Tag: Child Safety

California bans child marriage, a practice still legal in 32 US states

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California has officially banned child marriage, with Governor Gavin Newsom signing legislation to end the practice that is still legal in 32 US states. The new law, which will come into effect on 1 January, states people must be 18 to get married in the Golden State. Newsom called it a “long overdue measure to protect young Californians and minors”. He signed the bill into law with Courtney Stodden, whose parents allowed her to marry a 50-year-old Hollywood actor when she was just 16.

Stodden, who has been advocating to end the practice, called the change a “victory” and said survivors of child marriage should “never have been expected to carry this burden”. Gov Gavin Newsom called the law “overdue” Stodden said she would “keep fighting until children are protected from marriage in all 50 states”. She was married to actor Doug Hutchison – known for roles in The Green Mile, A Time to Kill and I Am Sam – in 2011, spurring headlines internationally over the controversy and appearances on several reality programmes in the US, including the VH1 series Couples Therapy. Other survivors of child marriage also applauded the new law.

“California has sent a clear message to the world today,” Brittany Bee, a former child bride, told the BBC. “A message of hope for all children that they may be free from systemic violence. That they may choose their own path.” Bee told the BBC she was wed at the age of 17 to escape an abusive home – only to then be allegedly abused by her adult husband. “I was just going from one prison to another,” she explained. “People have the audacity to tell me that I made a choice – kids, they can’t consent.” Bee and other child marriage survivors have been working for years to have child marriages banned in California and across the United States. About a decade ago, the practice was still allowed across all US state but more and more states have been altering laws.

California is the 18th to ban it since 2018. In the state, there had been no legal age to wed, allowing children to get married as long as their parents consent and a judge signs off on the nuptials. There was also no mechanism for people under 18 to get divorced and many girls say they were trapped in abusive and predatory relationships. Unchained At Last, an advocacy group fighting to end child marriage across the US, said about 9,000 girls were wed each year in California and that almost all child marriages involved girls to adult men. Advocates say that many in the US don’t even know that child marriage is legal in so many US states, nor that is has led to allegations of abuse.

Sara Tasneem, who says she was forced to marry a man nearly twice her age when she was 15 years old, told the BBC that it felt “surreal” to finally have the state recognise that child marriage should be banned. She says she started lobbying for this herself in 2017. She was introduced to her husband the morning of their arranged marriage. “I was forced to be his wife and that day, my entire life changed,” she told the BBC. She became a mother the following year, at the age of 16, and dropped out of school. “To have seen the arc of this bill come to fruition has been a marathon,” Tasneem said. “I’m just grateful that kids cannot get married after January 1, 2027 in California.”

Source: California bans child marriage, a practice still legal in 32 US states

But many who are first will be last, and the last first.
Matthew 19:30

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Back to school and digital safety: why parents should reconsider posting that first day picture

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Students with backpacks gathered beside a yellow school bus

With the school year approaching, parents and caregivers are focused on making sure the kids enjoy school, but also making sure they do so safely.  In the internet and social media age that we live in, our protective instincts have never been more challenged, so the last thing we want to do is increase the risk. In fact, there’s something a lot of parents do that could hurt their child both in the present and in the future.  The first-day-of-school picture has become a marker of time, a way to cherish the passing of time, as well as a child’s growth. 

“Because you are so proud of your child, and their growing and moving on to a milestone, as well,” said Alanna Powers-O’Brien of the Family Online Safety Institute. “There is always a chance a bad actor could use that information.”  According to Powers-O’Brien, the risk is mostly related to identity theft that could harm many things later on in life.  “Open a credit card or something like that, and then, before your child has even thought about applying for a credit card, or buying a car, they already have this credit history that they have to figure out how to erase,” she explained.  In order to avoid this, be selective in what you post publicly. She recommends not putting your child’s last name or the school they attend. She also cautioned against using the teacher’s name and to be aware that your address or street name is not visible in the picture you’re posting. 

“Whenever you’re posting something that has to do with your children, make your account private so that only people you know and who you follow can see that information,” Powers-O’Brien added.  She also said that you should consider just going old school and sending the pictures to a closed circle of relatives and friends rather than posting them on the internet.  Then, when your child gets older, be sure to have a conversation about online safety so they know the boundaries of what they can and cannot put on the internet. 

