The woman, whose name is being withheld pending further investigation, is being treated at a hospital for the aftereffects of child birth.

A deputy is at her side, making sure she remains in custody until her medical release, said Jim Amormino, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Department.

Authorities found the woman when she entered a hospital for treatment Wednesday afternoon. She denied giving birth, but doctors alerted law-enforcement authorities when they concluded otherwise.

Anaheim police and sheriff's deputies hoped they would find the baby alive, but instead located the deceased infant just after 7 p.m. Wednesday in the dumpster in an alley next to the restaurant.

The woman had been dining at the restaurant Tuesday evening and may have given birth in the women's restroom, Amormino said. The baby was full-term and appeared to be healthy at the time of birth, he said.

Amormino said the crime was especially "senseless and barbaric" because women can legally surrender newborns "no questions asked" at a fire station or hospital, both of which were nearby.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

School bus driver sentenced for molesting and taking pornographic pictures of young girls

December 24, 2009

An Orange County school bus driver convicted of molesting and taking pornographic photographs of young girls was sentenced today to 151 years to life in prison, authorities said.

Terry Lee Shields, 55, of Buena Park, was convicted earlier this month on 15 felony counts, including kidnapping, forcible lewd acts on a minor child and using a minor for sex acts, according to the Orange County district attorney's office.

Shields lured his victims -- ages 5, 7, and 11 -- by gaining the trust of their families and in one case, promising a trip to Disneyland, prosecutors said.

He then molested the girls and had them pose for graphic photos, authorities said. Two of the victims were molested over a period of three years.

Shields, who was a bus driver for the Los Alamitos School District, was arrested in 2006 after he was spotted viewing child pornography at a Bellflower cyber cafe.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s investigators found numerous discs, videos and computer files of child pornography, including some featuring infants and toddlers, according to the district attorney. The images led authorities to the Orange County victims.

At the time of Shields' arrest, investigators called the case one of the most disturbing they had seen, remarking on the volume and graphic nature of the material found in his possession.

Investigators also found high-powered binoculars, digital cameras, elementary school identification cards, school yearbooks, Elmo dolls and other toys that Shields allegedly used in his crime.

The mother of one victim asked the judge at today's sentencing that Shields receive the maximum sentence, saying she may never know the full extent of the crime because her 5-year-old daughter has a mental disability, according to the district attorney.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/12/school-bus-driver-sentenced-for-molesting-and-taking-pornographic-pictures-of-young-girls.html#more

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

LAPD to deliver thousands of seized knockoff sneakers to the homeless

December 24, 2009

In the season of giving, authorities have come up with a way to help the homeless through items they have confiscated: about 10,000 pairs of counterfeit athletic shoes.

The shoes, which include knockoff Nike and Adidas sneakers minus the labels, were seized for trademark infringement by the Los Angeles Police Department's anti-piracy unit.

Beginning tonight, the LAPD, working in conjunction with the Los Angeles city attorney's office, plans to distribute the sneakers to 1,800 residents at the Union Rescue Mission downtown, as well as at several winter homeless shelters in Culver City, Glendale, downtown and West Los Angeles.

A rescue mission official now says the shoes will be distributed Monday.

"It's a very timely Christmas present," said Andy Bales, chief executive of the rescue mission. "Shoes and socks are one of the biggest concerns for people who are experiencing homelessness."

The gift was made possible by a new law that allows authorities to donate counterfeit goods to groups that help the homeless, provided they get approval from the owner of the trademark, said city attorney's spokesman Frank Mateljan.

The LAPD will distribute the shoes beginning tonight at the Union Rescue Mission after the traditional Christmas Eve steak dinner, Bales said. The mission will get a total of 5,000 pairs, and the remainder will be delivered next month to a shelter partnership to be distributed over the course of the year, Mateljan said.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Los Angeles crime rates plunge despite weak economy
Homicides decline to levels not seen since the 1960s. 'It's a different world,' Chief Charlie Beck says.

by Joel Rubin and Richard Winton

December 24, 2009

Crime in Los Angeles County dropped again in 2009 despite rising unemployment and the bad economy, continuing a slide that has pushed homicides to levels not seen since the 1960s.

Killings dropped about 17% in Los Angeles and by nearly a quarter in areas patrolled by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Together, the agencies investigated about 500 killings through Sunday -- a sharp drop in bloodshed compared with the more than 1,500 in 1992, the year of the Los Angeles riots.

"It is a different world," said Police Chief Charlie Beck, a 32-year veteran of the force. "There was a time when it was the opposite of today -- when it seemed there was no limit on the potential for things to get worse and worse. The whole outlook has shifted now."

The number of property-related crimes, such as burglary and theft, also declined generally this year, including a surprisingly large drop in the number of stolen automobiles.

The trend extended into other parts of Southern California and several major cities around the country. The Riverside County sheriff and San Diego County sheriff, as well as police departments in cities such as Anaheim and San Bernardino, reported declines. The San Diego Police Department recorded a 19% drop through November. New York City and Chicago each reported crime decreases of roughly 10%.

For the LAPD, the statistics marked the seventh consecutive year in which the rate of serious crimes has declined. Through Saturday, violent crimes, such as homicide, rape and robbery, fell about 10% compared with the same period last year, while burglary and other property crimes declined 8%, according to LAPD figures.

The Sheriff's Department, which patrols dozens of cities and unincorporated communities, reported similar results for the year, with overall serious crime down more than 11% through Monday.

The numbers represent nearly 20,000 fewer crimes handled by the LAPD and Sheriff's Department so far this year compared with last.

Homicides continued to tumble in the city of Los Angeles and in the sheriff's territory. Within city boundaries, 302 people had been killed by day's end Sunday -- 62 fewer than in the same period in 2008. The Sheriff's Department tallied 194 deaths, a 23% decline.

