The Child Protection eNewsletter

Primetime to put foster care in spotlight…
An ABC News Poll found that the foster care system goes largely unnoticed in this country, and to the extent that they think about it, most Americans believe it does an acceptable job. But there's also substantial worry about the system — and broad support for improving it, even at significant cost. http://abcnews.go.com ABC’s Primetime will air a special series on foster care, "A Call to Action: Saving Our Children," beginning Thursday, June 1. In an unparalleled call to action, Diane Sawyer and ABC News look at the crisis of the foster care system and ways children can be saved in "Calling All Angels," a Primetime report that airs Thursday, June 1, at 10 p.m. ET. http://abcnews.go.com

By voice vote, the House of Representatives has approved Tom DeLay’s (R-TX) bill, the Safe and Timely Interstate Placement of Foster Children Act (H.R. 5403). http://www.cwla.org This bill would accelerate placement of adoptive and foster children across state lines. The DeLays are foster parents.

At any given point in time more than 500,000 American children are in the foster care system. Approximately 800,000 children pass through the system every year. For more information on foster care, we suggest you visit the National Foster Parent Association website at http://www.nfpainc.org/

Judge calls convicted pedophile “too short” for jail…
A judge said a 5-foot-1-inch tall man convicted of sexually assaulting a child was too small to survive in prison, and gave him 10 years of probation instead. http://hosted.ap.org His crimes deserved a long sentence, District Judge Kristine Cecava said, but she worried that Richard W. Thompson, 50, would be especially imperiled by prison dangers. "You are a sex offender, and you did it to a child," she said. The has angered crime victim advocates who say the punishment sends the wrong message, but, incredibly, some supporters of short people say it's about time someone recognizes the unique challenges they face. http://abcnews.go.com and http://msnbc.msn.com

In other news...
Dutch pedophiles have former their own political party, to push for a cut in the legal age for sexual relations to 12 from 16 and the legalization of child pornography and sex with animals, sparking widespread outrage. http://today.reuters.com The party’s goal is to cut the legal age for sexual relations to 12 and eventually scrap the limit altogether. One of the party’s founders, Ad van den Berg told Reuters “We want to get into parliament so we have a voice. Other politicians only talk about us in a negative sense, as if we were criminals." The party also supports sex education for toddlers. http://abcnews.go.com

U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan claims that MySpace.com “creates a smorgasbord” for pedophiles. http://www.breakpoint.org

A digital video recording of two high school students in the Virgin Islands performing a sex act in a classroom, with classmates present, is circulating among students and others using cell phones to transmit and receive the video. http://www.virginislandsdailynews.com This is one reason why the Wall Street Journal reports that cell phone companies are developing porn filters for cell phones. http://online.wsj.com

The Catholic Diocese of Spokane is selling its bishop's office building - and hopes to sell all of its other property - to raise money to pay victims of clergy sex abuse. http://hosted.ap.org

The Pastoral Center, also known as the Chancery, is among $11 million in assets the diocese claimed when it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December 2004, citing more than $81 million in claims.

USA Today had a summary of state efforts to get tougher with sex offenders last week. http://www.usatoday.com

A Virginia mother discovered a teacher accused of having sexual relations with two special ed students in a bedroom with two boys. http://www.wbir.com Bonnie Sue Davis was found inside the home of one of the boys involved in the allegations. They were discovered by the mother of the other teenager.

A Jefferson County, Colorado detention counselor allegedly locked her 13-year-old grandson up in the kennel each day for three years before heading to work at 4 p.m. http://www.thedenverchannel.com She released him upon returning home 11 hours later, according to investigators.

The Department of Justice has announced Project Safe Childhood which, "guided by the leadership of the Attorney General, aims to combat the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children." Details are available online from the Justice Department at http://www.usdoj.gov


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