Anything Social.

JUNE 23 ARREST UPDATE: A Key Largo man is facing kidnapping and s*x-crime charges after deputies said a teenage girl called 911 and reported she was being held hostage at his home.

Christopher Michael Veit, 53, was arrested June 21 after Monroe County deputies responded to a Miramar Drive home around 11:45 a.m. Deputies said the teen was from out of county. When they arrived, they found her hidden inside a clothes dryer.

Authorities said Veit allegedly restrained the girl, put her in the dryer, and took her phone when she said she wanted to leave. Detectives also said they learned there had been ongoing s*xual activity between Veit and the minor. Local reports said the charges indicate the victim was 16 or 17, though officials did not publicly release her exact age.

Veit was charged with kidnapping/false imprisonment, interference with child custody, and four counts of unlawful s*xual activity with a minor. Detectives also collected evidence from the home, including several sheets of counterfeit currency, and notified the U.S. Secret Service.

The teen was taken to Mariners Hospital in Tavernier, then placed with a family member. The Florida Department of Children and Families was notified. Authorities said the case remains ongoing and more charges may be pending. Local reports said Veit had no listed bond as of late Monday morning, and his arraignment is scheduled for August 4.

Parents, teach your kids this now: if someone takes your phone, blocks the door, locks you in, threatens you, or says “don’t tell,” call 911 if you can. If you cannot talk, leave the line open. Whisper the address. Bang on walls. Run to a neighbor, store, school, or any adult in public. Use a family code word if you need help but cannot explain. And parents, check who your teen talks to, who gives rides, where they go, and which adults try to get private access. Your child should know this clearly: you will not be mad if they ask for help. Survive first. Explain later.

SOURCES: Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, Local 10 News, Keys Weekly, PEOPLE, WSVN 7News

JUNE 23 FEDERAL SENTENCING UPDATE: A former Wisconsin teacher and track coach is headed to federal prison for 28 years after prosecutors said he s*xually abused a minor student for about two years, recorded one assault, and used his school role to get access to victims.

Ryan S. Schroeder, 39, of Francis Creek, Wisconsin, was sentenced on June 16 in federal court to 336 months in prison after his conviction for production of child po*******hy. Schroeder worked as a physical education teacher and track coach at Mishicot Middle/High School. Prosecutors said the abuse of one student began when she was in eighth grade. Reports citing the criminal complaint said the girl was 14 when the assaults started around August 2023 and continued into 2025.

Schroeder admitted he had s*xual contact with the student more than 50 times, including more than 10 times inside Mishicot High School. Prosecutors also said he abused a second student, who was 13 at the time, and that the second student reported him to the school district. When law enforcement searched Schroeder’s phone, investigators found he had sent explicit images to both minors, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Federal Judge Byron Conway said the case was “so much more than the production of child po*******hy.” The judge called Schroeder a “mentor who became a predator” and said his teacher-and-coach role gave him extended access to the victims. After prison, Schroeder will spend the rest of his life on supervised release and must register as a s*x offender.

Schroeder also pleaded guilty in state court to repeated s*xual assault of the same child. Eighteen other state counts were dismissed under the plea deal, and his state sentencing is scheduled for July 22.

This is the nightmare parents fear most. An adult trusted by a school, standing close enough to coach, teach, message, isolate, and harm a child. Parents, check the private messages. Ask who gives rides. Watch for secret meetups, gifts, deleted chats, sudden fear, or a child acting different around one adult. And when a child speaks up, move them away from the accused adult first. Not later. First.

SOURCES: U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Wisconsin, PEOPLE, WBAY, FOX 11 News

UNE 22 ARREST UPDATE: A Kentucky vehicle check turned into a viral drug case after Laurel County deputies said they found suspected narcotics inside a black bag labeled “Definitely Not A Bag Full Of Drugs.” Authorities identified the two people as Tricia Croley, 51, and Damon Bennett, 48, both listed from Williamsburg, Kentucky.

