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• Pope encourages protection of children from abuse

  May 5, 2013 10:31 AM

  VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis is calling for courageous defense of children to protect them from abuse. Francis made no mention of the church scandals in many countries in which clergy abused children and hierarchy covered up for them. At a Mass he celebrated Sunday in crowded St. Peter's Square,... more »

• Man wanted for domestic abuse in Ascension Parish

  February 5, 2013 2:53 PM

  DONALDSONVILLE - A man accused of forcing his way into his girlfriend's home in Ascension Parish, then attacking her, is on the run this afternoon. Deputies say Romel Julien, of Donaldsonville, got into a fight with his girlfriend when she was able to get away and dial 911. ... more »

• Deputy fired after domestic assault arrest

  January 3, 2013 6:35 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office fired a veteran detective today after they arrested him in suspicion of beating his girlfriend. EBRSO Spokesperson Casey Rayborn Hicks said deputies arrested Michael Abernathy, 35, today on the charge of domestic abuse battery. Abernathy worked at the sheriff's... more »

• Criminal cases made Pa. AG hand over NCAA suit

  January 3, 2013 3:09 PM

  STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Pennsylvania's attorney general says she granted Gov. Tom Corbett the authority to file a federal antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA because her office is currently prosecuting three Penn State administrators. Attorney General Linda Kelly told The Associated Press on Thursday that "an actual conflict of interest... more »

• Huge slaughterhouse settlement reached

  November 16, 2012 11:52 AM

  FRESNO, Calif. - The humane society says a landmark $500 million settlement has been reached in a slaughterhouse abuse case that led to the biggest meat recall in U.S. history in 2008. The federal civil court settlement announced by the Humane Society of the United States on Friday is the... more »

• CAA funding up for debate at Metro Council Play Video

  November 14, 2012 5:20 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The Companion Animal Alliance is in line to get more than $500,000 for shelter operations, but first Metro Council members want CAA to answer to allegations of mismanagement and abuse of animals. East Baton rouge Animal Control and Rescue said they've heard several allegations of abuse... more »

• Feds drop sex abuse case against Syracuse's Fine

  November 9, 2012 10:33 AM

  SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Federal officials are dropping their investigation of sexual abuse claims against former Syracuse University assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine. They said Friday they found no evidence to support a man's accusations that Fine molested him in 2002 in a Pittsburgh hotel room when the team played there.... more »

• Allegation of abuse at animal shelter Play Video

  October 30, 2012 5:42 PM

  BATON ROUGE- An investigation by Animal Control alleges the Companion Animal Alliance, who runs the parish's animal shelter, committed some form of animal cruelty while caring for sick and injured dogs & cats. The allegations come from employees of the shelter who say at least two dogs weren't euthanized... more »

• Sandusky: "my wife has been my only sex partner"

  October 8, 2012 9:42 PM

  STATE COLLEGE, Pa- Monday evening former Penn State Assistant Coach Jerry Sandusky released a recorded message from jail. It was played on Penn State's Com-Media radio station. "In my heart I know I did not do these alleged disgusting acts, my wife has been my only sex partner and... more »

• Parents accused of forcing kids into plastic boxes

  August 3, 2012 12:35 PM

  STEUBENVILLE, Ohio - A couple from eastern Ohio has been charged with forcing their children into plastic storage boxes as a form of punishment. A prosecutor told local media outlets that the couple used duct tape to seal their three children, ages 5, 7, and 8, inside the plastic storage... more »

• Thousands call in to child abuse hotline Play Video

  July 13, 2012 5:47 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Department of Children and Family Services officials are calling a new hotline to report abuse a success, after taking more than 100,000 calls since it started a year ago. Anonymous tipsters can call in 24 hours a day seven days a week. On the other end of... more »

• W. Va. woman denies abuse charges against husband

  July 13, 2012 12:26 PM

  RIPLEY, W.Va. - The wife of a West Virginia man accused of torturing and abusing her for years says he did not intentionally hurt her. Stephanie Lizon testified Friday at a preliminary hearing for her husband, 37-year-old Peter Lizon. She denies allegations that Peter Lizon bound her with chains. She... more »

• Report: Penn St. officials concealed sex abuse to avoid bad publicity

  July 12, 2012 2:27 PM

  PHILADELPHIA - An internal investigation into the child sex abuse scandal that rocked Penn State concludes that top school officials, including longtime football coach Joe Paterno, hushed up allegations against Jerry Sandusky for fear of bad publicity. Former FBI Director Louis Freeh says the investigation he headed found that "the... more »

