Tracy woman faces charges of kidnapping, raping and killing girl, 8
The Los Angeles Times, By Alexandra Zavis, April 15, 2009
Melissa Huckaby, 28, cries during her arraignment in which she's charged with murder with the special circumstances of kidnapping, rape with a foreign object and lewd or lascivious conduct with a child.
With distraught members of the suspect's and victim's families present, a judge continues Melissa Huckaby's arraignment to April 24. She is being held in the death a neighbor girl, Sandra Cantu.
Reporting from Stockton -- Pale and struggling to hold back tears, a 28-year-old Sunday school teacher appeared in court for the first time Tuesday to face accusations of kidnapping, raping and killing an 8-year-old Central Valley girl.
Melissa Huckaby, who was wearing a red prison jumpsuit with her hands and feet cuffed, appeared disoriented when she was ushered into the packed courtroom and faced a wall of TV camera crews, photographers and reporters.
Her lip quivered and she squeezed her eyes shut when San Joaquin County Superior Court Judge Richard Vlavianos read the charge: murder with the special circumstances of kidnapping, rape with a foreign object and lewd or lascivious conduct with a child. Huckaby did not enter a plea. She spoke only when the judge asked if she wished to be represented by the public defender's office.
"Yes," she whispered.
If convicted of the murder charge and any of the special circumstances, she could face a death sentence or life in prison without the possibility of parole. Dist. Atty. James Willett said he has not decided whether to seek the death penalty.
The proceedings lasted less than 10 minutes. At the request of the public defender, Ellen Schwarzenberg, who represented Huckaby in a previous petty theft case, the arraignment was continued until April 24. Schwarzenberg also requested that the families of Huckaby and the 8-year-old victim be ordered not to discuss the case with the media. Prosecutors did not object, and Vlavianos said the decision would be made by his colleague, Judge Terrence Van Oss, who will preside over future hearings.
The death of Sandra Cantu, whose remains were found in a suitcase that farmworkers pulled from an irrigation pond 10 days after she disappeared March 27, has shocked and angered her home town of Tracy, about 60 miles east of San Francisco.
Huckaby lived with her grandfather, the pastor of the Clover Road Baptist Church, five doors down from Sandra's family at the Orchard Estates Mobile Home Park in Tracy. Her daughter was Sandra's playmate.
Security was unusually tight at Tuesday's hearing in nearby Stockton, with at least a dozen bailiffs to maintain order in the courtroom.
Members of both families were present but sat on opposite sides of the courtroom and avoided contact. Some of Sandra's supporters wore T-shirts bearing her image. The girl's aunt and uncle had tears in their eyes as they listened to the accusations. Huckaby's father was also tearing up as he hustled out of court with three relatives. Both families refused to talk to journalists.
Sandra's distraught father, who is separated from her mother, later told reporters that he was given the wrong time for the hearing and arrived too late. The police have not said where and how Sandra was killed, but have indicated that it was not long after she was last seen on surveillance footage, skipping down a street in the mobile home park.
After Tuesday's hearing, plain-clothed investigators returned to Huckaby's home and the nearby Clover Road Baptist Church to execute Read More ..arch warrants, but declined to say what they were looking for.
At a news briefing, Police Sgt. Tony Sheneman appealed to any members of the public who are worried that their children might have had inappropriate contact with Huckaby to contact the Tracy Police Department.
Ottawa girl 17 found guilty on 30 of 33 charges in teen pimping case
The Canadian Press
January 29, 2014
OTTAWA - An Ottawa teen who befriended girls on Facebook and other social media, then forced them to work as escorts, has been found guilty of 30 of 33 charges against her.
The 17-year-old - identified as the ringleader of the group - was found guilty Wednesday on counts including human trafficking, forcible confinement, assault, robbery, sexual assault, child luring and distributing child pornography.
