesting her, she told classmates, who in turn told their parents. On Wednesday,
days after she told friends to ''pray for her,'' Priscila, 14, was shot and killed by her father. Pablo Josue
Amador also killed his wife, another daughter and then himself. Child welfare authorities say the Amador family's
tragedy should serve as a dire warning: Secrets can kill. Jacqui Colyer, the new Miami administrator for the Florida
Department of Children & Families -- on the job less than two weeks when the killings occurred -- wants teachers, coaches,
counselors, pastors and parents to understand how lethal sexual abuse can be. And to act -- quickly. Failing to report
a reasonable suspicion of abuse, Colyer said, is not merely misguided. It's against the law in Florida. And it also leaves
children at great risk, she added. ''We all have to be held accountable,'' Colyer said. Sometimes,
said John Schuster, spokesman for the Miami-Dade schools, children will disclose their abuse to a teacher, who is obligated
under the law to report it. ``Our educators are in a unique position, because they may be the only person the child feels
he or she can talk to when something like that happens.'' DCF is investigating the deaths of Priscila, 14, and
her 13-year-old sister, Rosa, Colyer said, because administrators are concerned Priscila may not have been the only victim
of Pablo Amador, who was a music teacher and gave private lessons in his home. ''He had children in his home
all the time,'' Colyer said. ``His house was the house of music. There could be [others] now who come forward and
say something.'' ''His own daughter took a long time to disclose this. There could be others,''
she added. Amador, 54, a former tenor with the Greater Miami Opera chorus, shot and killed his wife, Maria Joy, 47,
and daughters Rosa and Priscila shortly before 6 a.m. Wednesday inside their Palmetto Country Club Estates home, police say.
His son, Javier, fled unharmed and called 911. Another daughter, Bea, was not home. `IT WAS TOO LATE' Two
of Priscila's classmates each told one of their parents that the girl had told them in recent weeks that her father had
been molesting her since elementary school. The father of one of the classmates said Thursday that Priscila had given a ''desperate''
letter to his daughter before her death and that he had read it. The father did not say why he did not report to authorities
the teen's disclosure. The mother of the other classmate told reporters she had planned to call authorities, but
ran out of time. 'I was just telling my daughter, `We gotta do something; we gotta do something,' '' she said. ``It
was too late.'' Experts say adults in such circumstances may have doubts that the accusation is true. KIDS
DON'T LIE But ''children do not lie about this. They just don't,'' said Trudy Novicki,
a 25-year state prosecutor who is now director of Kristi House, a full-service residential program for victims of sex abuse. Cheleene
B. Schembera, a 27-year child welfare administrator and inspector general at DCF, who now works as a consultant, said the
pressure on a child is to keep the family's secret. ''What motive would a child have to lie?'' she asked.
``In almost every instance, the child has no motivation to lie -- and the consequences of telling the truth are so much more
detrimental.'' And there's another misperception that can lead adults to not report suspicions of abuse:
that child abuse only occurs in poor, uneducated, marginal families, not professional, middle-class families. Experts
say child neglect and physical abuse are indeed far more likely to occur in struggling families, but child sex abuse occurs
across all demographic categories. Novicki said she has seen child sex abuse victims who were molested by clergymen,
teachers, an FBI agent and the parent of a former Miss America. ''I can't think of a profession you can name where
we have not come across a perpetrator,'' she said. ``It cuts across all socio-economic lines.'' ACT
QUICKLY Schembera, who has reviewed scores of sexual abuse cases in her career, said adults who are confronted
with allegations of sexual abuse need to act quickly, because families coping with the potential exposure of their worst secrets
are at enormous risk. For the abuser, ''the fear of being disclosed is so great that they could engage in any
number of behaviors -- and killing the entire family might be one of them,'' Schembera said. ''`Once
you learn of this sort of activity, you have a moral and legal obligation to report it immediately and without delay,''
she said, ``because no one knows which of these cases is going to end up in a horrendous event of this magnitude.''
DEFEND Comments We agree being silent hurts the children, however, when a protective
parent or someone associated with the protective parent even mandated reporters reports abuse, the child is often removed
from the protective parent and placed with the pedophile.
