Believe The Children Report, Spring
1997:
Ritual Child Abuse - Convictions and Evidence
To view reports of criminal activities perpetrated in a
certain state or country, click on that locality's link or scroll
down to the corresponding section.
Several of the reported convictions have since been appealed
and overturned, due to strong influence from professionals connected to the False Memory Syndrome
Foundation (FMSF).
Arkansas California
Colorado Connecticut
District of Columbia Florida Georgia
Iowa Massachusetts
Michigan Minnesota
Mississippi Nevada
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York North Carolina
Ohio Oregon
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Utah Virginia
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Caution: please take care while reviewing this report.
Some readers have found that they can avoid becoming emotionally overwhelmed by
reading one section, then taking a break before going on to the next. Some parts
of the report are very graphic or detailed. If you feel unusually uncomfortable
or if you have flashbacks or nightmares after reviewing this page, please
contact a support person or helping professional.
Excerpt from Believe the Children's Spring, 1997
Newsletter:
"Many ritual child abuse cases never are prosecuted due to the disbelief of
authorities or the unlikelihood that young, severely traumatized children will
be able to withstand cross-examination. A 1993 survey by the American Bar
Association's Center on Children and Family Law determined that 26 percent of
prosecutors nationwide have handled cases involving 'ritualistic or sexual
abuse.' (Ross, 1994). The ritualistic aspects of the crimes often are not
presented in court but are clearly indicated in the victims' accounts..."
ARKANSAS
West Memphis
Three teenagers were convicted in the cult killings of three 8-year-old boys.
Michael Wayne "Damien" Echols, 19, and Charles Jason Baldwin, 16, were
convicted March 18, 1994, on three counts each of capitol murder. (Chicago
Tribune, 1994). A jury recommended the death penalty for Echols and life in
prison without parole for Baldwin. (Sullivan, 1994). A third teenager, Jessie
Lloyd Misskelley, Jr., 18, was convicted in February 1994, of one count of
first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree murder. He is serving a
prison sentence of life plus 40 years. (Beifuss, 1994)
Misskelley confessed to his role in the killings, telling police the murders
were linked to a cult ritual that included the rape and mutilation of victims.
(Chicago Tribune, 1993). West Memphis police detective Bryn Ridge testified that
elements in the case pointed to the work of a satanic cult. (Sullivan, 1994).
Steve Branch, Christopher Byers and Michael Moore disappeared while riding
their bicycles in May 1993. Their nude bodies were found the next day in a
drainage ditch. The boys had been bound, raped and beaten. (Chicago Tribune,
1993). One child had been sexually mutilated. One witness testified that one of
the defendants drank the victim's blood. (Sullivan, 1994).
During the trial prosecutors presented evidence suggesting that Echols was a
satanist. Acquaintances said Echols carried a cat's skull to school, wrote
satanic poems, and claimed to worship the devil. (Chicago Tribune, 1993). During
his first police interview Echols told Detective Ridge that his favorite author
was Anton LaVey, author of The Satanic Bible. (Sullivan, 1994). Mental health
records indicate that Echols' parents expressed concern about his possible
involvement in "satanism or devil worship" when he was hospitalized in
1992. Just four months prior to the murders a clinician noted: "Damien
explained that he obtains his powers by drinking blood of others."
(Sullivan, 1994).
One item brought to the attention of the police was an underground newsletter
published by a cousin of Echols' 16-year-old girlfriend. The 1991 edition of the
Secret Order of the Undead or "SOUND" featured a drawing of a winged
demon molesting a woman, a list of 13 songs "suitable to accompany any
ritualistic murder" and a column instructing children on how to build a
homemade land mine. (Perrusquia, 1993).
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CALIFORNIA
Bakersfield
Alvin and Deborah McCuan, Scott and Brenda Kniffen, and Rodney and Linda
Phelps (parents of Deborah McCuan) were indicted in 1982 on charges of sexually
molesting children. The alleged victims included their own children, traded
between families and used for group sex, as well as children from the Bluebird
troop run by Deborah McCuan and the unlicensed day care facility in her home.
The McCuans and Kniffens were convicted on all counts in 1983, drawing aggregate
prison terms in excess of 1,000 years. The Phelps fled town and disappeared
after being charged with 33 counts.
Ritual elements in the case were ignored by authorities at the time. (Newton,
1996).
In August 1996, a judge overturned the child molestation convictions of Alvin
and Deborah McCuan and Scott and Brenda Kniffen.** (Northwest Herald, August 14,
1996).
