List of All Articles with Tag 'rica'

A former beauty pageant queen has made new allegations in a federal lawsuit claiming she was sex trafficked and raped on the orders of an infamous pornography producer. Kirsty Althaus was the runner-up in the Miss Teen Colorado USA Pageant in 2013, but was forced to give up the title when she was found to be in online pornography videos, with her name in the title. A copy of the lawsuit, filed on 8 September, was obtained by The Daily Beast, which said she made allegations against a series of inter-related companies, such as Aylo (formerly known as MindGeek, the parent company of sites like PornHub), and Ethical Capital Partners, a private equity firm that acquired Aylo back in March. She is suing Aylo and Ethical Capital Partners for aiding and abetting sex trafficking, profiting from sex trafficking and advertising a victim of sex trafficking. Ms Althaus is setting her claims against Michael Pratt, the owner of Girls Do Porn, a shut-down company, who was arrested back in December 2022 for allegedly coercing hundreds of women into making sex tapes and then distributing them without their consent, the Daily Beast reports. Girls Do Porn was set up in 2006 by Mr Pratt, from New Zealand, which specialised in producing pornography of only younger women between 18 and 22. Ms Althaus, from Colorado, wanted to have a professional modelling career. She posed for companies such as Kohl’s and Champion, as well as competing and being runner-up in the Miss Teen Colorado pageant in 2012, reports Daily Beast. A year later, she left school at 18, wanting to focus on her modelling career. She saw an advertisement on Craigslist offering a paid modelling opportunity, with expenses paid such as flying her out to San Diego. "Rather than the mere headshots and clothing photoshoot (sic) that she had agreed to fly to San Diego to do, Pratt began demanding that Plaintiff film nude and sexually explicit videos. When Plaintiff refused, Pratt, now 41, and his conspirators immediately pressured her and plied her with booze and pills to soften her reluctance," the lawsuit states. The lawsuit stated she endured “protracted filming”, where Ms Althaus had to endure approximately nine hours of non-consensual sex, to the point she started to bleed. In one shoot, Mr Pratt was so infuriated with Ms Althaus and her pleas to stop that he broke a hotel lamp and got out his gun, according to the lawsuit. Ms Althaus describes in the lawsuit as being harassed over text by Mr Pratt, after she returned to college, to make more videos and threatened to make her original video public if she refused, as screenshots obtained by Fox News show. “You better be here by noon shoot 2tomorrow or your graveyard,” one text included in the lawsuit read. The lawsuit stated that in January 2014 a text from an anonymous number came up on Ms Althaus’ phone while she was sitting in class, it said: “Told you b****.” Ms Atlhuas then saw that all her videos became live on Twitter, PornHub and other pornography websites, Daily Beast reports. In the lawsuit, she said that she started to suffer “severe distress and anxiety;” she found it hard to keep strong relationships, people would recognise her on the street and students at her college would harass her. She goes on to say that she would lose jobs once her employers discovered she had appeared in a pornography video. She claimed she tried to report how she was sex trafficked and raped to MindGeek, where the video was being distributed, but said she was ignored due to their focus on making “millions of dollars” off the content, the lawsuit reads. Although she changed her name, and the video is now ten years old, she is still harassed due to what happened in her past, Ms Althaus said in the lawsuit. “Unidentified men continue to approach Plaintiff’s home at all hours of the day and night,” her lawsuit reads, “As recently as May-June 2023, Plaintiff was assaulted at her home by a self-described PornHub subscriber who confronted her about the recent removal of the subject videos from Defendants’ websites.” Mr Pratt was included on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list in 2022 for three months until he was captured in Spain. Pratt was charged in a 19-count indictment with sex trafficking, production of child pornography, sex trafficking of a minor, and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments in connection with the operation of the GirlsDoPorn adult website, according to the FBI. He was on the run for years, fleeing in 2019 after 22 women filed a lawsuit in 2017 claiming he and his co-conspirators for conning the women into making pornography videos and then lying about distributing the footage. He said the videos would only be sold to private collectors solely on DVDs and small video stores not located in the US, but the videos ended up on famous pornography websites, sometimes putting their names in the title. Ms Althaus’ lawsuit also names GirlsDoPorn co-conspirators, Michael Isaac Wolfe and Andre Garcia. Garcia is currently serving a 20-year sentence after pleading guilty to two counts of sex trafficking in November 2020, according to the United States Attorney’s Office. Wolfe was sentenced in October 2022 for admitting to coercing prospective models into filming videos for Girls Do Porn, then lying to them saying the videos would not be distributed in the United States, says the Attorney’s Office. According to the Daily Beast, Ms Althaus is now another woman coming forward to relay the alleged abhorrent crimes committed against her. She claims she was deceived into filming nonconsensual sex scenes by Mr Pratt, saying she was raped, drugged, physically abused and blackmailed by both Pratt and his associates. The lawsuit that was brought forward by the 22 women in 2017 included similar harrowing stories, such as being “assaulted”. This previous lawsuit resulted in Girls Do Porn being ordered to pay $12.8m in damages as well as ownership rights to the videos they featured in. Between October and November 2019, six people were charged on counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, with a further two people charged in December with obstruction of sex trafficking enforcement. MindGeek, now Aylo, was also under fire in 2021 when 40 women sued the company for knowingly profiting from Girls Do Porn content. The judge ordered a “discovery into its corporate structure, finances, operations, and ownership to determine which entities and persons should remain in the case,” says law firm Brown Rudnick LLP. In a statement to The Daily Beast, Aylo declined to comment on the lawsuit but said they looked forward to “the facts being fully and fairly aired” in court. “The safety of our community is our number one priority, so we are proud to have instituted Trust and Safety policies that surpass those of any other major user-generated platform on the internet,” Aylo said in a statement. “Our compliance program has helped us set the standard for the tech industry, and we are committed to remaining at the forefront of this important area.” The Independent has contacted both Aylo and Ethical Capital Partners for comment. We have also asked if they have filed a position statement or defences, as it is not clear at this time. Read More Reddit users post pornography and switch forums to ‘NSFW’ in latest protest against site’s management We’re not being taught enough about sex ed and porn in class, say children Rise of the post-truth sex tape: Deepfake pornography is making women’s online lives even more frightening

