Tallahassee, FL – February 5, 2021 – The Miami Herald- Leadership changes at DCF, AHCA as DeSantis names new heads of key state agencies After just two years at the helm, Chad Poppell has resigned as the head of the Florida Department of Children and Families, according to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office.
Sunrise, FL – February 2, 2021 – The Miami Herald- Two FBI agents fatally shot, three wounded while serving warrant in Sunrise. Gunman is dead Two agents were shot and killed and three wounded while serving a warrant at a Sunrise home Tuesday morning, the FBI confirmed Tuesday morning.
Tallahassee, FL – January 26, 2021 – The Miami Herald- State’s investigation points to these non-profit executives making too much money A Hialeah mental health center, the lead foster care provider in Tampa and agencies that provide child welfare services in Sarasota and mental health services in Pensacola are among the nine nonprofit organizations spending millions compensating executives above the limits allowed by state law, a preliminary report from the governor’s Office of Inspector General has found.
Plantation, FL – January 24, 2021 – WPLG Local 10- Baby bleeding outside car, mother ‘passed out’ from alcohol inside, according to Plantation police A 27-year-old mother is facing charges of child abuse and other offenses after a 7-month girl was found outside of a car in Plantation bleeding, according to Plantation Police.
Orlando, FL – January 14, 2021 – WESH 2 News- Quick-thinking Orlando waitress credited with saving boy from allegedly abusive parents An Orlando waitress saved a young boy from allegedly abusive parents after she noticed he was bruised and wasn’t being allowed to eat.
Daytona Beach, FL – January 7, 2021 – The Daytona Beach News-Journal- ERAU professor, local pastor arrested on child porn charges had plans to foster children A former Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University professor and local church pastor arrested Wednesday for possessing child pornography had plans to foster children from the state, Daytona Beach police said.
Ocala, FL – December 22, 2020 – The Miami Herald- Florida’s Lowell prison is cesspool of sexual abuse by staff, feds say in blistering report In a scathing rebuke of Florida’s Department of Corrections, the U.S. Department of Justice has found that officers at Lowell Correctional Institution have repeatedly raped, sodomized, beaten and choked female inmates as part of a pattern of rampant civil rights abuses that go back years.
Orange County, FL – December 15, 2020 – The Miami Herald- Florida dropped its probe of a troubled group home. Then a man died at its sister facility State disability administrators were so concerned for the safety of residents at an Orange County group home that they filed a complaint in March, alleging the home’s staff improperly restrained a resident, and then it lied about what happened.
Broward County, FL – December 10, 2020 – The Sun-Sentinel- Grand jury: Florida’s mental health care system ‘a mess’ Florida’s broken mental health system has “urgent problems” and should be overhauled by a new commission with broad authority to investigate failures, a statewide grand jury says.
Jacksonville, FL – December 4, 2020 – Action News Jax- Caseworkers talk challenges of helping abused and neglected kids virtually Covid-19 has changed the way we live our lives and do our jobs, and there’s growing concern among the child welfare community.
Miami, FL – November 23, 2020 – Florida Today- I’m a former foster child and Florida’s system needs to be overhauled | Opinion The USA TODAY Network’s recent landmark investigation into Florida’s child welfare system reflects both my personal experience in foster care and the ways in which well-meaning state policies often inflict unintentional harm on a community’s most vulnerable population.
Miami, FL – November 30, 2020 – The Miami Herald- She aged out of foster care, but her siblings haven’t. She’s trying to get custody Rodericka Carter, 21, lives in an almost empty apartment high up over Brickell.
Leon County, FL – November 23, 2020 – Tallahassee Reports- Leon County Commission Outlines Next Steps for Children’s Services Council Earlier this month, Leon County voters approved the creation of a Children’s Services Council.
Palm Beach County, FL – November 13, 2020 – The Sun-Sentinel- A mom will explain how her 7-pound girl starved to death. The dad faces the death penalty. By all appearances that night in the emergency room, Tayla Aleman never had a chance.
Sarasota County, FL – November 12, 2020 – 10 Tampa Bay- Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office employee accused of sexually abusing a child A Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office employee was arrested Wednesday and charged with sexual battery of a person under 18.
Flagler County, FL – November 11, 2020 – WESH 2- DCF worker accused keeping abuse of child from law enforcement A Florida Department of Children and Families worker was arrested after the abuse of a child was allegedly kept from law enforcement for weeks.
Tallahassee, FL – November 1, 2020 – WFSU- Florida’s Foster Care System Woes Spark Furious Debate On Fixes A critical newspaper story has roiled Florida’s child welfare system. Lawmakers and advocates are concerned.