The totals are a fraction of the killings that occurred in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when the county had roughly a million fewer residents, but its urban core was in the grip of a crack cocaine epidemic and gang violence. Another prime marker of violence, the number of gunshots fired, was also down.

A curious and sharp drop in the number of auto thefts in Los Angeles as well as many other cities around the country pleasantly surprised police as well. The LAPD and Sheriff's Department investigated about 7,200 fewer car thefts -- a nearly 20% drop. Police and industry experts attributed the decline to many reasons, including improvements in anti-theft tracking devices, car design and targeted law enforcement efforts.

"Vehicles are getting much harder to steal. A few years back with all the old American cars it just took a screwdriver and some yanking. Any joy-rider could walk down the street and rip off a car," LAPD Cmdr. Andy Smith said.

Smith said he believes stealing cars also holds less cachet than it used to for teenagers who used to take cars for a thrill or to prove their mettle.

Southern California's widespread decline in crime may be due in part to the example set by the LAPD's long-running success under Beck's predecessor, Chief William J. Bratton, said George Kelling, a leading criminal justice scholar at Rutgers University.

"Where police chiefs might have been perfectly willing to say, 'It's the economy or something else and there's nothing we can do about it,' their bosses -- mayors and city councils -- now know they can and should expect reductions in crime," Kelling said. "There is now a pressure of, 'If you can't get the job done, we'll find someone who can.' "

The downward crime trend did not hold everywhere, however. In Long Beach, for example, crime remained virtually flat through October, but homicides climbed from 30 to 35. Violent crime in Santa Monica was down considerably, but a surge in property crimes there in the first months of the year meant the city will finish the year with an overall increase.

In Orange County, some cities patrolled by the Sheriff's Department saw a slight increase in some types of crimes. But overall crime in Orange County's unincorporated areas declined 4% through Dec. 1.

The overall progress made this year around the country further refuted a once widely accepted belief that crime rates rise amid economic downturns.

Criminologists have long puzzled over the effect the economy and society's ills have on crime rates. One explanation suggests that layoffs have resulted in an increase in the number of people remaining at home and serving as "guardians" against crime in their neighborhoods, Kelling said.

Richard B. Rosenfeld, president of the American Society of Criminology, added that the federal government's decision to extend unemployment benefits may have staved off some crime. And unlike the massive surge in crime during the economic turmoil of the late 1980s and early 1990s that was fueled, in part, by the explosion of crack cocaine sales, the current financial problems have not been accompanied by a dramatic influx of illegal narcotics, Rosenfeld said.

Kelling and Rosenfeld emphasized that much of the credit for the extended decline in Los Angeles belongs to the LAPD, which has continued to refine crime-fighting strategies and strengthen ties with community groups in neighborhoods where it was once viewed with distrust and hostility.

With city and county budget woes promising to worsen in coming years, however, Rosenfeld cautioned that the ability of the LAPD and Sheriff's Department to keep up the gains depends on whether elected officials manage to continue to fund the two agencies at levels that allow them to maintain their ranks and strategies.

"Smart policing is not cheap," said Rosenfeld, a professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. "Whether it will continue to succeed depends on whether communities can afford it."

Since being appointed last month, Beck has echoed that notion, warning that the department will not be able to sustain current crime levels, let alone improve on them, if budget cuts force the LAPD to shrink.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-crime24-2009dec24,0,6196129,print.story

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Planned luxury rehab center in West Hollywood has neighbors concerned
Some find the center's proximity to Santa Monica Boulevard's bars and clubs a paradox. Others express safety worries. The treatment center's backers underscore the advantages of an urban setting.

by Alexandra Zavis

December 24, 2009

Plans for a 27-bed West Hollywood rehab center have neighbors demanding to know how a luxury facility offering drug and alcohol treatment to an elite clientele could end up within blocks of one of the city's most famous nightlife scenes.

"We're half a block from all the bars and clubs on Santa Monica Boulevard, and there are drug dealers that trawl the neighborhood, especially at the weekend," said Norma Sandler, who has lived in an apartment on the same street as the proposed Klean West Hollywood treatment center for more than 30 years. "To put a drug facility right near all that is ridiculous."

Klean Chief Executive Andrew Spanswick said he and many of his staff live in West Hollywood and want to help find solutions to the city's methamphetamine and alcohol problems. Up to three beds will be available free of charge to people who cannot afford the fees, which will run up to $28,000 a month, he said.

Spanswick also argued that locating a treatment center within an urban setting could offer advantages over Malibu, Palm Springs and more isolated locales, which have been magnets for celebrities seeking 30-day detox programs.

"What happens when they come home?" Spanswick asked. "This idea that somehow treatment shouldn't be integrated into the community, I think is just a misnomer, and I think is one of the main reasons why there have been such poor quality outcomes. . . . It's a long-term chronic illness, and there has to be long-term, quality care."

High-end rehabilitation is a burgeoning business in a number of California cities. The trend is causing anxiety among residents, who fear declining property values, and increased crime and congestion -- not to mention paparazzi. In many cases, city officials say their hands are tied by state and federal regulations.

When Newport Beach passed an ordinance last year seeking to curb the number of sober-living homes in the densely populated waterfront community, several operators filed lawsuits accusing the city of discrimination. Recovering drug and alcohol users are considered disabled under the Americans With Disabilities Act and federal fair housing laws. The largest rehab outfit, Sober Living by the Sea, eventually agreed to cut the number of beds at its facilities by a third to settle its suit.

Klean's neighbors in the Norma Triangle section of West Hollywood said they were not informed that a treatment center was moving into their residential neighborhood until the company opened for business a month ago.

"Clearly there was a guerrilla game plan here, and then they get to hide behind the Americans With Disabilities Act," said Judson Greene, who has owned a home on nearby Dicks Street for 15 years.

Spanswick said Klean approached City Hall and offered to meet with local residents months ago, when it learned of their concerns.

