Former teacher James Hirleman gets 10 years for molestation

By Nathan Donato-Weinstein, The Press-Tribune

January 14, 2009

AUBURN, CA - A former Roseville middle school teacher will spend 10 years behind bars after pleading no contest Wednesday to four counts of illegal sex acts with minors as part of a plea deal reached with prosecutors.

James A. Hirleman, who taught at Buljan Middle School, was originally charged with 14 sex counts in September 2008 for crimes involving a former student. He faced up to life in prison if the case had gone to trial.

The counts Hirleman pleaded to on Wednesday were two of lewd acts upon a child, one of oral copulation on a person under 16, and a new count of lewd acts upon a child. That one involved a second victim, also a former student, who came forward after Hirleman’s initial arrest and media reports.

Hirleman, dressed in a black suit and black sneakers, sat with his head bowed as the two victims and one victim's mother read statements to the court.

They described a man who used his authority as a teacher to ingratiate himself into the lives of vulnerable young boys, then victimized them.

Upon Judge Richard Couzens imposing a total sentence of 10 years for the counts, Hirleman was handcuffed and remanded into custody. He must also pay $10,000 in fines.

Hirleman declined to comment outside the courtroom before the proceedings. Two associates who accompanied him to the courthouse also declined to comment following the court events.

http://www.rosevillept.com/detail/103336.html

Shawn Torlif Daily Accused Of Lewd Act On Another Child

January 14, 2009

WYFF4 News

SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- A man who was accused of a lewd act on a child on Nov. 25 is now charged with lewd acts on another child several years before. Shawn Torlif Daily, 36, of Spartanburg, is accused of having a 9-year-old girl sit on his lap after he removed his clothing and placed a blanket on his lap.

Daily had previously been accused of molesting a girl at the YMCA in April 2006, but at that time, the girl's mother would not allow her daughter to be interviewed by police.

After the mother saw a news story about Daily being arrested in November, she talked to her daughter, and agreed to have the child interviewed by a children's advocate.

Police said at the Children's Advocacy Center, the girl made a "clear and credible disclosure" that on several occasions, Daily stripped down and had her sit on his lap after he covered himself with a thin blanket.

The alleged abuse took place at Dailey's home when the child was between 3 and 7, between Sept. 20, 2002, and Sept. 20, 2006. Daily was booked into the Spartanburg County Jail on Tuesday. He is charged with lewd act with a minor.

http://www.wyff4.com/news/18481081/detail.html

Convicted sexual predator Mitchell Brokob admits to child pornography charge

January 14, 2009

WIVB TV

BUFFALO, NY - Convicted child predator Mitchell Brokob of North Tonawanda pled guilty to a federal child pornography charge During an appearance in U.S. District Court on Tuesday. The 41-year old Niagara County man previously pled guilty in Niagara County on charges that he kidnapped, drugged, and sexually assaulted a young girl at knifepoint as she waited for her school bus in North Tonawanda last March.

The federal pornography plea carries an agreed-upon sentence of 20 years, the statutory maximum.

Assistant U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr., said a computer recovered from Brokob's North Tonawanda residence in June of 2008 contained images of child pornography and that a forensic analysis of the computer revealed that search terms including "preteen child rape porn" and "cold steel knives" had been typed on the computer.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/Convicted_sexual_predator_admits_to_child_pornography_charge_20090114

Robert Davis Found Guilty of Sexual Abuse

January 14, 2009

WSAZ News Channel 3

CATLETTSBURG, KY -- A jury found a Boyd County man guilty of sexually abusing teenage relatives. Jurors convicted 39-year-old Robert Davis of Rush on 23 counts of 3rd-degree sodomy.

The jury recommended Davis be sentenced to two years on each count to run consecutively. He will be sentenced on March 20. Davis is also required to register as a sex offender.

The jury found Davis not guilty of the most serious charges against him, 1st degree sodomy and criminal attempt to commit 1st degree sodomy. Prosecutors say the abuse began in 2002 and involved two teenage boys related to Davis.

http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/37564024.html

Robert Leroy Baker Pleads to Sexual Abuse Charge

January 14, 2009

KOLO TV

FALLON, Nev. (AP) - A Fallon man has pleaded no contest to charges of fondling a 10-year-old girl. Robert Leroy Baker, 59, could face one to six years in prison when sentenced March 10 by District Judge Leon Aberasturi. Probation may be an option if an evaluation determines he is a low risk to re-offend. He entered his plea Tuesday. An initial criminal complaint charged Baker with fondling the girl on three separate occasions in January 2007. Authorities say under a plea agreement, Baker, a former parks worker for the city of Fallon, will be required to register as a sex offender.

http://www.kolotv.com/news/headlines/37588104.html

High School Teacher Jason Lyn Gasque Arrested for Sexual Abuse

January 14, 2009

WHNT News Channel 19, Huntsville, AL

The Lawrence County Sheriff's Department has arrested a Speake High School teacher for alleged sexual abuse involving a student. Sheriff Gene Mitchell says Jason Lyn Gasque, 31, touched one of his students in appropriately while on school grounds. Gasque teaches math and also coaches at Speake High School.

