"Soul Murder" Documentary

McKnight Became Superintendent and MCPS stopped posting Notification Letters on MCPS Child Abuse and Neglect Webpage

Over many years, advocates for the protection of children from sexual abuse/harassment/rape in MCPS schools pushed for MCPS to post all of the Community Notification Letters relating to these matters that they sent out in one place. These letters would serve as a reference for past and current families and students.  

MCPS did that. For a time.

But when Superintendent Monifa McKnight took over MCPS, those notification letters stopped being posted to the MCPS Child Abuse and Neglect website. 

The last Community Notification Letter to be posted was in December of 2021.  

The purpose of this listing is that so this information is available to anyone in Montgomery County, not just those families who have children in one school at the time of the incident, arrest or conviction.  Why is that important? Because MCPS has a long history of moving around suspected and known sexual predators. Often when an arrest is made parents discover that the MCPS employee had worked in multiple classrooms, schools or locations. 

When Monifa McKnight became MCPS Superintendent, MCPS became less transparent about these cases.

Here are some of the Community Notification Letters that could have gone out after December of 2021 and are not shown on the MCPS Child Abuse and Neglect website. 

FY 2023:

• A security assistant was arrested on one count of sexual abuse of a minor and one count of 

displaying obscene items to a minor. 

• A volunteer football coach was arrested on multiple charges of sexual offenses. 

• A football coach was arrested on multiple charges of sexual offenses. 

• A volunteer photographer was arrested on multiple charges of sexual abuse of a minor. 

• A building service worker was arrested on multiple charges of sexual offenses, including a 

charge of sexual abuse of a minor. 

Melissa Curtis:  https://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2023/11/what-did-mcps-mocoboe-know-and-when-did.html

FY 2022: 

- A bus operator is charged with one count of sexual abuse of a minor and one count second degree assault stemming from his work as a private driving instructor. 

With data presumed unrecoverable, Baltimore County Schools scramble to recover from cyber attack

 

With student transcripts, ID numbers, state test scores and more apparently destroyed, the hackers’ stranglehold on student data is far worse that school officials have acknowledged

Baltimore County Schools won praise for restarting student learning after last month’s cyber attack. But behind the scenes, the system is still reeling from the assault, including its devastating impact on students’ educational records.

Some student records are “presumed completely unrecoverable,” a Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) employee with information about the attack’s impact told The Brew.

“SIS [the Student Information System] is toast,” said the employee, who spoke under the condition of anonymity...

...It was a fast comeback for the district, but numerous practical problems remained, among them a complication for school staff who are required by law to report suspected child abuse to authorities.

With student directory information missing – coupled with staff working from home – employees have found themselves scrambling to obtain phone numbers and addresses for the children they are required to help...

https://www.baltimorebrew.com/2020/12/18/with-data-presumed-unrecoverable-baltimore-county-schools-scramble-to-recover-from-cyber-attack/

Mr. Lopez’ alleged inaction is unacceptable. He has been placed on administrative leave. #NotFired

Rock Terrace School - Alfre... by on Scribd

Montgomery County Public Schools Paraeducator Charged with Child Neglect

Officers from the Montgomery County Police – Special Operations Division (SOD) Managed Search Operations Team have arrested Alfredo Lopez, age 59, of the 7800 block of Mineral Springs Drive in Gaithersburg, and charged him with two counts of neglect of a minor. Lopez had failed to provide supervision and failed to initially report two separate missing persons incidents.  On September 24, two teenage students with Autism and an Intellectual and Developmental Disability (IDD) separately walked away from the Rockville public school where Lopez worked in a supervisory position. Both students were eventually reported as missing to the police and both students were located safe and unharmed later that day.

On Monday, September 24 at approximately 12:50 p.m., 1st District officers and Rockville City Police officers responded to the Rock Terrace High School located at 390 Martins Lane in Rockville for the report of a missing 16-year-old male student with Autism/IDD who had walked away from the school. During the investigation, officers determined that Lopez observed the student leave the school on foot at approximately 9:52 that morning and, at that time, made no attempt to notify school staff members that the student had walked away.  At approximately 12:40 p.m., Lopez notified school administrative personnel that the student had walked away, but only after a relative of that student had called the school to state that he/she would be picking the student up that day.  The student was then reported as missing to police.

That same afternoon, at approximately 1:51 p.m., a Montgomery County Public Schools bus driver observed the missing student walking northbound on Ridge Road (Rt. 27) at Sweepstakes Drive in Damascus.  The student was returned to his home.

