Long term substitute teacher charged with misconduct with three boys

A British literature teacher who allegedly had sexual relationships with three Bay City Central High School students is free on $100,000 bond. 41 year old Heidi Lewis was charged with 6 counts of 3rd degree criminal sexual conduct, punishable by up to 15 years imprisonment.

While the AOC in Michigan is normally 16, Michigan state law raises the AOC to 18 when dealing with teacher student sex under normal circumstances The same law raises it to 26 when dealing with Michigan special needs students. Lewis was arrested after the "girlfriend" of one of the alleged victims told Assistant Principal Joseph Buggs that her beau had had sex with the teacher. The teacher was a long term substitute, who taught between January and June 2010.  This led to an interview with Buggs and a Bay City police officer.

The students, both 17, told Buggs and the officer they had been in Lewis’ class and that during the school year, their relationship had been of a typical teacher-student nature.

Near the end of the school year, Lewis and one of the students exchanged cell phone numbers, one of the teens said. A short while after school let out for the year, Lewis came over to the teen’s house and they had sex, the teen told investigators.

The second teen told investigators the first teen later told him of his relationship with Lewis while they were hanging out together. When the second teen said he did not believe his friend, the first teen called Lewis over to his house. Both teens then simultaneously had sex with Lewis, they said, according to court records.

Over time, the two teens told a third classmate about having sex with Lewis. Investigators interviewed the third teen, who claimed to have had sex with Lewis in the back of her silver Jeep Cherokee. This teen told his girlfriend what happened and she ended up passing the information to school authorities.

Lewis was arrested later that day. She was arraigned February 9, 2011 in Bay County District Judge Dawn A. Klida's courtroom.  Bay County Assistant Prosecutor Jordan E. Case asked that an additional stipulation prohibiting her from contact with minors be added to her release conditions. Defense attorney Richard Lee Jr objected, but Judge Klida granted the prosecution request.

Lawrence, MA police officer sent away for 10-12 years for raping mother of two on duty

A former Lawrence, MA police officer was sentenced to 10-12 years imprisonment for raping a young mother of two who was drunkenly celebrating her 24th birthday. Sentencing took place on February 3, 2011 in Newburyport District Court by Judge Richard Welch.

Kevin Sledge Sr, 48, of Salem, NH, was also ordered to stay away from the victim, her family and her friend Regina Perry, undergo sex offender treatment, register as a sex offender, and serve 5 years of probation after leaving prison. Judge Welch said that while Sledge's family said that he was a supportive father and nephew, he was "a man who committed rape and indecent assault and battery," taking advantage of a woman who "was drunk as can be." The official charges a jury convicted Sledge of were three counts of indecent assault and battery and a single rape count.

He said he was trying to help the victim, who told him she was stranded and abandoned in downtown Lawrence that night. He said she asked him for a ride home to Nashua, N.H. He told her he could drive her to the police station.

When she refused to go into the police station lobby and wait for Perry there, Sledge said he allowed the woman to wait in his car parked out back. The victim says after she was picked up by Sledge, he drove her to the police station where he was on duty. She said he returned to his car several times to rape and assault her.

Sledge, a police officer for 17 years, raped and repeatedly assaulted the woman in his personal car, a silver Jaguar he parked behind the police station on Sept. 26, 2008. Sledge was assigned to the booking room and repeatedly left his post to go to his car to rape and fondle the woman. When arrested, he was immediately suspended from the department and stripped of his paycheck once indicted.

The trial was Sledge's second trial - the first trial ended in a mistrial. Prosecutor Kate MacDougall asked for a 12-15 years sentencing, citing the "sacred trust" Sledge violated and that he used his police officer status to facilitate "disgraceful and shameful behavior." MacDougall read a victim impact statement from the victim. The statement said that the attack affected her parenting ability. Her son missed school because she was too scared to walk his to school. She eventually sucummbed to depression, and was evicted from her apartment and ended up with her children in homeless shelters. 