Darryl Booth, Klean's operations director, said three recovering addicts are already living at the property, which is currently being run as a sober-living home. They occupy some of the nine leased apartments that share a shaded courtyard in the 800 block of Hilldale Avenue. On a recent tour of the premises, Booth showed off several renovated units, with sleek furnishings, flat-screen TVs and modern art on the walls. Klean has applied for a license from the California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs to begin offering treatment at the location, Booth said. The company already offers outpatient services from an office on Santa Monica Boulevard near La Cienega Boulevard that it hopes to move into a building that backs up onto Hilldale Avenue. The state only requires licenses for group homes that provide treatment on site.

West Hollywood officials met with Klean representatives Wednesday and will be reviewing the company's plans to determine what local codes apply, said Anne McIntosh, the city's director of community development.

Although Klean eventually hopes to fill 27 beds, Booth argued that it should be considered a residential property because no more than three people will occupy each apartment. According to state law, sober-living homes and licensed treatment centers that do not accommodate more than six people are to be treated as single-family residences. But in that case, Klean may need to comply with West Hollywood's rent-stabilization ordinance, McIntosh said.

Residents have called a community meeting on Jan. 10 to discuss their concerns with city officials.

Some neighbors worry that the center will change the tone of the Norma Triangle, which, despite its proximity to Santa Monica Boulevard and the Sunset Strip, is made up of leafy streets with million-dollar homes.

Joel Rothschild, who owns a next-door town house, said he was most concerned about the possibility that outpatient services could move into the area. He worries such a development would bring drug users and dealers into area streets.

"These people who are outpatients, a lot of them are court-ordered," he said. "I feel really unsafe."

Spanswick said three drug dealers had been living on the premises before his company took over, one of whom apparently committed suicide.

"We are actually bringing solutions to the neighborhood instead of just ignoring them and pretending that our neighbors don't have problems," he said.

Some residents welcomed the news.

"I think we need more of these kinds of facilities," said Katie Andrew, who has rented an apartment on Hilldale Avenue for almost four years. "I am going to graduate school in social work and I am a very big supporter of social services and helping people out."

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-rehab24-2009dec24,0,6139781,print.story

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

André Birotte Jr. nominated to be U.S. attorney

December 24, 2009

André Birotte Jr., who has served as inspector general of the Los Angeles Police Commission since 2003, has been nominated by President Obama to be U.S. attorney for the Central District of California.

“André Birotte Jr. is an outstanding candidate with strong support in the local community," Sen. Dianne Feinstein said in a statement today. The California Democrat said she had recommended Birotte to Obama, citing his qualifications, experience and ability to balance concerns of police officers and the community.

"His ability to command respect from all sides bodes well for his nomination to lead federal law enforcement efforts in the communities of the Central District,” she said in the statement.

If confirmed by the Senate, Birotte would be the first African American U.S. attorney for the district, which covers Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

A graduate of Pepperdine University's law school, Birotte first worked as a deputy public defender. In 1995, he joined the U.S. attorney’s office, where he investigated and prosecuted violent crime, fraud and narcotics trafficking cases.

After four years as a federal prosecutor, he joined a private law firm, specializing in white-collar crime and commercial litigation cases before being named inspector general for the Police Commission. There he oversees a staff of approximately 32 attorneys, auditors and former law enforcement officials overseeing the LAPD’s internal investigations.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/12/birotte-nominated-to-be-us-attorney-for-central-district.html#more

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Roman Polanski seeks $110,000 from magazines that ran photos of him under house arrest

December 24, 2009

Roman Polanski, under house arrest in Switzerland, is suing two French magazines for publishing photos the director feels infringed his privacy.
French media organizations reported earlier this week that the famed director launched the suit after the publications ran photos of him as he moved into his Alpine chalet to serve house arrest in connection with his three-decade old sex case.

According to Agence France-Presse, Polanski's argued that the photos violated his privacy rights. AFP quoted unnamed French legal sources.

Polanski was arrested three months ago in Zurich and faces extradition back to Los Angeles to face sentencing for having sex with a 13-year-old girl. Earlier this month, Swiss justice officials moved Polanski from prison to his home at a Swiss ski resort, where he is under electronic monitoring.

He was met by an army of paparazzi.

Polanski is seeing $110,000 in damages from the magazines, AFP reported.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pope knocked to the floor at Christmas Eve Mass
Pope Benedict XVI, tackled by a woman who reportedly tried a similar stunt last year, is unharmed. He proceeded to lead the Mass in St. Peter's Basilica.

by Tracy Wilkinson

December 25, 2009

Pope Benedict XVI tumbled to the marble floor of St. Peter's Basilica on Thursday night after a woman tackled him on his way to preside over Christmas Eve Mass.

Benedict lost his gold-trimmed miter and staff when the woman grabbed the front of his robe and pulled him to the floor. He was not harmed, quickly recovered and was able to go ahead with the Mass.

Spectators and the pope's security personnel, however, were startled, with gasps audible as black-suited guards shoved aside acolytes to reach the fallen pontiff.

There were reports that the woman, dressed in a red hooded jacket, had attempted to pull a similar stunt last year.

The woman was described by Italian news agency ANSA as confused and agitated. The agency said she was being held by Vatican security and quoted her as saying she merely wanted to embrace the pontiff.

Father Federico Lombardi, the pope's spokesman, told reporters that the woman, who jumped a security barrier in the center aisle of the cavernous basilica to crash the procession, was "apparently unbalanced" emotionally.

It was the second time in two weeks that a major figure has been attacked in Italy -- although technically, Vatican City, though located in Rome, is not part of Italy.

On Dec. 13, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was clobbered by a mentally disturbed man wielding a metal statue of the cathedral of Milan. Berlusconi, who suffered a broken nose and teeth as well as a bruised ego, is taking a couple of weeks off to recover.

The assault gave rise to much soul-searching over the hate-filled, polarizing nature of Italian politics.