• Report on Sandusky internal investigation to be released today

  July 12, 2012 7:06 AM

  STATE COLLEGE - Joe Paterno's son Jay says the family is eagerly awaiting the release of Penn State's internal investigation into the Jerry Sandusky scandal and wants "the truth to come out." Asked today if he would have an open mind about the conclusion of the investigation by former... more »

• PSU report on sex-abuse scandal due out Thursday

  July 10, 2012 2:55 PM

  HARRISBURG, Pa.- A Penn State investigation into whether university officials helped cover up that Jerry Sandusky was molesting children will be released Thursday. The review is being led by former FBI director and federal judge Louis Freeh. Freeh on Tuesday announced the time frame for the release of the report.... more »

• Defense: I would be shocked if Sandusky acquitted

  June 22, 2012 5:02 PM

  BELLEFONTE, Pa. - Jerry Sandusky's lawyer says an acquittal of his client on all charges would be "a shock," as jurors deliberate the former Penn State assistant football coach's fate on 48 criminal counts. Joe Amendola told reporters inside the Centre County Courthouse that Sandusky was spending time with his... more »

• Bail denied for father accused of abusing kid to death

  June 18, 2012 10:38 AM

  BATON ROUGE- State District Judge Trudy White ruled the father of Xzayvion Riley will be held in Parish Prison without bail. Michael Robertson did not appear in District Court today. Instead, his hearing was done via video conferencing. The child's mother, Lavaughn Riley, is scheduled to have her... more »

• Tips to spot, stop child abuse Play Video

  June 14, 2012 5:52 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A day after two parents were arrested for child cruelty, state leaders want you to know about a tool that can help prevent child abuse. The Department of Children and Family Services offers a 24/7 hotline that you can call when you suspect abuse, 1-855-4-LA-KIDS. ... more »

• Penn State sex-abuse charges inspire new La. laws

  June 9, 2012 11:08 AM

  BATON ROUGE- A sexual abuse scandal that rocked Pennsylvania State University has resulted in new laws in Louisiana to penalize those who fail to report allegations of child sex abuse and to protect those who do. Lawmakers say the measures were inspired by the Penn State scandal that rocked the... more »

• Penn State making workers report abuse allegations

  June 8, 2012 2:59 AM

  STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Penn State has instituted a new policy requiring all employees to report suspected child abuse to state authorities. The policy announced Thursday also requires annual training for any staffer in a position to report abuse. A school spokeswoman says the policy goes beyond current Pennsylvania law,... more »

• German teen alleged abused in Bosnia is recovering

  May 29, 2012 12:32 PM

  KARAVLASI, Bosnia-Herzegovina - The mother of a young German woman rescued by police in Bosnia is denying that her daughter was isolated, forced to eat with pigs or suffered other abuse by her husband and his other female partner. The spokesman for the prosecutor's office, Admir Arnautovic, said the 19-year-old... more »

• Checking Out: Food Stamp Fraud airs tonight at 10 Play Video

  May 10, 2012 5:21 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The State Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control (ATC) says millions of your tax dollars are being wasted on people abusing food stamp cards. "These food stamps that are meant to buy food for families and children are being used to buy alcohol and tobacco," said... more »

• Abuse scandal continues to take toll on US church

  April 10, 2012 5:37 PM

  NEW YORK (AP) - Roman Catholic dioceses and religious orders received nearly 600 credible clergy sex abuse claims last year. All but a few of the allegations involve wrongdoing from decades ago that is only being reported now. The findings released Tuesday are part of an annual child safety report... more »

• Funeral home sex abuse investigation

  April 6, 2012 11:42 AM

  LONGVIEW - A Washington funeral home employee has been cleared by police of sex abuse allegations. The employee, still working at the funeral home, had been accused of fondling a deceased woman's breasts. The Washington State Department of Licensing investigated Columbia Funeral Services. A female employee told police that she... more »

• Judge delays Sandusky sex-abuse trial by 3 weeks

  March 29, 2012 2:55 PM

  HARRISBURG, Pa. - The judge overseeing the Penn State child sexual abuse case has delayed former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky's trial by three weeks. The judge agreed to postpone the trial from mid-May to June 5. His decision came in response to a group of motions filed a week... more »

• Senate Committee approves child sex abuse bill Play Video

  March 27, 2012 2:20 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A bid to toughen Louisiana law that requires people to report child abuse is advancing in the Legislature, in response to the allegations of sexual abuse of boys involving a former Penn State University assistant football coach. A proposal by Sen. J.P. Morrell, of New Orleans, headed... more »

