Tallahassee, FL – September 24, 2020 – The Miami Herald- State Supreme Court rules against Parkland families on Broward Schools’ liability The Florida Supreme Court ruled unanimously Thursday that state law places a $300,000 limit on how much the Broward County School Board can be forced to pay to families and victims in lawsuits filed after the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.
Miami Springs, FL – September 18, 2020 – WPLG Local 10- City shuts down Miami Springs hotel over drugs, human trafficking Police and prosecutors said they’ve had enough of a Miami Springs hotel that they have determined is a hot bed for criminal activity.
Miami, FL – September 11, 2020 – University of Miami News@TheU- Lauren Book uses her personal power to prevent sexual abuse From victim to thriving survivor, the Florida senator and alumna educates, protects, and helps children heal.
Buffalo, NY – September 16, 2020 – Genesee Sun- Grand Jury Indicts Buffalo Man For Brutally Beating, Raping, and Sex Trafficking Four Victims U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr., announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Michael McDonald, a/k/a George Jackson, a/k/a Rabbit, 41, of Buffalo, NY, with four counts of sex trafficking.
Arkansas – September 3, 2020 – Fox 16 News- A CLOSER LOOK: Former Fort Smith Boy Scout files sexual abuse lawsuit Nude photos and oral sex are just some of the improprieties a former Boy Scout said happened between the years of 1999 and 2001 by a Troop 16 Assistant Scoutmaster in Fort Smith, according to a federal court document filed Monday, August 31, 2020.
New York, NY – September 1, 2020 – AP News- Boy Scouts launch ads on how abuse victims can seek money Under the supervision of a bankruptcy judge, the Boy Scouts of America has launched a nationwide advertising campaign to notify victims of decades-old sex abuse by Scout leaders that they have until Nov. 16 to seek compensation from a proposed fund.
Orange County, FL – September 3, 2020 – Orlando Sentinel- Couple arrested after videos of child abuse surfaced on Facebook, deputies say An Orange County husband and wife face felony charges after videos surfaced on social media that showed them abusing a child, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Orange County, FL – September 3, 2020 – WKMG News 6- Facebook video showing child abuse leads to Orange County couple’s arrest An Orange County couple was arrested after multiple people reported a video posted to Facebook that showed a young girl being slapped and forced to sleep outside without clothing, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Lake City, FL – September 2, 2020 – First Coast News- Lake City couple charged after baby dies, toddler tests positive for drugs A Lake City couple is facing charges after their three-month-old baby died and another toddler tested positive for drugs, according to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.
Georgia – August 29, 2020 – CNN- US Marshals find 39 missing children in Georgia during ‘Operation Not Forgotten’ Authorities have found 39 missing children in Georgia during a two-week effort to rescue endangered minors.
Tampa, FL – August 28, 2020 – The Tampa Bay Times- Siblings in foster care should be kept together, Florida says – except when it argues the opposite Longing to be someone’s “mom” and “dad,” the North Carolina couple spent four years on an adoption waiting list.
West Palm Beach, FL – August 7, 2020 – WFLX Fox 29- What are the laws about leaving your children home alone? There’s a difficult conversation in the air these days. Many kids will start school virtually, so they’ll be home, and many parents will be at work. Many parents are worried about what a virtual start means for their jobs and their children’s safety.
National – August 5, 2020 – NBC News- Daisy Coleman, subject of Netflix documentary ‘Audrie & Daisy,’ dies by suicide at 23 Daisy Coleman, one of the subjects of the 2016 Netflix documentary “Audrie & Daisy,” died by suicide on Tuesday, according to her mother, Melinda.
Miami, FL – July 26, 2020 – The Miami Herald- ‘I feel left behind.’ How people with disabilities are coping with the pandemic Giovana Izzo hasn’t seen her son, Antonio, since March.
Brevard County, FL – July 22, 2020 – WFTV News 9- State to pay for burial of 6-month-old baby who died in temporary foster care in Brevard County A 6-month-old baby boy in Brevard County who died more than four months ago in the care of the Department of Children and Families will finally be laid to rest.
