OAG’s Child Exploitation Unit Arrests Navarro County Man for Possession of
Child Pornography
AUSTIN, TX – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced today that the Child Exploitation Unit (CEU) of his office arrested 29-year-old Michael Allen Carter, of Rice, on five counts of Possession of Child Pornography, a third-degree felony. Carter could face up to 10 years in prison per charge if convicted.
Following a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children® (NCMEC), CEU investigators executed a search warrant at Carter’s residence, where child pornography was found on a digital storage device.
Investigators seized additional digital storage devices that will be examined by the attorney general’s Digital Forensics Unit.
During an interview, Carter admitted to operating the account reported to NCMEC, but declined to answer any additional questions.
Carter was transported to Navarro County Sheriff’s Office, and appeared before a magistrate.
The Texas Attorney General’s Office works to protect children by using the latest technology to track down some of the most profoundly evil predators online.
The CEU proactively seeks out and arrests predators who commit crimes against children using technology and online sources.
Attorney General Paxton urges all parents and teachers to become aware of the risks our children face on the internet and take steps to help ensure their children’s safety.
If you suspect someone of producing or downloading child pornography you can report it to NCMEC.
Child Abuse, Neglect strain New Mexico
protection program
SANTA FE, NM – New Mexico’s child protection system is straining to keep pace with an increase in abuse and neglect cases, despite increased public spending, according to a report from state analysts released Tuesday.
The report from the nonpartisan Legislative Finance Committee shows the protective services program for children in state custody has failed to meet seven out of eight performance goals. For the fiscal year ending in June, the program missed benchmarks for reunifying children with parents in under a year, the number of children returning to foster care and the speed of adoptions.
The number of children placed in protective care in New Mexico increased by 6 percent to 2,674 during the one-year period ending in June. The state spends 21 percent more on protective programs for children than it did four years ago.
Children, Youth and Families Department Secretary Monique Jacobson said her agency has been encouraging the public to report child abuse — possibly pushing up case numbers in the process.
“We’re asking people to make child abuse their business,” she said, noting other factors in New Mexico including an opioid addiction epidemic have influence caseloads.
Jacobson acknowledged improvements in the state’s child welfare system are needed, while highlighted progress toward a more stable workforce and an increase in the number of field workers who visit homes to detect maltreatment and determine whether a child may be in danger.
The job turnover rate dropped to 25 percent this year for child protective services workers, down from 34 percent in 2014, Jacobson said.
She cautioned that efforts to reunify mistreated children with parents cannot be rushed or incentivized, and that her agency is working with the court system to streamline adoption procedures. Jacobson noted year-over-year statistical progress in six out of eight evaluation categories for child protective services.
The analysis from the Legislature notes that the state could save tens of millions of dollars in the short run with just a 10 percent reduction in child maltreatment and foster placements.
Generally high evaluation marks were given to the performance of early childhood services including programs that promote high-quality child care.
North Carolina seeing increased numbers of Child Abuse and Neglect.
121,000 reported cases of Child Abuse,
neglect in NC: 600 reported cases
in McDowell
McDowell, NC – Early data shows there were over 121,000 investigated cases of child abuse and neglect in North Carolina during fiscal year July 2016 through June 2017. State law requires individuals or institutions suspecting child abuse or neglect to report cases to the Division of Social Services (DSS) for investigation.
“The high number of children impacted by neglect or abuse indicates too many families are struggling and under severe stress,” said Rebecca Starnes, vice president of Children’s Home Society of North Carolina. “Abuse and neglect can be the product of a number of issues facing families, including poverty, working multiple jobs to make ends meet, high levels of stress, unrealistic expectations of children, mental health challenges, or substance abuse.”
In McDowell alone, there were 600 reported cases of abuse in neglect in the 2016-17 year, with over 75 percent found to be true and put into case management services.
“The majority of our reports have been methamphetamine-related,” said McDowell Department of Social Services Director Lisa Sprouse. “Just last week, we received multiple reports of babies being born in McDowell County that tested positive for polysubstance abuse.”
When asked about the uptick in referrals across the state, Sprouse says that the biggest contributor has been substance abuse.
“I looked at those numbers and they don’t include foster care, but foster care has greatly increased due to the rise of opioid addictions and, primarily here in this county, methamphetamine addiction,” said Sprouse. “In the month of July in this agency alone, we placed 18 children in foster care, probably 80 percent of those due to substance abuse from parents, and right now it is IV drug use.”
DSS staff investigates and assesses all suspected cases of child abuse and neglect; diagnoses the problem with the family; provides in-home services to help keep families together; coordinates community and agency services; or, petitions the court for removal of the child from the home, if necessary.
To treat instances like these and other child-related cases, McDowell DSS has a collaborative relationship with a number of organizations like the McDowell Sheriff’s Office, the county school system, Lily’s Place – the local subsidiary of Southmountain Children and Family Services – Freedom Life Ministries, and equine and agricultural therapy at Hope 29:11 for older children not living with their biological parents, as well as local events like this Sunday’s Unity Service at East Middle School and Child Abuse Prevention Month in April.
“We try to utilize conventional collaborations as well as unconventional,” said Sprouse. “Sometimes in this day and time, the conventional methods with going to an office for mental health services is not really what works for our families, so we try to meet them where we are and provide services that can help them from point A to point B and help them make their family whole again and allow their children to come home.”
Matthew Lee Virgin, 27, was arrested for first degree child abuse.
Baby’s checkup leads to Child Abuse charges against metro Detroit father
HARRISON TOWNSHIP, MI – Deputies from the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office were called to St. John Hospital in Detroit for a child abuse complain involving a two-month-old from Harrison Township.
The child was originally taken into her doctor’s office for a scheduled visit and then transferred to the hospital after showing possible signs of abuse.
She is currently in stable condition.
Deputies and detectives searched the child’s home and spoke with several people, including the child’s parents.
Her father, 27-year-old Matthew Lee Virgin was taken into custody and lodged at the Macomb County Jail for child abuse.
He was issued a warrant for one count of first degree child abuse by the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office.
Chelsey Stallard admitted handling the babies roughly.
Mother charged with Child Abuse of twin
infants in Imperial
IMPERIAL, PA – An Imperial mother is facing felony child abuse charges after doctors found broken bones in one of her 5-week-old twin boys — then asked to see his brother and found more, according to Tribune-Review news partner WPXI-TV.
Chelsey Stallard’s preliminary hearing was held Wednesday, and a judge held the charges for court.
North Fayette police were called to Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh in June for a report of twin 5-week-old boys with signs of child abuse, the news station reported.
According to the criminal complaint, a doctor said each infant had “significant trauma to the lower extremities,” broken bones in their legs in different stages of healing, and one of the boys had a displaced, broken elbow.
Stallard admitted to handling the babies roughly from time to time such as when they cried and during diaper changes, police said.
Stallard admitted to forcefully pulling one infant’s arm while he was still strapped in his car seat and acknowledged that both infants’ injuries were a result of her actions, WPXI reported.
But Stallard’s attorney claims his client is innocent, saying an underlying medical condition may be to blame.
“These charges were filed without a complete medical investigation being conducted into the origin of these injuries,” Chris Eyster told WPXI. “A group of doctors at the request of the family is now trying to conduct that medical investigation.”
My Brother's Keeper 