French Michael Jackson fans sue ‘Leaving Neverland’ accusers Wade Robson, James Safechuck
Article via USAToday
Three Michael Jackson fan clubs in France are suing two men who accused the singer of sexual abuse in the HBO documentary “Leaving Neverland.”
The lawsuit accuses Wade Robson and James Safechuck of unfairly harming the reputation of the King of Pop, who died 10 years ago.
A lawyer for the fan clubs, Emmanuel Ludot, said he is seeking conviction under a French law against the public denunciation of a dead person.
The fan clubs are asking for one euro each in symbolic damages.
A court in the French city of Orleans held a hearing Thursday. A lawyer represented Robson and Safechuck, who in “Leaving Neverland” described years of alleged sexual abuse when they were boys and teens.
The documentary, which aired on HBO in January, centers on Robson, 36, and Safechuck, 41, who allege that Jackson began sexually abusing them at ages 7 and 10, respectively. At the time, both boys were diehard fans with entertainment aspirations of their own: Robson, who went on to choreograph for Britney Spears and ‘N Sync as an adult, met Jackson after winning a dance contest during the singer’s 1987 Bad tour in Australia. Safechuck, a child actor, appeared with Jackson that same year in a Pepsi commercial and says he began to hang out regularly with the star in Los Angeles.
Jackson’s estate denies the allegations and sent a letter supporting the lawsuit.
Previously, Jackson’s estate said in a statement issued to USA TODAY, that “Leaving Neverland” “isn’t a documentary, it is the kind of tabloid character assassination Michael Jackson endured in life, and now in death. The film takes uncorroborated allegations that supposedly happened 20 years ago and treats them as fact. … The two accusers testified under oath that these events never occurred.”
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Police break up 400-person ‘modern day slavery’ ring in U.K.
Prosecutors say more than 400 victims were forced to work for minuscule wages while their masters earned some 2 million pounds ($2.5 million) and lived a luxurious lifestyle.
Article via NBCNews
Details about what prosecutors have called one of Britain’s largest-ever modern day slavery rings have emerged with the conviction of eight people originally from Poland.
Prosecutors say more than 400 victims were forced to work for minuscule wages while their masters earned some 2 million pounds ($2.5 million) and lived a luxurious lifestyle. Reporting restrictions were lifted Friday, allowing details to be published.
The group preyed on the homeless, former convicts and alcoholics in Poland and lured them to Britain with false promises of well-paid work. Some ended up being paid less than $1 for a day’s work and were held in squalid conditions.
Five men and three women originally from Poland have been convicted of modern day slavery offenses and money laundering.
Jurors in two separate trials at Birmingham Crown Court heard testimony from more than 90 victims, with indications that at least another 350 had been trafficked by the criminal gang.
Victims reported being forced to wash in a canal because they had no access to fresh water, having to plug leaky toilets with their blankets and sheets, and getting food from soup kitchens and food banks because their wages were not sufficient.
The group targeted vulnerable people in Poland for recruitment, including newly released convicts, and placed them in England in cramped, rat-infested lodgings. They were put to work on farms, rubbish recycling centers and poultry factories.
The victims ranged from teenagers to people over 60.
Judge Mary Stacey said at the end of the first trial that the traffickers’ “degradation” of fellow human beings had been “totally unacceptable.” She imposed prison sentences of up to 11 years.
She said the belief that slavery had been ended in Britain was not true: “The hard truth is that the practice continues, here in the U.K., often hiding in plain sight.”
The police investigation and research by the charity Hope For Justice turned up numerous cases of abuse.
In one instance, a man who complained about poor pay and living conditions had his arm broken, was given no medical care, then ejected from the lodgings.
Another was forced to remove his clothes and threatened with the removal of his kidneys if he did not keep quiet about the situation.
In the second trial, which ended in June, 52-year-old Ignacy Brzezinski and Wojciech Nowakowski, 41, were convicted. A third, Jan Sadowski, 26, pleaded guilty.
Convicted at the earlier trial, which ended in February, were chief conspirator Marek Chowanic, Marek Brzezinski, Julianna Chodakiewicz, Natalia Zmuda and Justyna Parczewska.
Woman who licked tub of ice cream in viral video could face 20 years in prison
Police aren’t resting until they catch the person who opened a carton of ice cream at a Texas Walmart, licked the creamy goodness and put it back in the freezer.