Homestead, FL – July 15, 2020 – The Miami Herald- Sex abuse claims revealed at Homestead shelter, where staff was not vetted for child abuse The now-shuttered Homestead detention center for migrant children in Miami-Dade had four child sex-abuse claims that resulted in the firing of one employee and the resignation of two others, according to newly released documents.
Boca Raton, FL – July 3, 2020 – The Palm Beach Post- DCF: Toddler drowned in Boca pool A 21-month-old drowned last month in a Boca Raton pool, newly released documents from the Florida Department of Children and Families show.
Miami Gardens, FL – June 18, 2020 – Miami Herald- 18 test positive for COVID-19 at His House, Florida’s largest foster group home Eleven children and seven staff members have tested positive for COVID-19 in Florida’s largest group home for foster children, the facility’s executive director confirmed to the Miami Herald.
West Palm Beach, FL – May 6, 2020 – CBS 12- Caregivers charged with child abuse of mute, blind quadriplegic girl A man and a woman face aggravated child abuse charges in connection to a mute and blind quadriplegic girl being left unsupervised at a hospital in West Palm Beach.
Sarasota, FL – April 26, 2020 – Sarasota Herald-Tribune- Coronavirus Florida: With schools closed, child abuse reporting declines As students are isolated from the school employees who normally alert authorities of potential abuse or neglect, calls to the state reporting hotline have dropped.
New York, NY – April 23, 2020 – NBC New York – Online Sex Predators Are Targeting Kids During Online Learning, FBI Warns Sex predators are increasingly trying to exploit kids online with so many school children home doing online learning amid the coronavirus crisis, according to the FBI, as agents report a growing number of complaints from parents.
Miami, FL – April 20, 2020 – Miami New Times – During Lockdown, Child Abuse in Miami Could Escalate On a normal day at Kristi House, the phones don’t stop ringing for long.
Tallahassee, FL – April 11, 2020 – CBS 4 Miami – DCF Workers Test Positive For COVID-19, Others Exposed Nine workers with the state Department of Children and Families have tested positive for COVID-19, and 16 others are self-isolating after being exposed to the novel coronavirus, officials confirmed.
National – March 23, 2020 – USA Today- Children more at risk for abuse and neglect amid coronavirus pandemic, experts say Hundreds of thousands of vulnerable U.S. children could face a heightened risk of abuse and neglect as coronavirus-related school closures keep them at home and away from the nation’s biggest group of hotline tipsters: educators.
Tampa Bay, FL – March 10, 2020 – The Tampa Bay Times- Foster care bill increases accountability but still leaves Tampa Bay area short Foster care agencies could face financial penalties for performing badly and lose state contracts for repeated failures under a new law championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and first lady Casey DeSantis.
Melbourne, FL – March 10, 2020 – News Break- 2 employees at behavioral facility accused in Brevard County child abuse case An employee at a behavioral health center in Brevard County is accused of repeatedly hitting a student while three other employees watched.
National – February 18, 2020 – CNN- Boy Scouts of America files for bankruptcy. Hundreds of sexual abuse lawsuits are now on hold The Boy Scouts of America has filed for bankruptcy, according to a court document filed in Delaware bankruptcy court early Tuesday.
Naples, FL – February 10, 2020 – Sun-Sentinel- Lawsuit claims Florida hotels didn’t stop sex trafficking Two Florida women who were victims of sex trafficking have sued almost two dozen hotels where they were forced to have sex, claiming the businesses did nothing to stop the illegal activity.
Jacksonville, FL – February 4, 2020 – Action News Jax- Kid Care Report: Jacksonville day care tagged with violations by DCF A local day care was tagged with two serious violations after a routine visit from the Department of Children and Families. In this week’s Kid Care Report, Action News Jax anchor Letisha Bereola went to the center and asked for a response from the director.
Miami, FL – January 30, 2020 – NBC 6 South Florida- Human Trafficking Victim Shares Story of Survival NBC 6’s Arlene Borenstein has the intimate story and how this woman is hoping to save the next generation from being victims.
Miami, FL – January 28, 2020 – The Center Square- Super Bowl first test of Florida’s new defense against human trafficking The influx of an estimated 200,000 visitors this week to South Florida also will test state agencies and local governments in their implementation of a new human-trafficking law.
