The Child Protection eNewsletter

Tearful Oprah begs forgiveness… 
TV talk-show queen Oprah Winfrey had tears in her eyes as she asked parents to forgive her for alleged abuse at her girls' school in South Africa.  Read More  "I've disappointed you.  I'm so sorry.  I'm so sorry," Oprah told parents at an emergency meeting in a packed marquee tent on the school premises.

The TV talk-show queen has visited her school at Henley-on-Klip near Vereeniging at least twice in the past few weeks, after allegations that one of the matrons fondled a girl and that other pupils had been physically abused.

Apart from the matron apparently involved, Oprah sent the principal, a Dr Mzimane, and at least one other matron on leave two weeks ago.  Only the principal was on paid leave.

A parent told Rapport that the abuse had visibly upset Oprah.  She had felt guilty because she had trusted the principal and the matron.

The TV host, who has spoken openly about being abused as a child, gave the students her personal telephone number, e-mail address and her postal address so that they could contact her at any time, day or night.  Read More

Oprah has used her TV show as a platform to catch missing predators.  vol3_iss57  and  vol3_iss58

Federal Appeals Court overturns child porn law… 
The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati earlier this week ruled that a federal anti-child pornography law, the Child Protection and Obscenity Enforcement Act, violates the First Amendment.  Read More  The law required "producers" and distributors of certain sexually explicit pictures and films to keep detailed records of the names and ages of their subjects and allow the government to inspect those records.

The court's ruling, which held that the law restricted constitutionally protected speech, is likely to be a boon to the online pornography industry, which has lately seen the rise of YouTube-inspired sites, such as YouPorn and PornoTube, which feature amateur, user-generated photos.

"This law had really huge implications for the adult entertainment industry and, really, for any consenting adult couple who took nude photos of themselves," said Clay Calvert, co-director of the Pennsylvania Center for the First Amendment at Pennsylvania State University.

Charles Miller, a spokesman for the Department of Justice, said the government had not decided whether it would appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

"We are disappointed in the court's ruling," Miller said.  "The statute was enacted to protect those who are underage from being used as performers in sexually explicit media."

In other news… 
After spending more than three years behind bars and at the center of one of the country's most expensive and controversial legal battles, Genarlow Wilson, released from jail Friday by the Georgia Supreme Court, says he has no interest in seeing the inside of a courthouse again — even as a lawyer.  Read More

Wilson gained national attention after he was charged and convicted of rape after being caught on videotape engaging in consensual oral sex with a 15-year-old girl at a Douglasville, Georgia New Year's Eve party in 2004.  He was a 17-year-old honor student and high school football star at the time of his arrest.  The Georgia Supreme Court decision can be read at  Read More.

A former Leavenworth, Kansas school librarian who has already pleaded guilty to a federal child pornography charge now faces multiple counts in Leavenworth County District Court for the alleged sexual abuse of a child.  Read More Anthony Baker, 35, was charged with 12 counts, according to Deputy County Attorney Roger Marrs.  Baker resigned in July from his job as librarian at Muncie Elementary School, school officials said.  He now faces three counts of rape, six counts of criminal sodomy, one count of aggravated indecent liberties and two counts of sexual exploitation of a child, Marrs said

With a confession and DNA evidence linking her to the killing of a pregnant woman and the theft of her unborn child, Lisa Montgomery's trial focused not on whether she committed the crime but her sanity.  Read More  But the mental illness defense didn't work on a federal jury that rejected it a second time, deciding that Montgomery should be sentenced to death.  The same jurors had convicted Montgomery on Monday of kidnapping resulting in death.  Jurors deliberated more than five hours before recommending the sentence.  Judge Gary Fenner will sentence Montgomery, but he had told jurors he was obligated to abide by their recommendation.  A sentencing date has not been set.

British police set up a Web site designed to warn children about the dangers of social networking sites.  Read More  Kids as young as eight can go to an online cafe to learn more about the Internet.

The site -- Read More -- has an online cafe where children can learn about the dangers of revealing too much about themselves online.  It warns them not to give away their real name, full address and mobile phone number and to think twice before posting their pictures.  The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre, a police agency set up to tackle child sex abuse, said it receives about 10 reports each month relating to children aged between eight and 11.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released two new reports that may help pediatricians recognize autism spectrum disorders earlier and guide families to effective interventions.  Read More  These are the "most comprehensive reports that target pediatricians," says lead author Dr. Chris Johnson, clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in San Antonio.  But while many autism experts applaud the new screening recommendations, some remain concerned that the new guidelines could spark fears in parents -- particularly if normal children are misdiagnosed.  "It might also mislabel and create undue anxiety, given the wide range of normal for development in this age group," says Dr. Charles Shubin, associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Maryland in Baltimore.  The report is available online at Read More.

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