Assaults and Sexual Crimes 05/21/2023

(May 18) Woman Accused Of Attempted Kidnapping Outside Church On Mother’s Day Denied Bond | Daytona Beach, FL

A judge denied bond Wednesday for a woman accused of trying to kidnap a 6-year-old girl in Daytona Beach on Mother’s Day.

Police say Salimah McCann, 30, was arrested on unrelated charges Tuesday, before being arrested for kidnapping and battery.

Investigators said McCann tried to snatch the little girl from her mother as they were walking home from church on Mother’s Day.

Police said McCann was “very jealous” and wanted to separate the mother and daughter. Investigators also said McCann is a military veteran with a long history of criminal and mental health issues.

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(May 16) Former Youth Pastor Accused In Decade Long Abuse Against Teens 

In an interview only on 13, one woman says she let a former youth pastor into her home before she found out he allegedly molested multiple teens over a span of 10 years.

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(May 15) Southern Baptist Embroiled Over Allegations of Sex Abuse by Clergy and Staff | Chicago, IL

The trust that parishioners have historically had in religious organizations has been strong. However, over the past several decades, allegations of sexual abuse throughout many denominations have caused many to give pause before blindly trusting clergy or staff. One of the most recent sex abuse scandals involves the Southern Baptist Convention. According to recent reports, members of the Southern Baptist Convention (“SBC”) have recently started to come forward to openly discuss the sexual abuse they were subjected to.

What makes this scandal different from some of the others that have arisen over the past few years is that both adults and children appear to have been targeted.

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(May 15) Ohio Priest Convicted Of Sexual Abuse of Minors

Parish priest Michael Zacharias, 56, was convicted on five counts of sex trafficking by a federal jury in the Northern District of Ohio last Friday.

Zacharias has been on administrative leave from the Diocese of Toledo since he was arrested on Aug. 18, 2020. His crimes, committed between 1999 to 2020, involved three victims, two of whom were still minors when Zacharias began abusing them.

The former pastor now faces a minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of life in prison.

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(May 14) Rebekah Vardy Accuses The Church Of Covering Up Her Sexual Abuse

Rebekah Vardy has made a documentary about her experience of sexual abuse as a Jehovah’s Witness. 
Rebekah Vardy has accused the Jehovah’s Witnesses of covering up the sexual abuse she suffered as a child at the hands of a fellow Church member.

Ms Vardy, the wife of Leicester City and England star Jamie, also claims the church has failed to protect other children from predatory men within its ranks.

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