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Tag: Sexual abuse

  • Allegations of sex abuse put DC teacher on leave. Former student talks with WTOP – WTOP News

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    A former D.C. student, who is now 22-years-old, recently took to social media to level allegations of sex abuse against his former coach, a teacher at Banneker High School.

    A former D.C. student, who is now 22 years old, recently took to social media to level allegations of sex abuse against his former coach, a teacher at Banneker High School.

    The accusation has left parents and students upset, and the school sent a letter home to parents saying the teacher is now on leave.

    On the same day that letter went out, the man behind the allegations sat down to talk with WTOP about what happened.

    Rashad Williams said he was 17 years old at the time of the incident. He said it happened in July of 2020, though he doesn’t know exactly when. That’s also the timeline listed in a report taken by D.C. police, which otherwise offers few details.

    “He woke me up out of my sleep,” said Williams, who then described a sex act his teacher was committing. “When I woke up, I just kind of froze up. I froze up.”

    “It traumatized me, genuinely traumatized me,” Williams said. “I cried a little bit. I was just trying to figure out how I’d get home. I just went out the bathroom and I just, I acted like nothing happened so I could get home because he was my only way home.”

    Williams said nothing ever happened again because he cut off all contact with the teacher and coach. At the time, the world had essentially shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    “I just genuinely thought he was trying to mentor me and help me be a better student,” Williams said.

    “Around this time, I was smoking,” Williams said, referring to marijuana use. “He would smoke with graduates or other teenagers outside of school.”

    Williams said that at the time he was lonely and looking for camaraderie.

    “Him giving me that access to the weed and stuff like that, it was beneficial for me,” he said. “I wasn’t trying to get anything else out of it other than that — the weed, smoking and just the camaraderie, you know, the connection.”

    D.C. Public Schools has given WTOP a statement saying it “is required to maintain confidentiality regarding personnel matters and cannot provide comment on individual employees.

    The statement goes on to say the school district treats allegations of employee misconduct with the “utmost seriousness.”

    Last week, a letter was sent home to parents at Banneker confirming “an allegation of sexual misconduct has recently been made against a staff member at Banneker High School.”

    The letter from the principal goes on to say, “While I am unable to provide further details as these allegations are being investigated by MPD, I can confirm that the staff member is out of the building on leave and will not report while this matter is under review.”

    School counselors and other mental health supports have been offered to students while the matter is investigated.

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    © 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    John Domen

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  • Diocese of Camden reaches $180 million settlement with survivors of clergy sexual abuse

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    The Diocese of Camden has agreed to pay $180 million in a settlement to resolve claims of clergy sexual abuse by over 300 survivors whose allegations span decades. The diocese covers 62 parishes in six counties in South Jersey.

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    Michael Tanenbaum

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  • Shein faces EU investigation over illegal products and addictive design features

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    LONDON — European Union regulators are investigating Shein over concerns the online retailer hasn’t done enough to limit the sale of illegal products or protect users from the platform’s allegedly addictive design.

    The 27-nation bloc’s executive arm said Tuesday that it opened formal investigation under the bloc’s sweeping rulebook known as the Digital Services Act, which requires the biggest online platforms to take extra steps to protect internet users from dodgy products.

    Shein may be required to alter its actions, or pay a hefty fine if a so-called non-compliance decision is reached following an in-depth investigation, the European Commission said.

    One area its investigation is focusing on is whether Shein has the proper safeguards in place to limit the sale of products that are illegal in the EU, the commission said, including items that amount to child sexual abuse material such as “child-like sex dolls.”

    The the fast-fashion giant came under fire last year in France, where authorities found illegal weapons including firearms, knives and machetes as well as child-like sex dolls for sale on its website. The French government sought to suspend access to the Shein site in France. A court blocked that action and asked the commission to investigate under the bloc’s Digital Services Act.

    The commission says it will also determine whether Shein has systems to mitigate risks related to what it says is the platform’s addictive design, which includes giving users points or rewards “for engagement.”

    And regulators are also targeting the transparency of Shein’s recommendation systems that suggest more products to consumers. They’re concerned that the company doesn’t clearly explain to users why they’re being recommended specific products.

    Shein said it takes its obligations seriously and will continue to cooperate with the commission.

    The company said it has invested significantly in strengthening compliance with the DSA. The measures “comprehensive systemic-risk assessments and mitigation frameworks, enhanced protections for younger users, and ongoing work to design our services in ways that promote a safe and trusted user experience.”

    “Protecting minors and reducing the risk of harmful content and behaviours are central to how we develop and operate our platform,” the company said in a press statement.

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  • Shein faces EU investigation over illegal products and addictive design features

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    LONDON — European Union regulators are investigating Shein over concerns the online retailer hasn’t done enough to limit the sale of illegal products or protect users from the platform’s allegedly addictive design.

    The 27-nation bloc’s executive arm said Tuesday that it opened formal investigation under the bloc’s sweeping rulebook known as the Digital Services Act, which requires the biggest online platforms to take extra steps to protect internet users from dodgy products.

    Shein may be required to alter its actions, or pay a hefty fine if a so-called non-compliance decision is reached following an in-depth investigation, the European Commission said.

    One area its investigation is focusing on is whether Shein has the proper safeguards in place to limit the sale of products that are illegal in the EU, the commission said, including items that amount to child sexual abuse material such as “child-like sex dolls.”

    The the fast-fashion giant came under fire last year in France, where authorities found illegal weapons including firearms, knives and machetes as well as child-like sex dolls for sale on its website. The French government sought to suspend access to the Shein site in France. A court blocked that action and asked the commission to investigate under the bloc’s Digital Services Act.

    The commission says it will also determine whether Shein has systems to mitigate risks related to what it says is the platform’s addictive design, which includes giving users points or rewards “for engagement.”

    And regulators are also targeting the transparency of Shein’s recommendation systems that suggest more products to consumers. They’re concerned that the company doesn’t clearly explain to users why they’re being recommended specific products.

    Shein said it takes its obligations seriously and will continue to cooperate with the commission.