Tampa Man Charged With Child Abus
TBO.com
Staff Published: February 14, 2009 TAMPA - A Tampa man is accused of snatching his 1-year-old child out of a moving car during an argument with his estranged wife, putting the child in harm's way, an affidavit states. Jo'ar Judas Michel, 24, of 8207 N. Brooks St., was held without bail at the Orient Road Jail today. He is charged with felony child abuse,
felony interference with custody, felony witness tampering and misdemeanor domestic battery. Tampa police arrested Michel about 3 p.m. Friday in connection with an incident at his home on Wednesday, an affidavit states. According to an affidavit, Michel became upset with his estranged wife while she was buckling their child into
his car seat because she had disrespected him in front of his current girlfriend. Michel poked his estranged wife in the cheek,
then punched her in the face, the affidavit states. As the woman climbed into the passenger side of the car to leave, Michel began unbuckling the 1-year-old while
the car was moving, the affidavit states. The woman screamed for the driver to stop and called police. Michel then grabbed his estranged wife out of
the car by her ponytail and smashed her cell phone, the affidavit states. A Cape Coral man accused of severely beating his 7-week-old daughter, has waived his right to a speedy trial. Geoffrey Scott Hutson, 41, is charged with cruelty toward a child causing
great bodily harm to his daughter, Avery. Hutson on Wednesday waived his right to a speedy trial in the case. A pretrial conference is scheduled for
June 2 before Lee Circuit Judge Edward J. Volz Jr. Hutson
is accused of severely beating Avery, causing skull fractures and multiple bruises. The infant was given a blood transfusion and airlifted to All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg. She was released from the hospital two weeks later and is back at home
with her mother. Hutson is being held in the Lee County
Jail in lieu of $150,000 bail
Man arrested on child abuse charges updated 10:12 a.m. ET,
Fri., Jan. 30, 2009
LEE COUNTY: A North Fort
Myers man was arrested on child abuse charges after allegations surfaced that he held a child's face in a puddle of urine
as a punishment. On January 22, detectives with the Lee County
Sheriff’s Office received a report of possible child abuse from the Florida Department of Children and Families. Deputies say the report alleged that Joseph P. Gariano had shoved a juvenile
victim to the ground and held her face in a puddle of urine as punishment for urinating on the floor. There are also allegations that Gariano submerged another juvenile victim underwater in a bath tub because he was
angry that the child was crying. The Lee County Sheriff’s
Office Child Abuse Investigation Unit took on the investigation. Detectives
assigned to the case met spoke to witnesses that knew about the alleged incident. On January 29, investigators met with Gariano at Lee County Sheriff’s Office Headquarters and determined probable
cause existed to charge him with two counts of Aggravated Child Abuse. He was arrested and taken to the Lee County Jail.
Parker Man Arrested for Aggravated Child Abuse
02/05/09 - 04:18 PM Parker Police Department  Parker, Fla:
The Parker
Police Department has arrested a Parker man for the offense of Aggravated Child Abuse. Andrew Steven Gordey, 25 years
of age, was arrested today stemming from an incident involving his 2-month-old child. Parker Police was contacted after
the child was at the Bay Medical Center Emergency Room. The child was treated for serious injuries that he received
earlier that day. The child underwent emergency surgery due to the injuries. Gordey was arrested at a Lynn Haven
work site today without incident. He is being held at the Bay County Jail pending a first appearance in a local court
on Friday. The Florida Department of Children and Families is assisting in this case also. Detective Aaron
Wilson
Parker Police Department
Published: February 05, 2009 03:54 pm PAIR CHARGED WITH ABUSE; CHILD'S
DEATH A MYSTERY 18-month-old, who died in March 2008, had been bitten, bruised By
Jeff Waters, Democrat Reporter
Despite bruises to her face and legs, and a human bite wound
to the thigh, it still isn't clear what killed 18-month-old Olivia Mackensie Rescigno, found dead in a crib at her Suwannee
County home last March. However, the child's mother and stepfather have now been arrested on charges of abuse and neglect,
jail records show.
Ronald Edward Kramer Jr., 26, of 15318 CR 250, Live Oak, was charged with aggravated child
abuse and neglect of a child resulting in great bodily injury. Rebecca Lee Rescigno, 25, same address, was charged with aggravated
child abuse and neglect of a child resulting in great bodily harm. They were arrested Wednesday and remained in the Suwannee
County Jail as of Thursday on $75,000 bond each.
Olivia Rescigno was found dead in her crib at her Suwannee County
home on March 14. According to sheriff's reports, Kramer, a registered sex offender, had "intentionally
inflicted a bite wound to (the) victim's left thigh area." Bruises were also apparent on the child's
face and legs, reports show. However, none of the injuries would have proved fatal, according to authorities.
"She
had injuries that were consistent with child abuse, but not necessarily with death," said Sheriff Tony Cameron.
According to a report filed by Sheriff's Deputy Wayne Kelly, emergency crews responded to the home around 9 p.m. in
reference to a report of an infant who was not breathing. The child had been found in her crib by Kramer, who reportedly told
Kelly that he laid the child down for a nap around 5:30 to 6 p.m. Kramer then stated he watched TV for about 10 minutes before
going outside to help neighbors work on a car.
