BBC star turned pastor, 44, launched sex attacks on 33 men and boys while they slept at church camps or events and filmed victims urinating and showering over 30-year reign of terror

A former BBC presenter and church pastor carried out 40 sex offences against 33 men and boys over three decades - with most of his victims asleep at the time.

Benjamin Thomas, 44, of Flint, preyed on his victims in North Wales, Shropshire, London and Romania, with his crimes starting when he was only 14 or 15 years old.

The married father-of-three targeted his victims when they were asleep but most of them had 'no idea' they had been sexually assaulted, Mold Crown Court was told.

Simon Rogers, prosecuting, said Thomas had recorded some victims as they used the toilet or bathroom, which he admitted was for 'his own sexual gratification'.

Thomas's youngest victim was 11 and the oldest 34, with many of the sexual assaults taking place at Christian camps and other church-related events.

Mr Rogers said one victim had talked with Thomas before going to bed 'about Jesus overcoming the devil', before waking in the night 'to the bed shaking' and 'felt the blankets' tighten.

This happened three times and on the third occasion he 'jolted up in bed' and switched his mobile phone light on and found Thomas 'slumped between the sheets and looking flustered'.

Mr Rogers said: 'The defendant said, 'there was three of them, they went round and round.' The [victim] then jumped into his car and left, because he was so scared.'

In a statement read to the court, one victim described feeling angry, hurt, disgusted, let down and violated. He said: 'His face won't leave my thoughts.'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8785675/Ex-BBC-presenter-church-pastor-carries-40-sex-offences.html

Nikola Founder Suspected of Sex Abuse

Sep 29, 2020 (Baystreet.ca via COMTEX) – Two women have come forward with formal sexual assault allegations against Nikola (NASDAQ:NKLA) founder Trevor Milton, dating back to when they were teens, accusing the 38-year-old billionaire in complaints filed with Utah authorities.

The accusations, stretching back more than 15 years ago, follow Milton's resignation as executive chairman of Nikola on Sept. 21 after short seller Hindenburg Research released a damning report detailing fraud allegations. The report has reportedly sparked inquiries into Milton and Nikola by the Securities and Exchange Commission and Department of Justice.

Since the Hindenburg report dropped a little over two weeks ago, the shareholder lawsuits and personal attacks on social media have started to pour in.

For his part, Milton has "strongly denied" what he said were false allegations and declined to address the specific details of the women's complaints.

The company went public June 4 and Milton was riding high as one of Wall Street's newly minted billionaires under 40.

Although Phoenix-based Nikola hadn't produced a single vehicle, the start-up had a market value of $28.8 billion days after its IPO a smidge more than Ford Motor (NYSE:F) and Milton briefly had a paper net worth of more than $8.6 billion. General Motors (NYSE:GM) signed a deal with Nikola to provide technology and build its electric pickup trucks on Sept. 8.

The Hindenburg report was followed by bombshell allegations over social media Sept. 21 from Milton's cousin Aubrey Ferrin Smith, who publicly accused Milton over Twitter and Facebook of groping her bare breasts after a family funeral outside Salt Lake City in 1999 when she was 15 and he was 17 years old.

https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/nikola-founder-suspected-of-sex-abuse-2020-09-29-10197307

U.S. missile destroyer ship breaks Navy record for longest stint at sea

A U.S. guided missile destroyer ship has broken the record for the longest consecutive number of days at sea for a military surface ship, the Navy said Tuesday, underscoring the effects of restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic.

The USS Stout reached 208 days at sea on Sept. 26, spending nearly seven months in the Middle East and North Africa area, known as the U.S. Fifth Fleet area of operations. The previous record of 207 days, held by the USS Eisenhower and USS San Jacinto, was also set this year.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the Navy to cancel port visits to prevent sailors from being exposed while ashore.

Earlier this year, more than 1,000 sailors were infected with COVID-19 on board the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt. One sailor died and the aircraft carrier was sidelined in Guam for weeks.

In an exclusive interview last month, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Mike Gilday said the Navy has learned from the Roosevelt incident and has been successfully preventing transmission on ships, but he acknowledged changes, like fewer port visits and longer time at sea, have put more stress on the sailors and hurt their quality of life during deployment.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/military/u-s-missile-destroyer-ship-breaks-navy-record-longest-stint-n1241356

President Trump receives third nomination for Nobel Peace Prize

WASHINGTON —

President Donald Trump has received a third nomination for the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize, according to reports.

The president was nominated by a group of Australian law professors on the basis of the "Trump Doctrine," Sky News Australia reports.

“What he has done with the Trump Doctrine is that he has decided he would no longer have America in endless wars, wars which achieve nothing but the killing of thousands of young Americans," said David Flint, who is one of the four professors who nominated Trump. "So he's reducing America's tendency to get involved in any and every war."

Trump received two prior nominations earlier this month.

