Warning: This article contains discussion of child abuse and sexual assault which some readers may find distressing.
Blue River Elementary School parents have slammed the school for not ‘letting the parents know’ it was allowing a sex offender to the dance.
Earlier this month, a sex offender who once admitted to having child pornography was allowed to go to an elementary school dance at Blue River Elementary School in the Blue Valley School District in Kansas City.
The elementary school dance – Sole Mate Dance – is reported as having been held for students in grades one through to six.
FOX4 News Kansas City reports the man in question is living with a woman who has children in the district and he was given permission to go to the dance.
Emails viewed by the outlet between parents and the school district reportedly see the district outline sex offenders with family members of kids within the district are allowed to request permission to come to school events as long as they’re monitored during such occasions.
The school dance took place at Blue River Elementary School (Blue River Elementary/ Blue Valley)
Court documents show the man pleaded guilty in 2011 to having and sharing child pornography which included ‘numerous images and movies […] which depicted young girls nude, as well as images of girls between the ages of 1-14’, including a young girl being sexually assaulted by an adult.
The man was sent to prison before getting supervised release and remains on the sex offender registry list and will do for the next 17 years.
Despite the school stating policies were followed, parents remain angry, speaking out against the school’s decision.
While parent Colter Daubert ‘understands’ the school had ‘a process to go through’ he claims ‘they didn’t let any of the parents know’.
Daubert said: “When you go read about what he was charged with, then I’m not so fond of him taking videos.
“There’s no way I would even let someone like that around the children.”
Parent Natasha Goellner added: “It’s a school district. They have policies for everything. But they really didn’t have a policy put in place for sex offenders.
“[The School District] should know better.”
And Blue Valley School District has since responded to concerns.
Parents have condemned the school’s decision (FOX4 News Kansas City)
A spokesperson for the school told FOX4 News Kansas City: “We have heard the concerns expressed by some of our families.
“In March, the Board will review and revise policy, followed by a 30-day patron review period before final approval in April. We remain dedicated to maintaining a safe and supportive school environment. This policy update will reflect our ongoing commitment to student safety.”
Parents of Michigan school shooter sentenced to at least 10 years in prison each
Their son is Michigan school shooter Ethan Crumbley and the sentencing marks the first parents convicted after a US mass school shooting
School shooter Ethan Crumbley’s parents have both been sentenced to at least 10 years in prison.
In November 2021, then 15-year-old Ethan Crumbley killed four students and injured seven other people at Oxford High School in Michigan using a semi-automatic handgun his father bought him just days before.
For the first time in US history, parents Jennifer and James Crumbley were also charged with crimes that were attributed to their son, Ethan and earlier today (9 April) the pair were each sentenced to at least 10 years in prison.
Handout
Using the 9mm gun purchased by his father, Ethan took the lives of four students – Madisyn Baldwin, 17, Justin Shilling, 17, Tate Myre, 16 and 14-year-old Hana St. Juliana – and injured six other students and one teacher.
The now 17-year-old was sentenced in December to life in prison without parole after pleading guilty to all 24 charges against him.
His parents were later charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter with prosecutors arguing they didn’t safely store the gun and failed to notice Ethan was exhibiting signs of being a potential threat to society.
Ethan Crumbley killed four students and injured seven others on 30 November, 2021. (Emily Elconin/ Getty Images)
At Ethan’s father James’ trial, prosecutor Karen McDonald revealed a cable lock had been found at the Crumbley family’s home which would’ve taken ‘ten seconds of the easiest, simplest thing’ to secure the weapon.
A drawing the teenager did on one of his math’s assignments also showed a gun, bullet and gunshot victim alongside the words: “The thoughts won’t stop. Help me. My life is useless. Blood everywhere.”
Ethan had told a counsellor the drawing was a result of his passion for creating video games, but the drawing of the gun was pointed out as resembling the 9mm handgun bought by James.
Prosecutors sought at least 10 years in prison for each of the parents who had separate trials in Oakland County court.
