Two 25 year old men, one from Boston and the other from Framingham, were sentenced to 25 years in prison for a home invation and rape. Donnell Nicholson and Alexis Middleton were convicted Monday, then sentenced Friday at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, MA.
Superior Court Judge Janet Saunders called the crimes "shocking and sadistic."
The pair were masked and armed when they broke into the house in January 2005.
They terrorized and beat two young men and two young woman because they thought there was marijuana and cash in the house. The women were stripped naked and Middleton forced one to perform a sex act on him at gunpoint.
The prosecution asked for 60 years; the defense asked for 10 years.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Chicago area college basketball player charged with sexual assault
Charles Peden, a 19 year old student from Maywood, a suburb of Chicago, was arrested on charges of 3rd degree sexual abuse for the alleged rape of a 18 year old junior college student who went to Indian Hills Community College, located in Ottumwa, IA where a basketball tounarment the Wilbur Wright City College basketball team was playing at. Other team members are still under investigation for the alleged attack.
[He] was arrested in the western suburb Wednesday on a fugitive warrant from Wapello County, Iowa. He is being held at Cook County Jail and plans to fight extradition to Iowa, Cook County court officials said.
While Iowa officials were conducting the investigation and waiting for DNA evidence results, Wright College allowed the team members to remain on the squad for the duration of their season, which ended earlier this month.
The college president told Wright's student newspaper last month that team members had been disciplined for some behavior related to the incident at the Ottumwa Days Inn.According to court records, the alleged victim and three of her friends met Wright College team members Nov. 30 when they were playing a tournament at Indian Hills.They exchanged phone numbers, and some of the players called the women the following night to invite them to hang out at the Days Inn where they were staying.
The women, all 18 at the time, told police they went to the hotel and began drinking with about seven players and a member of the coaching staff, according to the affidavit for a search warrant for two Days Inn hotel rooms.
At around 12:30 AM on December 2, the victim's friends found themselves being pushed into, then locked in a bathroom, and when they were let out, they could not find the alleged victim.
four players ran into the next room when another door was opened. They found the victim passed out, with semen covering her chest and neck. There was also vomit in her mouth, and th friends called police. When she was taken to the local hospital, she tested with a BAC of 0.175. She was bleeding, and hairs which didn't belong to her were found on her body. when taken to the hospital.
The victim told police that she darnk and hung out with the players, but did not remember sex with any of them.
[He] was arrested in the western suburb Wednesday on a fugitive warrant from Wapello County, Iowa. He is being held at Cook County Jail and plans to fight extradition to Iowa, Cook County court officials said.
While Iowa officials were conducting the investigation and waiting for DNA evidence results, Wright College allowed the team members to remain on the squad for the duration of their season, which ended earlier this month.
The college president told Wright's student newspaper last month that team members had been disciplined for some behavior related to the incident at the Ottumwa Days Inn.According to court records, the alleged victim and three of her friends met Wright College team members Nov. 30 when they were playing a tournament at Indian Hills.They exchanged phone numbers, and some of the players called the women the following night to invite them to hang out at the Days Inn where they were staying.
The women, all 18 at the time, told police they went to the hotel and began drinking with about seven players and a member of the coaching staff, according to the affidavit for a search warrant for two Days Inn hotel rooms.
At around 12:30 AM on December 2, the victim's friends found themselves being pushed into, then locked in a bathroom, and when they were let out, they could not find the alleged victim.
four players ran into the next room when another door was opened. They found the victim passed out, with semen covering her chest and neck. There was also vomit in her mouth, and th friends called police. When she was taken to the local hospital, she tested with a BAC of 0.175. She was bleeding, and hairs which didn't belong to her were found on her body. when taken to the hospital.
The victim told police that she darnk and hung out with the players, but did not remember sex with any of them.
Man becomes ill just before trial on attempted rape, kidnapping charges
22 year old Christian Barbee, a Springfield, MA man who allegedly kidnapped his ex-girlfriend in November, sucessfully faked his illness, according to prosecutors, to get his trial, scheduled for last week postponed to July.
