Corrections Officer Mark Barber Accused of Extorting Sexual Favors From Inmates

A Long Island corrections officer is being accused of extorting sexual favors from female inmates.

Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice says 47-year-old Mark Barber, of Levittown, was arrested Wednesday and charged with multiple counts of rape, sexual abuse, and forcible touching.

Rice says Barber used his position as a grievance officer for the Nassau County Correctional Center to engage in various sexual activity with female inmates.

Rice says Barber, a corrections officer since 1987, would target inmates who had histories of drug abuse, prostitution, or mental health treatment.

Barber's lawyer, Frederick James Annibale Jr., told reporters that his client denies the charges.

Barber is due back in court Jan. 4. If convicted, he faces up to 16 years in prison.

Officer Pedro Martinez Arrested for Child Rape & Incest

SPRINGFIELD

A 20-year- veteran of the Springfield Police Department was arrested at police headquarters Monday afternoon on child rape and incest charges.

Pedro J. Martinez, an officer with the squad A uniformed patrol, was arrested at the end of his shift at 3 p.m., said Springfield Police Sgt. John M. Delaney, aide to Commissioner William J. Fitchet.

Martinez was charged with three counts of forcible rape of a child and three counts of incest.

Delaney said Martinez was allowed to change out of his police uniform before he was booked and placed in the police lock up.

The arrest was made by acting Deputy Chief Charles Arpin, Capt. Kevin M. Dudley and Lt. Cheryl C. Clapprood of the Special Victims Unit.

The investigation remains ongoing, Delaney said.

Springfield Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet said that Martinez has been suspended immediately without pay for 5 days pending a grand jury indictment.

When the indictment comes in, Martinez will be suspended indefinitely without pay pending the outcome of a trial, Delaney said.

Martinez was appointed to the Springfield Police Department on Nov. 14, 1988.

Deputy Jonathan Este Charged with Rape of Minor

HARVEY, La.

Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand admits that this is a "sad day" for the JPSO as he announced the arrest of 25-year old Jonathan Este'.

Until his firing Monday night, Este' was a deputy assigned to the department's Third District Patrol Division.

He's now charged with forcible rape and three counts of carnal knowledge of a juvenile.

"The alleged incidents happened when Este' was 22 years of age and the victim was 13," Normand said.

The incidents happened before Este' joined the JPSO in January 2008.

According to investigators, the relationship between Este' and the young girl lasted from July 2005 through February 2006.

Details came to light Saturday, when deputies investigated a "family disturbance" at the victim's home.

"She described meeting Este' via a chart room and the relationship lasted approximately eight months," said Normand. "She described the first incident of sex with Este' as being a forcible rape and the remaining three incidents as consensual."

The department immediately launched a criminal investigation after hearing the victim's story.

The sheriff says Este' was arrested at the JPSO Detectives Bureau last night after he admitted to having sex with the girl four times.

"The problem is the credibly of the officer is impaired and that may have an effect on other cases," said Normand. "That's why we go after it with much fervor."

Normand says this case is a cautionary tale for parents and teenagers who visit chat rooms online.

"It's a very dangerous tool, the internet," said Normand. "You have to be very wary because it has become the prime medium for individuals that are predators."

Este' faces up to 70-years in prison. He remains in the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center. Bond is set at $82,500.

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Former Officer Nelson Tuatagaloa Kisses Suicidal Woman Ordered to Stand Trial

As West Jordan police officer Nelson Tuatagaloa was kissing a reportedly suicidal woman while on duty last year, he allegedly told investigators he thought to himself: "What are you doing?"

But, according to Tuatagaloa's statement, he continued kissing the woman, and went on to touch her breasts and genital area before dropping her at a hospital for a mental evaluation.

Based on testimony Friday from Salt Lake County district attorney investigator Travis Peterson and the alleged victim, 3rd District Judge Sheila McCleve ordered Tuatagaloa to stand trial on two counts of second-degree felony forcible sexual abuse.

If convicted, Tuatagaloa, 34, -- who no longer is working for the police department -- could face

Nelson Tuatagaloa up to 15 years in prison on each count. A scheduling hearing was set for Feb. 27.

The alleged victim testified that while she never said no or pushed Tuatagaloa away the night of Sept. 30, she did not want or welcome his advances. The woman said she felt she had to do everything Tuatagaloa wanted because he was a police officer and, based on what she had seen on television shows, he could say or do anything, even kill her.

She testified she had called her estranged husband that night and threatened to kill herself even though she had no intention of committing suicide. She left her house with a handgun but called police after she learned they were looking for her.

Tuatagaloa and another officer arrested her. On the way to a hospital in Tuatagaloa's cruiser, the woman said he held her hand and told her, "You've made a new friend tonight."

As they approached the hospital, the woman saw two friends by the entrance and told Tuatagaloa she didn't want to see them. He responded by pulling over on a darkened side of the building.

