Latest news with #ChildAbuse
Free Malaysia Today
7 days ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Storekeeper pleads not guilty to sexually assaulting stepdaughter
The accused was charged under the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 which provides for imprisonment of up to 20 years and whipping. PETALING JAYA : A storekeeper was charged in the Kota Bharu sessions court today with five counts of sexual assault against his 16-year-old stepdaughter between last December and March this year. Buletin TV3 reported that the 48-year-old man claimed trial when the charges against him were read before judge Zulkifli Abllah. The man is accused of sexually assaulting the teenager at their home in Taman Sentosa Badang, Kota Bharu, in December, February and March. He was charged under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, punishable under Section 14 of the same Act, which provides for imprisonment of up to 20 years and whipping. Deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Faiz Fitri Mohamad prosecuted while lawyer Aisyah Abdullah represented the accused. The court fixed bail at RM20,000 and set Sept 8 for re-mention of the case.
CNN
30-07-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Guest essay: Big tech must help stop the livestreamed abuse of children
Human rights Crime Asia Congressional newsFacebookTweetLink Follow EDITOR'S NOTE: Samson Inocencio Jr. is national director for International Justice Mission (IJM) in the Philippines and the regional Vice President of IJM's OSEC Hub, working against the online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC). The views expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author. On this World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, I find myself holding two truths in tension: deep despair and profound hope. After more than two decades fighting human trafficking in the Philippines, I have witnessed both the unthinkable harm inflicted on children `– and the extraordinary progress made to stop it. Right now, at an alarming scale, sex offenders from around the world conspire online with traffickers in countries like the Philippines, paying to livestream the sexual abuse of children as directed by the offenders in real time. As part of International Justice Mission (IJM), I lead a team in the Philippines committed to protecting children from this horrific form of human trafficking, where young victims are trafficked to produce child sexual abuse material (CSAM), especially in live videos. At the same time, I am hopeful because we have seen incredible success in our partnership with the Philippine government to address this crime. Through IJM-supported cases since 2011, Philippine law enforcement has brought to safety over 1,470 victims (and at-risk individuals), arrested over 430 traffickers and convicted over 265 perpetrators. And in 2016, the US State Department recognized this progress by upgrading the Philippines to Tier 1 in its Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report — the first Southeast Asian country to reach that top ranking, which still held its place on the latest 2024 report. The message was clear: when justice systems are equipped and accountable, they can stop trafficking. But despite this progress and sustained commitment from governments, this particular form of technology-facilitated trafficking continues to ravage communities in the Philippines and around the world. It has become clear to me that we cannot rely solely on the efforts of individual governments or bilateral partnerships to adequately address the tidal wave of violence against children on the internet. It's simply not enough. 'Technology companies play a pivotal role in protecting victims and vulnerable individuals from being exploited through the use of their online platforms and must be part of the solution to combat human trafficking,' according to the 2024 TIP Report. And because many of the world's largest and most influential technology companies are based in the United States, the US Congress must pass laws to appropriately incentivize this influential sector to be a part of the answer to this epidemic. Countries like the US where sex offenders driving the demand for this crime often live — and the online platforms, payment processors and money transfer services that inadvertently enable it — must take action. This comes at a timely moment for US policymakers, who have been increasingly attentive to the crisis of children being exploited online. It is time for US Congress to pass the STOP CSAM Act (H.R.3921 and S.1829). Momentum is building for this legislation, which was examined at a March hearing before the US Senate Judiciary Committee and advanced on a bipartisan basis by that committee on June 12 in a unanimous vote of 22-0. If enacted, this bill would allow victims to seek legal recourse against online platforms that promote or aid and abet their exploitation — a significant step toward the goal of protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation online. The STOP CSAM Act would also help improve the quality of reports submitted by online platforms to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's CyberTipline by requiring platforms to report specific details of child sexual exploitation. Online platforms are already required to report this form of child sex trafficking under the REPORT Act, which was passed by Congress and signed into law in May 2024. The STOP CSAM Act strengthens existing reporting obligations and emphasizes the importance of including particular data points in CyberTipline reports