Barbee is being held on $10,000 bail for charges including kidnapping, assault to rape, breaking and entering, assault and battery, and malicious destruction of property over $250. The incident which led to charges took place at his ex-girlfriend's Hampden home in November.
As the trial was getting ready to begin, Barbee's lawyer Mickey E. Harris told Judge William B. McDonough that his client was ill. Prosecutor Christine M. Tetreault said she believed it was a ploy and Barbee was trying to put the case off. She said Barbee's symptoms appeared after he saw the woman in court. Barbee was brought by ambulance to Wing Memorial Hospital in custody of a court officer. When court resumed after 2 p.m., Harris told McDonough that Barbee was suffering from diarrhea and intestinal problems.
"I suggest Mr. Barbee is in no condition to proceed today," Harris said. Tetreault asked to move the case forward, saying she thought Barbee had been cleared to stand trial. But McDonough granted the continuance. Tetreault asked for a bail increase, from $5,000 on the two cases to $25,000 on each.
Barbee's bail was changed in court last week; he had been held for 90 days without right to bail. Today he was brought in from the Hampden County Correctional Center. McDonough denied the bail increase request. In arguing for the high bail, Tetreault said Barbee was heard saying he expects his mother to post the combined $10,000 bail. She expressed concern that his father is in Hawaii.
"The commonwealth believes he would not return to court," Tetreault said. "The facts of the case are indicative of the lengths the defendant will go to avoid being taken into custody. He jumped out a second-story window of a colonial home to avoid being arrested."
If Barbee makes bail, he'll be under a no-contact order with the woman, electronic monitoring, and must undergo drug and alcohol treatment.
Barbee is being held on $10,000 bail for charges including kidnapping, assault to rape, breaking and entering, assault and battery, and malicious destruction of property over $250. The incident which led to charges took place at his ex-girlfriend's Hampden home in November.
As the trial was getting ready to begin, Barbee's lawyer Mickey E. Harris told Judge William B. McDonough that his client was ill. Prosecutor Christine M. Tetreault said she believed it was a ploy and Barbee was trying to put the case off. She said Barbee's symptoms appeared after he saw the woman in court. Barbee was brought by ambulance to Wing Memorial Hospital in custody of a court officer. When court resumed after 2 p.m., Harris told McDonough that Barbee was suffering from diarrhea and intestinal problems.
"I suggest Mr. Barbee is in no condition to proceed today," Harris said. Tetreault asked to move the case forward, saying she thought Barbee had been cleared to stand trial. But McDonough granted the continuance. Tetreault asked for a bail increase, from $5,000 on the two cases to $25,000 on each.
Barbee's bail was changed in court last week; he had been held for 90 days without right to bail. Today he was brought in from the Hampden County Correctional Center. McDonough denied the bail increase request. In arguing for the high bail, Tetreault said Barbee was heard saying he expects his mother to post the combined $10,000 bail. She expressed concern that his father is in Hawaii.
"The commonwealth believes he would not return to court," Tetreault said. "The facts of the case are indicative of the lengths the defendant will go to avoid being taken into custody. He jumped out a second-story window of a colonial home to avoid being arrested."
If Barbee makes bail, he'll be under a no-contact order with the woman, electronic monitoring, and must undergo drug and alcohol treatment.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Cincy police officer gets 6 months in jail for rape
A former Cincinnati police officer was sentenced to 6 months in jail and 5 years probation March 12 for coercing sex from a woman he met during a domestic violence call. William Simpson, 47, an 18 year veteran of the Cincinnati Police Department, pleaded to 2 counts of sexual battery, down from more serious charges of rape. He faced 31 years in prison if convicted of all original charges
After a domestic violence call on October 3, 2006, Simpson, in full uniform, responded. He used the guise of taking pictures of injuries he suffered to have the woman drop her pants. At the trial, cut short after he plead guilty, she related her story that Simpson grabbed the victim's arms and forced her to perform a sex act, then have intercourse with her.
Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Ethna]Cooper also ordered Simpson to spend five years on probation and participate in a sex offender rehabilitation program. Cooper designated a Simpson a sex offender, ordering him to register his address with the sheriff’s office in the county where he lives for the rest of his life.“I speak for everybody when I say you not only violated the victim’s trust but violated the trust of everyone in the city,” Cooper said.
“It’s a sad day for everyone involved.”As part of the plea deal, Simpson signed paperwork saying he would resign and never seek reinstatement. Police records show Simpson retired. He has been on unpaid leave since his arrest last March. He earned about $58,500 a year.Prosecutors say the victim called Cincinnati police to her Bond Hill apartment for help the morning of Oct. 3, 2006 after her former boyfriend broke in and assaulted her. Simpson responded to the 911 call.
Simpson's probation conditions include sex offender treatment. He will be designated a Tier 3 SO, which requires lifetime registration. He resigned effective March 12, the day of his sentencing.
After a domestic violence call on October 3, 2006, Simpson, in full uniform, responded. He used the guise of taking pictures of injuries he suffered to have the woman drop her pants. At the trial, cut short after he plead guilty, she related her story that Simpson grabbed the victim's arms and forced her to perform a sex act, then have intercourse with her.
Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Ethna]Cooper also ordered Simpson to spend five years on probation and participate in a sex offender rehabilitation program. Cooper designated a Simpson a sex offender, ordering him to register his address with the sheriff’s office in the county where he lives for the rest of his life.“I speak for everybody when I say you not only violated the victim’s trust but violated the trust of everyone in the city,” Cooper said.
“It’s a sad day for everyone involved.”As part of the plea deal, Simpson signed paperwork saying he would resign and never seek reinstatement. Police records show Simpson retired. He has been on unpaid leave since his arrest last March. He earned about $58,500 a year.Prosecutors say the victim called Cincinnati police to her Bond Hill apartment for help the morning of Oct. 3, 2006 after her former boyfriend broke in and assaulted her. Simpson responded to the 911 call.
Simpson's probation conditions include sex offender treatment. He will be designated a Tier 3 SO, which requires lifetime registration. He resigned effective March 12, the day of his sentencing.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
The other New York sex scandal
(Originally Posted 3-13-08)The Eliot Spitzer prostitution scandal will finally come to a political close Monday when the former New York governor, accused of hiring a prostitute named "Kristen" er, Ashley, officially resigns. After two days of ever more sleazy details, including the fact that his presence as "Client 9" led to the breakup of the prostitution ring and the parading of his wife like an accomplice, he announced his resignation yesterday. However, Spitzer still faces the possibility of divorce, disbarment, and even federal Mann Act charges for traveling from New York to DC to have sex with Kristen, er, Ashley the night before Valentine's Day.
There is another sex scandal in New York, one which is much more serious. A NYC councilman will reportedly resign after a July rape.
The councilman, Dennis P. Gallagher, a Queens Republican, was initially charged with raping a woman in his campaign office in Middle Village in July after they met in a nearby bar. Mr. Gallagher, who is married and the father of three children, acknowledged a sexual encounter but said that it had been consensual.
Gallagher is using his resignation from office (much like Spitzer is using his past governorship to negotiate lesser criminal charges under the Mann Act and local statutes) as part of his plea negotiation. He is also said to be close to a deal, which does NOT involve sex offender registration or treatment, but an apology to his victim and alcohol abuse treatment.
In January, a State Supreme Court judge dismissed the indictment of Mr. Gallagher, saying that prosecutors had unfairly prejudiced the grand jury against him. The judge added, however, that the evidence was strong enough to warrant an indictment.
That ruling left the door open for prosecutors to present the case again to a new grand jury. The Queens district attorney, Richard A. Brown, said that he intended to seek a new indictment, but that has not happened.
A sticking point earlier in the plea discussions was whether Mr. Gallagher would be required to register as a sex offender. No such requirement is in the current proposed resolution of the case, according to one of the people familiar with the negotiations.
Gallagher is one of only three Repubilcans on the 51 member City Council, but has only lost his leadership posts for his party (which isn't worth anything if there are only 3 Republicans in the City Council), but not his job. All questions were referred to his lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, who refused to comment.
