35-year-old man suspected of having child porn in Colorado Springs

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - The Colorado Springs ICAC Task Force continues to sniff out people suspected of committing sex crimes against children.

On Wednesday, the task force executed a search warrant in the 1900 block of N. Academy Boulevard near Constitution Avenue. The neighborhood is about a block south of Palmer Park. They had reason to believe someone in that home was in possession of child porn.

Authorities took 35-year-old Michael Hyatt into custody. Hyatt is suspected of sexual exploitation of a child. Hyatt remained in jail Wednesday night as he was being held without bond. His first court appearance is scheduled for Thursday afternoon.

The ICAC Task Force has made multiple arrests this week. The Colorado Springs ICAC Task Force is made up of detectives with the Colorado Springs Police Department, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, and Special Agents with Homeland Security Investigations.

https://www.kktv.com/2021/05/06/35-year-old-man-suspected-of-having-child-porn-in-colorado-springs/

Former coach charged with sex assault of Racine student-athletes

MOUNT PLEASANT, Wis. - A former Horlick High School assistant wrestling coach now faces 27 charges, accused of sexually assaulting and taking nude photos of team members.

Mount Pleasant police say 60-year-old Benigno "Benny" Velasquez was trying to have sex with a 15-year-old boy he'd met online who was actually a detective. Once word of that arrest came out, some wrestlers Velasquez coaches nearly a decade ago had a lot more to tell police.

From inside the Racine County Jail, Velasquez's list of charges grew sevenfold since his Feb. 27 arrests. The charges stem from his work as a volunteer assistant wrestling coach at the Racine high school.

Charging documents filed Wednesday, May 5, say once news of his arrest was published, a pair of former wrestlers came forward with more allegations against Velasquez.

Between 2011 and 2012, one accuser told Mount Pleasant police that Velasquez grabbed him more than 100 times, and explained that it appeared Velasquez was also recording the wrestlers as they came out of the shower.

The wrestler said he told an assistant coach about the abuse at practice, but Velasquez was only away from the program for about one week before returning. That assistant coach is now on administrative leave.

In a statement to FOX6 News, the Racine Unified School District called the allegations extremely serious and disturbing. Plus, steps have been taken to ensure Velasquez cannot access any school.

A criminal complaint states a second accuser claims Velasquez groped him and kissed his neck while trying to photograph him in his underwear.

Based on both accounts, police searched Velasquez's home. They found an SD card with 16 images of former high school wrestlers posing naked.

Velasquez now faces the following charges:

1 count: Use of a computer to facilitate a child sex crime

1 count: Child enticement

3 counts: Sexual assault of a child by a person who works or volunteers with children

16 counts: Capturing a nude picture without consent

6 counts: Child porn possession.

Velasquez's bond was set at $25,000 with a preliminary hearing scheduled for May 13.

https://www.fox6now.com/news/racine-horlick-wrestling-coach-child-porn

Multiple Men Arrested on Child Sexual Abuse Material* and Related Charges

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – May 5, 2021 – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrest of William Javier Velasquez, 20, of Mount Pleasant, S.C., Anthony Ray Massey, 27, of Louisville, KY, and Christopher Alan Wilbourn, 33, of Lexington, S.C., on six total charges connected to the sexual exploitation of minors. Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators with the Mount Pleasant Police Department made the arrests in these unrelated cases. Investigators with the Attorney General’s Office and Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, both also members of the state’s ICAC Task Force, assisted with these investigations.

Investigators received a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) which led them to Velasquez. Investigators state Velasquez distributed child sexual abuse material. Investigators state both Massey and Wilbourn solicited and traveled to meet a person they believed to be a minor for sex. Wilbourn also sent sexually explicit images to a person be believed to be a minor.

Velazquez was arrested on April 30, 2021. He is charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, second degree (§16-15-405), a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment.

Massey was arrested on April 30, 2021. He is charged with one count of criminal solicitation of a minor (§16-15-342), a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment; and one count of attempted criminal sexual conduct with a minor (§16-3-655).

Wilbourn was arrested on May 4, 2021. He is charged with one count of criminal solicitation of a minor (§16-15-342), a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment; one count of attempted criminal sexual conduct with a minor (§16-3-655); and one count of attempted disseminating obscene material to a person under age eighteen (§16-15-345), a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment.

