Edward R. Lieber was charged with three felony counts of photographing children without consent as they trick-or-treated in Waupun, Wisc. Lieber, 36, made his first court appearance on Monday, the Beaver Dam Daily Citizen reported.
A woman told police that Lieber had photographed her four-year-old daughter as she walked through a Halloween display outside his home on Oct. 31; Lieber was sitting in the display. Two other moms also complained to police that Lieber had taken pictures of their toddlers. Six photos of children in Halloween costume were found on an undeveloped film roll in Lieber’s camera, police said.
Lieber told police that he was taking the photos for his father and didn’t realize that he was violating rules for convicted sex offenders. Lieber had been convicted in 1994 of third-degree sex assault and served six months in jail. He had also been charged with nine counts of second-degree sex assault of a child in the case, but those charges were dismissed.
Halloween is a time of high alert for cops monitoring sex offenders because of the number of children outside. Many states, including Wisconsin, forbid registered sex offenders from participating in fright night activities. Molesters are supposed to turn off their porch lights and not answer the door to trick-or-treaters.
Shirley Nagel was a witch for Halloween. The John McCain supporter put up this sign at her home in Grosse Pointe Farms, an affluent suburb outside of Detroit: “No handouts for Obama supporters, liars, tricksters or kids of supporters.”
Nagel told WJBK, a local Fox News station, that “Obama’s scary.” What about poor little kids who were refused candy? “Oh well,” she told the reporters. “Everybody has a choice.”
People interviewed by WJBK said that when Nagel opened the door, she asked the parents accompanying their little ones whether they were supporting Obama. If they said yes, she turned them away. One of Nagel’s neighbors, an Obama supporter, put up a sign in response. It said, “Obama 4 Peace,” and promised candy to everyone.
Photo from riptheskull
The man who shot the 12-year-old boy told police that he thought he was being robbed. Quentin Patrick, 22, fired 30 rounds with an AK-47 assault rifle through the doors and windows of his home in Sumter, S.C., according to an Associated Press story.
T.J. Darrisaw suffered multiple wounds, including a fatal shot to the head. His brother Ahmadre Darrisaw, 9, and his father, Freddie Grinnel, also were injured; they were released from the hospital on Saturday. Another sibling who was with them wasn’t hurt; the children’s mother and a toddler were in a car nearby.
“This is by far one of the worst tragedies that I have had to personally experience,” said Police Chief Patty Patterson at a news conference on Saturday. “It happened basically because kids were out doing what they would normally do on Halloween.”
Patrick, who had previous drug convictions, was charged with murder and three counts of assault. A woman in his home, Ericka Patrice Pee, 19, was charged with obstruction of justice because she tried to run away after the shooting, carrying $7,500 in cash. Her 2-year-old daughter was also in the house.
T.J. and his family had attended a Halloween celebration in downtown Sumter earlier that evening. Patterson said that they decided to stop at the home and trick-or-treat because the porch light was on. At least two of the boys were wearing ghoulish masks when they knocked on the door. Patrick told police that he had been robbed and shot in the past year, and he feared becoming a victim again. It was unclear whether Patrick knew that Friday was Halloween.
Fright night is history, and the sugary loot has been lugged home to tempt not only the little ones, but parents, too.
Kelly Mills writing on the San Francisco Chronicle’s parenting blog, “The Poop,” has a whole litany of rationalizations and justifications for why making off with a few of your children’s mini Snickers and boxes of Nerds is just fine. What’s a few pilfered Smarties here or there?
Her self-justifications include:
1. “They have way too much candy and it isn’t good for them.” So, take one for the team, and consume that high-fructose corn syrup yourself, Mom and Dad.
2. “You earned that candy.” Who slogged around the neighborhood with a flashlight in the rain with the little princess and the ghost so that they could get it? That’s right: You did! Dig in.
3. “It’s free.” In dark economic times, why should you spend money on treats for yourself when there’s a whole bucket of free goodies already in the house? That’s right, by taking candy from your baby, you are merely being frugal.