"Every time, I (saw) a silver car, I put my head down and my heart would pound hoping it wasn't him," "Never would I have thought trusting a police officer was gonna end in a disaster," she said. "I thought I had no chance going up against a cop, but I did it anyways."

Defense attorney John Morris asked Welch to impose a 3- to 5-year prison sentence, pointing to the many letters of support Sledge's extended family had written on his behalf to Welch. Morris read a letter in court from Kevin Sledge Jr., Sledge's 21-year-old son, who is a sophomore in college. Sledge Jr. described his father as his best friend and a person who loves him unconditionally. He also said he was disappointed by his dad's choices. "I cannot imagine what my life would be like without him. He taught me to be a hard worker ... to never quit," Sledge Jr. wrote. "I am proud to call him my dad."

Morris also said Sledge suffers from congestive heart failure, a condition he was diagnosed with in August. In addition to heart valve and blood flow problems, Sledge also has a herniated disk in his back and nerve damage that resulted from a cruiser accident he was involved in as a police officer, Morris said.

Judge Welsh told the victim, "You displayed remarkable courage when you testified...Hopefully you can build on that." Shawn Sledge, 40, the perpetrator's nephew, said "[The sentence is] somewhat harsh ... I do understand the judge's comments that he was a police officer and a protector of the law. I understand the decision he made, even though I don't think it's the right one."

Father of four sent away for life for raping woman he met on sugar daddy website

A man who lured a 22 year old woman he met on a sugar daddy website into rape was sentenced to life without parole by Orange Circuit Judge Walter Komanski Wednesday, February 9. Father of four Marcelo Augusto Alves misrepresented himself as Mark Garcia, even using a fake picture, and communicated with the 22 year old Tampa victim before arranging a meeting with her in the Dr. Phillips area of Orlando outside of a multimillion dollar home March 2009.

 "He was wearing a mask and had a knife in his hand and tackled her to the ground and he raped her," said Assistant State Attorney Kelly Hicks. The mask was pantyhose over his face. Alves put a knife to the victim's throat and tackled her to the ground before raping her.  Alves was charged with, then convicted for four counts of sexual battery. His attorney argued that only one act of rape occured, but Alves was convicted on all four counts.

In the victim impact statement, read by Hicks, she said, "I trusted him as Mark and didn't think something like this could have happened...Marcelo royally screwed me up...Now I understand the term, 'sexual predator.'" "He is a monster who deserves to go away for the rest of his life," Hicks said.

Man who bludegoned, dismembered mistress sentenced to 25 years

A Delaware man who murdered his mistress and dumped her body in the Atlantic Ocean because he could not afford to take care of two families was sentenced to 25 years in prison with 85% to serve for aggravated manslaughter. Rosario DiGirolamo, now 36, was sentenced in a Trenton, NJ courtroom yesterday for beating Amy Giordano, his 27 year old mistress, with a hammer, cutting her body into pieces, and burying Amy's body in a pond. The killing took place June 7, 2007. DiGirolamo plead guilty to aggravated manslaughter on January 3, 2011, when his $1 million bail, which his parents put up, was revoked.

DiGirolamo was seeing Amy when she lived in Hightstown, N.J, and he and his wife, Maria DiMaggio, lived in Millstone Township. DiGirolamo was putting Amy up in a $850 per month apartment apartment.

DiGirolamo claimed that his mistress lunged at him with a hammer after an argument over money and Giordano was threatening to  expose their affair, but Superior Court Judge Edward Neafsey pointed out that DiGirolamo searched "lethal karate blows to the back of the head...He studied how to do this and learned his lesson well,” Neafsey said. “What the vicious nature of the crime showed was his anger for the victim and his decision to eradicate her, totally eliminate her, from his life.”

The case did not just make New Jersey headlines, but Delaware's headlines, since two days after the killing, DiGirolamo and Amy's baby Michael DiGirolamo, then 11 months, off at a hospital in Delaware with a note stating "Please help my baby John Vincent I can no longer take care of him. Lost job, lost medical. God have mercy on me."