that could help identify or locate a child who may be actively being exploited — including user and location information, content details and whether content was previously viewed. Stopping online sexual exploitation of children is a moral duty — and it should be enforced by increased legislative action in the US. The work is hard and long, marked by moments of deep exhaustion and despair, but hope still wins. I experienced a glimpse of this sustained hope as I was recognized by the US Department of State as a Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report Hero last year — the highest honor given by the US government for anti-trafficking leadership around the world. Reflecting on the last two decades of this work, I have undoubtedly witnessed humanity's darkest side. Yet, my team and I have also experienced deep generosity and care from those working to combat this crime — and we are fueled by our experience that change is possible.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Man faces felony murder charge after infant's death in Verona
AUGUSTA COUNTY, Va. (WFXR) – The Augusta County Sheriff reports a man has been charged with felony murder after an infant was found unresponsive in Verona on May 17. According to the sheriff, around 2:13 p.m. on Saturday, a call was received regarding an unresponsive and non-breathing infant at a home on Meade Park Circle. Emergency responders from Staunton Augusta Rescue Squad and Augusta County Fire and Rescue quickly responded to the scene and began emergency life-saving measures. The infant was successfully resuscitated and then taken to the hospital before being airlifted to the University of Virginia Medical Center for further advanced treatment. Blacksburg PD charge man with 100 counts in child porn investigation During a joint investigation, medical personnel, law enforcement, and Child Protective Services, it was allegedly determined that the infant 'sustained life-threatening injuries consistent with physical harm.' Investigators believe the infant was under the care of the father when the injuries occurred. The infant's remains were then taken to the Chief Medical Examiner in Manassas to determine the cause of May 20, the infant was pronounced dead at UVA Medical Center after being taken off life support. Later that same day, 25-year-old Blake Matthew Clark of Verona and father of the infant, was arrested by Augusta County Sheriff Deputies and charged with Felony Child Abuse and Neglect. On June 1, Clark was then charged with Felony Murder after additional information and evidence were allegedly is currently being held at the Middle River Regional Jail without Augusta County Sheriff said the investigation is ongoing and that additional charges may be pending. WFXR News will continue to update this story as more information becomes available. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Daily Mail
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Guitar-playing 'karaoke cardinal' in the mix to become the new Pope: How Filipino bishop Luis Antonio Tagle dubbed 'Asian Francis' is among favourites to win conclave vote... but has also been embroiled in scandal
A guitar-playing, karaoke-loving cardinal is in the mix to become the next leader of the Catholic Church. Filipino bishop Luis Antonio Tagle, aka 'Asian Francis,' is one of the favorites bidding to win the conclave vote. But, despite being a top contender, the 67-year-old has been embroiled in a recent scandal that threatens to tarnish his reputation. The process of electing a new Pope began yesterday when 133 cardinals sealed themselves into the Sistine Chapel for the centuries-old ritual of conclave, a secretive vote to elect the 267th pontiff following the death of Pope Francis. Among them was karaoke fanatic Tagle, an unexpected candidate who previously laughed when asked if he had considered the idea that he might one day take the Vatican's reins. The once inconspicuous cardinal shot to fame after footage of him performing John Lennon 's Imagine on stage went viral online last year. Since then, he has won the hearts of many Catholics with his progressive approach, infectious smile, and humble demeanor. However, Tagle has recently come under scrutiny after he was accused of mishandling child sex abuse claims. Just days ago campaign group Bishop Accountability claimed Tagle and Italian cardinal Pietro Parolin, both front-runners to be the next pontiff, cannot be trusted to protect children from abuse. Anne Barrett Doyle, co-director of Bishop Accountability, accused Tagle, former Archbishop of Manila, of doing nothing to pull the church in the Philippines out of the 'dark ages' of abuse. She also highlighted that guidelines on dealing with sexual abuse cases have not been published on the webpages of the Manila archdiocese. 'If Cardinal Tagle cannot even get his brother bishops from his home country to publish guidelines, what on earth can we expect for him to achieve as pope of a global church?' asked Doyle. On Saturday evening the The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines issued a rare statement on clerical sexual abuse, defending Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle on the issue before the process to elect a new pope began. In its statement, the CBCP said Tagle had 'actively participated' in developing and implementing the guidelines, both in Imus and later in Manila. 