Methodist Church President Sentenced in Double Homicide

A 57-year-old retired Navy man and church elder with no criminal record was sentenced yesterday to life in prison for the deaths last summer of his ex-girlfriend and her new lover.

Family members of Elbert Gardner gasped in Circuit Court in Annapolis when they heard the lengthy sentence, but his defense attorney later praised Judge Ronald A. Silkworth for exercising some leniency and not ordering him to serve two consecutive life sentences.

"He's given him a chance," said Assistant Public Defender Katy O'Donnell, noting her client could be paroled before he dies.

Gardner pleaded guilty March 3 to two counts of first-degree murder in the July 1 deaths of 38-year-old Lei Johnson - a mother of three- and 49-year-old Samuel Fowlkes - a father of two and grandfather of three. He also pleaded guilty to one count of reckless endangerment in a related attack on Johnson's son, Anthony.

According to prosecutors, Anthony knocked on his neighbor's door in the Annapolis community of Admiral Heights at about 5:15 a.m. July 1 and said his mother was dead. Wearing no shoes and a bloody shirt, he said the man who lived in the basement of their home shot and killed her before trying to smother him with a pillow.

O'Donnell noted that her client served as president of the United Methodist Men at Asbury United Methodist Church in Annapolis. He also served with the U.S. Navy for 22 years, retiring in the early 1990s with the rank of petty officer first class. While serving, he earned numerous medals, including several Bronze Stars, she said.

Jehovah's Witness Sentenced for Sexual Child Abuse

A pensioner branded a "filthy paedophile" after being convicted of a barrage of sustained child abuse, which started over 43 years ago, has been jailed for 19 years.

Gordon Brian Redmond was convicted at Lewes Crown Court of 18 indecent assaults against children — including six charges of rape — and one charge of actual bodily harm.

The 72-year-old had already pleaded guilty to two charges of indecent assault against children.

The sexual offences took place while Redmond, now of Excelsior House, Princess Way, Swansea, was living in Brighton from 1967 to 1984. Seventeen of the charges were sample counts — examples of ongoing behaviour and offences.

Redmond became a strict Jehovah's Witness in the 1970s and moved to a farm in Pontyberem in 1984.

Prior to sentencing, defence barrister Bernard Richmond QC said his client was already enduring terrible punishment for his crimes.

"This rather proud, arrogant, cocky, difficult, bolshy, very full of himself, scary man, who everyone was supposed to look up to and admire, now stands in the dock as someone of very little money, no future, and with a reputation as a filthy paedophile," he said.

"He has been shunned by the Jehovah's Witnesses. His wife, Christine, has been forced to choose between her faith and her husband, and has chosen her faith."

Youth Minister Sentenced in Boys Death

A judge in Bardstown has sentenced a minister to five years in prison in the death of a 13-year-old boy.

Derick Coulter's attorney said in court Thursday that his client made a bad decision in letting Jamie Mitchell drive his sport-utility vehicle on a camping trip last June. Coulter entered a guilty plea in January to reckless homicide and wanton endangerment. He had been charged with manslaughter.

The Courier-Journal of Louisville reported Coulter, the youth minister at Big Springs Assembly of God Church, took youths on a weekend camping trip and had let Jamie drive to retrieve the tents when the vehicle overturned.

Prosecutor Arch C. "Chip" McKay III and the victim's family opposed probation. McKay noted Coulter intially claimed he was driving and swerved to avoid a deer - an assertion he repeated when he preached the boy's funeral.

Another boy who was with them came forward with the truth.

Methodist Pastor Sentenced for Sexual Abuse

Dennis N. Reedy, 65, of Philipsburg, will probably be released from jail in the next few weeks, his attorney, Dave Mason said, following 222 days behind bars, two attempts to resolve his case, and “sins against God, broken family ties and embarrassed friends,” Reedy told a judge.

As part of his plea agreement, Reedy will spend about one year on parole and four on probation, during which he must undergo counseling or face more time behind bars.

Reedy admitted to indecently assaulting a 13-year-old boy he invited to work in his Philipsburg garage. He also admitted to giving the boy and his friend an obscene story depicting the children as homosexual characters.

Weeks after being arrested on charges related to that, police said they caught Reedy in a bathroom at the Nittany Mall with a 16-year-old boy engaging in sexual acts. In that case, Reedy pleaded no contest, not admitting guilt by conceding that prosecutors could prove their case at trial.

For several years, Reedy was employed as a United Methodist Church pastor, including a stint as pastor of Christ United Methodist in Tyrone. In 2006, Reedy entered the rehabilitative program after being charged with indecent assault of a boy who said Reedy groped him at a church camp. Reedy denied that incident ever happened, but told Manno he was fired a short time later from Wal- Mart, when his boss insisted he saw Reedy inappropriately touching a teenage boy on surveillance tape. No charges were ever brought in that case.

As part of his sentence, he also can’t have any contact with any children, and will have to register as a Megan’s Law offender for the rest of his life.

Lutheran Pastor Sentenced for Murdering Brother with Axe

A church pastor in Papua New Guinea has been sentenced to 16 years jail for killing his brother with an axe during a fight over kunai grass.

