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.
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.
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.
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.
BARCELONA, Spain — Spanish prosecutors are studying allegations that singer Julio Iglesias sexually assaulted two former employees at his residences in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas.
The Spanish prosecutors’ office told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the allegations were related to media reports from earlier this week that alleged Iglesias had sexually and physically assaulted two women who worked in his Caribbean residences between January and October 2021.
Iglesias has yet to speak publicly regarding the allegations. Russell L. King, a Miami-based entertainment lawyer who lists Iglesias as a client on his website, did not immediately respond to a request for comment by the AP.
The Spanish prosecutors’ office that handles cases for Spain’s National Court said that it had received formal allegations against Iglesias by an unnamed party on Jan. 5. Iglesias could potentially be taken in front of the Madrid-based court, which can try alleged crimes by Spanish citizens while abroad, according to the court’s press office.
Spanish online newspaper elDiario.es and Spanish-language television channel Univision Noticias published the joint investigation into Iglesias’ alleged misconduct.
The 82-year-old Iglesias is one of the world’s most successful musical artists after 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 is the father of pop singer Enrique Iglesias.
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Suman Naishadham contributed to this report from Madrid.
Tera Johnson-Swartz, a 45-year-old Castle Rock woman who taught at STEM School Highlands Ranch, was originally charged with second-degree kidnapping and unlawful electronic sexual communication, both felonies, as well as contributing to the delinquency of a minor, a misdemeanor. Her employment at the school ended on Feb. 14, 2025.
That case was dismissed in May 2025, and a new case was opened shortly after, Douglas County court records show.
“The old case was dropped after new information came to light,” 23rd Judicial District Attorney’s Office spokesperson Tom Mustin said in an email to The Denver Post.
Johnson-Swartz faces the same charges in the new case and three new ones: two counts of sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust–pattern of abuse, and one count of sexual assault with a 10-year age difference, according to court records.
She was indicted on all six charges by a grand jury in May 2025, court documents show.
The newly added sexual assault charges are linked to several incidents between Dec. 1, 2024, and Feb. 20, 2025, where Johnson-Swartz initiated sex with a student younger than 18 years old, according to witness testimonies from the grand jury indictment. The name, age and gender of the victim were redacted from the indictment because they are a minor.
Johnson-Swartz would buy the student cigarettes and let the student “take a hit” off her marijuana pen, witnesses testified. Their relationship was discovered when the student’s phone was confiscated by their parents and the student’s mother found deleted text chains with the former teacher.
Roughly 2,400 messages, many containing sexually explicit content, were exchanged between the two in the three weeks prior, according to court documents. At one point, Johnson-Swartz called the text thread a string of “1,000,000,000 ways to get (her) fired/arrested/killed.”
An arrest warrant was issued for Johnson-Swartz on the same day she was indicted by the grand jury, and she was brought into custody.
She is next scheduled to appear in Douglas County District Court on Jan. 21 for an arraignment hearing, according to court records.
LAS VEGAS — The jury trial for Nathan Chasing Horse, the former “Dances with Wolves” actor accused of sexually abusing Indigenous women and girls, is expected to begin Tuesday in Las Vegas.
Prosecutors allege he used his reputation as a spiritual leader and healer to take advantage of his victims over two decades. Chasing Horse has pleaded not guilty to 21 charges, including sexual assault, sexual assault with a minor, first degree kidnapping of a minor and the use of a minor in producing pornography.
The case sent shock waves across Indian Country when he was arrested and indicted in early 2023. There were many setbacks and delays, but the case finally proceeded to trial after prosecutors added allegations that he filmed himself having sex with a child.
Best known for portraying the character Smiles A Lot in the 1990 movie “Dances with Wolves,” Chasing Horse was born on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, which is home to the Sicangu Sioux, one of the seven tribes of the Lakota nation.
After starring in the Oscar-winning film, according to prosecutors, Chasing Horse proclaimed himself to be a Lakota medicine man while traveling around North America to perform healing ceremonies.
Prosecutors claim Chasing Horse led a cult called The Circle, and his followers believed he could speak with spirits. His victims went to him for medical help, according to a court transcript from a grand jury hearing.
One victim was 14 years old when she approached him hoping he would heal her mother, who was diagnosed with cancer. Chasing Horse previously had treated the victim’s breathing issues and her mother’s spider bite, according to a court transcript. He allegedly told her the spirits wanted her to give up her virginity in exchange for her mother’s health. He allegedly had sex with her and said her mother would die if she told anyone, according to the victim’s testimony to the grand jury.
The original indictment was dismissed in 2024 after the Nevada Supreme Court ruled prosecutors abused the grand jury process when they provided a definition of grooming as evidence without any expert testimony.
The high court, specifying that the dismissal had nothing to do with his innocence or guilt, left open the possibility of charges being refiled. In October 2024, the charges were refiled with new allegations that he recorded himself having sex with one of his accusers when she was younger than 14.
Prosecutors have said the recordings, made in 2010 or 2011, were found on cellphones in a locked safe inside the North Las Vegas home that Chasing Horse is said to have shared with five wives, including the girl in the videos.
Jury selection will begin Tuesday. The trial is expected to last four weeks, and prosecutors plan to call 18 witnesses. A week before the trial, Chasing Horse attempted to fire his private defense attorney, saying his lawyer hadn’t come to visit him. Judge Jessica Peterson removed Chasing Horse from the courtroom when he tried to interrupt her, and she denied his request.
