A sampling of sex abuse cases recently reported in the media that shows the range of characteristics found in these cases:
From Delmarva Now.com, Salisbury, Maryland, USA (April 8) - 41-year-old Patrick Quesenberry will serve life in prison plus 10 years for assaulting a 14-year-old intellectually disabled girl last summer in her home. The State's Attorney’s office also said Quesenberry had an extensive criminal history in Cecil County including several batteries against women.
From the Toronto Sun, Oshawa, Ontario, (April 4) - A month after an elderly Oshawa man was charged with sexually assaulting a mentally disabled man, three other alleged victims have come forward, police said. The accused, who was a support worker for mentally challenged children and youths, was charged in March after a relative told investigators she witnessed the assault of a 23-year-old man, Durham police said. Since then, three other men from Oshawa and Whitby have approached detectives and said they were victimized. Police said the allegations involve young men under the age of 17, all with either physical or mental challenges.
From the News-Tribune, Jeffersonville, Indiana, (March 25) - Police are investigating claims that a 33-year-old disabled woman was sexually assaulted at a Jeffersonville nursing home. The woman, who has cerebral palsy and cannot speak or walk, was staying at Hillcrest Centre for Health and Rehabilitation at 203 Sparks Ave. A hospital worker discovered a male patient in the bed with her Sunday.
From the Salt Lake Tribune, West Jordan, Utah, (March 25) - A 56-year-old West Jordan man charged in connection with allegedly tying a mentally disabled 14-year-old girl to a bed and sexually assaulting her made his first appearance in court on Tuesday. He is charged with first-degree felony aggravated kidnapping, four counts of second-degree felony forcible sexual abuse and lewdness, a class B misdemeanor. The two lived at the same apartment complex, West Jordan police Sgt. Drew Sanders previously told The Salt Lake Tribune .
From Chicoer News, Oroville, California, (March 18) - A judge Wednesday ordered a Gridley man to stand trial next week on separate rape and escape charges. Michael Nunley, 52, was being held on a charge of sexually assaulting a mentally disabled woman in Gridley when he allegedly escaped from custody Feb. 14 while undergoing a medical procedure at an Oroville hospital. He was recaptured about two weeks later.
From KATU.com in Salem, Oregon (March 15) - Police are looking for a 41-year-old man identified as a person of interest in the sexual assault of a disabled woman at an adult care facility in Salem.According to the Marion County Sheriff's Office, the victim is a 41-year-old woman who is confined to a wheelchair. She requires 24-hour care because of her disability and was unable to defend herself.
From the Pottstown Mercury, Norristown, Pennsylvania, (March 13) - A Pottstown man has been sent to state prison after a jury convicted him of charges he raped a 17-year-old girl who suffered from cerebral palsy. Christopher Lee Levengood, 22, was sentenced to eight to 20 years in a state correctional facility on charges of rape, sexual assault, corruption of a minor, terroristic threats, simple assault and lying to authorities in connection with the April 2007 assault.
From KCRA 3 in Atwater, CA (March 11) - Juan Manuel Martinez, a 58-year-old college counselor was arrested at Delhi High School on allegations of of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor and continuous sexual abuse of a child. The alleged victim is a 13-year-old girl with disabilities. The report does not indicate the nature of her disabilities.
From The Star in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, (March 10) - Durham Region Police have arrested and charged a 70- year-old man in connection with the sexual assault of a 23-year-old mentally disabled man.
Tampa, Florida, (March 10) - According to MSNBC.com Richard Chotiner, 47, a licensed practical nurse was sentenced to 15 years in prison for sexual battery of a man with mental disabilities. According to TampaBay.com, however, after the conviction, Chotiner was released on $50,000 bail pending appeal. (h/t ICAD)
