Women Against Sexual Predators Chicago

Shaniya Davis Autopsy Report

2010-02-05T04:52:00.000-08:00

Shaniya Davis update: Autopsy report confirms 5-year-old was raped

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/01/27/autopsy.report.pdf

Kidnapped 5-year-old Natalie rescued by police | The Money Times

2009-12-28T11:43:00.000-08:00

Kidnapped 5-year-old Natalie rescued by police | The Money Times

newsdurhamregion.com | Tippett found guilty of all charges related to Courtice sex assault

2009-12-28T11:41:00.000-08:00

newsdurhamregion.com | Tippett found guilty of all charges related to Courtice sex assault

Cops catch suspect shortly after robbery, sexual assault :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Metro & Tri-State

2009-12-17T10:03:00.000-08:00

Cops catch suspect shortly after robbery, sexual assault :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Metro & Tri-State: "Sun-Times Media Wire
A convicted child sex offender was captured by Chicago Police shortly after he allegedly robbed and sexually assaulted a mother and her daughter late Monday in the Roseland neighborhood on the Far South Side.
Albert Robinson, 37, of the 11100 block of South Vernon Avenue, was charged Tuesday with two counts of armed robbery and one count of aggravated sexual assault, according to police.
Calumet District officers were flagged down by the victims about 11:30 p.m. Monday, according to a release from police News Affairs. The victims told officers they had just been robbed at gunpoint and sexually assaulted in the11000 block of South State Street.
The women gave a description of the offender and en route to the hospital, they saw Robinson walking down the street, the release said. They positively identified him as the man who had displayed a handgun and robbed them before sexually assaulting one of them.
As officers attempted to approach Robinson, he took notice and ran. Officers alerted other officers of the foot chase and gave out a description, the release said. With the help of assisting officers Robinson was apprehended a short distance away.
Property belonging to the victims was recovered and Robinson was placed under arrest, the release said. He will appear in bond court Wednesday morning."

St. Leonard closes doors to sex offenders -- chicagotribune.com

2009-12-17T10:01:00.000-08:00

There no longer is a licensed halfway home for sex offenders in northern Illinois after a transitional housing facility on the Near West Side shut its doors to that challenging population.

St. Leonard's Ministries, which has a long record of helping to reform all types of felons, told the Department of Corrections it would no longer house any sex offenders after Julius Anderson slipped off its grounds in August never to return.

The department had placed Anderson in St. Leonard's on electronic monitoring despite protests by prosecutors who said his history of sexual violence and mental illness guaranteed that he would commit another offense. Within weeks of leaving the halfway house and cutting his electronic bracelet, Anderson was charged with sexually assaulting two Chicago women at knifepoint.

The attacks prompted a public outcry, but Bob Dougherty, executive director of St. Leonard's, said Anderson was not the only reason the halfway home stopped accepting sex offenders.

Budget woes had caused St. Leonard's to eliminate its specialized sex offender treatment in July. While halfway houses are not required to provide such treatment in order to house sex offenders, St. Leonard's viewed it as a necessary component.

"We don't want to accept people who can't benefit from being here," Dougherty said.

The move was cheered by St. Leonard's neighbors who said they feared for their safety. And Anderson's accusers held the organization partly responsible for what happened, made evident by a civil lawsuit filed against the state and St. Leonard's last week.

"How does someone like that just walk away from a halfway house?" said one victim, who was entering her boyfriend's apartment in Lakeview when she was forced inside and sexually assaulted at knifepoint. "The system failed me."

At the same time, experts said, the St. Leonard's decision has compounded a severe problem in Illinois: a shortage of housing for sex offenders.

Sex offenders have long been prohibited from living in households with children younger than 18 and within 500 feet of a school, park or child-care facility. A 2005 law expanded the restrictions by prohibiting more than one sex offender from living under the same roof unless in halfway homes licensed by the Department of Corrections or other residential facilities operated by the state, such as nursing homes.

Many halfway homes that once housed sex offenders closed because they could not meet the new licensing requirements, such as 24-hour security, or because of community opposition.

Aside from St. Leonard's Ministries, the only other transitional housing facility licensed to take sex offenders in Illinois is Another Chance Ministries in East St. Louis.

"This only exacerbates what is already a very difficult challenge in finding appropriate housing for sex offenders that are to be released," said Januari Smith, spokeswoman for the Department of Corrections.

If they can't find housing, many sex offenders are remaining in prison during their parole. The department houses 1,000 sex offenders who have met their parole dates but have not been released because they have not secured suitable housing.

The problem is, after serving parole behind bars these offenders are released into the community with no supervision or transitional support. In many cases, they do not register as sex offenders and may give false addresses or simply disappear, according to reviews by the state's attorney general.

"It's the irony of these housing restrictions," said David Olson, a professor of criminal justice at Loyola University in Chicago, who serves on an advisory board to the Department of Corrections. "When they're finally released, they have no supervision."

Meanwhile, the number of sex offenders in state nursing homes has increased.

