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Sexual Abuse

Legal news related to Sexual Abuse

17 articles

State Court
•4 min read
Supreme Court of Iowa

Iowa Supreme Court Affirms Child Sex Crime Conviction, Rules on Appeal Procedures

The Iowa Supreme Court affirmed the conviction of Douglas Neal Warburton for lascivious acts with a child while addressing procedural issues regarding appellate jurisdiction over resentencing motions that were not properly identified in appeal notices.

•Douglas Warburton was sentenced to up to 10 years plus lifetime supervision for lascivious acts with a child involving his grandchild
•The Iowa Court of Appeals ruled it lacked jurisdiction to review a resentencing motion denial because it wasn't properly identified in the appeal notice
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State Court
•4 min read
West Virginia Supreme Court

West Virginia Supreme Court Upholds Parental Rights Termination

The West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals affirmed a circuit court's decision to terminate a mother's parental rights after she failed to protect her 10-year-old daughter from sexual abuse. The court rejected the mother's procedural arguments in a memorandum decision filed January 29, 2026.

•West Virginia Supreme Court affirmed termination of mother's parental rights for failing to protect 10-year-old daughter from sexual abuse
•Child disclosed abuse by 'man in black' who was later identified as the mother's brother living in the home
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Federal Circuit
•4 min read
Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals

Tenth Circuit Vacates Child Sex Abuse Conviction in Federal Case

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit vacated Joel Ruiz's conviction for sexual abuse of a minor and remanded the case to the district court. The appeals court found the government failed to establish a key element required for federal jurisdiction in the criminal case.

•Tenth Circuit vacated Joel Ruiz's 30-year federal sentence for sexual abuse of a minor under 12
•Court found government failed to establish defendant's non-Indian status required for federal jurisdiction
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Federal Circuit
•4 min read
Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals

11th Circuit Upholds Life Sentence for Teacher in Child Sex Abuse Case

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed the conviction and life sentence of Stefan Eberhard Zappey, a former elementary school teacher who was found guilty of multiple federal charges involving the sexual abuse of children under 12. Zappey taught at a Department of Defense school in Germany for 20 years before his conviction.

•Eleventh Circuit affirmed life sentence for former DOD teacher convicted of child sexual abuse
•Zappey taught German immersion classes at U.S. military school in Germany for 20 years
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Federal Circuit
•4 min read
Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals

6th Circuit Upholds 50-Year Prison Term for Child Exploitation

The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a maximum 50-year prison sentence for Eric Kelsey Shepherd, who pleaded guilty to enticing a minor to participate in sexually explicit visual depictions. The federal appellate court rejected Shepherd's challenge to his sentencing guidelines calculations and his request for concurrent sentencing with anticipated state charges.

•Eric Shepherd received the statutory maximum 50-year sentence for enticing a minor to participate in sexually explicit visual depictions
•The Sixth Circuit rejected his appeal challenging sentencing guidelines calculations and concurrent sentencing requests
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Federal Circuit
•4 min read
Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals

8th Circuit Upholds Child Pornography Distribution Sentence

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit affirmed the sentence of Jessie Michael Collins, who pleaded guilty to distributing child pornography to an undercover federal agent. The court rejected his claims of procedural error and substantive unreasonableness in his sentencing.

•Collins pleaded guilty to two counts of distributing child pornography to an undercover federal agent
•District court applied five-level sentencing enhancement based on pattern of sexual abuse involving a minor
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Federal Circuit
•4 min read
Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals

10th Circuit Vacates Sexual Abuse Conviction, Orders Retrial

The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated Joel Ruiz's conviction for sexual abuse of a minor and remanded the case for retrial. The appeals court found the government failed to establish a key jurisdictional element in the 30-year sentence case.

•Tenth Circuit vacated 30-year sexual abuse conviction due to jurisdictional failure
•Government failed to establish defendant's non-Indian status as required for federal prosecution
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Regulatory
•4 min read

Tribal Police Officer Faces Federal Charges for On-Duty Sexual Abuse

Karl Eugene Leslie, a 42-year-old White Mountain Apache Tribal Police officer, was arrested and charged with 15 federal counts including aggravated sexual abuse, kidnapping, and deprivation of rights under color of law. The FBI is seeking additional victims in the case that involves alleged crimes committed while Leslie was on duty.

•Karl Eugene Leslie, 42, faces 15 federal counts including aggravated sexual abuse and kidnapping while serving as a tribal police officer
•At least one alleged victim was under 18 years old, leading to enhanced kidnapping charges
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Federal Circuit
•4 min read
Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals

6th Circuit Affirms 80-Year Sentence in Child Pornography Case

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed Tuesday the conviction and 80-year prison sentence of Jarrod Sanford on federal charges including production and possession of child pornography. The appeals court rejected multiple arguments challenging evidence admission and sentencing.

•Jarrod Sanford received 80 years in prison for federal child exploitation charges including production and possession of child pornography
•The Sixth Circuit rejected challenges to evidence admission, including testimony about uncharged sexual abuse of the victim
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State Court
•4 min read
Wyoming Supreme Court

Wyoming Supreme Court Affirms 120-Year Sentence for Child Sex Abuse

The Wyoming Supreme Court affirmed a district court's decision to impose eight consecutive prison sentences totaling up to 120 years for Kyle Xavier Wallentine, who pleaded no contest to sexual abuse of a minor charges. The court rejected his pro se appeal after appointed counsel withdrew under the Anders procedure.

•Kyle Xavier Wallentine received eight consecutive sentences of 8-15 years each for sexual abuse of a minor, totaling up to 120 years in prison
•His court-appointed appellate counsel withdrew under the Anders v. California procedure, indicating no meritorious grounds for appeal
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