Sex offenders landlord slapped with code violations

7-28-2012 Florida:

ORLANDO, Fla. — WFTV learned a landlord who is housing a dozen offenders in Orlando was slapped with code enforcement violations for not having proper permits, among other issues.

Randy Young houses the offenders at two homes along West Concord Street, near Orange Blossom Trail.

He told WFTV's Ryan Hughes he feels he's being targeted because his tenants are sexual offenders.

The modest Orlando neighborhood has seemingly turned into a haven for registered sexual offenders and predators.

Twelve offenders live in two homes alone.

Just last week, Orlando Code Enforcement paid a visit and slapped the homeowners with code violations.

"They're being picked on specifically because of the label of sexual offender," said Young.

Young said he feels his tenants are being targeted after neighbors recently complained about the influx of offenders.

"I actually came there and blocked their entrance and told them they don't have the right to enter. That's correct that they need a search warrant.

Reward offered for information about man beaten in Newark

8-7-2012 New Jersey:

3 suspects called victim a child molester during attack

NEWARK -- A reward was offered for information about a Newark man hospitalized for months after he was beaten May 14 on a path between Sherwood Downs South and Ditmore Stroll.

The 59-year-old man was walking from a North 21st Street store to his Churchill Downs Road home when he was approached by three men who stole money from his wallet and threw him to the ground, Newark police Sgt. Scott Snow said.

During the attack, the three men taunted him, calling him a child molester, Snow said. The 59-year-old man told police he did not know how the men found out he is a convicted sex offender, but a notice was sent to his neighbors when he moved to the area, Snow said.

He was convicted of felonious sexual penetration from a 1991 case, according to court records.

The suspects laughed at him and threatened to harm him further if he called police, Snow said.

He initially called his mother, who had not heard from her son since May 13 -- Mother's Day -- and had not seen him since May 11, Snow said. On May 16, a squad was sent to his home.

The man had bruises on his pelvis, head, neck, throat and other body parts. He was using an oxygen mask and had trouble speaking, Snow said.

He was flown to Columbus by emergency medical helicopter and later transferred to the Regency Hospital, which handles "catastrophic injuries or illnesses" that require longer stays, according to its website.

Licking County Crime Stoppers is offering up to $1,000 for information about the crime. The three suspects were described as white men in their early 20s and taller than 5-foot-9. They wore hooded sweatshirts and two had sideburns and goatees, Snow said.

Anyone with information about crime should call Licking County Crime Stoppers at 740-349-6888 or 1-888-488-9058. A coding system protects the identity of the caller but allows for the reward to be issued later. ..Source.. by Jessie Balmert Advocate Reporter

Police: Peeping Tom shot while peering at nude woman in window

8-8-2012 Florida:

A Peeping Tom was shot while peering at a naked woman through a bedroom window, according to Altamonte Springs police.

A man caught the alleged peeper in the act at an apartment complex on Orienta Avenue in Altamonte Springs late Tuesday night, police said.

Officials said the alleged peeper, Rafael Mendoza-Hernandez, 39, told them he was shot in the right arm by another man who saw him looking into the window.

According to a report, the woman told police she was sleeping when she heard a voice outside her window asking several times, "What are you doing back here?" She told police she heard a small cry and then a gun shot, and then called 911.

When officers arrived at the scene, they did not find any one. However, police dispatch reported a gun shot victim being treated at Florida Hospital Altamonte, where officers found Mendoza-Hernandez.

When questioned by police, Mendoza-Hernandez initially stated that he was walking home from work and a black man tried to rob him and then shot him.

However, police said when further interviewed, Mendoza-Hernandez changed his story saying that he was behind the woman's building, looking into her window while he was peeing. Mendoza-Hernandez said he was approached by a black man who asked him what he was doing. He said the man then punched him and shot him in the arm.