    The company said it has invested significantly in strengthening compliance with the DSA. The measures “comprehensive systemic-risk assessments and mitigation frameworks, enhanced protections for younger users, and ongoing work to design our services in ways that promote a safe and trusted user experience.”

    “Protecting minors and reducing the risk of harmful content and behaviours are central to how we develop and operate our platform,” the company said in a press statement.

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  • Ohio Man Charged With Threatening to Kill Vice President JD Vance and Possessing Child Abuse Files

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    An Ohio man has been charged with threatening to kill Vice President JD Vance while he was visiting his home state last month. But the man’s lawyer said his health makes it unlikely he would have been able to carry out the threat.

    In addition to the charge for threatening Vance, prosecutors also charged Shannon Mathre with possessing digital files depicting child sexual abuse that were discovered during the investigation. That second charge carries a much stiffer potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison. The charge related to the threats could lead to a maximum five-year sentence.

    Lawyer Neil McElroy said that Mathre’s health challenges would have been apparent to anyone in the courtroom Friday when he pleaded not guilty to the charges, so he doesn’t think the threat charge makes sense. McElroy said he couldn’t comment on the charge related to the possession of child sexual abuse files because prosecutors haven’t yet provided any details about that at this early stage of the case.

    “Anyone that spends any time in a room with Mr. Mathre or has any knowledge of his condition — physical condition, mental condition — can see that it’s a farce,” McElroy said. He declined to go into detail about Mathre’s health challenges, but the lawyer said that Mathre has “some mental disabilities and a variety of other conditions.”

    Still, the Justice Department and Secret Service took the threat very seriously after Mathre said “I am going to find out where he (the vice president) is going to be and use my M14 automatic gun and kill him.”

    The indictment filed in court doesn’t offer many details about the threat or the images he allegedly possessed, but the Secret Service said the investigation went beyond the online threat to also examine Mathre’s actions and behavior. The 33-year-old Toledo man’s Samsung phone was seized on Jan. 21 as part of the investigation.

    “Our attorneys are vigorously prosecuting this disgusting threat against Vice President Vance,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement. “You can hide behind a screen, but you cannot hide from this Department of Justice.”

    David M. Toepfer, who is the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, said “hostile and violent threats made against the Vice President, or any other public official, will not be tolerated in our district.”

    The Secret Service agent in charge of the Toledo office, Matthew Schierloh, said there should be zero tolerance for any kind of political violence in this country.

    “The safety and security of those we protect is paramount to everything we do,” Schierloh said. “Thanks to vigilant members of the public and the tenacious work of our special agents, a comprehensive joint investigation was conducted, resulting in the arrest of a defendant for making threats against the Vice President.”

    Mathre is doing back in court on Wednesday for a hearing to determine whether he will remain in custody as the case moves forward.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – Feb. 2026

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    Associated Press

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  • Paris prosecutors raid X offices in probe into child abuse images and deepfakes

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    PARIS — French prosecutors raided the offices of Elon Musk’s social media platform X on Tuesday as part of a preliminary investigation into a range of alleged offences, including spreading child sexual abuse images and deepfakes.

    The investigation was opened in January last year by the prosecutors’ cybercrime unit, the Paris prosecutors’ office said in a statement. It’s looking into alleged “complicity” in possessing and spreading pornographic images of minors, sexually explicit deepfakes, denial of crimes against humanity and manipulation of an automated data processing system as part of an organized group, among other charges.

    Prosecutors also asked Elon Musk and former CEO Linda Yaccarino to attend “voluntary interviews” on April 20. Employees of X have also been summoned that same week to be heard as witnesses, the statement said. Yaccarino was CEO from May 2023 until July 2025.

    A spokesperson for X did not respond to a request for comment.

    In a message posted on X, the Paris prosecutors’ office announced the ongoing searches at the company’s offices in France and said it was leaving the platform while calling on followers to join it on other social media.

    “At this stage, the conduct of the investigation is based on a constructive approach, with the aim of ultimately ensuring that the X platform complies with French law, as it operates on the national territory,” the prosecutors’ statement said.

    European Union police agency Europol ’’is supporting the French authorities in this,″ Europol spokesperson Jan Op Gen Oorth told The Associated Press, without elaborating.

    The investigation was first opened following reports by a French lawmaker alleging that biased algorithms on X were likely to have distorted the functioning of an automated data processing system.

    It was later expanded after Musk’s artificial intelligence chatbot Grok generated posts that allegedly denied the Holocaust and spread sexually explicit deepfakes, the statement said. Holocaust denial is a crime in France.

    Grok wrote in a widely shared post in French that gas chambers at the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp were designed for “disinfection with Zyklon B against typhus” rather than for mass murder — language long associated with Holocaust denial.

    Musk’s artificial intelligence company built xAI and it is integrated into his X platform.

    In later posts on its X account, the chatbot acknowledged that its earlier reply was wrong, said it had been deleted and pointed to historical evidence that Zyklon B in Auschwitz gas chambers was used to kill more than 1 million people.

    Grok has a history of making antisemitic comments. Musk’s company took down posts from the chatbot that appeared to praise Adolf Hitler after complaints.

    X is also under pressure from the EU. The 27-nation bloc’s executive arm opened an investigation last month after Grok spewed nonconsensual sexualized deepfake images on the platform.

    Brussels has already hit X with a 120-million euro (then-$140 million) fine for shortcomings under the bloc’s sweeping digital regulations, including blue checkmarks that broke the rules on “deceptive design practices” that risked exposing users to scams and manipulation.

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  • 17 former NC State athletes join lawsuit alleging abuse by ex-head trainer, bringing total to 31

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    RALEIGH, N.C. — Seventeen additional former N.C. State male athletes have joined a state lawsuit alleging sexual abuse under the guise of treatment and harassment by the Wolfpack’s former director of sports medicine, pushing the total number to 31 in a case that began with a federal lawsuit from a single athlete more than three years ago.

    The complaint filed in Wake County Superior Court late last week expands a case alleging years of misconduct by Robert L. Murphy Jr., including improper touching of the genitals during massages and intrusive observation while collecting urine samples during drug testing.

