GDELTWashington D.C.
Goldstein: -3.5Tone: -14.4
Former DC teacher pleads guilty to child sex abuse charges
WASHINGTON (7News) — A former D.C. high school teacher pleads guilty to charges connected with the sexual abuse of a student.
John Gass, 35, of Hyattsville, pleaded guilty on Monday to charges of coercion and enticement of a minor. Prior to his guilty plea, Gass also faced a charge of production of child pornography.
RELATED | DC high school teacher accused of making child pornography
Gass was arrested in December. Investigators said Gass, who was a history teacher at District of Columbia International School, had been abusing the 16-year-old victim since the spring, meeting her outside of school several times to abuse her.
Records show Gass was accused of climbing into the girl's bedroom through a window and recording the abuse on at least two occasions. Investigators said he also exchanged explicit images with the girl.
The investigation into Gass started toward the end of November when the FBI received information from the Metropolitan Police Department after the victim disclosed the abuse.
Gass is set to be sentenced on Dec. 11.
Open article →GDELTVermont
Goldstein: -0.1Tone: -3.4
BURLINGTON — An elder with the Green Mountain Baptist Church in Center Rutland has been charged in federal court for knowingly distributing child sex abuse materials.
Andrew Buzzell, 34, of West Rutland, also was listed as the state director at the Child Evangelism Fellowship in Vermont, court records show.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation said they arrested Buzzell during a raid at his home at 472 Clarendon Ave. on Friday. He was held over the weekend at the Marble Valley Regional Correctional Facility in Rutland, officials said.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Arra filed a motion on Monday to have Buzzell detained pending trial. She noted that, if convicted, Buzzell faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison. He could get up to 20 years.
“This potential penalty provides ample incentive for Buzzell to flee to evade legal proceedings,” she wrote. Arra maintained he was both a risk to flee and a danger to the community.
But Assistant Federal Defender Barclay Johnson argued there were release conditions that would ensure his appearance in court.
Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle agreed to hold Buzzell until Tuesday morning to allow firearms to be removed from his West Rutland home.
Doyle told Buzzell that he would be under a 24-hour lockdown at his home except for court hearings and medical issues. He would have electronic monitoring and other restrictions. He also must stay away from children and commit no new crimes, Doyle said.
The judge set Aug. 31 for a probable cause hearing unless a grand jury returns an indictment.
FBI Special Agent John Krawczyk, of Rutland, said in a court affidavit that during a recent child sex abuse materials (CSAM) investigation, it was determined that Buzzell had reportedly sent a one-minute video of a man committing a sex act on a young girl, possibly 6 to 10 years old, in 2024.
That is the basis for the single felony charge filed this week, but other depictions are mentioned in the affidavit, records show.
The FBI said the Child Evangelism Fellowship website talked about Buzzell and his youth work, but by Monday afternoon there was no mention of him on its website.
According to CEF’s website, it “exists to evangelize boys and girls with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and to establish (disciple) them in the Word of God and in a local church for Christian living ... “
Krawczyk wrote additional open-source information stating Buzzell “has received specialized training through CEF to evangelize and disciple children and (he) is currently furthering his ministry education through the Children’s Ministries Institute.”
He also was not listed on the church website on Monday evening.
Nobody answered the Green Mountain Baptist Church phone.
The distribution of materials was done through Kik, a free instant messaging mobile application, Krawczyk said.
The FBI had several conversations with Buzzell on Friday, including during the court-ordered search, and he admitted that he had used Kik messenger accounts “kinkyvt1231” and “woodman1241.”
Buzzell also admitted messaging with an FBI Online Covert Employee (OCE) about traveling to Philadelphia to engage in sex with a 9-year-old female, the affidavit said.
Buzzell also admitted he babysat a 10-year-old girl who he knew through church.
Arra wrote that Buzzell reportedly knowingly distributed CSAM.