The case began around 11:30 a.m. Thursday, June 18, in London, Kentucky, after they noticed an occupied vehicle parked in an “Employees Only” area of a business. When deputies questioned the people inside, Croley allegedly gave them a false ID belonging to another woman and handed over bags containing contraband and tablets. Investigators said a search of the vehicle then turned up the black labeled bag, which allegedly held a crystal-like substance, a green leafy material, and drug paraphernalia.

Croley was charged with giving an officer false identification, first-degree possession of a controlled substance, third-degree possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to reports. ClayCoNews, citing Laurel County Sheriff and jail records, also listed charges including first-degree possession of methamphetamine, possession of ma*****na, and controlled substance prescription not in original container. Bennett was arrested on a failure-to-appear warrant and later released after posting bond. Croley was lodged at the Laurel County Correctional Center.

Funny label. Serious charges. Drugs, loose pills, baggies, and paraphernalia do not stay “private” when they put homes, cars, kids, and communities at risk. If you see dangerous drug activity around children, vehicles, or shared spaces, report it before it becomes an overdose, a crash, or a child-endangerment case.

SOURCES: WKRC Local 12, WYMT, WABI / Gray News, ClayCoNews

JULY 9 SENTENCING UPDATE: Corinna Smith, 59, was sentenced to life in prison for murdering her husband, Michael Baines, 80, after she poured boiling water mixed with sugar over him while he slept inside their home in Neston, Cheshire, England.

Smith was convicted of murder at Chester Crown Court after a jury found she attacked Baines in July 2020. The judge ordered her to serve a minimum of 12 years before she can even be considered for release. There is no automatic release after that. The Parole Board will decide if she is ever safe to leave prison.

The case started on July 13, 2020, after Smith’s daughter told her that Baines had allegedly s*xually abused her and Smith’s son, Craig, for many years when they were children. Craig died by su***de in 2007 at age 25. The judge said the trial did not prove whether the abuse allegations were true, but prosecutors accepted that the allegations were made and that Smith believed them.

Hours after hearing the allegations, Smith went home, boiled water, mixed it with three bags of sugar, and poured most of it over Baines while he was asleep in bed. Court records said the mixture caused burns across 36% of his body. Police said sugar made the water thicker and stickier, causing it to sink into the skin.

Smith did not call emergency services right away. She ran to a neighbor’s home and said, “I’ve hurt him really bad. I think I’ve killed him.” When officers arrived, Baines was found in bed in extreme pain. He was taken to the hospital, treated in a burns unit, and died weeks later.

The judge said Smith was deeply distressed by what her daughter had told her, but that distress did not excuse the attack. The court also said Smith took away any chance for the allegations against Baines to be tested in court.

This case is ugly from every side. A daughter made horrific allegations. A son had died years earlier. A wife believed the man beside her had destroyed her children. Then she chose violence, and an elderly man died in agony before any court could hear the truth.

Child s*xual abuse allegations must be reported, investigated, and handled by law enforcement. Rage is real. Trauma is real. But revenge can destroy the case, destroy the family, and create another victim.

If a child reports abuse, believe them, protect them, separate them from the accused, preserve proof, and call police or child protection immediately. Do not let silence hide abuse. And do not let rage replace justice.

SOURCES: UK Judiciary Sentencing Remarks, Cheshire Constabulary, ITV News, Birkenhead News

Thomas Johnson, 23, was sentenced on June 15, 2026, to 10 years in prison in Muskingum County, Ohio, after prosecutors said he r***d a disabled minor he knew and abused a position of trust.

Johnson appeared before Judge Kelly Cottrill in Muskingum County Common Pleas Court. The judge sentenced him to 10 years in prison and ordered him to register as a Tier III s*x offender. After release, Johnson must register with the county sheriff every 90 days for the rest of his life.

Johnson was known to the victim and used trust as access. He built a relationship with the child and made himself appear safe before violating that trust. Public reports did not state his exact role, title, how he first gained access to the child, or what the parents knew or did before the case was reported.

The case was reported to the Zanesville Police Department by Muskingum County Children’s Services. Detective Chris Andrews investigated, and the child was taken to Brave Beginnings Child Advocacy Center in Zanesville. Assistant Prosecutor Michael T. Hughes handled the prosecution.

