A Jamaican man residing in the United States, who sexually abused two of his foster children over a two-year period, has been ordered to serve 50 years in prison.

Eric Norman Stewart, 66, of Missouri City, Texas, will have to serve his sentence “day for day” under state law, the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office said in a public statement about the case.

Stewart was born in Jamaica, the district attorney’s office confirmed in response to questions submitted by The Gleaner on Thursday, but gave no additional background information.

Gordon Dees, the attorney who represented Stewart, said he would feel “uncomfortable” talking about his client’s “situation”, when asked about Stewart’s Jamaican background.

“I will be seeing him in the next few days. I would be more than happy to say I was contacted by someone, but I’m really not at liberty to discuss his case,” Dees said during a brief interview.

Raj Bhojani  

A single judge bench of the Bombay High Court comprising Justice Anuja Prabhudesai has recently refused bail to a man while observing that child trafficking is one of the most serious and heinous forms of exploitation which not only impacts the child and the family but threatens the very fabric of the society.

“Child trafficking is one of the most serious and heinous forms of exploitation which not only impacts the child and the family but threatens the very fabric of the society. Considering the gravity of the offense, I am not inclined to exercise the discretion under Section 439 of the Cr.P.C. in favour of the Applicant, who is involved in child trafficking racket”, the court observed.

The bench of Justice Anuja Prabhdessai was hearing the bail application of one Parandam Gudenti, who was arrested in connection with the sale of a 10-month-old baby belonging to a family living on a footpath in Mumbai. The case related to an incident of August 2021 when a child was kidnapped from the footpath near a traffic police booth in the suburban Bandra area of Mumbai while the family was asleep.

The police found that the child was sold to a childless couple for Rs 35,000 after being passed on from one accused to another, with Gudenti being one of the intermediaries in the chain. According to the investigation, Gudenti bought the child for Rs 1.5 lakh from an accused who had kidnapped the child. He then sold the child to another accused for Rs 1.3 lakh, who in turn sold the child to the childless couple for Rs 35,000. Notably, even the adopting father was made an accused in the case.

by: Erica Garner

ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – An Abilene Christian University professor has been accused of sexually abusing his adoptive children, including at least one incident that happened on campus.

Charles Wadlington was arrested on a warrant for Sexual Abuse of Child and now remains held in jail on a $75,000 bond.

Court documents state that in March 2023, a child came forward to police and said she and her sister were sexually assaulted by Wadlington, their adoptive father, and their brother may have been harmed as well.

The brother was interviewed first. The documents state he described an instance where Wadlington touched him painfully in an inappropriate area after he got in trouble for play fighting with his sister. He also told detectives Wadlington “raped his sisters”, and that’s why one had moved out.

by: Kevin S. Held

ST. FRANCOIS COUNTY, Mo. — A special prosecutor will handle a child abuse case against a former employee of the Missouri Department of Corrections.

Prosecutors allege Laura Cheatham and Daryl Head kept four children locked inside small, windowless boxes in Head’s Farmington home.

Cheatham and Head were arrested in August 2018 after an abuse report was filed with the Missouri Children’s Division Investigators. Deputies with the St. Francois County Sheriff’s Department went to a home in the 100 block of Meadowbrook Drive on Aug. 7.

Authorities claim Head denied deputies entry into the home. Deputies eventually forced their way inside and discovered Cheatham letting the children out from the dimly-lit boxes. The children, three girls and one boy, were between the ages of 5 and 12.

(Farmington) A Farmington couple, arrested back in August of 2018, facing eight felonies each for child endangerment and kidnapping, will have another delay in their court proceedings in St. Francois County court.

Daryl Head and Laura Cheatham will have their trial settings on May 19th but they may have to wait longer than that.

That’s because Prosecuting Attorney Blake Dudley has filed a motion to have a special prosecutor appointed to the case instead of him.

Head and Cheathum, both now 43-years-old, were arrested almost five years ago.

They were arrested after the Missouri Children’s Division found their children being kept inside boxes that were sealed shut with plywood and screws.

MISSOURI CITY, Texas - A former employee of the Department of Family and Protective Services was given a 50-year prison sentence for abusing adopted children.

According to the Fort Bend County District Attorney's Office, Eric Norman Stewart, 66, set up a group home in Missouri City, where he lived, and fostered and adopted several children. 

Evidence presented to a grand jury showed in 2016, Stewart sexually abused both a 9-year-old and a 12-year-old girl in his home for more than two years.

