National Missing Childrens Day Poster Contest

by Mary Ellen Murphy

2015 Winning Poster in National Missing Children’s Day Poster Contest. (courtesy of US Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency)

LANSING, MI (WHTC-AM/FM) -

Students statewide in the 5th grade in Michigan are invited to participate in the 2018 National Missing Children’s Day Poster Contest.

The Michigan State Police (MSP) Missing Persons Coordination Unit says the contest creates an opportunity to promote child safety while discussing the issue of missing and/or exploited children. More than 1,000 children are reported missing each week in Michigan. Many of these children are runaways.

Michigan’s winning artist will have a shot at the national contest, which includes a free trip to Washington D.C. and their artwork featured as the National Missing Children’s Day poster.

The 2015 national winner was a Michigan student from Grand Blanc.

Jolene Hardesty, Missing Children’s Clearinghouse Manager feels the contest opens the discussion on missing children and it's a chance to be honest with your children.

"I think 5th grade is a perfect time to at least open up that discussion  and start talking to our kids about it. What could go on and what happens in today's day and age."  

Hardesty says the judges look for posters that speaks to the heart of the matter.

Contest rules are as follows:

Applicants must be in the fifth grade.Original artwork should reflect the theme “Bring Our Missing Children Home” and the phrase must appear somewhere on the poster.Digitally produced images, collages, cut-outs, and stamping will not be eligible for consideration.The finished poster must measure 8½ x 14 inches.

The poster must be submitted with a completed application, which includes a description of the artwork and a brief biography of the artist, either written or typed. Submissions are due by Jan. 31, 2018, and must be mailed to:

Michigan State PoliceMissing Children’s Clearinghouse

Attn: Ms. Jolene Hardesty

7150 Harris Drive, Dimondale, MI 48821

In 1983, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed May 25 as National Missing Children's Day. Each year, the Department of Justice (DOJ) commemorates Missing Children's Day with a ceremony honoring the heroic and exemplary efforts of agencies, organizations, and individuals to protect children.

PHOTO - 2015 Winning Poster in National Missing Children’s Day Poster Contest. (courtesy of US Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency)

Trinity Mount Ministries Website:
http://www.TrinityMount.Info

DOJ - Violence Against Indigenous Women and Girls

Department of Justice

Office of Public Affairs

Readout of Associate Attorney General Rachel Brand Trip to Ottawa, Canada for Trilateral Summit on Violence Against Indigenous Women and Girls

Associate Attorney General Rachel Brand traveled to Ottawa, Canada on Thursday, Nov. 30, to lead the U.S. delegation in the Trilateral Summit on Violence Against Indigenous Women and Girls.  This is the second meeting of the trilateral working group.  The first was hosted by the U.S. in 2016 and next year’s meeting will be in 2018, hosted by Mexico.

Associate Attorney General Brand met with Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Canada’s Crown-Indigenous and Northern Affairs and Ismerai Betanzos Ordaz, Indigenous Rights Coordinator, Mexican Commission on the Development of Indigenous Rights.

“Tackling the issue of violence against Indigenous women and girls in our region and in the U.S. is not only a matter of criminal justice, but a moral imperative,” said Associate Attorney General Brand.

During the event, the three countries agreed to continue to prioritize the discussions, committing to continue the dialogue in 2018. Government representatives, in partnership with Indigenous women from across North America, will participate in events during the upcoming year, in preparation for the next meeting, which will be hosted by Mexico in the fall of 2018.

Themes discussed at this meeting were the importance of meaningful consultation with indigenous women regarding solutions to violence; promising practices for improving criminal justice responses to violent crimes against Indigenous women and girls; and the need for rigorous data collection to understand the full extent of domestic and sexual violence and human trafficking in Indigenous communities.

To address this need for data, Associate Attorney General Brand has directed the Department’s National Institute of Justice to adapt an ongoing study on violence in Indian Country to add an inquiry about the prevalence rates of human trafficking of American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls.

Canada, Mexico and the United States of America were also pleased to welcome Indigenous women from their respective countries to attend the event as full partners in order to ensure that their voices were included in the discussions. Indigenous women shared their experiences and perspectives, contributing to the development of outcomes for the working group.