This case is a reminder that violence also occurs within Native communities and is not just something committed by outsiders, said Crystal Lee, CEO and founder of the organization United Natives, which offers services to victims of sexual abuse.
Chasing Horse’s trial requires hard conversations about Native perpetrators, she said.
“How do we hold them accountable?” she said. “How do we start these tough conversations?”
NEW YORK — NEW YORK (AP) — Harvey Weinstein returns to court Thursday, seeking to get his latest sex crime conviction thrown out because anger and apprehensions flared among jurors during deliberations last spring.
It’s the latest convoluted turn in the former Hollywood honcho’s path through the criminal justice system. His landmark #MeToo-era case has spanned seven years, trials in two states, a reversal in one and a retrial that came to a messy end in New York last year. Weinstein was convicted of forcing oral sex on one woman, acquitted of forcibly performing oral sex on another, and the jury didn’t decide on a rape charge involving a third woman — a charge prosecutors vowed to retry yet again.
Weinstein, 73, denies all the charges. They were one outgrowth of a stack of sexual harassment and sex assault allegations against him that emerged publicly in 2017 and ensuing years, fueling the #MeToo movement against sexual misconduct. Early on, Weinstein apologized for “the way I’ve behaved with colleagues in the past,” while also denying that he ever had non-consensual sex.
At trial, Weinstein’s lawyers argued that the women willingly accepted his advances in hopes of getting work in various capacities in show business, then falsely accused him to net settlement funds and attention.
The split verdict last June came after multiple jurors took the unusual step of asking to brief the judge on behind-the-scenes tensions.
In a series of exchanges partly in open court, one juror complained that others were “shunning” one of the panel members; the foreperson alluded to jurors “pushing people” verbally and talking about Weinstein’s “past” in a way the juror thought improper; yet a third juror opined that discussions were “going well.” The foreperson later came forward again to complain to the judge about being pressured to change his mind, then said he feared for his safety because a fellow panelist had said he would “see me outside.” The foreperson eventually refused to continue deliberating.
In court, Judge Curtis Farber cited the secrecy of ongoing deliberations and reminded jurors not to disclose “the content or tenor” of them. Since the trial, Weinstein’s lawyers have talked with the first juror who openly complained and with another who didn’t.
In sworn statements, the two said they didn’t believe Weinstein was guilty, but had given in because of other jurors’ verbal aggression.
One said that after a fellow juror insulted her intelligence and suggested the judge should remove her, she was so afraid that she called two relatives that night and “told them to come look for me if they didn’t hear from me, since something was not right about this jury deliberation process.” All jurors’ identities were redacted in court filings.
Weinstein’s lawyers contend the tensions amounted to threats that poisoned the process, and that the judge didn’t look into them enough before denying the defense’s repeated requests for a mistrial. Weinstein’s attorneys are asking him to discard the conviction or, at least, conduct a hearing about the jury strains.
Prosecutors maintain that the judge was presented with claims about “scattered instances of contentious interactions” and handled them appropriately. Jurors’ later sworn statements are belied, prosecutors say, by other comments from one of the same jury members. He told the media right after the trial that there “was just high tension” in the group.
Prosecutors also said the foreperson’s concerns about discussions of Weinstein’s past were vague and the topic wasn’t entirely off-limits. Testimony covered, for example, 2017 media reports about decades of sexual harassment allegations against him.
The judge is expected to respond Thursday. He could set the conviction aside, order a hearing or let the verdict stand without any further action. Whatever he decides could be appealed.
Washington County investigators search for more potential victims of Andrew Dwayne Graham.
Portland, Ore. – A man was arrested New Year’s Eve on multiple charges after he allegedly sexually assaulted a person he met on a dating app; and authorities believe there may be more victims.
The victim reported the assault to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, saying the assault occurred in Portland near Metzger Park, on December 29th. Detectives then learned the suspect wanted to meet up again.
Posing as the victim. Washington County Detectives messaged 36-year-old Andrew Graham, and say he expressed an interest in paying a child for sex, offering to bring alcohol and marijauna for the group.
On the 31st, authorities arrested Graham when he returned to Metzger Park believing he was going to pick up the victim and child. During a search of his car, detectives say they found $750 in cash, condoms, alcohol and pot.
At the time of his arrest, Graham lived in Ridgefield, Washington, but has had addresses in Oregon, Wyoming, Idaho and Florida. He is originally from Jamaica and may also have used the name Michael. Anyone with information on other potential crimes involving Graham are asked to call the Washington County Sheriff’s Office at 503-846-2500; reference case 50-25-18221.
Text messages show that Tyler Perry and “Boo! A Madea Halloween” actor Mario Rodriguez, who recently filed a lawsuit accusing the filmmaker of sexual assault, remained in contact years after Rodriguez alleges their interactions ended.
Rodriguez alleged in the lawsuit filed last week in California that Perry sexuallyassaulted him during encounters that occurred between 2014 and 2019. The lawsuit says Rodriguez cut off contact with Perry in 2019, though Perry would periodically reach out afterward. But screenshots of text messages obtained by The Associated Press on Sunday night show Rodriguez making contactwith Perry as recently as Thanksgiving 2024 and again on Aug. 31, 2025, expressing gratitude, friendship and financial distress.
