Safe Kids

Jashon Williams

MARLENE NICOLE GONZALEZ

SHANIYA NICOLE DAVIS

ETHAN FERNANDO ELLIS

1  Associated Adults

CARLA ISABEL VELASCO Missing from: TX Missing Since: Oct 17, 2009 Age Now: 37 View Poster

ARACELY CARRILLO

Operation “No Treats” was launched Wednesday which prohibits sex offenders of St. Johns County from handing out candy, wearing any kind of costume or attire that will be entertaining or enticing to little kids, and they must put up signs on their doors that say “NO CANDY HERE” unless they are not home.  Violators will face up to 60 days in jail and a $500 dollar fine. Each and every sex offender has been personalized by sheriff deputies warning them of their rescriction of participating in any children’s Halloween activities.  Each sex offender was also equipped with their own ‘No Candy Here’ sign to ensure they are able to fully follow these regulations.

Kevin Kelshaw, sheriff’s spokesman said the deputies will be monitoring the sex offenders on Halloween.  “Our officers have touched base with all our registered sex offenders this week and made it clear what is expected of them,” he said.

There are surprising numbers of sex offenders throughout Florida according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement:

• St. Johns County: 178
• Duval County:        1,667
• Clay County:          315
• Nassau:                  129

With Halloween right around the corner, now is the perfect opportunity to check out where registered sex offenders live in YOUR area and places you plan on visiting if you haven’t already.  “It is best that parents look at the Offenders Watch Web site to know where the [sex offenders'] homes are in their neighborhood,” said Jacksonville Sheriff’s office spokeswoman Melissa Bujeda.  It is super important  to let you older kids know about this as well, to show them the site and if they are going alone to stay in a big group and to never separate and go off alone.

Remember that Halloween can be a time of scary fun, but don’t let the horror become a reality.

References

1. The Florida Times Union, Thursday October 29, 2009

2. jacksonville.com

3. historiccity.com

3. Picture

7 year-old Somer Thompson’s terrible murder is known nationwide.  This first grader was walking home with her twin brother and older sister from Grove Park Elementary in Orange Park on October 19 when she ran ahead and out of their site.  This was the innocent beginning that led to a horrific ending..  Two days later, missing Somer’s body was found in a landfill in Folksville, GA.  This has caused great grief across the country, and Clay County Rick Beseler greatly fears for his community and warns residents that there is a “child killer on the loose.”

Somer was a wonderfully creative and outgoing little girl, and her parents said she loved giving hugs and dancing.  Her memorial service was completely created for her, with purple balloons and flowers galore.  Somer’s favorite color.  Reverend David Tarkington led this beautiful memorial service at the First Baptist Church of Orange Park Tuesday.  He told of memories the family had talked about with him and how amazing she was.  Such as her Girl Club Parties with Grandma, where Grandpa was stuck on the back porch so they could do ‘girl things.’

Reverend David said many beautiful words during the memorial.  “Every tear that has been cried has been collected by God,” he said to the Thompson family and many other friends, family, and supporters.

Mother Diena Thompson and father Samuel Thompson both have a lot to cope with, their own struggles as well as their two other children.  Here are the words Reverend David provided for their rightful anger towards the murder, “You don’t want your anger to take the joy that you had with her for seven years.”  I could not have come up with a more clear and encouraging way of putting things.

Once the memorial was over, there were hundreds of supporters watching her wooden casket be carefully taken to a place of rest.  A biker foundation has been created called Rockers Against Sexual Predators.  It was founded by Bikers and was inspired by Somer, to help promote changes in laws regarding sex offenders.  They will have annual concerts in her name, and the first is scheduled for November 15.

A little after 12:30, hundreds of people in town released purple balloons into the sky as as the procession passed them by.  Florist Pam Wolbert, the woman who contributed so many beautiful flowers, stated as the balloons rose above, “Maybe she’s up there, and she’s gonna grab it.”

Beseler and investigators were still working Monday on the case, but had been keeping a low profile until the memorial was over.

“As long as it takes, we are going to find whoever did this,” Beseler states.

Remember, the kids must feel so terribly and feel it is their fault.  As an adult it seems impossible to deal with this, and at the emotional maturity level they are at who knows what this will do to them.  This family needs to stick together more than ever.  Our prayers and hearts will be with the Thompson family.

References

1. The Florida Times Union, Wednesday, October 28, 2009

This incomprehensible crime is VERY real and we will stop the people who are doing this.  Monday official authorities announced the rescue of 52 abducted children nationwide and the lock down of nearly 700 people involved in the capturing and selling of these children!  This is great news, hopeful for these children and others. This was a nationwide crackdown on child prostitution, an act pushed by the Innocence Lost National Initiative.  This organization was founded in 2003 to address child sex trafficking in the U.S., and has already rescued nearly 900 children, led to the conviction of 510 pimps, madams and their associates, and seized $3.1 million in assets, according to the FBI.  The authorities who participated in this investigation, now called Operation Cross Country, included FBI Officials, Police Agencies throughout the country, representatives of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and they said the arrests were the results of investigations in 36 cities!  Awesome, this is so great that children are such a priority.  Remember, the people who are doing this were kids once too, so we need to raise kids so that they do not follow these, and other terrible walks of life.