Lutheran pastor Kandata Maua, 55, was found guilty yesterday of killing his brother John, aged unknown, in Wapenamanda, Enga Province, in PNG's Highland region on August 20, 2008.

During a heated row over kunai grass, used as building material for traditional PNG houses, Maua hit his brother on the back of the head with the blunt side of an axe head, Wabag National Court heard.

Judge Graham Ellis said Maua would have received a longer sentence if he was younger and in better health.

"I find it difficult to understand how someone who is supposed to teach people how they should live could even think of hitting another human being on the head," Judge Ellis said.

"What makes this case worse is the person is your own brother."

Christian Man Sentenced for Sexual Relationship with Teen Girl

A former Roy Junior High School teacher's sexual relationship with a teenage girl at the school has landed him in prison and broken the hearts of the girl's parents.

The girl's father made an impassioned plea to send the man to prison for the harm he has done to the girl and their family.

Taylor, 46, was sentenced Wednesday to zero to five years on each of three counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a 16- or 17-year-old. Second District Judge Ernie Jones ordered that the sentences run concurrently. Taylor previously pleaded guilty to the three counts and, as part of a plea bargain, three identical counts were dismissed.
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Prosecutors believe Taylor began "grooming" the girl, who he had known at the school but who was not a student of his, for sexual activity with e-mails, text messages and personal contact starting when she was 14. The relationship became sexual at 16.

Taylor's lawyer, Michael Edwards, said Taylor is deeply remorseful for the harm he has brought upon the girl, her family and his own family.

Edwards said Taylor has lost his career in education, earns far less in construction, is working hard to repair his relationship with his wife, children and church, and suffers the shame of his actions when he encounters former co-workers and students. Taylor also will be considered a felon and be on a sex offender registry for at least 13 years, Edwards said.

Methodist Minister Sentenced for Sexually Assaulting Two Boys

A retired Manheim Township minister apologized in court Wednesday as he was sentenced to 8 to 20 years in prison for sexually assaulting two young boys.

"I am sorry for my actions and want to seek healing," Dennis E. Spangler told President Judge Joseph Madenspacher.

Spangler, 64, said he hoped, "with time and effort," he would someday again do God's work and "be able to make a positive difference in people's lives."

Earlier this month, Spangler pleaded guilty to charges of corruption of minors, indecent assault, indecent exposure and possessing two semi-nude photographs of one of his victims.

He also did not contest additional charges of indecent assault and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, agreeing that prosecutors could convince a jury of his guilt if the case went to trial.

Since then, Madenspacher said, a psychologist evaluated Spangler, concluding that he is a sexually violent predator.

Spangler, who retired from the United Methodist Church in 2007, surrendered his ministerial credentials after the charges were filed. He had been a full-time minister for 30 years and served at churches in Brownstown and Manheim Township.

Mormon Convicted of Sexual Assault of Underage Bride

The Texas Attorney General's Office says a member of a polygamist group has been convicted of sexual assault of an alleged underage bride.

Attorney general spokesman Jerry Strickland says Merril Leroy Jessop was found guilty Wednesday of sexual assault of a child by a jury in the West Texas city of San Angelo.

The 35-year-old Jessop was the fourth member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to be tried for sexual assault of a child since Texas authorities raided the group's ranch near Eldorado two years ago.

Jessop faces up to life in prison. Strickland says the sentencing phase of his trial was to begin Wednesday afternoon.

Strickland says the jury also found that Jessop violated Texas laws prohibiting bigamy.

Prosecutors alleged that Jessop attempted to delete photos and other documents connecting him to the alleged underage bride.

Christian Man Sentenced for Brutal Attacks, Robbery

A suspect in the robbery and beatings of two Harlingen residents received two 70 year prison sentences after pleading guilty to both attacks – one against a business owner - that occurred three days apart in April 2009.

Miguel Angel Alvarado, 32, of Harlingen, is accused of beating Juanita Davis, 68, owner of San Manuel Gifts and Jewelry, 1617 E. Harrison Ave. in Harlingen on April 8, 2009.

Three days earlier, he brutally attacked Lino Ramirez, 53, a construction worker in Harlingen, leaving him unconscious in a closet in a new home that was under construction.

Alvarado appeared before 107th state District Judge Benjamin Euresti Jr. of Cameron County, on Tuesday where he entered a guilty plea to two counts of aggravated robbery, one count of evading arrest with a motor vehicle and an enhancement count because of two prior convictions - one an attempted murder charge.

"I want to apologize to my family for dragging them through this mess," Alvarado said. "I accept my responsibility."

In a letter he released to the Brownsville Herald, Alvarado writes "I place no objection to signing 70 years or 60 for the ministry of Jesus Christ in the prison system where peace is needed."

He also writes "A great Christian is one who is small enough to let God be great in his life."

The letter was given to the Herald by Alex Dominguez, Alvarado’s defense attorney.

Church Secretary Pleads Guilty to $200,000 Theft

A former church secretary who pleaded guilty Tuesday to stealing more than $200,000 in church donations will be sentenced to five years in prison, county prosecutors said.