    All but two of the 31 athletes are “John Doe” plaintiffs to protect anonymity, while two former men’s soccer players are named.

    One is Benjamin Locke, who filed the original complaint in August 2022. The other is one of two athletes who filed their own federal lawsuits in February 2023 and April 2023. The Associated Press typically doesn’t identify those who say they have been sexually assaulted or abused unless the person has spoken publicly about it, which Locke has done.

    Durham-based attorney Kerry Sutton, who has represented plaintiffs in each lawsuit, filed to dismiss those pending Title IX lawsuits before moving the case to state-level jurisdiction in September. That complaint added 11 new athletes to bring the total to 14 — and now the case has more than doubled with the latest filing.

    “While it is never good news to hear there are other men that have been suffering in silence due to what they experienced, I am encouraged by the bravery, vulnerability, and willingness of these men to come forward against injustice,” Locke said Monday in a statement released by Sutton.

    In a separate statement, Sutton said: “I hate to say it, but I expect to hear from more men in coming days who were sexually harassed or assaulted by Mr. Murphy.”

    Seth Blum, a Raleigh-based attorney who has represented Murphy, didn’t immediately return an email from The Associated Press on Monday. He has forcefully defended Murphy in past comments, saying he has been falsely accused and there has yet to be “one scrap of credible evidence he assaulted anyone.”

    “Put simply, Robert Murphy did not do this,” Blum said in a statement after the September lawsuit.

    Murphy, at N.C. State from 2012-22, is among nine defendants named individually. Others are school officials accused of negligence in oversight roles.

    The lawsuits outline similar allegations of Murphy’s conduct and the school’s response in failing to stop it, even when concerns reached senior levels of the athletic department. The latest filing describes the 31 former athletes as “victims of sexual assaults, sexual exploitation and sexual harassment” while saying Murphy “violated his position of trust to abuse rather than treat.”

    The allegations from 17 new plaintiffs largely centered on Murphy’s handling and observation of drug testing. Those allegations centered on athletes being instructed to raise their shirt above their chest and lower their shorts or pants to their ankles while Murphy stared at their genitals from a few feet away and sometimes from within the same bathroom stall.

    One athlete described feeling “uncomfortable and vulnerable,” while another was left “feeling humiliated,” according to the lawsuit. In another case, an athlete was so uncomfortable that he couldn’t urinate “even after consuming three Diet Cokes” and had return a day later “to repeat the same invasive process,” the lawsuit said.

    Roughly a half-dozen of the 17 also alleged Murphy improperly touched their genitals during massage or other rehabilitation treatments amid injuries. One athlete dealing with an Achilles tendon injury to his lower leg alleged Murphy began massage treatments but gradually moved higher until reaching the athlete’s groin; that athlete asked Murphy to stop and refused to let Murphy treat him again, according to the complaint.

    ___

    AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports

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  • A who’s who of powerful men amed in Epstein files

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    NEW YORK — From tech titans to Wall Street power brokers and foreign dignitaries, a who’s who of powerful men make appearances in the huge trove of documents released by the Justice Department in connection with its investigations of Jeffrey Epstein.

    All have denied having anything to do with his sexual abuse of girls and young women. Yet some of them maintained friendships with Epstein, or developed them anew, even after news stories made him widely known as an alleged abuser of young girls.

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    By PHILIP MARCELO – Associated Press

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  • Essex resident heading up Stop Child Predators

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    ESSEX — For Maureen Flatley , there is possibly no task greater than protecting children.

    Flatley, who has lived in Essex since 2002, was recently named president of the Washington, D.C.-based organization Stop Child Predators. She comes to the position as the organization celebrates 20 years of child protection advocacy.

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    By Stephen Hagan | Staff Writer

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  • U.K. man accused of drugging, raping ex-wife over 13 years to appear in court

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    London — A British man was to appear in court Friday accused of drugging and raping his ex-wife for over 13 years, alongside five other men also charged with sexual offenses against her.

    Philip Young, 49, is facing 56 sexual offense charges for alleged abuse of his former wife Joanne Young, 48, including rape and administering a substance with the intent to stupefy or overpower to allow sexual activity.

    Joanne Young has waived her legal right to anonymity, drawing parallels to the 2024 trial in France during which Gisele Pelicot waived her right to anonymity to raise awareness about sexual violence. She was drugged and raped by her husband, and dozens of men he invited to join in the abuse, for years in their home.

    Voyeurism, possession of indecent images of children and possession of extreme images are among the other charges filed against Young. CBS News’ partner network BBC reports that Young served as a local government councilor with the Conservative party between 2007 and 2010. Prosecutors say the alleged crimes took place between 2010 and 2023.

    He is yet to enter a plea, and was remanded in custody after a hearing in December.

    Young was to be joined by five other men, aged 31 to 61, also accused of various sexual offenses against his ex-wife, at Winchester Crown Court, a criminal court southwest of London.

    Norman Macksoni, 47, pleaded not guilty to one count of rape and possession of extreme images. Dean Hamilton, 47, pleaded not guilty to one count of rape and sexual assault by penetration, as well as two counts of sexual touching.

    The three others have not yet entered pleas.

    They include Connor Sanderson-Doyle, 31, charged with sexual assault and sexual touching; Richard Wilkins, 61, charged with rape and sexual touching; and Mohammed Hassan, 37, charged with sexual touching.

    Wiltshire Police detective superintendent Geoff Smith said in a statement in December that the case against Young and his co-defendants stemmed from a “complex and extensive investigation.”

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  • ‘West Wing’ actor Timothy Busfield released from New Mexico jail pending trial

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    ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Actor Timothy Busfield was released from jail Tuesday night in New Mexico, where he is facing counts of child sexual abuse.

    Hours earlier, Busfield’s attorneys successfully argued that the actor best known for appearances in “The West Wing,” “Field of Dreams” and “Thirtysomething” wasn’t a danger to the community and shouldn’t be behind bars while he awaits trial. Prosecutors sought to keep him in jail, outlining what they said was grooming behavior and abuse of power by Busfield over three decades.