DiGirolamo was charged with murder in March 2008 after his former best friend became a government witness. John A. Russo Jr. told prosecutors that DiGirolamo had told him of plans to kill the 27-year-old Giordano because he couldn't afford two families. On June 4 or 5, 2007, Russo told prosecutors, DiGirolamo bought a reciprocating saw, garbage bags and drain cleaner at a Lowe's store that Russo managed, and on June 8 confided that he had killed Giordano.

Three days after DiGirolamo's arrest in March 2008, Russo took authorities to a pond near his Staten Island, N.Y., home where had led DiGirolamo on June 9, 2007. That day DiGirolamo threw a suitcase containing Giordano's body parts into the water, and drove to Delaware to get rid of their son.

Russo, who pleaded guilty to misdemeanor evidence tampering, was sentenced in December under New Jersey's pretrial intervention program for first-time offenders to three years of supervision and 50 hours of community service.

Though prosecutors let DiGirolamo plead guilty to a lesser charge -- a murder conviction could have brought him 30 years to life in prison -- Assistant Prosecutor Al Garcia said after the sentencing that they never believed the victim provoked DiGirolamo. Garcia said the deal was cut because key witnesses had not always been honest with investigators, which could have undermined their credibility before a jury.

Garcia said about the victim,“She was with the man she loved. She was with her son. On that day Amy thought she was going to start a new life. She thought she was going to get a new job and a new apartment. But the defendant destroyed those dreams.” 

Just before sentencing, Judge Neafsey berated the defendant, saying about the dismemberment, "Even in death you did not give dignity to Amy Giordano...The time to show remorse and regret was after you killed her, not on your judgment day.”

Garcia said afterwards, "Justice was served, because he came into court and pled guilty. Usually they don't come in and plead guilty for 25 years.''

Marsha Kaller-Apter sent a latter to the court describing how the killing of her sister affected her life. Part of the letter stated  "There is a spot in my life that can't be filled...That was Amy's spot...I don't know what you were thinking and to tell you the truth I don't really care. You killed my sister and left my nephew for dead. HOW CAN YOU DO THAT!!!??? ... How can you even think of hurting someone so small and sweet.''

Jerome Ballarotto stated that before the internet search evidence, his client intended to go to trial, but now he'll appeal. "But considering that the judge was going to allow the jury to see that evidence, my client made a decision not to take the risk of a jury finding him guilty of planning to kill her.”

[Assistant Prosecutor Thomas]Meidt said the sentence marks the closure of one of the longest investigations in the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office.

“It’s very satisfying,” Meidt said. “Sometimes you work a case for a long time and never solve it. This is a case where all the hard work paid off and we got a good disposition on it.”

Michael Girolamo was adopted by a relative on his father's side in 2008.

Man who shot to death mother of his kids sentenced to at least 75 years

A man who shot and killed his baby's momma in from of her kids in a Montclair, NJ YMCA was sentenced to 75 years to life in a New Jersey Superior courtroom on February 1, 2011. Judge Joseph Cassini III sentenced 39 year old Kenneth Duckett of Orange, NJ to the term saying that innocent people are killed every day, and citing Duckett's numerous felony arrests (22 priors) and convictions (six priors) in New Jersey and North Carolina. The 917 days Duckett spent in custody was credited towards his sentence.

Duckett was on trial for a month and found guilty - just two days before Christmas - for the slaying of Monica Paul, 31, of Montclair. Duckett gunned down Paul, the mother of his two children, on June 26, 2008 inside the YMCA Family Center on Glenridge Avenue. Their 10-year-old daughter, Essence, was near and their 4-year-old son, Noah, was swimming in the facility's indoor pool. Paul was in an observation room watching the lesson.

A quarrel ensued between Paul and Duckett, leading to the shooting.