............................................................
A second intrafamilial child-sex ring was exposed and prosecuted in
Bakersfield, with trials continuing into 1985. Five adult defendants were
convicted, including: Richard Cox, 47 (14 counts); Ruth Ann Taylor, 31 (14
counts); Anthony Cox, 25 (7 counts); George Cox, 24 (7 counts); and Theresa Cox,
21 (3 counts). Prison terms ranged from 10 to 41 years. (Newton, 1996).
.............................................................
Seven defendants in another Bakersfield child-sex ring were convicted in
August 1985, with multiple charges including child molestation and endangerment,
assault with a deadly weapon, and production of child pornography. Wayne
Forsythe, 28, was convicted on 41 separate counts. Other defendants, each
convicted on a minimum of 50 counts, included Forsythe's wife, Colleen Dill
Forsythe, 26; Ricky Pitts, 31, and his wife Marcella Pitts, 29; Wayne Dill, 26
(Colleen Forsythe's brother); Grace Dill, 50 (mother of Colleen Forsythe and
Wayne Dill); and Gina Miller. Cumulative prison sentences in the case came to
2,100 years. (Newton, 1996).
...............................................................
Leroy George Stowe III was convicted on 16 counts of child molestation and
sentenced to 30 years in March 1985. Shortly after his conviction, victims in
the case expanded their disclosures to include graphic descriptions of satanic
ritual abuse and murders, involving nine more defendants.
In January 1987, Gerardo Gonzales (facing 117 charges) pleaded no contest to
one count of molesting a 5-year-old girl, and Rev. Willard Lee Thomas (facing 43
charges) pleaded no contest on two counts, including child endangerment and
unlawful sexual intercourse with a 17-year-old girl. Both defendants were
released from jail on the basis of time served, and charges against the
remaining defendants were dismissed as part of their plea bargain.
In February 1987, a California appeals court reversed Leroy Stowe's
conviction on 12 of 16 felony counts, with the grounds cited as a technical
insufficiency in the pleadings.** (Newton, 1996).
San Diego County
Robert S. Wilkins, 38, and Lori Elizabeth Bartz, 22, were convicted in July
1987 on 8 counts of sexual abuse involving children from Bartz's unlicensed
day-care center. The original list of charges, dating back to 1984, included 92
counts of sex acts forced upon girls aged 10 to 15. The victims described
displays of weapons, threats, and occult rituals in which Bartz pretended to
channel the voice of Satan, telling the children "This is the devil; do as
I say." Both defendants received long prison terms. (Newton, 1996).
Santa Rosa
Darryl Ball and Charlotte Thrailkill plea bargained on molestation charges
and were sentenced to substantial prison terms. The prosecutor's opening
statement referred to the ritual aspect of the crimes, and child victims
described satanic ceremonies which included ritual murders.
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COLORADO
Akron
Philip and Michael Schmidt pleaded guilty to molesting children attending the
day care center operated by their grandmother, Hazel Riggs, who was sentenced on
a lesser charge. A Denver Post report on the case included ritual allegations by
a child victim.
Denver
William L. Acree, former heroin addict and operator of a halfway house for
juvenile delinquents, was convicted in February 1983, on two counts of
prostituting children and one count of sexually assaulting a child. Acree was
sentenced on 90 days in jail, with 5 years suspended on the condition that he
undergo psychiatric counseling for at least 4 years.
The victims were male, ages 10-17 years old, who displayed satanic tattoos
and described themselves as members of Acree's "coven." (Newton,
1996).
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CONNECTICUT
Bridgeport
Kerri Lynn Patavino, 28, a school bus driver, was convicted in August 1996 of
statutory rape for seducing a 14-year-old boy who said she engaged him in
strange rituals during sex. (Northwest Herald, 1996).
The boy testified that Patavino once cut her arm with a razor blade and
forced him to lick her blood. According to police, Patavino sent the boy love
letters decorated with occult symbols and signed in her blood. During the trial,
Patavino wore a pentagram medallion around her neck. (The News-Times, 1996).
Patavino was sentenced to six years in prison. (Northwest Herald, 1996).
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FLORIDA
Dade County
Francisco Fuster, 36, was convicted in 1985 on 14 counts of child abuse and
sentenced to a minimum of 165 years in prison. Fuster had previously been
convicted of lewd and lascivious assault on a 9-year-old girl and had served
four years in prison for homicide. More than 50 children accused Fuster and his
wife, Iliana, of abuse that included feces-eating, drugging, pornography, animal
killings and anal rape with a crucifix. Fuster's 7-year-old son was treated for
gonorrhea of the throat.
