Articles Posted in Sexual Abuse

Jared Fogle became famous as a spokesperson for the Subway sandwich restaurant chain when he lost a significant amount of weight by switching from junk food to eating only Subway. What came as a surprise to many was a news story that broke in July of this year, when FBI and local police searched Fogle’s Indiana home in relation to a child pornography investigation, after which the former pitchman’s public image irreversibly changed.

Today in Federal Court in Indianapolis, Fogle pleaded guilty to charges of of possession of child pornography as well as having sexual contact with minors as part of a plea deal cut with prosecutors. He is expected to serve up to 12 years in prison.

Nothing can reverse the devastation caused to victims of childhood sexual abuse and their families. While criminal laws are meant to protect the public from these types of horrible acts, victims may also be entitled to compensation from their abusers.

The Will County Sheriff’s office reported that a teacher’s aide at Lincoln Way West High School in Suburban New Lenox was charged with two counts of criminal sexual assault of a female student who was between the ages of 13 and 17.

The aide allegedly communicated with the underage student through social media before having sexual contact with her at his home.

There are several statutes in Illinois that provide immunity to schools for certain types of legal claims. However, under certain circumstances, courts have allowed cases to proceed pursuant to exceptions to the immunity statute. For example, a school board may be liable for willful and wanton acts in relation to a failure to supervise school activities.

Prosecutors in Winnebago County, Illinois have charged David Seaton, 51 a Winnebago resident with as many as 11 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse as well as one count of predatory sexual assault.

Seaton was first charged with one count related to a 3 year old victim at his wife’s home-based day care business. The additional charges came after four other children came forward.

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is currently directing operation of the day care. Seaton’s wife is not suspected of any crimes and her day care has currently been allowed to stay open.

Gov. Quin signed a new bill into law on Monday that, beginning on June 1, 2015, would make posting sexually explicit videos and photos of other people online without their permission a Class 4 felony, punishable by up to 3 years in prison as well as fines as high as $25,000.00.

The law is meant to crack down on a frightening trend known as “revenge porn,” where x-lovers post images on the internet of what were intended to be kept private as a way of retribution.

Cyber-bullying can have devastating consequences for victims. Because of the highly personal and embarrassing nature of these cases, Illinois law also provides the possibility of seeking court approval to file lawsuits using a fictitious name to avoid allowing a person harmed by this type of harassment from having their name being part of a public record. Acting quickly and immediately contacting an experienced attorney is an important step in seeking to hold perpetrators accountable for their actions.

The School District Board for Gavin School District 37 in Ingleside, IL are suspending without pay pending a formal dismissal hearing Michale Vucic, a Gavin teacher who has been charged with childhood sexual abuse of a student.

The Board also voted to let two other teachers go for allegedly not reporting suspicions of the abuse to authorities.

Under Illinois law, teachers are considered Mandated Reporters who are responsible for reporting suspected child abuse to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS).

A number of people have come forward with accusations that a Highland Park chiropractor sexually abused his patients during their sessions. According to the Lake County prosecutor’s office so far three people have come forward. Prosecutors are asking anyone who believes they were victims of inappropriate and unwanted contact to contact the Highland Park Police Department or the Lake County State’s Attorney’s office.

The chiropractor, Kevin Dutton, age 38, has been charged with one count of criminal sexual assault and two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, both are considered felonies.

To speak directly with Attorney Joseph Klest about this or related topics, please call 866-264-7639, or click here, to schedule a free consultation.

Authorities are calling it one of the largest local round-ups of internet child pornography traffickers. Among those arrested were a Rabbi, a little league coach, police officers, and nurses and the victims ranged in ages from newborn to 17. The investigation that led to the arrests was conducted by a joint team from the Department of Homeland Security as well as the NYPD.

To contact attorney Joseph Klest, please, click here, or dial 866-264-7639 to reach the Klest Injury Law Firm.

© Joseph Klest, 2014.

In a 5 to 4 decision yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Paroline v. United States, ruled that defendants convicted of possessing child porn may be held liable to the victims depicted in the images for restitution.

The main issue before the Court was whether a single defendant could be held liable for all of the victim’s damages. Here is where the Court drew the line, with Justice Kennedy writing that a victim should receive, “restitution in an amount that comports with the defendant’s relative role.”

The Paroline case involved a victim known as “Amy,” whose uncle sexually abused her as a child and posted pictures of the abuse on the internet. The defendant, Paroline, pleaded guilty to possessing the victim’s images in Federal Court and “Amy’s” attorneys sought $3.4 million dollars in restitution from the defendant pursuant to the Violence Against Women Act, that provides restitution penalties for child pornography.

Illinois lawmakers recently passed a bill that would extend the time limit for criminal charges to be brought in childhood sexual abuse cases. Currently under Illinois law, prosecutors have a 10 year period in which to charge bring charges for such a crime. The new proposal will do away with this time limit in cases where the victim was a child at the time of the abuse. The bill still needs the approval of Illinois Governor Pat Quinn before it becomes law.

Please follow our blog for updates on this story.

If you would like to contact attorney, Joseph Klest, regarding the issue of childhood sexual abuse, please, click here, or dial 866-264-7639, for a free consultation.

Frankfor, IL pediatrician, Kishor N. Jain, is facing civil and criminal charges stemming from allegations that he sexually abused patients during office visits. State officials decided to continue withholding Jain’s license following his refusal to testify at a suspension hearing.

The suspension will continue pending the outcome of Jain’s criminal case, however, if he is found guilty of a sex crime, his license will be automatically revoked.

Many people place great trust and reliance on medical professionals to care for the health and well being of their patients. A violation of that trust can result in unmeasured devastation to families, especially when it comes to children. Victims of sexual abuse often don’t know where to turn. Attorney Joseph Klest has spent over 30 years representing victims of neglect in the State of Illinois. He was a co-author of the 2003 Child Protection Act, which lengthened the Illinois statute of limitations allowing sexual abuse victims more time to claim civil damages in certain cases.