The sheriff's department learned of the alleged incident last week. Sheriff Mitchell says investigators began look into the matter and quickly received information and evidence to support the claim. Deputies arrested Gasque on Wednesday and booked him into the Lawrence County Jail. He is being held on $5,000 bond. He is charged with first-degree sexual abuse, which is a Class C felony.

http://www.whnt.com/Global/story.asp?S=9673868

Kenneth Dwayne Brown to serve 12 years for sex abuse

January 13, 2009

KTVZ News Channel 21

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. (AP) - A Klamath Falls man has been sentenced to 12 1/2 years in prison for sexually abusing a 12-year-old family member. A Klamath County jury rejected claims by Kenneth Dwayne Brown that he was suffering from a multiple personality disorder at the time.

Prosecutors argued the 31-year-old Brown was faking his mental illness claim, relying on testimony from a state expert at trial. After a 2-day trial, the jury convicted Brown of 2 counts of sexual abuse and one count of unlawful sexual penetration.

http://www.ktvz.com/Global/story.asp?S=9667674

Lonnie Gene Patterson pleads guilty to lewd molestation

January 8, 2009

The Duncan Banner

DUNCAN, OK -- A Marlow man entered a plea of guilty Wednesday in Stephens County District Court to one felony count of lewd molestation. Lonnie Gene Patterson, 59, will have a pre-sentence investigation before sentencing, which will take place on March 3.

His bond was revoked by Stephens County District Judge Joe Enos and he is now in the custody of the Stephens County Sheriff’s Department pending sentencing. He is in the county jail. Patterson pleaded guilty to touching the genital area of a minor for personal gratification between March of 2006 and November of 2007.

His attorney, Jerry Herberger, asked if Patterson understood that in this case consent didn't matter because of the age of the minor. Patterson said he understood. At sentencing, Patterson could face a maximum of a 20 year sentence in the Department of Corrections (DOC).

This conviction falls under the 85 percent rule wherein Patterson must serve 85 percent of the sentence before he is eligible to earn parole points from the Department of Corrections. Assistant District Attorney Dennis Gay was pleased.

Patterson was charged with lewd molestation on April 2, 2008, after the Department of Human Services received an anonymous phone call relating to an inappropriate conversation taking place between Patterson and a 14-year-old at a local sporting event. Interviews with the minor and Patterson were then conducted and charges subsequently filed.

http://www.duncanbanner.com/local/local_story_008105305.html

Convicted Sex Offender Jonathan Folk Found Guilty of Another Crime

January 8, 2009

KPVI Channel 6

Bonneville County, Idaho -- After a four-day trial, a Bonneville County jury finds a convicted sex offender guilty of a new crime against a child.

After four and a half hours of deliberations, 41-year-old Jonathan Folk was found guilty of lewd conduct with a child. The incident involved a five-year-old boy on Christmas Day 2007. Folk has two prior convictions of molesting young boys.

The jury of seven women and five men came to a unanimous decision late Thursday afternoon and found this registered sex offender committed a serious lewd act on a little boy.

This four day trial can easily be described as disturbing; two of his past victims - now ages 22 and 28 - took the stand this week, as well as the mother of a third victim. Also hard to listen to were details on this most recent case with a five-year-old boy who, now six years old, bravely testified this week.

Folk represented himself during this trial, although he was assigned a "shadow council" from the Public Defenders Office to assist him if needed. But he called witnesses and cross-examined those on the stand, and even testified.

On Christmas Day 2007, Jonathan Folk went to the house of some distant relatives in Idaho Falls. He admits he took a five-year-old boy into a bedroom alone, but what the child says happened and what Folk says happened was in dispute.

Folk denies he ever put his mouth on the boy's private area. The next day, the boy told his mother about the lewd conduct, and she called the police.

In closing arguments, deputy prosecutor Bruce Pickett asked the jury to return with a guilty verdict because of all the evidence presented.

But Folk asked the jurors not to look at his past crimes, but the lack of evidence in this case. But the jury unanimously felt the evidence showed Folk was guilty.

The victim's parents do not want to be identified but say they are pleased with the decision and warn other parents to be careful with who is around their children.

Victim's mother and father: "Watch everybody who comes around your children; if you have to, ask them lots of questions. Make sure you know what kind of person they are, their background; don't let them in your home or around your children or anything unless you know them very well."

As soon as the verdict was read, Folk didn't make much of a reaction. He will be sentenced at the end of February. Folk faces up to life in prison for lewd conduct with a child.

The young boy's mother said she had no idea Folk was a convicted child molester when he came over that Christmas Day. She said if she knew, he would not have been allowed inside her home.

Deputy Prosecutor Bruce Pickett was also pleased with the jury's decision and said these type of cases are always hard on everyone involved.

http://www.kpvi.com/Global/story.asp?S=9642760&nav=menu546_1