After the report, detectives tracked Johnson to Tennessee, where he was arrested before being brought back to Muskingum County. Prosecutor Ron Welch said running after committing a crime is not an option because law enforcement will find offenders and bring them back to face justice.

Abuse is not always a stranger. Sometimes it is someone the child already knows. Someone who acts safe. Someone who builds trust. Someone who gets close enough to hurt a vulnerable child.

If a child becomes afraid of someone, avoids being alone with them, suddenly changes behavior, talks about secrets, or discloses abuse in pieces, act fast. Report it. Keep the child away from the accused person. Call police, children’s services, or a child advocacy center.

A disabled child should never be left unprotected around someone who uses trust as access.

SOURCES: Muskingum County Prosecutor’s Office, YourRadioPlace/AVC News, WTRF 7News

JUNE 21 MISSING-CAMERA UPDATE: Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, 21, died after she fell about 131 feet during a rope-jumping activity from Ponte do Esqueleto, also known as Skeleton Bridge, in Limeira, São Paulo, Brazil.

Police said Maria was launched from the bridge on June 13 without being connected to the safety ropes that were supposed to stop her fall. She had asked to be launched “airplane style,” with instructors lifting her above their shoulders while she stretched out her arms.

But the safety rope was not attached.

This was not supposed to be a leap into death. This was supposed to be a guided extreme-sport experience with trained people checking every clip, every rope, every harness, and every life-saving detail before anyone left that bridge.

Brazilian police investigator Andrea Levy said the three instructors involved admitted Maria was not connected to the safety ropes when she jumped. According to AP, Levy said they did not remember whether they forgot to attach the ropes, who was supposed to do it, or who failed to check.

Police said the group operating the jump was not authorized to be there. Reports also said three instructors were arrested and charged in connection with Maria’s death. They have not been convicted.

Then the case took another disturbing turn. Maria was reportedly wearing a camera during the jump, but that camera vanished after her fatal fall.

On June 20, police arrested three more people accused of taking the camera and deleting digital content. Authorities said the missing footage is important because it could help reconstruct exactly what happened before Maria was launched.

A witness reportedly claimed he saw someone remove a GoPro-style camera from Maria’s body after the fall. Police are still trying to locate the missing camera and determine whether evidence was hidden.

So now this case is not only about a deadly jump. It is about the safety rope that was not attached, the instructors who allegedly could not say who was responsible, the unauthorized operation, and the missing camera that may have shown the final seconds before Maria died.

Maria was only 21. She had her whole life ahead of her. She trusted people who were supposed to know what they were doing, and she never came home.

This is the warning. Extreme sports should never be “trust us and jump.” Ask who is licensed. Ask who checks the gear. Ask who gives the final safety confirmation. Watch them attach the rope. Demand a double-check. No rope, no jump. No clear safety system, no jump. No professional setup, no jump.

A thrill should never become a funeral because someone forgot the one thing that was supposed to save a life.

SOURCES: Associated Press, PEOPLE, G1, CNN Brasil, NBC News

JUNE 19 UPDATE: Three convicted killers will die in prison after murdering Kyle Bevan, the inmate who was serving a life sentence for killing 2-year-old Lola James.

Mark Fellows, Lee Newell, and David Taylor (from left to right in the photo) were sentenced at Leeds Crown Court after a jury found them guilty of murdering Bevan inside HMP Wakefield, a high-security prison in West Yorkshire, England.

Bevan, 33, was in prison for murdering his partner’s 2-year-old daughter, Lola James, in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, in 2020. Lola’s case horrified the UK. She was a toddler. She should have been protected. Instead, she was killed by the man who was supposed to be caring for her.

But this latest case was about what happened behind prison walls.

Court evidence showed Bevan went into his cell on November 4. Newell, Fellows, and Taylor followed him in. Prosecutors said the attack lasted less than five minutes. CCTV showed the three men leaving the cell four minutes and 39 seconds later.

Police said Bevan was attacked with makeshift weapons, including a piece of metal taken from the back of a television and shaped into a blade. He was stabbed more than 25 times to the neck and body. His heart and blood vessels were damaged, and he died from blood loss.

