PORT ST. LUCIE — A man accused of speeding along St. James Drive at more than 100 mph with an unrestrained 2-year-old child in the back seat is facing charges, according to a recently released arrest affidavit.

A St. Lucie County Sheriff’s investigator Monday afternoon spotted a green Honda Civic driving south on St. James Drive at an estimated speed of more than 70 mph.

The affidavit gave this account:
(more…)

FORT PIERCE — A father at a house where 10 children were suspected of living in filth pleaded no contest Monday to a child neglect charge.

Rupert Anthony Thompson, 32, father of some of the children and stepfather of others, was arrested in October 2008 after authorities say they found feces, flies, roaches, trash, dirty diapers, rotting food, urine and exposed electrical outlets in the house in the 1100 block of Jasmine Avenue. The children ranged in age from 4 months to 12 years.

As part of a plea agreement, the State Attorney’s Office will recommend Thompson receive two years of probation when he’s sentenced by Circuit Judge Larry Schack. Sentencing is scheduled Aug. 19.

Staff report

FORT PIERCE — A registered sex offender and his girlfriend were arrested Tuesday following allegations that they beat an 11-year-old girl and her siblings, according to records released Wednesday.

The 11-year-old girl told sheriff’s investigators John Louis Cooper, 30, burned her with a cigarette lighter. She said she feared being raped by Cooper because he “raped a 13-year-old girl before,” records show.

Cooper was convicted in 2002 of lewd act on a minor less than 16 and is a registered sex offender because of it, records show.

The girl said Cooper and his 32-year-old girlfriend, Kathy Ann Carson, push them around and punch her and her 9-year-old brother “all the time,” according to the report.

The brother had an injury on his finger he said was caused by Cooper purposely burning him with a lighter, records show.

The elder girl said Cooper punches her in the chest when she misbehaves, the records show. The boy said he has difficulty with bed-wetting and Cooper punches him in the chest because of it. The boy also was found to have a “fungal scalp infection” that had been present for months.

Cooper faces two counts of child abuse, and Carson was arrested on a single child abuse charge. Carson’s charge stems from alleged abuse on a 4-year-old girl. A doctor examined the 4-year-old girl and the two older children and founds signs of abuse or neglect.

Cooper and his girlfriend live in the 5100 block of La Salle Street.

By Will Greenlee, TCPalm.com

PORT ST. LUCIE — One year ago, a 6-year-old autistic boy was brought to the front of his classroom. He left moments later feeling like an outcast.

For many, he became a symbol of how children with autism are mistreated and misunderstood.

Some experts say the case of Alex Barton, who was voted out of his kindergarten classroom 14-to-2, brought about change and awareness of how autistic children are educated. Others say there still is a long way to go. (more…)

Reginald Johnson

Two women told police they heard the boy crying inside a Honda Accord parked at the Sam’s Club on U.S. 1. It was shortly before 2 p.m. and the woman said the boy was sweating and told them he was hot, according to police.

Port St. Lucie resident Reginald Johnson told police he had gone to the discount store with his wife and son.

He said he and the child waited in the car while his wife was shopping. At one point he noticed that the boy was sleeping and said he left the windows slightly open and went inside to use the restroom. He said he had been gone only a few minutes.

(more…)

FORT PIERCE — A local man accused of choking a 2-year-old boy for about 10 seconds Wednesday after the boy hit him is facing felony charges, according to an arrest affidavit released Thursday.

The child’s mother told St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office investigators that she was quarreling with her father about 9:30 p.m. when her brother, 28-year-old Carey L. Bailey, got involved.

The child allegedly got upset because Bailey, of the 2600 block of North U.S. 1, was shouting at the child’s mother. (more…)

PORT ST. LUCIE — A 22-year-old Port St. Lucie man has been charged in federal court with transporting child pornography after authorities found more than half a million child pornographic images on his computer hard drive, according to a news release Friday from the U.S. Department of Justice.

Jason David Bingham was detained Friday in Miami without bond and his arraignment is set for April 28.
(more…)

It’s common to see Treasure Coast teens and preteens using cell phones for sending text messages and photos.

But it’s also becoming common for teens nationwide to send other things via their phones or computer Web cameras, including explicit and sexual photographs that have given the phenomenon a new name — sexting.

“It’s been going on for several years here. We just didn’t call it this,” said Detective Brian Broughton of the Martin County Sheriff’s Office. “Now it has a little buzz word, but basically we’re referring to the same thing — when children would take nude pictures of themselves and send it to other children.”
(more…)

VIERA — For five years, the Palm Bay couple considered Gary Sebastian, the father of their 14-year-old daughter’s best friend, a close acquaintance, trusted to protect their child during the girls’ weekend sleepovers or to hang out at their home during get-togethers.

So, they were stunned when they discovered last summer that 41-year-old Sebastian had been sending their daughter inappropriate text messages, mailed her a package filled with sex-related items and provided her with alcohol on at least one occasion.

And they weren’t satisfied Wednesday when a judge sentenced the former Palm Bay firefighter to three and a half years in prison and five years of sex offender probation. (more…)

ST. LUCIE COUNTY — A 28-year-old Fort Pierce man was taken into custody Wednesday after a 15-year-old girl exposed an affair she had been having with him, according to a St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office report.

Reynaldo N. Moran, aka Moran Maldonado, of the 2600 block of North U.S. 1 was charged with sexual battery on a child more than 12 years old and was being held at the St. Lucie County Jail in lieu of $500,250 bail.

Moran allegedly began the affair with the girl when he stayed with the family, the arrest affidavit said. The teenager told a detective she has had sex with Moran last November. Her mother had suspicions about a relationship between the pair and confronted them Wednesday when she saw Moran driving the girl to her school, the report said.

At the school, a school resource officer also charged Moran with driving without a driver’s license.

Lamaur Stancil, TCPalm.com