St. Leonard's, which provides housing and support services to a variety of felons leaving prison, began accepting sex offenders in the early 1990s, and only two or three lived there at any given time, Dougherty said.

Of the 65 sex offenders placed there since 2000, three returned to prison -- compared to the nearly 50 percent recidivism rate for all parolees, Dougherty said.

Anderson was the first one to leave the grounds without authorization, he said.

St. Leonard's will continue to serve parolees who are not sex offenders.

Three sex offenders who arrived at St. Leonard's before Anderson remain there, including a 32-year-old-man who described the halfway home as "a godsend."

The man, who spoke on the condition that his name be withheld, said he had no place else to live because his friends and family had children or lived near child-care centers or schools. Since arriving in St. Leonard's in the summer of 2008, he has received psychological treatment and job training. He's taking classes at a community college and hopes to one day help reform felons like himself.

"I never thought any of this would be possible," he said.

He and the other two men will be the last sex offenders to call St. Leonard's home.

National Ledger - Shaq & Funeral: Shaquille O'Neal Pays for Shaniya Davis Service

2009-12-01T12:53:00.000-08:00

National Ledger - Shaq & Funeral: Shaquille O'Neal Pays for Shaniya Davis Service: "Basketball giant Shaquille O'Neal showed his softer side when he footed the bill for a five-year-old girl's funeral. The 37-year-old, who stands at 7 ft 1in tall, was touched by the story of five-year-old Shaniya Davis, who was raped and murdered earlier this month.

It is claimed that O'Neal then paid the bill for her funeral, which is estimated to be around $4,500.

***

O'Neal said to Cleveland Plain Dealer: 'Being a law-enforcement guy that investigates crime against children, I wanted to be able to help in some way.' Davis's funeral was recently held in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and more than 2,000 people attended."

Video link - Missouri child rape suspects in court today, new reports of abuse and murder

2009-11-23T09:55:00.000-08:00

Video link - Missouri child rape suspects in court today, new reports of abuse and murder: "Video link - Missouri child rape suspects in court today, new reports of abuse and murder"

A Kansas City TV station reports this morning that investigators in a western Missouri child sex case say a box-shaped item has been located under a concrete floor and it could contain the remains of a baby born to a child rape victim. The station also reports victims claim they were forced to participate on the murder of an adult man.

KCTV-TV quotes from an investigator's affidavit that says radar was used to locate the item in the basement of a rural home members of the Mohler family once lived in. The Associated Press reports one of the alleged sex abuse victims told police she twice became pregnant after being raped by members of the Mohler family. She said her first baby was put in a shoe box and buried under the basement floor. The victim is one of several who say they were repeatedly assaulted by the men during the 80s when the victims were children.

KCTV also reports several of the victims claim they were forced to take part in the murder of a grown man who was kidnapped by one of the brothers.

Charged with assorted crimes of child rape, sodomy and bestiality are Burrell Edward Mohler, Sr., 77, of Independence, Missouri and his four sons; Burrell Edward Mohler Jr., 53, of Independence; Jared Leroy Mohler, 48, of Columbia; Roland Neil Mohler, 47, of Bates City; and David A. Mohler, 52, of Lamoni, Iowa. All are in custody and being held at the Lafayette County Jail. Darrel Mohler, 72, of Silver Springs Florida is also charged. He is the the brother of Burrell Sr. and is expected to be extradited to Missouri soon.

Meanwhile, the five Mohlers from the Missouri area will be arraigned in Lafayette County today. Investigators have said more information on the case will be released to the public today.

For KCTV - TV video report - click here.

Shaniya Davis: Thousands gather to mourn loss of 5-year-old rape and murder victim

2009-11-23T09:49:00.000-08:00

Shaniya Davis: Thousands gather to mourn loss of 5-year-old rape and murder victim: "Shaniya Davis: Thousands gather to mourn loss of 5-year-old rape and murder victim"

Fayetteville, NC - Nearly 2,000 mourners gathered together at Manna Church to say their final goodbyes to five-year-old Shaniya Davis, the little girl whose body was discovered last Monday in a wooded area near Sanford, North Carolina, after having been raped and strangled to death.

Davis's mother, Antoinette Davis, was charged last week with human trafficking and child abuse. Her boyfriend, Mario McNeill, has been charged with kidnapping, raping, and strangling Shaniya. According to WSOC-TV, Shaniya's father, Bradley Lockhart, had taken care of the little girl for the majority of her life. It was only recently that he agreed to allow her mother to have the opportunity to raise her as well.

The crowd was so large at the church that the line to see her rose-colored casket took more than one hour before the service had begun. Nearly 100 more observers were forced to stand outside and peer through the church windows to catch a glimpse of the service.

Lockhart stood up during the service and asked gatherers to celebrate his daughter's life rather than mourn her death. Several family members and friends rose to speak about and share their memories of the young girl and a slideshow was presented showing Shaniya at her happiest moments.