• LA school in sex abuse case gets entire new staff

  February 9, 2012 7:11 AM

  LOS ANGELES - Students will be greeted by new teachers when they return to class at a Los Angeles elementary school rocked by the arrests of two longtime teachers on lewdness charges. Miramonte Elementary School will reopen Thursday, two days after the nation's second-largest school district closed the campus to... more »

• Teacher arrested for choking, dragging student

  October 20, 2011 10:29 AM

  BAKER - Baker police arrested a teacher Wednesday for choking and dragging a six-year-old at Bakerfield Elementary. Mildred Russ was charged with one count of cruelty to a juvenile and booked into East Baton Rouge Prison. According to witnesses, Russ immobilized the six-year-old child by wrapping her legs... more »

• Disabled Man Abused

  September 15, 2011 7:16 PM

  Authorities in Florida say a caretaker forced a mentally disabled man to stand barefoot in a fire ant hill as punishment for stealing some money. Quentin Amos is charged with abuse of a disabled adult. Deputies in Plant City say Amos thought the man stole from the staff of the... more »

• BRPD: Triple murder suspect should have been in jail

  September 12, 2011 5:53 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Police said just three days before Courtney Williams was accused of shooting and killing three women and injuring another man, authorities issued a warrant for his arrest on kidnapping charges. Williams turned himself in Sunday to investigators in connection with the shooting Saturday afternoon in the... more »

• No charges against Ascension Parish Planning Commissioners

  August 4, 2011 5:47 PM

  DONALDSONVILLE - Ascension Parish District Attorney Ricky Babin says there will be no charges filed against two members of the Parish Planning Commission accused of abusing their positions. Houmas House Plantation owner Kevin Kelly says commissioners Daniel Saterlee and Milton Clouatre, Jr., asked him to back a parish zoning... more »

• Saints DE arrested in Lafayette

  November 27, 2010 12:36 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Saints defensive end Will Smith was arrested in Lafayette on simple battery and domestic abuse. According to Cpl. Paul Mouton with the Lafayette Police Department Smith and his wife got into a dispute just after 2 a.m. Saturday morning, while leaving a night club. Mouton says police... more »

• Clinton home has until Monday to appeal closure

  November 14, 2010 10:31 AM

  BATON ROUGE - A state official says a military-styled group home for abused, neglected or delinquent children will be shut for good if owners don't appeal the decision by Monday. Trey Williams, spokesman for the state Department of Children and Family Services, says that on Friday, director Brandi Phipps had... more »

• Teen group home slated to lose license

  November 12, 2010 6:13 PM

  CLINTON - State officials say the Challenge and Development Center in Clinton will lose its license Monday, unless it appeals the decision. According to the Department of Social Services, the center for 32 troubled teens ranging in age from 12 to 17 did not report repeated abuse at the... more »

• Group home in Clinton may lose license

  November 12, 2010 9:59 AM

  The Challenge and Development Center for teen boys in Clinton is slated to lose its license from the State of Louisiana if it does not appeal by Monday. Department of Social Services Spokesman Trey Williams told News 2 the department hand-delivered the letter to the center, which cites abuse,... more »

• Man faces additional rape, molestation charges

  November 1, 2010 5:22 PM

  ST. MARTINVILLE - Update: Two young boys have come forward about being sexually assaulted by a man who authorities arrested last Tuesday in connection with another sexual abuse case. 61-year-old Phillip Miller Jr. is now charged with two counts of aggravated rape and two counts of molestation of a juvenile.... more »

• Man arrested after alleged sexual abuse of juvenile

  October 27, 2010 5:23 PM

  A man was arrested Tuesday after authorities said he sexually abused a young girl. 61-year-old Phillip Miller Jr. was arrested after authorities learned of the alleged sexual abuse. They said the incidents occurred from 2007-2009. Miller was booked into the St. Martin Parish Correctional Center and charged with four counts... more »

• La. tops domestic abuse rankings

  October 25, 2010 5:29 PM

  Louisiana is four times above the national average when it comes to domestic abuse incidences and domestic violence related murders. Meanwhile, women's shelters statewide are facing serious budget cuts. Calls to Capital Area Family Violence Intervention Center keep coming in, but money to provide help to abused women doesn’t.... more »

• Teen group home cleared out amidst abuse allegations

  October 22, 2010 6:56 PM

  The Challenge and Development Center in Clinton sits empty, all except for staff, after the Department of Social Services ordered all students out while it investigates allegations of abuse. According to DSS, staff members have been chronically under reporting abuse allegations. In August, DSS said two residents got... more »