The arrests are “extraordinary, almost historic,” said Ernie Allen, president of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, in an interview. “It’s an incredible model. I think it’s working. We’re having an enormous impact on this business.”

“It is repugnant that children in these times could be subjected to the great pain, suffering, and indignity of being forced into sexual slavery for someone else’s profit,” Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer said in a statement. “But Cross Country IV has shown us that the scourge of child prostitution still exists on the streets of our cities.”

FBI has been working in sync with this organization hard core to track down these traffickers and to locate the kids.

Allen claims the internet is their “greatest tool,” allowing quick communication between the authorities, but then on the flipside it is just as effective for the sex traffickers.  they are able to sip a coffee in the Starbucks corner table while communicating about their next sale and profits.  He also says that most of the children rescued have been girls, usually around 12 years of age.  Sadly, he estimates that there are roughly 100,000 children left in the hands of these monsters, who are pushing their ‘business’ due to the down economy.

Again, this may be hard to read but we need to know how serious that world is out there against our kids.  According to a study done by the Klaas Kids Foundation(nonprofit established to help find and rescue missing children), within 48 hours, 1/3 of kids who runaway from home are lured into prostitution or pornography.  The Klaas Kids Foundation also estimates that between 1.6 million and 2.8 million kids run away every year..

Alright, so let’s step it up!  We see that there IS hope, and that kids DO NOT have to suffer prostitution and pornography!  We are here to help.

References

1. bostonherald.com

2. Picture

Sex Offender George Edward Theragood

52-year-old George Edward Theragood was sentenced to at least 120 years before he even has a CHANCE at parole.  This menace was convicted on two counts of sexual assault of a child and two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child by the jury in the 435th state District Court.  He received a maximum fine of $40,000 for sexually assaulting a female in his household over a four-year period.

His prosecutors Jim Prewitt and Darla Faulkner were able to present evidence of Theragood sexually assaulting a girl between the ages of 12 and 15, and because of the seriousness of this case all of his different violations are to be stacked.  The child even testified in court.

“If there was any time to stack (sentences), it was this type of case,” Faulkner said. “It takes a lot of courage to confront what happened to her, especially when it was your biological father who committed such crimes,” Faulkner said.

The Theragood case was a “terrible case which the jury obviously took very, very seriously,” County District Attorney Brett Ligon stated in a press release. “When a jury assesses four maximum sentences against a sex offender, they are clearly saying that this individual is not fit to ever be restored to the community.

“Judge Reiter listened to that message and ordered the sentences to be stacked. We can all breathe a large sigh of relief that Mr. Theragood is going to spend the rest of his life in prison,” Ligon said.

Sex Offender William Pond

31-year-old William Pond was sentenced for life for sexually assaulting his 12-year-old stepdaughter over a 4 year period starting when she was 5 years old.  She testified to this as well.  Pond committed these acts while on probation for felony possession of marijuana in Chambers County. Although Freyer sought “stacked” life sentences, he said Pond received the “functional equivalent” of a life sentence.

“We’re happy with the hard work of the jury and Judge Hamilton. We commend them for stepping up and doing the right thing under very stressful circumstances,” Freyer said.

A first trial of Pond in 2008 ended in a hung jury.

“We (Freyer and co-prosecutor Sheri Culberson) worked extremely hard on this case,” Freyer said. “We brought in a number of witnesses.”

Devastatingly, the victim’s mother testified that in February of 2006, she returned home from running errands to find this horrible man under the blankets naked with her naked 9-year-old daughter on the living room floor.

…

I am at such a loss for any part of my heart right now, it is totally broken for these two amazing little girls.  At this very second this is happening to more of our kids, I can barely keep up my spirits enough to face it.  I can only imagine how much harder it is for them, which is why we have to keep going.  This is why we have to stay stronger and help and face these things, because they had no choice.  These are terrible, sick men, I am so glad that they are locked up for good.  The best thing we can do is teach our future generation what is right and wrong, and to help those endlessly who have gone through such traumatizing experiences.  Some grownups are long gone, or have no remorse and have no intent to change, so let’s start with our kids by putting our effort and time into them.  This does not just mean people with children.  Anybody can be the life changing positive light on a little kid, we hold a lot more responsibility than we really take action for.  A regular teen, a college student, a person living the single life in their mid thirties, we are all so cool to them and we need to realize that our actions and lifestyles make a much greater impact that we may realize.  Please check out these sites to get you started in helping our future generations, and from their you may be able to find just the right one for you.

Big Brothers Big Sisters

Girl Scouts

Boy Scouts

Boys and Girls Club

Alliance for Children Adoption Agency

References

1. Article

The media decides to let us know what is bad and what is not.  Lead Paint has been in an uproar especially among parents, and lets not set this aside like it is not a problem, but there are many other things that need to be focused on as well.  Mercury is a substance more dangerous than lead, that is intentionally being put into people and our children everyday.