Rodriguez’s lawsuit seeks at least $77 million in damages and accuses Perry of sexual assault, sexual battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Rodriguez also sued Lionsgate, which distributed “Boo! A Madea Halloween” in 2016, accusing the studio of overlooking Perry’s alleged assault.
Perry denied the allegations made in Rodriguez’s suit.
“Having recently failed in another matter against Mr. Perry, the very same lawyer has now made yet another demand from more than a decade ago which will also be a failed money grab,” Alex Spiro, an attorney for Perry, said in a statement Friday provided to CBS News.
Spiro also told the AP: “I said it before and I will say it again. This is nothing but a $77 million money grab scam.”
Lionsgate did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In one text message between Rodriguez and Perry that was sent on Thanksgiving 2024, Rodriguez thanked Perry for helping him through difficult periods in his life and wrote that he appreciated him “to the moon,” according to the screenshots. In another series of messages dated Aug. 31 this year, Rodriguez described ongoing health problems, said he lacked health insurance and told Perry he was scared and struggling financially.
The messages were provided to the AP by a source close to the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
The Associated Press does not typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly as Rodriguez has.
The lawsuit follows a separate case filed in June by actor Derek Dixon, who alleged Perry groped him while Dixon worked on Perry’s television series “The Oval” and “Ruthless.” That lawsuit was originally filed in California state court and later moved to federal court in Georgia, where Perry is based. Perry also has denied Dixon’s allegations.
AP reached out to Rodriguez’s attorney, Jonathan Delshad, seeking comment on the text messages, but did not receive a response. Delshad also represents Dixon.
Tyler Perry was sued for sexual assault by an actor who appeared in “Boo! A Madea Halloween,” marking the second lawsuit in recent months accusing the filmmaker and studio mogul of leveraging his power in Hollywood to make sexual advances.
Mario Rodriguez filed the lawsuit Thursday in California, alleging Perry subjected him to repeated unwanted sexual advances over several years, including sexual battery and assault at Perry’s Los Angeles home. Rodriguez is seeking at least $77 million in damages and also has sued Lionsgate, which distributed the 2016 film, accusing the studio of turning a blind eye to Perry’s alleged misconduct.
“Having recently failed in another matter against Mr. Perry, the very same lawyer has now made yet another demand from more than a decade ago which will also be a failed money grab,” Alex Spiro, an attorney for Perry, said in a statement Friday provided to CBS News.
Lionsgate did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
According to the complaint, Rodriguez was approached in 2014 by a trainer at an Equinox gym in Los Angeles who said Perry wanted his phone number to discuss an acting role. Perry later encouraged Rodriguez to audition for “Boo! A Madea Halloween,” telling him, “I’m not a bad person to know and have in your corner,” the lawsuit claims.
After Rodriguez was cast, he was invited to Perry’s home, where Perry allegedly touched him inappropriately while they watched a movie. The lawsuit describes additional alleged incidents in 2016, 2018 and 2019, including one encounter in which Perry allegedly attempted to unbuckle Rodriguez’s pants and another in which Perry placed Rodriguez’s hand on his genitals. The complaint says Perry gave Rodriguez $5,000 on multiple occasions following the encounters.
Rodriguez says he resisted the advances and ultimately decided to file suit after learning of similar allegations made by another actor, Derek Dixon.
Dixon sued Perry in June, alleging the filmmaker groped him while Dixon worked on Perry’s television series “The Oval” and “Ruthless.” That lawsuit, which was originally filed in L.A. Superior Court, has reportedly since been moved to federal court in Georgia, where Perry’s studio is based.
Rodriguez’s lawsuit includes claims of sexual assault, sexual battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
A man sentenced to death for the 1980 rape and murder of a Seal Beach woman died in prison on Monday, Dec. 22 at the age of 80, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation announced Wednesday.
Benjamin W. Watta, formerly of Long Beach, was found unresponsive in his cell at Pelican Bay State Prison in Crescent City around 11 a.m. on Monday during a count and pronounced dead by paramedics just after 11:30 a.m., the corrections agency said. The Del Norte County Coroner will determine his cause of death.
Simone Sharpe, 70, killed in 1980. (Courtesy photo)
Benjamin Wayne Watta, convicted of a 1980 murder in Seal Beach. (Courtesy photo)
Benjamin Wayne Watta sits in the Santa Ana courthouse with his legal counsel on Jan. 20, 2009. (File photo by Joshua Suddock, Orange County Register)
Benjamin W. Watta, who was sentenced to death for the 1980 murder of Simone Sharpe, died in prison at age 80 on Dec. 22, 2025. (Photo Courtesy of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation)
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Simone Sharpe, 70, killed in 1980. (Courtesy photo)
He was convicted of murder during the commission of rape and burglary in 2008 for the 1980 rape and killing of 70-year-old Simone Sharpe in Seal Beach. A jury recommended the death penalty for Watta and that sentence was imposed in 2009.
Sharpe was found dead by her son at her neighbor’s home on Christmas Eve 1980. She had been raped, strangled and suffocated the day before. Sharpe was feeding her neighbor’s cats and collecting their mail for them, going into the home through an unlocked garage door, as they were on a vacation.