The Department of Justice remains committed to addressing violence against indigenous women and girls in all of its forms through aggressive law enforcement and programs that serve victims.  The Department is committed to working with our international partners to share information and develop capabilities to address cross-border crimes like sex and labor trafficking together.

Associate Attorney General Brand’s visit supports the Justice Department’s continuing efforts under the Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety.

Trinity Mount Ministries Website:
http://www.TrinityMount.Info

DOJ - Alabama Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Child Pornography:

Department of Justice

Office of Public Affairs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monday, November 27, 2017

An Alabama man pleaded guilty today to producing child pornography between 1997 and 1998, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town of the Northern District of Alabama.

Charles Mark McCormack, 54, of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography before Chief U.S. District Judge Karon O. Bowdre of the Northern District of Alabama.  Sentencing is set for April 3, 2018.

According to admissions made in connection with his guilty plea between Aug. 1, 1997, and Oct. 15, 1998, McCormack used a minor, born in or about 1992, to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of the conduct, by videotaping the minor urinating in a bathroom in his residence in Colbert County, Alabama. 

McCormack was employed as a kindergarten teacher during a May 2016 search of his residence, which resulted in law enforcement discovering fewer than 25 images of nude and topless females believed to constitute child pornography and a suitcase containing young girls’ panties.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations is investigating this case with the cooperation of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.  Trial Attorney William M. Grady of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Fortune of the Northern District of Alabama are prosecuting the case.

This investigation is a part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit: www.justice.gov/psc.

STOP IT NOW!

Our Work

Stop It Now! was founded by Fran Henry, a survivor of childhood sexual abuse who learned first hand that standard approaches to keeping children safe from child sexual abuse at that time did not respond to the complex relationships surrounding most abuse. 

Her vision? To have the sexual abuse of children recognized as a preventable public health problem, to make helping adults take responsibility to prevent and stop sexual abuse of children a main focus of prevention, and to create effective programs based on these principles. She created Stop It Now! over 20 years ago to prevent the sexual abuse of children by mobilizing adults, families and communities to take actions that protect children before they are harmed.

In 2015, Stop It Now! became an affiliate of Klingberg Family Centers(link is external), a private, nonprofit multi-service agency based in New Britain, CT. Founded in 1903, Klingberg's mission is to extend hope and healing to children and families whose lives have been traumatized by abuse and/or neglect in its various forms, severe family problems and mental health issues. 

Our Approach: using research to inform practical, balanced solutions

Our efforts are guided by this understanding: to truly prevent harm to children, all adults need to accept responsibility for recognizing, acknowledging and confronting behaviors that lead to abuse.  More importantly, any long-term prevention strategy must change societal norms, so the sexual abuse of children is not tolerated and appropriate forms of help, support and accountability are provided to child victims and adult survivors, those who sexually abuse children, and the families of both.

Our ProgramsHelp Services - Provides direct help to individuals with questions or concerns about child sexual abuse.Prevention Advocacy - Advocates for the issue to be addressed as a public health priority.Prevention Education - Develops, assesses and distributes educational materials.Technical Assistance and Training – Provides consulting and training services to professionals, organizations, coalitions, and community-based programs.Our Impact

Stop It Now! has made significant and permanent contributions to the fields of public health, child abuse prevention, and crime prevention. These include pioneering a focus on adult responsibility for child sexual abuse prevention, successfully developing and replicating community-based prevention program, and collaborative work with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Our Research

Consistent with a public health approach, Stop It Now! uses current scientific research, original market research, and program tracking and evaluation to develop its programs. Using a variety of methods - from focus groups to public opinion surveys to meta-analyses - and cooperating with leading researchers, we continue to build the evidence base needed for practical and effective prevention programs and materials.

Please Visit - http://www.stopitnow.org/

Are your kids’ toys safe?

When shopping this holiday, keep guidelines in mind.

By Dayton Children's Hospital

You are probably already swamped with toy advertisements this holiday season. Toys are supposed to be fun and help with appropriate development, but knowing the safety of the toys you buy your kids is extremely important. Each year, scores of kids are treated in hospital emergency departments for toy-related injuries.

