School janitor charged with sexual assault

Orange, California (June 3) - According to KTLA, 49-year-old Luis Mejia, who is a janitor at El Modena High School, has been charged with sexually assaulting a young girl in the school's special education program. It is alleged that the assaults took place in his office at the school before, during and after classes, for a period of four months, starting in December 2008. From the article:

Prosecutors say Mejia lured the girl with money and gifts.

He also exchanged 'love' notes with the girl as well as more than 100 calls and text messages, according to prosecutors.

During the incidents, Mejia allegedly tricked another janitor to cover a video surveillance camera with tape when he went into his office alone with the victim. According to ABC7, he told the employee there was going to be painting done and the camera had to be protected from any paint.

Mejia has been an employee of the school for 12 years, according to the report, and is now on adminstrative leave while he faces charges. He faces a maximum of 12 years and eight months in prison if convicted.

Sexual assault and prostitution charges

Appleton, Wisconsin, USA (June 2) - John Perry-Rydz, 25, and his wife, Elizabeth Perry-Rydz, 28, were charged on Friday with the sexual assault and prostitution, sometimes in exchange for gifts, of a 21-year-old woman with developmental disabilities. According to the criminal complaint, the assaults happened over a two-year period, beginning when the woman was 19-year-old. As reported in the Post Crescent:

On at least two of those occasions, the victim was asked for sexual favors in exchange for items purchased for her by John Perry-Rydz. One of those was his payment for a belly button piercing and on another occasion, in exchange for a video game and some articles of clothing.

The couple are scheduled to appear in court on June 16 on two counts of second-degree sexual assault and two counts of prostitution.

According to the article, John Perry-Rydz has been held in jail since March 25 on 22 counts of possessing child pornography and additional charges. He pleaded not guilty by reason of "mental disease or defect" to those charges and a trial date is pending.

Sex crimes against women with disabilities

Summaries of some of the reports in the news over the past few weeks:

From WRAL, Vass, North Carolina (May 1, 2009) - A 74-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a reported sexual assault of a 40-year-old disabled woman at her home in the Vass area last Wednesday. He faces two charges of felony second-degree rape and two charges of misdemeanor assault on a handicapped person. His first court appearance is set for May 18.

From the Telegram in Fitchburg, Massachusetts (April 30, 2009) - Joshua Whipple, 19, who broke into a 59-year-old disabled woman’s home and sexually assaulted her in February, 2008, was sentenced to 18 to 20 years in state prison today. According to Assistant District Attorney Jeffrey T. Travers, Mr. Whipple broke into the victim’s home armed with a kitchen knife and with his face covered by a sweatshirt hood into which two eyeholes had been cut. When the victim awoke and discovered him in her kitchen, he pushed her onto the floor, punched her in the face, sexually assaulted her and placed his foot on the side of her face. He also stole her cell phone, about $58 in cash and her television set.

From the Edmonton Sun, (April 24, 2009) - 41-year-old Lyes Kiared, a former DATS driver convicted of raping a developmentally disabled Edmonton woman in her own home, was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison on Friday. Kiared, who had denied committing the rape, claiming that semen found on a sofa pillow was an accidentally spilled fertility sample, was also ordered to provide a DNA sample for the national DNA databank and placed on the national sex offender registry for 20 years. According to court documents, Kiared first met the woman, who has cerebral palsy, in Feb 2006 when he picked her up from an outing with her walking group and took her to her apartment. Three days later, Kiared went to her residence and raped her, after she had buzzed him in, thinking he had come to visit her.

From the Merced Sun Star in Merced, California (April 22) - Jury selection is scheduled to begin this week in the trial of a 23-year-old Daniel Mere Saldana accused of brutally raping a developmentally disabled woman in September, 2004, in Planada. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. According to Deputy District Attorney Matt Martinez, Saldana took the woman, who believed he was a family friend, from her home to an abandoned house and raped her. From the severity of her injuries, it was obvious that she had also been abused. Saldana remains at the Merced County Jail in lieu of $400,050 bail.

From KRNV in Washington, Nevada (April 21, 2009) - Richard Bunch, accused of sexually assaulting a developmentally-disabled 13-year-old girl at the Sparks Marina last year, pleaded guilty Monday to "luring" and "lewdness" with a child. He will formally sentenced in June and faces a life term in prison. Bunch is also charged with luring and sexually assaulting a nine-year-old girl in Washington, and raping a female jogger. He will be tried for those crimes after he's sentenced in Nevada.

From the Salt Lake Tribune (April 15) - Kim Paul Hildreth, 28, who was charged in connection with sexually abusing a developmentally disabled woman, made his first appearance in court this week. Hildreth was charged with two counts of second-degree felony forcible sexual abuse. He allegedly abused the woman after he became friends with her and her family through church. According to court records, Hildreth pleaded guilty to third-degree felony unlawful sexual activity with a minor in 2002. He was sentenced to serve up to five years at the Utah State Prison and was released in August 2008, according to the Utah Sex Offender Registry.