The jury handed down the sentence on March 9 where he was given 50 years in prison for Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Young Child

"All children deserve to feel safe in their homes. This defendant betrayed his role as both a father and as an employee within Children’s Protective Services, an agency designed to keep kids safe," Lead prosecutor Alycia Curtis said in a statement. "I’m grateful for this jury’s hard work and their verdict. As a voice for our community, the jury made it clear that there are severe consequences for those who abuse our most vulnerable."

The couple was childless as Anjana faced three miscarriages 

IANS

A couple has been arrested by local police for allegedly torturing and sexually abusing an 11-year-old girl, who was admitted to the Cantonment Board Hospital with brutality injuries.

A case was lodged against Arun Sinha, a teacher by profession, and his wife Anjana based on the complaint made by Newa police outpost in-charge Preet Pandey for digital rape, assault, and other relevant sections of the IPC and the POCSO Act, said officials. According to police, primary investigations have revealed that the accused couple, originally from Patna, were living in an apartment in Preetam Nagar locality of Prayagraj.

The couple was childless as Anjana faced three miscarriages.

Last year, the couple adopted a 10-year-old girl from an orphanage in Lucknow. However, they soon started torturing her.

The girl was admitted to the hospital with a fracture in her arm.

During the girl's examination, doctors not only found torture marks on her body but also pieces of wood from her private parts.

The accused has been sent to jail, confirmed SHO Dhoomanganj Rajesh Kumar Maurya.

 

A case was lodged against Arun Sinha, a teacher by profession, and his wife Anjana based on the complaint made by Newa police outpost in-charge Preet Pandey.

PRAYAGRAJ A city-based couple was booked by local police on Sunday for allegedly torturing and sexually abusing an 11-year-old girl, who was admitted to the Cantonment Board Hospital on Friday with brutality injuries.

A case was lodged against Arun Sinha, a teacher by profession, and his wife Anjana based on the complaint made by Newa police outpost in-charge Preet Pandey for digital rape, assault, and other relevant sections of the IPC and the Pocso Act, said officials.

According to police, primary investigations have revealed that the accused couple, originally from Patna, were living in an apartment in Preetam Nagar locality of Prayagraj. The couple was childless as Anjana faced three miscarriages. Last year, the couple adopted a 10-year-old girl from an orphanage in Lucknow. However, they soon started torturing her.

The girl was admitted to the hospital with a fracture in her arm. During the girl’s examination, doctors not only found torture marks on her body but also pieces of wood from her private parts. The accused duo was sent to jail on Sunday, confirmed SHO Dhumanganj Rajesh Kumar Maurya.

TIM HAHN   Erie Times-News

MEADVILLE — Mary E. Diehl, the Crawford County woman charged with giving her 11-year-old adopted son with special needs a fatal dose of windshield washer fluid to drink in September 2021, declined to address the court on Wednesday as she awaited sentencing.

Diehl, 64, had pleaded no contest on Friday, without admitting guilt, to third-degree murder in the death of Najir W. Diehl, whose death authorities determined was caused by a lethal dose of methanol consumed on Sept. 5, 2021, a day before Diehl reported the boy's passing.

Diehl's decision to stay silent on Wednesday, when Crawford County Judge Mark Stevens sentenced her to serve 10 to 20 years in prison on the charge, eliminated any possibility of getting a more clear picture of why Diehl filled a cup with lions and bears on it half-full with washer fluid and gave it to Najir to drink, an act Pennsylvania State Police investigators said Diehl admitted to two months after the boy's death.

The only information presented publicly as to a motive in the case came from the statements of state police investigator who testified at Diehl's preliminary hearing in December 2021. He said Diehl said she gave Najir the fluid to drink because she wanted to "free him," and when the trooper asked her what would happen if the boy drank it she replied, he "passes," according to the testimony.

There is no report available regarding death of children after their adoption from these agencies: Centre

THE HINDU BUREAU

A total of 79 children have died between April to December, 2022, in Specialised Adoption Agencies (SAAs) majorly due to unsafe abandonments which exposed them to harm like being bitten by animals or asphyxia. Very low birth weight and premature birth were some of the other reasons.

However, there is no report available regarding death of children after their adoption from these agencies, the Ministry of Women and Child Development informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

The Ministry said that for improving quality child care in Child Care Institutions (CCIs), particularly in SAAs, Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) has been advising the agencies through circulars and through various training and development activities.