    State District Court Judge David Murphy said while the crimes Busfield is accused of inherently are dangerous and involve children, prosecutors didn’t prove the public wouldn’t be safe if he’s released.

    “There’s no evidence of a pattern of criminal conduct, there are no similar allegations involving children in his past,” Murphy said. “Rather this defendant self-surrendered and submitted himself to this court’s jurisdiction, demonstrating compliance with the court order for his arrest.”

    Outside the courthouse, Busfield’s wife, actor Melissa Gilbert, thanked Murphy for the ruling. She also thanked friends, relatives, co-workers and strangers who she said have showered their family with love. Gilbert, who played Laura Ingalls in the 1970s to ’80s TV series “Little House on the Prairie,” sat behind Busfield during the hearing. He was handcuffed and dressed in an orange jail jumpsuit.

    Prosecutors declined to comment on the ruling.

    Busfield is facing two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse while working as a director on the set of the TV series “The Cleaning Lady,” allegations that he denies. He was booked into jail after a warrant was issued for his arrest and he turned himself in.

    According to the criminal complaint, an investigator with the Albuquerque Police Department said a boy reported that Busfield touched him on his private areas over his clothing on one occasion when he was 7 years old and another time when he was 8. The boy’s twin brother told authorities he was also touched by Busfield, but he did not specify where and didn’t say anything because he didn’t want to get in trouble, the complaint said.

    During the hearing Tuesday, Busfield’s attorneys pointed out that the children initially said during interviews with police that Busfield didn’t touch them inappropriately. Busfield’s attorneys then accused the boys’ parents of coaching their children toward incriminating statements after the boys lost lucrative roles on the show.

    Busfield’s defense team called just one witness — Alan Caudillo, director of photography on “The Cleaning Lady” — to testify that children on set were never left alone with individuals, and that the parents were the ones who encouraged hugs with adults on the set.

    According to the criminal complaint, one of the boys later disclosed during a therapy session that he was inappropriately touched by Busfield. Those records were obtained by police during the investigation.

    Assistant District Attorney Savannah Brandenburg-Koch called evidence of abuse against Busfield strong and specific. She also said witnesses expressed fear about potential retaliation and professional harm.

    “The boys’ allegation are supported by medical findings and by their therapist,” Brandenburg-Koch said. “Their accounts were specific and not exaggerated.”

    Arguing for Busfield’s release, defense attorney Amber Fayerberg said her client will be under intense scrutiny because of publicity surrounding the charges.

    “That bell can’t be un-rung,” Fayerberg said. “The idea that he (Busfield) could then go out and be dangerous with a child — in the world where everybody knows who he is — is absurd.”

    Busfield submitted letters vouching for his character, and his attorneys say he passed an independent polygraph test.

    Legal experts say New Mexico is among a few states that allow polygraph evidence in criminal cases, but a judge has final say over whether one can be used. There are strict requirements for admission in court.

    ___

    Lee reported from Santa Fe, New Mexico.

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  • New Mexico judge orders release of actor Timothy Busfield from jail pending child sex abuse case

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    ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A judge ordered that actor Timothy Busfield be released from jail pending trial on child sex abuse charges, at a detention hearing Tuesday.

    The order from state district court Judge David Murphy is linked to accusations that Busfield inappropriately touched a minor while working as a director on the set of the series “The Cleaning Lady.”

    Busfield will be supervised upon release by a pretrial services office in Albuquerque, and can leave the state to return home, the judge said.

    Busfield, an Emmy Award-winning actor who is known for appearances in “The West Wing,” “Field of Dreams” and “Thirtysomething,” was ordered to be held without bond last week at his first court appearance. Busfield called the allegations lies in a video shared before he turned himself in.

    The judge acknowledged evidence that Busfield is accused of crimes that are inherently dangerous and involve children, but said prosecutors didn’t prove that there are no conditions of release that would protect the public’s safety.

    “There’s no evidence of a pattern of criminal conduct, there are no similar allegations involving children in his past,” Murphy said. “Rather this defendant self-surrendered and submitted himself to this court’s jurisdiction, demonstrating compliance with the court order for his arrest.”

    At the hearing, Busfield was handcuffed and dressed in an orange jail uniform in a New Mexico state district court, while wife and actor Melissa Gilbert watched from the court gallery.

    Gilbert was tearful while exiting the courtroom after the judge ordered Busfield’s release.

    Gilbert, who played Laura Ingalls in the 1970s to ’80s TV series “Little House on the Prairie,” was on the list of potential witness submitted ahead of the hearing.

    Albuquerque police issued a warrant for Busfield’s arrest earlier this month on two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse. A criminal complaint alleges the acts occurred on the set of the series “The Cleaning Lady.”

    According to the criminal complaint, an investigator with the police department says the child reported Busfield touched him on private areas over his clothing on one occasion when he was 7 years old and another time when he was 8. The boy’s twin brother told authorities he was also touched by Busfield, but did not specify where. He said he didn’t say anything because he didn’t want to get in trouble.

    On Monday, Busfield’s attorneys submitted two brief audio recordings of initial police interviews in which the children say Busfield did not touch them in private areas. The attorneys in a court filing argue that the complaint characterizes the interviews as a failure to disclose abuse, but an “unequivocal denial is materially different from a mere absence of disclosure.”

    According to the criminal complaint, one of the boys disclosed during a therapy session that he was inappropriately touched by the show’s director. Those records were obtained by police during the investigation.

    Arguing Tuesday for Busfield’s continued detention, Assistant District Attorney Savannah Brandenburg-Koch called evidence of abuse against Busfield strong and specific.

    “The boys’ allegation are supported by medical findings and by their therapist,” Brandenburg-Koch said. “Their accounts were specific and not exaggerated.”

    She also described a documented pattern of sexual misconduct, abuse of authority and grooming behavior by Busfield over the past three decades. Prosecutors also say witnesses have expressed fear regarding retaliation and professional harm.