During her trial Jennifer Crumbley said she wished her son had killed her and his dad instead. (Getty Images/ Bill Pugliano)
During her trial, Ethan’s mom Jennifer testified it was James who bought Ethan the gun, however she noted she didn’t object to the weapon being bought.
James’ lawyer Mariell Lehman argued the father ‘did not believe that there was reason to be concerned that his son was a threat to anyone’.
Jennifer’s attorney Shannon Smith tried to convince the judge the mom was ‘not a threat to the community’ and that putting her in prison ‘does nothing to further deter others from committing like offences’, adding Jennifer made mistakes of ‘gross negligence’ that ‘any parents could make’.
Jennifer said herself: “I have asked myself if I would have done anything differently. I wouldn’t have. I wish he would have killed us instead.”
Jennifer and James each received at least 10 years in prison. (Getty Images/ Bill Pugliano)
However, earlier today, both parents were handed sentences of at least 10 years in prison each.
They will both be eligible for parole after those 10 years and if the parole is denied, they cannot be held longer than 15 years.
An elementary school teacher has been arrested for having an alleged inappropriate relationship with an 11-year-old student.
On Wednesday (May 1), elementary school teacher Madison Bergmann was arrested on suspicion of ‘making out’ with an 11-year-old fifth grade student.
The 11-year-old’s parents first grew concerned when they found the boy talking to Bergmann on the phone one day after school – the student and teacher both at River Crest Elementary School in Hudson, Wisconsin.
On Monday (April 29) the parents then checked their son’s phone and allegedly found text messages between the student and his 24-year-old teacher dating back months.
One of the alleged texts from the student read: “Haha bro I just want to make out with u.”
And the response allegedly from Bergmann stated: “I do too! Like alllll the time.”
The school contacted authorities when the student’s father brought the text messages to its attention, with the school telling police it was ‘regarding inappropriate conduct between a current teacher and a 5th grade student’, CBS News reports.
Madison Bergmann has been arrested and charged (St Croix County)
Officials were shown screenshots of the text conversations which allegedly took place between the student and Bergmann.
It’s reported that Bergmann and the student first swapped numbers incase they got separated while on a ski trip they’d been on with the boy’s family during winter break.
The student told authorities that the pair talked ‘almost daily’ and had actually kissed in real life too, according to Kare 11. The New York Post also added that the charging documents claimed Bergmann told the student how much she enjoyed ‘making out’ with him.
Police also discovered handwritten notes in a folder with the student’s name on it inside a backpack belonging to the teacher.
In her notes, CBS Minnesota reports Bergmann telling the student she ‘loves him, wants to kiss him, he turns her on and that she is obsessed with him’.
Bergmann was taken into custody and charged with one count of first-degree child sexual assault with a child under the age of 13 – with her arrest taking place just three months before her wedding was set to take place to her longterm boyfriend.
The teacher and student were at River Crest Elementary School in Hudson (WCCO-CBS Minnesota)
She has since been let out on a $25,000 signature bond, however, has been placed on administrative leave from the school and is barred from contacting students, staff or parents or anyone under the age of 18.
Her next court appearance is reportedly scheduled for May 30.
River Crest Elementary School Principal, Kimberly Osterhues, said in a message to parents: “We are shocked and disturbed by this news. Our greatest concern is for the River Crest School community and the children impacted.”
It also urged parents to ‘limit the amount of texting and group chats that your child may be sharing’ and ‘review and monitor your child’s phone messages’.
The school is also offering mental health support alongside holding a meeting with fifth grade parents.
Warning: This article contains discussion of abuse and drug use which some readers may find distressing.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has been denied bail and ordered to jail after being charged with racketeering and sex trafficking.
On Monday (September 16), the 54-year-old rapper was arrested at Park Hyatt hotel in Manhattan, New York, after being indicted by a grand jury. He was charged with racketeering and sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion – charges of which he pleaded not guilty.
Combs was arrested around six months after his homes were raided by authorities and it’s since been revealed what was discovered.
The indictment was unsealed yesterday morning and revealed Combs has been accused of having ‘abused, threatened and coerced women and others around him to fulfil his sexual desires, protect his reputation and conceal his conduct’, alongside using ’employees, resources, and influence of the multi-faceted business empire that he led and controlled’ to ‘attempt to engage in, among other crimes, sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice’.