These cases will be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office.

Attorney General Wilson stressed all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.

https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/540371382/multiple-men-arrested-on-child-sexual-abuse-material-and-related-charges

City in Texas Declares Itself a Sanctuary for the Unborn After Ballot Initiative

Lubbock law will outlaw abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned

Voters have made one of the largest cities in Texas a "sanctuary city for the unborn," passing an ordinance to automatically outlaw abortion in the event Roe v. Wade is overturned.

Lubbock, a city in northwest Texas with a population of more than 250,000 people, became the 25th city to declare that abortion will be outlawed in the city in a post-Roe, post-Planned Parenthood v. Casey world. The ban passed with 63 percent of votes cast. The vote comes after contentious legal battles between the Trump administration and Democrat-run cities that declared themselves sanctuaries over disagreements with former president Trump's immigration policies.

"The State's temporary inability to prosecute or punish those who violate its abortion statutes on account of Roe v. Wade does not change the fact that abortion is still defined as a criminal act under Texas law," the ordinance states. "It shall be unlawful for any person to procure or perform an abortion of any type and at any stage of pregnancy in the City of Lubbock, Texas."

Lubbock is the largest city to adopt such a ban. The ban would most significantly impact a Planned Parenthood clinic that opened in June 2020. The state of Texas accounted for about 6 percent of U.S. abortions performed in 2017, according to the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute. The institute reports that 55,440 abortions were performed in the state in 2017, a decrease of 3 percent from 2014.

"Voters made it clear that Lubbock will become the next sanctuary city for the unborn," Lubbock mayor Dan Pope (R.) said in a statement.

The ordinance takes direct aim at Planned Parenthood. It would allow citizens to take legal action against "any personnel from Planned Parenthood or other pro-abortion organizations who perform abortions of any kind." It does exempt procedures in the case of threats to the health of the mother or child.

Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas did not respond to a request for comment. The organization said in a statement that it is "carefully reviewing" the impacts of the ordinance before determining its next steps.

"The Lubbock ordinance approved on May 1, 2021 establishes an abortion ban for Lubbock residents, creating significant barriers and the need to travel a minimum 600 mile round trip or out of state to obtain an abortion," the statement said.

Pro-life and religious organizations praised the ordinance for setting the stage for a future in which abortion law is entirely up to states.

"Babies' lives will be saved as a result of this ordinance," Jim Baxa, president of West Texas for Life, said. "States should be asserting their authority to ban abortion regardless of what tyrants in the federal court think. Until States have the courage to ban abortion statewide, cities have a right and a duty to outlaw abortion within their city limits."

Robert M. Coerver, the bishop of the Catholic diocese of Lubbock, said he hopes the ordinance "will be successful in bringing about an end to the killing of voiceless innocents through the act of abortion."

"I hope that this moment in the city of Lubbock will be an occasion for all residents to grow in their respect for all human life, from the moment of conception to natural death," he said.

The city will likely adopt the ordinance on June 1.

https://freebeacon.com/latest-news/texas-city-declares-itself-a-sanctuary-for-the-unborn-after-ballot-initiative/

The Migrant Crisis Isn’t Just About Illegal Immigration, It’s Also About The Cartels That Run The Border

The Biden administration wants to blame the border crisis on Trump, but the problem is much larger and more complex than that.

The Biden administration would like you to know that, whatever is happening at the border, it’s not Joe Biden’s fault. It’s Donald Trump’s. White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain said Sunday the historic surge of unaccompanied minors in recent months isn’t “because of a speech Joe Biden gave,” but “because of horrible conditions in El Salvador and Guatemala and Honduras.”

Never mind that conditions in those countries have been horrible for at least the last five administrations. The important thing, President Biden said in an interview that aired Friday, is that his administration “has now gotten control” of the situation and that the numbers are “way down now.” They’re not, though, and we’ll all find out just how much higher the April numbers were over March in the coming days.

But the spin that everything is okay on the border is the message that team Biden is desperately trying to project. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki predictably lied about the border crisis on Tuesday, claiming the current surge of illegal immigration is “something that began during and was exacerbated by the Trump administration.” In fact, the surge began in January, after Biden took office on the heels of a presidential campaign that promised amnesty for illegal immigrants and looser border policies.