About 15 family members and friends were in the courtroom today to hear the sentence. As Duckett was led out of the courtroom by Essex County Sheriff's officers, he made a hand gesture and nodded to a handful of his friends also in the room.

Duckett, wearing a green prison jumpsuit and a yellow and orange knit hat, apologized to his son Noah, Paul's father, Lionel Paul, and her cousin, Greg Paul.

Before sentencing, Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Rachel Gran said "The crime is not a peaceful act, or hope for a peaceful world."  The prosecutor went on to say that when Paul was killed in front of her daughter, he brought an "enormous" gun and held the entire Y hostage. After sentencing, Gran said "We believe the sentence imposed by Judge Cassini was absolutely appropriate given the horrific nature of the crime. Mr. Duckett brutally murdered Ms. Paul in a crowded YMCA while innocent children and their parents gathered for learning and recreation.''

"While we know the sentence will never bring back Ms. Paul, who left behind two lovely children, we hope the family will be comforted in some small measure by the fact that the justice system worked well in this case,'' said Assistant Prosecutor Gina Iosim.

Suburban St. Louis police officer sentenced to 25 years for forcing women into sex acts

A former Uplands Park, MO police officer was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for raping and robbing prostitutes. One attack occurred at his own police station. 32 year old Leon Pullen of Foley, MO was sentenced in a St. Louis federal court Friday, January 28 to the 300 month sentence after pleading guilty to nine federal felonies.

These felonies included conspiracy, deprivation of civil rights, witness tampering, and lying to the FBI. Federal prosecutors dropped ten other charges after Pullen pled guilty July 28, 2010. Pullen faced a sentence of 18 1/2 to 25 years of federal confinement.

Pullen's MO was to respond to online escort ads, then after the women responded, he would identify himself as a police officer, pull out his gun, then force the victims to perform sex acts on him. Two of the victims were forced into sex at gunpoint. Pullen was arrested by the FBI on Saturday, September 19, 2009.

The affidavit goes on to say that Pullen called the woman, said his name was "Jimmy," and agreed to pay $400 for a sexual act and that he had her and another woman meet him in Uplands Park on July 15, 2009.

At the meeting, the affidavit said, Pullen rubbed himself against one woman and told her that she had two choices: to give him all her money or get naked, LaCombe wrote. Another officer was present, [FBI special agent Greg]LaCombe wrote, but that officer is not named in the complaint.

Pullen then ordered her and the other woman back in their car and told them to follow him to the police station, where he took the victim to an office in the rear of the station, forced her to undress and then forcibly performed oral sex on her.

The woman, afraid that Pullen would call in the other officer to have sex with her, tried to end the attack by offering to meet Pullen later, LaCombe wrote. Pullen gave her his contact information, and then she left, later calling the FBI.

The victim of that encounter, identified as D.S., gave a victim impact statement and said the sexual assault left her with PTSD and a back injury. "I've always considered myself a very strong woman until that day," she said. The attack had also affected her ability to parent her four children.

Judge Rodney Sippel gave Pullen the 25 year sentence, stating "[People] trust law enforcement to make sure they're safe," Sippel said. "For law enforcement to turn on them and take from them that sense of safety . . . it's hard to comprehend." Pullen was also ordered to pay thousands of dollars in restitution, with the exact amount being disputed.

The second officer in the federal complaint, Justin Biancardi, plead guilty in St. Louis federal court Monday, January 10, 2011 to shaking down over a dozen prostitutes for money. Biancardi, who cooperated with the feds, faces a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced April 13.

Lake Forest, CA man convicted of raping 5 women faces life imprisonment

A Lake Forest, CA man was convicted of raping 5 Orange County women and sexually assaulting a sixth on Wednesday February 2, according to the Orange County District Attorney's office. 32 year old Sekayi Rudo White was found guilty of 14 counts of rape, sexual assault, making criminal threats, and burglary. White faces a maximum sentence of 119 years to life when he is sentenced April 15, 2011.