Sharpe’s son realized she was missing and looked for her at the neighbor’s house, where he found her dead in a bedroom, between a bed and wall, prosecutors said.
Sharpe’s murder case went cold and was unsolved until 2001, when a district attorney’s office task force focused on killers, rapists and sexual offenders used DNA technology to link Watta to the murder, with DNA from a rape kit collected in 1980.
When the task force made the DNA connection, Watta was in custody for attempted murder of his ex-girlfriend in Florida and was extradited to Orange County.
Watta was moved to Pelican Bay State Prison from Orange County in 2009 and was serving a condemned sentence, the corrections department said.
Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2019 placed a moratorium on the death penalty in California. The last execution in the state was in 2006.
The Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel marked the anniversary by awarding the Sexual Violence Prevention Award to those whose work has advanced the rights and protection of survivors.
The Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel (ARCCI) marked its 35th anniversary on Wednesday, celebrating hard-won milestones and a measurable shift in public discourse around sexual violence, although advocates stressed systemic gaps remain and there is still much progress to be made.
“There has been a profound change in awareness,” ARCCI executive director Orit Sulitzeanu told The Jerusalem Post. “Not because sexual violence has disappeared – it hasn’t – but because survivors are increasingly willing to step forward, publicly, with names and faces.”
The ARCCI marked the anniversary with a ceremony at which it awarded the Sexual Violence Prevention Award to people whose work has advanced the rights and protection of survivors, exposed injustices, and driven change in law enforcement, public institutions, and societal norms.
The award recognized individuals who have influenced public discourse and helped reshape the way Israeli society confronts sexual violence and sexual offenders as well.
Sulitzeanu, who has led ARCCI for more than a decade following years in feminist advocacy and communications, said the most significant shift she had witnessed was not in the prevalence of sexual violence, but in how it is spoken about.
ARCCI CEO Orit Sulitzeanu at the Jerusalem Post 2025 Women Leaders Summit. (credit: Mark Israel Salem)
“For years, the focus was on victims,” she said. “Today, the language is about survivors.”
Legal, cultural struggles surrounding survivors
That shift, she said, is inseparable from legal and cultural struggles still unfolding, particularly around notions of accountability and access to justice.
Those tensions were underscored late last week when a new sexual assault complaint was filed against Israeli pop singer Eyal Golan – separate from the earlier, widely known case involving Taisia Zamolowski and other women who were minors at the time.
The new complaint was submitted by a woman who alleges that roughly a decade ago, during a facial treatment at her clinic, Golan exposed himself to her without consent and later pressured her to send nude photos.
This complaint was filed several months ago and is now under police investigation, including an examination of whether the statute of limitations applies. Golan has denied the allegations, stating they are part of an attempted extortion and that he possesses messages and recordings that refute them.
The question of limitations is central not only to the new complaint but to Israel’s broader reckoning with sexual violence.
Among this year’s award recipients were Zamolowski and “N,” two of the women whose testimonies brought renewed public attention to what has been dubbed “the social games affair.”
The case refers to the 2013-2014 investigation into allegations that teenage girls were sexually exploited by powerful men in the entertainment industry, including Golan, through intermediaries who arranged for paid sexual encounters.
While Golan was ultimately not indicted due to evidentiary difficulties, the case left a lasting public imprint after his father, Danny Biton, was convicted of offenses related to prostitution involving minors.
Years later, the affair forcefully returned to the public sphere in 2022 when Zamolowski and N gave televised interviews describing their experiences, the power dynamics involved, and the long-term harm they say they suffered.
Their testimonies helped catalyze Israel’s #MeToo-era conversation around celebrity, silence, and accountability – even in the absence of criminal convictions against the central public figure.
At Wednesday’s ceremony, Zamolowski said, “I am not just fighting against him, but against the fan base and public that defends him. I knew the price of going public, but I also know that secrets don’t stay in the dark.”
N said, “I believe this fight is beyond personal. I am here not only as someone who was violated, but as someone who chose to use that experience as a tool for change.”
“When we filed the complaint,” she added, “I knew we were going up against an ancient power system designed to quiet us. But our fight was about truth, justice, and a society that refuses to turn a blind eye.”
Sulitzeanu said watching the two women take the stage was emblematic of the shift she has witnessed over the years. “When the investigation began, I didn’t know them personally,” she said. “Today, you see them on stage – coherent, intelligent, strong. That’s the change.”
Advancing legislative initiatives for survivors’ rights
Despite the upheaval of Hamas’s October 7 massacre and the war that ensued, Sulitzeanu said the ARCCI continued to work quietly with lawmakers, contributing to or advancing 10 legislative initiatives aimed at strengthening survivors’ rights.
Among the most significant was a recent amendment to the Legal Aid Law, approved by the Knesset, which allows survivors of sexual assault and violence to receive free, state-funded legal representation from the moment they file a police complaint. Previously, legal aid was generally available only at later stages of criminal proceedings.
Under the reform, survivors can now be accompanied by an attorney already during the investigation phase, regardless of income – a move the Justice Ministry described as strengthening access to justice and improving the handling of sexual violence complaints.
Still, Sulitzeanu said, the legal framework remains incomplete.
Under current Israeli law, most sexual offenses are subject to a statute of limitations, with time limits varying based on offense severity and the victim’s age. In cases involving minors, the clock begins only once the survivor reaches adulthood, but limitations still apply.