It’s true that the number of border apprehensions had been creeping up last fall under the Trump administration, from 71,945 in October 2020 to 78,444 in January, but from January to February apprehensions jumped to more than 100,000, and again from February to March they jumped to more than 172,000 — the highest monthly total since March 2001. Everyone knows why, and anyone can read the data for themselves on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website, so it’s curious that Psaki would lie so blatantly.

Maybe the White House is betting corporate media will keep giving them a pass on the border, and maybe they will. After all, for the most part the DC press has no problem with illegal immigration and open borders, and has been eager to run interference for the administration since the crisis began — recall, for example, PBS White House reporter Yamiche Alcindor asking Biden if all these migrants are coming now because he’s so “moral” and decent.”

https://thefederalist.com/2021/05/05/the-migrant-crisis-isnt-just-about-illegal-immigration-its-also-about-the-cartels-that-run-the-border/

China “indefinitely suspends” all activities under the China-Australia Strategic Economic Dialogue

Beijing has fired another salvo in the increasingly acrimonious trade war with Australia accusing Canberra of “ideological discrimination”.

Beijing has struck another blow for Australian business announcing it will “indefinitely suspend” all activities agreed to under the framework of the China-Australia Strategic Economic Dialogue.

China said the halt was due to Australia’s “ideological discrimination” against the country.

It’s the latest salvo in an increasing trade spat between Beijing and Canberra.

The Federal Government has scrapped Victoria’s co-operation deal with China on its flagship Belt and Road infrastructure grand plan. Earlier this week, the Government said it was examining whether the lease of Darwin Port to a Chinese company should be annulled on security grounds.

China has sapped tariffs on Australian goods and held perishable products up at ports. That move come after Australia called for the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic to be investigated.

According to Reuters, China’s state economic planner said on Thursday that it had decided to halt all activities under the China-Australia Strategic Economic Dialogue.

“Recently, some Australian Commonwealth Government officials launched a series of measures to disrupt the normal exchanges and co-operation between China and Australia out of Cold War mindset and ideological discrimination,” the National Development and Reform Commission said in a statement explaining the decision.

https://www.news.com.au/finance/economy/australian-economy/china-indefinitely-suspends-all-activities-under-the-chinaaustralia-strategic-economic-dialogue/news-story/28f3127a544a3caff409ab9fe0d90533

Chiefs of Nation’s 3 Largest School Districts Have Resigned

The chiefs of America’s three largest public school districts have resigned within two months of each other following a tumultuous year marked by school closures due to the coronavirus pandemic, the introduction of remote learning, and battles with teachers’ unions over resuming in-person learning.

Janice Jackson, CEO of Chicago Public Schools (CPS), the third largest school district in the United States, announced Monday she would be leaving her post, stating it is time to “pass the torch to new leadership,” reported the Associated Press (AP).

Since beginning her tenure in 2018, Jackson led CPS in 2019 during an 11-day strike by the Chicago Teachers’ Union (CTU), with strong ties to the #RedforEd movement, that left K-12 classes cancelled for over 360,000 students.

In February, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) criticized CTU for putting up obstacles to reopening schools for in-person learning with the statement the union has “aspirations’ that are “akin to a political party.”

According to AP, in her resignation message to CPS families, Jackson named the creation of the district’s equity office as one of her top accomplishments. She said more black and disabled students were able to apply to the district’s most selective schools as a result of the equity office’s interventions.

“As I look back on what we’ve done, I have felt proud and humbled, and also a little tired,” Jackson said at a news conference.

Just several weeks earlier, Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Superintendent Austin Beutner announced he will step down when his contract expires on June 30.

LAUSD is the nation’s second largest school district.

While the district’s Board of Education asked Beutner to consider remaining on as superintendent, he sent a letter stating, “I believe it is fitting that a new superintendent should have the privilege of welcoming students back to school in the fall,” ABC7 reported.

Beutner said, since his tenure began in 2018, he believed he either accomplished or progressed on many of his goals, such as renewing trust in the school system and reopening schools following the closures due to the pandemic.

Beutner advised his successor to “keep doing what we’re doing but do it faster. Lots of work to do but kids can’t wait.”