Crystina Renee Bock, 38, of Ladera Ranch, used to work part-time as the financial secretary for the Compass Bible Church in Aliso Viejo.

On Tuesday, she pleaded guilty to 62 felony counts of grand theft, according to the Orange County District Attorney's office.

She will be sentenced to five years in state prison and ordered to pay more than $200,000 in restitution on May 7, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said Bock stole the funds between June 2005 and September 2008. Bock, who prepared the church's deposits, took over 440 congregants' donation checks and deposited them into her personal account, prosecutors said.

Methodist Church Treasurer Pleads to Arson, Child Endangerment and Embezzlement

A 31-year-old Martinsburg man accused of setting fire to his own rental home while his family slept inside in an attempt to collect on an insurance policy accepted a plea agreement Monday.

Darren Butler, formerly of South Raleigh Street, pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree arson and five counts of felony child neglect creating a substantial risk of bodily injury. He also pleaded no contest to one count of embezzlement in connection to an unrelated case in which he was accused of stealing $4,059 from Mt. Zion United Methodist Church in Martinsburg while serving as church treasurer in 2008.

The July 1, 2008, fire happened at Butler's rental home at 703 S. Raleigh St. in Martinsburg.

Butler's three children, stepchild, niece and former wife were sleeping inside the home at the time of the fire.

Gospel Choir Director Sentenced for Sex with 15 Year Old Girl

A former McCaskey High School Gospel Choir director was sentenced to 5 to 10 years in prison Monday for having a sexual relationship with a student.

"I want to apologize," Norman M. McMillan III, 27, told a Lancaster County Court judge, "first and foremost."

Judge Jeffery Wright told McMillan that the victim was sitting in the front row of the spectator section, suggesting he turn around and speak to her directly.

"I was absolutely, positively wrong," McMillan told the victim, who is now 19. "I apologize from the bottom of my heart."

Most of the courtroom, except for the victim and her aunt, was filled with more than three dozen supporters of McMillan, including clergy and fellow church members.

Before sentence was imposed, some of those supporters, including the defendant's mother asked the judge for forgiveness and leniency, saying their God believed in second chances.

They described McMillan as "a great guy," who "deserves mercy," who has worked hard in his efforts, through his faith and church, to help others.

Wright suggested that McMillan's supporters direct their compassion and mercy toward the victim and her family.

Jewish Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing from U.S. Government

A fugitive in hiding for more than a decade pleaded guilty Monday to fleecing the government out of millions in education and poverty grants.

Avrum Friesel bolted to Israel in 1997 when he learned he was under indictment for a scam that included creating a phony school in Brooklyn to steal education money, and collecting tuition grants for non-existent students to enroll in Judaic studies programs.

He and a crew ran the scam out of an Hasidic Jewish community in New Square, in Rockland County.

Four of Friesel's partners in crime were convicted in 1999 in the decades-long scheme. All were sentenced to 2-1/2 to 6-1/2 years in prison.

Catholic Teacher Admits to Sex with 15 Year Old Pupil

A religious education teacher at a Catholic secondary school is facing jail after he admitted having sex with a female pupil and sexual misconduct with another.

Kieran Binns groomed one of his two victims through social networking site Bebo before seducing her at his flat when she was just 15.

Yesterday, the girl's mother told of her horror at discovering 22-year-old Binns had "stolen her innocence" after inviting her to watch DVDs in his home.

The mum, who can't be identified for legal reasons, said: "She was a virgin when she met Binns. He started staring at her in class and sending messages.

"It was all on Bebo and the police took the memory stick with the messages he sent on it.

"When he asked to meet her, she thought they were going to watch DVDs at his flat. She said she felt stupid and that's why she went along with it.

"At one point, he asked her if she would run away with him."

But after the pair slept together, he turned on the girl.

The mum said: "My daughter told me that after they had sex, he started calling her names and was very insulting. She felt it was all her fault."

Police were called when the second girl's mother intercepted texts from Binns to her daughter's phone and she revealed all when questioned.

Jewish Man Sentenced for Sodomizing 14 Year Old Boy

Nachman Stal, who fled to Britain after being accused of sodomizing a youth of 14 years, was sentenced Sunday to 13 years behind bars.

Stal, who was extradited to Israel in July last year, received 12 years' imprisonment for sexual offenses and an additional year for evading justice. Tel Aviv District Court also criticized rabbis who had come to Stal's defense.

The legal proceedings began a decade ago, when Stal was accused of indecent acts with a youth he had given a lift to as part of his job. According to the indictment, Stal touched the youth a number of times, and during one particular trip he stopped the vehicle near a bench, in a quiet place, and despite the youth's protests, sodomized him.

The judges, headed by Judge George Kara, severely criticized the witnesses for the defense, including the wife and father of the accused, head of London's South Tottenham Jewish community Rabbi Michael Biberfeld, and Rabbi Yosef Krauser, who supervises the yeshivas in Jerusalem's Mea Shearim neighborhood.

The four witnesses praised Stal during the trial. "There was no problem with him," the London rabbi said. "His actions were completely normal." Krauser added, "I pity his wife and nine children. They say he regrets his acts and he must be helped."