In recent years, survivors’ organizations, the Justice Ministry, and members of Knesset have pushed to abolish the statute of limitations entirely for sexual offenses, arguing that trauma, fear, and power imbalances often delay reporting for years or even decades.
In June, a Knesset committee advanced legislation that would eliminate or significantly extend limitation periods for sexual crimes against minors. This marks a major policy shift acknowledged in official Knesset protocols. However, the bill has not yet completed the legislative process, and no final law has been enacted.
“Any gain is good,” Sulitzeanu said. “Even extending limitations matters. But the fight is far from over. We will continue it wherever we can.”
In a review of scores of criminal prosecutions brought by federal prosecutors, The Associated Press found that the Justice Department has struggled to deliver on Bondi’s pledge.
An analysis of 166 federal criminal cases brought since May against people in four Democratic-led cities at the epicenter of demonstrations found that aggressive charging decisions and rhetoric painting defendants as domestic terrorists have frequently failed to hold up in court.
“It’s clear from this data that the government is being extremely aggressive and charging for things that ordinarily wouldn’t be charged at all,” said Mary McCord, a former federal prosecutor who is the director of Georgetown University Law Center’s Institute for Constitutional Advocacy. “They appear to want to chill people from protesting against the administration’s mass deportation plans.”
Here are some key findings from the AP’s analysis:
Dozens of felonies evaporated
Of 100 people initially charged with felony assaults on federal agents, 55 saw their charges reduced to misdemeanors, or dismissed.
Sometimes prosecutors failed to win grand jury indictments required to prosecute someone on a felony, the AP found. Videos and testimony called into question some of the initial allegations, resulting in prosecutors downgrading offenses.
In dozens of cases, officers suffered minor or no injuries, undercutting a key component of the felony assault charge that requires the potential for serious bodily harm.
One of the cases was against Dana Briggs, a 70-year-old Air Force veteran charged in September with assault after a protest in Chicago. After video footage emerged of federal agents knocking Briggs to the ground, prosecutors dropped a case they had already reduced to a misdemeanor.
Another case dropped by prosecutors was against 28-year-old Lucy Shepherd, who was charged with felony assault after she batted away the arm of a federal officer who was attempting to clear a crowd outside Portland’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility. Her lawyers argued a video of her arrest showed she brushed aside an officer with “too little force to have been intended to inflict any kind of injury.”
A Justice Department spokesperson said it will continue to seek the most serious available charges against those alleged to have put federal agents in harm’s way.
“We will not tolerate any violence directed toward our brave law enforcement officials who are working tirelessly to keep Americans safe,” said Natalie Baldassarre, a DOJ spokesperson.
Despite rhetoric, antifa rarely mentioned in court
The administration has deployed — or sought to deploy — troops to the four cities where AP examined the criminal cases: Washington, D.C, Los Angeles, Portland and Chicago. Trump and his administration have sought to justify the military deployments, in part, by painting immigration protesters as “antifa,” which the president has sought to designate as a “domestic terrorist organization.”
Short for “anti-fascists,” antifa is an umbrella term for far-left-leaning protesters who confront or resist white supremacists, sometimes clashing with law enforcement.
The AP’s review found a handful of references to “antifa” in court records in the cases it reviewed. The review found no case in which federal authorities officially accused a protester of being a “domestic terrorist” or part of an organized effort to attack federal agents.
Prosecutors have lost every trial
Experts said they were surprised the Justice Department took five misdemeanor cases to trial, given that such trials eat up resources. They were further shocked that DOJ lost all those trials.
“When the DOJ tries to take a swing at someone, they should hit 99.9% of the time. And that’s not happening,” said Ronald Chapman II, a defense attorney who practices extensively in federal court.
The highest-profile loss involved Sean Charles Dunn, a Washington, D.C., man who tossed a Subway-style sandwich at a Border Patrol agent he had berated as a “fascist.” Dunn was acquitted Nov. 6 after a two-day trial.
In Los Angeles, 32-year-old Katherine Carreño was acquitted on a misdemeanor assault charge stemming from an August protest outside a federal building.
Prosecutors had alleged she ignored an officer’s commands to move out of the way of a government vehicle and “raised her hand and brought it down in a slapping/chopping motion” onto the officer’s arm.
Social media video shown to jurors raised doubts about that narrative, showing an officer striding toward Carreño and pushing her back.
More than 50 cases are pending
Prosecutors have secured felony indictments against 58 people, some of whom were initially charged with misdemeanors. They are accused of assaulting federal officers in several ways, including by hurling rocks and projectiles, punching or kicking them and shooting them with paintballs. None have yet to go to trial.
From the start of Trump’s second term through Nov. 24, the Department of Homeland Security says there have been 238 assaults on ICE personnel nationwide. The agency declined to provide its list or details about how it defines assaults.
“Rioters and other violent criminals have threatened our law enforcement officers, thrown rocks, bottles, and fireworks at them, slashed the tires of their vehicles, rammed them, ambushed them, and even shot at them,” said Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.
Ding reported from Los Angeles, Fernando from Chicago, Rush from Portland, Oregon, and Foley from Iowa City, Iowa.
Contact the AP’s global investigative team at Investigative@ap.org or https://www.ap.org/tips/
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
What started as a school project for Sukhi Mahadevan and Rithika Kanakamedala when they were sophomores in high school has become a larger effort to curb domestic violence in Virginia.