Source: Back to school and digital safety: why parents should reconsider posting that first day picture – CBS Pittsburgh

No one is holy like the LORD, For there is none besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God.
1 Samuel 2:2

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Milton couple riding third Pan-Mass Challenge to support pediatric leukemia research, celebrate son’s health

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The gift of having two healthy children is never lost on Camila and Rob Obi-Tabot.  In March of 2023, their daughter Louisa Catalina (Cata) was 5 when their son Leandro Sebastian (Seba) was born. A happy baby with a sweet smile and big brown eyes, Seba developed RSV before his 2-month checkup.  Shortly after he recovered, Camila and Rob noticed that he had developed small red bumps, sinus-like issues, and a slight fever.  They assumed it was a relapse of RSV.  At Seba’s two-month checkup, his doctor observed the symptoms and sent the family to Boston Children’s Hospital for tests. 

They weren’t home 20 minutes when the hospital called them back with a sense of urgency. “They were like, we need you to come back right now. We have a room for you in the emergency room, we’re waiting for you,” Camila remembers. They were told that Seba’s white blood count was unusually high.  “We do what you’re definitely not supposed to do,” Rob explains. “We go on the internet. Looking up ‘what does a high white blood cell count mean for a baby?'” Rob says they were startled by the answer. “We started seeing leukemia show up,” he said.   Devastating diagnosis Sure enough, within minutes of their arrival, a doctor at Children’s was preparing the couple for the devastating news that Seba had some form of leukemia. He assured them that the diagnosis was no longer a death sentence. “I want you to have hope.

We’re going to have the doctors down from Dana-Farber immediately,” Rob recalled the doctor saying.  To this day, Camila is certain that the doctors who cared for Seba that night saved his life. With his blood so viscous that it wasn’t circulating properly, Seba was struggling to breathe. Doctors had no choice but to sedate him and start chemotherapy. The toxins in the treatment threatened his tiny liver and kidneys. Rob remembers the first two days in the hospital as frightening and uncertain. “We just had to look at each other and hope and pray that everything was going to be all right,” Rob said.   Seba, their little “Guerrero” (warrior in Spanish) turned a corner on Day 3.

His kidney problems dissipated. After making steady progress, the little 8-week-old was strong enough to move from the intensive care unit to 6 Northeast, the floor at Children’s for patients with cancer. Seba, who doctors determined had acute myelogenous leukemia, spent the next five months in the hospital undergoing five rounds of chemo.  Camila and Rob took turns staying with him.  The staff set up a desk in Seba’s room so that Rob could continue working without leaving his son’s side. Family members flew into Boston from around the country to help. “We could not have done the five months without our friends and family,” Camila says with deep gratitude. Knowing that Louisa was spending time with loved ones gave them peace of mind and much-needed time to make critical decisions in the hospital.  

“There were just so many difficult conversations of like—he’s having morphine. What will that do to him? Will he become addicted? Will that have lasting effects?” Rob said. The doctors and nurses became like family. “It was home. And they made it that way for us,” Rob explains. Leaving the hospital as a family In October 2023, Seba was discharged from Children’s cancer-free.  The memory of that emotional moment still moves Rob to tears almost three years later. “I said, back when we were in the ICU and everything was really dreadful,” Rob recalls, “I told everybody I could, we are leaving this place as a family. And that day, for that to be the reality was, I can’t explain that feeling.”  

In the footage of their departure from the hospital, the family is beaming as they navigate colored streamers in the hallway and soak up the elated applause of hospital employees.  “The triumph that you have walking out of there as a family. We believed it but for that to be a reality was … it’s indescribable,” Rob said.   Thankful, they wanted to do something to support other families.  The day of Seba’s first post-hospital checkup, that “something” revealed itself as they crossed the Pan-Mass Challenge bridge on the way to the Jimmy Fund Clinic. Camila noticed the photos of cyclists and began to read the captions and stories. “It was kind of instinctual,” she recalls. “I said, I’m going to do this.”  Team Guerreros por Seba   Rob was also taken with the display and immediately wondered how they would ever ride the distance that PMC riders complete.

“I don’t like driving 100 miles much less riding a bike for that long,” Rob laughed. One other important factor was that Camila did not know how to ride a bike. But that didn’t seem to matter. “When she said she wanted to do it, I was all in. Let’s do it!” Rob said. Leading “Team Guerreros por Seba,” Rob and Camila began training in February of 2024.  She learned to ride on a heavy 10-speed they bought on Facebook Marketplace. Rob rented the city’s Blue Bikes. They quickly discovered a joy and purpose in riding together. “To have the gratefulness we had and to be able to do something with that,” Camila explains, “we couldn’t have had a better gift.”

