All articles tagged with #child sexual abuse
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis suspended Palm Beach County Clerk Michael Caruso after his arrest on five felony charges related to child abuse involving a minor under 12, with the investigation ongoing; DeSantis called the suspension an easy decision, marking a dramatic fall for a longtime ally who supported hardline laws.
Palm Beach County Clerk of Court Michael Caruso was arrested on five felony charges involving a minor, according to State Attorney James Uthmeier, and Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended him from his duties as the case proceeds.
Palm Beach County Clerk of Courts Mike Caruso was arrested on five felony charges tied to the sexual abuse of his grandson, prompting his suspension from office. The charges include kidnapping, lewd or lascivious molestation, lewd or lascivious exhibition, luring or enticing a child, and child abuse, with the alleged acts occurring between 2024 and 2025. The investigation involved FDLE and local law enforcement, and the case has political implications given Caruso’s alliance with Gov. Ron DeSantis and his ongoing role as clerk.
Palm Beach County Clerk Mike Caruso, a former state representative and ally of Gov. DeSantis, was arrested on five felony counts related to alleged child sexual abuse of his grandson, with alleged acts spanning Orange and Palm Beach Counties and aboard a family cruise. The allegations surfaced after the victim’s father reported concerns; DeSantis suspended Caruso and prosecutors noted the investigation is ongoing, with an arrest affidavit attached to the governor’s executive order.
Shane Ryan Gledhill, a California actor and producer from Lompoc, has been charged with 24 felonies in a decades-long alleged child sexual abuse case involving minors identified through online casting calls. The investigation began in 2021 after a 17-year-old survivor came forward, identifying nine survivors. He was arrested Aug. 3, jailed on $2 million bail, and a preliminary hearing is set for Sept. 9, with authorities saying more victims may be identified.
During a hearing on whether D4vd will stand trial for first-degree murder, lewd acts with a child under 14, and mutilation of human remains, his lawyers challenged how investigators tested evidence from his Hollywood Hills home, including why chainsaws weren’t tested, even as prosecutors point to blood traces at the home and in his Tesla. Additional details presented include a passport found along Route 154 and cell data linking Burke to the area, with the hearing expected to conclude early next week.
Emmy-winning actor Timothy Busfield testified to a Albuquerque grand jury that he has been canceled and will never work again after being indicted on four counts of criminal sexual contact of a child tied to alleged abuse of two boy actors on The Cleaning Lady; he maintained his innocence and claimed the allegations were for money and revenge by the boys’ parents, while prosecutors noted an internal Warner Bros. review found no substantiation—a judge will decide on a motion to dismiss as a potential trial is eyed for next spring.
British prosecutors charged former glam-rock star Gary Glitter (Paul Gadd) with unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 13 and three counts of indecent assault on a girl under 14, in connection with alleged abuse dating from 1978–1981. Glitter, 82, is already serving a 16-year sentence for abusing three schoolgirls between 1975 and 1980 and was released on licence in 2023 but recalled weeks later for breaching licence conditions.
A Santa Clara County woman known as the 'party mom' was sentenced to 35 years and 10 months in state prison after hosting alcohol-fueled teen parties during the COVID-19 pandemic and encouraging sexual assaults; Shannon O'Connor faced charges including facilitating the forcible sexual assault of a minor, child endangerment, and witness intimidation, with multiple victims delivering impact statements before the court handed down the lengthy sentence, which is expected to run about 27 years with time served.
Spike Lee defended Lionsgate’s Michael biopic for not including the 1993 child-sexual-abuse claims, arguing the film’s timeline ends in 1988 and cannot incorporate later accusations; director Antoine Fuqua says any exploration of the allegations will come in a potential sequel, noting the film was revised with additional shooting to shape the ending and that Lionsgate has discussed splitting the project into two parts as the Michael Jackson story extends beyond the current film.
Vox argues that the Michael biopic’s record-breaking opening highlights a tense cultural reckoning: audiences may separate Jackson’s musical genius from abuse allegations, but a frank look at the strongest evidence against him—and the racial biases in America’s justice system—demands a careful, nuanced discussion rather than pure celebration or dismissal.
The Los Angeles County medical examiner ruled Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s death a homicide caused by multiple penetrating injuries; her severely decomposed remains were found in the front trunk of a Tesla linked to singer D4vd, who is charged with murder, continuous sexual abuse of a minor, and unlawful mutilation of human remains. The report’s release followed police objections amid a high-profile investigation; if convicted, D4vd faces life without parole or the death penalty. Celeste was 13–14 years old at the time, and the case has attracted intense public attention.
Convicted former reality star Josh Duggar, who is serving a 12-year term for possessing and receiving child sexual abuse material, spoke through his lawyer to address his brother Joseph Duggar’s arrest on lewd and lascivious behavior involving a minor. Prosecutors allege Joseph touched a girl during a 2020 Florida vacation; the now-14-year-old girl has alleged multiple inappropriate advances, and Joseph reportedly admitted acts to the victim’s father as extradition to Florida proceeds. The brothers have reportedly not been in regular contact since Josh’s 2021 conviction, and the Duggar family’s history on TLC’s 19 Kids and Counting is frequently cited in coverage.
Joseph Duggar, the former TLC reality star of 19 Kids & Counting and Counting On, was arrested in Bay County, Florida, after a 14‑year‑old victim alleged abuse by him when she was 9; he’s charged with lewd and lascivious behavior involving a minor, with investigators saying the incidents occurred during a family vacation in Panama City Beach. Authorities say Duggar admitted the acts to his father and police when confronted, and the case adds to the Duggar family’s ongoing legal troubles tied to previous cases involving other family members.
Joseph Duggar, 31, the former star of TLC's 19 Kids and Counting, was arrested on lewd and lascivious behavior involving a minor after a 2020 Panama City Beach vacation during which a 9-year-old girl was allegedly assaulted; authorities say the victim's father confronted Duggar and he admitted the acts to both the father and investigators, and he awaits extradition to Bay County, Florida. The case follows the Duggar family’s earlier scandal involving Josh Duggar, who was convicted on child sex material charges.