Lufkin Police say they are searching for a womanwho gleefully contaminated a half-gallon of Blue Bell Tin Roof ice cream — which the company describes as “a vanilla ice cream with a rich chocolate fudge swirl and roasted peanuts dipped in dark chocolate” — last week in a Twitter video that has garnered more than 11 million views.
Police say the woman faces a charge of second-degree felony tampering with a consumer product, which carries two to 20 years behind bars and a possible fine of up to $10,000.
Blue Bell called the unsettling footage a “malicious act” in a statement on its website.
The ice cream maker said it inspected the freezer case that contained the licked ice cream, found the problematic tub and removed all Tin Roof half gallons from the Lufkin Walmart.
“The safety of our ice cream is our highest priority, and we work hard to maintain the highest level of confidence of our customers. Food tampering is not a joke, and we will not tolerate tampering with our products,” Blue Bell said.
A Walmart in Corpus Christi isn’t taking any chances with its own ice cream stock.
To protect its frozen goods, the store said, it stationed an “armed” guard in front of its precious Blue Bell freezer and posted a photo Wednesday of an employee holding a squirt gun; the photo was removed about 18 hours later.
“We’re guarding our Blue Bell Ice cream for your Weekend party, what a great way to cool down in the Hot Texas heat !” the post said.
By Michelle Lou, CNN
Photo Credit: pix11.com
Twin baby boys found alone near train tracks overnight
Police are investigating after twin baby boys were found left alone near train tracks in Worcester, Massachusetts.
The boys, believed to be about 9 months old, were discovered by railroad employees, Worcester police said in a news release. Authorities responded just after midnight Wednesday, and the babies “appeared to be unharmed.”
The babies have been identified and are in the custody of the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families, which is aiding in the investigation, police said. CNN has reached out to the Worcester police and DCF for an update on the case.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact police.
Last month, a newborn baby girl was found wrapped in a plastic bag and abandoned in a wooded area north of Atlanta. She was believed to be just hours old. She was named India by employees of a hospital in Forsyth County.
via: https://pix11.com/2019/07/04/twin-baby-boys-found-alone-near-train-tracks-overnight/
Photo Credit: Getty Images
12-year-old boy arrested for shooting his mother in the head
New Orleans, LA (WGNO ) — A 32-year-old woman is in critical condition after she was shot in the head by her 12-year-old son Wednesday.
The shooting occurred in the 1400 block of South Roman Street around 7:30 a.m. on July 3, according to the NOPD.
Responding officers found the victim suffering from a gunshot wound at the residence.
She was rushed to a hospital, where she was listed in critical condition.
Officers recovered a semi-automatic handgun and a spent shell casing in the boy’s bedroom, according to the NOPD.
The 12-year-old boy was arrested at the scene and charged with attempted second degree murder. Authorities haven’t released his name or details on where he is being held.
They also haven’t released details including how police got word of the shooting.
The victim’s 2-year-old daughter was also in the home during the shooting.
via: https://pix11.com/2019/07/04/12-year-old-boy-arrested-for-shooting-his-mother-in-the-head-police/
Photo Credit: Getty Images
He’s 100, she’s about to turn 103, and they just got married
Newlyweds John and Phyllis Cook are celebrating their new lives together at their Ohio senior living facility.
John is a World War II veteran who just turned 100, and Phyllis will turn 103 on August 8.
Longevity runs in Phyllis Cook’s family; her mother lived to be 106.
The couple went to the courthouse to get their marriage license last week and found out they could get married on the spot.
“It wasn’t the plan, but we got here and they said, ‘we could marry you here.’ I said ‘good, let’s get it over with,’ ” John Cook told CNN affiliate WNWO.
It wasn’t a rash decision: They had been dating for about a year before they tied the knot.
“To tell you the truth, we fell in love with each other. I know you think that may be a little bit farfetched for somebody our age, but we fell in love with each other,” Phyllis Cook told WNWO.
Both Cooks had lost two spouses in the past and feel lucky to have found love a third time.
“We were just compatible in a whole lot of ways, found ourselves enjoying each other’s company,” John Cook said.
They spend their days together enjoying meals, sitting in the sun and zipping down the halls of the Kingston Residence of Sylvania in their mobility scooters, but they also give each other space.
“What we do, we keep both of our apartments. He’s upstairs, and I’m down,” Phyllis Cook said.