4. “You want it.” You’re run down. You’re burning the candle at both ends. You do too much. Candy corn is restorative. Go ahead: you deserve it.
5. “They’ll never notice.” What’s one box of Dots out of a whole mountain of refined sugar? It’s like it never happened.
Enjoy!
The Boogeyman stole Halloween from Oil City, Penn., 16 years ago. An 11-year-old girl was kidnapped while walking home from a pre-holiday party; her body was found on Halloween night. And trick-or-treating after dark was banned ever since.
But this year, another little girl has convinced town leaders to face their fears. Fifth-grader Elizabeth Roess petitioned the City Council to allow kids to go out on Halloween night again, the Associated Press reported. The 10-year-old argued in an essay that Halloween is best enjoyed at night and that many people just aren’t home during the day to hand out candy.
So Oil City will be celebrating, albeit cautiously. The town, located north of Pittsburg, has just 10,000 people, but police plan to station seven officers on duty that night. Four school security guards and all 10 of the town’s crossing guards also will be working.
Shauna Howe’s murder was solved four years ago, with the help of a witness and DNA evidence. Three men were convicted in her sexual assault and killing.
Elizabeth told the AP that she was scared of what happened to Shauna. But she said of her petition drive, “I did this and now I’m so happy.” She plans to dress up as a Goth princess bride.
“Unfortunately, Shauna’s tragedy seemed to define Oil City for many years,” Oil City blogger John Noel Bartlett wrote. “It’s time to move on.”
Photo by Troy B. Thompson
There’s good news for parents of fraidy cats this Halloween: A new study suggests that the best way for many kids to get over their fears is to face them. So, some ghouls, witches and a little fake blood could be the right medicine, as long as the kids don’t overdo it on the fright factor.
At Minor Troubles, we think that confronting your fears is good advice for parents, too. So, here’s a quick guide to our 2008 Halloween coverage, and we hope that you have a fun and safe Slut-o-ween, er, we mean Halloween:
Here are tips on how to fireproof your children’s costumes; prepare your trick-or-treaters to avoid holiday traffic; keep your kids from pigging out on too much candy Friday night and avoid a terrifying dental check-up post-Oct. 31st. If that doesn’t cover you for tips, the American Red Cross has more spooky advice, which is written in truly scary rhymed verse, here.
And don’t miss the latest news on what communities around the country are doing to restrict sex-offenders‘ celebrations of the holiday, as well as limit the begging-for-candy of older trick-or-treaters.
If you’re in need of a good laugh, check out these weird baby costumes that make infants look like food — thank you Martha Stewart! Don’t forget to leave work early, and have fun out there.
Photo by riptheskull
A sex offender in El Paso decorated his home for the holiday, complete with caution tape on the door. Highly appropriate perhaps, but illegal. Registered molesters can’t celebrate Halloween in Texas.
Carlos Sanchez Eliseo was previously convicted of two counts of indecency with a child. In separate incidents, he exposed himself to a 13-year-old girl and a 14-year-old. When KTSM News reporters told a woman in the house that it was illegal for Eliseo have Halloween decorations, she took them down. Police told the TV station that at least two other sex offenders were found in similar violations.
Across the country, authorities are checking to make sure sex offenders behave during one of the biggest kiddie holidays of the year. Many states require sex offenders to stay in their homes and not open the door to any trick-or-treaters. Indiana gathers molesters on parole for meetings with probation officers. Tennessee bans them from corn mazes and hay rides.
In Maryland, beware the pumpkin symbol. Sex offenders have been mailed paper signs that read “No candy at this residence,” which they have to put on their front doors. “Halloween provides a rare opportunity for you to demonstrate to your neighbors that you are making a sincere effort to change the direction of your life,” says the letter that was sent to about 1,200 violent and child-sex offenders.
A judge recently blocked part of a Missouri law that was unclear about whether sex offenders could celebrate with their own kids. But she left intact the requirement that they post “no candy” signs. California doesn’t have such laws, but neighbors in one town protested a sex offender’s Halloween decorations, and he eventually took them down.