Sexual Offenders - Reference materials & scholarly papers:
Allen, Craig. (1991). Women and Men Who Sexually Abuse Children: A Comparative Analysis. Brandon, VT: Safer Society Press.
Berendzen, R, & Palmer, L. (1993). Come here: A man overcomes the tragic aftermath of childhood sexual abuse. New York: Villard Books.
Elliott, Michele (Ed.). (1993). Female Sexual Abuse of Children. New York: Guilford Press.
Mike Lew, author of Victims No Longer, an excellent book for male survivors of sexual abuse, says of this book: "Michele Elliott and her colleagues guide us through denial, stereotypes, and conventional misinformation to an unflinching examination of painful realities. Theoretical, research, and clinical chapters help to forge a new understanding of the issues and set directions for further exploration. Many survivors, both male and female, will finally have their experiences validated. The powerfully moving survivors' stories will be vital tools for survivors in their healing and will aid therapists in understanding the complexities of recovery from sexual abuse by females" (from the cover).
Mathews, R, Matthews, J. K., & Speltz, K. (1989). Female Sexual Offenders: An Exploratory Study. Brandon, VT: Safer Society Press.
Miletski, H. (1997). Mother-Son Incest: The Unthinkable Broken Taboo. Brandon, VT: Safer Society Press.
Saradjian, J. & Hanks, H. (1996). Women Who Sexually Abuse Children: From Research to Clinical Practice (Wiley Series in Child Care and Protection) NY: John Wiley & Sons.
The papers:
Allen, C. M., & Pothast, H. L. (1994). Distinguishing characteristics of male and female child sex abusers. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 21, 73-88.
Bachmann, K. M., Moggi, F., Stirnemann-Lewis, F. (1994) Mother-son incest and its long-term consequences: A neglected phenomenon in psychiatric practice. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 182, 723-725.
Banning, A. (1989). Mother-son incest: Confronting a prejudice. Child Abuse & Neglect, 13, 563-570.
Baron, R. S., Burgess, M. L., & Kao, C. F. (1991). Detecting and labeling prejudice: Do female perpetrators go undetected? Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 17, 115-123.
Briere J., & Elliott D.M. (2003). Prevalence and psychological sequelae of self-reported childhood physical and sexual abuse in a general population sample of men and women. Child Abuse & Neglect, 27, 1205-1222. [includes statistics on females' perpetrating sexual abuse against boys and girls]
Condy, S. R., Templer, D. I., Brown, R., & Veaco, L. (1987). Parameters of sexual contact of boys with women. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 16, 379-394.
Faller, K. C. (1987). Women who sexually abuse children. Violence and Victims, 2, 263-276.
Fehrenbach, P. A., & Monastersky, C. (1988). Characteristics of female adolescent sexual offenders. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 58, 148-151.
Finkelhor, D., Meyers, M. W., & Burns, N. (1988). Nursery crimes: Sexual abuse in day care. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
Finkelhor, D., & Russell, D. (1984). Women as perpetrators. In D. Finkelhor (Ed.), Child sexual abuse: New theory and research (pp.171-187). New York: Free Press.
Harper, J. F. (1993). Prepuberal male victims of incest: A clinical study. Child Abuse and Neglect, 17, 419-421.
Johnson, R. L., & Shrier, D. (1987). Past sexual victimization by females of male patients in an adolescent medicine clinic population. American Journal of Psychiatry, 144, 650-652.
Johnson, T. C. (1989). Female child perpetrators: Children who molest other children. Child Abuse & Neglect, 13, 571-585.
Krug, R. S. (1989). Adult male reports of childhood sexual abuse by mothers: Case descriptions, motivations and long-term consequences. Child Abuse and Neglect, 13, 111-119.
Lawson, C. (1993). Mother-son sexual abuse: Rare or underreported? A critique of the research. Child Abuse and Neglect, 17, 261-269.
Marvesti, J. (1986). Incestuous mothers: American Journal of Forensic Psychiatry, 7, 63-69.