According to ABC, Lockhart asked one of the pastors to refer to his daughter's service as a "homegoing" celebration. During the service, Lockhart also looked at his daughter's casket and said "I know you're going to be waiting for me [in heaven], I'll see you when I get there."

This is not the first time Lockhart has experienced the tragic loss of an immediate loved one. On March 3, 1998, his first wife, Vickie Sue Lockhart, 28, and his 19-year-old sister-in-law, Channel Lockhart, were murdered, along with a third person, during a home robbery in Fayettville.

Shaniya Davis News

2009-11-19T18:46:00.000-08:00

According to a report by local station WRAL for Raleigh, Durham, and Fayetteville, NC, a family acquaintance has been charged with the death of Shaniya Davis, the 5-year-old used for prostitution and found dead on November 16 in Lee County, North Carolina.

Mario Andrette McNeil, 29, has been charged with first degree murder and first degree rape of a child. Previously, McNeil had been held for kidnapping charges after he surrendered to police on Friday, November 13.

Shaniya’s mother, Antoinette Davis, 25, was arrested on November 14, the following day, and charged with human trafficking, felony child abuse-prostitution, filing a false police report and obstructing a police investigation.

Apparently Davis provided her daughter for use in sexual servitude and according to WRAL’s report, she “did permit an act of prostitution with Shaniya.”

Of course, the world is begging to know why Davis would offer her daughter for sexual servitude. According to Theresa Chance, Fayetteville Police Department spokesperson, investigators are looking into the possibility of Davis using her daughter to pay off a drug debt.

Tom Bergamine, Police Chief, said that a preliminary autopsy report shows that Shaniya died via asphyxiation.

Illinois man sentenced to 20 years for child pornography

2009-11-16T18:50:00.000-08:00

URBANA, Ill. - An Illinois man who distributed child pornography containing graphic images of rape, sadism and torture was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison Friday. This sentencing resulted from an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Randy Maulding, 45, formerly of Tuscola, Ill., was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Michael P. McCuskey, Central District of Illinois, to the maximum sentence of 20 years for receiving, distributing and possessing images of child pornography.
Judge McCuskey also ordered that Maulding remain on supervised release for life after finishing his prison sentence. Maulding has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his bond was revoked in October 2007.
On Nov. 28, 2007, a jury convicted Maulding of the child pornography offenses. Evidence presented during the trial demonstrated that the defendant's child pornography included images of sadistic behavior, rape and torture. Evidence was also presented that the defendant distributed child pornography through a peer-to-peer, file-sharing network.
"The sexually exploited victims of child pornography are devastated from these experiences throughout their lives," said Gary Hartwig, special agent in charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in Chicago. "This prison sentence brings some justice to the innocent victims of these crimes."
ICE was assisted in the investigation by the Decatur Police Department and the Illinois Attorney General's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin S. Bruce, Central District of Illinois, prosecuted the case.
The investigation into Maulding is part of Operation Predator, a nationwide ICE initiative to identify, investigate and arrest those who prey on children, including human traffickers, international sex tourists, Internet pornographers, and foreign national predators whose crimes make them deportable. Launched in July 2003, ICE agents have arrested more than 11,600 individuals through Operation Predator.
ICE encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-347-2423. This hotline is staffed around the clock by investigators.
Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, at 1-800-843-5678 or http://www.cybertipline.com.

Man accused of child molestation captured- THANK GOD!

2009-11-16T18:03:00.000-08:00

October 24, 2009 (WLS) -- A personal trainer who was one of the most wanted fugitives in downstate Illinois has been captured by the Cook County Sheriff's Department's fugitive unit, Sheriff Tom Dart announced.
Authorities say Kenji L. Haley, 31, has been on the run since 2007, when he was charged with aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a child under the age of 10.
According to the sheriff's department, Haley is charged with committing 10 acts of molestation on one victim. Another investigation reportedly is under way into a possible second victim. Both were in Urbana, Ill.
Investigators say they suspect Haley targeted single mothers with young children, and they say Haley would stay with the women long enough to eventually be left alone with the children.

Another child abducted and murdered

2009-11-16T17:56:00.000-08:00

Shaniya Davis found dead
The body believed to be Shaniya Davis was found today on Walker Road, off of N.C. 87. The missing 5 year-old has been the subject of a nationwide search. She was last seen on surveillance video with a man, Mario Andrette McNeill as he carried her into a Comfort Suites hotel the day of her kidnapping. Her body was found approximately 7 miles from the hotel. The cause of death has not yet been released.
Shaniya Davis’ mother was in court today. She faces charges of child abuse including prostitution, filing a false police report, and human trafficking. Authorities allege that Shaniya Davis’ mother, Antoinette Davis sold her daughter to Mario Andrette McNeil. McNeill is reported to be the ex-boyfriend of Antoinette’s sister. After surveillance video showed Andrette McNeil carrying Shaniya Davis into a hotel, he turned himself in to authorities. He has been charged with first degree kidnapping. He is expected to plead not guilty to the charges.