[White's] 14 felony counts includ[ed] attempted rape and forcible rape for Jane Doe No. 1; assault with the intent to commit rape, sexual battery by restraint and criminal threats for Jane Doe No. 2; forcible rape and dissuading a witness by force for Jane Doe No. 3; first-degree residential burglary of an inhabited dwelling and two counts of forcible rape for Jane Doe No. 4; forcible rape, criminal threats and first-degree residential burglary of an inhabited dwelling for Jane Doe No. 5; and forcible rape for Jane Doe No. 6.

He has also been slapped with sentencing enhancements and allegations for sexual crimes against multiple victims, rape with the use of a deadly weapon, rape in the commission of a burglary, non-accomplice present during a residential burglary, personal use of a deadly weapon, use of a deadly weapon during a sexual offense, being armed with a deadly weapon during a sexual offense, and crime-bail-crime (which means he allegedly committed a crime while out of custody on bail for another criminal case).

The attacks started in late summer 2002, when White raped a 22 year old passed out woman (Jane Doe 6)at a Santa Ana hotel. The woman woke up while White was raping her, and could not remember drinking alcohol or entering the hotel room. After the attack,  Afterwards, White harassed her at home and work.

In December 2005, White met a 44 year old woman (Jane Doe 1) at an Irvine, CA bar and drove the woman to her home in Newport Beach. He used the ruse of asking to use the bathroom to emerge naked with an erect peniswhile he tried to remove her pants as he was pinning her down. White threatened to kill her if she told about the attack.That victim successfully fought him off. In August 2006, he picked up a 22 year old woman (Jane Doe 2) at a Huntington Beach bar, bringing her back to his home where he raped her.

White was indicted for the three assaults on September 2006. Even though he was held on $250,000 bail, he made bond, and raped three more women between January and April 2007, when he was arrested again and held without bond.

Jane Doe No. 3

On March 31, 2007, White is accused of going to a bar in Lake Forest, where 28-year-old Jane Doe No. 3 was celebrating her birthday. The victim had met the defendant a few months prior. At approximately 2:30 a.m. on April 1, 2007, Jane Doe No. 3 was dropped off at home by a friend. White is accused of showing up at the victim's home and knocking on her door. The victim, who was intoxicated due to alcohol consumption, opened the door, and White is accused of entering. Jane Doe No. 3 passed out in her bed. When the victim woke up, White is accused of forcibly raping her as she struggled and told him to stop. The victim punched White in the face and was able to get up and attempt to call 911. White is accused of following Jane Doe No. 3 and stopping her from calling the police. The victim ran outside and called 911 from a neighbor's home.

The defendant was re-arrested and charged April 4, 2007, with the rape of Jane Doe No. 3. The Orange County district attorney's office issued a press release about White that day, and several media publicized the case. As a result of the media coverage, three additional victims who had previously been frightened to report the crimes against them came forward to police.

Jane Doe No. 4

Jane Doe No. 4 met and began dating White in 2006 when she was 22 years old. In February 2007, White is accused of beginning to send threatening messages to the victim and spying on her by peering through the blinds into her home. On Feb. 21, 2007, White is accused of breaking into Jane Doe No. 4's home when she was alone, pushing the victim to the ground, and stepping on her chest as he removed her pants and panties. He is accused of forcibly raping the victim as he held a large hunting knife to her neck.

Jane Doe No. 5

Jane Doe No. 5 was renting a room from Jane Doe No. 4. The victim frequently locked her bedroom door using an eye-hook because she had seen White in the apartment before and was alarmed by his aggressive behavior toward her roommate. One night in January 2007, Jane Doe No. 5 locked her bedroom door and went to sleep. White is accused of breaking the lock off the door, entering the bedroom and forcibly raping Jane Doe No. 5. He is accused of threatening to kill her if she reported the rape.

Hopefully, White will get the maximum sentence for his crimes. This will insure that women in bars will not have to put up with White's lures and violence again.