But in the case of the 82-year-old pope, Thursday's incident seems not to be a political act but the misguided work of an overzealous, and perhaps mentally impaired, pilgrim. Other questions would be raised, however, if she turns out to be the same woman who at last year's Mass also attempted to breach security barriers.

In the kerfuffle Thursday, another senior cleric, 87-year-old Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, was also knocked to the ground. He suffered a broken leg and was hospitalized.

The pope's security is omnipresent and generally well-trained. There have been lapses -- the late Pope John Paul II was shot in St. Peter's Square in 1981 -- but inside the basilica, guards probably considered themselves to be on safe ground. Worshipers must pass through metal detectors to enter the church.

The Vatican this year moved up Christmas Eve Mass, traditionally held at midnight to mark the birth of Jesus, by two hours, citing Benedict's fatigue during a busy holiday season.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fg-pope-mass25-2009dec25,0,7409219,print.story

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Illinois couple save $25,000 for a selfless Christmas gift
The pair, who live a lifestyle of doing without in order to give to others, raised the money to match donations at five charities.

by Sara Olkon

December 25, 2009

Reporting from Chicago

Suja Thomas, who wears holey socks, isn't giving her husband anything for Christmas. When Scott Bahr proposed to Thomas in spring 2008, he offered her a red plastic heart in place of an engagement ring.

The couple's intense frugality is by design. Their idea is to save as much as possible in order to give more to those in need. This Christmas, the pair raised the stakes: Thomas and Bahr pledged to give up to $50,000 of their own money to five charities by matching donations from others.

As of Thursday afternoon, they had raised about $25,000. Although short of their goal, that still means five charities will split a minimum of $50,000. The Champaign, Ill., couple launched their campaign Nov. 23; it ended Thursday. But the couple said they would continue to encourage the spirit of giving through their website, thegiveblog.

"In our lives, we have been looking for the next thing to make us happy -- a new bike, a new shirt, going to the movies, going out to eat, cable, or the next vacation," the couple's mission statement says. "We have discovered that we obtain the most fulfillment in our lives from looking beyond these daily cravings to what our money can do for people who are in need."

The couple can afford a comfortable life. Thomas, 43, is a law professor at the University of Illinois. Bahr, 41, also works at the university, as a controls programmer in the facilities and services department.

The choice stems from their own love story. In 2007, the pair met on a mission trip to a poor township in South Africa. They bonded on the last day, when Thomas and her mother took the last two seats on a bus for a group outing to the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg. Thomas, who had been helping people find jobs, ended up next to Bahr, who had been building homes.

The couple married in June 2008, coming together at a time when both were questioning the consumer culture.

"Even as a kid, I remember every Christmas thinking, 'My life is going to be changed when I have this new present.' Of course, my life was never changed," Thomas said.

The scale of their commitment to changing their lifestyle kicked into high gear when children in South Africa asked for their bottled water.

Of course, the couple still struggles with their choice.

They disagreed, for example, about buying a new toaster after theirs broke: Bahr wanted a new one, but Thomas said they could just use the stove. When two strangers who had heard about their effort to raise money and live frugally donated toasters, Thomas insisted she and her husband give the gifts to a family who needed them more than they did.

"When you are being challenged, I'd love to say that it is easy and we are always happy," Bahr said. "Sometimes it is hard."

Then there are the immediate benefits, like not having to shop for Christmas presents or worry about whether your clothes are in style.

Thomas said she used to love to buy coats. Her mind-set about shopping has completely changed.

"It's just so freeing not to be thinking about that," she said. "I don't care anymore."

In the last year, as far as Thomas can recall, Bahr bought a pair of jeans and she bought two pairs of hiking pants. She also bought Bahr a T-shirt for his birthday. The couple are debating whether it's time to pick up some new socks.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-na-charity-couple25-2009dec25,0,3755227,print.story

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kenya widow opens arms to abandoned child
Living in a Nairobi slum, she adds a newborn found in a plastic bag to her brood of four children and seven orphans. The problem of abandoned infants is significant in Africa, activists say.

by Robyn Dixon

December 25, 2009

Reporting from Nairobi, Kenya

Agnes Awori is hurrying to the market, early afternoon. She sees a cluster of perhaps two dozen people on the railway track. Probably the usual thing, she thinks: someone killed by a train.

The 53-year-old widow, who lives in the Kibera slum outside Nairobi, doesn't have time to waste: She has 11 children to support -- four of her own, the rest her dead sister's. But she can't resist the twinge of curiosity tugging her to the tracks.

Turns out it isn't a body, just a plastic shopping bag. It's been lying there at least four hours, someone tells her.

It moves.

"It was a human being," Awori says. "He was just dumped there, with his umbilical cord. He was naked, as he'd just been born."

Awori's heart sings. She will save this baby.

As she gently picks him up and cuddles him, the women in the crowd laugh at her. She carries him away, a stream of ridicule and laughter pealing in her ears.

"Some said, 'Don't you have work to do?' Others said, 'You can't leave your work for that. You can just sell that child for 10 shillings.'

"I didn't care," she says. "It hurts my heart to see a human being thrown away."

She calls the baby Moses.

Child abandonment is disturbingly common in urban townships and slums in many cities across Africa. One of Awori's neighbors rescued a baby girl from a pit latrine. Awori says unwanted infants are often dumped in the river next to the slum. Many of the babies don't survive.

There are no statistics on child abandonment in Kenya or South Africa: Some infant corpses are probably never found. But anecdotal evidence from charities involved in child rescue suggests it is common.

"It doesn't happen sometimes. It happens a lot," says Tahiyya Hassim of New BeginningZ, a child rescue charity she set up eight years ago in Pretoria, South Africa, after a car accident left her wondering what she had contributed during her life.

In March 2008, Hassim established an anonymous drop-off point in Pretoria called the Wall of Hope where mothers could abandon babies without repercussions.