Iliana Fuster, a 17-year-old native of Honduras, also claimed to have been
battered and sexually abused by Fuster. She confessed to her role in the crimes
against the children and testified against her husband. Iliana Fuster received a
10-year sentence. (Hollingsworth, 1986).
Stuart
James Toward, 58, owner of Glendale Montessori School, pleaded guilty to
child sexual abuse charges and received a 15-year sentence. His office manager,
Brenda Williams, 30, was convicted in 1989 and sentenced to 6 years in prison.
Children described being threatened with guns and knives, photographed for
pornographic purposes, and forced to participate in sadistic rituals. (The
Orlando Sentinel, 1989).
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GEORGIA
Hapeville
Walter P. West, Jr., a former juvenile officer, pleaded guilty on June 20,
1994, to 33 counts of sexual abuse. West was sentenced to 20 years in prison, 20
years probation, and ordered never to be alone with children.
Prosecutors said that West engaged in oral and anal sex with as many as 13
children, fondled them, forced them to engage in sex acts with other children,
and filmed the assaults. Most of his victims were pre-adolescent children who
had problems at school and with the law. The youngest victim named in the
indictment was six years old. (The Atlanta Journal/The Atlanta Constitution,
1994).
According to a case overview prepared by a special education teacher who
reported the abuse, some of the children said West forced them to engage in
bestiality and exposed them to animal killings. Other adults in the community
were implicated but no additional arrests were made. (McCullers, 1994).
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IOWA
Edgewood
Michael Joseph Schildmeyer, 22, was convicted on second-degree sexual abuse
of a 4-year-old boy and sentenced to 25 years in prison. The child testified
that Schildmeyer abused him at the Sunshine Preschool and Day Care Center
operated by Schildmeyer's wife. The unlicensed center was shut down by the state
after children began disclosing ritualistic acts involving stuffed animal
decapitations, animal killings, and bondage with ropes and chains. (Hubert,
1989).
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MASSACHUSETTS
Malden
Gerald Amirault, 32, was convicted in 1986 of 15 counts of child abuse,
including rape and indecent assault, and sentenced to 30 to 40 years in prison.
Nine children who attended the Fells Acre Day Care Center testified that
Amirault sexually assaulted them in a "magic room" while dressed as a
clown. One child testified that small animals were killed. (Ross, 1986).
His mother, Violet Amirault, 62, owner of the school, and her daughter,
Cheryl Amirault LeFave, were given 8- to 20-year sentences.
In August 1995, a judge ordered new trials for Violet Amirault and Cheryl
Amirault LeFave.** (Rabinowitz, 1995). A Superior Court denied Gerald Amirault's
appeal for a new trial.
Pittsfield
Bernard Baran, Jr., a 19-year-old teacher's aide at a day care center, was
convicted of child molestation in January 1985. He was sentenced to life, with
parole possible in 15 years. Children testified that he threatened to kill their
parents if they disclosed the abuse. (Newton, 1996).
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MICHIGAN
Niles
Allan Barkman, co-owner of Small World Preschool, was convicted in April,
1985, of molesting a 5-year-old boy and sentenced to 50 to 75 years in prison.
Children told authorities they were driven to barns where Barkman photographed
them and tore the off the head of a chicken. Children said Barkman's wife, who
was not charged, dressed up as a witch. (Ross, 1986). Barkman's conviction was
later reversed on appeal.** (Newton, 1996).
Sanilac County
On October 20, 1994, Stephen Rogers, 30, and his live-in girlfriend, Trudy
O'Connor, 32, were found guilty of first-degree child abuse of a 9-year-old
girl. The girl, Roger's daughter, was found in a dark walk-in closet by Sanilac
County sheriff's deputies. The child was shackled by her ankle to a urine-soaked
bed. Her arms had been tied behind her back with a harness made of socks and
safety pins. The only other thing in the closet was a large, frightening
Halloween mask, which hung directly over the bed.
Family members said that Rogers and O'Connor believed the child was
"possessed." The girl's maternal grandmother reported suspected sexual
abuse in 1989 and 1990, after the little girl returned from visiting Rogers. A
medical examination confirmed scar tissue. Teachers from the girl's school
testified that she appeared malnourished, had bruises, cuts, and burns on her
body, and often smelled of urine. (Flint Journal, 1994).