From the Standard in Ogden, Utah (April 15, 2009) - Michael James Vantress, 26, has been charged with aggravated sexual assault and burglary after police said he attacked a 35-year-old woman with intellectual and physical disabilities after forcing his way into her home. According to police documents, Vantress followed the woman from the laundry room of her apartment complex to her home sometime before midnight on March 20, whereupon he pushed his way inside, took money from the woman's purse, broke her phone and sexually assaulted her.
The woman, who is described as having limited speech and physical abilities, was not able to get help immediately following the assault.

Recent reports in the media of sexual abuse

The following are summaries of some of the recent reports in the media of sexual assault against people with disabilities not covered in previous posts by FRIDA. In all of these cases, the sexual assailant is a male; in four out of five of them, those attacked by him are female. Three of the women and the man have development disabilities; one woman has cerebral palsy. The ages of the women range between 14 and 52; the male is 56.

Charlotte, North Carolina - A man was charged and arrested in connection with the sexual assault of a 52-year-old woman with developmental disabilities. According to police, the man followed her home from the bus stop and attacked her in her house. He is also believed to have stolen money from her. More here ...

Normandy, Missouri - A former male employee at a Normandy area nursing home was arrested and charged for sexually assaulting a 36-year-old female resident of the home who has cerebral palsy. The man had worked at the nursing home for nearly a year and a half and passed a background check, according to the administrator of the home. More here ...

Stratford, Iowa - A 41-year-old man has been charged with sexually assaulting an 18-year-old woman with developmental and physical disabilities numerous times over the past year. He was charged with three counts of third-degree sexual assault and one count of fourth-degree sexual assault, police said. More here ...

Everett, Washington - A 33-year-old former police officer has been charged with raping his 11-year-old female relative and her 14-year-old friend who has developmental disabilities while they were on a sleepover at his apartment. More here ...

Wenatchee, Washington - A male caretaker for a company that offers residential services to adults with developmental disabilities man was arrested on suspicion of of raping a 56-year-old man with developmental disabilities in his apartment. More here ...

Four-year-old girl sexually assaulted

Fresno, California - A harrowing story about the sexual assault of a 4-year-old disabled toddler on Christmas Eve. According to this latest report, the suspect, 24-year-old Juan Gomez-Jimenez, was arraigned yesterday. He faces charges of attempted murder, kidnapping and sexually assaulting a child. There have been no updates on how the toddler is doing.

Guilty verdict in paratransit rape trial

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada - According to the Edmonton Sun, Lyes Kiared, an Edmonton paratransit driver, was found guilty yesterday of sexually assaulting a 40-year-old female passenger who has a physical and developmental disability. He was found not guilty of a second charge of sexual exploitation. Here is an excerpt:

Court of Queen's Bench Justice Stephen Hillier yesterday found Lyes Kiared, 41, guilty of sexual assault causing bodily harm after rejecting his testimony as "incredible" and "unbelievable" and simply lacking "any credibility."

Kiared was found not guilty of a second charge of sexual exploitation when the judge ruled he was not in a position of trust due to having only met the victim once before and the attack not happening while she was a passenger.

"Thus, while the accused's acts can rightly be viewed as despicably exploitative of a disabled victim, in my view, the existence of a position of trust in this case has not been established," said Hillier.

As noted in an earlier FRIDA post, the woman testified that Kiared went to her home and sexually assaulted her three days after meeting her for the first time as a passenger in his taxi. A sentencing hearing date will be set on January 30.

The story in full is here. For earlier reports, see here, here and here.

Recent reports in the media of sexual assault against women with disabilities

Below are some of the cases of sexual assault against women with disabilities reported in the media since December 11. In the following cases, all three women, one aged 24, one 34, the other 18, have developmental disabilities. One male assailant is 21-years-old, the other two, 57; one is a neighbourhood acquantaince, one is a friend of the woman's family, the other, her transport provider.

Manassas, Virginia - A 21-year-old man was arrested on Monday in connection with the sexual assault of a 24-year-old woman with developmental disabilities, it is reported here. Brayan Migdanio Bustillow Fuentes, who lived in the woman's neighborhood and knew him, is being held without bail and is scheduled to appear in court on February 10. was known to the woman, Brayan Migdanio Bustillo Fuentes, 21, 9933 Portsmouth Rd., was charged with rape and is being held without

Harrisonburg, Virginia - The Daily News Record reports that a 57-year-old former cab driver hired by the family of a 34-year-old woman with Down syndrome to drive her to and from an adult day care has been charged with sexually assaulting her. According to this December 15 report by WHSV News, Ted Smith is charged with aggravated sexual battery and will appear before a trial jury on February 25, 2009.

St. Petersburg, Florida - A 57-year-old man was arrested on December 12 on charges he sexually assaulted an 18-year-old woman with developmental disabilities. According to the Tampa Tribune, Benjamin Levy, who was a friend of the woman's family, was being held in jail without bail. Remarkably, Levy was on probation for sexually assaulting a chid younger than 16 in 1997. He has been charged with sexual battery of a disabled person, and also with violating his probation in the 1997 case.