Christian Tybring-Gjedde, a member of the Norwegian Parliament for the far-right Progress Party, said Trump should be considered because of his work “for a peace agreement between the United Arab Emirates and Israel which opens up for possible peace in the Middle East.”

https://www.kcra.com/article/president-trump-receives-third-nomination-for-nobel-peace-prize/34205980#

US State Department says ‘outraged’ by rocket attack in Baghdad

The United States is “outraged” by Monday’s rocket attack in the Iraqi capital Baghdad that killed five civilians, US State Department said on Tuesday, urging Iraqi authorities to take immediate action to hold the perpetrators accountable.

“We have made the point before that the actions of lawless Iran-backed militias remains the single biggest deterrent tostability in Iraq,” Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement.

For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.

On Monday, the Iraqi army said that three Iraqi children and two women from the same family were killed when a rocket targeting Baghdad airport, where US troops are stationed, fell instead on their home.

The Trump administration has warned Iraq that it will close its embassy in Baghdad if the government does not take swift and decisive action to end persistent rocket and other attacks by Iranian-backed militias and rogue armed elements on American and allied interests in the country, US, Iraqi and other officials said Monday.

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/09/29/US-State-Department-says-outraged-by-rocket-attack-in-Baghdad

Judge Dismisses New Mexico Lawsuit Against Google Over Children’s Data Privacy

A federal court dismissed a New Mexico lawsuit alleging that Alphabet Inc.’s GOOG +0.16% Google knowingly spied on students and their families through its suite of cloud-based products for schools.

U.S. District Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal last week ruled that the internet company didn’t violate the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA, in relying on schools to review or limit what data its education platform collects and uses on behalf of students’ parents.

While the state argued that Google buried the option in its settings for students and parents to opt out of allowing the company to read their data, “there is no requirement that the notice be written in terms understandable by a child under the age of 13,” the judge wrote in her ruling.

Judge Freudenthal also noted that recently published guidance from the Federal Trade Commission also says schools can be intermediaries for parental notice and consent.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/judge-dismisses-new-mexico-lawsuit-against-google-over-childrens-data-privacy-11601392392

This metro Atlanta man has been missing for 2 weeks. His car was found miles away. Can you help?

RUTLEDGE, Ga. — Authorities are using several resources to find a missing 69-year-old man in Morgan County. Now, they are asking residents to check their properties.

James Roland Walker AKA “Skeet” was reported missing out of Henry County on Sept. 15. The Morgan County Sheriff's Office said his car was found parked miles away at Rutledge Veteran’s Park.

On Monday, officials from the sheriff’s office searched the geographical areas near the park, including around the fire department and cemetery after his 1989 Buick LeSabre was found.

Volunteers, along with the services of tracking and cadaver dogs, the Georgia State Patrol helicopter and the Dept. of Natural Resources underwater sonar scans are also aiding in the search.

The Morgan County Sheriff's Office is also asking residents in Rutledge to search their property to include anywhere a person could seek shelter from the weather.

The family reports that Walker is hard of hearing.

Anyone with information about Mr. Walker should contact Lt. Sellers with the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office at 706-342-1507.

>>10835217

https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/missing-in-georgia/james-roland-walker-skeet-missing-from-henry-county-georgia/85-7c1be07d-8705-4d2f-bcb3-b59d18e3c9b6

12-year-old from Marietta begins sophomore year of college!

MARIETTA, Ga. — Caleb Anderson learned sign language before he could verbally communicate.

At age two, he could read the United States Constitution.

He qualified for MENSA at age three, and while he learned English as his first language, he also learned Spanish, French and Mandarin, too.

While those milestones are impressive enough, Anderson is continuing to make history – as a 12-year-old Sophomore in college!

“By nine months old, he was able to sign over 250 words, and by 11 months old, he was speaking and reading,” his family described.

Claire and Kobi Anderson said it didn’t take long to realize their first child was special.

“As we started to interact with other parents, and had other children, then we started to realize how exceptional this experience was, because we had no other frame of reference,” Caleb’s dad Kobi explained.

Though Caleb qualified for MENSA at age three, he joined at age five. His family said they were told he was the youngest African-American boy to be accepted at the time.

The bright, young boy from Marietta whizzed through elementary, middle and high school.

“He said, ‘mom I’m bored. This is not challenging’,” Caleb’s mom Claire recalled her son saying. “‘It’s really not helping me grow in my learning, and I think I’m ready for college.’”

Now, at just 12 years old, he’s just started his sophomore year at Chattahoochee Technical College, majoring in aerospace engineering.

“What was it like being a freshman in college at your age,” 11Alive asked.

“It was exactly how I expected it to be like, if I were 18 or something,” he replied.

https://www.11alive.com/article/features/at-12-caleb-anderson-in-sophomore-year-at-chattahoochee-tech/85-40a89b22-6589-42a1-b4c9-cb9e58618b4d

911 outages reported across Arizona, none in Maricopa or Coconino counties

An outage of 911 service affected multiple cities and counties across northern and southern Arizona on Monday afternoon.

At least two other states were affected, with agencies in parts of Minnesota and Nevada also reporting outages.