For safety, manufacturers follow certain guidelines and label most new toys for specific age groups. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) closely monitors and regulates toys. Any toys made in or imported into the United States after 1995 must comply with CPSC standards. But perhaps the most important thing a parent can do is to supervise play.

Here are some general guidelines to keep in mind when shopping for toys:

• Toys made of fabric should be labeled as flame resistant or flame retardant.

• Stuffed toys should be washable.

• Painted toys should be covered with lead-free paint.

• Art materials should say nontoxic.

• Crayons and paints should say ASTM D-4236 on the package, which means that they’ve been evaluated by the American Society for Testing and Materials.

• Avoid older or hand-me-down toys. They may not meet current safety standards or have become hazardous through play.

• Read labels for age appropriateness and check the guidelines published by the CPSC or other groups. Age levels for toys are determined by safety factors, not intelligence or maturity.

After you’ve purchased safe toys, make sure kids know how to use them. Playing with your kids teaches them how to play safely while having fun.

To keep toys safe at home, parents should:

• Teach kids to put toys away.

• Check toys regularly to make sure that they aren’t broken or unusable:

• Wooden toys shouldn’t have splinters.

• Bikes and outdoor toys shouldn’t have rust.

• Stuffed toys shouldn’t have broken seams or exposed removable parts.

• Throw away or repair broken toys right away.

• Store outdoor toys when they’re not in use so that they are not exposed to rain or snow.

• Keep toys clean. Read the manufacturer’s directions as some plastic toys can be cleaned in the dishwasher. Another option is to mix antibacterial soap or a mild dishwashing detergent with hot water in a spray bottle and use it to clean toys, rinsing them afterward.

If you find an unsafe toy, check the CPSC website for the latest information about toy recalls or call their hot line at 800-638-CPSC (2772) to report a toy you think is unsafe. If you have any doubt about a toy’s safety, err on the side of caution and do not allow your child to play with it.

This look at a children’s health or safety issue comes from Dayton Children’s Hospital.

Email: newsroom@childrensdayton.org.

IKEA is re-issuing a recall for the Malm dressers:

Elizabeth Hendren, WTSP 5:55 PM. EST November 21, 2017

Parents, if you still have a dresser from IKEA in your home and you haven't secured it to the wall,  the retailer hopes you will listen to this.

IKEA is re-issuing a recall for the Malm dressers.

The parents of a two-year-old boy are suing the retailer after a Malm dresser fell on top of him at the family's California home.

He's one of eight children who has been killed by dressers tipping over.

IKEA took quite a bit of criticism from groups like 'Kids in Danger' and the 'American Academy of Pediatrics,' who say the retailer didn't do enough to get the word out about the chests and dressers.

There are about 17 million of the recalled dressers that are still out there across the country.

It's pretty simple to fix.

You can get a refund or a free wall anchoring kit.

If you opt for the refund, IKEA will even pick up the dresser from your home free of charge.

If you want to keep it, IKEA will come out and anchor it to the wall.

For either of those options, just log on to Ikea's website or you can call them toll-free.

WTSP 10 News - Video and Source

DOJ - Denaturalization Sought Against Five Child Sexual Abusers in Florida, Illinois, and Texas

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, November 21, 2017

Denaturalization Sought Against Five Child Sexual Abusers in Florida, Illinois, and Texas

Today, the U.S. Department of Justice filed denaturalization lawsuits against five individuals who, according to the Department’s complaints, unlawfully procured their U.S. citizenship by concealing sexual abuse of minor victims during the naturalization process. The civil complaints were filed in federal court in the Southern District of Florida, the Northern District of Illinois, the Northern District of Texas (two cases), and the Southern District of Texas.

“Committing fraud in any immigration matter undermines the integrity of our immigration system, and is a betrayal of the American people’s generosity,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “It is especially appalling when it also involves the sexual abuse of children. The Department of Justice has a duty to prosecute these crimes vigorously, particularly so for individuals who commit fraud in the naturalization process. I am confident that justice will be done in these cases, and I want to thank ICE, CBP, USCIS, our Civil Division, and our U.S. Attorneys’ offices for their hard work. This Department will continue to fight to denaturalize immigration fraudsters and to protect the American people from sex offenders.”