Tuatagaloa -- who had accused the woman of being intoxicated by alcohol -- asked to smell her breath, then started kissing her, she testified. The alleged victim said when she put on her seat belt, indicating she was ready to go, he took it off and started kissing her again. He put his hand inside her clothing and touched her breasts, she said.

According to police dispatch times, Tuatagaloa and the woman were parked for about 40 minutes.

The woman said that when she told her friends what had happened, they insisted she tell hospital personnel who notified police.

Former Sheriff Mike Burgess Found Guilty of Sexually Abusing Inmates

FAIRVIEW

A Major County jury on Saturday convicted former Custer County Sheriff Mike Burgess on multiple counts of sexually abusing inmates and defendants in a county drug court program.

The jury convicted Burgess on 13 felony counts, including five counts of second-degree rape, and recommended he serve 94 years in prison.

The 56-year-old former lawman initially was charged with 36 felony counts, but the jury acquitted him on 23.

"I didn't think he was guilty of anything," said Burgess' attorney, Steve Huddleston. He said he expects Burgess will appeal the convictions.

Huddleston maintained the accusers were either lying or that the sex between Burgess and the women was consensual. Under state law, an inmate cannot legally consent to sexual relations with a jailer or anyone else who controls the conditions of the prisoner's confinement.

Detective Michael Spilman Charged with Sexually Abusing Teen Girl

State prosecutors filed several sex abuse charges against a former Murray police detective in 3rd District Court on Tuesday.

West Valley police arrested and booked Michael Spilman, 35, into the Davis County Jail on Jan. 9. Spilman resigned from the department Monday.

The Salt Lake County Attorney's Office filed an affidavit that included a first-degree felony charge of aggravated sexual abuse of a child, because the offence was allegedly "committed by a person who occupied a position of special trust," according to the affidavit. If convicted, the mandatory sentence is five years to life in prison.

He also faces charges of second-degree felony forcible sexual abuse and sexual battery, a class A misdemeanor.

Spilman is alleged to have sexually abused a teenage girl "on several different occasions" over nearly five years, according to the affidavit.

Although he lived in West Valley City where the alleged abuse occurred, Spilman was booked into the Davis County Jail according to police protocol aimed to protect officers from reprisal by inmates they investigated or arrested. He remained in jail Tuesday on $150,000 bail.

Information:

http://www.abc4.com/content/news/slc/story/MURRAY-Utah-ABC-4-News-He-served-as-a-police/90-5ABqjGky3_nutwGC0Cw.cspx

Officer Michael Spilman Arrested for Sexual Assault

Allegations of sexual assault have prompted the resignation and arrest of Murray police officer Michael Spilman.

A complaint led West Valley City police to book Spilman for aggravated sexual assault and forcible sexual abuse.

Spilman, a 10-year veteran of Murray's police force, is sitting in the Davis County Jail for his own protection. Police fear possible reprisals from Salt Lake County Jail inmates recently arrested by Spilman.

Police say they're releasing very little information about the case to protect the victim.

Former Officer Ramon Borbon Convicted of Sexual Assault, Kidnapping

A former Nogales, Arizona police officer has been convicted of sexual assault, kidnapping, sexual abuse and obstructing a criminal investigation. 40 year old Ramon Borbon will be sentenced on December 12.

The sexual abuse and obstruction charges stem from an August, 2005 incident in which investigators say Borbon forced a 16-year old girl to touch him inappropriately and then threatened her to try and prevent her from reporting the incident to authorities. The sexual assault and kidnapping charges stem from an incident one month later when investigators say Borbon knowingly restrained a 19-year old Nogales woman with the intent to inflict harm, and then sexually assaulted her. Borbon was in uniform during both incidents.

The case was tried in Pima County Superior Court following a mistrial in Santa Cruz County this past May. The case was then ordered moved to Pima County due to the case’s media exposure in Santa Cruz County.

Officer Nelson Tuatagaloa Charged with Forcible Sexual Abuse

Prosecutors announced Friday that they've filed charges against a West Jordan police officer.

He is accused of sexual misconduct while on duty. Now he is in the Davis County Jail.

Prosecutors charged Nelson Tuatagaloa with two counts of forcible sexual abuse. They say he assaulted a woman in the parking lot of Jordan Valley Hospital.

The woman's friend did not want to do an on-camera interview, but says the woman is very emotional right now. He says the officer assaulted her for 30 minutes to an hour.

The woman's friend said the officer "had a gun. He had her in custody. He implied she could be arrested or go to jail for various charges."

The friend says he called police on Monday when the woman's children told him she had left her house distraught. He says when the woman found out police were looking for her, she also called police to say she was in a strip mall parking lot. He says three officers responded; one of them was Tuatagaloa.

The friend claims Tuatagaloa offered to take the woman to Jordan Valley Hospital for an evaluation, then he sexually assaulted her.

Prosecutors say he handcuffed the woman, then he began kissing and sexually assaulting her.

The friend says the assault continued for a while until dispatch called the officer's radio, wanting to know their location. The friend says that's when the officer "snapped out of it" and took the woman inside the hospital.

