RI - Bill would make businesses rethink hiring sex offenders

Original Article

06/22/2014

By John Mitchell

The Rhode Island General Assembly passed a bill Friday that would fine certain businesses for knowingly hiring a child sex offender.

Target 12 broke the story that prompted action, and now, a new state law is in place to protect children from sexual predators. In the final days of the legislative session, the Alliance for Safe Communities was closely watching its bill about child safe zones.

“This all stemmed from Tim White’s investigation with the incident at Hasbro Children’s Hospital,” said Executive Director of the Alliance for Safe Communities Carolyn Medeiros, “where a level two registered sex offender was found employed there, knowingly,” by the hospital.

The Target 12 Investigators found _____ working as an electrician at Rhode Island Hospital and Hasbro Children’s Hospital. The convicted sex offender was labeled as having a ‘moderate risk to re-offend’ by the sex offender board of review. After the story aired, Hasbro Children’s Hospital reported that _____’s employment was terminated.

Under the new law, employers of safe zones will be fined if they knowingly hire a sex offender — including third party contractors — where the victim was a minor. Fines and possible jail time will be handed down to such sex offenders who apply for work at a designated safe zone, including health care facilities intended primarily for minors. The law is not retro-active, so while it was inspired by what happened at Hasbro Children’s Hospital, the penalties do not apply to that case.

“We looked at nationwide what was happening,” said Carolyn. “There are 20 other states with similar legislation in place, so this is about Rhode Island catching up.”

There is also an immunity clause, so an employer cannot be sued for not hiring a sex offender under these guidelines.

RI - Study: 1 out 5 local middle school students are sexting

Original Article

We are so sick and tired of hearing this made up "1 in 5" number on almost everything. Anytime a study comes out, it seems, this magical number is used.

02/25/2014

By Melissa Randall

Tatiana Lopez, 13, and her friend Janae Smith, 12, open up about sexting. With their parents permission we had an honest conversation about what's happening in the hallways of their Providence middle school, yes, middle school.

"It's not what we would hear on TV or what ever– it's real. That's actually happening to people our age," said Lopez.

The alarming trend of sending a sexually implicit message or image of oneself to another person is now trickling down from teens to tweens. Lopez and Smith have never sent or received a sext message themselves, but say some of their friends have.

"People always think we are too young for everything," said Lopez.

"It was shocking– that someone our age would send a picture that inappropriate," said Smith.

Dr. Christopher Houck, a clinical psychologist at Rhode Island Hospital, has been studying the behaviors of *at risk 7th graders in Rhode Island. The data shows that one out of five students who participated have sexted.

"The relationship was that those who had sexted were five times more likely to report having engaged in some kind of sexual activity," said Dr. Houck.

But it doesn't end there. With the click of a button those private photos can be shared. Tatiana and Janae witnessed the reputation of a young friend be ruined by sexting.

"They told her she wasn't worth living any more– she was disgusting for sending the pictures," said Smith.

They say the girl talked about suicide but with time was able to overcome it.

Sexting is illegal in Rhode Island for anyone under the age of 18. Those found guilty face penalties ranging from counseling to having to register as a sex offender.

"If you receive a sex message and you forward it on to someone else whether you are an adult or a minor you could be charged under child pornography laws," said Peter Kilmartin, Rhode Island's Attorney General.

Rhode Island has seen several sexting cases involving teens go through the courts. There were two in 2012 and five in 2013.

In Bristol County Mass. nearly forty high school and middle school students have been investigated for sexting since 2010.

So what is the answer? How do parents protect their kids in a world of smart phones and instant communication? For the Lopez family of Pawtucket it all starts at the kitchen table.
- Um, don't give your child a cell phone with all the bells and whistles!

"I hope that the gateway is there for me to actually have that conversation– because we are talking all the time," said Tatia Lopez. "And so far, thank god, it's working!"

The younger Lopez and Smith say there is pressure from their peers to sext, but the girls have decided sending a picture is not worth the risk.

"I'd be like scared for my life," said Lopez. "It's really serious."

Experts say it is important for parents to start discussing the topic with their children and to let them know the importance of family values.

*The findings of the sexting study were based on youth with behavioral and/or emotional problems. They may not apply to all middle school kids.

RI - Probation officer (Gerald Silva) convicted on child porn charges

Original Article

02/11/2014

By Chris Raia

PROVIDENCE (WPRI) - A Rhode Island state probation officer assigned to the sex offender unit was convicted on Monday of being a sex offender, U.S. Attorney Peter Neronha announced on Tuesday.

Gerald Silva, 59, of Coventry, was arrested back in 2012 in connection with a massive investigation into Toronto-based production company Azov Films. The investigation, known as Operation Spade and led by members of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Toronto Police Service, revealed that Silva was one of more than 10,000 customers who had purchased online videos from Azov Films.

At least 348 of the company’s customers – including Silva – were charged with purchasing child pornography from the website, according to Toronto Police.

Silva was convicted of completing 22 orders through Azov Film’s website, spending a total of $1,589 on 75 different videos, each of which depicted child pornography. The videos, police say, were shipped to Silva’s Coventry residence while he was employed as a probation officer. “Dozens of videos” were seized from Silva’s home during an authorized police search in 2012.

During his trial, Silva claimed he had ordered and collected the videos as part of an ongoing professional project, but a jury returned a guilty verdict after less than an hour of deliberations.

Silva was charged and convicted on six counts of receiving child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Each count of receiving child pornography is punishable by a minimum of 5 years in federal prison and up to lifetime supervised release. Possession of child pornography is punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison.

Silva is scheduled to be sentenced on May 16.

Another Rhode Islander, 60-year-old Warwick resident _____, was also charged in connection with Operation Spade. _____, a longtime high school teacher, pleaded guilty to one count of possessing child pornography in August 2013. He was sentenced to 18 months in a halfway house.

Operation Spade was a three-year global investigation that led to the rescue of 386 children and 348 arrests, according to the Toronto Police website. Arrested suspects included six law enforcement officials, nine religious leaders, 40 school teachers, three foster parents, 32 children volunteers and nine health professionals.

Azov Films was shut down in 2011, and its owner was arrested.