Parents Track Sex Offender Homes for Halloween

(NEWSER) - An international pedophile gang that preyed on infants through teens has been convicted in a groundbreaking case in Scotland that sentenced lawbreakers for the first time for conspiring to carry out sex attacks, reports the Times of London. The eight men will be imprisoned for an indefinite period until they are judged to no longer be a threat. The judge blasted their "utterly horrific" crimes, often carried out against the children of friends. More than 100 men have been linked to the gang. More»

(NEWSER) - An Argentine man fathered seven children with a daughter in sex attacks that began when the girl was 8, new DNA evidence proves, reports the BBC. Armando Lucero, 67, had claimed the girl, now 35, was not his biological daughter. He is currently on trial for incest and sex assault, and faces up to 50 years in prison if convicted. His daughter finally went to police when she feared her father was about to attack one of their children. More»

Robert Edward De Shields must also register as sex offender

(NEWSER) - A wheelchair-bound California parolee has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexually assaulting an eight-month-old Chihuahua. He must also register as a sex offender in what could be the first such requirement in an animal abuse case. Robert Edward De Shields was renting space in a Sacramento house when the homeowners returned to find him with their Chihuahua, Shadow, "in pain and shock," reports the Los Angeles Times. A veterinarian examined the Chihuahua, and discovered the dog had suffered severe damage to its internal organs. More»

Bernie Fine's employment terminated, 'effective immediately'

(AP) - Syracuse University has fired associate head basketball coach Bernie Fine in the wake of an investigation of child molestation allegations against him. "At the direction of Chancellor Cantor, Bernie Fine's employment with Syracuse University has been terminated, effective immediately," the school's senior vice president for public affairs said in a statement. The 65-year-old Fine was in his 36th season at his alma mater. He had the longest active streak of consecutive seasons at one school among assistant coaches in Division I. More»

Scout leader bounced back and forth from BC to California

(NEWSER) - Boy Scout officials in Southern California failed to report a child-molesting Scout leader who went on to rape children in Canada, the Los Angeles Times reports. Former Scout leader Rick Turley starting molesting Scouts in British Columbia in the 1970s. He even kidnapped one, served time, and re-enlisted as a Scout leader in Southern California. When he molested three more, parents refused to press charges, and he was allowed to return to Canada—where he worked as a Scout leader and continued to attack children. More»