    “GPS is not going to tell this court if he is around children or talking to witnesses,” Brandenburg-Koch said.

    Busfield’s attorneys have argued that the allegations emerged only after the boys lost their role in the TV show, creating a financial and retaliatory motive. The filings detailed what the attorneys said was a history of fraud by both the boys’ father and mother. They cited an investigation by Warner Bros. into the allegations that found the allegations unfounded.

    Busfield also submitted letters vouching for his character, and his attorneys say he passed an independent polygraph test.

    Legal experts say New Mexico is among a few states that allow polygraph evidence in criminal cases, but a judge has final say over whether one can be used. There are strict requirements for admission.

    ___

    Morgan reported from Santa Fe, New Mexico.

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  • Actor Timothy Busfield’s attorneys say an investigation undermines state’s child sex abuse charges

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    ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Emmy Award-winning actor Timothy Busfield’s attorneys told a court Friday he should be released while he awaits the outcome of child sex abuse charges against him because an independent investigation undermined the state’s allegations, the parents of his accusers have a history of fraud and dishonesty, and he passed a polygraph test.

    Busfield was ordered held without bond at his first court appearance Wednesday, a day after he turned himself in to face charges stemming from allegations that he inappropriately touched a minor on the set of a TV series he was directing in New Mexico.

    A judge will hold a detention hearing on Tuesday to determine whether Busfield will remain in jail.

    Albuquerque police issued a warrant for his arrest last week on two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse. A criminal complaint alleges the acts occurred on the set of the series “The Cleaning Lady,” which was filmed in the city.

    In a video shared before turning himself in, Busfield called the allegations lies. Busfield, who is married to actor Melissa Gilbert, is known for appearances in “The West Wing,” “Field of Dreams” and “Thirtysomething.”

    According to the criminal complaint, an investigator with the police department says the child reported Busfield touched him on private areas over his clothing on one occasion when he was 7 years old and another time when he was 8.

    SEE ALSO | ‘West Wing’ actor Timothy Busfield faces new assault claim from 16-year-old victim: Court documents

    The boy’s twin brother told authorities he was also touched by Busfield, but did not specify where. He said he didn’t say anything because he didn’t want to get in trouble.

    Busfield’s attorneys said in court filings that the allegations against him emerged only after the boys lost their role in the TV show, creating a financial and retaliatory motive. The filings detailed what the attorneys said was a history of fraud by both the father and mother.

    They cited an investigation by Warner Bros. into the allegations, which they said prosecutors didn’t include in their criminal complaint, found the allegations unfounded. Independent witnesses supported the report’s conclusions, the court filings said.

    Busfield also submitted letters vouching for his character. His passing of the polygraph test aligns with the other information submitted, his attorneys said.

    Legal experts say New Mexico is among a few states that allow polygraph evidence in criminal cases, but a judge has final say over whether one can be used. There are strict requirements for admission.

    Copyright © 2026 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

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  • YouTube relaxes monetization policy on videos with controversial content

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    YouTube is updating its guidelines for videos containing what advertisers define as controversial content, like abortion and self-harm, allowing more creators to earn full ad revenue when they tackle sensitive issues in a nongraphic way

    YouTube is updating its guidelines for videos containing content that advertisers define as controversial, allowing more creators to earn full ad revenue when they tackle sensitive issues in a nongraphic way.

    With the update that went into effect Tuesday, YouTube videos that dramatize or cover issues including domestic abuse, self-harm, suicide, adult sexual abuse, abortion and sexual harassment without graphic descriptions or imagery are now eligible for full monetization.

    Ads will remain restricted on videos that include content on child abuse, child sex trafficking and eating disorders.

    The changes were outlined in a video posted to the Creator Insider YouTube channel on Tuesday, and the advertiser-friendly content guidelines were also updated with specific definitions and examples.

    “We want to ensure the creators who are telling sensitive stories or producing dramatized content have the opportunity to earn ad revenue while respecting advertiser choice and industry sentiment,” said Conor Kavanagh, YouTube’s head of monetization policy experience, in the video announcing the changes. “We took a closer look and found our guidelines in this area had become too restrictive and ended up demonetizing uploads like dramatized content.”

    The update also makes personal accounts of these sensitive issues, as well as preventative content and journalistic coverage on these subjects, eligible for full monetization.

    The Google-owned company said the degree of graphic or descriptive detail in videos wasn’t previously considered when determining advertiser friendliness.

    Some creators would attempt to bypass these policies on YouTube and other platforms by using workaround language or substituting symbols and numbers for letters in written text — the most prevalent example across social platforms has been the use of the term “unalive.”

    YouTube has updated its policies in response to creator feedback before. In July, the company eased its monetization policy regarding profanity, making videos that use strong profanity in the first seven seconds eligible for full ad revenue.

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  • Julio Iglesias denies sexual abuse allegations, calling them ‘absolutely untrue’

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    MADRID — Grammy-winning singer Julio Iglesias on Friday denied allegations that he sexually assaulted two former employees, calling the accusations “absolutely untrue.”

    Media reports from earlier this week alleged Iglesias had sexually and physically assaulted two women who worked at his residences in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas between January and October 2021. A day later, Spanish prosecutors said they were studying the allegations.

    “With deep sorrow, I respond to the accusations made by two people who previously worked at my home. I deny having abused, coerced or disrespected any woman. These accusations are absolutely false and cause me great sadness,” Iglesias said on Instagram.

    Spanish online newspaper elDiario.es and Spanish-language television channel Univision Noticias published the joint, three-year investigation on Jan. 13 into Iglesias’ alleged misconduct.

    A Spanish high court received formal allegations against Iglesias by an unnamed party on Jan. 5, according to officials there. Iglesias could potentially be taken in front of the Madrid-based court, which can try alleged crimes by Spanish citizens while they are abroad, according to the court’s press office.

    The 82-year-old Iglesias is one of the world’s most successful musical artists, having sold more than 300 million records in more than a dozen languages. After making his start in Spain, he won immense popularity in the United States and wider world in the 1970s and ’80s. He’s the father of pop singer Enrique Iglesias.