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MINNESOTA
Jordan
James John Rud, a 27-year-old garbage collector with two previous sex abuse
convictions, agreed to plead guilty and testify against other defendants accused
of abusing children in sex orgies, in exchange for a lighter sentence. Rud gave
police a 113-page statement in which he graphically described sadistic assaults
on children. (Emmerman, 1984).
Children ranging in age from 2 to 17 years old described being molested by
their parents, relatives and family friends during ritualistic orgies. The
children talked about playing games with adults that culminated in sexual
assaults and said they had been drugged with alcohol and pills. Many referred to
being photographed nude and of seeing child pornography in Rud's trailer. (Crewdson,
1984).
In addition to Rud, 24 adults were charged with molesting 37 children. (Emmerman,
1984). Two defendants were tried and acquitted when one child witness recanted
his accusation of abuse. (Chicago Tribune, 1984). The prosecutor dropped the
charges against all other defendants to avoid releasing 126 pages of police
notes containing allegations that implicated some of the former defendants in
ritualistic child murders. (Ogintz, 1984).
In January 1985, Rud was sentenced to 40 years in prison, the maximum
sentence allowable by law. (Chicago Tribune, 1985).
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MISSISSIPPI
Oxford
Danny Walter Schertz, 48, a self-avowed former satanist, was sentenced to 9
years in prison without parole for selling a 16-year-old girl into prostitution.
Schertz pleaded guilty to charges of kidnapping by trickery and transporting a
minor across state lines for prostitution.
F.B.I. agent Leonardo Floyd of Columbus, Mississippi, said Schertz controlled
the girl with stories of his satanic powers and threats of harm to the girl and
her family. Schertz forced the girl to have satanic symbols tattooed onto her
leg and buttocks and to have body piercings in her private parts without
anesthesia. (Kraft, 1996).
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NEVADA
Carson City
Martha Helen Felix and her nephew, Felix "Paco" Ontiveros, were
convicted of crimes against children who were placed in their babysitting
service. At a preliminary hearing in 1985, children referred to drinking blood,
killing animals, and other rituals. Defendants' photographs of "mummified
children" were produced at the hearing. (Ross, 1986).
These convictions were later reversed on appeal.**
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NEW JERSEY
Maplewood
Margaret Kelly Michaels, a teacher at the Wee Care Nursery operated by an
Episcopal Church was convicted in April 1988 on 115 counts of child sexual abuse
and sentenced to 47 years in prison. Nineteen preschool-aged children testified
that Michaels sexually abused them and subjected them to rituals involving
urine, feces, peanut butter and jelly, bloody tampons and penetration with
silverware.
Her conviction was overturned in March 1993 by an appeals court on the
grounds that Michaels was denied a fair trial because expert testimony was
introduced that should not have been allowed and because child witnesses were
allowed to testify via closed-circuit TV.** (Chicago Tribune, 1993).
In December 1994, prosecutors dropped the charges against Michaels in order
to spare the children the ordeal of testifying in a second trial. (Chicago
Tribune, 1994).
Michaels is suing the prosecutors, seeking $800,000 in attorneys fees.
(Chicago Tribune, 1996).
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NEW YORK
Mount Vernon
Jeannette Martin, 51, was accused of holding children down while they were
raped and sodomized at an unlicensed day care center. Martin was convicted on a
misdemeanor child endangerment charge in February 1987, and sentenced to one
year in jail.
Co-defendant James Watt, 31, was convicted on 11 rape counts, 5 sodomy counts
and one count of child endangerment, and sentenced to 55-165 years in prison. In
January 1992, an appellate court split 3 to 2 in favor of overturning Watts'
conviction on the grounds that the dates of the offenses alleged in the
indictment were "too vague."** Two dissenting judges voted to uphold
the conviction on 6 counts related to a single victim, but were overruled.
Three female victims were diagnosed with sexually transmitted diseases. (New
York Times and New York Law Journal).
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NORTH CAROLINA
Edenton
Robert F. Kelly, Jr., co-owner of the Little Rascals Day care Center, was
convicted in 1992 on 99 of 100 counts of sexually abusing children. Kelly was
sentenced to 12 consecutive life terms, one for each child who testified against
him. (Chicago Tribune, April 23-24, 1992).