Around 6:30 to 7 Kramer ate dinner at a neighbor's home but
told Kelly he checked on the child before going. After dinner Kramer reportedly opened the back door to hear if the baby was
crying. Hearing nothing, he went back outside for about an hour before going back in to prepare food for the child. It was
then, Kramer said, that he noticed Olivia was not breathing. Reports state that Kramer told Kelly he "freaked out"
and ran to a neighbor's house screaming for help. A neighbor performed CPR on the child until rescue arrived, but was
unsuccessful. Olivia was pronounced dead at Shands Live Oak at 9:15.
Rebecca Lee Rescigno, was at work at Pilgrim's
Pride at the time.
She and Kramer told Kelly that the infant had mild sleeping problems and chronic ear infections
and had been hospitalized just a few weeks earlier for flu-like symptoms.
Rescigno told Kelly that the child was
herself responsible for the bruises on her body, stating the infant was having a fit in the crib several days prior, according
to sheriff's reports. She stated that the child was jumping around the crib and hit her head on the crib bars. She did
not explain how the child received the bite mark.
"Frustrated"
dad charged with aggravated child abuse Manatee County
deputies say the father elbowed the child for not eating, threw him to the floor and heard popping and cracking sounds when
he rubbed the baby's back. Bradenton, Florida -- A young father, frustrated with the medical problems of his 3
year-old child, was arrested for aggravated child abuse Wednesday, the Manatee County Sheriff's Office said.
Matthew D. Dix, 21, of 6000 34th Street West was charged after deputies interviewed him about the child's skull fracture
reported by doctors at All Children's Hospital.
His fiancée told deputies she had no idea how the child
was injured, but later said that Nix has "the tendency to get very frustrated with the baby," the sheriff's
office said, adding that Nix "admitted to shaking the baby of several occasions."
Under questioning
at the sheriff's office, he admitted to being frustrated Monday night because the child wouldn't eat and had gas and
diarrhea, investigators said.
The sheriff's office gave the following narrative of what happened next:
"Nix tried to give the child medicine and scraped the roof of the child's mouth with the dropper, causing
the baby's mouth to bleed profusely. Nix admitted to being frustrated, then elbowing the child in the stomach because
he would not eat or stop crying. As Nix stood up with the baby he forcefully threw the baby to the floor, causing the child's
head to strike the base of a metal floor lamp. Nix went on to disclose that he has shaken the baby on several different occasions.
He further recalled rubbing the baby's back hearing popping and cracking sounds. He later added that he has held the baby
up, and pulled his arms apart, out of frustration. Nix was provided a doll and demonstrated his actions on video."
Deputies said Nix was taken to jail without incident.
The child, whose identity was not disclosed, was
reported in stable condition. Investigators said Nix and his fiance told them they have been having medical problems
with their child and had brought the baby to several different doctors at hospitals in Manatee, Sarasota and Pinellas Counties,
for weight loss and possible stomach problems. . +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ |
The jury found Kashon Scott guilty
of manslaughter and aggravated child abuse in the May 29, 2007 death of 3-year-old Zahid Jones Jr. after a
week’s worth of trial and seven hours of deliberations Monday. Manslaughter is a lesser charge than what the state
initially charged Scott with: first-degree felony homicide. The jury returned its verdict at 9 p.m. after requesting to listen
again to over an hour and a half of evidence police interviews and initially feeling a verdict could not be reached. “That
is a very respectable verdict; I do not find any fault with the jury’s verdict,” said Assistant State Attorney
Francine Donnarummo, lead prosecutor for the state of Florida vs. Kashon Scott. “This is justice, this is why we have
a trial.” Scott faces a maximum possible sentence of 60 years in prison, and will be sentenced before Lee County
Circuit Judge Mark Steinbeck on Oct. 27 in a Lee County courtroom. Scott’s attorneys, led by Michael Reiter, raised
several issues of accused misconduct on the part of the state in a motion to have the trial thrown out Monday morning. “Even
if (Steinbeck) doesn’t, we have the right to ask for another trial and appeal,” said Reiter. Reiter said an appeal
would come from the defense at Scott’s request. Reiter asked Steinbeck to consider ruling on prosecutorial misconduct
on the grounds of prosecutors coaching Jack and Jessica Nash, Zahid’s 11-year-old brother and 13-year-old sister, to
say “I don’t remember” to defense attorneys; that Jack and Jessica changed their testimony as to Scott’s
alibi during the case without notice to the defense prior to trial; and that swabbing of belts potentially used to hit Zahid
the weekend before his death destroyed any possible fingerprints and potential evidence to Scott’s defense. Steinbeck
will give the state two weeks to respond to the accusations and a hearing will be set for the judge to rule on the defense’s
motions. The judge could rule to throw out the case if he agrees with the defense. “I’m not terribly concerned,”
said Donnarummo, who felt since the content of the motions had been previously discussed and the state’s counter-arguments
were strong, it would have little bearing on today’s outcome. Earlier in the day, the jury heard closing arguments
from both the state and the defense. “From the battered and bruised body of that child... there is no question
that child suffered aggravated child abuse... but what would motivate someone to be so blunt to do that to a baby?”