President Paul Kagame, who has been in office since 2000, has faced criticism from rights groups.

Convicted killer Alex Murdaugh has reached a plea deal with federal prosecutors on a string of financial fraud charges – admitting that he stole millions of dollars from law firm clients. In Monday’s agreement, he will plead guilty to 22 federal charges including wire fraud, bank fraud and money laundering. He will appear in court on Thursday to enter his plea – marking the first time he has ever pleaded guilty to a crime. This comes as the new series of Netflix’s “Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal” was released on Wednesday, revealing Curtis Eddie Smith – Murdaugh’s alleged co-conspirator in the bizarre hitman plot – making a bombshell claim. When he asked Murdaugh why he wanted him to fatally shoot him, Mr Smith claims he told him: “Because they’re going to be able to prove that I’m responsible for Maggie and Paul.” The show also hears from Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill – who is now at the centre of jury tampering accusations brought by Murdaugh’s attorneys in their bid for a new murder trial. A random Georgia man’s now-deleted Facebook rant about his wife’s aunt is at the centre of the bid. Read More Alex Murdaugh’s request for a new trial complicated by angry husband’s Facebook rant Alex Murdaugh pleads guilty to committing crime for first time

The fatal shooting of a family of four and their dogs at a home in a Chicago suburb was not a murder-suicide but also not a “random” incident, according to police. Two adults, two children and their three dogs were found dead from gunshot wounds at the home in Romeoville, Illinois, on Sunday night; police now believe the murders could have been targeted. Investigators do not believe that the deaths were the result of a murder-suicide, Deputy Chief Chris Burne of the Romeoville Police Department told reporters. No arrests have been made in the case, but officials say that there is no reason for people to shelter inside in the wake of the shocking incident. “We were able to determine this was not a random incident and there was no cause for a shelter in place order,” DC Burne said on Tuesday. ”This incident is the police department’s top priority.” The victims were Alberto Rolon, 38, and Zoraida Bartolomei, 32, and their two boys, aged seven and nine, according to the Will County Coroner’s Office. A GoFundMe page has been set up by Ms Bartolomei’s sister, Bryana Bartolomei to raise money for funeral expenses for the whole family. “These were hardworking people that had just bought their first home. Their kids were the sweetest most innocent angels who could hug your worries away,” the fundraising page stated. Her sister took to Facebook to share an image of the family, captioning it, “I want to know what happened to my nephews, my sister, her husband and WHY? “ Police believe that the shooting took plea between 9pm and 5am on Sunday. Officers went to the home to perform a wellness check when one of the victims did not show up for work on Sunday and did not answer phone calls. “All officers and professional staff have been working tirelessly on this case. Our detectives and crime scene investigators have spent the last 36 hours collecting a tremendous amount of physical evidence,” added DC Burne. “I want to know what’s going on, man. It’s very, very quiet. It’s incredibly quiet,” neighbour Dan Lugo, told WBBM. “This stuff doesn’t happen here. It’s very unnerving. I’m pretty sure the whole neighbourhood is shook up.” “Our entire community is grieving with the family over this tragic incident,” Romeoville Mayor John Noak said. “I have directed our social services staff to make themselves available to our community to help begin the healing process.” The Romeoville Police Department is still investigating the incident, says the coroner’s office. Read More Killer at large after family of four shot dead in Illinois home along with three dogs Couple, 2 children and 3 dogs found shot to death in suburban Chicago home US gun laws are failing to protect elections as political violence spreads, report finds

A former NFL player is missing after his mother was found dead in a creek behind her home in Illinois. Mystery erupted around Sergio Brown on Saturday after a concerned family member filed a missing persons report for the 35-year-old New England Patriots alum and his mother Myrtle Brown, 73. Myrtle was found dead less than 100 yards from her Maywood home the following day. Her death was ruled a homicide as the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office found injuries resulting from an assault. The case took a bizarre turn as videos emerged from an Instagram account linked to Mr Brown. In one video, a man identified as Mr Brown claims he’s been kidnapped by law enforcement as he goes on a long-winded rant against “fake news” and the FBI. He also claims that he thought his mother was on vacation. The Independent has not been able to independently verify the account. Maywood police told NBC that the department is aware of the social media account. “Currently this is an active investigation, and the department is unable to share any further details at this time. We appreciate your patience while our agency continues to investigate the matter,” police said. Read More Missing ex-NFL star posts bizarre Instagram about police and FBI after mother found dead in creek Ex-NFL star Sergio Brown and his mother went missing. Police say she was murdered and he has yet to be found

Stocks in Asia were on the backfoot as traders awaited the Federal Reserve’s next policy decision, with interest

The African nation has been partially suspended following a coup that took place in late August.

The deadly drug was found under mats that children use for naps, investigators say.