The court noted that "all the witnesses saw the accused and his family as victims. They also tried to describe the accused as repentant. Why did none of the witnesses refer to the plaintiff, the only real victim? It would be expected of respected rabbis to say something, even if only a word, about the criminal actions of the accused. Why should they expect pity from the court when they don't have any pity for the victim?"

The court also queried whether those same rabbis were supposed to ignore the danger to the public posed by the accused. "Is an offense against someone from outside their community not considered an offense?"

Episcopalian Convicted of Beating Puppy to Death

A Brooklyn man could go to jail for two years after being convicted Friday of beating to death a dachsund puppy who was "insubordinate" during a bath.

Dudley Ramsay, 25, was found guilty of aggravated animal cruelty for smashing 5-month-old Junior against the side of the tub - breaking six of his tiny ribs and damaging his lungs and liver.

"It's disturbing, especially because of the age of the dog and the breed of the dog," the ASPCA'S Joseph Pentangelo said of the October 2006 incident.

"I don't understand why anybody has pets and then does something like this."

The 270-pound ironworker waited hours on before bringing the 11-pound calico-colored puppy to a vet. By then, it was too late and the doctor notified animal control officials.

Ramsay later admitted to ASPCA Special Agent Richard Ryan that he was "disciplining" the dog and that a second dachshund puppy, named Viola, had died at his hands and was buried in a neighbor's yard, court papers show.

Defense lawyer Douglas Rankin said his client insists he's innocent.

"He has no criminal record, he's an acolyte in St. Mary's Episcopal Church. He's an all-around good dude."

Christian Pleads Guilty to Molesting 13 Year Old Girl in Church Bathroom

A volunteer at Ignited Church in Lakeland accused of molesting a 13-year-old girl accepted a plea deal Friday.

Mark Osgood, 20, pleaded guilty to lewd battery.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 30.

The terms of the plea agreement call for Osgood to receive three years and six months in prison. He must also serve 11 years and six months of sex offender probation.

Chip Thullbery, a spokesman with the State Attorney's Office in Bartow, said plea negotiations went forward with Osgood because the victim was uncooperative and didn't want Osgood prosecuted.

Osgood was arrested March 9, 2009.

An arrest report states he met the girl at church and had two sexual encounters with her in a church unisex bathroom.

Baptist Pastor Sentenced for Beating Wife

A pastor accused of hitting his wife while on the parking lot at St. Luke’s Baptist Church received a $300 fine and a 30-day jail sentence, which will be suspended upon completion of an anger management course, a Jacksonville District Court official said.

The Jacksonville District Court, which operates out of the police station off Main Street, handed down a guilty verdict March 3 in reference to the Dec. 15, 2009, incident. Police arrested Eric Latrez Alexander, a pastor of St. Luke’s Baptist Church and a Jacksonville resident, on one misdemeanor count of third-degree domestic battery.

At about 6:20 p.m., police responded to 8205 Arkansas Highway 161 S., the church’s address, in reference to a domestic disturbance.

Shannon D. Alexander of North Little Rock, identified as the victim, told police that she went to the church to pick up her daughter in a custody exchange. According to an incident report, the two became angry and began yelling at each other. At that time, Eric Alexander allegedly opened up the door of the woman’s vehicle and began hitting her in the face.

The 10-year-old daughter of Eric and Shannon Alexander told police that both of her parents had argued for a few seconds before her father starting hitting her mother. An officer noted the girl was crying and “very distraught.” The officer also noted that Shannon Alexander had a bump on her forehead near her left eye and a broken fingernail, which was bleeding.

Catholic Sentenced for Stabbing Priest

A parishioner accused of stabbing a south Texas Roman Catholic priest nearly 20 times has been sentenced to 12 years in prison as part of a plea deal.

David Rodriguez was sentenced Friday on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon about a week before he was to stand trial in San Patricio County.

The Rev. Shaji Varghese didn't know Rodriguez was being sentenced when he showed up at the court Friday to drop off a victim impact statement. He attended the hearing but declined to speak, saying he has forgiven Rodriguez and the punishment "is nothing to me."

Sunday School Teacher Sentenced for Distributing Child Pornography

A Cocoa man, whose probation on a 2000 felony molestation conviction ended early, was sentenced Thursday to 30 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to distributing child pornography last year.

U.S. District Court Judge John Antoon II also ordered 54-year-old Robert Manuel Perez Jr. -- a former Brevard County school bus driver in the mid- to late 1990s and ex-Sunday school teacher in a Titusville church -- to serve lifetime probation following his federal prison term.

Prosecutors said the sentence means safety for children from Perez, who pleaded guilty to using an online file-sharing program to distribute the more than 25,000 photos and 300 child porn movies investigators found when they seized his computer in August.