What started as a school project for Sukhi Mahadevan and Rithika Kanakamedala when they were sophomores in high school has become a larger effort to curb domestic violence in Virginia.
The pair wanted to do something to give back to their Loudoun County community, so they began arranging local fundraisers. But then, they came across Loudoun County’s women’s shelter and Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services. It draws people from nearby jurisdictions and those as far as Richmond, and some of them are looking for legal help or financial resources, Mahadevan said.
The circumstances inspired them to try and do more.
The revelation ultimately led to the launch of Her Voice, a nonprofit that aims to help teens prevent dating violence. Using events and a podcast, the group is evolving to spread potentially life-saving messages.
“We felt that obviously domestic violence and sexual assault are incredibly common problems within our age group that often go really under-looked or over-stigmatized within so many minority households,” Mahadevan told WTOP.
The group created “Her Voice, Her Story,” a nearly hourlong podcast during which survivors of domestic violence share their stories. It’s very focused, senior Ishita Sharma said. Nobody usually chimes in, except to ask a question.
“It’s kind of a place where we give a lot of people the opportunity to have a voice, when a lot of other people said no to them and didn’t want to hear their stories,” Sharma said.
For many people, Kanakamedala said, domestic violence is misunderstood. Some think it’s “just physical. But we want to tell people that it can come in any form. There’s a lot of different ways that you can see it develop. You want to find the red flags first.”
They attended basketball and football games, selling shirts as part of their fundraising efforts, and they hosted an event at a middle school last year. In partnership with a business, they also hosted a self-defense class with about 40 attendees, offering defense tips if facing a threat or if a family member is an abuser.
Student Ved Bhandare said he “didn’t fully understand the importance of domestic violence awareness and how prevalent it is in the local area. But with their project, I was impacted and I found out the importance.”
The group has meetings with its board of directors twice per month, and Kanakamedala said they’re hoping to get more of their peers involved through volunteering. They’re planning a gala, which will feature activities and guest speakers.
“It’s really important that kids our age don’t fall into the same kinds of patterns that a lot of adults might have faced when they were younger,” Sharma said.
Meanwhile, Mahadevan said, their work aims to create meaningful conversations: “It’s 2025, almost 2026, and these stigmas and preconceptions of DV and SA still exist.”
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Concord, N.H. (AP) — A college freshman trying to fly from Boston to Texas to surprise her family for Thanksgiving was instead deported to Honduras in violation of a court order, according to her attorney.
Any Lucia Lopez Belloza, 19, had already passed through security at Boston Logan International Airport on Nov. 20 when she was told there was an issue with her boarding pass, said attorney Todd Pomerleau. The Babson College student was then detained by immigration officials and within two days, sent to Texas and then Honduras, the country she left at age 7.
“She’s absolutely heartbroken,” Pomerleau said. “Her college dream has just been shattered.”
According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, an immigration judge ordered Lopez Belloza deported in 2015. Pomerleau said she wasn’t aware of any removal order, however, and the only record he’s found indicates her case was closed in 2017.
“They’re holding her responsible for something they claim happened a decade ago that she’s completely unaware of and not showing any of the proof,” the lawyer said.
The day after Lopez Belloza was arrested, a federal judge issued an emergency order prohibiting the government from moving her out of Massachusetts or the United States for at least 72 hours. ICE did not respond to an email Friday from The Associated Press seeking comment about violating that order. Babson College also did not respond to an email seeking comment.
Lopez Belloza, who is staying with her grandparents in Honduras, told The Boston Globe she had been looking forward to telling her parents and younger sisters about her first semester studying business.
“That was my dream,” she said. “I’m losing everything.”
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
A sentencing decision in the Provincial Court of British Columbia this month revealed the graphic details of a 2024 attack in which the victims were bound, waterboarded, and sexually assaulted—all in an effort to steal the family’s Bitcoin holdings.
The “wrench attack,” or physical attack in which an assailant attempts to gain access to a victim’s cryptocurrency, took place on April 27-28, 2024.
During the home invasion, four men unlawfully entered the victims’ home, first gaining access when two of the men dressed as Canadian Post workers sought a signature for a fake package.
After entering the home, the men then closed the door behind them, and were later joined by two others. Once inside, the victims—a husband, wife, and daughter—were restrained with zip ties.
They were then threatened and beaten as the assailants sought to gain access to the father’s cryptocurrency. As they attempted to access his funds, they forced the daughter to remove her clothes, exposing her genitalia as they recorded multiple videos. She was instructed to say explicit phrases, and was physically assaulted by one of the crew.
The men also waterboarded the husband and wife, and threatened to cut off the husband’s genitals if he did not provide them with the access to his funds.
The man had reportedly boasted about his success with crypto investments within the Chinese community of British Columbia leading the crew to initially seek 200 Bitcoin—currently valued at around $17.8 million—during their attack. Later, they lowered their demand to 100 BTC, but ultimately made away with much less, nearly draining the crypto accounts of the victims and making off with around $1.6 million in total.
After being tied up and wrapped in a blanket, eventually the daughter heard a door close and partially freed herself before fleeing the residence and calling 911.
