WASHINGTON, D.C. — The White House on Thursday released a detailed physician’s note addressing recent speculation surrounding visible swelling in President Donald Trump’s lower legs and bruising on his hand,…
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A Virginia resident was arrested Sunday on federal charges of conspiracy to transport an illegal alien after authorities say he arranged and funded the smuggling of a…
GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, N.J. — Gloucester Township Police responded to a two-vehicle crash Friday afternoon near the intersection of Jarvis Road and Wiltshire Road. The incident occurred around 12:20 p.m. and…
Luzerne County man charged with sexual assault of a minor
HARRISBURG, Pa. — A Luzerne County man faces charges for allegedly sexually assaulting a child he communicated with through Facebook messages. Attorney General Dave Sunday announced the arrest and charges on Tuesday.
William James Christian Jr., a board member at the Lehigh & Keystone Valley Model Railroad Museum, was taken into custody on Tuesday. He is charged with multiple offenses, including unlawful contact with a minor, indecent assault, and disseminating explicit sexual material to a minor.
Bail for Christian, 30, from Dupont, was set at $125,000 during his arraignment on Tuesday. As a condition of his bail, he is prohibited from having internet access, unsupervised contact with minors, and involvement with the model railroad museum.
“This defendant used a common interest — enthusiasm for trains — to groom and prey on a young person,” Attorney General Sunday stated. “The defendant is charged with soliciting sexual messages from the victim, and assaulting them, over a period of many months.”
Investigators revealed that Christian exchanged messages with a 15-year-old over a year. The messages varied from discussions about model trains to sexual comments and imagery. The physical assaults reportedly
QUEENS, N.Y. — An off-duty NYPD officer was arrested Friday morning in Queens on charges related to disseminating indecent material to a minor, police officials confirmed. Travis Desouza, 35, was…
TRENTON, N.J. — A Newark man was sentenced to 210 months in federal prison Thursday for trafficking multiple women, including a minor, across state lines for sex, following his conviction…
QUEENS, NY — A 53-year-old employee of the New York City Department of Education was arrested Friday afternoon on multiple sex crime charges involving a minor while on duty, police…
The Chesapeake Baysox, the Double-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, introduced their new alternate identity for the 2025 season: the Chesapeake Oyster Catchers. Intended as a tribute to the Chesapeake…
MOUNT HOLLY, N.J. — A Burlington City man has been sentenced to four years in state prison for secretly recording an underage female by placing a hidden camera in a…
BRICK TOWNSHIP, N.J. — A pickup truck collided with a Brick Township Public Schools bus Thursday morning after following too closely, causing a rear-end crash, police said. The incident occurred…
Uniontown Man Sentenced for Crimes Against Minor via Social Media
**HARRISBURG, PA** – Attorney General Dave Sunday announced a prison sentence for Derek Allen Reed, a Fayette County resident, for his criminal activities involving a minor. Reed, 35, of Uniontown, has been sentenced to five to 15 years for contacting a young girl on social media, sending her inappropriate images, and attempting to meet her for a sexual encounter.
Reed was apprehended at the arranged meeting location in June 2023. In November, he admitted guilt to several felony charges, including unlawful contact with a minor and distributing explicit material to a minor.
After serving his prison term and parole, Reed will undergo five years of probation. Additionally, he is required to register as a sex offender for 25 years under the law.
Attorney General Sunday remarked on the case, highlighting the risks of social media misuse by predators. Senior Deputy Attorney General Angela Raver led the prosecution against Reed. Reed had initially met the 15-year-old victim at an ex-girlfriend’s home and later communicated with her on platforms like Facebook and Snapchat.
FREEHOLD, N.J. — A Bergen County Sheriff’s Office detective has been arrested and charged with sending explicit messages and a nude photo to a juvenile, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S.…
Lancaster, PA — Erik Weidling, a 21-year-old from Enger, Germany, has been sentenced to between four and a half and ten years in state prison after pleading guilty to multiple…
Man Convicted of Sexual Assault of a Minor in Butler County
**HARRISBURG, PA** — Attorney General Michelle Henry announced the conviction of a Butler County man for sexually assaulting a pre-teen child. The conviction follows charges against 45-year-old Shaun Sheffer, who was accused in 2023 after a Statewide Investigating Grand Jury made recommendations against multiple Jehovah’s Witnesses members.