Mercury:  Every time a parent picks up a toy from the store and sees it is from China, chances are likely that they will be suspicious of the safety of that toy.  Although toys are monitored and publicized if they are not safe, there is a whole other matter where it is perfectly legal to intentionally cause Americans to smoke mercury on a daily basis.  That is what dentists are doing when they give you a mercury filling, they are providing a substance in which you inhale every time you do anything to it.  Drink a hot liquid, chew, grind your teeth, and the inhalation will last for 1 1/2 hours minimum.  This could very, very likely be the cause of several dysfunctional kidneys, Alzheimer’s, and many neurological disorders.  This has been a known danger since the 1980’s possibly earlier, and they continue to use the same material to this day. Mercury has even been banned in Norway, why can’t our country keep up with this intense safety issue?

References

1. For 19 More Deadliest Things for our Kids

2. Picture

There are so many missing kids for so many different terrible reasons. Please keep a lookout for the children below, and remember to keep close eyes and relationships with your own children, because as you can see this happens at any age. Help protect our children, please help us to Spread the Word!

SERGIO RIVERA

SERGIO RIVERA Case Type: Endangered Missing
DOB: Dec 21, 1997	Sex: Male
Missing Date: Sep 26, 2008	Race: Hispanic
Age Now: 11	Height: 4′0″ (122 cm)
Missing City: RIVERSIDE	Weight: 85 lbs (39 kg)
Missing State : CA	Hair Color: Brown
Missing Country: United States	Eye Color: Brown
Case Number: NCMC1124111
Both photos shown are of Sergio. He was last seen on September 26, 2008. Sergio may still be in the local area or he may have traveled to Texas. EMANUEL GUZMAN EMANUEL GUZMAN Case Type: Family Abduction DOB: Jun 18, 2007 Sex: Male Missing Date: May 22, 2009 Race: Hispanic Age Now: 2 Height: 2′0″ (61 cm) Missing City: COLORADO SPRINGS Weight: 30 lbs (14 kg) Missing State : CO Hair Color: Black Missing Country: United States Eye Color: Brown Case Number: NCMC1123431 Circumstances: Emanuel was last seen with his mother, Carmen Aguilera, and father, Benito Guzman, on May 21, 2009. Felony warrants were issued for the companions on May 22, 2009. They may still be in the local area or they may have traveled to Mexico. They may be traveling in a brown 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee with Colorado license plates 781 SLH or a tan 2004 Ford Pickup with Colorado license plates 491 SKZ. Emanuel has scars on both hands. He may go by the nickname Manny. 2 Associated Adults CARMEN AGUILERA Missing from: CO Missing Since: May 22, 2009 Age Now: 31 View Poster BENITO GUZMAN Missing from: CO Missing Since: May 22, 2009 Age Now: 29

BRITTANEE MARIE DREXEL

LINDSEY J BAUM

SHALOMIEL SOLEL

You definitely want to make sure that your midwife is equipped with the proper equipment, experience, and schooled knowledge on how to safely deliver your baby, and how to handle emergencies.  Some women may just feel like such natural caregivers that their sole instinct can lead them into successfully delivering a baby, but this is very wrong.  Don’t get me wrong, midwives can be a wonderful thing, and although you need to pay right up front with costs as they come, it ends up being way cheaper all around.  Besides this, you are in the comfortable environment of your own home, you have the constant personal care of a woman who has been there all along.  So, to ensure this can be a great experience for you, here is a great website to find a legit midwife in your area, and to explain exactly what the different kinds are and all of your options.

Click HERE

Here are some terrific sites for you to be able to easily locate sex offenders right in your area.  Just remember that even the unexpected person can be one, and there can be more than you may think, making you think twice about letting your little ones go running around without you.  It is always best to know the families of where they are going and to have good relationships with them.  Unless they it is clear that they will be with another family with adult supervision (i.e. sleepover, birthday party, movies, etc.) it is always best to just be with them.  Not that they don’t need their space, but especially the younger they are the more supervision they need.  Having a good, responsible relationship with a lot of communication is the best way to know if there is somebody threatening in your child’s lives, and to be able to let them know about the dangers out there so they will listen.

Just as a Pickup, things can always go bad in your relationship with your kids, because we are still human and imperfect.  It is never too late for you to build up the trust or friendship or to develop a different image for them, because our blessed kids have a wonderful unconditional love for us.  Just keep picking yourself back up, because your kids need it.

Here are the websites:

http://www.familywatchdog.us/

http://crimereports.com/

If there is one missing child, that is too many.  There are WAY too many missing children, scared, injured, alone, and abused out there.  Here is a website to be on the lookout for our precious little ones.  Please keep them in your heart and head, they are worth everything and need to be found.  Lets just try and ban together to find them and stop the people who must really be mentally insane to be able to do anything terrible to children.

Here is a great website that will help us to see what children are in need of being saved: www.missingkids.com

BARBARA VICTORIA AZUAJE-MORALES

CHRISTIAN DIAZ-BORJAS

LEONARDO DIAZ-BORJAS

ONNA-MARIE SAMANTHA LEE HARTMAN