Teenage rapist sentenced to 75 to life for attack on woman

A teenage rapist who attacked a 40 year old woman was sentenced to 75 years to life in a Denver, CO courtroom Wednesday, February 3. Shakiel Madden-Vaughn, who was 16 when he attacked a 40 year old woman who was walking home from a light rail station on January 24, 2009, was convicted by a jury of attempted 1st degree murder, two counts of sexual assault, 1st degree assault, and aggravated robbery for the attack. Madden-Vaughn raped the 40 year old victim, beat her with a baseball bat, then stole her purse.

Madden-Vaughn, who turned 18 the day before Halloween last year, faces charges of fondling a 12 year old girl on a playground January 19, 2009 and hitting a 68 year old woman with a brick. Chief Deputy DA Joseph Morales and Deputy District Attorney P.J. Loew prosecuted the case.

Former teacher gets year in prison and lifetime SO registration for "relationship" with 18 year old girl

Ryan Spicer, a 30 year old ex teacher from Crooksville, OH, was sentenced to a year in prison and lifetime registration as a Tier 3 sex offender for a count of sexual battery. Perry County Common Pleas Court accepted his plea November 16 to a Bill Of Information regarding a count of sexual battery. The victim was a 18 year old girl who Spicer met as a business teacher at Crooksville High School. Spicer was also employed as the assistant football coach at the high school, and worked there from July 24, 2007, to May 20, 2010. Spicer cited "personal" reasons for his resignation.

Kyle Newton, superintendent for the Crooksville Exempted Village School District Board of Education, said once Spicer had resigned, the school was removed from the situation. Newton did say the girl was the only student who has reported any incidents with Spicer.

Although Newton said he and Spicer had a conversation just before Spicer's resignation last year, he would not state what had been discussed. Newton said Monday that when he learned of the situation, he dealt with Spicer as quickly as he could.

According to Newton, Spicer surrendered his taching credentials last month.

LA county health inspector gets 115 days jail, lifetime SO registration for groping donut shop owner

A Los Angeles County health inspector was sentenced to 115 days in jail, three years probation and lifetime sex offender registration February 3 for groping a Pomona, CA doughnut shop owner. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge David Brougham meted out the sentence February 3 in a Pomona, CA courtroom. 51 year old Magdy Tawadros was convicted on January 26 after jurors found him guilty of a single sexual battery count.

The groping took place March 24, 2010, at the 45 year old victim's shop, Pixie Donuts. A surveillance camera caught Tawadros grabbing the woman in the back room of her shop and touching her chest as she tried to get away. The victim's civil attorney, Tim McDonough, elaborates on the encounter.

"The first actual assault was a hug, at which point the female store owner distracts him and says, 'I have to look out for the customers,' and she escapes, and after that a second altercation occurs where she's reeled in and of course there's some groping that occurs, and some inappropriate hand touching and things of that nature, and at that point a second escape occurs that then leads on to a third physical altercation. He spends about 15 minutes on the premises asking the female store owner if he can date her, and asks for her phone number and apparently leaves another business card with her in an attempt to solicit her to engage in some sort of encounter with him in the future," said McDonough. The victim went to the police March 29, 2010.

Tawadros, who worked in the West Covina bureau of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, was initially placed on desk duty, but fired on April 14 after the surveillance tape came to light. According to defense attorney Michael Holmes, "Watching (the jury) view the surveillance tape it was clear they were uncomfortable with what happened and I think that was the deciding factor."

It was the second jury trial in the case. The first ended in a mistrial after Deputy District Attorney Lauren Guber failed to give Tawadros' defense attorney an audio recording she made during interviews with the alleged victim and her husband. Deputy District Attorney Daniel Rochmes prosecuted the case to conviction, Gibbons said. Rochmes could not immediately be reached for comment.