There is another sex scandal in New York, one which is much more serious. A NYC councilman will reportedly resign after a July rape.
The councilman, Dennis P. Gallagher, a Queens Republican, was initially charged with raping a woman in his campaign office in Middle Village in July after they met in a nearby bar. Mr. Gallagher, who is married and the father of three children, acknowledged a sexual encounter but said that it had been consensual.
Gallagher is using his resignation from office (much like Spitzer is using his past governorship to negotiate lesser criminal charges under the Mann Act and local statutes) as part of his plea negotiation. He is also said to be close to a deal, which does NOT involve sex offender registration or treatment, but an apology to his victim and alcohol abuse treatment.
In January, a State Supreme Court judge dismissed the indictment of Mr. Gallagher, saying that prosecutors had unfairly prejudiced the grand jury against him. The judge added, however, that the evidence was strong enough to warrant an indictment.
That ruling left the door open for prosecutors to present the case again to a new grand jury. The Queens district attorney, Richard A. Brown, said that he intended to seek a new indictment, but that has not happened.
A sticking point earlier in the plea discussions was whether Mr. Gallagher would be required to register as a sex offender. No such requirement is in the current proposed resolution of the case, according to one of the people familiar with the negotiations.
Gallagher is one of only three Repubilcans on the 51 member City Council, but has only lost his leadership posts for his party (which isn't worth anything if there are only 3 Republicans in the City Council), but not his job. All questions were referred to his lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, who refused to comment.
(Update 3-18-08)
Gallagher was given a conditional discharge, meaning that if he completes the conditions of drug and alcohol treatment, and has no contact with his victim, no guilty verdict will be on his record. [And people complain that female teachers get off when convicted of assaulting male students!]
His 52-year-old victim, in a statement read by the prosecutor, said, "I will never recover from the pain, anguish and humiliation I suffered as a result of this man's vicious assault and attack on me.
"He has scarred me for life and he took away my dignity and self-esteem. He is a sexual abuser. It is disappointing and disgusting when a man is given the privilege and honor of serving . . . as an elected official and then betrays our trust."
"He has scarred me for life and he took away my dignity and self-esteem. He is a sexual abuser. It is disappointing and disgusting when a man is given the privilege and honor of serving . . . as an elected official and then betrays our trust."
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Upskirting soon to be illegal in Oklahoma
In Oklahoma, upskirting is currently legal because of a case where a man sucessfully got his voyeurism case dropped because courts said that a woman did not have a reasonable expectation of privacy from Peeping Toms. Videotaping kids is illegal.
In the criminal case, a 34-year-old man was arrested in 2006 for placing a camera underneath the girl's skirt at a Tulsa store and taking photographs. He was charged under a "Peeping Tom" statute that requires the victim to be "in a place where there is a right to a reasonable expectation of privacy."
A Tulsa County judge dismissed the charge in January 2007 after ruling that "the person photographed was not in a place where she had a reasonable expectation of privacy." The decision was upheld this week by the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. Appellate court Judge Gary Lumpkin dissented from the court's 4-1 decision, writing that "what this decision does is state to women who desire to wear dresses that there is no expectation of privacy as to what they have covered with their dress." "In other words, it is open season for peeping Toms in public places who want to look under a woman's dress," Lumpkin wrote.
State representative Pam Peterson, R-Tulsa, has written a bill which makes it a misdemeanor to video tape a person's private areas,"regardless of whether the person is in a public or private place." Penalties range up to a year in jail and a $5000 fine.
In Illinois, videotaping of both kids and adults was made a felony as of January 1st, and a Chicago Tribune report dated December 26, 2007 showed that damage to victims from the videotaping and distribution on the Internet was widespread.
For those who are interested, the Oklahoma bill to outlaw peeping with cameras is HB 2606. Unfortunately, unlike other states, the maximum penalty is a misdemeanor.