Police recommend that parents or responsible teens accompany trick-or-treaters. Websites such as this one list where sex offenders live.
Caution tape photo by Picture Perfect Pose
The fright factor from dentists ranks up there with zombies. Of course, it’s virtually impossible to prevent your kids from eating candy on Halloween. But here are some ways to help your trick-or-treater avoid the Big, Bad Drill.
1. Tell them to eat all the candy at once rather than having a little bit throughout the day. “If I keep eating candy throughout the day, there is acid in my mouth for a much longer period of time,” dentist Mark Helpin of Temple University told the New York Daily News. Besides, maybe they’ll get a tummy ache and not want any more candy, right?
2. Allow candy only at meal times. Again, it limits the amount of time their teeth are exposed to refined sugar and acid.
3. Ban sticky or gooey treats, such as carmel or dried fruit. Hard candies like Jawbreakers are a no-no, too. Plain chocolate is the better alternative.
4. Remind them to brush and floss right after eating. You know this tip is unavoidable.
5. Go to events like the candy buy-back sponsored by the University of Southern California’s School of Dentistry Pediatric Clinic. The little goblins can trade in sweets for a toy. Or have your own buy-back at home.
The streets could be more crowded — and more dangerous for trick-or-treaters — this October 31st. That’s simply because this year’s fright night is on a Friday.
“When Halloween falls during the middle of the work week, parties and events are spread out over several days to include the weekend,” said Beth Mosher, spokesperson for AAA Chicago. “With Halloween on a Friday this year, most festivities are expected to take place that evening putting a large number of adult partygoers on the road the same night as trick-or-treaters.”
Some 93 percent of children are expected to go trick-or-treating, according to the National Confectioners Association. Combine so many kids running around after dark with the fact that two out of three young adults ages 18 to 24 plan to throw or attend a Halloween party this year, according to the National Retail Federation. Statistically, young drivers cause more car accidents than any other age group.
“Unfortunately we also see a sharp rise in the number of motor vehicle fatalities on Halloween when it is on a weekend,” said Mosher.
To help avoid a scary collision, AAA suggests that parents tell trick-or-treaters to stay on the sidewalk, cross the street at crosswalks, avoid walking in front of, behind or between parked cars and stop at driveways to make sure no vehicles are coming in and out. The little witches and werewolves should avoid areas with heavy vehicle traffic altogether, only visiting well-lit streets with sidewalks. An adult or a responsible teen should accompany younger trick-or-treaters.
Here are more safety tips from the American Red Cross and the National Association of State Fire Marshals.
Convicted sex offenders in Missouri may be able to celebrate the holiday with their kids or grandkids.
Federal Judge Carol E. Jackson ruled on Monday that a Missouri law was too unclear about whether sex offenders could join their own relatives in activities such as pumpkin carving and putting up decorations, the New York Times reported. Jackson also questioned language in the law that allows sexual offenders to leave their homes from 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Oct. 31 only if they have “just cause.”
The state attorney general’s office said it would appeal the ruling. Four anonymous sex offenders had sued earlier this month saying that the new Missouri law was unconstitutional.
But the judge’s ruling doesn’t mean that sex offenders can celebrate Halloween like everyone else. She allowed two parts of the law to stand — sex offenders will have to turn off porch lights that night and post a sign that says, “No candy or treats at this residence.”
“We’re counting it as a victory that kids going trick-or-treating will be a degree safer,” State Senator John Loudon told the Times. “And then we’ll have to go back to the drawing board depending on court action.”
A lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union of Eastern Missouri, which filed the lawsuit, said the restrictions were unfair. Attorney Anthony E. Rothert said that once someone has completed his sentence, he shouldn’t continue to be punished for the same crime. The Halloween restrictions apply to anyone who has to register as a sex offender, not just those on parole.
Illinois and Louisiana have similar laws. In other states, such as Maryland and New York, restrictions only apply to those still on probation.
