Counter Pedophilia Investigate Unit

The man considered the father a baby who died in 2010 has been charged with her murder as well as child abuse. Ka’Mia C. Strawder was 1 year old when she died at Shands at the University of Florida on Nov. 19, 2010.

Early Monday, the man listed on Ka’Mia’s birth certificate as her father, Christopher Jarvis Strawder, 24, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse. In his report on the death, Alachua County Sheriff’s Office Detective Charles Beveridge noted that Strawder is not the child’s biological child. (more…)

CLEVELAND COUNTY, N.C. —

The man convicted of abuse in connection with a child’s death died just days after he was found guilty. The Cleveland County coroner said Dwight Justice died from a brain aneurysm.

The coroner said blood vessels ruptured in his brain. (more…)

Closing arguments took place Thursday in week-long trial for Cody Geddings

After listening to testimony for more than a week, a Clark County District Court jury began deliberating this morning in the child abuse murder trial of a Henderson man accused of killing his girlfriend’s 16-month-old daughter in 2010.

Jurors returned at 9:30 a.m. today to sift through the evidence in the trial of Cody Geddings, 26, who has been accused in the death of Addison Weast on March 31, 2010, in his home in Henderson. (more…)

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Nearly 150 children were fatally abused in Florida in 2010, a decrease from around 200 in 2009.

The Department of Health recently confirmed 136 child abuse deaths in 2010 and 11 deaths from the previous year in a preliminary report. That’s roughly a 20 percent decrease from 2009.

It’s also a drop from 2008 when there were also about 200 verified child abuse deaths. (more…)

The trend runs contrary to figures in Southwest Florida and throughout the state.

After mopping the floors one morning just over a year ago, a Hendry County mother of five left the bucket of water in the garage, out of reach of her 1-year-old daughter. When the older children came home from school, she asked her 8-year-old to watch the baby as she cleaned.

Maybe 10 minutes later, she checked in. The toddler was gone and the garage door was open.

She peered in the garage and saw her daughter’s feet sticking out of the bucket. (more…)

FRANKFORT — All deaths and near-deaths of children who have been abused would be reviewed by an 11-member panel, and information about children who died as a result of abuse or neglect would be public, under a proposal before the legislature.

House Bill 200, filed Wednesday, would create an external panel that would include the attorney general, doctors, prosecutors and judges.

After the review, the panel would develop recommendations to address systemic issues and child-welfare practices. Any problems the panel identified in the actions of state and local agencies would be referred to authorities for review. (more…)

Phoenix: Two Arizona parents were arrested by sheriff’s deputies after apparently posting pictures on Facebook that showed their children, an infant and a toddler, bound with duct tape, authorities said on Thursday.

Coconino County deputies arrested Frankie Almuina, 20, and Kayla Almuina, 19, on suspicion of two counts of child abuse on Wednesday at their northern Arizona home after being alerted to the photos by an anonymous tip. (more…)

The Child Advocacy Center raised a flag today to honor two children who police say were killed by their caretakers. The flag serves as a reminder from those who serve on the front lines protecting Mid-South children.

A group of people gathered for Thursday’s short ceremony in the courtyard at the Child Advocacy Center. The flag was raised for 21-month-old Adrien Hickerson whose parents have been indicted on criminal charges for his death.

It was also raised for Anaya Jones whose uncle is charged with shaking her to death.Child advocates say raising a flag for each is important. (more…)

The San Jose mother accused of tossing her toddler out a second-story window on Christmas will not face attempted murder charges, said prosecutors on Wednesday. Instead they filed serious child abuse charges and psychiatrists debated what could have caused her to endanger her son.

San Jose police initially arrested 24-year-old Lupita Cortez for trying to kill her 22-month-old toddler. But now prosecutors have decided to charge her with one felony count each of child abuse and child endangerment leading to serious injury. (more…)

Dr. Richard Kaplan testified that it is “inconceivable” that a Duluth toddler could have suffered the lacerated liver and injuries to his pancreas, small bowel, adrenal gland and kidney as a result of a 30-inch fall from a playpen to a carpeted floor.

Dr. Richard Kaplan told jurors on Tuesday that he would rather have been playing with children than testifying in the trial of Michael Tahtinen, who is accused of murdering 11-month-old Connor Robison.

Kaplan is a medical expert in “child abuse pediatrics.” He said children are his passion. In his specialty, Kaplan tries to assess injuries in children and determine whether they are the result of abuse. (more…)