CA man sentenced to 11 years in prison for rape of ex-girlfriend
Merced Superior Court Judge Carol Ask sentenced a 35 year old man to 11 years in prison for the kidnapping and sexual assault of his ex-girlfriend. Raymond Parra, of Manteca, CA, a registered sex offender, was convicted on 2 counts of sexual battery and a count of kidnapping, but acquitted of a count of kidnapping for the purpose of sexual assault, a count which carries a mandatory 25 years to life prison sentence.
He kidnapped his ex-girlfriend from Livingston, CA in December 2006, took her to a remote location, then sexually assaulted her.
Manteca police arrested Parra at the request of the Livingston Police Department on the same day the crime occurred, Erickson said.
Erickson said the victim, who also testified during the trial, was extremely brave for coming forward to investigators. "Hopefully she got a little bit of closure from telling the jury what happened and having them believe her," Erickson said. "How humiliating, to have to tell these things to 12 people that you've never seen before. So it's gratifying that they listened to her and believed her."
Parra will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life after getting out of prison.
He kidnapped his ex-girlfriend from Livingston, CA in December 2006, took her to a remote location, then sexually assaulted her.
Manteca police arrested Parra at the request of the Livingston Police Department on the same day the crime occurred, Erickson said.
Erickson said the victim, who also testified during the trial, was extremely brave for coming forward to investigators. "Hopefully she got a little bit of closure from telling the jury what happened and having them believe her," Erickson said. "How humiliating, to have to tell these things to 12 people that you've never seen before. So it's gratifying that they listened to her and believed her."
Parra will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life after getting out of prison.
Convict on probation allegedly rapes ex-girlfriend
A Brewton, AL man allegedly broke probation rules by going to his ex-girlfriend's home, holding her captive, and raping her last weekend.
Carl McMillan, 31, of North East Street in Brewton was arrested Monday and charged with first-degree rape, first-degree burglary and first-degree kidnapping. The victim was transported to D.W. McMillan Memorial Hospital, where she was treated and released.
Escambia County sheriff's deputies made the arrest and transported McMillan to the Escambia County Detention Center where he remains under a $100,000 bond.
According to authorities, McMillan was currently on probation from a Georgia correctional facility.
“When he gets out of trouble here for this crime, he could be sent back to Georgia,” Chief Deputy John Gleaton said. “I wouldn't expect to see him out for a long while.”
Lee Hall, a probation and parole officer with the Alabama Board of Probation and Parole said much the same.
“There is a hold on him for Georgia. There will be a parole hearing about that on March 13. He was already on parole for driving while his license was suspended, giving false information to law enforcement officers and trafficking in cocaine. He was sentenced to 10 years and was on probation until June of 2010.”
McMillan threatened his girlfriend last week, using a contraband cell phone, after allegedly raping and kidnapping her. Officers confiscated 7 cell phones. McMillian's girlfriend reported him for domestic violence in the past.
Carl McMillan, 31, of North East Street in Brewton was arrested Monday and charged with first-degree rape, first-degree burglary and first-degree kidnapping. The victim was transported to D.W. McMillan Memorial Hospital, where she was treated and released.
Escambia County sheriff's deputies made the arrest and transported McMillan to the Escambia County Detention Center where he remains under a $100,000 bond.
According to authorities, McMillan was currently on probation from a Georgia correctional facility.
“When he gets out of trouble here for this crime, he could be sent back to Georgia,” Chief Deputy John Gleaton said. “I wouldn't expect to see him out for a long while.”
Lee Hall, a probation and parole officer with the Alabama Board of Probation and Parole said much the same.
“There is a hold on him for Georgia. There will be a parole hearing about that on March 13. He was already on parole for driving while his license was suspended, giving false information to law enforcement officers and trafficking in cocaine. He was sentenced to 10 years and was on probation until June of 2010.”
McMillan threatened his girlfriend last week, using a contraband cell phone, after allegedly raping and kidnapping her. Officers confiscated 7 cell phones. McMillian's girlfriend reported him for domestic violence in the past.
Upstate NY man indicted on charges of rape, animal cruelty
A Malone, NY man has been indicted on numerous charges regarding the rape, assault, and theft from a Franklin County, NY woman.