She said of note, a video file that Buzzell distributed “depicts a prepubescent female child approximately 6 to 10 years of age” with an adult male committing a sex act on her.
“As detailed in the affidavit supporting the complaint, Buzzell admitted to distributing these materials to gain access to various discussion channels related to child pornography. Distribution of these child sexual abuse materials is without question dangerous and serious and supports detention,” she argued.
She also noted that “Buzzell’s work necessarily involves, and arguably is exclusively focused on, children and youth ministries, which makes this offense particularly alarming,” she said.
Open article →GDELTPennsylvania
Goldstein: 2.4Tone: -3.4
BURLINGTON — An elder with the Green Mountain Baptist Church in Center Rutland has been charged in federal court for knowingly distributing child sex abuse materials.
Andrew Buzzell, 34, of West Rutland, also was listed as the state director at the Child Evangelism Fellowship in Vermont, court records show.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation said they arrested Buzzell during a raid at his home at 472 Clarendon Ave. on Friday. He was held over the weekend at the Marble Valley Regional Correctional Facility in Rutland, officials said.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Arra filed a motion on Monday to have Buzzell detained pending trial. She noted that, if convicted, Buzzell faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison. He could get up to 20 years.
“This potential penalty provides ample incentive for Buzzell to flee to evade legal proceedings,” she wrote. Arra maintained he was both a risk to flee and a danger to the community.
But Assistant Federal Defender Barclay Johnson argued there were release conditions that would ensure his appearance in court.
Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle agreed to hold Buzzell until Tuesday morning to allow firearms to be removed from his West Rutland home.
Doyle told Buzzell that he would be under a 24-hour lockdown at his home except for court hearings and medical issues. He would have electronic monitoring and other restrictions. He also must stay away from children and commit no new crimes, Doyle said.
The judge set Aug. 31 for a probable cause hearing unless a grand jury returns an indictment.
FBI Special Agent John Krawczyk, of Rutland, said in a court affidavit that during a recent child sex abuse materials (CSAM) investigation, it was determined that Buzzell had reportedly sent a one-minute video of a man committing a sex act on a young girl, possibly 6 to 10 years old, in 2024.
That is the basis for the single felony charge filed this week, but other depictions are mentioned in the affidavit, records show.
The FBI said the Child Evangelism Fellowship website talked about Buzzell and his youth work, but by Monday afternoon there was no mention of him on its website.
According to CEF’s website, it “exists to evangelize boys and girls with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and to establish (disciple) them in the Word of God and in a local church for Christian living ... “
Krawczyk wrote additional open-source information stating Buzzell “has received specialized training through CEF to evangelize and disciple children and (he) is currently furthering his ministry education through the Children’s Ministries Institute.”
He also was not listed on the church website on Monday evening.
Nobody answered the Green Mountain Baptist Church phone.
The distribution of materials was done through Kik, a free instant messaging mobile application, Krawczyk said.
The FBI had several conversations with Buzzell on Friday, including during the court-ordered search, and he admitted that he had used Kik messenger accounts “kinkyvt1231” and “woodman1241.”
Buzzell also admitted messaging with an FBI Online Covert Employee (OCE) about traveling to Philadelphia to engage in sex with a 9-year-old female, the affidavit said.
Buzzell also admitted he babysat a 10-year-old girl who he knew through church.
Arra wrote that Buzzell reportedly knowingly distributed CSAM.
She said of note, a video file that Buzzell distributed “depicts a prepubescent female child approximately 6 to 10 years of age” with an adult male committing a sex act on her.
“As detailed in the affidavit supporting the complaint, Buzzell admitted to distributing these materials to gain access to various discussion channels related to child pornography. Distribution of these child sexual abuse materials is without question dangerous and serious and supports detention,” she argued.
She also noted that “Buzzell’s work necessarily involves, and arguably is exclusively focused on, children and youth ministries, which makes this offense particularly alarming,” she said.
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