It also gave them a chance to reconnect in a fun, positive way after the anxious months they spent with Seba in the hospital. Riding was therapeutic. “It fueled us,” she said. “It helped us heal a lot more because we started going on rides together.” In August of 2024, they rode their first PMC with friends and family members. They were hooked. They now have a new pedal partner: 16-year-old Paul Gauthier of Billerica who will finish his last treatment in August.  They also welcome a new teammate.  Seba’s oncologist Dr. Jessica Pollard is training for her first PMC, an experience that has brought her even closer to the Obi-Tabot family. “This is a very special family who is just so fun, so positive,” Pollard said. Last year, Dr. Pollard cheered on riders on Cape Cod.

This year, as she pedals from Bourne to Provincetown, she says she will be thinking of Seba and her late mother-in-law who died of pancreatic cancer in November.  “I’m excited to be with all these people who are united in an effort to help raise money to support people going through cancer treatment and to aid in cancer discovery,” Pollard said. “I think that’s my greatest love in medicine, it’s the camaraderie and the teamwork. This bike ride is another example of that.” How the PMC supports research Dr. Pollard helps run a clinical research program at Dana-Farber and describes PMC support for researchers’ work as “invaluable.”  She says that, particularly with funding cuts, their work relies on philanthropy to keep clinical trial programs open.

Clinical trials are essential to prove that new treatments are beneficial and safe.  Team Guerreros por Seba directs its PMC funding to Dr. Pollard’s research and the Pediatric Patient Assistance Fund. At their home in Milton, Louisa and Seba play tag on a summer day.  On the Saturday of PMC weekend, they’ll be with their mom in the Pedal Partner tent. Camila looks forward to sharing the experience with them. “The joy they feel seeing our team come through. Each kid makes their own poster. They have so much fun,” Camila said. “Other kids might complain that they’re out there a long time, but it’s become our family tradition. It’s a really fun day for us.” Rob will ride Day 1 from Worcester to Bourne. Camila will ride Day 2 from Bourne to Provincetown. Rob is looking forward to riding from the new Day 1 start at the College of the Holy Cross, being with their teammates, and not getting a flat tire this year. Seba is thriving.

His check-ups are now every six months as opposed to the monthly or weekly check-ups he’s had in years past. Rob and Camila describe him as a typically fearless toddler who loves to push boundaries.  Even when parenting is hard, they say they are thankful.  Every day they are reminded that had Seba not responded to the treatment he received in those first months of his life, they might not have the opportunities they enjoy now. They ride the PMC with gratitude and hope that their efforts will lead to lifesaving breakthroughs for other children. 

“On that ride,” Rob says, “I’m directly contributing to ensuring that a family doesn’t have to be told by a doctor there’s nothing else we can do.” To donate or learn more about the Pan-Mass Challenge, go to pmc.org.100% of every rider-raised dollar goes directly to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Source: Milton couple riding third Pan-Mass Challenge to support pediatric leukemia research, celebrate son’s health – CBS Boston

For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Romans 13:9

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Texas child‑exploitation crackdown leads to 276 arrests and 89 children rescued, authorities say

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armed combat forces on american street

A sweeping two‑month child‑exploitation crackdown across Texas has led to 276 arrests and the rescue of 89 children, federal and local authorities announced this week. Officials called Operation Soteria Shield one of the state’s largest coordinated efforts to combat online predators. The initiative, led by FBI Dallas and dozens of Texas law enforcement agencies, ran from March to April 2026. Those arrested face charges ranging from possession, distribution, and production of child sexual abuse material to online solicitation, trafficking, and sexual assault. The 89 rescued children include previously unidentified victims.  The crackdown brought together 91 agencies and 197 personnel, including investigators, analysts, digital‑forensics specialists, prosecutors, and child‑advocacy partners.  

Targeting online child exploitation Operation Soteria Shield focused on identifying people who target children across social media, messaging apps, and other online platforms. Investigators pursued suspects accused of creating, sharing, or possessing child sexual abuse material, soliciting minors online, trafficking children, committing sexual assault, and other forms of exploitation. Officials said the cases remain active and additional charges are likely as forensic reviews continue. The effort was announced by the FBI Dallas’ North Texas Child Exploitation Task Force and the North Texas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Leaders stress trauma and teamwork Leaders from the FBI and the police departments of Dallas, Plano, Wylie, Garland, and Fort Worth emphasized the importance of interagency cooperation and the lasting trauma these crimes inflict on victims. “This would not have been successful without the resolve of each participating agency,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “These are not victimless crimes,” Dallas Police Chief Daniel C. Comeaux said.