The couple plans to keep busy and enjoy their time together.
via: https://pix11.com/2019/07/04/hes-100-shes-about-to-turn-103-and-they-just-got-married/
Photo Credit: pix11.com
Woman told police child was in backseat of her stolen car so officers would respond quickly was arrested
EAST FLATBUSH, Brooklyn — A woman who had her car stolen in Brooklyn Thursday lied to police, saying there was a child in the backseat of the vehicle so they’d respond faster, according to authorities.
The woman called police at 12:14 p.m. Thursday and claimed a man got into the car that was still running at Farrafut Avenue and Albany Avenue in East Flatbush with a six-year-old girl in the back seat.
The vehicle was found nearby, and the woman who made the call was taken into custody.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Man arrested after exchanging sexually explicit messages with minor
ROLLA, Mo. – The Phelps County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged a 22-year-old man Wednesday for allegedly having a sexually explicit conversation with an underage girl via social media messaging.
According to Captain Jason Smith, a spokesman for the Rolla Police Department, a woman notified detectives that an adult had been having an inappropriate conversation with her 15-year-old daughter via Facebook.
The woman provided detectives with information showing the conversation had been ongoing for the past week.
Police tracked down the adult, identified as Nicholas Wyatt, at a local homeless shelter the following day and took him into custody.
Wyatt was charged with one count of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child. He was taken to the Phelps County Jail where he remains on a $25,000 bond
via: https://fox2now.com/2019/07/03/man-arrested-after-engaging-in-sexually-explicit-messages-with-minor/
Photo Credit: fox2now.com
Navy SEAL Sentenced to Lower Rank, Partial Pay for 4 Months After Being Found Guilty of Posing With Body
The Latest on a Navy SEAL acquitted of murder in the death of a wounded war prisoner in Iraq (all times local):
12:12 p.m.
A military jury sentenced a decorated Navy SEAL to four months of confinement for posing with the body of an Islamic State captive in Iraq, but a judge credited him with enough days to ensure he won’t be locked up.
The jury Wednesday also reduced the rank of Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher by one grade to petty officer 1st class and ordered his monthly pay to be cut by $2,697 for four months.
The judge went on to give Gallagher 60 days’ credit for being held in overly harsh conditions before being tried as well as for being deprived of treatment for a traumatic brain injury. Gallagher was also credited with 201 days of pretrial confinement.
The judge additionally said the pay cut will be capped at two months.
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10:25 a.m.
A Navy prosecutor has asked a military jury to reduce the rank of a decorated Navy SEAL for posing in photos with the body of a dead Islamic State captive in Iraq in 2017.
The move came after jurors returned to court Wednesday in San Diego to determine the punishment that Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher will face for the single conviction.
The jury on Tuesday acquitted Gallagher of murder, attempted murder and other counts.
Posing with a human casualty carries a maximum penalty of four months in confinement.
The defense asked jurors to consider that Gallagher spent 201 days in pretrial confinement and recommended no punishment.
The prosecution did not ask for jail time but said a message needs to be sent that the violation is not tolerated.
Gallagher told the jury he has learned from his mistakes.
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9:05 a.m.
President Donald Trump appeared to suggest that he had intervened in the case of a decorated Navy SEAL accused of war crimes who was found not guilty of murder.
Edward Gallagher was acquitted Tuesday of murder in the killing of a wounded Islamic State captive under his care in Iraq in 2017.
Trump tweeted his congratulations to Gallagher, “his wonderful wife Andrea, and his entire family” family Wednesday. “You have been through much together,” he wrote. “Glad I could help!”
The White House did not immediately explain what the president was referencing. But Trump had Gallagher moved to more favorable confinement at a Navy hospital this spring and was reportedly considering a pardon for him.
Trump lawyer Marc Mukasey, who is a close associate of Trump confidante Rudy Giuliani, served as Gallagher’s attorney.
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6:27 a.m.
The decorated Navy SEAL who was acquitted of murder in the killing of a wounded Islamic State captive in Iraq thanked Fox News, President Donald Trump and two congressmen for their support during his trial.
Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher also told Fox & Friends on Wednesday he feels “blessed to have the support that I had this whole time from the country and from the troops.”
Asked what his message might be to future Navy SEALS, Gallagher said “loyalty is a trait that seems to be lost.”
The same military jurors who acquitted Gallagher Tuesday will now deliberate his punishment for the single charge on which he was convicted: posing with the militant’s corpse.
Photo Credit: ktla.com