McCarthy, L. M. (1986). Mother-child incest: Characteristics of the offender. Child Welfare, LXI, 447-459.
O'Conner, A. (1987). Female sex offenders. British Journal of Psychiatry, 150, 615-620.
Sarrel, P. M., & Masters, W. H. (1982). Sexual molestation of men by women. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 11, 117-131.
Wahl, C.W. (1960). The psychodynamics of consummated maternal incest. Archives of General Psychiatry, 3, 96/188-101/193.
Wakefield, H., Rogers, M., and Underwager, R. (1990). Female sexual abusers: A theory of loss. Issues In Child Abuse Accusations, 2, 181-195.
Ex-High School Coach Gets a Year in Jail for Having Sex With Minor
LA Times, By Allison Hoffman, Times Staff Writer
January 24, 2004
A former Rancho Cucamonga High School coach on Friday was sentenced to a year in county jail for having sex with a 16-year-old girl who was one of her students.
Stacy Lynn Behrmann, 32, accepted a plea bargain in November on three counts of sex crimes against a minor.
She sat silently during the hearing in San Bernardino County Superior Court and did not look at friends and family members as she was led from the courtroom.
The girl, now 17, became friendly with Behrmann when she played on the high school girls' tennis and softball teams, which Behrmann coached.
According to investigative reports, the girl said their relationship was consensual and progressed to sexual intimacy in January 2003.
"She has robbed my daughter of her high school experience and years," the girl's foster father told the court.
Baby-faced boy Alfie
Patten is father at 13
The Sun, UK
13 Feb 2009
Baby-faced Alfie, who is 13 but looks more like eight, became a father four days ago when his girlfriend Chantelle Steadman gave birth to 7lb 3oz Maisie Roxanne.
He told how he, at 12 years old, and Chantelle, 15, decided against an abortion after discovering she was pregnant.
Correctional Services Canada
Service correctionnel du Canada
Female Sex Offenders in the Correctional Service of Canada, Case
Studies
Délinquantes sexuelles sous la
responsabilité du Service correctionnel du Canada, études de cas
LITERATURE REVIEW ON FEMALE SEX OFFENDERS
Although there is an increasing literature on male sex offenders, there is a noticeable dearth of information concerning female sex offenders. Most of the work in the area has come from three of the largest prison programs for female sex offenders in Missouri, Minnesota, and Kentucky.
OVERALL NEGLECT OF FEMALE SEXUAL OFFENCES
For a variety of societal reasons, female sexual abuse is likely to remain unnoticed. Some researchers have found that the incidence of sexual contact with boys by women is much Read More ..evalent than is contended in the clinical literature (Condy, Templer Brown & Veaco, 1987). Despite society's increasing concern about sexual assault, there may be several reasons for the under-reporting of female sexual abuse of both child and adult victims. Traditionally, society has held preconceptions of women as non-violent nurturers. Women in general, and mothers Read More ..ecifically, have Read More ..eedom than men to touch children (Marvasti, 1986). Therefore, a man may be Read More ..sily perceived as abusive when touching a child than when a woman touches a child in a similar manner (Plummer, 1981). Further, sexual offences perpetrated by women are often incestuous in nature and children may be reluctant to report sexual contact with a parent on whom they are dependent (Groth, 1979). Health care workers are often unable to detect mother-child incest as mothers often accompany their children to the doctor's office. This may serve as a barrier to detecting sexual abuse of the child (Elliott & Peterson, 1993). The medical profession is only reluctantly becoming sensitive to the fact that females can, in fact, be perpetrators of sexual abuse (Wilkins, 1990; Krug, 1989).
EXAMEN DE LA DOCUMENTATION SUR LES DÉLINQUANTES SEXUELLES
La documentation sur les délinquants sexuels s'accroît alors que l'information sur les délinquantes sexuelles est clairement déficiente. La plupart des travaux en ce domaine proviennent de trois des programmes les plus importants établis pour les délinquantes sexuelles au Missouri, au Minnesota et au Kentucky.
