The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "molestation" ...
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I Lit the Fire: Jared Petrovich Admits His Role in the Killing of John Chamberlain. But why did he target the gay?
These four articles probed the culture of violence at tTheo Lacy Men's Jail in Orange, CA, beginning with an exclusive interview of Jared Petrovich, the accuse ringleader of the Oct. 5, 2006 murder of John Chamberlain, an inmate suspected of child molestation who was brutally beated inside the jail. That story included combined interviews with Petrovich and other inmates and guards at the facility with transcripts and notes of interviews with inmates and guards that the reporter obtained from lawyers representing inmates, including Petrovich, who were charged in the attack. The article contained allegations that Deputy Kevin Taylor, a prison guard who was never charged in the crime, told Petrovich that Chamberlain was a child molester, and that Taylor routinely use inmates like Petrovich to enforce prison rules and mete out punishment to various inmates. Petrovich provided an example of this behavior that I did not include in my original story, alleging that Taylor had known about--and approved--a previous beating of an inmate in Sept. 2006. He only knew the inmate's first name--Mark--but claimed the inmate had been a guitarist for the rock band Kiss. He claimed another inmate, nicknamed "Sick Dog" had witnessed Taylor being informed of the planned attack and, after it was carried out, rewarding the inmates with sack lunches. Through a California Public Records Act request, the reporter obtained the Sheriff Department's jail file on the beaten inmate, Mark Leslie Norton, aka Mark St. John of the rock band Kiss, and found information which corroborated Petrovich's account of the incident, and obtained his death certificate. St. John died of a brain hemorrhage several months after being released.
Tags: prison beatings; rock band Kiss; California; prisoner brutality; bribe; prison regulation
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The Bishop's Bad Moves
These stories include online and print coverage of the sex abuse scandal in the Catholic Diocese of Orange County, California. "Major findings include the diocese paid an admitted child molester $100,000 to stay quiet, that the bishop tried to cover up a molestation allegation in his past, and that he also documented molestations but didn't report them as required by California law."
Tags: church; catholicism; religion; child abuse; molestation; cover-up; state government
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The People Under the Bridge
Residency restrictions placed on sex offenders led to three people to be forced to live across the street from the Miami-Dade's felony courthouse underneath a bridge. By doing so, their probation officers could check on them every night during their state-mandated curfew.
Tags: homeless; sexual abuse; molestation; Kristi House; Angel Sanchez; Marco Carrasquillo; Patrick Wiese
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Sexually Violent Predators
The Sacramento Bee investigates as a decade after the state of California adopted the nation's toughest laws regarding sexually violent predators, enforcement has fallen short of expectations. Those deemed to have the highest risk of being repeat offenders "were sent to Atascadero State Mental Hospital following their prison terms." But of 54 molesters released from the mental hospital, "none had gone through the full treatment regimen designed for them" and worse, "more than two-thirds underwent no treatment at all." In addition, "those who refused treatment had been released to society with fewer restrictions and less monitoring than the four who had completed the five-stage program."
Tags: Atascadero State Mental Hospital; California sex-offender laws; sexual predators; child molesters
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Delay on DNA Frees Girl's Rapist
A trucker in Florida raped a 13 year old girl, went to trial, and was aquitted because there was no DNA proof. But the DNA test proved he committed the crime five weeks after he was seen as not guilty by a jury. With mounds of evidence against him, Kenneth Robinson was able to avoid jail because the judge's order for a DNA test was not carried through.
Tags: rape; sexual assault; DNA; child abuse; molestation; Kenneth Robinson; Gary Barrett
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Too Close For Comfort
Known child sex offenders are not permitted to live within 500 feet of schools, playgrounds, or other facilities that provide programs for minors only. After an investigation, nine sex offenders were found to violate the 500 feet law.
Tags: sex offender; child molestation; sexual abuse; zoning law; Peoria Police; Bloomington
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Sex Offenders: Steps Away
WPLG reports on lax enforcement of Florida's sex offender law. No convicted sex offender is supposed to live within 1,000 feet of a day care centers, but the investigation discovered that 536 such people were doing exactly that, including some in apartments overlooking day care centers. Law enforcement asserted it "lacked the resources and manpower to enforce the law." The state legislature is planning to take a hard look at what must be done to improve the situation. As part of the investigation, reporter Julie Summers compiled information including maps of the centers in relation to the offenders, and a list of Web sites people can use for more information.
Tags: Sex offenders; day care centers; children; living; restraining order; law enforcement; Florida; sexual predators; child molesters
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The Notification Gap
Although there are only, roughly, a 100 sex offenders registered in Minnesota, the KSTP investigation found over 200 Minnesota residents that were not registered as sex offenders, though they should have been. Notification will only happen when the offender's conviction occurs at a Minnesota court, which is why some offenders choose to move to Minnesota so their neighbors will not be made aware of their criminal history.
Tags: Sex offender; sex registry; minnesota court; abuse; child molestation
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NewsChannel 5 Investigates: Now Hiring Sex Offenders
NewsChannel 5 investigated the hiring practices of McDonald's. The investigation uncovered dozens of child molesters and other convicted sex offenders had listed McDonald's as their employer. Several were later convicted of committing new crimes against McDonald's customers and young employees.The corporation's lack of hiring policies were found to be the cause of the problem: Background checks were only done "as needed."
Tags: sex offenders; McDonald's; employee; employer; hiring policies; child molesters; employee screening
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Scouts' Honor
The 30,000-member Grand Teton Council of the Boy Scouts of America hired known pedophiles, hid the extent of their predation on scouts and did not tell the parents whose children were known by GTC staff to have been molested.
Tags: boy scouts; pedophile; molestation; Grand Teton Council