On 24 August 2019, Elijah McClain was walking home from a convenience store, listening to music and wearing a ski mask, in Aurora, Colorado when a 911 caller reported him as “looking sketchy” — a call that would lead to the death of the 23-year-old and a social uprising against how race plays a role in policing. Police spotted McClain — who was not armed and had not committed any crime — and put him in a neck hold. Paramedics then arrived at the scene and injected the young man with ketamine. He died three days later. Now, just over four years after the incident, jury selection began on Friday for the trial of two Aurora police officers — Randy Roedema and Jason Rosenblatt — who had interacted with McClain. The trials of a third officer and the two paramedics are also expected to happen later this year. Why is the trial happening now? The first coroner’s report in November 2019 said that the manner of death was “undetermined,” contributing to a local district attorney’s decision against pursuing charges against the officers involved in the incident. In response, Mari Newman, the lawyer representing McClain’s family told Denver7 ABC, “Whatever the report says, it’s clear that if the police had not attacked Elijah McClain, he would be alive today.” But the incident generated significant public backlash. In June 2020, an online petition demanding that the three officers involved be held accountable circulated, garnering nearly 6 million signatures. A GoFundMe page for McClain raised over $2m. Then, in June 2020, Colorado Gov Jared Polis signed an executive order designating a special prosecutor to determine whether “the facts support prosecution, criminally prosecute any individuals whose actions caused the death of Elijah McClain.” The coroner provided an amended version in July 2021, writing that she believed the “tragic fatality is most likely the result of ketamine toxicity.” Shortly thereafter, in September 21, a grand jury indicted three officers and two paramedics involved. A Colorado district judge ordered three separate trials for the five defendants, and now jury selection is underway for the trial of Mr Roedema, a suspended officer, and Mr Rosenblatt, who was fired in the wake of the incident. Who was Elijah McClain? McClain was a 23-year-old massage therapist. He had reportedly earned his GED from Emily Griffith Technical College in Denver and became a massage therapist at 19. Friends and family described him as a gentle person — to humans and animals. He taught himself to play guitar and violin, and would play his violin for cats in a rescue shelter during his lunch breaks, The Cut reported. “I don’t even think he would set a mouse trap if there was a rodent problem,” his friend Eric Behrens told the Sentinel. Another friend — and former client — Marna Arnett called McClain “the sweetest, purest person I have ever met,” she added, “He was definitely a light in a whole lot of darkness.” “He wanted to change the world,” his mother, Sheneen McClain, told the outlet. “And it’s crazy, because he ended up doing it anyway.” Who were the officers and paramedics involved? A grand jury indicted five involved in the incident. Two Aurora Police officers, Randy Roedema and Nathan Woodyard, and one former officer, Jason Rosenblatt, as well as former paramedics Jeremy Cooper and Peter Cichuniec were each indicted on charges of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide. According to the 32-count indictment, Mr Woodyard placed the 23-year-old in a carotid hold, while Mr Roedema, the senior patrol officer on the scene, placed him in a bar hammer lock; he said he heard McClain’s shoulder pop three times as a result of the movement. Mr Roedema and Mr Rosenblatt were each indicted on one count of assault and one count of crime of violence. Mr Rosenblatt was fired not for his interaction with McClain directly, but for laughing at