Then came the detail that made this case even more disturbing. Prosecutors said the men positioned Bevan’s body to make it look like he was asleep. ITV reported he was left “tidily tucked up in bed.” His body was not discovered until roll call the next morning, when the prison went into lockdown.

Searches later found items with Bevan’s blood on them. Police said a pointed piece of metal with his blood was recovered, and other makeshift weapons were found in Taylor’s cell.

The court heard the three men had no regular connection with Bevan. Prosecutors said the attack was planned and carried out by long-term inmates who acted together. A jury convicted all three of murder.

The judge handed down whole-life orders. Fellows and Newell were already serving whole-life sentences for previous murders, meaning they were already never expected to be released. The judge still imposed new and separate whole-life orders for Bevan’s murder. Taylor also received a whole-life order for Bevan’s killing.

Taylor was also sentenced for the murder of 24-year-old Alisha Apostoloff-Boyarin and the attempted murder of a police officer. The judge said she had never had to sentence someone for a third murder before.

This case will bring rage. Many people will say Bevan got what he deserved because Lola James never got to grow up. That anger is real. Lola was 2. Her life mattered. Her death still hurts people who never met her.

But the court made one thing clear: prison murder is still murder. No inmate gets to become judge, jury, and executioner because they hate what someone did. Justice cannot become a hallway stabbing and a body tucked into bed.

Lola James deserved protection before she died. Her name should not be forgotten in the noise around the man who killed her.

SOURCES: West Yorkshire Police, ITV News, Sky News, PEOPLE

JUNE 20 ARREST UPDATE: Hannah Lebel, 32, of Wasilla, Alaska, is facing multiple charges after troopers say she was intoxicated when a side-by-side UTV rolled over at Jim Creek Recreation Area, killing a 10-year-old child and injuring three other children.

The crash happened around 6:30 p.m. on June 18 in the Palmer area. Alaska State Troopers said Lebel was driving with four juveniles inside the vehicle when it rolled onto its roof. One 10-year-old child suffered massive head trauma and was pronounced dead at the scene after about 30 minutes of CPR.

Three other children were taken to a Mat-Su area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Troopers said two of the children in the UTV, including the child who died, were Lebel’s children. The other two children belonged to a family friend.

Troopers said Lebel admitted she had been drinking “several” alcoholic drinks at Jim Creek, including three beers. Investigators also reported finding six empty beer cans and several cases of alcohol in the vehicle.

And the reason this crash allegedly happened makes it even worse. Lebel reportedly told troopers she had been driving in and out of the water repeatedly because the children enjoyed the water spraying onto the vehicle.

A witness told investigators they heard a child say the vehicle was going too fast. Troopers said the UTV tracks showed the vehicle had been traveling at a high rate of speed.

Lebel allegedly claimed all four children had been wearing seatbelts. But troopers said no one in the vehicle was restrained because all front seatbelts were still buckled after the crash. She also reportedly said the children were not wearing helmets.

Lebel was arrested and taken to Mat-Su Pretrial. Troopers said she faces charges including manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, assault, and driving under the influence. She has not been convicted.

A 10-year-old child is dead. Three other children were hurt. And police say this happened because an allegedly intoxicated adult treated a powerful off-road vehicle like a water toy with kids inside.

UTVs and ATVs are not toys. Children need helmets. Children need seatbelts. Children need sober adults. They do not need speed, alcohol, and reckless stunts dressed up as fun.

One bad choice can destroy a child’s whole future. In this case, police say it cost a 10-year-old their life.

SOURCES: Alaska State Troopers, Alaska’s News Source/KTUU, PEOPLE, Local 12/WKRC

JUNE 16 UPDATE: Adam Kennedy, 33, of Roseville, Ohio, has been sentenced to life in prison after admitting guilt in two separate child s*x-abuse cases involving three young victims.

Kennedy appeared before Judge Kelly Cottrill in Muskingum County Common Pleas Court on June 15. He admitted guilt to pandering s*xually oriented material involving a minor, r**e, two counts of gross s*xual imposition, and importuning.