In May of this year, one of the four crew members, Tsz Wing Boaz Chan, pleaded guilty to breaking and entering, unlawfully confining the victims, and sexual assault. This month, Chan was sentenced to seven years in jail for his role in the crime.
Wrench attacks are on the rise this year, nearly doubling last year’s mark according to a recorded count by Jameson Lopp, the co-founder and chief security officer at self-custody crypto wallet platform, Casa.
Lopp’s database, which extends back to 2014, now counts 60 documented incidents in 2025 alone.
This weekend, a man posing as a delivery driver robbed a San Francisco home owner of $11 million worth of crypto. And on Sunday, a Chinese victim had $10,000 stolen after an alleged kidnapping and robbery in Thailand.
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Malaysia plans to ban social media accounts for people under 16 starting in 2026, joining Australia and a growing number of countries pushing tighter digital age limits for children.
Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said Sunday the Cabinet approved the move as part of a broader effort to shield young people from online harm like cyberbullying, scams and sexual exploitation. He said the government is studying approaches taken by Australia and other countries, and the potential use of electronic checks with identity cards or passports to verify users’ ages. He did not say when exactly the ban will be enforced.
“I believe that if the government, regulatory bodies, and parents all play their roles, we can ensure that the Internet in Malaysia is not only fast, widespread and affordable but most importantly, safe, especially for children and families,” he said.
Since January, major social media and messaging platforms with at least 8 million users in Malaysia are required to obtain a licence as part of a broader tightening of state oversight over digital platforms. Licensed platforms must implement age verification, content-safety measures and transparency rules, reflecting the government’s push for a safer digital space.
Australia’s parliament enacted the world’s first ban on social media for children that will begin Dec. 10, setting the minimum age at 16. Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, X and YouTube as well as message board Reddit and livestreaming service Kick face fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars ($33 million) for systemic failures to prevent children younger than 16 from holding accounts.
Australia’s move is being closely watched by countries that share concerns about social media impacts on young children.
Denmark’s government also announced earlier this month plans to ban access to social media for anyone under 15, though details on how the measures would be enforced remain unclear. Norway is also moving forward with a proposed law that would set a minimum age limit of 15 for accessing social media platforms.
The defamed actor hopped on X (Twitter) on Sunday to address the rumor he’s homeless after claiming he’s been “living in hotels” and “Airbnbs” in the wake of his sexual assault scandal. During an interview with The Telegraph published earlier this week, Kevin claimed all his belongings are “in storage” and said his financial situation is “not great.” Seemingly hinting at his mountain of legal fees, he confessed “costs over these last seven years have been astronomical. I’ve had very little coming in and everything going out.”
As we know, Kevin was accused of sexual assault by numerous victims over the past seven years. He was found not liable for assaulting actor Anthony Rapp in a 2022 lawsuit, and was acquitted of nine other charges in a UK trial the following year.
In his message on Sunday, the House of Cards alum blamed “the media” for manipulating his words and told followers:
“To the thousands of people who have reached out over the past few days offering me a place to stay, or have just asked if I’m OK, to all of you, let me first say I am truly touched by your generosity, full stop. But I feel it would be disingenuous of me to allow you to believe that I am indeed homeless in the colloquial sense.”
The Baby Driver star went on to clarify his comment about living in hotels and Airbnbs as he’s been “going where the work is,” much like he did “when [he] first started out.”
“I’ve been working nearly nonstop this entire year, and for that I have so much to be grateful for.”
He went on:
“There are many people, as we know, who are indeed actually living on the streets, or in their cars, or in terrible financial situations, and my heart goes out to them. But it is clear from the article itself that I am not one of them, nor was I attempting to say that I was.”
The Seven star criticized the outlet for running a “knowingly misleading headline for the sake of clicks,” before thanking fans for “all the kindness” they’ve shown him.
You can hear him talk more about the situation (below):
For Marina Lacerda, the upcoming publication of U.S. government files on Jeffrey Epstein represent more than an opportunity for justice: Lacerda says she was just 14 when Epstein started sexually abusing her at his New York mansion, but she struggles to recall much of what happened because it is such a dark period in her life.
Now, she’s hoping that the files will reveal more about the trauma that distorted so much of her adolescence.
“I feel that the government and the FBI knows more than I do, and that scares me, because it’s my life, it’s my past,” she told The Associated Press.
“We have waited long enough. We’ve fought long enough,” Lacerda said.
It isn’t clear yet how much new information will be in the files, gathered over two decades of investigations into Epstein’s alleged sexual abuse of many girls and women.
Some of his accusers expect the files to provide a level of transparency they had hardly allowed themselves to believe would materialize, but the release of the documents will be a more complicated moment for others.
The FBI and police in Palm Beach, Florida, began investigating Epstein in the mid-2000s after several underage girls said he had paid them for sex acts. He pleaded guilty in 2008 to charges including procuring a minor for prostitution, but a secret deal with the U.S. attorney in Florida allowed him to avoid a federal prosecution. He served little more than a year in custody.
Jena-Lisa Jones says she was abused by Epstein in Palm Beach, in 2002, when she was 14. She did not report the abuse to the police at the time, but she later became one of many accusers to sue the multimillionaire.
The Miami Herald published a series of articles about Epstein in 2018 that exposed new details about how the federal prosecution was shelved. A year later, federal prosecutors in New York, where Epstein owned a mansion, revived the case and charged him with sex-trafficking
Jones said she was interviewed during that federal investigation and was prepared to testify in court.