Twelve children testified that Kelly sexually molested them, forced them to
have sex with other children while being photographed, and engaged in sexual
acts in the presence of children. The children described being forced to eat
feces, threatened with snakes, penetrated with toys, sticks and other objects,
hung from trees and tied in bags, and being present while infants were killed. (Allegood,
1991-1992).
Kelly's conviction was overturned on appeal in 1995.** the court ruled that
parents' testimony about children's behavioral symptoms was outside the
boundaries of permissible opinion from lay witnesses and that testimony from a
victim's father, who had previously been retained as Kelly's defense attorney,
should not have been allowed. (Richissin, 1995).
In April 1996, prosecutors announced that Kelly will be retried on 99 counts
of sexual abuse and indicted on eight new counts of sexual abuse unrelated to
the day care case. The eight new indictments charge Kelly with raping, abusing
and taking indecent liberties with a 9-year-old girl during the summer of 1987.
Kelly is free on bond while awaiting trial. (News & Observer, 1996).
Kathryn Dawn Wilson, 27, former cook at Little Rascals, was sentenced in 1993
to life in prison after being convicted of one charge of first-degree sex
offense and four charges of taking indecent liberties with a minor. Four
children testified that Wilson touched their genitals, forced them to
participate in sexual acts, and had sex with Kelly in front of children. (Allegood,
1993).
Wilson's appeal for a new trial was granted because information about an
"irrelevant" theft and Wilson's history of drug abuse was prejudicial
and should have been excluded.** (Richissin, 1995).
Kelly's wife, Elizabeth T. "Betsy" Kelly, 38, pleaded no contest on
January 21, 1994, to 30 charges of abusing 16 children. She was sentenced to
seven years in prison. (Allegood, 1994).
Willard Scott Privott, 45, a former video store owner, pleaded no contest
June 16, 1994, to over 30 charges of sexually abusing children at the Little
Rascals Day Care Center. Sixteen children said that Privott sexually fondled
them, forced them to commit sexual acts with other children, with him and with
day care employees, and photographed and videotaped the assaults. (Quillin,
1994). Some children allege Privott dressed as a pirate and took them on a boat
where they said he molested them, and that he killed babies and fed them to
sharks in a tank.
Smithfield
Patrick Figuered, a former electronics firm executive, was sentenced to three
consecutive life terms in 1992, after being convicted of sexually abusing three
children in 1988. The children, who were between the ages of 2 and 5 years old
when the abuse occurred, testified that Figured and his girlfriend, Sonja Hill,
molested them at the unlicensed child care center Hill's mother operated from
her home.
The children testified that they were drugged and videotaped during sexual
assaults, sodomized with a screwdriver, and forced to participate in satanic
rituals in which adults wore capes and masks, lit candles, burned Bibles, and
forced children to drink urine and blood. (Soloway, 1992).
Sonja Hill pleaded no contest to aiding and abetting the taking of indecent
liberties with children and was sentenced in July, 1993, to 10 years in prison.
(Eisley, 1993).
Winston-Salem
Ricky Martin Vernon, a former Boy Scout volunteer, pleaded guilty in 1989 to
taking indecent liberties with 13 teenaged boys from 1981-1988, and was
sentenced to 20 years in prison. Vernon offered to initiate the boys into
"The Order of the Circle." In order to learn the ways of "The
Circle," they had to participate in religious rituals that included sex
acts and a service that mimicked Christian communion. (News & Observer,
1989)
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OHIO
Canton
Estella M. Sexton, 47, mother of 12 children, was convicted April 15, 1994,
of sexually, physically and psychologically abusing her daughter. The charges
related to abuse that occurred five years previously when the daughter was eight
years old. The girl testified that her mother beat her, stripped her and
sexually fondled her. An older brother corroborated her story of abuse and
described satanic rituals that took place in the home.
Sexton's older daughter, Estella M. "Pixie" Good, 24, pleaded
guilty earlier in 1994 to manslaughter in the death of her baby. She told
authorities she smothered the baby after her father complained about the baby's
crying. (Knox, 1994).
Mansfield
Two teenage babysitters at the First Presbyterian Church were convicted of
sexually abusing children while the victims' parents attended church services.
Lawrence Rohde, 19, was convicted in 1992 on 7 counts of gross sexual imposition
and sentenced to 14 years in prison. (Boyd, 1992). Scott Butner, 17, pleaded
guilty to 5 counts of rape and received a 5 to 10-year prison sentence. (Trexler,
1992).