    In 1988, he won a Grammy for Best Latin Pop Performance for his album “Un Hombre Solo.” He also received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammys in 2019.

    “I had never experienced such malice, but I still have the strength for people to know the full truth and to defend my dignity against such a serious affront,” Iglesias said on social media.

    He also thanked those who had sent messages of support.

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  • Timothy Busfield faced allegation of sexual abuse against teen at B Street Theatre, court docs say

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    Emmy Award-winning actor and director Timothy Busfield is facing a new allegation of sexual abuse from his time in Sacramento, according to court documents.The allegation appeared in court documents filed in Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court in New Mexico that argue Busfield should be detained before trial in a child sex case there because of Busfield’s alleged history of sexual misconduct. In New Mexico, Busfield faces two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse that stem from allegations of inappropriate touching of twin child actors while he was directing the series “The Cleaning Lady.” Busfield called the allegations against him “lies” in a video shared with TMZ. He made an initial court appearance Wednesday and a hearing about whether he should continue to be detained before trial will take place within five business days. His attorney told Hearst station KOAT that, “Tim Busfield denies the allegations in the criminal complaint and maintains they are completely false. As a voluntary step, he submitted to an independent polygraph examination regarding those allegations and passed.” According to the new court documents, a man told law enforcement Tuesday that Busfield sexually abused his daughter “several years ago.”While auditioning before Busfield at Sacramento’s B Street Theatre when she was 16 years old, the teen reported that Busfield “kissed her, put his hands down her pants and touched her privates,” the documents say. “The defendant begged the family to not report to law enforcement if he received therapy,” the documents say. The father, “a therapist himself thought at the time that was the best thing to do,” the documents say. KCRA 3 is not naming the man at this time because it could identify the daughter. But KCRA 3’s Cecil Hannibal spoke to the father, who said the incident that changed the trajectory of his daughter’s life happened back in 1999. The father said that he was at a meeting with Busfield where, “this guy’s crying, he’s showing remorse. He’s, he’s, he’s, apologizing. … And so I said, basically, ‘I’ll tell you what,’ you know, he was he was basically begging me not to go to the police.”The father said he now regrets not having gone to the police at the time. Busfield is the co-founder, along with his brother Buck, of the B Street Theatre. They also established the Fantasy Theater.The B Street Theatre released a statement on Tuesday before the new allegations surfaced. That statement noted that the allegations in New Mexico “did not occur at B Street Theatre, nor do they involve any activity connected with our organization, its staff, or our programs.”“Mr. Busfield does not have any role presently with B Street Theatre,” the statement said. “He was a co-founder of the theatre but has not served in any capacity since 2001. He is listed on our website as an emeritus member of the board, however he has not attended a board meeting in that capacity since 2001.”KCRA 3 again reached out to the B Street Theatre for comment, along with Sacramento police, about the new allegation. In an updated statement, the B Street Theatre said it was aware of “an incident alleged to have occurred at B Street Theatre approximately 25 years ago.””B Street Theatre retained legal counsel at the time to conduct an internal investigation, and Mr. Busfield has not had any role in the organization since 2001,” the statement said. The New Mexico court documents also mention other allegations against Busfield that have been previously reported. One incident, a 1994 allegation of sexual assault against an 17-year-old extra on “Little Big League,” led to a private settlement. Busfield was later ordered to pay attorney costs after he countersued for defamation and the case was tossed. Another allegation of sexual battery at a LA movie theater involving a 28-year-old woman did not lead to prosecution over slim evidence, according to the court documents. Busfield is best known for his appearances in “The West Wing,” “Field of Dreams,” “Thirtysomething” and “Revenge of the Nerds.” He is listed as an actor, director or producer on more than 100 projects, according to IMDB. Busfield was also inducted into the Sacramento Area Baseball Hall of Fame after pitching for the Sacramento Smokeys. An NBC spokesperson said that the network has pulled an episode of “Law & Order: SVU” featuring Busfield that was supposed to air this week. Busfield is now married to actress Melissa Gilbert, from “Little House on the Prarie.” Gilbert’s publicist said she would not talk about her husband’s case while the legal process unfolds. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

    Emmy Award-winning actor and director Timothy Busfield is facing a new allegation of sexual abuse from his time in Sacramento, according to court documents.

    The allegation appeared in court documents filed in Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court in New Mexico that argue Busfield should be detained before trial in a child sex case there because of Busfield’s alleged history of sexual misconduct.

    In New Mexico, Busfield faces two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor and one count of child abuse that stem from allegations of inappropriate touching of twin child actors while he was directing the series “The Cleaning Lady.”

    Busfield called the allegations against him “lies” in a video shared with TMZ. He made an initial court appearance Wednesday and a hearing about whether he should continue to be detained before trial will take place within five business days.

    His attorney told Hearst station KOAT that, “Tim Busfield denies the allegations in the criminal complaint and maintains they are completely false. As a voluntary step, he submitted to an independent polygraph examination regarding those allegations and passed.”

    According to the new court documents, a man told law enforcement Tuesday that Busfield sexually abused his daughter “several years ago.”

    While auditioning before Busfield at Sacramento’s B Street Theatre when she was 16 years old, the teen reported that Busfield “kissed her, put his hands down her pants and touched her privates,” the documents say.

    “The defendant begged the family to not report to law enforcement if he received therapy,” the documents say.

    The father, “a therapist himself thought at the time that was the best thing to do,” the documents say.

    KCRA 3 is not naming the man at this time because it could identify the daughter. But KCRA 3’s Cecil Hannibal spoke to the father, who said the incident that changed the trajectory of his daughter’s life happened back in 1999.

    The father said that he was at a meeting with Busfield where, “this guy’s crying, he’s showing remorse. He’s, he’s, he’s, apologizing. … And so I said, basically, ‘I’ll tell you what,’ you know, he was he was basically begging me not to go to the police.”

    The father said he now regrets not having gone to the police at the time.

    Busfield is the co-founder, along with his brother Buck, of the B Street Theatre. They also established the Fantasy Theater.