In a letter of thanks to Beutner, the Board of Education wrote, “We are particularly grateful for his unwavering leadership during the extraordinary challenges facing our school district during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Like Jackson, Beutner also dealt with a major teachers’ strike in 2019, fueled by the radical #RedforEd movement.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/05/05/chiefs-of-nations-3-largest-school-districts-have-resigned/

Pentagon Chief Believes Military Leaders Should Make Diversity a ‘Personal Commitment’

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is “concerned” about the lack of diversity among the senior ranks of the military and believes leaders should make a concerted effort to change it, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said Wednesday.

“He’s certainly concerned about the diversity at the senior levels of the department. And this is not just senior enlisted levels, but senior officer levels, admirals, and generals,” Kirby said at a Pentagon press conference. “The numbers are not very high.”

“The secretary believes this has got to be a concerted effort, an everyday effort, and it’s got to be led. If leaders across the department don’t take this on as a personal commitment, it’s not going to change,” he said.

He added:

He knows it’s not going to change overnight. That doesn’t mean you slack up on the pressure. You don’t continue to try to get this right. But he understands that this is going to take time to grow that kind of leadership in the kind of talent.

But he also believes there’s a sense of urgency here. The time is now to start to grow that talent and develop that talent and provide opportunities for that talent to continue to advance of the ranks.

The last thing I’ll say on this, and I can say it any better than he has, is that this is a readiness issue. It is important for the force to look like the country it serves, absolutely. But he strongly believes that diversity is a readiness issue because it allows different perspectives, additional context, different lived experiences to inform the way we make decisions in the policies that we craft, the operations that we lead. So, it’s very much a part of making us of much more capable force.

Kirby’s comments came after a reporter asked him if Austin agreed with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Mark Milley, who spoke earlier in the day at a graduation ceremony at Howard University, a historically black university, about the lack of advancement opportunities in the military for black Americans.

Kirby said Austin “agrees with Chairman Milley, that there is much more that we need to do to improve diversity and inclusion and opportunity inside theforce. And it’s something that he has tackled literally since becoming Secretary of Defense.”

He pointed to the hiring of a director for diversity, equity, and inclusion, Bishop Garrison.

“He’s given Bishop a wide berth to take a look at these kinds of issues across the force to see how we can improve our diversity better,” he said.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/05/05/pentagon-chief-believes-military-leaders-should-make-diversity-a-personal-commitment/

Policeman Who Reportedly Raped 11-Year-Old Had a Record And Was Rehired Due to Police Negligence

Last week, Alabama State Trooper Christopher Bauer was arrested on charges of sexually abusing an underage girl. He is currently being held in the Montgomery County Detention Facility under a $105,000 bail.

Christopher Bauer, 40, was dismissed from the FBI in 2018 amid allegations that he raped a female colleague, but was hired again by the state in an oversight, the Associated Press has reported.

According to the media agency, the former trooper was suspended in 2018 after one of his co-workers accused him of raping her at knifepoint. She claimed that the lawman assaulted her so “frequently her hair began to fall out.”

“It was a year of torture,” the woman told the AP. “He quite literally would keep me awake for days. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t sleep, and in six months I went from 150 pounds to 92 pounds. I was physically dying from what he was doing to me.”

After legal charges were brought against Bauer, he was separated from the service and ordered to surrender his “firearms, weapons, swords and knives,” while the woman who accused him had a restraining order placed against him.

In 2019, Bauer was hired by police in Alabama that did not conduct an appropriate background check, instead using information supplied by Bauer containing no mention about his disciplinary investigation and dismissal for rape, and including a a forged letter said to be from the FBI, saying that he was “eligible for rehire.” The former lawman stated that he continued working for the agency.

Alabama state police said in a statement that they did a “full and thorough” background check on Bauer before hiring him and “no derogatory comments were uncovered by former employers.”

On 28 April, Bauer was arrested on charges including sodomy and sexual abuse of a child under 12. He was forced to quit the police and is now in custody with a $105,000 bail awaiting trial.

https://sputniknews.com/us/202105061082812682-policeman-who-reportedly-raped-11-year-old-had-a-record-and-was-rehired-due-to-police-negligence/

https://apnews.com/article/ap-top-news-montgomery-new-orleans-alabama-police-8bd9d4cbe11cac4630e7057019d139a4