state prosecutor Bob Lee told jurors Monday morning about 3-year-old Zahid. “There was a rivalry going on that weekend.
A rivalry over the affections of Nicole Brewington. After Zahid Jones Sr. went off to prison, who comes on the scene? The
defendant does. We know that weekend that Nicole Brewington is carrying the baby of the defendant. What could trigger what
happened? He’s getting out of prison.” Lee told the jury that Scott focused his abuse on Zahid because of
his father, and was less harsh against his brother and sister, Jack and Jessica. “There are two other children
in this family; their names are not Jones, their names are Nash,” Lee said. “That weekend, that man focused upon
this baby. Jealousy is a powerful, powerful emotion... and when something touches it off, it can turn violent.” State
attorneys argued throughout the week-long trial that Kashon Scott caused the fatal perforation to Zahid’s bowel through
blunt-force trauma. Though several state witnesses, including Brewington’s sister Latroyer Lamar, testified Scott
was at Brewington’s Cape Coral home the Thursday prior to Zahid’s death, a number of Scott’s family members
have maintained he was at his brother Chester Scott’s house until late Saturday evening, allegedly after Zahid’s
symptoms began. “All three statements of Jessica, all four statements of Jack, my client’s statements, all
consistent... Zahid threw up on Saturday, before my client got there,” argued Michael Reiter, Scott’s lead defense
attorney. The state argued Zahid became distressed on Sunday, after Scott arrived and allegedly “whooped”
Zahid in one of the home’s bathrooms the previous night. “(The state) doesn’t consider just vomiting
and pain to be part of the distress; yes it is,” said Reiter. “You didn’t hear one bit of evidence... that
anyone said my client caused that blow... they want you to jump to that conclusion, there’s no evidence to support it.” During
a police interview, Scott said multiple times that he didn’t hit Zahid over the weekend prior to his death, but that
he would take the blame to protect Brewington. Scott also told Cape Coral Police Department detectives Christy Ellis and Scott
Johnson and Lieutenant Michael Urraro that he punished Zahid with a belt to “make him a better man than his father.” “He
said, ‘I’m willing to take the heat,’” Reiter told jurors. “Don’t you let him do that.
Don’t let him take the heat for somebody else.” A major component of the state’s case against Scott
was testimony from Jack and Jessica regarding alleged abuse of Zahid; Jessica testified last week that she heard Scott “whooping”
Zahid in a bathroom of their home the Saturday night before he died. Jack said Scott hit him and Zahid in the chest over that
weekend. But the defense demonstrated inconsistencies in the childrens’ statements during the trial versus those
made during previous interviews and depositions taken several months prior by attorneys. Jack and Jessica had trouble
remembering statements posed by the defense regarding what they had told police, and sometimes gave conflicting statements
to ones they had made previously, making this a major crux for the jury. “Their main witnesses were children,”
said Donnarummo. Donnarummo said the state was not at fault for telling Jack and Jessica to say “I don’t
know” if they didn’t know the response to a question. The families of Scott and Jones, including Zahid’s
biological father Zahid Jones Sr., were dismissed separately following the reading of verdict and dismissal of the jury.