'Since his appointment to a full-time position in the Roman Curia, Cardinal Tagle no longer holds direct authority over any diocese in the Philippines,' the statement added. It also noted the key role Tagle - who served as archbishop of Manila between 2011 and 2019 - had played in crafting pastoral guidelines on sexual abuse that were disseminated in 2003. Like the late Argentine pope, Tagle hails from a country far from the Catholic Church's traditional power base of Europe and came to Rome with an outsider's view. He was born in Imus, near the capital region Metro Manila, to Catholic parents who worked in a bank. 'He's [from] a very simple family – not poor but not rich,' Mary John Mananzan, a missionary benedictine sister who has known Tagle for decades told The Guardian. Tagle reportedly initially wanted to become a doctor, but entered the church after a priest tricked him into applying to a seminary in Quezon City. He obtained a doctorate at the Catholic University of America and became Bishop of Imus and, later, archbishop of Manila. He was made a cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012. Some who have put Tagle on unofficial short lists for the next pope say he would be a shoo-in to succeed Francis if cardinal electors are looking for as close a similarity as possible in order to assertively continue Francis' progressive streak. If Tagle were elected, it would also likely signal to the world's 1.4 billion Catholics that the cardinals want to go forward with Francis' vision of generally opening up the Church to the modern world by not choosing a man who might roll back some of the late pope's reforms. It would also mean his fellow cardinals had shrugged off question marks over his management abilities. 'He would represent a continuity of what Pope Francis has been doing,' said Rev. Emmanuel Alfonso, a former student of Tagle's who has known him for decades. 'He's really like Pope Francis in terms of his love for the poor, his approachability and so on.' Tagle would be the first pope from what is now considered Asia, although in the early Church some popes hailed from what is now called the Middle East, technically part of Asia. Tagle, who looks younger than his 67 years and likes to be called by his diminutive nickname 'Chito', has headed the Vatican's Dicastery for Evangelization, effectively the Church's missionary arm, for the past five years. That position gave him enormous influence over national churches in developing countries. As archbishop of Manila, and before as bishop of the Philippine city of Imus, Tagle gained pastoral experience in running dioceses in Asia's largest Catholic country. By bringing him to the Vatican in 2020, Francis gave him one more notch in experiences seen as helpful to papal candidates. Tagle's move to Rome brought criticism from then-Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who oversaw a bloody 'war on drugs' that killed thousands of Filipinos during his 2016-2022 administration. Duterte said Tagle had been removed from Manila for meddling in national politics. The Philippine Catholic bishops' conference denied those accusations forcefully. Bishop Pablo Virgilio David of Kalookan, a conference official made a cardinal in 2024, called Duterte's claim 'unbelievably ludicrous'. Many cardinals already know Tagle personally, and many may see an attraction in having a pope from Asia, viewed by Church leaders as an important region of growth for the faith. When Tagle hosted Francis for a visit to the Philippines in 2014, the visit drew the largest crowds in the history of papal travel, including a Mass that attracted up to 7 million people. Tagle, who speaks Italian, English, and Spanish as well as his native Tagalog, now has five years of experience with the Vatican's arcane bureaucracy, although some cardinals may think even that is not enough to run the global Church. One possible weakness in Tagle's candidacy is that he was involved in a management scandal three years ago. In 2022, Francis removed him from a second job as titular head of a Vatican-based confederation of 162 Catholic relief, development and social services organisations working in more than 200 countries. Francis fired the entire leadership of the group, called Caritas Internationalis, following allegations of bullying by top management. Tagle's role, akin to a chancellor of the organisation, was mostly symbolic and ceremonial. He was not directly involved in day-to-day running and was generally admired by staffers. Unlike Francis, Tagle enjoys a global reputation as a theologian, which could help him gain votes from moderate cardinals concerned by some of Francis' off the cuff utterances, which led to what some called confusion about Church teachings. In the 1990s, he served on the Vatican's International Theological Commission under German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who was known as a strict adherent to traditional doctrine and would later become Pope Benedict XVI. Rev. Joseph Komonchak, Tagle's professor at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., said the cardinal was one of his best students in 45 years of teaching. 'Not the least of Chito's virtues was the joy that he radiated on everyone who encountered him,' said Komonchak. 'He had a fine sense of humor, which endeared him to his fellow students.' Rev. Robert Reyes, a seminary classmate who has known Tagle for more than 50 years, said Tagle has an ability to connect with people and a simple style of living. When he first became a bishop in 2001, he didn't own a car. 'He preferred to take rides, to hitch a ride with someone driving to a place that perhaps both of them were going to,' said Reyes. While 67 is sunset age in many organisations, it is considered young in the Vatican, because few cardinals want a very long pontificate.