Police said they have not found the shooter, but Mendoza-Hernandez said he will not press charges. ..Source.. by WFTV.com

Man To Be Sentenced For Transient Attack

9-6-2012 California:

Tanner Seth Hendee Pleaded Guilty To Assaulting Scott Kingston

A young man who pleaded guilty to punching a 61-year-old homeless man in Ramona and leaving the victim unconscious in a vacant house is scheduled to be sentenced Thursday.

Tanner Seth Hendee, 19, pleaded guilty July 23 to assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury in connection with the May 7 attack on Scott Kingston.

Medics found Kingston on his back in a house in the vicinity of the 100 block of 11th Street just before 5:30 p.m. May 7. At the time, authorities said Kingston suffered from head and possible spine injuries.

The exact motive was unclear but according to court testimony, Hendee and Kingston had clashed before. Hendee believed that Kingston was a sex offender, prosecutor Shanish Aloor said.

The state's Megan's Law online database of registered sex offenders lists a 61-year-old transient by the name of Scott Randall Kingston, with a 2005 conviction for sexual battery. ..Source.. by 10News.com

Mistaken sex offender

11-16-2012 Utah:

The sex offender registry is designed to protect you and your family from sexual predators; it's a valuable tool, keeping you informed. But what happens if you end up on that registry, not because you're a sex offender but by mistake.

For Iftikhar Khan, of Pleasant Grove, Utah, it began with a letter from the state of Utah, and immediately, his jaw dropped. “I've been identified as a sex offender by some outside source.” That outside source is the state of Maine.

In late September, Maine authorities were trying to locate a man who committed a sex crime in Houlton in 1989. A person who needs to register as a sex offender and they thought they've found him in Utah. The problem is, Khan was on active duty in Greece at the time. And though their names and birthdays are similar, they are not a perfect match.

So what happened? According to authorities in both Maine and Utah. Maine investigators had found Iftikhar Khan on-line, pulled details like his social security number from Utah's database then forwarded it back to Utah as their missing sex offender. Utah then put khan on its own registry, No questions asked, and only notified him afterwards.

A spokesperson for the Maine attorney general's office, Brenda Kielty, declined to speak on camera but gave details to News 13. She says after hearing from Khan, Utah agreed to suspend his name from the registry, while Maine asked Khan to send his fingerprints to cross-check with the missing sex offender. Khan did, they didn't match and both Maine and Utah then cleared his name, But only after he'd hired lawyers, and was publicly listed as a sex offender for an agonizing four days.

Maine officials acknowledge their role in this case of mistaken identity but insist the same mistake would not have happened in reverse. They say it's their policy to always notify someone in writing before putting their name on the sex offender registry, giving that person a chance to dispute the claims in advance. And, in fact, Utah just changed its policies to do the same to avoid repeating what they told our Utah affiliate, was a very serious error.

His name was up there wrongly and that's concerning, of course. This is the first time anyone working over there on the sex offender registry has heard about that happening. As for Khan, he's glad to be cleared but still angry, and wondering if he's alone in all of this.

Officials in Maine and Utah insist, this is an isolated case and one, both states say, won't happen again. ..Source.. by WGME13.com

UPDATE: Attack on sexual assault suspect ends with three men in jail

8-13-2012 Oregon:

10:30 a.m.

Two men allegedly used a wrench and wooden baton to beat a man they suspected of sexually assaulting two young girls, police said.

Moses LaPorte, 18 and Christopher Garrett, 19, are both held in the Jackson County Jail on attempted murder, second- and third-degree assault charges.

The assault took place in Elderberry Flats above the campground near East Evans Creek Road, Jackson County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Andrea Carlson said.
LaPorte and Garrett allegedly drove out there just after 8 p.m. Saturday with Christopher Tabor, 23.

Tabor was allegedly struck once in the head with the baton before fleeing and calling authorities at the Bimor station near the corner of Highway 234 and Antioch Road.

Tabor was taken to Rogue Regional Medical Center, treated and released before being arrested by Medford police, the agency investigating the alleged sexual assault.

