Paragons of Virtue Arrested

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A former North Dakota lawmaker who was one of the most powerful members of the Legislature has signed a plea agreement with federal prosecutors on a charge that he traveled to Europe with the intent of paying for sex with a minor.

Former Republican state Sen. Ray Holmberg, 80, of Grand Forks, signed the plea agreement last week. It was filed Monday. He agreed to plead guilty to travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual activity.

ARCHER, Fla. – Joel Bruce Searby, 43, was arrested this morning and charged with lewd/lascivious conduct, two counts of obscene communication related to luring a minor to meet him for sex, and using a two-way communications device to facilitate a felony. Searby recently led an initiative to convert three schools in Newberry to municipal charter schools.

RICHMOND — A former El Sobrante church youth group leader has been sentenced to eight years and eight months in state prison through a plea deal that came just as his trial was getting ready to start.

Ayden Pacheco, 20, pleaded no contest to nine charges, including false imprisonment, sexual battery, oral copulation of a minor, unlawful sexual intercourse and sexual penetration of a person under 18, court records show. In exchange, Contra Costa prosecutors dropped more serious charges of forcible rape and assault likely to produce great bodily injury.

The husband of a U.S. diplomat in Burkina Faso was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of sexually abusing children for a year at the couple’s U.S. Embassy-assigned residence in Ouagadougou.

Fode Sitafa Mara, 39, who also worked at the embassy there, has been charged with five counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a minor, one count of coercion and enticement, and one count of obstruction of justice.

The former chair of an anti-abortion committee in Alabama was arrested last week on charges of sexual abuse of a child younger than 12, according to the Alabama Political Reporter.

Marty Decole “Cole” Wagner, 32, was the chair of the Alliance for a Pro-Life Alabama, as well as an Alabama Department of Education employee in government relations. He has since been fired from the DOE position.

BELLEVUE, Wash. - A special education teacher at a Bellevue elementary school is accused of molesting an 8-year-old student with special needs.

The Bellevue Police Department (BPD) is seeking the public's help in finding any additional victims.

The suspect, 73-year-old Robert Scroggs, has worked as a special education teacher for the Bellevue School District for years.

BRAINTREE -- Jesuit Father Kevin White, a former theology teacher at Boston College High School, was indicted by a Suffolk County grand jury June 5 on charges of sexual abuse of a minor.

The rape allegedly took place between 2008 and 2009, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office.

A paedophile vicar who "used God to hide the monster he is" could spend the rest of his life behind bars after being convicted of sexual offences against a fifth victim.

John Roberts was yesterday found guilty of five counts of indecent assault following a trial at Liverpool Crown Court, which heard that he "misused the power and authority of his position to carry out acts of sexual abuse" while serving as a priest at St Peter's Church in St Helens during the 1970s. The now 89-year-old, formerly of Cherry Vale in Woolton, attempted to grope the boy in the vicarage and during a trip away.

FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WSMV) – A former Franklin priest is facing new charges after being indicted this month by a Williamson County grand jury.

Juan Carlos Garcia-Mendoza, 31, of Franklin, was indicted on two additional counts of sexual battery on June 5.

The former youth pastor of a local church pled guilty Tuesday to child molestation, receiving a 15-year sentence.Bulloch County Superior Court Jude John R. Turner sentenced Douglas Randall Pope, 32, South Zetterower Avenue, to 15 years – five to serve, 10 years on probation, after he pled guilty to one count of child molestation and three counts of enticing a child for indecent purposes, according to records at the Bulloch County Clerk’s Office.

A “feared” pastor who raped children in a bogus religious ceremony over a 20-year period has been jailed.

Self-styled prophet Michael Oluronbi was found guilty in January of offences against six women and a man. Five of those attended his church.

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Oluronbi, who had blamed the devil for his actions, was convicted of 15 counts of rape, seven counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual assault, at Birmingham Crown Court.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Tennessee caregiver is being charged with sexual abuse of her elderly patient after she allegedly posted an illicit picture of him on social media.

The Covington Police Department says 34-year-old Cecily Ware has been charged with sexual exploitation of an elderly or vulnerable adult, unlawful photography in privacy, and neglect of an elderly or vulnerable adult.

HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) – A former Providence City Councilmember was arrested on a warrant for sexual abuse of a juvenile on Thursday.

Kentucky State Police say a warrant was issued for Keith Farrell, 69, after a grand jury indicted Farrell on the charge of first-degree sexual abuse. KSP trooper Ridge Porter confirmed the victim in the case is a juvenile.

A former teacher from Texas was arrested on allegations she sexually assaulted multiple boys, authorities said.

Jaden Charles, 25, was arrested and charged Tuesday with two counts of grooming and two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child, authorities said, according to KIII 3 News, Kris 6 News, and the Alice Echo-News Journal.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A former FBI agent was convicted Friday of sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl while serving as an Alabama state trooper — a law enforcement job he landed even after he was kicked out of the FBI amid earlier claims that he raped a co-worker at knifepoint.

Christopher Bauer’s case, first detailed in an Associated Press investigation, showed how he was able to hide a checkered past and move from one law enforcement job to another with the help of an allegedly forged letter making it appear he was “eligible for rehire.”

SAN ANTONIO - The former CEO of a local mental health facility, Laurel Ridge, has been arrested and charged with continuous sex abuse of a child.

According to court documents, Jacob Cueller, 45, has been arrested and charged with continuous sex abuse of a child under the age of 14. The offense date is listed as May 2022.

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — A history and instructional design teacher at Matoaca High School in Chesterfield County has been arrested and charged with five counts of possession of child sexual abuse material.

According to the Chesterfield County Police Department, in February, officers were informed that 47-year-old Michael R. Bourke of the Chester area was in possession of inappropriate images involving several juvenile females he knew while he was a teacher in North Carolina around 15 years ago.

A former Mississippi police officer, Skyler Prunera, 28, has been charged with rape in Jones County.

The alleged victim signed an affidavit stating she was raped at her home in Soso. A rape kit was performed on the victim and has been sent to the State Crime Lab Pearl for examination, along with other evidence.

Christopher Ferguson, 37, was serving in Police Scotland when he carried out the abusive and violent offences.

AUSTIN, Texas — A sexual encounter during an alcohol-fueled night between an Air Force general and a subordinate officer on a business trip has led to a court-martial for assault set to begin Monday at Joint Base San Antonio.

Maj. Gen. Phillip Stewart is charged with two counts of sexual assault for the encounter with a woman under his command during a trip to Altus Air Force Base in Oklahoma in April 2023.

Robert Morris, founding pastor of Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, which attracts an estimated 100,000 worshipers weekly, has confessed to “inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady” more than 35 years ago while he was a young pastor after a woman accused him of sexually abusing her over multiple years beginning when she was 12.