The victim impact statement by the woman and her husband said they were "so relieved now that the jury has found Mr. Tawadros guilty... In our view, he has shown no remorse for what he did and he has fabricated a gross public lie intended to prove that he was innocent and to turn the tables on his victims, our family. He used his advantageous position as a county public code enforcer to commit a criminal act while he was on duty."

A $10 million lawsuit has been filed against Tawadros by the victim.

Oklahoma City serial rapist gets 5 life without parole terms

John Earl Stephney Jr, 33, was sentenced to five life without parole terms for the rapes of five women by
Judge Kenneth Watson on Friday, January 28, 2011. Stepney's guilty plea to the charges did not help him one iota at sentencing.

The judge was told he attacked the first rape victim as she slept in her apartment Nov. 17, 2008. Next, he attacked a woman walking home from work late Dec. 7, 2008.

His third victim was the woman who was doing Christmas shopping the afternoon of Dec. 23, 2008, at Penn Square Mall. His fourth victim was attacked Jan. 5, 2009, as she was doing laundry at her apartment complex.

The fifth victim was attacked on Jan. 7, 2009, as she was vacuuming her car at a car wash. She told police the rapist said, “Maybe next time your husband will come wash your car.” Stepney was arrested the next day.

Stepney forced two victims to let him withdraw cash at ATMs from their bank accounts, according to the police reports and court records. In his attacks, he threatened the women with a BB gun that looked like a real handgun, prosecutors said.

The third victim read an impact statement to the court. “Things are still not back to my ‘normal.' I do not ever sleep well. I hear every little noise and I am jolted awake multiple times every night. Every time I have to walk to my car alone I have such pain and tightness in my chest is it almost unbearable.”

According to police reports, when Stephney saw his victim was looking away, he said “What are you doing not paying attention?" The victim said when she did look at him, he said “Don't look at me. Do you want a .45 bullet to your head?”

Judge Watson said that  if the victim had been his daughter, “I wonder if I could let the penitentiary take care of it rather than taking care of it myself.”

As for Stepney, he made no statement during sentencing, but in a pre sentence report he said "I made some bad decisions. I have wrecked lives including my own. I have always had a problem with pornography.”

He also said he was using drugs when “my crimes happened.” He said, “The drugs make you feel like you must have everything you want. They take over you. … All I can really ask for is to be forgiven.”

Stepney's bad decisions have exacted a heavy price on his life and the lives of his victims. Forgiveness will not come from the people of Oklahoma, but perhaps, one day, may come from God .

Fresno insurance company owner sentenced to 10 days jail, 4 years probation for peeping on female employee

A Fresno, CA boss was sentenced to 10 days jail, 20 days in a work program and four years probation Wednesday, January 26 for taking indecent photos of one of his female employees in December 2009. 51 year old insurance company owner Wellman Shew was convicted of misdemeanor peeping after he was found with "disturbing" images on his work computer. If Shew violates his probation, he will be sent to prison and the four years he is scheduled to spend on the sex offender registry will become life.

Police later searched Shew's business on North Cedar Avenue near Alluvial Avenue and found a video that showed a female employee using the restroom. Police said officers also found a fake plant on top of the toilet with a secret compartment and two boxes with holes on the side.

In court Wednesday, [prosecutor Tim]Galstan, a deputy district attorney, informed the judge that there could be multiple victims, because Shew had told police that he was not fixated on just the victim in this case. "I just kind of rotate from people to people," Shew said, according to Galstan.

Just before sentencing, Shew told Judge Dennis Peterson in Fresno County Superior Court that his actions stemmed from a porn addiction, and "Hopefully, she will find in her heart to forgive me." Defense attorney Michael Idiart said that his client has tried to make amends by attending marital counseling, paying a civil settlement, and that "He accepts his punishment and wants to move forward."

The victim also made a statment to the court, asking Judge Peterson to make her peeper register as a sex offender. "Knowledge is power - I want future employees to know what he did." Peterson, when announcing his sentence, cited the vulnerability of the victim and the "sophistication and planning" of the unlawful recording.