a photo sent to him from a fellow officer reenacting a neckhold that resembled the one used on McClain. Mr Woodyard was also allegedly sent the photo, but didn’t react to it and deleted it. He stopped McClain for supposedly looking suspicious and is set to go on trial later this year. The paramedics were each indicted on three counts of assault and six counts of crime of violence. Neither Mr Cooper nor Mr Cichuniec took McClain’s vitals, try talking to the 23-year-old, or touch him before diagnosing him with a widely disputed medical condition called “excited delirium,” prompting them to administer ketamine, according to the indictment. They have all pleaded not guilty. In May, a national organisation of coroners became the latest to denounce “excited delirium,” which is often cited as a cause of death by police in instances of violence from officers against community members. The National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME) announced they would cease recognising the condition. What happened to Elijah McClain? Bodycam footage which was released months after the encounter captured the officers interacting with the 23-year-old. An officer approached McClain, who was listening to music, and demanded he stop walking. Eventually, he complied, as an officer apparently said he was stopping McClain for looking suspicious. When the officers tried to grab McClain, he resisted, saying, “I am an introvert. Please respect the boundaries that I am speaking.” The officers repeatedly told McClain to “stop tensing up.” Moments later, McClain was brought to the ground and held in a carotid hold. He can be heard moaning, sobbing, repeating that “it hurts” and pleading with the officers to stop. McClain then tried to turn to his side to vomit, prompting an officer to say: “If you keep messing around, I’m going to bring my dog out here and he’s going to bite you.” The 23-year-old vomited, and apologized. “I wasn’t trying to do that,” he says. “I just can’t breathe correctly.” According to a report from an independent panel, the paramedics “waited almost seven minutes after arriving to interact with Mr. McClain, and their first contact was to administer the sedative ketamine.” He suffered from cardiac arrest on his way to the hospital and died a few days later. The autopsy revealed that he was 5ft 6in tall and weighed just 140 pounds. The coroner’s amended report said, “Simply put, this dosage of ketamine was too much for this individual and it resulted in an overdose … I believe that Mr. McClain would most likely be alive but for the administration of ketamine.” The aftermath McClain’s parents reached a $15m settlement with the city of Aurora. “I hope Elijah’s legacy is that police will think twice before killing another innocent person,” his father, LaWayne Mosley, said after the settlement was announced. “There is nothing that can rectify the loss of Elijah McClain and the suffering his loved ones have endured,” Aurora Police Chief Vanessa Wilson said at the time. “I am committed to learning from this tragedy.” The 23-year-old’s death occurred around the same time as the deaths of Breanna Taylor and George Floyd, who were also Black Americans killed at the hands of police. Together and separately, the deaths propelled protests and sparked demands for police reform. And at least in Colorado, some policies were reformed. In 2020, the state banned police from using neck holds. The Colorado health department prohibited paramedics from implementing ketamine for those supposedly experiencing “excited delirium,” like in the case of McClain. Read More Trial begins in Elijah McClain death, which sparked outrage over racial injustice in policing Elijah McClain cause of death quietly ruled as ketamine as police face charges for violent 2019 arrest Elijah McClain: Colorado city to pay $15m to family in historic police misconduct settlement