Harold E. McCloud III, 28, of State Route 30 was charged with first-degree rape, three counts of second-degree attempted assault, fourth-degree grand larceny, second-degree identity theft, third-degree unlawful possession of a person's identification information, six counts of third-degree assault, two counts of petit larceny, two counts of second-degree unlawful imprisonment, third-degree attempted assault, fourth-degree criminal mischief, second-degree menacing and overdriving, torturing and injuring animals.
He pleaded not guilty to all charges and is expected to reappear in court March 25.
According to court papers obtained from the District Attorney's Office, McCloud reportedly had sexual intercourse with the woman against her will in mid-July and strangled her until she was nearly unconscious.
McCloud is also accused of stealing her debit card at different times in June, July and August and using her account number and personal-identification number to withdraw more than $500 at her bank.
The indictment also includes several charges from July 3, where he allegedly threw a coffee table and a plastic paint sample at her, shoved her into a wall, threw a glass lamp shade that hit her in the mouth and prevented her from leaving her home.
McCloud also allegedly picked up a broken piece of glass that day and held it to her wrist, "telling her he would kill her," the indictment states.
The same day, McCloud is accused of hurting the woman's dog by kicking it into an entertainment center.
McCloud also allegedly burned her with a lighter, stole her digital camera, and hit her. An order of protection was filed on the woman's behalf.
Harold E. McCloud III, 28, of State Route 30 was charged with first-degree rape, three counts of second-degree attempted assault, fourth-degree grand larceny, second-degree identity theft, third-degree unlawful possession of a person's identification information, six counts of third-degree assault, two counts of petit larceny, two counts of second-degree unlawful imprisonment, third-degree attempted assault, fourth-degree criminal mischief, second-degree menacing and overdriving, torturing and injuring animals.
He pleaded not guilty to all charges and is expected to reappear in court March 25.
According to court papers obtained from the District Attorney's Office, McCloud reportedly had sexual intercourse with the woman against her will in mid-July and strangled her until she was nearly unconscious.
McCloud is also accused of stealing her debit card at different times in June, July and August and using her account number and personal-identification number to withdraw more than $500 at her bank.
The indictment also includes several charges from July 3, where he allegedly threw a coffee table and a plastic paint sample at her, shoved her into a wall, threw a glass lamp shade that hit her in the mouth and prevented her from leaving her home.
McCloud also allegedly picked up a broken piece of glass that day and held it to her wrist, "telling her he would kill her," the indictment states.
The same day, McCloud is accused of hurting the woman's dog by kicking it into an entertainment center.
McCloud also allegedly burned her with a lighter, stole her digital camera, and hit her. An order of protection was filed on the woman's behalf.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Teacher sentenced for encounter with student 4 days from legality
Laura Sieradzki, 34, was sentenced on criminal sexual assault charges for having sex with a student who was just 4 days from turning 18 while she taught as a special ed teacher at a McHenry County (IL) high school. If she had not taught at the same school as the teen, the relationship would have been legal, as the regular AOC is 17 in Illinois. Other charges involved the inappropriate piercing of two girls, one 16 and one 17 year old girl. All incidents occured in March 2006, and at the time, she taught two of the victims, though authorities did not say which two.
Sieradzki, a former Palatine resident, had been a $41,000-a-year teacher at McHenry High School's West Campus.
She admitted to having a sexual encounter with the student March 29, 2006, in a car parked outside of a Wonder Lake party that was attended by high school students. Authorities declined to say whether the student involved was in Sieradzki's class.
The age of consent for a regular citizen who has no teaching authority over a student is 17, and the AOC rises to 18 if there is a teacher/student relationship, unlike other states, where a teacher/student sexual relationship is prohibited regardless of age. Therapist/patient and guard/inmate sexual activity is considered to be non-consensual at any age in Illinois.
Sieradzki also pleaded guilty to separate misdemeanor charges for piercing two female students under the age of 17, authorities said. Charges of sexual assault of a minor and providing liquor to minors were dropped in exchange for the guilty pleas.
Sieradzki, a former Palatine resident, had been a $41,000-a-year teacher at McHenry High School's West Campus.
