Prosecutors: Former pediatric nurse distributed child porn

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COLUMBUS, Ga. (AP) — A former pediatric nurse practitioner has admitted to distributing child pornography after investigators discovered thousands of videos and images of suspected child pornography on electronic devices at his home.

William Clinton Storey of Preston pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of distributing child pornography, federal prosecutors said in a news release.

“William Storey will spend a significant period of time in prison for his role in distributing large amounts of the most depraved depictions of child sexual abuse online — a criminal act made even more disturbing knowing he was a pediatric nurse practitioner at the time of his crimes,” Acting U.S. Attorney Peter Leary said.

After the Snapchat messaging app detected that a user had uploaded five files of suspected child pornography in November 2019, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation traced the IP address to Storey, according to court documents. Agents executed a search warrant at his house in February 2020 and seized seven electronic devices.

A forensic examination revealed about 6,000 videos and 24,000 images of suspected child pornography, prosecutors said. That included images of babies, toddlers, children engaged in bondage, and prepubescent children being sexually abused by men, prosecutors said.

Storey, 41, is set to be sentenced Aug. 17. He faces a minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years, as well as a fine of up to $250,000. Upon release, he will be subject to supervision for at least five years and possibly for the rest of his life and will be required to register as a sex offender.

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Source: https://thebrunswicknews.com/news/state_news/prosecutors-former-pediatric-nurse-distributed-child-porn/article_f94cab82-9d03-55f9-a220-628fb85ff5bb.html

Former pediatric nurse practitioner pleads guilty to child porn distribution

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By WALB News Team| May 28, 2021 at 12:12 PM EDT – Updated May 28 at 5:10 PM

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WALB) – A former pediatric nurse practitioner pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography involving “thousands of images and videos of child pornography,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia said in a release.

William Clinton Storey, 41, of Preston, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography. He is facing a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. He is also facing a maximum fine of $250,000, supervised release of at least five years up to a lifetime of supervision and will be required to register as a sex offender.

“William Storey will spend a significant period of time in prison for his role in distributing large amounts of the most depraved depictions of child sexual abuse online — a criminal act made even more disturbing knowing he was a pediatric nurse practitioner at the time of his crimes,” Peter Leary, acting U.S. attorney, said. “GBI and FBI agents are to be commended for their urgent and precise investigation into Storey’s activities as a child predator, removing him from his role working with children and helping us obtain justice.”

“Children portrayed in child pornography images are victimized every time those images are distributed or viewed, and this case is exceptionally disturbing because the suspect was a nurse and a family pediatric practitioner,” said Chris Hacker, special agent in charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI will use every resource available, including the partnerships with our federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, to uncover child pornography and those who create, distribute and possess it.”

According to court documents, Snapchat detected that user “clint31824″ had uploaded five files of suspected child pornography on November 21, 2019.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) investigated and traced the IP used by that user to Storey, according to Leary’s office.

At the time, Leary’s office said Storey was employed as a certified family nurse practitioner.

Storey’s home and business were searched on February 18, 2020, and seven devices belonging to him were seized, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

A forensic examination found approximately 6,000 videos and 24,000 images of suspected child pornography.

“The GBI will continue to work tirelessly to protect innocent victims of online exploitation. In this instance, the offender was a healthcare provider. We are grateful for the relationships we maintain with our federal partner agencies to bring these predators to justice,” Vic Reynolds, GBI director, said.

There is no parole in the federal system.

Copyright 2021 WALB. All rights reserved.

Source: https://www.walb.com/2021/05/28/former-pediatric-nurse-practitioner-pleads-guilty-child-porn-distribution/

Cobb judge denies retrial in Justin Ross Harris case

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JUSTIN ROSS HARRIS NEW MUG.jpg

Justin Ross Harris

 

A Cobb judge has denied a request for retrial for the Cobb County man convicted in 2016 of murdering his toddler by deliberately leaving him in a hot car two years earlier, a decision the defense says they will appeal.

 

Mary Staley Clark mug

Judge Mary Staley Clark

 

Mitch Durham, the Marietta attorney representing Justin Ross Harris, declined to comment on the case or the ruling Monday, but told the MDJ he would appeal Cobb Superior Court Judge Mary Staley Clark’s decision to the Georgia Supreme Court.

Clark shot down the request for a new trial late last week, after Durham contended his client’s original trial was improperly conducted and he deserved a new day in court. Harris was sentenced to life in prison after his conviction.

Clark’s more than 70-page order is simply a list of claims made by Harris’ legal team on why he should be given a new trial and responses from the court explaining why it had not erred. Oral arguments in the appeal were presented during hearings in December and March, according to Clark’s order.