The cases were referred to the Department of Justice by the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection with investigative support from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

“I commend the DHS personnel working diligently to remove dangerous criminals from our streets,” said Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Elaine Duke. “Those who unlawfully procured citizenship by concealing crimes – especially sexual abuse of minors – should have their citizenship revoked.”

Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, the citizenship of a naturalized U.S. citizen may be revoked, and his or her certificate of naturalization canceled, if naturalization was illegally procured or procured by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation.

The five defendants committed crimes of sexual abuse of minor victims prior to naturalizing. As the civil complaints allege, such crimes rendered the defendants ineligible for citizenship from the start. By willfully concealing child sexual abuse crimes, the defendants also independently rendered themselves subject to denaturalization.

A description of each of the five cases and the allegations of the United States follows:

Jorge Luis Alvarado

Jorge Luis Alvarado, 56, a native of Mexico, naturalized on March 9, 2000. Shortly before filing his naturalization application, Alvarado made unlawful sexual contact with a sixteen-year-old child. In March 2007, he pleaded guilty in Texas state court to committing indecency with a child by sexual contact, a second-degree felony. Alvarado was ordered to community supervision and to register as a sex offender. He has been residing in southern Texas. United States of America v. Jorge Luis Alvarado (S.D. Tex.).

Alberto Mario Beleno

Alberto Mario Beleno, 64, a native of Colombia, naturalized on Feb. 26, 2001. Before Beleno naturalized as a U.S. citizen, he committed lewd and lascivious acts on a six-year-old child. In 2001, less than three months after he naturalized, Beleno was arrested and ultimately pleaded guilty/nolo-contendere in Florida state court to committing felony lewd and lascivious exhibition and felony lewd and lascivious molestation on a minor in 1993 and 1994. Beleno was ordered to register as a sex offender for his conduct. His last known residence in the United States is in Miami, Florida. United States of America v. Alberto Mario Beleno (S.D. Fla.).

Eleazar Corral Valenzuela

Eleazar Corral Valenzuela, 49, a native of Mexico, naturalized on June 15, 2000. Prior to applying to naturalize, he sexually abused a minor child. In November 2000, after he had naturalized, Corral pleaded guilty in Illinois state court to aggravated criminal sexual abuse, a Class 2 felony. He was ordered to register as a sex offender. He has been residing in Aurora, Illinois. United States of America v. Eleazar Corral Valenzuela (N.D. Ill.).

Moises Herrera-Gonzalez

Moises Herrera-Gonzalez, 55, a native of Mexico, naturalized on Sept. 25, 1999. On Jan. 1, 1996, before he filed his naturalization application, Herrera-Gonzalez sexually assaulted and injured a six-year-old child. He filed his naturalization application in September 1996, nine months after the sexual assault. On July 8, 2002, after he naturalized, Herrera-Gonzalez pleaded guilty in Texas state court to committing bodily injury to a child, a third-degree felony. He was sentenced to five years in prison. He has been residing in Arlington, Texas. United States of America v. Moises Herrera-Gonzalez (N.D. Tex.).

Emmanuel Olugbenga Omopariola

Emmanuel Olugbenga Omopariola, 60, a native of Nigeria, naturalized on July 1, 2004. Before he filed his naturalization application in May 2003, Omopariola made unlawful sexual contact with a seven-year-old child. In 2015, after he naturalized, Omopariola pleaded guilty in Texas state court to Indecency with a Child – Sexual Contact, a second-degree felony. He was ordered to five years of community supervision and placed on the sex offender registry. He has been residing in Grand Prairie, Texas. United States of America v. Emmanuel Olugbenga Omopariola (N.D. Tex.).

These cases were investigated by ICE, CBP, and USCIS, and the Civil Division’s Office of Immigration Litigation, District Court Section (OIL-DCS). These cases are being prosecuted by OIL-DCS and its National Security and Affirmative Litigation Unit (NS/A Unit) with support from the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Southern District of Florida, Northern District of Illinois, Northern District of Texas, and Southern District of Texas.

The claims made in the complaint are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.