The indictment describes the abuse towards ‘women and other individuals’ as a combination of ‘verbal, emotional, physical and sexual’ and states the ‘physical abuse by Combs’ was ‘recurrent and widely known,’ also referring to the video of him and Cassie Ventura in a hotel corridor.
The indictment alleges Combs would organize ‘Freak Offs’ – forcing sex-trafficking victims to engage in group sex acts, ‘distribut[ing] a variety of controlled substances to victims, in part to keep the victims obedient and compliant’, which he ‘directed, masturbated during and often electronically recorded’.
And when Combs’ homes were raided earlier this year, authorities found items which seemingly relate to the alleged ‘Freak Offs’.
It continues: “After Freak Offs, Combs and the victims typically received IV fluids to recover from the physical exertion and drug use.”
Sean Combs’ homes were raided back in March (GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty Images)
US attorney Damian Williams said ‘hotel rooms’ were ‘booked’ and ‘stocked’ with ‘supplies, including drugs, baby oil, personal lubricant, extra linens and lighting,’ as quoted by Mail Online.
Indeed, when Combs’ Miami and Los Angeles homes were raided in March, officials seized items including lubricant and over 1,000 bottles of baby oil, alongside drugs and three AR-15 rifles, the indictment revealed.
Later on yesterday, Combs appeared in a New York court and pleaded not guilty, his lawyers arguing to release him for home detention on a $50 million bond.
However, branded a ‘serious flight risk’ with the ‘money, manpower and tools’ to flee, he was denied bail and ordered to jail.
In response to the news of Combs’ arrest, Agnifilo told UNILAD: “We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
“Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is a music icon, self-made entrepreneur, loving family man, and proven philanthropist who has spent the last 30 years building an empire, adoring his children, and working to uplift the Black community. He is an imperfect person, but he is not a criminal.
“To his credit Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.”
The parents of Kaylee Goncalves, one of the four university students found brutally murdered in Idaho on 13 November, say they support the death penalty for their daughter’s killer.
20-year-olds Ethan Chapin and Xana Kernodle were murdered alongside 21-year-olds Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves at their off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho.
The coroner confirmed that each of the victims had been stabbed multiple times in the ‘worst crime scene police had ever seen’, with the young students described as having been ‘butchered’.
Two other people were in the house at the time of the attack and were not injured, and were ruled out as potential suspects by the investigation.
On 30 December police arrested 28-year-old Bryan Kohberger in connection to the four murders, with a SWAT team apprehending him in Pennsylvania with an order to extradite him to the state of Idaho.
REUTERS / Alamy Stock Photo
A court has since heard claims that Kohberger left the sheath of the knife used to commit the murders at the scene of the crime and his DNA was found on it.
Kohberger, a PhD student in criminal justice at the University of Washington, has denied the charges of murder against him.
Just days before his arrest he had been pulled over by police twice while travelling from Seattle to Pennsylvania.
A statement from Kohberger’s attorney, Monroe County Chief Public Defender Jason LaBar, said Bryan was ‘eager to be exonerated of these charges and looks forward to resolving these matters as promptly as possible’.
However, if he is found guilty he could face the death penalty, and the family of one of the victims in the gruesome quadruple murder has said they would want whomever killed their daughter to be executed.
Twitter/@BrianEntin
When the parents of Kaylee Goncalves were asked about the possibility of the prosecution asking them if they’d want the death penalty for the person who killed their daughter they were very clear where they stood on the matter.
Kaylee’s father said: “If our daughter could switch places with him, we’d do it in a heartbeat.
“f they could sit there and have their squares, a place to live where we could call them, we could write them letters, they could watch TV, they could go get educated.
“That’s not a punishment equivalent to being killed. That’s god’s role, if you want to play god’s role you’re gonna have to go answer to him.”
Kaylee’s mother said she was ‘glad that we live in Idaho’, which is a state with the death penalty, and added: “I would love if Maddie and Kaylee were doing life in prison right now, at least we could talk to them. They’d be breathing.”