Baptist Sentenced for Selling Drugs

Uzbekistan has sentenced a Baptist to 10 years in jail on drugs charges, which his fellow Baptists insist are fabricated, Forum 18 News Service has learnt. Seven weeks after his arrest, Tohar Haydarov was sentenced in Guliston on 9 March for "illegal sale of narcotic or psychotropic substances in large quantities". Fellow Baptists insist that this is to punish him for his religious activity. It is unclear why Haydarov has been given such a harsh sentence. The only known current Christian prisoner of conscience, Pentecostal Pastor Dmitry Shestakov, is serving a four year sentence. Baptists insist that police planted drugs on Haydarov at the time of his arrest, and according to church members he is "a man with a pure conscience and an honest Christian". Forum 18 has spoken to several Baptists in Syrdarya and Tashkent who strongly support Haydarov. The judge and police officers involved have refused to discuss the case with Forum 18, and Haydarov has appealed against his sentence.


Seven weeks after his arrest on drugs charges, 27-year-old Tohar Haydarov was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment on 9 March, Guliston City Criminal Court and local church members have told Forum 18 News Service from Uzbekistan. Members of his Baptist church insist to Forum 18 the case was fabricated to punish him for his religious affiliation. "The case has now been referred to the Regional Court," an official of the City Court, who refused to give his name, told Forum 18 from Guliston on 11 March, "since Haydarov has appealed." He declined to discuss the case further. Haydarov remains in detention and no date has yet been set for his appeal.

Judge Gofur Kholmatov of Guliston City Criminal Court in Syrdarya Region found Haydarov guilty under Criminal Code Article 25 ("preparation of a crime or attempted crime") and Article 273 Part 5 ("illegal sale of narcotic or psychotropic substances in large quantities").

Bible Camp Counselor Sentenced for Sexual Abuse of 5 Year Old Girl

A 20-year-old former church youth group leader was sentenced to at least 51⁄2 years in prison Monday for sexually exploiting a 5-year-old girl he was babysitting.

Judge David Edwards ordered Elma resident Michael J. Coronado to serve the maximum sentence of 68 months to life in prison for first-degree child rape. Coronado must serve a minumum of 51⁄2 years in prison and will then face regular reviews to determine if he is fit for release.

“I do not believe that treatment exists to treat Mr. Coronado,” Edwards said. “I believe that for the remainder of his life he will be dangerous.”

Court records stated Coronado lured the girl into a bathroom at least two times and turned out the lights. He then exposed himself and encouraged the girl to touch him inappropriately.

Coronado once served as a youth group leader and a summer camp counselor for the Blake Lake Bible Camp in Olympia, court records stated. He joined the Washington Army National Guard in 2008 while continuing several other jobs.

Christian Sentenced for Sexual Assault

A homeless man gets probation for sexually assaulting two girls while staying with a member of his church.

19-year-old James Olson was sentenced Tuesday in La Crosse County Court to four years probation.

Olson was taken in by a female member of his church last year, and admitted to inappropriately touching the woman's daughter and the daughter's friend.

Jewish Rabbi Sentenced for Sexual Abuse

A Brooklyn jury today convicted an orthodox rabbi of repeatedly sexually abusing a 16-year-old classmate of his son.

The panel of 10 women and two men deliberated less than half a day before finding the rabbi, Baruch Lebovits, 58, guilty of eight counts of sexual abuse.

The teen said the rabbi lured him into his car by offering to let him drive, then unzipped his fly and performed oral sex on him.

Lebovits had no reaction as the jury forewoman read the verdict, but sniffles and gasps were heard from the roughly 30 assembled friends and relatives.

Justice Patricia DiMango ordered the rabbi remanded pending sentence. He faces up to 32 years behind bars.

"I understand that there are a significant number of Jewish holidays coming up, and I am sorry," she said.

Methodist Church Secretary Pleads Guilty of Embezzlement

The former secretary of the Mount Holly Springs United Methodist Church pleaded guilty today in Cumberland County Court to embezzling thousands of dollars from the church's emergency fund for the needy.

Jane Poth, 50, of Newville, pleaded guilty to one count of theft by unlawful taking, Senior Assistant District Attorney Daniel Sodus said. She has no plea agreement and investigators are still determining how much was taken, he said. Poth is to be sentenced by Judge Edward E. Guido in May.

When Poth was arrested in July, state police said she had stolen about $35,000 from the church between 2001 and the fall of 2008.

Christian Nurse Sentenced for Sexual Battery of Mentally Disabled Man

A former male nurse convicted of sexually battering a mentally disabled man is sent to prison.

49-year-old Richard Chotiner arrived in a Tampa courtroom with Bible in hand. He's been out on a post-conviction bond since early 2009. That's when Judge J. Rogers Pagett sentenced Chotiner to 15 years in the Florida State Prison.

Instead of sending the former health care worker directly to prison, Pagett granted Chotiner a bond while the 2nd District Court of Appeals considered the case.

The appellate court re-affirmed Chotiner's conviction. Judge Chet Tharpe on Monday morning revoked Chotiner's appeal bond and ordered deputies to take him into custody.

Tharpe told Chotiner and his attorney that the sentence will be imposed when the Appeals court sends its mandate to his court.

Detectives say in May of 2007, Chotiner befriended a 23-year-old mentally disabled man at Adventure Island. Investigators say Chotiner then lured the man to his home on 39th Street, where he sexually battered him.