Among Clark’s responses in her order denying the motion for a new trial, the judge maintains that evidence presented in the case was “sufficient to sustain Harris’ convictions beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Following his 2016 trial, Harris was convicted of malice murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole. He was also convicted of felony murder, cruelty to children, and distribution of obscene materials to a minor.

“(It) was never in dispute that Defendant left his 22-month-old child in a hot car all day on June 18, 2014 and that the child died of hyperthermia. The issue in dispute was whether Defendant did this accidentally or intentionally,” Clark’s order reads. “The State provided evidence of Defendant’s actions throughout the day of the murder which were sufficient for a jury to determine that he had acted intentionally.”

The order goes on to describe Harris’ relationship with a 17-year-old girl, which included sending sexual messages and explicit photos. Clark also struck down in the order the Harris team’s calling for counts related to child sex crimes to be dropped.

Harris’ appeal says he should have been separately tried for the alleged sex offenses that catapulted the case from notorious to scandalous. Harris was revealed to have conducted multiple extramarital affairs while married to his then-wife, Leanna Cooper. The prosecution charged that Harris’ motive for the killing, in which he left Cooper Harris in the car for seven hours, was to start a new life free from the burdens of his wife and child. Clark’s order said sufficient evidence of those claims was also presented, and the court did not violate Harris’ rights in holding one trial.

Much of an appeal hearing in December was devoted to the testimony of Dr. David Diamond, a neuroscience professor at the University of South Florida who has studied what causes parents to accidentally leave their children in cars. In 2016, Clark, who also presided over the trial, ordered Diamond to hand over as evidence notes he had taken during meetings with Harris. That order, Harris’ appeal said, was an improper use of discovery laws that tainted the trial.

To that, Clark’s order responds, since Diamond intended to base his expert testimony on Harris’ situation being “consistent with a ‘failure of memory systems,’” the prosecution was entitled “to know exactly what Defendant said to Dr. Diamond that led Dr. Diamond to opine that expert opinion.”

The defense’s decision in 2016 to not call Diamond to the stand after his notes had been revealed meant the defense “waived this error,” Clark wrote.

Source: https://www.mdjonline.com/news/cobb-judge-denies-retrial-in-justin-ross-harris-case/article_d17848ee-bbd5-11eb-86d5-9b1333c029d0.html

Former UGA professor found with hundreds of child porn images sentenced to prison

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James Edward Monogan III, a former University of Georgia Professor, will spend 90 months in federal prison followed by 10 years of supervised release.

ATHENS, Ga. — A former professor of Georgia’s oldest and most well-known public university has been sentenced to prison and will have to register as a sex offender following his recent conviction.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Wednesday that 39-year-old James Edward Monogan III, a former University of Georgia Professor, will spend 90 months in federal prison followed by 10 years of supervised release after a 2019 investigation uncovered hundreds of images of child pornography.

“Viewing child pornography is a direct assault against the very children who are being exploited on film,” acting U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary said. “We will prosecute individuals engaging in this deviant criminal behavior, and we thank our law enforcement partners for their hard work and vigilance.”

The charges stem from a February 2019 investigation into two Kik Messenger accounts tied to the distribution of child pornography – both of which were found to belong to Monogan.

In September of that year, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and Athens-Clarke County Police executed a search warrant of Monogan’s home and UGA office.  The search led to the seizure of several electronic devices.

A forensic search of his university laptop later uncovered more than 450 images of child pornography as well as eight videos. An additional 119 images were found on his cell phone. Investigators said some of the images involved minors under the age of 12.

According to the Department of Justice, Monogan also admitted to possessing the material.

“Taking Monogan off the streets means that his victims can start to heal, and he can no longer hurt our children or share those dreadful images and details with others,” said Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger, who oversees HSI operations in Georgia and Alabama.

Berger added that the importance of the conviction was even more significant given Monogan’s position of “trust and responsibility” as a professor.

In addition to a sentence of more than seven years in prison and lifetime registration as a sex offender, Monogan will also owe more than $40,000 in fines.

Source: http://rssfeeds.11alive.com/~/652507408/0/wxia-local~Former-UGA-professor-found-with-hundreds-of-child-porn-images-sentenced-to-prison

McDonough man convicted in county’s first post-pandemic trial

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HENRY CO (CBS46)—Henry County court officials reported jury trials have returned since a pause across the state due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The first jury trial to take place in Henry County involved Shawn R. Clark, 25.

Clark, according to a spokesperson with the Henry County district attorney’s office, was convicted of child molestation and public indecency. He was convicted for exposing himself in front of a toddler who was visiting him while he was incarcerated at the Henry County jail.