    The B Street Theatre released a statement on Tuesday before the new allegations surfaced.

    That statement noted that the allegations in New Mexico “did not occur at B Street Theatre, nor do they involve any activity connected with our organization, its staff, or our programs.”

    “Mr. Busfield does not have any role presently with B Street Theatre,” the statement said. “He was a co-founder of the theatre but has not served in any capacity since 2001. He is listed on our website as an emeritus member of the board, however he has not attended a board meeting in that capacity since 2001.”

    KCRA 3 again reached out to the B Street Theatre for comment, along with Sacramento police, about the new allegation.

    In an updated statement, the B Street Theatre said it was aware of “an incident alleged to have occurred at B Street Theatre approximately 25 years ago.”

    “B Street Theatre retained legal counsel at the time to conduct an internal investigation, and Mr. Busfield has not had any role in the organization since 2001,” the statement said.

    The New Mexico court documents also mention other allegations against Busfield that have been previously reported.

    One incident, a 1994 allegation of sexual assault against an 17-year-old extra on “Little Big League,” led to a private settlement. Busfield was later ordered to pay attorney costs after he countersued for defamation and the case was tossed.

    Another allegation of sexual battery at a LA movie theater involving a 28-year-old woman did not lead to prosecution over slim evidence, according to the court documents.

    Busfield is best known for his appearances in “The West Wing,” “Field of Dreams,” “Thirtysomething” and “Revenge of the Nerds.”

    He is listed as an actor, director or producer on more than 100 projects, according to IMDB.

    Busfield was also inducted into the Sacramento Area Baseball Hall of Fame after pitching for the Sacramento Smokeys.

    An NBC spokesperson said that the network has pulled an episode of “Law & Order: SVU” featuring Busfield that was supposed to air this week.

    Busfield is now married to actress Melissa Gilbert, from “Little House on the Prarie.” Gilbert’s publicist said she would not talk about her husband’s case while the legal process unfolds.

    See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

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  • Timothy Busfield Held as New Mexico Defense Lawyer Joins Case – LAmag

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    Attorney Christopher Allen Dodd, known for litigating major felony trials, is now representing the Emmy-winning actor as he awaits scheduling of his initial appearance

    Actor and director Timothy Busfield now has legal representation formally entered into the court record as he faces felony child sex abuse charges in New Mexico, according to newly filed docket entries reviewed Wednesday. Busfield, 68, remains ordered to be held without release pending his first court appearance; a date that has not yet been scheduled or listed by Bernalillo County courts.

    The updated docket shows that attorney Christopher Allen Dodd has been added as counsel for Busfield. Dodd, a criminal defense and civil rights lawyer, is known in New Mexico for handling felony trials in both state and federal court. A former public defender, he has tried homicide, sex-crime and computer-crime cases and later practiced with the high-profile firm Freedman, Boyd, Hollander, Goldberg, Urias & Ward before co-founding Fayerberg Dodd, LLC and Dodd Law Office. His firm’s website says he has represented professional athletes, doctors and corporate executives, and has secured major civil rights verdicts in federal court. Dodd has been recognized as a Rising Star by Super Lawyers and serves on the board of the New Mexico Criminal Defense Lawyers Association while lecturing nationally on trial strategy.

    Dodd previously represented retired UFC champion Jon Jones in a high-profile misdemeanor case stemming from an alleged February 2025 hit-and-run incident in New Mexico. Prosecutors charged Jones with leaving the scene of an accident without injuries, but the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office dismissed the charges in September 2025 after reviewing evidence, including cell phone records that supported Jones’ alibi that he was not at the scene. Dodd, in a statement following the dismissal, said his client had been “fully vindicated,” attributing the initial allegation to a woman who falsely accused Jones to avoid a drunken-driving arrest, and criticized Albuquerque police for accepting the claim without properly weighing the facts.

    Credit: New Mexico Courts

    Busfield was charged last week with two counts of criminal sexual contact of a minor under 13, both third-degree felonies, and one count of child abuse. The allegations stem from his work on the set of the television series “The Cleaning Lady,” where investigators say he inappropriately touched male sibling child actors on their genitals and buttocks on multiple occasions when they were 7 to 8 years old. The inquiry began after a physician at the University of New Mexico Hospital reported suspected abuse in November 2024. Busfield told investigators that the child actors did not receive a new contract and that the lead actress on set overheard their mother talking about wanting “revenge on Busfield.” The lead actress, Eleoidie Yung, declined to speak with investigators.

    As previously reported by Los Angeles Magazine, Busfield told detectives he “playfully tickled” the children and suggested the mother of the boys was retaliating after they were replaced on the show. The Albuquerque Police Department obtained an arrest warrant on January 9, prompting the US Marshals Service to join efforts to locate the Emmy-winning actor. Busfield surrendered to authorities on January 13 after traveling from out of state. In a video posted online denying the allegations, he explained he first needed to retain an attorney before turning himself in, then stated he had to drive “2,000 miles to Albuquerque” to address the charges. He said he intends to “confront these lies,” insisting he “did not do anything to those little boys.” Busfield called the allegations “so wrong,” thanked supporters, and added that he expects to be “back to work soon.” 

    Busfield is currently being held at the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center. Additional filings, including his formal initial appearance and future hearing dates, have not yet been posted. Los Angeles has reached out to Dodd for comment.

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    Lauren Conlin

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  • U.K. says ban on Elon Musk’s X platform “on the table” over Grok AI sexualized images

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    London — U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Thursday that he wants “all options to be on the table,” including a potential ban on Elon Musk’s X platform in Britain, over the use of its artificial intelligence tool Grok to generate sexualized images of people without their consent. 

    Starmer’s remarks come as Musk’s platform faces scrutiny from regulators across the globe over Grok’s image editing tool, which has allowed users to create digitally altered, sexualized photos of real people, including minors.

    “This is disgraceful, it’s disgusting and it’s not to be tolerated. X has got to get a grip of this,” Starmer said in an interview with a U.K. radio station. “It’s unlawful. We’re not going to tolerate it. I’ve asked for all options to be on the table.”

