Recently in Children Category

After we reported a couple weeks ago that former Peninsula High School coach Barry Sacks was arrested and charged with nine counts of misdemeanor child molestation, my e-mail inbox went crazy with reactions. In today's Daily Breeze, we explore some of those reactions - especially why Sacks was still running his day camp after his arrest and what those who know him have to say about him and the allegations.

Read today's story: Charges fuel mixed emotions

We have not allowed user comments after today's story. However, we're accepting comments here. We'll post those that are clean and not slanderous.

Previously: Peninsula coach arrest sparks reader reaction

I don't have much on this, but former Manhattan Beach police Sgt. Shawn Shelton will soon be relocated from his Nevada prison cell to a jail in Louisiana to face murder charges.

Shelton, 41, left, waived extradition last Friday and will soon be flown to Natchitoches, where he is accused of killing 19-year-old Justin James, right.

Shelton could have fought being extradited to another state to face trial, but he apparently chose not to. He'll likely be housed in a county jail instead of a prison while awaiting his case.

Natchitoches prosecutors believe Shelton drugged James with morphine, cocaine and Xanax and attempted to sexually assault him. James died from the combination.

Shelton already is serving a sentence of 35 years to life for kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy in Las Vegas about five months later. He kidnapped the boy at a bus bench, drove him out into the desert and assaulted him.

The Daily Breeze has been a leader in covering this story. James' mom keeps me informed of what's going on periodically by email and phone calls. She has sought justice for nearly three years.

The fact that Shelton soon will be on his way to a Louisiana courtroom is very important to her and her husband.

She told me:

"This has been a long drawn out process. Lynn and I have fought this every step of the way! You don't raise a child 19 years for someone like this to come in and kill him."

The Shelton story still amazes me. How did someone go from a fast-rising cop whose hand I shook to a child predator to an accused murderer?

Two of the greatest crime fighters in history (the 70s at least) will be joining forces with Carson residents to take back the city's streets.

Sorry Eric Bana and Edward Norton, but the real Incredible Hulk -- Lou Ferrigno -- will be in Carson Wednesday night along with Officer Frank Poncherello for the "Community Night Out, March and Rally Against Crime and Violence."

Poncherello, of course, is Erik Estrada, who is expected to ride in on a CHP motorcycle.
Ferrigno is a sheriff's deputy reserve officer.

Both are lending their support to the fourth march of its kind.

Carson sheriff's Capt. Todd Rogers said the city was unable to join in last week's National Night Out because of the conflicting council meeting, so leaders scheduled the event for tonight.

Deputies will conduct station tours, and display law enforcement equipment beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Carson Sheriff's Station, 21356 S. Avalon Blvd.

The march begins at 7:15 p.m.

"It's our outreach to the community," Rogers said. "We can do a much better job if we are all working together."

City officials, clergy and local entertainers will take part. About 300 people are expected.

"Everybody is coming together," Rogers said.

Parents whose kids were coached by Barry Sacks over the years, and others, are having some strong reactions to news this morning that he is charged with nine counts of child molestation.

One reader wrote:

"Thank you for making me aware of this.  Coach Barry has worked with my kids, and they would have been in this Road Runner Program this year, but I followed my first mind and passed.

"I spoke to Barry July 24th on Penn's track working with his Road Runner Group, and I was none the wiser as to what was going on with his arrest. It seems that he was out on bail, and still working with kids alone.  You can gather from this that I am upset because the matter should have been brought to my attention as a parent with the PVPUSD when he was dismissed.

"How did u come across this information, and why did it take so long to be brought to my attention?"

I hate to tell ya this, but I came across this story the same way I do many others: I literally stumbled upon it yesterday morning at the courthouse. I heard and saw some things, got nosy and figured it out. I also feel it's unfortunate that law enforcement and school officials did not make us aware of this case sooner. I suggest that parents who agree let school officials know.

Sometime in the next few days when you have a spare 20 or 30 minutes, spend some time with Danielle. Her story of neglect, deprivation and, eventually, hope, is beautifully captured by a reporter and photographer for the St. Petersburg Times in Florida. It will make your stomach and heart ache. Be sure to check out the audio and video components, as well.

This just in from City News Service:

The former principal of Del Rey Continuation School in Westchester pleaded not guilty Wednesday to two felony charges alleging he possessed child pornography on his home computer. Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Henry Hall ordered Randolph Barnett Cornfield, 60, of Playa del Rey, to return to the downtown Los Angeles courthouse Sept. 17.
Cornfield remains free on $20,000 bail posted shortly after his June 12 arrest.

"He's not the principal at the schoolnow). He's not going to go back to the school," defense attorney C. Chike Amobi told reporters outside court. He described Cornfield as a man who "has clocked in about 26 years of exemplary service as an educator" and said the charges are "grossly opposite" to the person known by the former principal's friends and co- workers.

Cornfield who was the principal at Del Rey Continuation School at the time of his arrest is accused of possessing child pornography on a CD-ROM and on a zip drive, according to Deputy District Attorney Marc Beaart. Cornfield allegedly posed as a 12-year-old girl, engaged in sexually explicit conversation in an Internet chat room and offered to provide nude photos, according to the District Attorney's Office.

Authorities were tipped off and allegedly discovered child pornography after executing a search warrant at Cornfield's home, authorities said. "At this point, we have no information to indicate that any of his students -- current or past -- have been involved," LAPD Detective Moses Castillo said at a news conference shortly after the arrest.

It's been nearly three years since the details of the birth and death of Leticia Castro's baby aboard a Catalina Express ferry were first disclosed during a preliminary hearing. It's one of those cases that makes your stomach churn - and mine certainly did that day (and not just because I got seasick trying to write a story on my laptop on the boat ride back to San Pedro).

In a tiny, one-room courthouse where the judge takes the bench once a week, emotions were heavy. After a couple hours of cases against people accused of driving their golf carts drunk or illegally catching sea life, the bloody details of the baby's birth seemed out of place on the island paradise.

Here's some interesting numbers:

Manhattan Beach has 125 bars, restaurants and retail stores which are
licensed to sell alcohol; Hermosa Beach has 98 and Redondo Beach has
206. That's a lot of booze.

So, the Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach and Hermosa Beach police departments have received an $85,000 state grant to keep alcohol out of the hands of minors.

The grant from the state Alcoholic Beverage Control office will allow officers to train licensed establishments, train patrol officers, and conduct inspections and sting operations to determine if licensed establishments are abiding by state laws.

During the last year, Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach police conducted 13 sting operations. They checked 258 businesses. Of those, 24 sold alcohol to minors. Forty people received citations.

Here's a video of police in San Mateo conducting one of these sting operations:

In case you missed it in Sunday's Daily Breeze, we had a story about a capital murder case that just got underway at the Torrance Courthouse for Barry Mosley, who is charged with killing three women, two of whom he allegedly raped, and trying to kill a little girl, who he also is accused of raping. Following our story online, there are some user comments and questions I'd like to address here.

Bon Scott from the Palos Verdes Peninsula wrote:

I was on this jury and got kicked off. It will be a horrible experience for the remaining jurors. Several questions: why is being tried in Torrance? Why was there so little coverage of the crimes when they happened? I am glad the Breeze is covering it since no one else seems to care.

Seriously. I wouldn't kid. Ruben Vargas' sentencing hearing was postponed one more time today because the family of the victim, who wanted to be there, were out of town. We've chronicled this saga here, here and here. He's now scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 10.

I think it's safe to say now that he's spent more time waiting to be sentenced than he will actually spend behind bars.