As many as 50 children described being sexually abused and taken from the
church to wooded areas where they said they were forced to participate in child
pornography, infanticide, and mutilation of corpses. Victims' parents demanded
that charges be filed against adult church members who allegedly were involved,
but only Rohde and Butner were indicted. (Hobbs, 1992).
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OREGON
Roseburg
Ed Gallup, Sr., Mary Lou Gallup and their son, Ed "Chip" Gallup,
Jr., who together ran three Gallup Christian Day Care Centers, were accused by
over a hundred children of sexual molestation and ritual child abuse. Children
described animal killings, pornography, and sexual abuse performed by adults
wearing robes.
Ed "Chip" Gallup, Jr. Was convicted on three charges of child
sexual abuse involving two children. Ed Gallup, Sr., a Nazarene minister, was
convicted on the testimony of a 5-year-old girl.
In November, 1989, Mary Lou Gallup's conviction was reversed because of a
discovery violation.**
Ed Gallup, Sr. And Ed "Chip" Gallup, Jr. are serving life terms.
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TENNESSEE
Memphis
Frances Lucindy Ballard, a teacher's aide at Georgia Hills Early Childhood
Center, was convicted in 1987 on one count of aggravated sexual battery and
sentenced to five years in prison.
Nineteen children had initially accused her of sexual assault in June 1984,
with allegations including satanic rituals, death threats, and animal sacrifice.
In February 1991, Ballard's conviction was overturned on grounds that one of
several videotapes depicting police interviews with children had been taped
over, and thus erased, before it could be viewed by the defense. Her other
complaints, including allegations that the children had been brainwashed, were
described by the court as "meritless."** (Newton, 1996).
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TEXAS
Austin
Frances and Daniel Keller, operators of Fran's Day Care Center, were
convicted in 1992 of aggravated sexual assault of a 3-year-old girl. The Kellers
were sentenced to 48 years in prison.
Three children made allegations of abuse that included references to being
buried alive with animals, painting pictures with bones dipped in blood, being
shot [blanks?] and resurrected, digging up a body in a cemetery and nailing it
together, having giant germs [word suggested by Kellers?] implanted in their bodies, and
making pornographic movies at gunpoint. (Gamino,1992).
El Paso
Two teachers at the YMCA day-care center were convicted of sexually abusing
children in El Paso, Texas. Michelle Noble, 34, was convicted in March 1986 on
18 counts of molestation and sentenced to life plus 311 years in prison. Gayle
Stickler Dove, 40, was convicted in October 1986, on 6 counts of child abuse and
sentenced to three life terms plus 60 years.
Two boys and five girls described abuse that included sexual assault, child
pornography, spankings with a plastic tennis racket, and ritualistic activities
by adults dressed in robes and monster costumes.
Noble's conviction was overturned in 1987 when an appeals court decided that
allowing children to testify on videotape violated the defendant's right to
confront her accusers.** Several witnesses withdrew from the case, and without their testimony, Noble was
acquitted at her second trial in April 1988.
Gayle Dove was granted a new trial in March 1987, after her conviction had
been set aside on appeal due to an allegation of jury misconduct.** At her
second trial, she was convicted on a single count of aggravated battery and
sentenced to 20 years. In 1989, her second conviction was overturned on the
grounds that three children should have testified in person, rather than on
videotape.** In April 1990 prosecutors declined to try her a third time, citing
the reluctance of the victims' parents to put their children through the ordeal
of another trial. (Newton, 1996)
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UTAH
Lehi
Alan B. Hadfield was convicted on seven counts of "sodomizing and
sexually molesting" two of his children (Salt Lake Tribune, 1988) in a case
in which as many as 40 adults in the community were implicated as perpetrators
of satanic ritual abuse (Salt Lake Tribune, 1987). No other charges were filed.
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VIRGINIA
Richmond
In 1984 two children, ages 7 and 5, were removed from their home due to
allegations that they had been sexually abused by their mother and her
boyfriend. The children said they were forced to witness the murder of a
12-year-old girl during a cult ritual. The mutilated body of 12-year-old Jessica
Hatch was discovered in a remote area of Hanover County. She had disappeared on
February 5, 1984, while walking to her grandmother's house.
Police found candles and occult paraphernalia, but said the children
"would freeze up... we couldn't tell whether they were telling the truth or
fantasizing." (Ross, 1986). The children were ruled incompetent to testify
and the sexual abuse charges were dismissed.