Dade County Father Charged With Child Abuse By LISA A. DAVIS The Tampa Tribune Published: June 5, 2008 DADE CITY - The 26-year-old father was upset that his baby wouldn't stop crying and had a soiled diaper, according
to a Pasco County Sheriff's Office report. The father picked the 2-month-old up by the arm, heard a "pop"
and immediately put the infant down, the report states. That was May 30. On Wednesday, Timothy Shawn Smith,
26, of 37313 Rose Ave., was arrested on a charge of aggravated child abuse. At first, Smith reportedly told
the baby's mother and deputies that he rolled on top of the child as they slept. A child abuse expert, however, determined
the injury was not consistent with the father's statement. In the expert's opinion, the baby had been
abused, according to the report. The injury was consistent with forcefully grabbing and twisting the child's arm, another
report states. The infant was taken to Pasco Regional Hospital and then transferred to St. Joseph's Hospital
in Tampa, where he was treated for a fractured right arm, according to sheriff's officials. Smith later
said he grabbed the baby by the arm, a report states. In April, Smith was arrested on another child abuse charge
stemming from a Sept. 13 incident. Sheriff's office reports say two mothers left children with Smith at a New Port Richey
home while they went to Wal-Mart. When the women returned, one girl had what looked to be a red handprint on her face. The
girl's mother asked Smith what happened. He said the child fell off her bike and bruised her face. Asked if he had hit
her, Smith reportedly said no, got angry, called his mother and then took a cab to Dade City. A deputy asked
the woman if there were any previous incidents of violence with Smith and she replied that he had kicked her in the stomach
knowing she was pregnant, the report states. He was not charged in that allegation. The other woman's children,
who were left with Smith that day, said they didn't see the girl fall off the bike but they did hear a slap from the back
room where Smith was at the time, according to the report. A physician at Spring Hill Regional Hospital examined
the girl's injured face. "He said he believed it to be a handprint and he could not imagine anything
on a bicycle to case the injury," the report states. Smith posted $5,000 bail and was released from jail
two days after his April arrest on a warrant. Coincidently, he was arraigned Wednesday in that case, and a pretrial hearing
is set for Aug. 11. He was being held on the new child abuse charge today at Land O' Lakes Jail, with bail
set at $50,000. When Smith was 15, he was charged as an adult with first-degree arson on allegations he torched
a mobile home in Dade City. No one was injured, but the home was destroyed. Smith was convicted and served two years in state
prison, according to records
Orlando-area father arrested on 350 counts of sexual abuse.
Susan Jacobson Sentinel Staff Writer March 3, 2008
The Seminole teens, who suffered for years, escaped and sought help, deputies say. Two children suffered
years of abuse at the hands of their father, investigators said Sunday as they described a litany of horrors
including sexual assault and stun-gun shocks on the daughter, as well as beatings with PVC pipe, belts and a paddle
on both victims.The ordeal, in which the brother and sister also reported being threatened with guns and forced to
drink alcohol, ended during the weekend when they escaped from their home and contacted the Seminole County Sheriff's Office.
The father, 37, was arrested on 350 counts of sexual battery by a custodian of a victim younger
than 12. He also was charged with 10 counts of aggravated battery using a deadly weapon, three counts of aggravated assault
with a deadly weapon, child cruelty and child neglect. He is being held without bail at the Seminole County Jail.
The children's mother, 36, was arrested on a charge of child neglect and released from jail.
Investigators say she let her husband abuse the children and twice allowed him to put guns to their heads and threaten to
kill them." The children lived in constant fear and . . . [their mother] failed to protect them," a sheriff's report states.
Reached at home, the mother would not comment on the charges. It's still under investigation," she said. "There's nothing
to say until the investigation is done."
Her daughter, 13, the girl's 14-year-old brother and another brother, 17, are in the custody of their
aunt and uncle in Orange County, the aunt said. The Orlando Sentinel is not naming the family to protect the children's identities.
The charges outlined in the report involve only the younger children. The older brother has been living
with his aunt and uncle. The younger children were held virtual prisoners at home and were home-schooled, their aunt said.
They now want to attend public school to be around other kids, she said. The girl, who was out of school for about a year,
formerly was active in chorus and track and enjoyed learning.
On Friday, the 13- and 14-year-olds saw their opportunity for escape when their father was working out.
They sneaked out the back door and contacted the Sheriff's Office. The girl told deputies that her father had sexually abused
her more than 350 times starting when she was 7 and ending Thursday. The findings of a sexual-assault examination "were consistent"
with the girl's allegations, according to the sheriff's report. She also said her father tied her to a bed, put socks over
her hands and feet and in her mouth and shocked her with a Taser.
The child's aunt said the father insisted she wear oversized clothing to avoid revealing her body. The woman
also alleged that he denied the children medical care. Both younger children told investigators that they were beaten with
a wooden paddle called, "The Be Good Paddle" as well as with belts and a pipe. At least a year ago, the state Department of
Children and Families got involved with the family and provided a caseworker for the older son, his aunt said. Details were
not available late Sunday. The aunt said she and her husband thought the father was controlling, but they had no idea the
extent of what investigators say went on. The children have scars, she said, but are safe for now. Mentally, it's another
story. "The kids have been through so much," the woman said.
Susan Jacobson can be reached at sjacobson@orlandosentinel.com or 386-851-7903.
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In Apopka, Florida,