The woman told hospital workers what happened.

Tuatagaloa's sister-in-law, who did not want to go on camera, says she doesn't know why the woman is making these allegations. She says Tuatagaloa is a good man who loves his wife and four children.

Tuatagaloa's sister-in-law also says he's been with West Jordan Police Department for two years.

Before that, he worked for the Los Angeles Police Department.

The Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office says there may be people in their jail whom Tuatagaloa has arrested, so he was taken to the Davis County Jail for his safety.

West Jordan police Chief Ken McGuire released this statement: "Our department was notified of Officer Nelson Tuatagaloa's alleged misconduct during a call for service. After reviewing the allegations, he has been put on administrative leave without pay pending an active internal investigation by our department and a criminal investigation by the District Attorney's Office. We are taking this situation very seriously and are fully cooperating with all parties involved."

If convicted, Tuatagaloa could face possible sentences of 1 to 15 years in prison.


http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_10631767

Officer Nelson Tuatagaloa Arrested for Sexually Assaulting Suicidal Woman

A West Jordan police officer has been arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a suicidal woman in his patrol car.

Nelson Poni-Eletise Tuatagaloa, 34, is being held in the Davis County Jail. He was booked Wednesday and charged late Friday with two counts of forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony.

Prosecutors from the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office say the assault occurred Monday while Tuatagaloa was on duty and in uniform. The officer responded to a call involving a suicidal woman "who was sitting in a parked car in a public place," according to charges filed in 3rd District Court.

Tuatagaloa and other officers responded to the scene and he handcuffed the woman and put her in his patrol car. He then decided to take her to Jordan Valley Hospital, 3580 W. 9000 South, for a medical evalaution because she was suicidal and had been drinking, the charges state.

The officer put the woman in the front of his patrol car. At some point, "the defendant uncuffed her and drove to a dark portion of the hospital parking lot instead of to the emergency room," according to the probable cause statement. He then kissed the woman and sexually assaulted her without her consent, prosecutors say.

West Jordan Police Sgt. Greg Butler declined all comment about the incident, referring all questions to the district attorney's office.

Tuatagaloa is bein held in lieu of $100,000 bond. If convicted, forcible sexual abuse carries a possible sentence of one to 15 years in prison.

http://deseretnews.com

Officer Carlos Peralta Charged with Rape

A New Orleans police officer was charged with rape Thursday by the Orleans Parish district attorney's office.

Carlos Peralta, 38, was charged with forcible rape in connection with an assault in March 2007. Peralta has worked for the New Orleans Police Department since 1996 and was assigned to the 4th District as a patrol officer at the time of the incident, according to Civil Service records.

This is the second time Peralta has been charged in connection with the incident. In December, the district attorney's office filed a bill of information charging Peralta with second-degree battery in the same assault, which Assistant District Attorney Robert White said was part of a plea deal that the woman had consented to. But last month, Peralta declined to plead guilty to the battery charge, prompting White to file the forcible rape charge, a far more serious charge that carries a sentence of up to 40 years.

White said the second-degree battery charge made sense only as part of a plea deal. "The elements of the crime would most closely match up with forcible rape," he said.

Also on Thursday, the DA's office charged a former New Orleans police officer, Joseph Lusk, with malfeasance; he is accused of tipping off a woman to drug surveillance activity.

In the rape case, Peralta was investigated by an internal police unit as well as the district attorney's office, White said.

Peralta's attorney, Robert Jenkins, has denied that Peralta ever intended to take a plea deal. He called the new charge an attempt by the district attorney's office to pressure his client to plead guilty and he reiterated his commitment to fight the case.

"We're ready to go," Jenkins said. "Mr. Peralta is innocent and we're going to prove it."

During a recent City Council hearing, New Orleans Police Superintendent Warren Riley was asked about the case, and said Peralta has been assigned to desk duty pending the outcome of the criminal case.

Peralta allegedly raped a woman at a party attended by several off-duty police officers, Riley said. The Police Department did not terminate Peralta because of "conflicting stories" in the initial police report, he said, adding that officers could not locate the alleged victim for some time.

"We are not going to terminate somebody when we have conflicting statements from witnesses," Riley said. "Until the case goes to trial, that person is not guilty."

The Metropolitan Crime Commission, a watchdog group, has been monitoring the case at the request of the woman, who has since moved out of state. Rafael Goyeneche, the commission's president, said the woman will cooperate with prosecutors.

Also on Thursday, Lusk, 46, was charged with malfeasance in office. He resigned from the Police Department in April, the day after a woman told officers that Lusk had warned her via a cell phone text message about drug surveillance in Algiers to help her avoid arrest when she bought drugs. Lusk was booked with malfeasance by the NOPD's Public Integrity Bureau the following week.

Lusk, who was a 4th District task force officer, denies the allegations, said Frank DeSalvo, his attorney. "I think Joe has a valid defense and we are going to pursue it," he said.