Methodist Sunday School Teacher Sentenced for $200,000 Fraud

Disbarred Erie lawyer J. Gregory Moore was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison this morning for stealing about $200,000 from estates in his care.

Moore's lawyer, William Weichler, argued that Moore -- a Vietnam War veteran, Sunday school teacher and community volunteer -- deserved probation.

Authorities have long remained silent on what "personal and business" expenses Moore covered with funds stolen from his clients.

But in a document meant to guide the judge at sentencing today, Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Trabold said Moore handed out stolen client funds to known prostitutes and to causes he believed in, including a local church and a U.S. Congressional campaign.

In Friday's filing, Trabold said Moore's practice had become a "sham," and that he used stolen estate funds to pay staff wages and bonuses. He also used client funds for personal expenses like dental bills, utility payments, lawn care and car repair, Trabold said.

A series of checks were written to 15 women, none of whom had any apparent tie to his practice, Trabold said.

The checks, all in round sums ranging from $50 to $400, had messages like "Happy Birthday" or "Happy Thanksgiving" in the memo lines, Trabold said.

Most of the women received multiple checks. Three of the women had past prostitution convictions in Erie County or were known by Erie-area law enforcement to be prostitutes, Trabold said.

Other funds went to causes supported by Moore, Trabold said, including $5,000 to a Methodist church, $100 to a VFW post and $1,000 to a local nonprofit transitional living home for homeless and abused women.

"Moore's work in the community pales in comparison to his shameful use of clients' money to contribute to causes important to him," Trabold said.

Christian Man Sentenced for Financial Crimes

A federal judge on Friday sentenced a Lubbock businessman to 25 years in prison for financial crimes.

Benny Lee Judah must pay nearly $60 million in restitution to his victims in addition to serving the maximum amount of prison time for money-laundering and selling unregistered securities.

"Twenty-five years is not enough," said Julie Durham Hammer, whose family was among Judah's at least 250 victims. "What he did was unconscionable."

Victims of Judah's scam packed the gallery in U.S. District Court to watch Judge Sam Cummings sentence the man who took much of their life savings.

Judah pleaded guilty in November to the charges, admitting he operated a Ponzi scheme that fleeced investors of more than $50 million.

"I made some bad personal decisions and I made some bad business decision in my life," Judah said.

He then pointed out jobs his businesses created for Lubbock residents and the donations he gave to his church and to Texas Tech.

Franciscan Friar Senteced for Sexual Abuse... Again

Convicted sex offender Fr Ronald Bennett (75), who admitted he indecently assaulted a schoolboy during 'sex education' lessons, avoided jail yesterday.

He was handed a two-and-a- half-year jail sentence, which was suspended with a number of conditions, and his name will be added to the sex offenders' register for 10 years.

Bennett was a former sports master and spiritual adviser at Gormanston College in Co Meath, where the boy was a pupil at the time of the offences in 1973 and 1974.

Trim Circuit Court had previously heard that Bennett, who now lives in a friary in Killiney, Co Dublin, had been jailed in 2007 for two-and-a-half years by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for indecently assaulting four other boys at the college.

State prosecutor Karl Hanahoe said that the offences had taken place on a weekly basis over a two-year period when the boy was aged 14 and 15.

The victim told Judge Donagh McDonagh he made his complaint after reading reports that Bennett had been given a five-year suspended sentence by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for the offences against the other four boys.

"It caused me a lot of anger."

The DPP had subsequently appealed the suspended five-year sentence and the Court of Criminal Appeal ordered Bennett to serve two-and-a-half years of it with the balance suspended.

Judge McDonagh said that the appropriate sentence in the current case was two-and-a-half years and suspended it on a number of conditions, including that Bennett gave an undertaking to remain within the confines of the Franciscan friary for the next five years.

Muslim Sentenced for Rape of 59 Year Old Woman

A Baltimore man convicted of assaulting and raping a 59-year-old woman at gunpoint in 2007 in her Roland Park home, terrorizing that community, was sentenced to life plus 93 years in prison Friday.

"The only appropriate sentence [for the rape] is life," said Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge John A. Howard, who quoted from the opening of a "Law & Order" television series about sexual crimes being "especially heinous."

"If there's a case that demonstrates the truth of that statement," he said, "it is this case."

A jury found Roger L. Ervin, 48, of the 3100 block of Oakley Ave. guilty on nine counts in December, including first-degree rape, first-degree assault, armed robbery and first-degree burglary for forcing his way into the woman's home Aug. 23, 2007, as she prepared her dinner and unpacked groceries.

Ervin addressed the court, saying he was a faithful Muslim who had never even entertained the idea of hurting someone. He said he had a $70,000-a-year job and no reason to rob the woman of some pocket change and electronics.

"I haven't done anything to anyone in 25 years," he said. "I'm telling you, I would never rape, beat no woman."

Howard said the evidence showed otherwise. After the victim picked out an innocent man from a photo array, Ervin was identified through DNA. He also matched a sketch drawn from the victim's description.

Christian Sentenced for Sexual Exploitation

A Forsyth County man convicted on 12 counts of sexual exploitation of children will serve six years in prison.

Michael Terrence Cox, 57, pleaded guilty in January to the charges.

