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 - 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 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
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 ..
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 ..