The jury returned the guilty verdict after deliberating less than 30 minutes, according to Megan L. Matteucci, the attorney who prosecuted the case.

Clark was sentenced to 20 years with the first 10 years to be served in prison. Also, he must register as a sex offender and have no contact with children.

This was Henry County’s first jury trial following the Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice’s Emergency Order halting jury trials in March 2020.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Harold D. Melton lifted the statewide jury trial suspension in March.

“We are pleased to be able to be back to doing in-person jury trials in a courtroom environment that meets the safety standards recommended by the Department of Health,” District Attorney Darius Pattillo said.

According to Matteucci, Clark’s trial relied heavily on technology to allow jurors to be socially distanced and evidence to be shared digitally on several monitors placed throughout the courtroom.

Henry County implemented the following new jury trial procedures to lessen the spread COVID-19:

  • Social distancing
  • Mask mandates
  • Plexiglass dividers in the courtroom
  • Air filters

Copyright 2021 WGCL-TV (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.

Source: https://www.cbs46.com/news/mcdonough-man-convicted-in-county-s-first-post-pandemic-trial/article_ac54fe60-ae54-11eb-8ea0-135d805e6d39.html

Man sentenced in Lee Co. child sex offenses case

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Man sentenced in Lee Co. child sex offenses case
Tony Rizzo (Source: Lee County Sheriff’s Office)

By WALB News Team| May 5, 2021 at 6:25 PM EDT – Updated May 5 at 6:25 PM

LEESBURG, Ga. (WALB) – A Leesburg man has been sentenced for a number of sex offenses, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.

Tony Rizzo was sentenced to 40 years, with 12 years to be served in a state prison and the remainder on probation with sex offender registration conditions from charges stemming from a 2019 arrest.

On April 14, he pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual exploitation of children.

In 2018, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Special Victim’s Unit started an investigation which led to Rizzo’s arrest in January 2019.

Copyright 2021 WALB. All rights reserved.

Source: https://www.walb.com/2021/05/05/man-sentenced-lee-co-child-sex-offenses-case/

Suspect charged in Breasia Terrell’s murder

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By KWQC Staff| May 5, 2021 at 12:27 PM EDT – Updated May 6 at 12:20 AM

DAVENPORT, Iowa (KWQC) – A man named a person of interest in the July 10 disappearance of 10-year-old Breasia Terrell is now charged in her death.

Davenport police and Scott County Attorney Mike Walton said during a press conference Wednesday morning that Henry Earl Dinkins, 48, a registered sex offender, has been charged with first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping.

He is expected to appear in Scott County Court virtually Thursday morning.

“While announcing charges is a significant step in this case, it is important to understand that bringing forth charges is not the end of the legal process, but just the beginning,” Walton said. “The case will now proceed to court.”

According to arrest affidavits released Tuesday, Dinkins on or about July 10 removed and confined Terrell from an apartment in the 2700 block of 53rd Street “with premeditation, malice aforethought, and intent to kill,” and fatally shot her.

9 AM DPD Breasia Update

Henry Dinkins is being charged in connection with the death of Breasia Terrell. STORY: https://www.kwqc.com/2021/05/05/police-to-provide-update-in-breasia-terrell-case-wednesday-morning/

Posted by KWQC TV6 News on Wednesday, May 5, 2021

During Wednesday’s press conference, the Davenport Police Department also recognized five investigators who have been working on Breasia’s case since her disappearance.

“I want to recognize our investigators who have spent countless hours over the past ten months working on this case,” Criminal Investigation Division Commander Brent Biggs said.

Lt. Kyle Chisholm, Sgt. Geoff Peiffer, Detective Maureen Hammes, Detective Evan Obert and Detective Sean Johnson, “investigators who have spent thousands of hours on this case following up on tips, conducting interviews, and executing search warrants.”

DAVENPORT, IOWA (May 5, 2020) – Scott County Attorney Mike Walton and the Davenport Police Department on Wednesday…

Posted by Davenport Police Department on Wednesday, May 5, 2021

“This case has been difficult on our investigators, and on their families, and it is due to their hard work and dedication that we are able to bring forth charges in this case,” said Chisholm, deputy division commander of the Criminal Investigation Division. “Because of their unrelenting effort, justice will be sought on behalf of Breasia.”

Biggs also thanked the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Scott County Sheriff’s Office, Clinton County Sheriff’s Office, and more than 20 other public safety agencies. He also thanked hundreds of community members who volunteered in the search for Terrell throughout Scott and Clinton counties.

“I would also like to acknowledge Breasia’s mother, Aishia Lankford, who has been cooperative throughout this entire process,” Biggs said. “We cannot imagine the grief she has experienced and our thoughts and prayers remain with her and Breasia’s family.”