Panhandle, FL – January 15, 2020 – NBC News- Florida 14-year-old girl set up camera to prove physical abuse A Florida teen set up hidden cameras in her home to prove her claims of physical abuse, officials said.
Lake Worth, FL – December 30, 2019 – The Palm Beach Post- Lake Worth Beach parents arrested after 10-month-old overdoses Authorities arrested a 10-month-old girl’s parents last week after she nearly died from an overdose, according to Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office arrest reports.
Jacksonville, FL – December 30, 2019 – The Florida Times Union- Jacksonville daycare co-owner arrested in death of 4-month-old left in van It was a local death discussed in front of a congressional committee in Washington as well as in Tallahassee.
Fort Myers, FL – December 19, 2019 – The News Press- Meet Anber, a teen who struggles with mental health. Did the system fail her? Anber is part of a group of foster kids with serious mental and behavioral health needs that the Florida foster care system doesn’t know what to do with.
Texas – December 18, 2019 – The Chronicle of Social Change- Texas Projects a Severe Shortage of Foster Homes for High-Needs Kids Buried within a wonky “needs assessment” report recently released by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) is a finding that should raise alarm bells around the state. And perhaps around the country.
3 Tips to Avoid Abuse by Youth Sports Coaches: See Something, Say Something
The news media recently reported about a youth league baseball coach being arrested – for at least a second time – for molesting children under his supervision. He was identified as a longtime coach with a South Florida Optimist Club. Parents had allowed the coach to have unsupervised sleepovers with a player from his team, “despite the multiple previous arrests involving molestation on his record,” the media reported.
The previous arrests led to no convictions, so background checks the league says it performed came up clean.
That is not good enough. Parents with children in youth sports or cheerleading programs must be vigilant in protecting their children from physical abuse, sexual abuse and the harm from predators.
Every year about this time, parents are signing up their children for youth sports programs. Whether football, soccer, cheerleading, even fall-league baseball, parents will be entrusting their children to the care and authority of coaches and organizations. Yet, how much do we know about those authority figures in whose care we’re placing our children? How do we know these coaches aren’t child molesters or have not been accused of sexual assault, sexual abuse or other crimes against children?
This week, news broke about a youth baseball coach who was accused for a second time of molestation of children in his care. While he was suspected and not charged, the incident brings to light the importance of protecting children – and the role due diligence can play in vetting and choosing the “authority figures” we present to our children.
How can unsuspecting parents protect their sons and daughters from sexual predators – even those who prey on the young under the guise of being a sports coach? Here’s three tips:
– Check records and background checks. It’s not enough to insist that the league conduct a thorough criminal background check of the coaches, assistants and others who will be working with the kids. The league must do this. Leagues, and even parents, also should conduct wider background checks. Even a simple Google search for a coach can help uncover a history worth knowing. On a positive note, it may reveal even past charitable acts or good deeds. Or, it may turn up nothing at all. But you don’t know if you don’t search.
– Be more cautious about leaving kids alone with coaches. Insist that the coach never be left alone with any players, cheerleaders or team members. Rules should state that coaches are not to ask or encourage children to travel with any child without other adults present and the express consent of the parents or guardians. At the very least, parents must instill in their children a sense of caution regarding requests by other adults and authority figures. If an adult asks the child to take a drive, travel, walk to a secluded area or someplace away from the team or park, the child should know to decline and call his or her parents immediately.
– Talk to your child. If you don’t ask, you can’t know. Parents should ask their kids more frequently if all is OK with their team experience, the other kids, the coaches, etc., as a way to encourage open dialogue. With the rise in child-on-child abuse, this could be a way to expose bullying or inappropriate behavior.
In a prepared statement, the Optimist Club said, “The accused individual passed comprehensive background checks, which were conducted by the Optimist Club’s background check vendors.” It also noted that it cannot know of past misdeeds if criminal charges against the accused resulted in acquittal, nolle prossed or dismissal.”
As a parent, that’s not good enough. It’s up to you to protect your children. Talk with them. Tell them to be cautious about strange situations or awkward requests made by the coaches. And most important, if they experience anything that makes them uneasy, the children must be encouraged to talk about it.