Pediatrician Abuses 103 Children

Dr. Earl B. Bradley, 56, a pediatrician practicing in Lewes, Delaware since 1994 is a parent's worst nightmare. He was originally charged in December 2009 with 33 felony counts, including rape and sexual exploitation of a child. Bradley was accused of videotaping sexual acts with his young patients and molesting them repeatedly while their parents waited in nearby examination rooms. He has been held in the Vaughn Correctional Center on a $2.9 million cash bond. But that was just the tip of the iceberg.

After reviewing more than 13 hours of video files, computers and hard drives and more than 7,000 patient files; a grand jury charged him with the molestation of 103 children. The 160-page indictment describes in detail Bradley's alleged behavior between 1998 and 2009. Among the 471-count indictment includes allegations that Bradley forced children to perform sex acts on him as recently as Dec. 13.

Dr. Bradley came under suspicion after a 2-year-old girl told her mother that Bradley had touched her genitals and "hurt her" during a Dec. 7 appointment.  The girl's mother said that Dr. Bradley had first examined the little girl in her presence and afterwards "removed the victim to the basement of the office, where a toy room is located." The mother was not suspicious and permitted her daughter to be alone with Bradley "because of his position as a doctor" and because she "trusted him."

"The thing that makes this case so troubling and horrific is the alleged abuse of trust in this matter," said  Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden. "These are highly specialized cases where no one in the community could believe someone could do this to a child, to a child who is voiceless."

"I cannot say certain things that I am feeling, and I am feeling a great deal. I am determined to see that this defendant will never, ever be in a position again to hurt another child." 

Dr. Bradley was seen on numerous tapes undressing his patients and performing sex acts on them in the examination room known as "The Pinocchio Room". In another room "The Little Mermaid Room" he was captured on tape muzzling screaming children as they tried to flee the abuse.

Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden ordered the Delaware Department of Justice to remove all the signs and toys, from the front lawn of Dr. Bradley's practice known as BayBees Pediatrics located at 1503 Highway One, Lewes, DE 19958.

"The community should not be faced with the visual reminder of their pain as they go about their daily lives," Biden said. "We hope that removing these outward displays promoting Dr. Bradley's practice, including toys, figurines, vehicles, a lighted sign and billboard is a small step in helping the Lewes community begin the healing process."

If convicted, Bradley faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. He is represented by attorney Eugene Maurer. 

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"Pinky" Found Guilty

"Pinky" the 13-year-old Newburgh boy accused of manslaughter in the stabbing death of 17-year-old Levi King Flores was found guilty by Orange County Family Court Judge Andrew Bivona. He had been charged as a juvenile with:

• 1 Count Second-Degree Manslaughter (felony) 
  
• 3 Counts of Second-Degree Assault (felonies)
  
• 1 Count of Fourth-Degree Misdemeanor Criminal Possession of a Weapon.

At the time of his arrest "Pinky" had been charged as an adult with second-degree murder. Later a grand jury, finding there was insufficient evidence to support that charge, opted instead to charge him as a juvenile with the lesser offense of second-degree manslaughter. 

The trial began on Feb. 3, 2010 in Goshen, NY. The prosecution introduced as evidence - a videotaped interview with the boy, the knife used in the killing and DNA evidence - all of which was deemed inadmissible because the police failed to follow proper procedures.

The trial did however continue with two witnesses, a 12-year-old and a 13-year-old boy, who were allowed to testify. They told the court of the events leading up to the street fight resulting in the death of 17-year-old Levi King Flores.

The prosecution wrapped up its case against "Pinky" on Wed. Feb. 17. The defense declined to present any witnesses - not even "Pinky" himself - and requested that the charges be dismissed. The judge, Andrew Bivona, did no such thing.

Without so much as taking a break, Judge Andrew Bivona of Orange County Family Court declared the 13-year-old boy guilty.

After the verdict the family of the slain 17-year-old Levi King Flores went into consultation with the prosecutors.

13-year-old "Pinky" faces possible incarceration until he is 18. His family left the court without any comment.

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Horse Lover Sentenced

Erick Rivera, 18, of Goshen, NY known as "The Horse Romancer” was arrested in December 2009. At the time of his arrest he admitted to police that he repeatedly had sex with horses in their stables, located across the street from where he lived. But as he stood before Orange County Court Judge Robert Freehill there was no mention of either horses or sex. Instead, he pleaded guilty to third-degree burglary, a felony, and Freehill granted him youthful offender treatment, which seals the court record. He had originally been charged with a felony burglary count and two misdemeanors – sexual misconduct with an animal and petit larceny.

The case sparked outrage among animal lovers nationwide, who sent cut-and-paste e-mails urging that Freehill impose a harsh sentence. But the stiffest charge allowable in New York for sex with an animal is sexual misconduct, a misdemeanor. Prosecutors insisted he plead to the more serious burglary charge.

Rivera has been held in the county jail since his arrest. Judge Robert Freehill sentenced Rivera to 90 days in the county jail and five years’ probation for burglarizing the Goshen Historic Track last year. His lawyer, Gary Abramson of the Orange County Legal Aid Society, said Rivera will move to New York City to live with his sister when he’s released from jail. His probation will be supervised by New York City authorities.

