Crime

The Johnstown Tribune-Democrat reports: A priest who was placed on leave by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown in 2017 due to a claim of abusing a minor being made against him was arrested on child pornography charges earlier this week. The Rev. Anthony Petracca Jr., 67, from Allegheny Township, Blair County, faces 31 felony counts of possession of child …

Manchester’s ABC affiliate reports: The former pastor of a Nashua church is on his way to prison after pleading guilty Thursday to the manufacture and possession of child sex abuse images. Stephen Bates, 48, pleaded guilty to one count of the manufacture of child sex abuse images and 10 counts of possession of such images. Bates was pastor at the …

CNN reports: Federal prosecutors have announced additional charges against New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez and his wife, alleging they conspired to have a public official act as a foreign agent. A superseding indictment was filed Thursday. Menendez and his wife, Nadine Arslanian Menendez, were indicted last month on corruption-related offenses, and are accused of accepting “hundreds of thousands of …

The Beaverton Valley Times reports: A Beaverton pastor was jailed last week after being accused of inappropriately touching two young girls who were members of his congregation. A Washington County grand jury indicted Christopher Michael Pruitt, 39, of Beaverton on six counts of first-degree sexual abuse and two counts of third-degree sexual abuse Wednesday, Oct. 11. Pruitt allegedly touched two …

Utah’s Cache Valley Daily reports: A 46-year-old Lewiston man has been arrested for downloading child pornography over the internet for years, according to law enforcement. Kent Daniel Prestwich was booked Tuesday, Oct. 10, into the Cache County Jail after state agents served a warrant to his home. According to arrest documents, Prestwich allegedly told investigators he had been viewing child …

Indiana’s Lebanon Reporter reports: A Lebanon man is scheduled for trial in December after his arrest on a charge of possession of child pornography. The tip included an email address and user name, “MartianMassacre Productions,” for an internet user who stored an image of a pre-pubescent girl engaged in intercourse with an adult male, according to a probable cause affidavit …

From the Justice Department: A Washington man was sentenced today in federal court for committing a hate crime in connection with an arson at a nightclub and event space in Seattle, Washington. Kalvinn Garcia, 26, of Sedro Woolley, was sentenced to 48 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his bias-motivated arson at Queer/Bar, a nightclub …

The Indianapolis Star reports: A former English teacher and volleyball coach at Fishers Christian Academy was arrested on Friday and is accused of sexual misconduct with a student, according to court records. Stephen Ayon, 34, is facing three counts of sexual misconduct with a minor, three counts of child seduction and one count of dissemination of matter harmful to minors. …

The Pensacola News-Journal reports: The former Calvary Baptist Church youth director arrested for hiding a camera in the church bathroom to record people and possessing child pornography was sentenced to 50 years in state prison Friday after taking a plea agreement. David Nims, 40, was charged with 25 counts of child pornography possession and 16 counts of video voyeurism, and …

Atlanta First News reports: A Milton private school teacher was arrested after a 12-year-old girl was inappropriately touched at a Walmart in August, according to the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office. Kyle George, 43, was arrested and charged with sexual battery against a child under 16, the sheriff’s office said. According to booking reports, George was booked on Sept. 25 and was …

Miami’s NBC affiliate reports: A Florida man and his three adult sons were sentenced Friday for selling a toxic industrial bleach as a fake COVID-19 cure through their online church. A federal judge in Miami sentenced Jonathan Grenon, 37, and Jordan Grenon, 29, to 12 years and seven months in prison, while Mark Grenon, 66, and Joseph Grenon, 36, each …

The Washington Post reports: A man who joined a nightly performance of the national anthem inside the D.C. jail that has been promoted by former president Donald Trump and his allies was sentenced to seven years in prison for assaulting police and obstructing Congress on Jan. 6. Shane Jenkins, 46, acknowledged in D.C. federal court that he had an “extensive” …

West Palm Beach’s CBS affiliate reports: Michael Dolce, an attorney from West Palm Beach who fought for child sexual abuse victims, pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court to possession of child pornography. Prosecutors say when he was arrested in March, he had nearly 1,997 images and five videos of child sexual abuse materials on his laptop. He faces a possible …

Click2Houston reports: A Houston-area pastor is facing serious charges after being accused of raping a child and impregnating her, court documents stated. According to an arrest warrant, the rape started when the victim was 7 years old and lasted into her late teen years, happening more than 600 times. With Robert L. Carter now charged with a felony, the alleged …

The Huffington Post reports: A man illegally brought a handgun into the Wisconsin Capitol on Wednesday, demanding to see Gov. Tony Evers, and returned at night with an assault rifle after posting bail, a spokesperson for the state said. The man, who was shirtless and had a holstered handgun, approached the governor’s office on the first floor of the Capitol …

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports: An arrest warrant has been issued for a youth pastor after he was indicted on more than a dozen charges of sex crimes involving minors. Jairo Sanchez, 38, is wanted by the Butler County Sheriff’s Office, according to a report from law enforcement. The youth pastor was indicted on charges of gross sexual imposition, sexual imposition, …

Via press release from the Justice Department: An Illinois man was sentenced today on charges of assaulting a law enforcement officer and a media member during the U.S. Capitol breach on Jan. 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the …

Wausau’s ABC affiliate reports: A 52-year-old former Plover youth pastor was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Tuesday after previously pleading guilty to two counts of repeated acts of sexual assault. Jordan Huffman, 52, of Antigo will also have 20 years of extended supervision after serving his sentence. The charges stem from an assault in 2017 and lasted until …

Memphis’s NBC affiliate reports: A former Mid-South church leader and Christian school administrator who was indicted for sex crimes against a minor has been sentenced to six years in prison. John Brownlow faced eight charges related to the alleged grooming of a private school student during the pandemic. An Action News 5 Investigation revealed Brownlow was charged with persuading the …

Minnesota Public Radio reports: A former youth pastor at a Duluth church was jailed Tuesday and charged with sexually abusing five teenage girls. St. Louis County prosecutors said that Jackson M. Gatlin, 35, assaulted the teens between 2007 and 2010 while he worked at Vineyard Church. Gatlin is the son of former pastors Michael and Brenda Gatlin. The couple resigned …