“It was very important for me to have my moment, for him to see my face and hear my words, and me have that control and power back,” Jones said.
But that day never came.
Epstein killed himself in a federal jail cell in New York City in August 2019.
In lieu of her day in court, Jones and others are hoping for a public reckoning with the publication of the government files on Epstein.
While the government only ever charged two people — Epstein and his longtime confidante Ghislaine Maxwell — in connection with the alleged abuse, at least one of Epstein’s accusers has claimed she was instructed to have sex with other rich and powerful men.
Jones didn’t make similar claims but said she believes the documents could map out a “broad scheme” involving others.
“I’m hoping they’re shaking a little bit and that they have what’s coming for them,” Jones said.
Lacerda, now 37, is also hoping the files will clarify her own personal experience, which is muddled by the pain she said she endured at that time in her life.
“I was just a child and it’s just trauma. That’s what trauma does to your brain,” Lacerda said.
An immigrant from Brazil, Lacerda said she was working three jobs to support herself and her family the summer before 9th grade when a friend said she could make $300 if she gave Epstein massages.
The first time she massaged Epstein, he told her to remove her shirt, she said.
Lacerda said she was soon spending so much time working for Epstein that she dropped out of school. The sexual abuse persisted until she turned 17, when Epstein informed her that she was “too old,” she said.
Lacerda wondered whether the files might include videos and photographs of her and other victims at Epstein’s properties.
“I need to know — for my healing process and for the adult in me — what I did as a child,” Lacerda said. “It will be re-traumatizing, but it’s transparency — and I need it,” she said.
For Lacerda, the elation around the upcoming release of the files gave way to familiar feelings for many women who survive abuse: fear and paranoia.
“In the heat of the moment, we were like, ‘wow, this is like, everything that we’ve been fighting for.’ And then we had to take a moment and be like, ‘Wait a minute. Why is he releasing the files all of a sudden?’” Lacerda said.
The abrupt change in the political momentum made her uneasy. She wondered if the documents would be doctored or redacted to protect people connected to Epstein.
Others echoed her concerns, and wondered if the government would sufficiently protect victims who have remained anonymous, who fear scrutiny and harassment if their names were to become public.
“For the rest of my life, I will never truly trust the government because of what they’ve done to us,” Jones said.
Haley Robson, who says she was abused by Epstein when she was 16, has the same concerns.
Robson was a leading voice in advocating for the Florida legislation signed in 2024 that unsealed the grand jury transcripts from the 2006 state case against Epstein.
She said the political maneuvering in recent months about the files led to non-stop anxiety — reminiscent of how she felt when she was abused as a teenager.
“I guess it really comes from the trauma I’ve endured, because this is kind of what Jeffrey Epstein did to us. You know, he wasn’t transparent. He played these manipulation tactics,” she said. “It’s triggering for anybody who’s been in that situation.”
Still, Robson said she is trying to enjoy the victory while she can.
“This is the first time since 2006 where I don’t feel like the underdog,” she said.
DALLAS (AP) — Federal prosecutors say two Texas men plotted to take over a Haitian island, one going so far as joining the U.S. military to acquire training for an armed attack, with the goal of killing all the men and using the women and children for sex.
Gavin Rivers Weisenburg, 21, and Tanner Christopher Thomas, 20, who are from the Dallas area, were indicted Thursday on charges of conspiracy to murder, maim or kidnap in a foreign country, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Texas. They were also charged with production of child pornography over allegations they persuaded a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct.
Attorneys for both men said Friday they will enter not guilty pleas.
“They never tried to do any of this,” said John Helms, who is Thomas’ attorney.
An indictment filed in a Texas federal court accuses the men of planning to recruit the homeless to join their coup in Haiti, buy a sailboat and seize power on Gonave Island, which has about 87,000 residents. It covers roughly 290 square miles (751 square kilometers) square miles and is the largest island surrounding Hispaniola.
Helms said that while he has not yet seen the government’s evidence, he thinks prosecutors “are going to have a real hard time” trying to prove that Weisenburg and Thomas actually intended to carry out such a plot.
David Finn, Weisenburg’s attorney, said he encourages everyone to “tap the breaks” and reserve judgment. He said people have been telling him it is “the craziest thing” they have heard, and his response has been: “Yeah, it is.”
According to the indictment, the two men worked on the plot from August 2024 through July and that preparations included researching weapons and ammunition and plans to buy military-type rifles. Prosecutors also allege that both men tried to learn the Haitian Creole language.
Weisenburg allegedly enrolled in a fire academy around Dallas to receive training that would be useful in the attack but failed out of the school. He then allegedly traveled to Thailand and planned to learn to sail, only to never end up enrolling in lessons because of the cost.
Thomas enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in January, according to the indictment, and told Weisenburg in a social media message that he had joined the military to further their planned attack. While in the Air Force, Thomas changed his assignment to Andrews Air Base in Maryland to help in the recruiting of homeless people in Washington, D.C., the indictment said.
The U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations was among the investigating agencies, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The Air Force did not immediately respond to an inquiry about Thomas’ service on Friday.
The men face up to 30 years in prison if convicted on the child pornography charge and up to life in prison if convicted on the conspiracy charge.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