At approximately 3:00 p.m., 1st District officers and Rockville City Police officers again responded to the Rock Terrace High School for the report of a missing non-verbal 16-year-old male student with Autism/IDD.  During that investigation, officers determined that Lopez was also responsible for supervising this student.  Lopez had lost sight of the student and did not immediately follow established protocol to report the student as missing to administrative staff.  A review of school surveillance video showed the student exit the school through the front door at approximately 2:53 p.m.  MCP K-9 officers and officers from the 1st, 4th, and 6th Districts, immediately began searching for the missing student.

At approximately 6:11 p.m., MCP was notified by family members that the student was located at home in the Glenmont area.  Officers determined that the student had walked approximately six miles in inclement weather from the school to his home.

On Tuesday, September 25, officers obtained an arrest warrant for Lopez charging him with two counts of neglect of minor.

On Wednesday, September 26, Lopez was arrested at his home. After being charged, he was later released on his own recognizance.

# # #

Police: Kensington School Bus Driver Charged With Sexually Abusing Two Young Girls on Bus

Police: Kensington School Bus Driver Charged With Sexually Abusing Two Young Girls on Bus: Drove routes for Rockview Elementary School, plus Newport Middle and Einstein High

Thorn, the Los Angeles consortium he co-founded to combat technology’s role in the trafficking and exploitation of children.

“I’ve been on FBI raids where I’ve seen things that no person should ever see. I’ve seen video content of a child that’s the same age of mine being raped by an American man that was a sex tourist in Cambodia,” he said, his voice shaking. “This child was so conditioned by her environment that she thought she was engaging in play.”

Kutcher’s appearance before the panel was meant to raise awareness and potential government funding.

“This is a bipartisan effort in a county that is riddled with bipartisan separation on so many things,” he said.

Kutcher talked at length about the technological advances that can help thwart the rise of Internet content that facilitates the distribution of child porn and that leads to physical abuse. His comments were apolitical, and he saluted members of the body including U.S. Sens. John McCain and Bob Corker for their support.

“It is an honor to be here,” Kutcher said. “As a young man raised and brought up in the public school system, I pledged my allegiance to that flag every single day. Maybe one of the greatest honors of my life today is to be here and leverage the work that I’ve done in testimony that may in some way benefit this nation that I love.” 

http://buzz.blog.ajc.com/2017/02/15/watch-ashton-kutchers-emotional-senate-testimony/

WUSA9: Looking for a diverse group of people from DC, MD and VA—willing to volunteer 2 hours and be part of an upcoming news story on software program that tracks child predators

WUSA9 is looking for a diverse group of people from DC, MD and VA—willing to volunteer two hours of their time and be part of an upcoming news story! We will be demonstrating the 

world’s only computer software program that tracks child predators in real time. Volunteers must be willing to be on camera. If you’re interested and able to come to the station in Northwest Washington, please email Andrea McCarren: amccarren@wusa9.com and we will confirm details with you. Thanks.  

WHEN: Wednesday, February 1st: 11am-1pm

Andrea McCarren
WUSA9 Investigative Reporter
amccarren@wusa9.com
202-246-2264

Sasha Bruce confronts the dark, painful reasons some kids run away from home

...I’ve interviewed several Sasha Bruce clients who — after saying, “I didn’t get along with my mom” — got quiet, blinked back tears and then said that they had been sexually abused in the home, abuse that their mother knew about and did nothing to stop....

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/sasha-bruce-confronts-the-dark-painful-reasons-some-kids-run-away-from-home/2017/01/03/c03339ae-d10b-11e6-a783-cd3fa950f2fd_story.html?hpid=hp_regional-hp-cards_rhp-card-columnists%3Ahomepage%2Fcard&utm_term=.07eef037aa3c

Rockville Metro Station: Adult Male Arrested for Soliciting Sex Over the Internet with a Female Minor

http://www.mymcpnews.com/2016/11/10/adult-male-arrested-for-soliciting-sex-over-the-internet-with-a-female-minor/

WTOP: memorandum detailing the number of cases in which an employee, contractor of volunteer was suspected of abuse or neglect of an MCPS student

WASHINGTON — Montgomery County’s school superintendent Dr. Jack Smith issued a memorandum detailing the number of cases in which an employee, contractor of volunteer was suspected of abuse or neglect of an MCPS student.

The July 20 memo was posted on the school system’s website on Friday. It shows that while 345 suspected cases of abuse or neglect were reported to the county’s office of Child Welfare Services since June 2015, only a handful, five in all, were deemed to show enough “credible evidence”to lead to action. Three of those staffers no longer work for the school system, and two “are on administrative leave pending final action” according to the memorandum.