Kendall, FL – October 29, 2020 – The Miami Herald- Miami mom accused of drowning autistic son in canal faces death penalty after indictment Patricia Ripley, the West Kendall mother accused of murdering her 9-year-old autistic son by pushing him into a canal, now faces the death penalty.
New York, NY – October 27, 2020 – NBC News- NXIVM sex cult leader Keith Raniere sentenced to 120 years in prison The shadowy group that operated near Albany, New York, has been the subject of the HBO docuseries “The Vow.”
Tallahassee, FL – October 27, 2020 – Florida Trend- Attorney General Moody and FLHSMV Launch Highway Heroes Campaign to Stop Human Trafficking on Florida Roadways Attorney General Ashley Moody and the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles today launched a campaign aimed at enlisting half a million commercial truck drivers in the fight to end human trafficking.
New York, NY – October 27, 2020 – The New York Times- Sex Cult Leader, Facing Life Sentence, Regrets Nothing Several victims are expected to testify when Keith Raniere, the founder of Nxivm, is sentenced this week for sex trafficking, extortion and other crimes.
Boca Raton, FL – October 26, 2020 – NBC News- Inside the surveillance software tracking child porn offenders across the globe In December 2016, law enforcement agents seized computers and hard drives from the home of Tay Christopher Cooper, a retired high school history teacher, in Carlsbad, California. On the devices, digital forensic experts found more than 11,600 photos and videos depicting child sexual abuse, according to court documents.
Miami Gardens, FL – October 26, 2020 – Local 10 News- Popular track-and-field youth coach arrested on alleged sexual battery A popular Miami Gardens youth track-and-field coach was arrested Sunday on allegations of sexual battery pertaining to a former teenaged female athlete, according to an arrest warrant.
Daytona Beach, FL – October 25, 2020 – The Daytona Beach News-Journal- USA Today investigation shows that protecting children must be a top priority Florida lawmakers have a bad habit of trying to solve social problems on the cheap. When it comes to the child welfare system, the results have been disastrous.
Miami, FL – October 16, 2020 – WSVN 7 News- Special education teacher at Auburndale Elementary School arrested, fired after child abuse accusations A special education teacher at Auburndale Elementary School has been arrested and fired after some alarming allegations.
Miami, FL – October 16, 2020 – The Daily Business Review- A Warning to Schools: Miami-Dade Child’s Lawsuit Alleges Sex Harassment by Classmates A lawsuit that alleges a middle school student was sexually assaulted by classmates because the School Board of Miami-Dade County ignored repeated reports of harassment could serve as a lesson to all schools on liability under federal civil rights law Title IX.
Broward County, FL – October 12, 2020 – The Sun-Sentinel- These 19- and 21-year-old women trafficked girls for sex, prosecutors say Two young women posted nude photos of underage girls on websites in order to sell the children for sex, and rented Airbnbs almost a dozen times so that clients and victims could meet, prosecutors say.
Tallahassee, FL – October 6, 2020 – Florida Politics- 2020 Human Trafficking Summit kicks off virtually with thousands in attendance Attorney General Ashley Moody on Monday delivered her opening remarks at the 2020 Human Trafficking Summit, which is being held virtually for the first time in the event’s history.
Serious Red Flags Missed in Death of Hollywood Boy: Florida Child Abuse Lawyer
South Florida child abuse attorney and child sexual abuse lawyer Howard Talenfeld was interviewed this week on CBS News regarding the case of 3-year-old Ahziya Osceola. The Seminole Indian boy was discovered abused and dead in his Hollywood home after his family had reported him missing. Now, charges have been filed against his father and stepmother – and questions have been raised about how child protective service providers CHildNet, the Broward County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Department of Children and Families failed to communicate with one another to ensure Ahziya was safe.
As was made clear in the reporting and Talenfeld’s interview, Ahziya’s case was well known by various organizations. But the sharing of information critical to ensuring his safety was “inconsistent and insufficient.”
“These agencies don’t talk to each other. They get the important red flags, important information that can save a child’s life,” said Talenfeld, president of Florida’s Children First, a leading statewide child advocacy organization and a pioneering children’s rights attorney. “They know what’s happening in a home. If they collectively got together we would save so many children.
Ahziya is the latest in a long line of children who have died while under the care of department of children and families. As has been written here previously, true horror of Ahziya’s story is that his tale is nothing new. The first report of abuse came in 2013. The fourth and final report came this year. He was known to be at-risk. He was left vulnerable to his abusers.
Whether at the city, county or state level, all too often those charged with protecting children overlook or ignore signs of abuse. Children die or are injured. Then officials who descend upon the case to “investigate” find signs of abuse overlooked.