Forsyth County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey S. Bagley handed down the punishment Wednesday, which includes 14 years on probation following his release.

Cox will also have to register as a sex offender.

Before he was sentenced, the prosecution showed in court graphic sexual videos of children allegedly found on Cox’s computer.

Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Scalia noted that had Cox been making the images himself, he would be sentenced to at least 25 years in prison without parole and life on probation.

“For several months he was actively downloading this material,” Scalia said. “He had a how-to video to teach you how to molest children and infants and not get caught ... this is not a victimless crime and it’s appropriate for him to go to prison.”

David Harris, pastor of Cumming New Life Church, said he has known Cox for about five years and has found him to be a good person.

“This seems to me to be more of an aberration than a pattern,” Harris said, adding that he’s never observed Cox behaving inappropriately toward children at the church, nor has he asked to be involved in children’s programs there.

Baptist Church Member Convicted of Molestation... Again

Keith "Eric" Andersen of Noank was a well-regarded member of his church and a volunteer firefighter who also worked the polls on Election Day.

He also was a convicted sex offender who in July 2007 arranged for a 9-year-old Stonington girl to be home alone so that he could break into her family's trailer and molest her.

A New London jury in December had listened to testimony from the victim, who is now 12, and deliberated less than an hour before convicting him of two counts of risk of injury to a minor, fourth-degree sexual assault and second-degree burglary. He had two 1992 convictions in Virginia for aggravated sexual battery with an 11-year-old girl. He served six months in prison and five years probation for those crimes.

On Thursday, Judge Matthew E. Frechette sentenced Andersen to 15 years in prison followed by 35 years of the state's strictest form of probation. Andersen will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life because he is a repeat offender.

More than a dozen members of the Noank Baptist Church turned out in support of Andersen. They told the judge that Andersen has a "heart of gold" but suffers from a drinking problem. They suggested counseling would serve him better than incarceration. His sister, Kathryn Andersen, said he "treats ladies well" and is not a predator.

Baptist Minister Pleads Guilty to Sex with 15 Year Old

A former central Indiana minister pleaded guilty Thursday to felony charges stemming from a sexual relationship he had with a 15-year-old church member.

Former New Whiteland Baptist Church pastor Daniel Moore, 50, pleaded guilty to felony child solicitation and sexual misconduct charges.

Court documents indicated that police began investigating Moore after the girl's parents suspected a sexual relationship.

The teen told investigators that between January and March 2009, she and Moore kissed or engaged in sex acts at least seven times.

"I believe a lot of it was uncovered by finding notes and text messages in the young girl's bedroom," Johnson County Prosecutor Brad Cooper said last year. "I think there was some resistance by the victim to start with to report this, but I believe the persistence of parents had the young girl making this report to the police."

Muslim Teacher Sentenced for Sexual Abuse

A man has been jailed for abusing a boy while giving him lessons in the Koran.

Atta Ur-Rehman, 38, was found guilty of a number of sex offences against the young victim.

Appearing at Bolton Crown Court , he was sentenced to six years in jail.

He attacked the boy at an address in Rochdale in May last year where he was supposed to be giving lessons in reading the Muslim holy book.

The boy, who was upset and embarrassed, told his mother about what happened.

HIV Positive Minister Sentenced for Sex with 15 Year Old Boy

A Shelbyville, Kentucky minister has been sentenced for having sex with a 15-year-old boy and the minister is HIV positive. And Minister James Bell admits, he knew he was HIV positive at the time of act.

"All child sex abuse, no matter who the perpetrator is, is horrific and damaging. But it's especially damaging if it's a religious figure," said David Clohessy with Survivors Network Abused by Priests (SNAP).

Such is the case for a now 17-year-old boy sexually abused by James Bell on numerous occasions two years ago.

Bell was minister of Refuge Temple Church of God in Christ in Shelbyville. The church's website says Bell is married with three children and "a man of great faith who preaches the whole counsel of God."

Bell's victim's tests came back negative for HIV. The church where Bell preached was since disbanded.

Christian Man Sentenced for Two Day Crime Spree

Former Roanoke police investigator and businessman Jonathan Heard pleaded guilty to a robbery charge in Mississippi in February and has been sentenced to the Mississippi prison system.

According to the Jackson County circuit clerk's office, Heard was sentenced to 15 years with seven years to serve. This sentence is to run concurrently with his two previous sentences in Alabama.

He pleaded guilty to the Mississippi robbery and the order was done February 26, according to the clerk's office. He has been ordered to serve eight years on supervised parole after his release. He was also ordered to pay a $1,500 fine and $275 in restitution.

All three robbery charges stem from a two-day crime spree in July, 2008.

It is known he was in Roanoke and involved with a local church, participating in fundraisers, but it is believed since his plea in Mississippi he has surrendered to authorities and is now serving his sentence.

Police Chaplin Admits to Distributing Child Pornography

A former Whitley County Sheriff’s Department chaplain pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court, admitting to distributing child pornography.

Bernard Squires, 64, of rural Columbia City, was arrested last summer after an investigation by the FBI’s Cyber Crimes Task Force, which included investigators from the Allen County Sheriff’s Department, Fort Wayne Police Department and Indiana State Police, among other agencies.