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The "Pinky" Trial Continues

On trial at Orange County Family Court in Goshen, NY, is the 13-year-old boy known as "Pinky". He has been charged in the stabbing death of 17-year-old Levi King Flores on Jan. 13, 2010 in Newburgh NY. The trial began on Feb. 3 with police statements that the 13-year-old "Pinky" had assisted them in recovering the knife used in the attack. See the details here.

The prosecution suffered a setback when Family Court Judge Andrew Bivona threw out much of the evidence, including the statements made by "Pinky" when he was questioned by the police and the knife used to kill Levi King Flores, which the boy had helped them find - calling them the "fruit of the poisonous tree." Here is why the judge threw out the evidence:

As previously noted both the boy and his mother were read his Miranda rights. The mother was told in Spanish and the boy, who speaks English, in English. The problem was that the police conducted the entire interview with the boy in English, which his mother did not understand.

The boy's attorney, Stuart Greenberg, argued that "the language barrier of the mother prevented her from helping her son understand what police were asking and the consequences of answering." The judge agreed and granted Greenberg's motion to suppress the boy's statements.

Since the police were unable to use the boy's statements, they were also unable to use any evidence obtained from the interview with the boy, including the knife and any DNA evidence recovered from the scene.

Prosecutors were however allowed to use identifications made by two witnesses who claimed to see the stabbing. Each picked the boy out of a photo array as the killer. They were both friends of Levi.

The trial continued with the testimony of two of Levi King Flores' friends, both of them in 7th grade. They described the events leading up to the death of the 17-year-old. Both parents of Levi King Flores were in court, silently watching the proceedings.

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The first to testify was a 13-year-old boy. This is how he described what happened:

Levi and his friends were playing on a frozen pond in Downing Park. They had a small bat and were trying to punch a hole in the ice. A group of girls approached them and started swearing at them. One of the girls was the sister of the 13-year-old defendant, "Pinky". The girls continued to belittle the gang the boys belonged to - La Eme. During the confrontation "Pinky's" sister used her cellphone to call her brother. He came to join them and they all left going in the direction of a nearby store.

Levi and his friends also left, heading in the same direction. The argument continued culminating in a fight between "Pinky" and another 12-year-old boy. At the same time, Levi himself, was arguing with "Pinky's" sister and eventually got caught up in ongoing the fight. No one knew at the time that "Pinky" had a knife - hidden in one of his sleeves - until it was too late.

"After that Levi was limping, and we carried him to St. Luke's," he said.

After relating the story the boy was crying. "Pinky's" lawyer, Stuart Greenberg, gave the boy time to recover before starting the cross-examination. Under cross-examination the boy said that Levi King Flores was indeed a member of the Newburgh street gang known as La Eme. He said that he did not know what had happened to the bat used to break the ice on the pond. He also said that it was not used in the fight.

When the second witness - a 12-year-old boy - took the stand he recounted the same story as the previous boy. When the Assistant District Attorney Allan Drian asked him to lift up his shirt, he revealed the scars left from the three puncture wounds he had received during the knife attack. This provoked an audible gasp from Martha, Levi's mother.

The trial continues.......

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12-Year-Old Arrested for Doodling

It's one thing when there are disruptive kids in class: - if a fight breaks out, someone brought drugs to school or a knife or a gun - there may be a need to call the cops. But should kids be arrested and placed in handcuffs for doodling on a school desk? Well, Yes!! say the officials at Junior High School 190 in Forest Hills, Queens, NY.

Alexa Gonzalez, a 12-year-old Queens girl, was arrested for writing with a lime green marker the words “I love my friends Abby and Faith” on her desk. She also added “Lex was here. 2/1/10” with a smiley face. She was scribbling those words on her desk while waiting for her Spanish teacher to pass out homework. That was probably the biggest mistake the 12-year-old Alexa ever made in her entire life.

She was led out of school in cuffs and walked to the precinct across the street, where she was detained for several hours, she and her mother said.

"I started crying, like, a lot," said Alexa. "I made two little doodles. ... It could be easily erased. To put handcuffs on me is unnecessary." Alexa, who had a stellar attendance record, hasn't been back to school since, adding, "I just thought I'd get a detention. I thought maybe I would have to clean [the desk]."

What Alexa got was much more than detention. Alexa was suspended from school. She and her mom, Moraima Camacho, had to go to family court, where Alexa was assigned eight hours of community service, a book report and an essay on what she learned from the experience.

City officials acknowledged Alexa's arrest was a mistake and school principal Marilyn Grant has lifted the suspension, although she says that allowing the arrest was not her fault and was something that school policy required her to do.

"Even when we're asked to make an arrest, common sense should prevail, and discretion used in deciding whether an arrest or handcuffs are really necessary," said police spokesman Paul Browne.

In this case neither common sense nor discretion prevailed. One would think that that law enforcement officials would have more important things to do than arresting and traumatizing 12-year-old girls for writing on their school desk.

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