"Before I put the wall, it was a case of the police phoning me on a weekly basis, saying, 'We have found another dead baby in a dustbin or a park or a toilet,' " Hassim says.

Since then, 17 babies have been abandoned at the wall. The number of dead infants found in the area by police has declined, says Hassim, who has interviewed many young women about why they left children to die.

"They are often so desperate they don't have any alternative," she says. "A lot of the girls we spoke to said how horrible the treatment was that they got from social workers at state clinics. The social workers tell them, 'You made the baby, now deal with it.'

"Often girls have been raped by relatives like brothers or fathers."

She recently created a second drop-off point, but faces opposition from the government's Department of Social Development, responsible for child welfare, which told her she was encouraging women to abandon their children.

"We are just trying to prevent children from dying in the street," Hassim says.::

Sixteen months after she rescued the baby on the train tracks, Awori sits in her one-room shack. She rocks constantly, Moses dozing peacefully in her arms.

Thirteen people live behind the red curtain in the doorway of Awori's shack. Moses is the youngest. The oldest child is 15.

The room is divided in two by a blue drape. Behind it lies the bed where the widow sleeps with the smaller children. The bigger ones sleep with her neighbors.

A rusted bicycle frame is suspended under the roof, holding a bundle of firewood for cooking. In one corner, she has pinned some cardboard religious paintings, like a shrine.

A daughter, Elizabeth, cuts Swiss chard into thin strips for sale at their vegetable stall. They have fewer customers since election violence in late 2007 and early 2008, many of their best ones having moved away.

Awori relies on credit from shopkeepers to feed the family. She makes about 200 shillings (about $2.65) a day and has accumulated about 10,000 shillings (about $132) in rent and food debts in the last two years. She keeps sinking further into debt.

"I am just praying that God will open his own way for me," she says.

Awori says that when her children get older, she'll work hard and repay the shopkeepers and landlord, in installments.

"I'm happy in my life," she says, still rocking Moses. "I'll bring him up well, like these other orphans. Everyone has their own talents in life."

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fg-mother-child25-2009dec25,0,1180910,print.story

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EDITORIAL

A big step forward for Mexico City
Its new law permitting same-sex couples to marry and adopt children is a triumph of tolerance over prejudice, and of equal rights over discrimination.

December 24, 2009

The bloody drug war has reinforced Mexico's image as a macho country with a taste for violence. It was, therefore, particularly heartening this week to hear that Mexico City once again has bucked the stereotype and placed itself at the forefront of social change in Latin America, passing a law permitting people of the same sex to marry and adopt children. This is a triumph of tolerance over prejudice, of equal rights over discrimination. It is a step toward fighting institutional and sometimes physical violence against homosexuals, because it says that gays and lesbians are just like everyone else.

Mexico City had already allowed same-sex couples to enter into civil unions. Now, prompted by the leftist majority of the city's legislative assembly, the definition of marriage has been changed from a union between a man and a woman to a "free union between two people." That means that all married couples regardless of sexual orientation will be allowed to inherit property, share insurance benefits and take out loans together, as well as adopt children. Mayor Marcelo Ebrard of the left-of-center Democratic Revolution Party is expected to sign the law in the coming weeks, as he did previously with a controversial bill legalizing abortion in some cases.

As the cultural capital of Latin America, Mexico City has long been more progressive than most of the region. Mexico remains a largely traditional society, and there is strong opposition to the changes from the dominant Roman Catholic Church and President Felipe Calderon's conservative National Action Party, which has threatened to challenge the gay marriage law as unconstitutional in Mexico's Supreme Court. Gay rights activists believe constitutional protections against discrimination will prevail, but know they'll face a legal challenge and a public debate. "We will have to defend this," said legislator David Razu.

They also must be mindful of a potential backlash of the sort that followed the abortion bill. Since Mexico City liberalized its abortion laws in 2007, a majority of the nation's states have passed legislation declaring that life begins at conception, and antiabortion champions are seeking a nationwide constitutional ban.

The struggle for equal rights for gays and lesbians has not been easy anywhere, and Mexico is no different. It is unlikely that many states, if any, will follow Mexico City's lead in the near future. And hostility and prejudice cannot be erased with one law. Nevertheless, this is a tremendous advance for the millions of residents of the capital, including same-sex couples, who may soon begin receiving the rights and respect they are due.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-mexico24-2009dec24,0,3948499,print.story

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From the Daily News

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

L.A. police chief protests felons buying body armor

Associated Press

12/24/2009

Los Angeles police Chief Charlie Beck has sent an open letter to California's attorney general urging him to appeal a recent court ruling that overturned a ban on felons wearing or owning body armor.

In his letter, released Thursday, Beck told Attorney General Jerry Brown he thought the decision gave violent criminals the upper hand.

California passed the ban in 1998 following a deadly shootout between police and heavily armored bank robbers in the streets of North Hollywood.

The ensuing gunbattle left the two robbers dead and 10 police officers and five other people injured.

The 2nd District Court of Appeals last week overturned the ban, saying it was unconstitutional because the definition of body armor was too vague.

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_14065880

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From the Washington Times

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

'Historic' health care bill passes Senate

by Stephen Dinan

In a vote resonating with history, Senate Democrats early Christmas Eve morning passed their version of health care reform, advancing the issue further than ever before in the nation's history and setting up a bruising stretch-run to get a final bill to President Obama next year.

"It's about people, it's about life and death in America. It's a question of morality, of right and wrong," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat. "It's about human suffering, and given the chance to relieve this suffering, we must take this chance."

The measure passed with all Democrats and the two independents who caucus with them in favor, and all Republicans who voted opposed. Sen. Jim Bunning, Kentucky Republican, didn't vote, with a spokesman citing "family commitments."

