GAITHERSBURG, MD – A high-tech police drone played a crucial role in locating a missing 5-year-old and assisting in multiple arrests during three separate incidents in Montgomery County. On March…
BURNSVILLE, N.C. — A 67-year-old Spruce Pine man was arrested Thursday morning in a joint operation involving local and federal law enforcement on child exploitation charges, authorities said. Paul David…
Kentucky Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Child Exploitation
**Walton, KY** – A Kentucky resident was sentenced to 30 years in prison for producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) while in the Philippines.
Court documents state that Robert Maxwell Werner, 46, from Walton, Kentucky, engaged in illegal activities between February 2021 and November 2021. Werner reportedly bought access from a Filipino associate to several minor victims for various sexual activities and also paid for customized CSAM. He is accused of sexually abusing minors during five in-person meetings at different locations in the Philippines and providing them with money and basic necessities.
Werner’s plea agreement includes an admission of engaging in sexually explicit acts with at least one minor to create visual depictions from July 2021 to November 2021. He further admitted to transporting this material into the U.S. and continued soliciting CSAM after his return to the country.
The FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit, along with Philippine authorities, investigated the case. It was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Rachel L. Rothberg and Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth as part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative addressing child sexual exploitation and abuse.
NEW YORK — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Axel Ramirez-Hernandez, a 32-year-old Guatemalan national, in Spring Valley on Wednesday. He was taken into custody on a criminal warrant…
MINNEAPOLIS — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deported Oscar Alexander Cruz Rodriguez, a 29-year-old Salvadoran national wanted for the rape of a minor, on Feb. 14. Rodriguez had been…
MOUNT LAUREL, N.J. — A Mount Laurel woman has been charged with abusing two children under her care, including an infant who was found with a bruised eye, authorities announced.…
VILLAS, N.J. — A 55-year-old Villas man has been arrested following an investigation into a lewdness complaint involving multiple juveniles, Cape May County authorities announced Tuesday. Robert McKinley, of Greenwood…
Germantown Man Sentenced for Child Abuse
**Frederick, MD** – In Frederick County Circuit Court, Tre Anthony Garrett, age 33, from Germantown, MD, was sentenced by Judge Joanmarie Raymond Brubaker. Garrett received a 30-year sentence with 15 years suspended in the Division of Corrections for first-degree child abuse and neglect of a minor.
The case began on January 5, when Frederick County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called to Frederick Health Hospital. They were investigating reports of child abuse involving a 2-year-old with severe injuries, including multiple brain bleeds and skull fractures. The child was transported to Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Medical evaluations suggested non-accidental trauma.
The child’s mother reported she was running errands, leaving the child with Garrett, the child’s father. Upon her return, Garrett was spotted with the child wearing weather-inappropriate clothing. When confrontation failed, the mother called 9-1-1. Garrett was later found by police without the child. Approximately ten hours post the initial 9-1-1 call, Garrett’s mother brought the child to the hospital. The investigation concluded the injuries occurred while the child was under Garrett
Man Sentenced to 45 Years for Child Abuse
**Freehold, NJ** – A Marlboro Township resident has been sentenced to 45 years in state prison. The sentencing follows the conviction for the sexual and physical abuse of his daughter over a period spanning more than six years.
Andrey V. Penkin, aged 51, will be required to serve at least 37 years of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole. This information was disclosed by Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago.
The announcement took place on Friday, underscoring the severity of the crimes committed by Penkin. The prosecutor emphasized the gravity of the offenses and the extensive duration over which the abuse occurred.
Details regarding the exact timeline or other specifics surrounding the case have not been provided. However, the prosecution expressed intentions to ensure justice was served.
Lusby Woman Sentenced for Impaired Driving and Child Neglect
**Prince Frederick, MD** – Ronni Laine Davis, aged 34 and a resident of Lusby, was sentenced to eight years in prison at the Calvert County Circuit Court on March 3. Judge Mark S. Chandlee imposed the sentence, which includes 60 days of active incarceration followed by three years of supervised probation.
The charges arose from an incident on April 28 last year, when witnesses reported Davis driving erratically on MD Route 4 around 8:50 p.m. Her driving involved nearly hitting a guardrail and crossing into the median. Calvert County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene, noting signs of impairment and administering standard field sobriety tests, which Davis failed. At the time, she had four young children in the vehicle.
Davis was convicted of child neglect, possession of CDS (Oxycodone), and driving while impaired by drugs. Although it was her first offense related to impaired driving, the State prioritized a custodial sentence due to the presence of minors. Davis was handcuffed and taken directly to the Calvert County Detention Center to commence her sentence.
Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Rebecca N. Corder
MIDDLETOWN, DE — A Townsend woman was arrested Saturday morning after Delaware State Police found her impaired behind the wheel with a child in the car and a stash of…
JACKSON, N.J. — Shane Werosta, a Life Scout from Troop 204, is leading an Eagle Scout project to provide comfort to patients at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) who…
California Man Sentenced for Operating Child Abuse Websites
**Sacramento, CA** – A man from California has received a 24-year-and-four-month prison sentence for operating websites involved in the distribution of child abuse images. Louis Donald Mendonsa, 62, was convicted for his role in managing four dark web platforms dedicated to this illegal activity.
Court documents revealed that from December 2021 until his arrest in November 2022, Mendonsa was involved in the operation of sites that distributed explicit materials involving minors, including infants and toddlers. He utilized public internet access at a local coffee shop to engage in these activities. Approximately 6,500 images discovered on his devices depicted victims affected by his misconduct.
Mendonsa entered a guilty plea in April, facing seven counts of distributing child pornography and one count of possession. The announcement was made by Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith, and Special Agent Tatum King from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Francisco.
The case was investigated by HSI San Francisco with support from local law enforcement agencies. Prosecutors involved in the case include CEOS Trial Attorney Kaylynn Foulon and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Sauvage
OCEAN COUNTY, N.J. — A former teacher at the Ocean County Performing Arts Academy has been sentenced to Parole Supervision for Life after pleading guilty to endangering the welfare of…
GREENBELT, M.D. — Police are searching for four juvenile suspects who allegedly robbed a man in Greenbelt on Tuesday evening. Officers responded at 6:21 p.m. to the 5900 block of…
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — A Mexican national who fled the United States before his 2008 indictment on rape and sexual assault charges has been extradited to Westchester County and arraigned,…
PLEASANTVILLE, NJ – A 53-year-old New Jersey man found himself in handcuffs after allegedly trying to prey on a 13-year-old girl in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. Oscar Castillo-Peralta, from Pleasantville, NJ, thought…
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. — Authorities have filed additional child sexual abuse charges against a New Rochelle man previously arrested in connection with the death of a 15-year-old boy, police said.…
PRINCETON, NJ – A 24-year-old man from Princeton Borough was arrested on Friday, February 21 after authorities uncovered evidence of online child exploitation, according to Mercer County Prosecutor Janetta D.…
NEWARK, Del. — A George V. Kirk Middle School teacher has been arrested and charged with multiple felonies related to the sexual solicitation and abuse of a student, Delaware State…
TOMS RIVER, N.J. — A New Jersey man is being held without bail in Ocean County on multiple child endangerment and sex-related charges, according to jail records. Michael Angelo Marto,…
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STUART, FL — A woman and her three-year-old child were forced off the road and into a pond after a hit-and-run crash involving a semi-truck Thursday morning, authorities said. The…
NEW YORK CITY, NY -A 30-year-old transgender migrant from Colombia allegedly committed a shocking crime against a child in the heart of Manhattan, according to law enforcement sources. Nicol Suarez,…