Responding to a reporter’s questions about the memorandum, Derek Turner, spokesman for the Montgomery County Public Schools said, “We’re being as transparent as possible by posting the memo to the board and information about our child abuse and neglect policy to our website.”
Jennifer Alvaro, a licensed clinical social worker and a certified sex offender treatment provider doesn’t buy that assertion about transparency. A member of the school system’s Child Abuse and Neglect Work Group, founded after the school system was slammed for its handling of accusations of abuse in 2014, says she had to file a Maryland Public Information Act request to get a copy of the memorandum....

 http://wtop.com/education/2016/07/mcps-superintendent-releases-memo-cases-abuse-neglect/

Martin Rye Brown, 29, of Silver Spring, Md. was charged two counts of prostitution and human trafficking.

Prince George's Co. teacher arrested in prostitution sting

 http://www.wusa9.com/news/local/prince-georges-co-teacher-arrested-in-prostitution-sting/252897988

 

 

Passing the legislation is “unwarranted and unjust,” the Maryland Catholic Conference wrote in testimony submitted last month against the bill.

A Maryland lawmaker raped as a child can’t get his bill for sex assault survivors passed

...As it stands, a criminal case against an abuser can be pursued anytime, no matter how long ago the abuse happened.
But a civil case — the kind of action that can get a patient’s treatment paid for — has a statute of limitations. Victims have seven years once they reach adulthood to file a civil suit against a molester or a school, a team or a church that enabled that abuser.
And unless a victim comes to terms with the abuse, recognizes it, fights through it and files a civil suit before age 25, no dice. And that’s a big problem. Because many victims of childhood sexual abuse repress the memories in order to survive. Some even kill themselves...

...House Judiciary Committee Chairman Joseph F. Vallario Jr. (D-Prince George’s) has refused to put the bill up for a vote. He did not respond to my request for comment...

Click here to read full article.

Child abuse victim sues Prince George’s County school system

A lawsuit filed on behalf of a Prince George’s County elementary school student who was molested by a former teacher’s aide alleges the county negligently hired the employee despite his criminal record, which included charges of assault and sexual offenses.
The plaintiff, who is identified in the lawsuit as “J.G.,” was abused by Jason Jamar Howard, a teacher’s aide at Glenn Dale Elementary School, when she was in the first and second grades, according to the lawsuit, which was originally filed in February in Prince George’s County Circuit Court but was transferred Tuesday to U.S. District Court in Greenbelt. Howard pleaded guilty in 2013 to sexual abuse of a minor and was sentenced to 25 years in prison with all but 10 years suspended, according to court records...

 http://thedailyrecord.com/2016/04/06/child-abuse-victim-sues-prince-georges-county-school-system/?utm_source=WhatCounts+Publicaster+Edition&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=AM+Insider+040716&utm_content=Child+abuse+victim+sues+Prince+George%E2%80%99s+County+school+system

ABC7: Elementary school worker in Silver Spring arrested for child abuse

...Anthony Smith was an assistant building services manager at New Hampshire Estates Elementary School... 

http://wjla.com/news/crime/elementary-school-worker-in-silver-spring-arrested-for-child-abuse

BOE President Vows Full Investigation into Child Porn incident #NOnotMCPS #neverMCPS

When the same thing happened in Montgomery County Public Schools there was no FBI tip line, no statements from the Board of Education, and no investigation.  In fact, MCPS has disbanded their work group that had met a few times to shuffle papers around on this issue. 

From WUSA9: 
School board chairman vows full investigation into child porn charges On Thursday, the Chairman of the Board of Education for Prince George's County vowed to conduct a full investigation into the sexual abuse allegations rocking a Glenarden elementary school. http://www.wusa9.com/videos/news/local/2016/02/18/investigation-into-school-background-checks-/80592480/

 

WUSA9: Md. only state without criminal penalty for failing to report child abuse

...Maryland state law mandates that principals call police or child welfare immediately if they just suspect possible child abuse, but advocates say the trouble with Maryland's law is there is no penalty if they don't.