She admitted to having a sexual encounter with the student March 29, 2006, in a car parked outside of a Wonder Lake party that was attended by high school students. Authorities declined to say whether the student involved was in Sieradzki's class.
The age of consent for a regular citizen who has no teaching authority over a student is 17, and the AOC rises to 18 if there is a teacher/student relationship, unlike other states, where a teacher/student sexual relationship is prohibited regardless of age. Therapist/patient and guard/inmate sexual activity is considered to be non-consensual at any age in Illinois.
Sieradzki also pleaded guilty to separate misdemeanor charges for piercing two female students under the age of 17, authorities said. Charges of sexual assault of a minor and providing liquor to minors were dropped in exchange for the guilty pleas.
The piercings of the 16- and 17-year-old female students [in an "inappropriate location"]occurred on separate occasions earlier [March 2006] in Wonder Lake, [McHenry County Sheriff's Lt. Don]Carlson said.
Judge Sharon Prather in McHenry County Circuit Court sentenced Sieradzki to two years of probation, and a 6 month jail term, suspended if she completes the two years probation with no violations.
Sieradzki, who lost her teaching license, now has a clerical job, her lawyer said. Prather sentenced Sieradzki to 180 days in jail but suspended the sentence if she complies with the conditions of her probation. Sieradzki also was ordered to pay a $5,000 fine, $200 to the McHenry County Child Advocacy Center and $100 to Crime Stoppers. She was prohibited from contacting the victims and must register as a sex offender.
Judge Sharon Prather in McHenry County Circuit Court sentenced Sieradzki to two years of probation, and a 6 month jail term, suspended if she completes the two years probation with no violations.
Sieradzki, who lost her teaching license, now has a clerical job, her lawyer said. Prather sentenced Sieradzki to 180 days in jail but suspended the sentence if she complies with the conditions of her probation. Sieradzki also was ordered to pay a $5,000 fine, $200 to the McHenry County Child Advocacy Center and $100 to Crime Stoppers. She was prohibited from contacting the victims and must register as a sex offender.
"It gives her the ability to move on with her life after a period of time," her attorney, Mary Cay Marubio, said. "This is a good person who made some bad judgments."
Prosecutors said they took into consideration the wishes of the student involved in the case in deciding to plea bargain.
Nichole Owens of the McHenry County's state's attorney's office said of the victim,"It was very embarrassing to him, and he preferred not to testify publicly about the offense."
Sieradzki currently lives in Freeport. Her SO registration is for a decade.
NJ serial criminal charged with rape after DNA evidence
Thomas Anderson, 31 and a repeat offender, was arrested on charges of rape after DNA evidence, taken from all people convicted of crimes in New Jersey showed a match to DNA found at the crime scene.
Police said Thomas Anderson — who is in the Ocean County Jail on other, unrelated charges — was a positive match for the DNA that was collected from the victim by professionals after the July 14 attack was reported to police, Detective Christopher Fluck said.
As a routine procedure, a second DNA sample will be taken from Anderson to confirm the identification, authorities said.
Fluck said that upon hearing the news, the victim showed "a sense of relief. She was just relieved it is finally over."
Anderson made his first court appearance Monday before Court Judge James Den Uyl. Anderson was charged Friday with aggravated sexual assault, aggravated assault, and theft.
The victim, a Toms River woman in her early 40s, was walking on Cedar Grove Road when she was attacked at about 1:15 a.m. July 14 and dragged to the rear of a closed business, Fluck said.
"It was an egregious assault," Fluck said. "He beat her up pretty bad."
The victim was unknown to her attacker and apparently was picked at random, Fluck said.
Anderson has been in the Ocean County Jail since Feb. 9 on charges of terroristic threats against another woman. Anderson's bail in that case is $25,000. His bail in the July incident is $300,000. Anderson has a long history of involvement with the criminal justice system.
His history includes a 3 year prison sentence for charges of terroristic threats and assault in 1997, with 2 years actually served, and guilty pleas of aggravated assault in 2001 and 2005.
First Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor Ronald F. Deligny said that in 2003, the state mandated DNA collection from all persons convicted of a crime, on probation or parole.
DNA evidence is culled by race and can be so conclusive that it can identify a suspect to be the only person on the planet that will have that particular DNA makeup.
"It can be a very powerful tool" for gaining plea bargains or convictions, Deligny said.
Newark, NJ man pleads guilty to rape of limo driver
A Newark man, Richard Caesar, 19 pleaded guilty to the rape of a 27 year old limo driver who managed to briefly escape from her rapist before he caught, then raped her again. Old fashioned detective work and Caesar's "Dutch" tattoo on the inside of his arm helped catch him.
Caesar, 19, pleaded guilty before Superior Court Judge Denise Cobham to three counts of aggravated sex assault. In a deal worked out with public defender Alex Shalom, Dirkin agreed to recommend that Caesar be sentenced to no more than 14 years in prison.
The rape victim was a 27-year-old female driver for Classic Limo who answered a radio call to pick up Caesar on Oriental Street in Newark late in the evening of Jan. 6, 2007, said Dirkin, acting di rector of the prosecutor's sexual assault unit.
Caesar told the driver he was going to Hawthorne Avenue, but his suspicious behavior and the odd directions he gave made her think he was trying to get her to a secluded area for a robbery, Dirkin said.
The driver ignored his directions and stayed on busy streets but made a wrong turn and ended up in a quiet area, the prosecutor said. He said Caesar jumped over the seat and forced her to drive to a secluded spot on Voorhees Street, near the corner of Leslie Street.
After he forced her into oral sex and intercourse, she saw the headlights of a truck in the rear-view mirror and jumped from the car naked and yelling for help, Dirkin said.
Caesar made a motion to the truck driver that he had a gun and the driver kept going, the prosecutor said. The victim jumped back into her limo, he said, and managed to lock three of the doors be fore Caesar slipped through the only unlocked door.
"She almost escaped but couldn't get the door locked fast enough," Dirkin said. "It was like a nightmare."
Caesar forced her to perform oral sex again and then fled as a police officer alerted by the truck driver came down Voorhees Street, Dirkin said.
Because there was no DNA evidence, Newark detectives used fingerprints lifted from the outside of the limo and matcher it with Caesar's prints, stored because he was jailed for an unrelated charge. Caesar will be sentenced June 22, and the maximum he faces is 14 years.
Caesar, 19, pleaded guilty before Superior Court Judge Denise Cobham to three counts of aggravated sex assault. In a deal worked out with public defender Alex Shalom, Dirkin agreed to recommend that Caesar be sentenced to no more than 14 years in prison.
The rape victim was a 27-year-old female driver for Classic Limo who answered a radio call to pick up Caesar on Oriental Street in Newark late in the evening of Jan. 6, 2007, said Dirkin, acting di rector of the prosecutor's sexual assault unit.
Caesar told the driver he was going to Hawthorne Avenue, but his suspicious behavior and the odd directions he gave made her think he was trying to get her to a secluded area for a robbery, Dirkin said.
The driver ignored his directions and stayed on busy streets but made a wrong turn and ended up in a quiet area, the prosecutor said. He said Caesar jumped over the seat and forced her to drive to a secluded spot on Voorhees Street, near the corner of Leslie Street.
After he forced her into oral sex and intercourse, she saw the headlights of a truck in the rear-view mirror and jumped from the car naked and yelling for help, Dirkin said.
Caesar made a motion to the truck driver that he had a gun and the driver kept going, the prosecutor said. The victim jumped back into her limo, he said, and managed to lock three of the doors be fore Caesar slipped through the only unlocked door.
"She almost escaped but couldn't get the door locked fast enough," Dirkin said. "It was like a nightmare."
Caesar forced her to perform oral sex again and then fled as a police officer alerted by the truck driver came down Voorhees Street, Dirkin said.
Because there was no DNA evidence, Newark detectives used fingerprints lifted from the outside of the limo and matcher it with Caesar's prints, stored because he was jailed for an unrelated charge. Caesar will be sentenced June 22, and the maximum he faces is 14 years.
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