• Schriever man faces life in prison for child rape

  September 30, 2010 7:21 AM

  A Schriever man was convicted of sexually abusing a child, and now he faces life in prison. Kim Crochet was found guilty of aggravated rape following a two-day trial in state district court in Houma. He was accused of repeatedly having sex with a girl when she was between... more »

• Man arrested for aggravated rape

  September 28, 2010 4:14 PM

  A man was arrested earlier today for aggravated rape of a teenage girl, according to authorities. Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office said 33-year-old Kevin Paul Price, Gray, was arrested after authorities began an investigation yesterday evening in reference to aggravated rape. The teenage victim’s parent told authorities her daughter had been... more »

• Woman accused of abusing 11-year-old girl in Livingston

  September 24, 2010 6:50 PM

  A Holden woman arrested in a child abuse case involving an 11-year-old girl is charged with two additional counts. Livingston Parish deputies said 32-year-old Lisa Faber didn't just know about the shackling of the child to a desk but was involved in it. Faber was arrested Tuesday night, along... more »

• Woman accused of abusing 11-year-old girl

  September 24, 2010 9:12 AM

  A Holden woman arrested in a child abuse case involving an 11-year-old girl is charged with two additional counts. Livingston Parish deputies say Lisa Faber didn't just know about the shackling of the child to a desk, but was involved in it. Faber was arrested Tuesday night along with the... more »

• Authorities say abuse of 11-year-old reported previously

  September 22, 2010 10:31 PM

  An 11-year-old girl is in safe care after her father was arrested for abusing her in Livingston Parish, but school officials said they had reported the abuse before. School officials said they reported suspected abuse of the child since she was in third grade. Investigations into the previous reports... more »

• Sheriff: 11-year-old girl chained to desk, weighed 56 pounds

  September 22, 2010 6:28 PM

  Two people in Holden were arrested after deputies said they found an 11-year-old girl seriously underweight and chained to a desk in their home. Perry Rushing with the Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office said they were investigating an anonymous tip when they discovered the abuse and arrested the girl's father,... more »

• Sheriff: 11-year-old girl chained to desk, weighed 56 pounds

  September 22, 2010 10:24 AM

  Two people in Holden were arrested after deputies said they found an 11-year-old girl seriously underweight and chained to a desk in their home. Perry Rushing with the Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office said they were investigating an anonymous tip when they discovered the abuse and arrested the girl's father,... more »

• EBRSO arrests man after vehicle, foot chase

  September 17, 2010 11:04 AM

  Sheriff's deputies have arrested a man in East Baton Rouge after he fled from the in a car, and then on foot. According to Casey Hicks with EBRSO, a tip had been called in early Friday morning from someone who knew where they could find Ben Jones, who was... more »

• EBRSO: Deputy fired after arrest in Baton Rouge

  September 14, 2010 1:22 PM

  Update : Baton Rouge Police said they have arrested an East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's deputy in suspicion of handcuffing his wife to the headboard of their bed. According to a press release, police were called to the home of 30-year-old Brison Gremillion in North Baton Rouge around 10:20... more »

• Domestic abuse suspect hit by car while fleeing EBR deputies

  September 7, 2010 11:11 AM

  A man accused of domestic abuse is in the hospital after deputies in East Baton Rouge Parish said he was hit by a vehicle while running from law enforcement. Twenty nine-year-old Christopher Griffin is facing more than a dozen different charges, including several domestic abuse battery charges and fleeing from... more »

• Pedestrian struck while trying to run from police

  September 6, 2010 10:07 PM

  A man is in the hospital tonight after being hit by a vehicle while trying to run from police. East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office said deputies responded to a domestic abuse call on El Scott Avenue around 9:20 p.m. Authorities said the man involved in the domestic abuse... more »

• Pontchatoula man accused of abusing elderly father

  August 31, 2010 11:53 AM

  A Ponchatoula man has been arrested in suspicion of abusing his elderly father, according to authorities. The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office arrested 47-year-old Jack Bennett, Jr., on Monday for charges of cruelty to the infirm. Sheriff Daniel Edwards said in a press release that their investigation began when an anonymous... more »

• Notarized documents detail alleged abuse by ex-priest

  August 1, 2010 11:04 PM

  Notarized documents News 2 obtained show what appear to be a "confession" surrounding sexual abuse allegations by an ex-priest. Springer worked in the Diocese of Baton Rouge for 12 years. Court records show he was fired in 1985 after numerous complaints of inappropriate contact with children. At least... more »

• YWCA of NW Louisiana disbands

  June 22, 2010 9:29 AM

  The YWCA of Northwest Louisiana no longer exists after its board voted Monday night to dissolve the nonprofit. The group needed $150,000 to keep operating homes for 22 abused women and children. Several others were evicted from homes earlier this month because the Y could not pay their rent. Bail... more »