Sheriff's Office deputies arrested both men just after midnight Sunday in the 300 block of South Oakdale Avenue. The attempted murder charge was added following interviews with both suspects, Carlson said.


10 a.m.

Two Medford men face attempted murder charges for allegedly beating an acquaintance in what police called retaliation for a suspected sexual assault of two girls over the weekend.

The sexual assault suspect also was arrested.

Moses LaPorte, 18, and Christopher Garrett, 19, who both live in the 300 block of South Oakdale Avenue, allegedly drove Christopher Tabor, 23, out to a remote area in the county Saturday night, Medford police said.

"They lured him out to an area in the county and they severely beat him," said Medford police Sgt. Brent Mak.

The Jackson County Sheriff's Department responded to an emergency call on the incident and arrested LaPorte and Garrett.

"In the process of arresting them, (police) learned that this is in retaliation for a sexual assault on two minor individuals," Mak said. "We are still investigating."

Sheriff's department officials have not yet returned phone calls to provide details on the incident.

Tabor was taken to Rogue Regional Medical Center (correction: the name of the hospital has been updated in the story), where he was treated and released. Medford police then arrested him on first-, second- and third-degree sex abuse charges. He remains in jail today on more than $1 million bail.

LaPorte is held on more than $2 million bail on attempted murder, second- and third-degree assault charges. Garrett is held on more than $1 million bail on the same charges.

Court records show none of the three men have any criminal history in Jackson County. ..Source.. by Ryan Pfeil

Mother Nearly Kills Coach Accused of Molesting her Children

8-21-2012 Tennessee:

A mother nearly beat a man to death with a baseball bat. She says she did it because the man sexually assaulted her sons, both under ten years old.

Lakeshia Richmond, 27, has been charged with aggravated assault. She posted bond Sunday morning. Richmond says the man she nearly killed is a community football coach. She claims her children weren't the only ones who were molested by the coach.

"I asked my son, did he touch you bad, did he touch you down there and my little boy said yes and I said was it just you and he said no, he touched some more kids,” Lakeshia Richmond told ABC24 News.

Richmond is referring to Coach Red. He is one of the coaches of Richmond's 8 and 9 year old sons' football team. They practice at Magnolia Elementary school in South Memphis. She says it's normal for her kids and their teammates to spend the night at one of the coach’s house but she became concerned when the head coach called her Saturday for a meeting with Coach Red. It’s only then that she said her children told her what happened.

"My 8 year old said he wanted to play hide and seek and that he (Coach Red) grabbed my 9 year old’s hand and put it on the coach’s private part and my 9 year old said, ‘no that's bad, that's nasty' and the coach said no this is what college people do,” said Richmond.

On her way to the meeting Richmond saw Coach Red in the 1800 block of Person Avenue and couldn't hold back.

"He was running away,” said Richmond. “I didn't say anything to him I just blinked out. When I saw him, I saw my kids being hurt, that’s it.”

Neighbors say Richmond chased the coach down the street to a neighbor’s carport and then started beating him with a bat.

“There was blood splattered all over my carport,” said a neighbor Jackie Woods. “She beat his head open, split his head."

Richmond says she did call police to report the coach but everything happened so fast.

“I was hoping the police made it to him before I did,” said Richmond. "He was saying he didn't do it and he was sorry. If you didn't do it why are you saying you're sorry? What are you sorry for?"

Neighbors don't believe Richmond should have been taken to jail for beating the coach.

“I probably would have beaten him too. I'm serious. I would've just lost it, really I would have,” said Woods.

"If that's truly what happened I probably would've responded the same way. I’m going to defend my family,” said another neighbor Willie Gholston.

Richmond doesn't know how long the supposed abuse has been going on but says 8 other children are saying the same story.

"They're suffering, they toss and turn at night, and they really just ain’t been sleeping because they've been scared. They were even scared to tell me. I mean I’m their mom,” stated Richmond. “If I don’t protect them then who will?"