Care facility worker pleads guilty to sexually assaulting two women

Wood County, Texas - 63-year-old James Owen Spurlock has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting two women with developmental disabilities at Touchstone Farms resident care facility where he worked and both women lived. One of the women is 38-years-old, and the other, 24-years-old. According to KLTV, one of the women told her family that Spurlock was "using sex to help prepare her for marriage." Spurlock will be formally sentenced on January 13, 2009, and faces 20 years in prison for each charge.

Judilianna Lawrence update

Denver, Colorado - A Fort Carson soldier has been formally charged in connection with the killing of 19-year-old Judilianna Lawrence, according to The Denver Channel news. As reported by FRIDA in an earlier post, the body of Ms Lawrence, an African American teenager with a learning disability, was found in early October after she had been missing for three days. 21-year-old Robert Marko, a mortarman with the 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 4th Infantry Division who served in Iraq from January 2007 to February 2008, is charged, amongst other things, with sexual assault and first-degree murder. According to The Denver Channel, Ms Lawrence, who was known as "Judi" to her friends and family, had been exchanging emails with Marko for several months after meeting him on MySpace. She went missing on the day they had arranged to meet in person for the first time.

It is reported, but only in passing, that Marko is the eighth soldier from the 4th Brigade Combat Team suspected in a local homicide.

Certified nurse charged with sexual abuse

Cohoes, New York - A certified nurses aide has been charged with sexual abuse in the first degree and with forcible touching in relation to the sexual abuse of a patient with physical disabilities and multiple sclerosis at a Cohoes nursing home, the North Country Gazette reports. According to court documents, 51-year-old Robert Gunderson, who was assigned as a nurses aide to the nursing home in August and September 2008, assaulted the woman on the night of September 2. She is described as being unable to control her movements and as needing considerable help and assistance with her daily needs. Gunderson is being held on $20,000 bail and if convicted, faces up to 7 years in prison.

Medical driver charged with sexual assault

Hennepin County, Minneapolis, Minnesota - A contract driver for NAB Transportation Incorporated has been charged with third degree criminal sexual conduct in connection with the sexual assault of a woman with developmental disabilities, TwinCities. com reports. Vladimir Andreyevich Yulchinchuk, 40, is alleged to have sexually assaulted the woman after picking her up from a Minneapolis residential treatment facility on June 18 for an appointment at Hennepin County Medical Center. In an interview, the company manager of of NAB, Andrew Dmitruk, said it is unclear how the woman got into Yulchinchuk's van: "she was not a client" of the NAB transportation and the "company wasn't scheduled to transport her to the appointment," he reportedly said. Yulchinchuk is being held on $50,000 bail.

Hearing begins for skate park beatings of two disabled men

Santa Rosa, California - Testimony began yesterday morning (Monday) at a preliminary hearing for five men charged with assaulting, kidnapping and robbing two men with developmental disabilities at a Santa Rosa skate park in April, CBS News reports.

Victim John Doe testified in Sonoma County Superior Court this morning that he was beaten, kicked and hit with a tree branch in a clearing off a path at the Fulton Skate Park on April 26. He said one of his assailants poured beer on his head, another urinated on him and two assailants with knives said they would kill him.

The defendants, Pierre Jacques Guidry Jr., 18, Mark Anthony Echemendia, Reid Rogers, Frederick Caddell Jr., 19 and Bryan Stanley, 21, have pleaded not guilty to the charges and are being held in the Sonoma County jail. According to police, the defendants beat both men and forced one to withdraw money from an ATM machine. Three of the defendants have been charged with additional sexual offenses. The two men were treated at a hospital for their injuries.

Sexual assault charges

Margate, Florida - NBC6 reports that police have arrested two men for sexually assaulting a girl with autism.

Police said Stanley Gregoire, Albins Jean-Baptiste and another man approached the girlk, according to the girl's report. Police said the girl was under the impression that the men were there to pick her up and take her to a friend's house. Police said the mean instead took the girl to another location.

The two men were later identified from a six-person lineup. The identification of the third man involved in the assault has not been provided.

Caregiver to stand trial for sexual assault

The FDL Reporter reports that a 52-year-old man (Oshkosh, Wis.) has been charged with sexually assaulting his stepdaughter. The 28-year-old woman, who suffers from a serious heart problem and uses a ventilator, told authorities that her step-father assaulted her two years ago, at least 15 times, and that he threatened not to suction her breathing tube if she resisted. The woman, who also has a developmental disability, alleges that he once turned off the power to the room, which affected her breathing equipment. The man has been charged with five counts of second-degree sexual assault, and will face a jury trial in late October.

Teenage boys are charged with sexually assaulting a special education student

Sadly, Newsday.com and The New York Times have reported another story about the sexual assault of a young intellectually impaired woman. In this case, three teenage boys - an 18-year-old and two 16-year-olds - have been accused of forcing a 16-year-old special education student to have sex with them during school hours at one of their homes in Essex County, Montclair, NJ. Each have been charged with 18 counts of aggravated sexual assault.

The girl was treated at a local hospital on Friday and released. It has been reported that she had a "crush" on one of the suspects.

Read more.