Gary Jay Beattie, 28, a convicted "peeping Tom" and friend of the
other two suspects, was arrested for making indecent proposals to a 9-year-old
girl and two 13-year-old girls. All three girls knew Jessica Hatch and said that
Beattie had also propositioned her. Beattie was acquitted of accosting the
9-year-old, but entered a plea bargain on outstanding sex charges involving the
13-year-old victims. His 5-year prison sentence was suspended.
In 1988 Beattie was arrested again on multiple charges of voyeurism. At his
first trial in July 1988, he was sentenced to 60 days and a $500 fine. He
received a 3-year prison term in the second trial. A third trial in October 1988
resulted in a mistrial because one of the jurors was related to a police officer
who investigated the case. A retrial was held in December 1988, and Beattie was
convicted on a misdemeanor charge, with a 12-month jail term suspended.
In September 1991, while still on probation, Beattie was arrested on new
voyeurism charges.
No one has ever been charged with murdering Jessica Hatch, but local
newspapers referred to Beattie as the "closest thing to a suspect."
County authorities cited a "strong possibility" that Jessica Hatch was
killed in a satanic ritual. (Times-Dispatch and News Leader, 1988-1991).
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WASHINGTON
Thurston County
Paul R. Ingram, a sheriff's deputy, confessed in 1988 to sexually abusing two
of his daughters in the context of satanic rituals. Ingram pleaded guilty to six
counts of third-degree rape and was sentenced to 220 years in prison.
Later, he attempted to withdraw his guilty plea, claiming he had been coerced
and had confessed while in a "trance-like state" to crimes he never
committed. In September 1992, the Washington State Supreme Court rejected
Ingram's motion to withdraw his guilty plea. (Wright, 1993).
Wenatchee
Five adults were convicted and 11 pleaded no contest in a child sex-ring
investigation involving 48 child victims.
Selid Holt, 34, was convicted and sentenced to 14 years in prison; Michael
rose, 26, was convicted on 5 counts of child rape and molestation and sentenced
to 23 years; Doris Green, 34, who confessed and then recanted her statement, was
convicted at trial and sentenced to 23 years; Randall Reed, 43, pleaded guilty
on two counts of child molestation and was sentenced to 80 months; Meredith
Town, 37, an ex-convict who pleaded no contest on 62 counts of child rape and 4
counts of indecent liberties, was sentenced to 18 years and 4 months; Cherie
town (Meredith Town's wife), also pleaded nolo contendre and was sentenced to 10
years; Harold and Idella Everett both pleaded guilty to molesting their own
children, with Harold sentenced to 23 years and Idella to 4-1/2 years. (Newton,
1996).
Child victims referred to the offenders as "The Circle," and
described being sexually assaulted and "swapped" in orgies that
allegedly took place at a Pentecostal Church. (Sunde, 1995).
Despite defendants' criticism of the investigation, a review by the U.S.
Justice Department found no evidence that defendants' civil rights were
violated. (Sex Crimes Digest, 1996).
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CANADA
Prescott, Ontario
Approximately 50 adults were convicted or pleaded guilty in a child sex ring
involving over 100 children.
Children described being abused in a basement by adults wearing masks and
sheets. They said they were raped, cut with knives, forced to drink blood, and
locked in a "dungeon" with a trap door. (Miller, 1995).
A multi-disciplinary team of social workers, prosecutors and police
investigating the case took the code name "Project Jericho" to honor
Joshua, a baby witnesses say was killed. (Steed, 1994).
Martensville, Saskatchewan
Travis Sterling, 25, was convicted in February, 1994, on eight charges of
sexual and physical abuse of children at his parents' unlicensed day care home.
Sterling was sentenced to five years in prison.
Travis Sterling and his parents, Ron and Linda Sterling, were among nine
people, including five police officers, arrested on more than 150 child abuse
charges. Seven child witnesses testified to abuse that included sexual assault,
unlawful confinement and anal intercourse. Weapons, a vibrator and pornographic
magazines were found in the Sterling home.
In addition to Travis Sterling, a 22-year-old woman who can not be identified
because she was a minor at the time of her offenses was convicted in 1993 on
seven child abuse counts. (Wattie, 1994).
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ENGLAND
Nottingham
Twenty-five children were removed from an extended family and taken into
foster care following disclosures of incest and ritual child abuse. In February,
1989, nine adults were sentenced for up to 10 years in prison after pleading
guilty to 53 charges of incest, cruelty and indecent assault. The children
described being abused by adult wearing costumes, being forced to eat excrement
and drink blood, and witnessing the killing of animals and babies. (Tate, 1991).