The coach's family refused to speak with ABC24 News on camera but they did say he's innocent. He was in critical condition but is now stable now at the MED. No charges have been filed against the coach. Memphis Police are still investigating this case. Richmond is expected to be in court Monday morning. ..Source.. by Jackie Orozco

Lafayette man beaten violently after outing sex offender, police say

8-1-2012 Indiana:

A Lafayette man was punched, stomped on and kicked into unconsciousness last week for outing an acquaintance as a sex offender, court documents allege.

The victim, 32-year-old Ryan Moynagh, was not moving and found lying in a corner when Lafayette police were called to his Union Street apartment on July 26. Moynagh’s head was covered in blood, and both of his eyes were severely swollen.

The suspect, 25-year-old Christopher McDaniel Jones, of Lafayette, had apparently been staying with Moynagh.

Jones was charged Wednesday in Tippecanoe Superior Court 2 with battery resulting in serious bodily injury; strangulation; criminal recklessness causing serious bodily injury; and residential entry.

All four counts are felonies.

Police Chief Don Roush said Moynagh was admitted to St. Elizabeth East hospital and was expected to be released this past Monday. He was not listed as a patient there Wednesday afternoon, a hospital spokeswoman confirmed.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Moynagh, Jones and a third man were hanging out and drinking on July 26. Moynagh reportedly asked the third man if he knew that Jones was a sex offender — causing Jones to become “enraged.”

Jones left, but when he returned later, Moynagh would not let him inside.

He’s accused of reaching through the partially open door and choking Moynagh. Jones’ body weight then broke the door chain, allowing him to get inside.

Jones, who turned himself in at the scene, allegedly admitted to choking and punching Moynagh, then kicking and stomping on Moynagh’s head after he fell down.

The attack lasted 10 to 15 minutes.

As of Wednesday night, Jones was being held in the Tippecanoe County Jail on a $25,000 surety bond.

Court records show that Jones was convicted in Missouri in 2006 of two counts of first degree sodomy to a minor. He was released from prison in March 2011 and is listed on Tippecanoe County’s Sex and Violent Offender Registry. ..Source.. by Sophia Voravong

Man shot, charged with rape

5-16-2012 Kentucky:

WAYLAND — A Floyd County man was charged with rape and taken to the hospital, after reportedly being shot by a relative of the victim over the weekend.

According to Kentucky State Police reports, David Jason Slone, 38, of Wayland, was found at the scene in Wayland Saturday with a gunshot wound. Slone was repotedly taken to a Lexington hospital to treat the wound, where he was charged with first-degree rape.

Slone’s arraignment will be scheduled once he is released from the hospital.

Assistant Floyd County Attorney Tyler Green said that state troopers also arrested 40-year-old Kathleen Keen, identified as the relative of the rape victim, and charged her with first-degree assault for allegedly shooting Slone.

Keen was transported to the Floyd County Detention Center. She was released the same day on a $50,000 surety bond. She is next scheduled to appear in Floyd District Court on May 9. ..Source.. by Jack Latta

Accused double-murderer who allegedly targeted sex offenders attacks inmate offender in Clallam County jail

7-1-2012 Washington:

PORT ANGELES — A Sequim man accused of double murder, who allegedly told police he was targeting sex offenders, was placed in a segregated cell last week in the Clallam County jail after he stabbed a man serving time for failing to register as a sex offender, said jail Superintendent Ron Sukert.

Patrick Drum, 34, stabbed Joseph W. Recoy, 19, of Port Angeles with the sharpened handle of a plastic utensil, Sukert said last week.

Recoy received minor puncture wounds from the combination fork-spoon allegedly wielded by Drum and was not hospitalized, Sukert said.

Drum is awaiting an Aug. 6 trial on two counts of aggravated first-degree murder in the deaths of Jerry W. Ray, 56, of Port Angeles and Gary L. Blanton Jr., 28, of Sequim, Drum's housemate.