Squires served as pastor of Grace Baptist Church, a Southern Baptist congregation, in Columbia City and had been a volunteer chaplain for the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department and the VA Medical Center in Fort Wayne.

In July, federal prosecutors said a preliminary examination of Squires’ computer equipment found at least 10,000 pornographic images of children and 5,000 videos depicting child pornography.

The images were particularly graphic, according to prosecutors.

According to court documents, Squires pleaded guilty to the first count of the indictment – sexual exploitation of children, distribution. A second count of possession of child pornography will be dismissed at sentencing.

Squires will serve no less than five years in federal prison and could face a fine of up to $250,000.

Two Christians Sentenced in Corruption Case

Two more defendants in the Dallas City Hall corruption scandal were sentenced to prison Monday in the case that U.S. District Judge Barbara Lynn called "sordid and tawdry."

"How sad it was for the city and community I love," Lynn lamented before sentencing Darren Reagan, self-styled chairman of the Black State Employees Association of Texas, to 14 years in prison for his role in the scheme to extort money from a developer in exchange for favors from then-Mayor Pro Tem Don Hill.

Rickey Robertson, a businessman and car dealer, was sentenced to three years in prison for conspiracy to commit extortion.

Neither Reagan nor Robertson showed any reaction to their sentences, which Lynn stressed were less than the federal guidelines allowed. Both men had asked the judge for leniency, expressing sorrow for their actions while citing their deep religious faith, their family support and lessons learned.

Christian Sentenced for Assault with a Knife

Simon Luke, 35, of Polsue Way, Tresillian, Cornwall, overtook a line of six vehicles when he was late for an appointment, Truro Crown Court heard.

When refuse collector Treve Stoddern confronted Luke at traffic lights, the bible student pulled out a knife and Mr Stoddern received cuts to his hands.

Luke was convicted of unlawful wounding and having a knife in a public place.

The court was told there had been "pushing and shoving" between the two men before Luke produced a 12in (30cm) bladed fishing knife from behind his back and brought it up to the binman's face.

Luke, who has no previous convictions, was described in court as a "sincere Christian man" and a "kind and compassionate man" by his bible college friends.

The judge, sitting in Exeter Crown Court, ordered Luke to pay his victim £500 compensation, even though he accepted there had been some provocation.

Christians Convicted of Starving Toddler to Death

A Baltimore jury deliberated less than three hours before finding three accused cult members guilty Tuesday of starving a 16-month-old to death because he did not say "amen" before meals.

Marcus Cobbs, 23; Trevia Williams, 22; and her 41-year-old mother, Toni Sloan - who claims God renamed her "Queen Antoinette" - each faces a maximum of 60 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled May 18.

The verdicts brought a swift end to a case that captured national attention.

The defendants represented themselves in the weeklong trial, and witnesses told stories of strict religious rules, fears about demonic possession and the attempted resurrection of a toddler named Javon Thompson.

It was part of an odd cover-up, prosecutors said, that also involved committing a woman to a mental facility and leading the boy's mother to believe she could bring her dead child back through faith, all under the direction of "the Queen," whose weapon was the "fear of eternal damnation."

In a letter trying to establish nonprofit status for the organization, Antoinette described herself as "a chosen daughter of the most high God" and a "Queen of Jesus Christ," Drake said in court.

The mother of four ran her household with a strict set of rules developed from her interpretations of the Bible. Members were to wear certain colors - tan, white or blue - travel in pairs and home-school the youngest children. Those who couldn't abide by the rules couldn't stay.

Christian Man Convicted for Impregnating Daughter Three Times

A self-proclaimed pastor from Mpumalanga who fathered three children with his daughter could not be sentenced on Monday because he was too ill.

This was the third time the man's sentencing was postponed in the Nelspruit Magistrate's Court.

"He could not stand or balance himself; he needed support," said a court official who wanted to remain anonymous.

Last Friday, the man was pushed into the court in a wheelchair and told Magistrate Andre Geldenhuys that he could not stand up for sentencing because he was feeble from being on a hunger strike.

His sentencing had been postponed since February 5, when he lay down on the floor of the court's cell and claimed he was ill, saying he had not eaten anything for nine days.

He said he needed more time to explain to the court a "vision" he had experienced which instructed him to impregnate his daughter.

The father pleaded not guilty to the charges, saying he had followed God's instructions.

The man raped his daughter after telling his family that God had told him to fulfill his promise as a "descendant of Benjamin".

He testified that he slept with her so that she could "see the kingdom of heaven" when she died.

Five Muslims Sentenced for Murder

An Egyptian court has sentenced five Muslims to life in prison for killing two Christian men in a family blood-feud in Egypt.

According to a report on the News24 site, the court in the southern city of Luxor found the men guilty of shooting two Coptic Christians in the town of Higaza last April in a feud between their two families which goes back to 2004. Tensions between Muslims and Christians in southern Egypt were heightened last month after a drive-by shooting in the town of Nagaa Hammadi in which six Coptic Christians and a Muslim policeman were killed.