 “It's a massive problem,” said Jennifer Alvaro, a child safety advocate and therapist who has treated both sex abusers and victims. “It's like having laws against speeding and speed limits, but if you break that law, there is absolutely nothing anyone could do to you.”...

 http://www.wusa9.com/story/news/local/maryland/2016/02/17/md-only-state-without-criminal-penalty-failing-report-child-abuse/80526454/

WTOP: Lawsuit: Red flags raised about volunteer aide’s behavior

A lawsuit filed against Prince George’s County Public Schools claims that the predatory behavior of a volunteer aide, who is now facing child sex abuse and child pornography charges, was well known by students, teachers and parents and even reported to the school’s principal.
The guardian of a 9-year-old Judge Sylvania Woods Elementary School student is suing the school board, Principal Michelle Williams and the aide, Deonte Carraway, for the sexual exploitation that the boy suffered at the hands of Carraway.
Carraway, of Lanham, was arrested on Friday on charges that he manufactured child pornography, some of which was created on school property. Also, he faces charges of sexual abuse of a minor and a second-degree sex offense....

http://wtop.com/prince-georges-county/2016/02/lawsuit-red-flags-raised-about-volunteer-aides-behavior/

Another Montgomery County court commissioner charged with sex crime

For the second time in a month, a court commissioner in Montgomery County — a position akin to a low-level judge — was charged with a sex-related crime, according to court records.

Daniel Read, 30, faces one count of sexual solicitation of a minor, police officials said Wednesday. They accused him of using social media and text messages to set up a meeting with a person who said he was 15. Read actually was communicating with a detective pretending to be a teen with the user name “Kinky Twinkie,” according to arrest records.

Previously, another court commissioner, Israel Mangroo, 31, was accused of using his smartphone to take a video up a woman’s skirt in his office at the county jail, according to court records...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/another-montgomery-county-court-commissioner-charged-with-sex-crime/2016/01/06/733f08cc-b49b-11e5-a76a-0b5145e8679a_story.html?postshare=1161452111616928&tid=ss_tw

Congress Enacts Toomey Measure to Help Protect Children from Pedophiles Infiltrating the Classroom #listenupMCPS

Under this new federal law, MCPS will no longer be able to Pass-the-Trash by allowing teachers who are known or suspected child sexual predators to quit and move on to new jobs with children with a MCPS recommendation. 

We have no doubt MCPS administrators will find a way to circumvent this new federal law. That is the MCPS way, after all. Remember, MCPS administrators have been leaving suspected child sexual abusers IN CLASSROOMS WITH CHILDREN for over 20 years.  That practice has been documented by the Maryland State Board of Education. The Maryland legislature, however, has failed to even acknowledge this practice, much less take any action to protect Maryland students. 

Enforcement of this new federal law in Montgomery County will rely on parents and guardians reporting violations to the federal government.   

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Education Bill, Including Pass-the-Trash Ban, Goes to President’s Desk

...Under Toomey's provision to the Every Student Succeeds Act, schools will no longer be able to help a known child molester obtain a job elsewhere, and become someone else's problem. It is hard to imagine that this appalling practice ever occurs-much less occurs so frequently as to have its own moniker, ‘passing the trash.' Congress's ban is long overdue. This is a victory for children in Pennsylvania and across the country," said Sen. Toomey....
 
...Sally Cooke, of Blackwood, N.J., the mother of a child who was sexually abused by her track coach, explained how crucial Sen. Toomey's legislation is. She said, "Thank you from every child who will not have the guilt, the shame, the pain of abuse. Thank you from every mother who had to watch her child endure the pain, the trauma of abuse. Thank you for protecting our children. Thank you for standing up and saying this is not okay that our children are exposed to these criminals. I hope everyone realizes what an impact this bill has: Many children are safer. Because of this bill, and Sen. Toomey's efforts, we are a better society."

Sen. Toomey's legislation to ban passing the trash was inspired by the tragic story of 12-year-old Jeremy Bell. A school in Delaware County, Pa. quietly dismissed a teacher for molesting several children. But instead of acting to stop the predator, the school helped him obtain a new job in West Virginia, sending letters of recommendation for the teacher. That teacher continued to harm young children, eventually raping and murdering Jeremy Bell.

Under Sen. Toomey's provision, a school district that receives federal funds shall not assist a school worker in obtaining a new job if the school knows or has probable cause to believe that the school worker engaged in sexual misconduct with a minor or student.

The provision has been endorsed by seven child advocacy groups, three law enforcement organizations, and three prosecutors groups:
Child Advocates:
National Children's Alliance
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
S.E.S.A.M.E. (Stop Educator Sexual Abuse, Misconduct & Exploitation)
Center for Children's Justice
Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape
MassKids, Inc.
American Academy of Pediatrics
Law Enforcement:
Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association
National Association of Police Organizations
National Sheriffs' Association
Prosecutors:
Association of Prosecuting Attorneys
National District Attorneys Association
PA District Attorneys' Association

http://www.toomey.senate.gov/?p=news&id=1654