“They leave lasting trauma on children and families. I am incredibly proud of the work of our investigators and every agency partner who helped make this operation successful.” “Every child deserves to grow up safe, protected, and free from exploitation,” Plano Police Chief Ed Drain said. “This operation reflects our shared commitment to defend children wherever abuse occurs, whether that is in a home, on a device or through an online platform. The work done by these investigators has changed lives.”

Full list of participating agencies

Participating agencies included:

  • Abilene Police Department
  • Allen Police Department
  • Andrews Police Department
  • Aubrey Police Department
  • Azle Police Department
  • Bartonville Police Department
  • Bedford Police Department
  • Bonham Police Department
  • Bowie County Sheriff’s Office
  • Burleson Police Department
  • Carrollton Police Department
  • Celina Police Department
  • Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County
  • Childress County Sheriff’s Office
  • Cleburne Police Department
  • Colleyville Police Department
  • Collin County District Attorney’s Office
  • Collin County Sheriff’s Office
  • Commerce Police Department
  • Cooke County Sheriff’s Office
  • Crowley Police Department
  • Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center
  • Dallas Police Department
  • Denton County Sheriff’s Office
  • Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division
  • DeSoto Police Department
  • Dublin Police Department
  • Duncanville Police Department
  • Ellis County Sheriff’s Office
  • Elm Ridge Police Department
  • Euless Police Department
  • Fannin County Sheriff’s Office
  • Farmers Branch Police Department
  • FBI Dallas Field Office
  • FBI El Paso Field Office
  • FBI San Antonio Field Office
  • Flower Mound Police Department
  • Fort Worth Police Department
  • Frisco Police Department
  • Garland Police Department
  • Grayson County Sheriff’s Office
  • Greenville Police Department
  • Gregg County Sheriff’s Office
  • Harrison County Sheriff’s Office
  • Hawk Cove Police Department
  • Henderson County Sheriff’s Office
  • Highland Park Department of Public Safety
  • Homeland Security Investigations
  • Honey Grove Police Department
  • Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office
  • Irving Police Department
  • Johnson County Sheriff’s Office
  • Lamesa Police Department
  • Lewisville Police Department
  • Little Elm Police Department
  • Littlefield Police Department
  • Lone Star Police Department
  • Longview Police Department
  • Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office
  • Lubbock Police Department
  • McKinney Police Department
  • Mesquite Police Department
  • Midlothian Police Department
  • Northlake Police Department
  • Office of Inspector General – Texas Juvenile Justice Department
  • Olney Police Department
  • Palmer Police Department
  • Pampa Police Department
  • Parker County Sheriff’s Office
  • Plainview Police Department
  • Plano Police Department
  • Princeton Police Department
  • Prosper Police Department
  • Richardson Police Department
  • Rockwall County Criminal District Attorney’s Office
  • Rockwall Police Department
  • Rockwall County Sheriff’s Office
  • Rowlett Police Department
  • Royse City Police Department
  • Rusk County Sheriff’s Office
  • Seminole Police Department
  • Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office
  • Taylor County Sheriff’s Office
  • Texas Department of Public Safety
  • U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas
  • U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas
  • Valley View Police Department
  • White Settlement Police Department
  • Wilmer Police Department
  • Wylie Police Department

Source: Texas child‑exploitation crackdown leads to 276 arrests and 89 children rescued, authorities say – CBS Texas

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.
1 Peter 3:15

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Denver Public Schools considering banning cellphones during school hours

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group of people sitting beside a fence

Denver Public Schools is now considering a bell-to-bell policy, which would mean students wouldn’t be able to use their cellphones, not even during passing periods and lunch. It would also include other personal devices such as laptops, smartwatches, and wireless earbuds to prevent students from working around the phone ban. All Colorado school districts must establish their own cellphone policies according to law.

“We all just realized, once you know better, you need to do better,” said Sarah Almy Moore, a DPS parent and a member of the Communication Devices Advisory Committee tasked with creating the cellphone policy recommendation for the school board. “We heard from a lot of different people,” she said. The committee spoke with and heard from hundreds of students, teachers, parents, and even members of the school safety team when doing the research. “There’s 17 states that have implemented a bell-to-bell ban on devices,” Almy Moore said. “So this is not like a groundbreaking thing.

Source: Denver Public Schools considering banning cellphones during school hours – CBS Colorado

That I may come to you with joy by the will of God, and may be refreshed together with you.
Romans 15:32

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