The party-line 60-39 vote is the midway point legislatively for the bill. It must now be reconciled with a very different House measure. Major sticking points remain, including how to treat federal payments for abortions, whether to force insurance companies to compete with a government-run public health plan and which taxes to raise to pay for the changes.

Both sides in those debates have drawn lines they say they will not cross. But Mr. Reid and his House counterpart, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have been remarkably successful in maneuvering their bills through the legislative minefield, particularly in the Senate, where Mr. Reid needed to wheel and deal to keep all 60 members of his caucus on board and defeat repeated filibuster attempts.

The Senate bill would extend health coverage to 31 million more people by 2019 at a cost of $871 billion - though thanks to tax increases and spending cuts, it could end up saving the government money. It requires individuals to buy insurance, offers subsidies to low- and middle-income families to buy coverage and forces insurance companies to stop denying coverage on many grounds, such as pre-existing conditions.

In full Senate tradition, senators voted ceremonially from their desks, one after another intoning "Aye" or "No" as the clerk called their names.

"This is for my friend, Ted Kennedy - Aye!" said Sen. Robert C. Byrd, West Virginia Democrat, honoring the Massachusetts senator and staunch universal health care supporter who died this summer, leaving the Senate to work on the issue as a legacy to him.

But Republicans predicted the vote would resonate loudly outside the Senate chamber.

"I guarantee you, the people who voted for this bill are going to get an earful when they finally get home," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican, warned the Senate in the moments before the vote.

"An earful of wonderment and happiness," Mr. Reid retorted.

Democrats have been trying to expand health care coverage since President Truman. The most recent attempt was early in the Clinton administration, when legislation died without seeing floor votes in either chamber.

Thursday's vote marked the high point of the charge - never before has legislation passed both chambers.

"These are not small reforms; these are big reforms," Mr. Obama said at the White House after the vote. "If passed, this will be the most important piece of social legislation since the Social Security Act passed in the 1930s and the most important reform of our health care system since Medicare passed in the 1960s."

Lobbying on the measure, already intense, will only grow.

Already the American Medical Association, which praised Thursday's vote, said the bill needs fixes to stop medical payment boards from meddling with doctors' decisions, while the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which opposed passage, said the upcoming negotiations between the House and Senate offer a chance to "start over."

Republicans have been monolithic in opposing the measure, calling it a "historic mistake" and arguing it falls short on Mr. Obama's principles of allowing people to keep their insurance if they like it, and on reducing the long-term portion of gross domestic product that goes to health care spending.

Sen. Olympia J. Snowe, Maine Republican, who had been courted by Mr. Obama as a potential supporter and who voted for a health care bill in committee, gripped the edges of her desk as she voted against the new version on the floor.

And having argued with her votes earlier this week that the measure is unconstitutional, she has probably sealed off any opportunity to sign onto a bill later, no matter what the changes.

Republicans point to polls that show a clear majority of voters oppose what Democrats are doing on health care reform - though Democrats say when they get a chance to explain themselves, those polls will turn around.

"I believe that the negativity that leader McConnell and others have continually displayed on the floor has peaked, and now, when people learn what's actually in the bill and all the good it does, it's going to become more and more popular," said Sen. Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat.

The Democrats who wrote the House version of health care legislation praised the Senate for acting, but those plaudits masked the difficulty of reconciling the two bills.

Sens. Ben Nelson, Nebraska Democrat, and Joe Lieberman, Connecticut independent, who are linchpins of the Senate deal, have said they cannot accept the public health option that liberal House Democrats have demanded be in the bill.

And Mr. Nelson and Rep. Bart Stupak, Michigan Democrat, have insisted pro-life language preventing federal taxpayers' money from being used to pay for abortions be included in any final bill - something other Democrats in both chambers say they will try to lift.

An early-morning motorcade delivered Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. to the Capitol to preside over the vote, which lasted a little more than 10 minutes - possibly the quickest roll call vote the Senate held all year.

Mr. Reid had the goof of the day. When the clerk called his name he initially voted "No," setting the entire chamber laughing. The embarrassed Democratic leader corrected himself, and the clerk pointedly repeated his "Aye" vote.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/dec/25/health-care-bill-wins-senate-ok//print/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Obama salutes nation's military

by Darlene Superville

ASSOCIATED PRESS

President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama offered Christmas wishes to the nation Thursday, including a special thanks for the U.S. military. They urged Americans to help support military families this holiday season.

In his weekly radio and Internet address, Mr. Obama said serving as commander in chief has been his greatest honor as president. He saluted the "selfless spirit" of those who serve and said he has been "humbled, profoundly" by those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

"So to all our men and women in uniform spending the holidays far from home - whether it's at a base here in the states, a mess hall in Iraq or a remote outpost in Afghanistan - know that you are in our thoughts and our prayers," the president said in a message released two days early because of Christmas. "And this holiday season - and every holiday season - know that we are doing everything in our power to make sure you can succeed in your missions and come home safe to your families."

Mrs. Obama recalled her visits with "military spouses doing the parenting of two" to keep their households together.

"But even these strong military families can use a hand, especially during the holidays," she said, her first time sharing the president's weekly address. "If you live near a military base, you can reach out through your workplaces, your schools, your churches.

"There are so many ways to help - with child care, with errands, or by just bringing over a home-cooked meal," Mrs. Obama said.

For service members serving around the world, the president added that children can send greeting cards and adults can send care packages or prepaid phone cards. He directed listeners to the White House Web site "for more ways to let our troops know you care."

Even in these tough economic times, Mr. Obama said, there's still much to celebrate this Christmas, including the birth of Jesus.

"The love of family and friends. The bonds of community and country. And the character and courage of our men and women in uniform who are far from home for the holidays, away from their families, risking their lives to protect ours," he added.