Throughout Arizona, at least six counties and four cities have reported 911 service outages on social media. The counties affected include Pima, Yavapai, Pinal, Gila, Santa Cruz and Cochise counties and the cities affected include Tucson, Oro Valley, Prescott Valley, Marana, Coolidge, Nogales, Cottonwood, according to officials.

No outages were reported in metro Phoenixor in Coconino County.

For some counties and cities, service resumed as quickly as approximately 15 minutes while others were still experiencing outages.

Tucson was one of the first to post about an outage at 4:22 p.m. and reported at 5:16 p.m. that service was coming back but "not 100% yet."

Cochise County had not yet resumed service as of 6 p.m. and residents were advised to call 520-803-3550 in case of emergency, Fry Fire District said in a tweet.

Cochise County reported that service had been restored as of 6:15 p.m.

Phoenix and Chandler police said no issues were reported.

"MCSO dispatch is up and running. We are not experiencing any issues," Maricopa County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Sgt. Joaquin Enriquez said.

Pima County spokesperson James Allerton said he was unsure why 911 services stopped working.

"We are working with our provider, Lumen Technologies and our local partner agencies to find out what the reason may have been," Allerton said.

Reach breaking news reporter Brooke Newman at brooke.newman@arizonarepublic.com or on Twitter @brookerae17.

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-breaking/2020/09/28/multiple-arizona-counties-cities-report-911-outages-monday/3568781001/

3 earthquakes recorded near San Jose within an hour

MILPITAS, Calif. (KRON) — A third earthquake was recorded within an hour about six miles from Milpitas, California. This one was 3.3 magnitude at 9:02 a.m., according to the United States Geological Survey.

The first one, a 2.7, was at 8:16 a.m., and the second, a 3.0 was just after 8:30 a.m.

According to the United States Geological Survey, here is the location of the third and second earthquakes, respectively, compared to nearby cities:

10.0 km (6.2 mi) NE of Milpitas, California

14.1 km (8.7 mi) N of Alum Rock, California

15.4 km (9.5 mi) ESE of Fremont, California

18.1 km (11.2 mi) NNE of San Jose, California

124.3 km (77.1 mi) SSW of Sacramento, California

9.9 km (6.1 mi) NE of Milpitas, California

14.1 km (8.7 mi) N of Alum Rock, California

15.3 km (9.5 mi) ESE of Fremont, California

18.0 km (11.2 mi) NNE of San Jose, California

124.4 km (77.1 mi) SSW of Sacramento, California

https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/2-earthquakes-recorded-near-milpitas/

Save the Children? Extremist conspiracy movement QAnon fabricates pedophile claims against Joe Biden as election looms

President Donald Trump recently shared a tweet with his 86 million followers that accused his Democratic presidential challenger Joe Biden of being a pedophile.

It was not the first time that the baseless smear came out of the Trump camp. On Instagram in May, the president’s eldest son and campaign surrogate Donald Trump Jr. made a similar insinuation, which he later said was a joke.

How did unfounded allegations of pedophilia infiltrate American political life? They are a central tenet of the extremist conspiracy movement QAnon whose followers believe that Trump is a messianic figure battling a “deep state” of devil-worshipping, child-molesting Democrats.

Observers say the 2016 presidential election spurred the rise of conspiracy theories once confined to the fringes. With influential figures using their social media megaphones to amplify them, incendiary falsehoods are circulating in the mainstream before the November election in an alarming break from the norms of presidential politicking.

“I am amazed at how prevalent pedophilia has become in conspiracy theories just lately,” said Kathryn Olmsted, a UC Davis history professor who studies conspiracy theories and author of “Real Enemies: Conspiracy Theories and American Democracy.”

https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/tech/2020/09/28/qanon-pedophile-claims-biden-trump-save-the-children-facebook-instagram/3522626001/

Feinstein spotted without mask at Dulles Airport despite calls for 'mandatory' policy

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., was spotted without a mask at Dulles International Airport in Virginia on Friday despite having called in June for the Federal Aviation Administration to adopt "mandatory" mask mandates at airports, on airplanes and on public transportation due to coronavirus.

The photos, obtained by "Tucker Carlson Tonight," show Feinstein on Friday near a man wearing a face mask while walking through Signature Flight Support at Dulles International Airport. The terminal services passengers flying private.

A traveler who was waiting at Dulles Signature at the same time as Feinstein said he was told he had to wear a mask.

Records show Feinstein's husband's private jet, a Gulfstream, departed Dulles International Airport around 1 p.m. and arrived in San Francisco a few hours later.

Feinstein wrote to the FAA to urge them to "issue clear, nationwide, mandatory mask requirements for all aviation employees and travelers" in late June.

"I ask that you issue guidance as soon as possible so passengers can have a clear understanding of the requirements and so that we may reduce exposure for workers and travelers alike," she wrote at the time.

Tucker Carlson Tonight's inquiries to Feinstein's office were not returned at the time of publication.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/dianne-feinstein-no-mask-tucker-carlson