Donald Trump’s public statements have changed in line with advice from his lawyers, a legal expert has suggested. Harry Litman, a former US attorney and former deputy assistant attorney general for the Western District of Pennsylvania, wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, on Monday night that the former president “continues to employ the same braggadocio. But listen carefully, he’s begun to pepper his proclamations with hedges, such as ‘in my opinion’ or ‘that’s what I think.’ That’s lawyer-prescribed to try to shield him from outright lies”. One example of this came when Mr Trump was speaking to Megyn Kelly of SiriusXM. Mr Trump insisted that there’s no “ritual” to declassifying secret information as he argued that he was allowed to have the boxes of files found at Mar-a-Lago which led to one of the indictments against the former president. Mr Trump was speaking to Kelly when he returned to one of his familiar talking points, calling Special Counsel Jack Smith “deranged”. “We have a deranged guy named Jack Smith who has been overturned at the Supreme Court a number of times, and he gets overturned ... because he goes too far,” Mr Trump told Ms Kelly. “They don’t even mention the Presidential Records Act. This is all about the Presidential Records Act.” “I’m allowed to have these documents, I’m allowed to take these documents – classified or not classified. And frankly, when I have them, they become unclassified. People think you have to go through a ritual – you don’t, at least in my opinion, you don’t,” Mr Trump added. But a number of social media users didn’t seem to think slipping in “in my opinion” would help Mr Trump in the courts. Responding to Mr Trump’s comments to Ms Kelly, Jennifer Rubin, a Washington Post columnist, wrote that it was “another public confession. Like taking candy from a baby”. “Someone should tell him, that the US isn’t governed by opinions, it’s governed by laws,” one user said. Conservative anti-Trump lawyer George Conway also noted that Mr Trump appeared to be making comments putting him in further legal jeopardy, saying that “interviewers should be required to read him his rights”. “Credit to @megynkelly for letting him confess to the crimes in the indictment. She’ll see this played at the trial by the government,” Bradley Moss added. “I want Dude to say this to Jack Smith in open court during his criminal trial,” Tony Michaels said. Mr Trump’s shift in language comes as Mr Smith’s office has asked for a narrow gag order from Judge Tanya Chutkan in the federal election interference case against Mr Trump in Washington DC to prevent him from attacking possible witnesses and jurors. Read More Dominion’s $1.6bn defamation case against Newsmax will go to trial weeks before Election Day Trump ex-aide claims he wrote ‘to-do lists’ on back of classified documents – live updates White House hits back after House sets first Biden impeachment hearing for 28 September