Mr. Obama left the White House on Thursday morning, along with his wife and their daughters, Malia and Sasha, for the family's traditional Christmas vacation in Hawaii, where he was born.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/dec/25/obama-salutes-nations-military//print/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ill. Senate hopefuls bite bullet on gun control

by John O'Connor

ASSOCIATED PRESS

U.S. Senate candidates in Illinois walk carefully when discussing gun control, with most stressing support for the right to bear arms even if they favor some restrictions.

Gun ownership has been an ongoing issue in federal elections in Illinois, with officials trying to reduce violence in Chicago - where handguns are banned - on one side, and downstate hunters and sportsmen who oppose restrictions on the other.

Five Democrats and six Republicans, along with a Green Party candidate, are vying for their party's nomination Feb. 2 to run for the Senate seat once held by President Obama. Some of the candidates responded to an Associated Press questionnaire about guns.

Democrat Cheryle Jackson, on leave as president of the Chicago Urban League while running for the Senate, said she wants to revive the federal ban on assault-style weapons, which expired in 2004, a position echoed for the most part by her Democratic rivals.

Most Republicans, on the other hand, oppose an assault-weapons ban. The GOP's leading candidate, U.S. Rep. Mark Steven Kirk, did not mention assault weapons in his response to the Associated Press questionnaire, but called for "sensible measures to reduce illegal gun violence." He did not specify what he meant by "sensible."

Miss Jackson said gun violence is rooted in inequalities in education and a lack of jobs for blacks. Earlier this month, her campaign released an ad calling for an end to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan so leaders are able to focus on problems at home.

"Gun violence becomes an occupational hazard of working in the only industry hiring in some communities - the illegal gun trade," said Miss Jackson, the only black candidate running for the seat. "Violence thrives on poverty and despair."

Alexi Giannoulias, the state treasurer and front-runner in the February Democratic primary, didn't call outright for reinstating the assault-weapons ban. But, he said, "No one needs a semiautomatic weapon on the streets of Chicago, and no convicted felons or domestic abusers need a weapon anywhere in Illinois."

A federal appeals court upheld handgun bans in Chicago and suburban Oak Park in June.

Mr. Giannoulias also wants to close a "loophole" that allows gun buyers to avoid a background check on some gun purchases, wants measures to keep guns from children who shouldn't have them, and opposes allowing concealed guns in national parks, a law that takes effect next year.

Democrats David Hoffman, a former Chicago inspector general, and Jacob Meister, a Chicago lawyer, said they support the Second Amendment right to bear arms, but would back a ban on assault weapons.

"I would support some additional restrictions that focus on the urban gun violence problem without impinging on legitimate Second Amendment rights to own guns and use them for hunting and other traditional purposes," Mr. Hoffman said.

He also said he supports anti-violence programs like one he helped introduce when he was a federal prosecutor. Called "Project Safe Neighborhoods," it coordinates enforcement of existing laws, targets gun trafficking and combines efforts by law enforcement agents and local leaders to keep felons in high-crime areas away from guns.

Mr. Meister said "reasonable restrictions on the purchase and use of firearms, including assault weapons" are needed, particularly in urban areas. He did not specify what he meant by "reasonable" rules.

Republican candidates, however, see things differently.

Kathleen Thomas, a historical researcher in Springfield, opposes any restrictions.

"Criminals will always have access to weaponry," Mrs. Thomas said. "Why would we ever want to limit the law-abiding citizen from having firearms?"

GOP candidates Patrick Hughes, Hinsdale developer, and Andy Martin, a lawyer and talk-show host, also oppose a federal ban on assault weapons and emphasize their support of the right to keep and bear arms.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/dec/25/senate-hopefuls-bite-bullet-on-gun-control-in-illi//print/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EDITORIAL

The war on Christmas escalates

THE WASHINGTON TIMES

Mariah Jordat, 8, was reading her Bible during quiet time at Madison Park Elementary School in Oldbridge, N.J., when her teacher told her to put the book away. Mariah put her Bible under her desk, but that wasn't away enough. The teacher banished the book to the student's backpack. The persecution hurt her feelings and confused her, said Michelle Jordat, the little girl's mother. "Why would my teacher say that I can't read the Bible when I'm not bothering anybody else?"

It's ridiculous for a school to forbid a child, let alone one at such an impressionable age, to read the Bible during her free time, as the principal now admits. The school's mission statement says it wants to develop a child's uniqueness - an effort that can't likely be achieved by squelching her reading interests. If anything, Mariah ought to be applauded for the extraordinary maturity she probably has for someone of such a tender age, but in too many places, it would be more likely that she would be forced into remedial "diversity" training.

Little Mariah isn't alone. Earlier this month, a Massachusetts second-grader was suspended after drawing what his school said was a "violent" picture of Jesus Christ on the cross. Before he was permitted to return to the classroom, the boy had to undergo a psychiatric evaluation at his family's expense.

He missed three days of school, and after the evaluation found no psychological "issues," the boy reportedly was so traumatized that school administrators approved the father's request to transfer the child to another school.

The sad part is that the teachers and administrators in both schools may have been acting in accordance with everything they were taught during their own politically correct educations.

The heavy-handed teacher in one may well have assumed that Bible reading was not permitted in a government school, and the other simpleton may have been confused into thinking the crucifixion represents violence instead of redemption.

And that is exactly the problem. The war on Christmas and Christianity isn't a conspiracy. It has become a culture. Ignorance of and indifference to the role of Christianity as a foundation of our nation and the civilization we have inherited are often more common and insidious than hostility.

It all starts with those whose hostility to America's Christian roots leads them to file lawsuits and rewrite history to make religion a threat to our rights instead of a guarantor of those rights. However, the people who are misled and just follow along are far more numerous.

In that culture, it isn't a fluke that a teacher merely assumes that a child isn't supposed to be reading the Bible in school. It's OK for school classes to sing about President Obama and how he's going to save the world, but it's not OK for schoolchildren to sing Christmas carols in honor of a quite different savior.