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THE NETHERLANDS
Amsterdam
Rene Osterwalder, 38, and his girlfriend, Agostina Schonenberger, 21, were
convicted in February 1994 of illegal weapons charges and attempted child
abduction. Schonenberger testified that Osterwalder had planned to abduct
children, torture them to death in his apartment, and dump their bodies into an
aquarium filled with piranhas.
Because the abductions apparently had not been carried out, Osterwalder was
sentenced to only 2 years in prison; Schonenberger was sentenced to 6 months.
However, they were ordered to serve their sentences in Switzerland, where they
face more serious charges of child torture and sexual abuse.
Police found the following evidence in a search of the couple's residences:
Osterwalder admitted he was a pedophile but insisted he had no plan to kidnap
children. (Jonker, 1993 and Newton, 1996)
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NEW ZEALAND
Christchurch
Peter Hugh McGregor Ellis, 35, a former day care employee, was convicted June
5, 1993, on 16 counts of sexual abuse relating to seven children. Ellis was
sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Children who attended Christchurch Civic Creche described bizarre sexual
abuse with references to frightening rituals. The children allege they were
removed from the day care facility and transported to other locations, including
a cemetery and a Masonic lodge, where they were abused by adults dressed in
black and white and wearing masks.
In addition to their reports of being used for pornographic purposes, the
children described being abused within a circle; chanting and participating in
mock marriages; being tied up and confined in cages and boxes buried beneath the
ground; being penetrated with needles and sticks; witnessing the torture and
killing of animals; being drugged; being forced to hurt other children; having
blood poured over their heads; and consuming what they believed was human flesh.
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OTHER EVIDENCE
In addition to convictions other evidence has surfaced verifying the
existence of ritual abuse of children. Several case examples are given below:
NEW HAMPSHIRE
On March 1, 1991, FBI agents arrested three men suspected of running a major
child pornography ring. The three men charged were Wayne H. Bailey, 56, of
Fairhaven, RI, an audio technician for a Providence, RI television station;
Brian K. Schultz, 44, a Barrington, NH man who allegedly reproduced child
pornography under the name "New England Video Exchange;" and Mark
Colen, 44, from Brooklyn, CT, who headed a company that reproduced and
distributed alleged pornographic films.
Law enforcement officials said videotapes recovered in searches of the men's
homes and businesses depicted pregnant women being tortured, children being
molested by adults, young women engaged in sexual activities with animals,
children urinating on each other and ingesting human feces, and various bizarre
sex acts with "satanic" overtones. Some of the children were as young
as six years old. (Ford, 1991 and Gaines, 1991)
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DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
A police raid of a home and warehouse connected to the commune known as
"The Finders" resulted in the seizure of "several bags of
evidence reportedly containing photographs, computer records and other
documents." (Cawley, 1987) A customs agent investigating the case noted
that the documents "revealed detailed instructions for obtaining children
for unspecified purposes." (Tamarkin, 1994).
The customs agent's report listed the following evidence: "One telex specifically ordered the purchase of two children in Hong
Kong. Other files referred to The Finders activities and members in foreign
countries. And there was a large amount of data collected on various childcare
organizations."
"In one area of the warehouse, according to the investigator's report,
there appeared to be an altar. Jars of urine and feces were located nearby. The
search warrants also turned up nude photos of children with their genital areas
accented and 'on display.' An album contained a series of photos of adults and
children dressed in white sheets and participating in the execution,
disembowelment, skinning and dismemberment of goats. One photo showed the testes
of a male goat being removed. Another showed a crying child looking at a
decapitated goat. In fact, the goat's head and goat skins were removed by
Virginia state police during a search of a farm belonging to The Finders
group." (Tamarkin, 1994).
Despite the urgings of the customs agent and several U.S. Representatives,
The Finders case was dropped "like a hot rock." (Witkin, 1993).
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FINLAND
Police in Finland discovered a "massive computer library of child
pornography that included pictures of torture, mutilation, and
cannibalism." The owner of the child pornography was not arrested because
distributing hard-core child pornography is a minor offense in Finland. (World,
1996.)
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* Because ritual abuse allegations often are not disclosed in courtroom
proceedings, this list represents only a portion of convictions where ritual
child abuse is a factor.
** A conviction is overturned on appeal when the appellate court finds that
the defendant was denied a fair trial due to a legal error. Granting an appeal
for a new trial does not constitute a ruling that the crime for which the
defendant was tried could not have been committed.
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