• Shreveport YWCA to vote on closure Thursday

  June 15, 2010 7:22 AM

  The interim head of the Shreveport YWCA says its board probably will consider dissolving when it meets on Thursday. Interim Executive Director Judi Bishop says it would take a miracle to avoid the vote. She says the YWCA has a yearly budget of about $900,000, but she says it needs... more »

• Journalists seek Scouts' files on abuse suspects

  June 14, 2010 2:34 PM

  News organizations in Oregon have requested more than 1,000 files on suspected child molesters to be released. The records were used by a jury in April when it found the Boy Scouts of America liable for $20 million in damages. The Scouts say the judge shouldn't release them... more »

• Man gets life for deadly child abuse

  May 28, 2010 7:37 AM

  Jeffery Paul Denby will spend the rest of his life in prison for the death of 18-month-old John Thomas Anthony Brewer. Denby was convicted of first-degree murder last week. Denby told investigators that he spanked the boy after the child turned over a bassinet that held his 3-month-old daughter. Denby... more »

• Pedophile ex-priest Gilbert Gauthe out of jail

  April 26, 2010 2:53 PM

  A priest convicted of molesting children in one of the first of the modern church abuse scandals is out of jail after serving two years for violating the Texas sex offender registration law. The Daily World reports 64-year-old Gilbert Gauthe was released last week from Galveston County jail, where... more »

• Irish bishop resigns, British Catholic leaders apologize

  April 22, 2010 6:29 AM

  An Irish bishop resigned after admitting he didn't challenge the Dublin church's policy of covering up clerical sex abuse. The Vatican says the pope has accepted the resignation of Bishop James Moriarty of Kildare under a code of canon law that allows bishops to resign if they are ill, or... more »

• Vatican makes clear bishops must report sex abuse

  April 12, 2010 9:27 AM

  The Vatican has for the first time made it clear that bishops and other high-ranking clergy should report clerical sex abuse to police. The Vatican has insisted that this has long been the Catholic Church's policy. But in a new guide for lay readers posted Monday on its Web site,... more »

• Couple indicted in abuse of child

  April 9, 2010 9:41 AM

  A Calcasieu Parish grand jury has indicted a Lake Charles couple after deputies reportedly found the man's 9-year-old son malnourished and confined to a room. The American Press reports 27-year-old Jaime B. Day was indicted on three counts of second-degree cruelty to a juvenile and five counts of cruelty to... more »

• Guilty pleas end family wide sex abuse case

  April 7, 2010 7:35 AM

  A pair of defendants have pleaded guilty to sex abuse charges, bringing the final convictions in a case that began five years ago and led to arrests that spanned multiple generations of a family. The Courier reports that Bud Barnes, the Terrebonne Parish prosecutor who handled the case, said Curtis... more »

• Man accused of raping child in Avoyelles Parish

  January 12, 2010 6:08 AM

  A 24-year-old Mansura man has been booked with raping a 6-year-old. Avoyelles Parish Sheriff's deputies say the suspect, Tyrone Murray is an acquaintance of the child's family, a member of whom filed reports in December about suspicious behavior between Murray and the child. Based on the investigation, deputies say the... more »

• Sex abuse found at La. juvenile sites

  January 11, 2010 6:17 AM

  Louisiana fell somewhere in the middle of the pack in a federal study on how much sexual abuse occurs at juvenile secure care facilities nationwide. According to the report released by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, almost all of the allegations made in Louisiana were from teenagers accusing staff members... more »

• Bishop sex abuse case settled

  October 15, 2009 10:35 AM

  A 45-year-old man who claims he was sexually abused as a boy by former Baton Rouge Bishop Joseph Sullivan settled his lawsuit against the Roman Catholic dioceses of Baton Rouge and Corpus Christi for $225,000, the man's attorney said. The case had been set for trial this week. The Diocese... more »

• Child abuse in Hattiesburg

  October 3, 2009 11:50 AM

  A four-year-old boy is in critical condition and five people arrested. They are charged with felony child abuse. Hattiesburg police say an anonymous tip led to the arrests. Nine other children were removed from a Hattiesburg home which neighbors decribes as filthy with graffiti. A medical exam showed the child... more »

• New OxyContin pill approved by panel of experts

  September 24, 2009 8:44 PM

  A new version of the painkiller OxyContin may be one step closer to hitting the market after a federal panel of experts recommended it for approval to the Food and Drug Administration. The new pill is supposed to be harder to abuse. It uses a plastic-like coating designed to... more »