With every passing year, the grinches of political correctness seem to drive the wedge between Christianity and our culture just a little bit deeper. These days, too often, they don't even have to do their own dirty work. They have schools do it for them.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/dec/25/the-war-on-christmas-escalates//print/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From the Wall Street Journal

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pakistan Seeks Terror Charges for 5 Americans

Associated Press

ISLAMABAD -- Pakistani police are pursuing terrorism charges against five detained American men, police said Friday, a move that could complicate efforts to bring the men back to the U.S. where they could also land in the courts.

The case has bolstered fears that Americans and other Westerners are heading to Pakistan to link up with al Qaeda and other militant groups, and it could test a U.S.-Pakistani relationship already made brittle by demands in the war in neighboring Afghanistan.

The young Muslim men, who are from the Washington, D.C., area haven't yet been formally charged with any crime. However, police are now alleging that the men were collecting and attempting to collect material to carry out terrorist activities in the list of recommended charges to be presented to a court, police official Nazir Ahmad said. Those charges fall under sections of Pakistan's antiterrorism law.

The men appeared before a magistrate in the Punjab province town of Sargodha on Friday. Police were given 10 more days to hold them and further investigate, said Ansar Ahmad, another Sargodha police official. The five were arrested in Sargodha earlier this month, but are being held in Lahore, the provincial capital.

Police earlier accused them of trying to link up with militant groups and intending to go fight in Afghanistan. The detainees are accused of using the Facebook and YouTube Web sites to try to connect with extremist groups in Pakistan and are said to have established contact with a Taliban recruiter.

Officials in both countries have said they expected the men would eventually be deported back to the U.S., but the latest development muddies the picture on when that would happen.

The men were picked up by Pakistani authorities after their worried families in the U.S. turned to the FBI to track them down.

Pakistan officials have said those detained included three Pakistani Americans, two Ethiopian Americans and an Egyptian American named Ramy Zamzam who is a dental student at Howard University in Washington. The others were identified as Waqar Hussain, Aman Yamar, Ahmad Abdul Mimi and Umer Farooq. Pakistani officials have given various spellings of their names.

FBI agents have been granted some access to the men. The agency is looking into what potential charges they could face. Possibilities include conspiracy to provide material support to a terrorist group.

Pakistan is under U.S. pressure to do more to root out militant groups that use its soil to plan attacks against Western troops across the border in Afghanistan.

Early Friday, the Pakistani army used helicopter gunships to kill at least nine suspected militants and destroyed their hideouts in the northwest's Orakzai tribal region near the Afghan border, government official Mohammed Yasin said.

Many Pakistani Taliban fighters are believed to have fled to Orakzai since the army launched a major offensive against them in the South Waziristan tribal region in October.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has also hinted the army will pursue a full-scale offensive in Orakzai. The U.N. says around 40,000 people have already fled the region.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126173531535705233.html#printMode

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From the Department of Justice

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

December is Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month

December 22, 2009

by Tracy Russo

The post appears courtesy of The Office of Justice Programs

December’s designation as “National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month” is a reminder of the tragic consequences of alcohol and drug related auto crashes and deaths. Impaired driving is no accident. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) it’s a serious and deadly crime that kills every 30 minutes.

Because of the severe consequences of drunk and drugged driving, especially during the holiday season, it is important to have a coordinated, three-tiered approach involving federal, state, and personal commitment. NHTSA and its partners offer an array of toolkits and resources to help plan and implement comprehensive programs to make communities safer and healthier. Visit stopimpaireddriving.com for more information.

Within the Department of Justice, the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) provides support to programs enforcing underage drinking laws. In 2009 OJP granted over $20 million to towards those efforts.

Federal and state agencies are working hard to reduce alcohol and drug related accidents—are you?

Prevent drunk and drugged driving by making responsible choices, such as:

“National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month” is about celebrating life; join the celebration by promoting drunk and drugged driving awareness in your community.

For more information about impaired driving, underage drinking laws, and December’s prevention campaign, please visit the following sites:

http://blogs.usdoj.gov/blog/archives/489

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nashville, Tennessee, Woman Sentenced on Sex Trafficking Charges

Cristina Andres Perfecto of Nashville, Tenn., was sentenced late yesterday in federal court in Memphis to 190 months in prison for sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, sex trafficking of a juvenile and conspiracy.

Perfecto pleaded guilty on Aug . 28, 2007, to two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion and sex trafficking of a juvenile in the Western District of Tennessee, as well as one count of conspiracy in the Middle District of Tennessee.

Perfecto’s co-defendant, Juan Mendez, was sentenced to 50 years in prison on June 27, 2008, after pleading guilty to child sex trafficking and sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion. Perfecto and Mendez each admitted to fraudulently luring two young girls, including a 13 year-old, from rural Mexico to Tennessee with the intent of forcing them into prostitution. Both further admitted that Mendez, with Perfecto’s assistance, physically, verbally, and sexually abused the victims in order to coerce them into prostitution.

Nine other defendants had earlier pleaded guilty in this same case for crimes including: child sex trafficking, conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens, conspiracy to commit money laundering, enticing an individual to travel in interstate commerce to commit prostitution, and violating the Mann Act.

"This defendant lured vulnerable victims to the United States under false pretenses and coerced them into sexual slavery, depriving them of their freedom, their dignity and their civil rights," said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. "We will continue to aggressively prosecute individuals who engage in coercive sexual exploitation."

Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Parker for the Western District of Tennessee and Trial Attorney Jonathan Skrmetti from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case. The investigation was led by Memphis FBI Agent Tracey Harris and Memphis U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Agent Greg Swearngin. They were assisted by ICE agents in Nashville, the Memphis Police Department, the Nashville Police Department and FBI and ICE agents from around the country who lent their expertise to the investigation. Catholic Charities, the Salvation Army, the YWCA, and World Relief have assisted the victims and witnesses in this matter.

.