Copyright 2021 KWQC via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

Source: https://www.walb.com/2021/05/05/suspect-charged-breasia-terrells-murder/

Two arrested after trespassing near Prince Andrew’s home

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Two arrested after trespassing near Prince Andrew’s home
This photo shows Britain’s Prince Andrew during a television interview at the Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge, Windsor, following the announcement of Prince Philip, in England, Sunday, April 11, 2021. (Source: Steve Parsons/Pool Photo via AP)

LONDON (AP) — Police have arrested two people after receiving a report of trespassers near the home of Britain’s Prince Andrew, the second-oldest son of Queen Elizabeth II.

Thames Valley Police said a 29-year-old woman and a 31-year-old man, both from London, were arrested after a report of intruders on the grounds of the Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park on April 25. Police said there was no risk to anyone at the lodge, Andrew’s official residence.

Police were also called to the Royal Lodge on April 19.

The Sun newspaper reported that during the earlier incident, a 43-year-old woman spent 20 minutes on the grounds of the lodge after telling security guards she was having lunch with the monarch’s son.

The woman managed to get into the home, but was detained after asking a member of staff where Andrew was and saying that she was his fiancée, the newspaper said. Thames Valley Police said the woman was detained under the Mental Health Act.

Andrew shares the home with his former wife, Sarah, the Duchess of York.

Andrew, 61, has largely kept out of the public eye since 2019 amid controversy over his friendship with the late American convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Source: https://www.walb.com/2021/05/02/two-arrested-after-trespassing-near-prince-andrews-home/

Wilmington man gets prison time for secretly recording minors using his bathroom

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By WECT Staff| April 20, 2021 at 2:14 PM EDT – Updated April 20 at 11:27 PM

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – A Wilmington man pleaded guilty to installing hidden video cameras so he could secretly record children who were showering and changing clothes in his bathroom.

Billy Eugene Godfrey, 62, entered guilty pleas Tuesday morning to multiple counts of statutory sex offense, sexual exploitation of a minor, taking indecent liberties with children, and felony secret peeping.

He was sentenced to 20 to 29 years in prison for the crimes. He will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release.

According to prosecutors, Godfrey installed the cameras in air vents and a light switch in a bathroom in his home so he could secretly record the children.

Investigators seized Godfrey’s computer equipment and a phone and discovered photographic evidence that, in addition to secretly peeping on minors in his bathroom, that he sexually assaulted a child multiple times while they were asleep in his home.

Videos and images seized from the equipment date back as far as 2014, prosecutors say.

Copyright 2021 WECT. All rights reserved.

Source: https://www.walb.com/2021/04/20/wilmington-man-gets-prison-time-secretly-recording-minors-using-his-bathroom/

Restaurant owner gets $1.7M over claim of city harassment

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STOCKBRIDGE, Ga. (AP) — A suburban Atlanta barbecue restaurant owner will get $1.7 million to settle a federal lawsuit claiming he was harassed by government officials and employees.

The city of Stockbridge’s insurer will pay the money to Arick Whitson, owner of Georgia Championship Barbeque Co. Whitson’s lawyers will get $534,000 from the total amount, according to terms obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The city is not admitting wrongdoing as part of the process and said it is settling to avoid “a protracted legal process.”

A judge approved the settlement Tuesday.

The 2017 lawsuit accused Stockbridge City Councilman Elton Alexander of repeatedly retaliating against Whitson’s restaurant when Whitson declined to give Alexander a free meal.

The suit said the dispute began in May 2016 when Alexander visited the restaurant and asked Whitson if he wanted to do “business with the city.” Whitson replied that he did and Alexander ordered $60 worth of food.

When Alexander was asked to pay, the councilmember said, “I thought you wanted to do business with the city?” Alexander then left without paying.

Whitson said code enforcement officials began visiting frequently and that he had trouble getting a liquor license or a sign permit.

The owner also said Alexander falsely accused him of being a sex offender Whitson filed an ethics complaint against Alexander in January 2017, which he said only intensified Alexander’s attacks.

Alexander denied the claims and wrote in an email to the newspaper that he did not agree with the city’s insurer’s decision to settle.

“This is a business decision by the insurance company to settle this lawsuit in its entirety and to release the City of Stockbridge and Elton Alexander from all claims,” he wrote. “Mr. Alexander does not support the settlement and does not have the authority to override the insurance company’s decision to settle this lawsuit.

For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Source: https://thebrunswicknews.com/news/state_news/restaurant-owner-gets-1-7m-over-claim-of-city-harassment/article_399424e5-490e-5ccf-bce0-e406b02fa7fd.html