The victims were as young as 5 years old.

The cases were uncovered after tips and disclosures led investigators to identify three child victims. Authorities said Kennedy’s phone was forensically analyzed, and investigators documented multiple images of child s*xual abuse.

In one case, Kennedy admitted guilt to r**e involving a child under 10. Under Ohio law, that conviction required a mandatory life sentence. Judge Cottrill sentenced him to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 23 years.

In the second case, involving two child victims, Kennedy received an additional 60 months in prison, 30 months for each child. The judge ordered the sentences to run consecutively, meaning Kennedy’s total sentence is life in prison with the possibility of parole only after 28 years.

Kennedy was also ordered to register as a Tier III s*x offender.

Muskingum County Prosecutor Ron Welch said his hope is that Kennedy “never breathes free air again,” but under the sentence, Kennedy must serve at least 28 years before he can even be considered for parole.

That part is what makes people furious. Three child victims. Victims as young as 5. Two separate cases. A phone with child s*xual abuse material. And still, one day, parole can be discussed.

But today, those children were believed. Their disclosures mattered. The tips mattered. The investigators, advocates, and prosecutors pushed the case to a life sentence.

This is why adults have to listen when children speak. If a child suddenly changes, becomes withdrawn, fears a certain adult, talks about secrets, has s*xual knowledge beyond their age, or discloses abuse in pieces, do not ignore it. Report it. Save messages. Keep the child away from the accused person. Get them to a child advocacy center.

Children should not have to be brave enough to expose monsters. Adults should be brave enough to protect them.

SOURCES: Muskingum County Prosecutor’s Office, River News, WTRF 7News

JUNE 20 CHILD-NEGLECT CHARGE UPDATE: Sausha Mia Myers, 29, of St. Louis, Missouri, is accused in a disturbing child-neglect case after her 20-month-old daughter died and another child was hospitalized with severe malnutrition.

Myers is charged with two counts of abuse or neglect of a child, a Class B felony. She has not been convicted. She is being held with no bond, and her next court date has not yet been scheduled.

Police were called to an apartment on the 4300 block of St. Ferdinand after Myers reportedly called for help and told dispatchers her 20-month-old daughter was “nonresponsive and breathing slowly.”

When officers arrived, they found the child lying on the living room floor with no pulse or signs of life. A 3-year-old child was also inside the home. Both children appeared severely malnourished and were taken to St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

The 20-month-old girl died after arriving at the hospital. Court documents said she weighed only 10 pounds. Reports noted an average girl her age weighs around 24 pounds. Investigators also said the child had bed sores and pressure marks on her back and head.

The 3-year-old child survived but was also hospitalized. Court records said she weighed 17 pounds and 3 ounces, roughly 13 pounds under a healthy average. Police said she had lanugo, a soft hair that can develop when the body does not have enough fat to stay warm. She also had scars on her chest and stomach and is nonverbal.

Myers reportedly told investigators she was the sole caregiver of both children. She also allegedly said neither child had seen a pediatrician in more than a year, and neither had a medical condition. She allegedly admitted she knew both children were not meeting developmental milestones.

And then comes the part that makes people furious. Court records say the 20-month-old’s diet consisted of yogurt, vegetable pouches, and fruit pouches. Detectives determined the child was getting less than 250 calories per day.

A toddler cannot survive on that. A child cannot grow on that. A baby cannot be left to waste away until her body gives out.

Myers allegedly said the child had been getting worse for two weeks but did not seek medical care until calling 911. An autopsy will determine the official cause of death, and authorities said additional charges could be possible.

This is why people have to speak up when children look dangerously thin, weak, dirty, untreated, or delayed. If a child is not growing, not talking, covered in sores, never seeing a doctor, or always hidden from others, that is not “private family business.” That is a warning sign.

A 20-month-old girl is dead. A 3-year-old is fighting to recover. And the question is painful but necessary: how long were these children suffering before help finally came?

SOURCES: First Alert 4/KMOV, Atlanta News First, WECT, St. Louis City Justice Center