Former NFL player Sergio Brown appeared to post on social media two days after his mother’s body was found in a creek behind her home in Illinois. The Maywood Police Department said an investigation is underway into the death of 73-year-old Myrtle Brown after it was determined that she was murdered. Authorities have yet to locate Mr Brown, who was reported missing along with his slain mother after they failed to answer calls from family members. On Tuesday evening, an account linked to Mr Brown made a second post on Instagram stories referencing the movie Finding Nemo. Mr Brown is seen rambling and laughing on the post. He also appears to be mocking reports that he is “missing.” “Just keep swimming. Missing? What the f*** is going on?” he is heard saying. The former NFL star had previously posted another story showing erratic behaviour and claiming he had been kidnapped by law enforcement. “I thought my f****** mama was on vacation in Sinaloa. That’s f****** fake news,” he said. “Get the f*** out of my goddamn face. She’s retired, and you want to come to me? The FBI had to do it. They have some power to do some s*** like that. What the f*** is going on? That’s fake news.” Relatives of Mr Brown and his mother contacted authorities on Saturday after they couldn’t get in touch with them for over 72 hours. Myrtle’s sister Sheila Simmons told WGN-TV that she had last spoken with her on 14 September and neither she nor Mr Brown were answering calls. The Maywood Police Department then launched a missing persons investigation. Later on Sunday, family members and authorities found Myrtle’s dead body in the Addison Creek Reservoir, less than 100 yards from her home. The Cook County Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed Myrtle’s death was a homicide. According to records obtained by WGTV, she died from multiple unspecified assault injuries. “We’re going to find out what happened because it’s not normal for my sister to not answer her phone, not to respond to text messages,” Ms Simmons told the outlet about her sister’s death. “People have been reaching out to her since Friday. No one was able to reach her. Now, I got the call this morning saying that she’s missing, so immediately I came out here and find out my sister is dead.” Carlos Cortez, a neighbour of Myrtle Brown’s, told WBBM that family members had told him Mr Brown had not been acting like himself lately but did not elaborate on what type of behaviour had given that impression. “They said he wasn’t himself the last few months. He was out of his mind,” Mr Cortez told the outlet. Mr Cortex also said that he had given authorities Ring doorbell video, in which Mr Brown is reportedly seen burning his mother’s clothes. The Maywood Police Department declined to comment on the allegations when reached out by The Independent. Anyone with information regarding Myrtle Brown’s murder or Sergio Brown’s whereabouts is asked to contact the Maywood Police Department Anonymous Tip Line at 708-450-1787. Read More Missing ex-NFL player Sergio Brown ‘posts video rant’ on Instagram after mother found dead: Latest updates Missing ex-NFL star posts bizarre Instagram about police and FBI after mother found dead in creek Ex-NFL star Sergio Brown and his mother went missing. Police say she was murdered and he has yet to be found

The owner of a New York day care where a one-year-old boy died of fentanyl exposure now faces federal charges. Youngster Nicholas Dominici died after he was exposed to the opioid at the Bronx facility on Friday, while three other young children were hospitalised. Daycare owner Grei Mendez, 36, and tenant Carlisto Acevedo Brito, 41, were arrested on state charges including murder, manslaughter and assault. Now federal prosecutors say they have also been charged with narcotics possession with intent to distribute resulting in death and conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death, reported ABC News. A kilo of fentanyl was found in a hallway closet outside Mr Brito’s room, which he rented from Ms Mendez for $200 a week, according to investigators. Prosecutors told a judge during a Sunday night arraignment hearing that Ms Mendez had taken part in the “reckless depraved act” by renting the room to Mr Brito, her husband’s cousin, reported ABC News. Her lawyer told the court that his client, who faces a sentence of life imprisonment if convicted, had no idea that drugs were being stored at the daycare. Police say that drug production equipment was also found inside the daycare. Investigators believe that the children inhaled fentanyl particles during their daylong exposure to the drug before they were found unconscious and the alarm was raised. Both suspects were deemed flight risks by the judge and are being held without bail. “I love him, I miss him, I want him back – but there’s nothing that will give me back my son – when I came home from work and walked through the door, he’d say ‘daddy, daddy!’” Nicholas’s father, Otoniel Feliz, told ABC7. “My wife was on her way to the day care. She was going to pick him up early. Shortly before she arrives, she receives the call and also sees the ambulance.” Read More Owner of day care where toddler died of suspected fentanyl exposure dubbed ‘depraved’ in court hearing Daycare owner and neighbour charged after one-year-old child died from suspected fentanyl exposure One-year-old child dead and three others hospitalised after daycare incident