DÉSINTÉRESSEMENT GÉNÉRAL À L'ÉGARD DES INFRACTIONS SEXUELLES COMMISES PAR DES FEMMES
Pour diverses raisons sociales, les mauvais traitements sexuels infligés par les femmes demeurent généralement cachés. Certains chercheurs ont découvert que l'incidence des contacts sexuels entre des femmes et des garçons est beaucoup plus élevée que ne l'estime la documentation clinique (Condy, Templer Brown et Veaco, 1987). En dépit du fait que la société se préoccupe de plus en plus de l'agression sexuelle, plusieurs raisons pourraient faire que l'on parle moins des cas de mauvais traitements sexuels infligés par des femmes à des enfants ou à des adultes. La société a toujours perçu les femmes comme des nourricières non violentes. Les femmes en général, et surtout les mères, ont plus de latitude pour toucher les enfants que les hommes (Marvasti, 1986). Par conséquent, un homme qui touche un enfant de la même manière que le fait une femme peut être plus facilement perçu comme un agresseur (Plummer, 1981). En outre, les infractions sexuelles commises par des femmes sont souvent de nature incestueuse et les enfants peuvent hésiter à dénoncer un contact sexuel avec un parent dont ils dépendent (Groth, 1979). Les travailleurs du domaine de la santé sont souvent incapables de déceler les cas d'inceste entre l'enfant et la mère car cette dernière accompagne souvent l'enfant au bureau du médecin. Cela peut empêcher de dépister les mauvais traitements sexuels infligés à l'enfant (Elliott et Peterson, 1993). La profession médicale prend à contrecoeur conscience du fait que les femmes peuvent en fait infliger de mauvais traitements sexuels. (Wilkins, 1990; Krug, 1989). Read More ..
Educator Sexual Misconduct:
A Synthesis of Existing Literature
Prepared for the U.S. Department of Education
Office of the Under Secretary
Policy and Program Studies Service
U.S. Department of Education
Statistics
Sexual Assaults by teachers on students
Ontario-wide strategy needed for male sex abuse victims, inquiry told
Canadian Press
February 27, 2009
CORNWALL, Ont. - Male victims of childhood sexual abuse need specialized support services and a provincial ombudsman dedicated to their plight, the Cornwall inquiry heard Friday as the $40-million probe drew to a close after three years of testimony.
The inquiry, established to examine institutional responses to allegations of sexual abuse in eastern Ontario, spent the majority of its final week hearing submissions dealing with allegations that a pedophile clan operated with impunity in the city for decades.
Lawyers at the inquiry cast the clan stories as fabrications spread by a misguided police officer and embraced by a panic-stricken community.
On Friday, the submissions focused on healing and reconciliation for the community and victims.
Following a complaint in 1992 that a former altar boy had been sexually abused by a priest and a probation officer, many others came forward to allege they had also been abused by prominent people decades ago.
Many of those complainants were men, and a lawyer for the counselling group The Men's Project said even though there were a lot of community services in the city at the time, none could adequately handle men's counselling.
"In fact, they had to bring in my client from Ottawa because they were the only ones with expertise to deal with this," David Bennett told the inquiry.
"Even though there were existing social services they just weren't able to deal with it and (that's) why there needs to be a specialized area."
Both The Men's Project and the Victims Group urged the commissioner to recommend that the Ontario government create victim treatment service centres for male survivors of sexual abuse province wide.
Both groups also called for the province to create a sex abuse ombudsman.
"There has been a theme from survivors of not being believed, getting the run-around, being kept in the dark, which for some had the effect of re-victimization," the Men's Project said in its written submissions. "An ombudsman could rectify this."
In addition, the government needs to remedy how treatment for sexual abuse victims is funded, the Men's Project said. Read More ..