    A source in Starmer’s office reiterated to CBS News on Friday that “nothing is off the table” when it comes to regulating X in Britain.

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer leaves his 10 Downing Street residence to attend a weekly question and answer session in the British Parliament, Jan. 7, 2026, in London, England.

    Carl Court/Getty


    CBS News has verified that Grok fulfilled user requests asking it to edit images of women to show them in bikinis or little clothing, including prominent public figures such as first lady Melania Trump.

    Last week, Grok, a chatbot developed by Musk’s company xAI, acknowledged “lapses in safeguards” that allowed users to generate digitally altered, sexualized photos of minors.

    Grok told users that as of Friday, access to its image generation tool was limited “to paying subscribers” of its user verification service. Paying subscribers have to provide their credit card and personal details to the company, which could dissuade some people from using the service, especially if they had intended to use Grok’s AI tool to create illegal images of minors.

    xAI responded to a CBS News request for comment to criticism of Grok’s image generation tool and steps it had taken to limit access to it on Friday, by saying: “Legacy media lies.”

    Addressing reporters on Friday morning, a U.K. government spokesperson called the move to limit access to Grok’s image editing tool to paying users “insulting” to victims of misogyny and sexual violence, saying it, “simply turns an AI feature that allows the creation of unlawful images into a premium service.” 

    Under the U.K. Online Safety Act, sharing intimate images without consent on social media is a criminal offense, and social media companies are required to proactively remove such content, as well as prevent it from appearing in the first place.

    If they fail to do so, the companies can face hefty fines or, in last resort cases, face what would effectively be a ban by Britain’s independent media regulator Ofcom. Ofcom can compel payment providers, advertisers and internet service providers to stop working with a site, preventing it from generating money or being accessed from the U.K.

    In a post shared Monday on its own X account, Ofcom said it was “aware of serious concerns raised about a feature on Grok on X that produces undressed images of people and sexualised images of children.”

    “We have made urgent contact with X and xAI to understand what steps they have taken to comply with their legal duties to protect users in the UK. Based on their response we will undertake a swift assessment to determine whether there are potential compliance issues that warrant investigation,” Ofcom said. 

    Musk’s platform has faced scrutiny from governments around the world, including the European Union and the U.S. Congress, over Grok AI’s digital alteration of real images.

    On Wednesday, Republican Senator Ted Cruz said in a post on X that “many of the recent AI-generated posts are unacceptable and a clear violation of my legislation — now law — the Take It Down Act, as well as X’s terms and conditions.”

    “These unlawful images pose a serious threat to victims’ privacy and dignity. They should be taken down and guardrails should be put in place,” Cruz said, adding that he was encouraged by steps taken by X to remove unlawful images.

    On Thursday, Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna, a Republican member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, threatened to sanction the U.K. government if Starmer moved to ban X in the U.K. 

    “If Starmer is successful in banning @X in Britain, I will move forward with legislation that is currently being drafted to sanction not only Starmer, but Britain as a whole,” Paulina Luna said in a post on her own X account. 

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  • What The Epstein Files Say About the Dark, Rotten Trappings of Wealth

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    Within the swirl of earlier declassified material is Epstein’s address book, whose contents was first published by journalist Nick Bryant in 2019. In the back, Epstein kept a carefully curated list of hotels, restaurants, and stores. There were no hidden gems, holes in the walls, or up-and-coming locations. Instead, it was filled with places that exclusively—and famously—catered to a global set of millionaires and billionaires who sought to see and be seen. There’s an entry for Manhattan’s Four Seasons restaurant, the famous power lunch spot (now permanently closed) in the Seagram building that had a James Rosenquist mural and was frequented by Bill Clinton and Henry Kissinger. For dinner, he had phone numbers for Mr. Chow, where models, socialites, and other moneyed New Yorkers would drink lychee martinis and eat Peking duck while racking up sky-high bills.

    Hotels were exclusively five-star and famous for their over-the-top fanciness: The Mark in New York, The Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles, and Plaza Athénée in Paris. There’s even an entry for the secretive Corviglia Ski Club in Switzerland, whose membership once included Coco Chanel.

    A mention in Jefffrey Epstein’s black book doesn’t mean something untoward or illegal happened there, or that he even frequented these places. But they do suggest a gilded existence—where gold on the outside hid a cheap, dark metal beneath.

    Investigators took thousands of photos of Epstein’s compound on Little St. James, where some of the most egregious crimes are said to have taken place. One of them shows a shower. There’s a bottle of Frederic Fekkai shampoo, an expensive haircare product from the luxury salon. Yet also on the shelf? A bottle of Head and Shoulders. Amid all rare antiques, the extensive art, fancy amenities was a creepy, cruel man with dandruff shampoo.

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    Elise Taylor

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  • Women March in Mexico City to Protest Gender Violence

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    MEXICO CITY (AP) — Hundreds of women marched through Mexico City’s streets Tuesday to protest violence against women in a country where gender violence remains pervasive.

    Among the hundreds of marchers clad in purple or with green bandanas, some beat drums and others carried signs. One read: “Today I am the voice of those who are asking for help.”

    “I am here for my grandmother, for my mother, for all of the women who aren’t here anymore, for all the women who report (violence) and aren’t supported,” said Alin Rocha, a 41-year-old teacher, who marched on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

    Gender violence and equality have received more attention since President Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico’s first female leader, took office last year. But even Sheinbaum was groped by a drunken man as she walked in the capital’s historic center earlier this month.

    On Tuesday, she gathered governors from Mexico’s 32 states to report on progress to make sexual harassment a crime in every state. “Changing the laws is not enough, but it is necessary,” she said.

    Miriam González, a 41-year-old doctor, said that even though a woman had made it to the presidency, “nothing has changed.”

    Mexico’s National Institute of Statistics and Geography said in 2021, 70% of Mexican women and girls older than 15 reported they had experienced some kind of violence – nearly half of it sexual in nature.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – Nov. 2025

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    Associated Press

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