The bodies of Ray and Blanton were found inside their homes June 3, the same day Drum was arrested.

Targeted for being a sex offender? Man's Elkhart pizza shop vandalized

6-7-2012 Indiana:

A convicted sex offender said vandals stole money and spray painted references that he was a pedophile outside his pizza shop.

Darren Cornell, who co-owns DC's Pizza in Elkhart with his wife, said he has his suspicions the crime could have been committed by an employee or someone he knows.

Officers are investigating $80 in missing money from the tip jar and the till. Outside there's a shattered window and broken glass, and contrasting paint to cover up letters someone spray painted by the door. While thieves took all of the cash inside the restaurant, none of the equipment inside the restaurant was damaged and a flat-screen TV was not taken.

In front of the building, paint covered up the letters “PEDI.” Cornell said it's short for “pedophile. “

Cornell believes his business was vandalized because he's on the Indiana Sex Offender Registry.

"In my mind it's a hate crime," said Cornell. "I don't feel it be any different if someone came to your house and threw a brick through your window because you're African-American," Cornell said to WSBT-TV.

Cornell was convicted at age 17 for inappropriately touching a 14-year-old relative. He served most of his 9-month sentence 8 years ago.

"The way the system is set up people look at me the same way somebody raped someone's grandma, or some serial killer rapist. They look at me differently, it's not right," he said.

Charles Bowen, a senior parole agent in St. Joseph County, said vigilante crimes against registered offenders are rare.

"So many of these offenses are committed within the family or within a close association with the family," said Bowen. "It's not real common."

"This is the first incident, I hope it's the last one," said Cornell.

One thing investigators might consider is Cornell's ties to another business – DC Burgers across the street, which recently closed for good.

We asked if workers there hadn't been paid, Cornell said “it was a rumor.” ..Source.. by WSBT.com

Police: Vigilante Thought Innocent Man Was Child Molester

5-4-2012 Colorado:

Fort Collins Man Accused Of Kidnapping, Assault

FORT COLLINS, Colo. -- A Fort Collins man faces kidnapping and assault charges after police said he abducted a man he apparently mistook for a child molester.

Brandon Benhamin Mau, 32, was arrested Tuesday afternoon by a SWAT team.

Investigators believe Mau threatened a man with a knife and forced him into his vehicle Monday on West Plum Street near Taft Hill Road, reported the Fort Collins Coloradoan.

Mau released the man at City Park. Police said the man sustained minor injuries from the knife.

Police found no basis for Mau’s claim that the victim was a molester, said Detective Jim Lenderts.

A SWAT team was called to arrest Mau because he has a criminal history, Lenderts said.

Mau was arrested without incident and booked on suspicion of first-degree kidnapping, second-degree assault, third-degree assault and felony menacing.

According to state court records, Mau was booked into the Larimer County Jail on a $250,000 bond.

Mau’s criminal history includes a 2009 arrest on a burglary charge involving assault or menacing, criminal mischief, felony menacing and possession of a dangerous weapon.

He later accepted a plea agreement to possessing an illegal weapon and was sentenced to two years of probation, according to state court records. ..Source.. by Thomas Hendrick, News Editor

Two Charged In Pennsylvania Vigilante Attack

4-3-2012 Pennsylvania:

READING, Pa. ( - Police in eastern Pennsylvania say a pair of neighbors viciously assaulted a man out for an evening walk in the mistaken belief he was stalking children.

Exeter Township police say the men charged Friday had overreacted to a Facebook post about a suspected child predator in the area.

Police say the 58-year-old victim was out for a walk on March 21 when he was violently confronted by Dennis Sinnott.

Authorities say neighbor Mark Eldredge saw the encounter and joined the attack. Eldredge had been driving around to distribute flyers about the alleged child stalker.

Police have since determined the suspected predator is actually a 76-year-old man who scavenges trash.

Eldredge faces charges including assault. Sinnott faces charges including harassment. Neither could be reached for comment. ..Source.. by myfoxphilly.com