Sheffer was convicted this week on three counts of rape, including the rape of a person with a mental disability, as well as three counts of indecent assault. His sentencing is scheduled for February.
Attorney General Henry highlighted the vulnerability of the victim based on their age and mental disability. Henry expressed gratitude to the grand jurors, the trial jurors, and the victim for their roles in the proceedings.
The charges were part of the 49th Investigating Grand Jury’s findings, with the abuse occurring between 1995 and 2000 in Butler County. Testimonies revealed that Sheffer was a close acquaintance of the victim, who was between seven and 12 years old during the assaults. The case was led by Senior Deputy Attorney General Alicia Werner.
TRENTON, N.J. — Commuters across New Jersey encountered relatively light traffic Monday morning, with some delays and incidents causing minor disruptions statewide. Roadwork and a few closures were reported but…
COLUMBUS, OH – On December 19, 2024, Columbus SWAT officers arrested 18-year-old Thomas S. Herdman at his North Linden residence following an investigation led by the Columbus Police Exploited Children…
Brooklyn, NY – Deandre Lee, a 29-year-old resident of East New York, Brooklyn, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for attempting to sex traffic a 15-year-old girl, according…
COLUMBIA, PA – A 43-year-old man from Columbia, Robert Jeffrey Fink Jr., has waived his preliminary hearing, propelling his case concerning the alleged sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl directly…
STAFFORD, VA — Deputies in Stafford County responded Saturday to a crash in which a vehicle veered off the road and struck a residential building in the 300 block of…
RIDGEFIELD, NJ — A 23-year-old man has been arrested and charged with sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child following an investigation by local and county authorities. Seeun…
MANASSAS, Va. — A 22-year-old Maryland man has been arrested and charged in connection with the sexual assault and solicitation of a minor in Manassas, police said. The investigation began…
Spring Valley Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Abuse of Minor
**Spring Valley, NY** – Luis Quinac-Morales, 41, from Spring Valley, New York, has pled guilty to Course of Sexual Conduct in the First Degree. This plea was entered on Wednesday before Judge Anne B. Bianchi in Rockland County Court.
Since 2016, Quinac-Morales engaged in repeated sexual abuse of a 12-year-old girl in Spring Valley. Rockland County District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh II confirmed the charges, highlighting the abuse involved sexual intercourse.
District Attorney Walsh expressed commitment to protecting children with resources and collaboration from law enforcement at various levels. The investigation involved the Spring Valley Police Department and the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office Special Investigations and Special Victims units.
Quinac-Morales pled guilty before a jury trial could commence. He faces a nine-year state prison term with a 20-year post-release supervision and mandatory sex offender registration. Sentencing is set for January 14, 2025.
Union City Man Arrested for Alleged Sexual Assault of a Minor
**Union City, NJ** – Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez announced the arrest of Edgar Fernando-Gomez in relation to an investigation of sexual contact with a 6-year-old girl.
On Wednesday, authorities from the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit detained Fernando-Gomez, a Union City resident, after the reported incident. The charges against him include Sexual Assault by Contact and Endangering the Welfare of a Child.
Fernando-Gomez, aged 48, was taken into custody at his home and is currently held at the Hudson County Correctional Facility. The alleged incidents occurred on May 19 in Jersey City, and the accused is reportedly known to the victim.
Prosecutor Suarez acknowledged the Special Victims Unit’s efforts in the investigation and arrest. The public is urged to report any sexual offenses to the office’s Special Victims Unit at 201-915-1234. The charges remain accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Alonzo Lindsay, 33, was arrested by the Harrisburg Bureau of Police on Monday in connection with multiple sexual offenses, including the rape of a minor. Lindsay faces…
BERGEN COUNTY, N.J. — Renaldo W. Baxter, 36, of the Bronx, N.Y., has been arrested and charged with multiple offenses, including attempted aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault, and endangering the…