Sexual Assault

On Friday February 11, the day Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak stepped down, CBS correspondent Lara Logan was covering the jubilation in Tahrir Square for a 60 MINUTES story when she and her team and their security were surrounded by a dangerous element amidst the celebration. It was a mob of more than 200 people whipped into frenzy. In the crush of the mob, she was separated from her crew. She was surrounded and suffered a brutal and sustained sexual assault and beating before being saved by a group of women and an estimated 20 Egyptian soldiers.

From now until January 15, 2008, Crime Stoppers of Wichita/Sedgwick County is offering a maximum reward payout of $2,500.00 for information that leads to the arrest of the suspect(s) in the robbery/sexual assault that occurred on North Edgemoor on December 21, 2007. If anyone has any information about this crime, they can call Crime Stoppers at (316) 267-2111 (toll free at 1-800-222-TIPS). Crime Stoppers of Wichita/Sedgwick County is a non-profit organization of citizens against crime.

A man who served prison time for the rape of a Wichita teenager has pleaded guilty to sexual assault in Kansas City. Wesley Watson was parolled on the earlier rape conviction less than a year before the Kansas City attack. He had been accused of impersonating a police officer at a Kansas City Walmart in order to assault the woman. After the guilty plea, Watson will be sentenced in April, and faces more than 28 years in prison.

More than a hundred people came to a community meeting in Derby to discuss a recent sexual assault. Officers say a woman was attacked in her home on the east side of the city by a man wearing a black ski mask. The incident happened last Monday around noon. Police called the community meeting for this weekend to answer questions about the sexual assault. Police held the meeting  to provide crime prevention tips as well as answer questions about the attack. They are urging people to keep all their doors and windows locked, even if they are at home at the time.

Several students are cited for underage drinking in Cowley County. According to Arkansas City Police Chief Sean Wallace, officers were called to Cowley Campus. Officers with campus security detained several students for underage drinking. The students include a 20-year-old, a 19-year-old and three 18-year-olds. All of them were cited for Minor Consumtion of Alcohol. Two of them were also arrested for hosting an alcohol party. Wallace says all of them attend Cowley College, but are not from the area.

Update: District Attorney Marc Bennett says no charges will be filed against a former Wichita State basketball player accused of rape. The DA's office says it made the decision after reviewing the facts of the case, applicable laws and discussing the matter with the reporting party and her family.  The DA says, like any case, if additional information comes to light, the case could be reconsidered in the future. The case stems from a report last month that a 20-year-old woman woke up during a sexual assault at another player's house.

See Cliff Judy's Live Interactive Blog above.  Click the link at the top of the page to watch live in-court coverage. Warning: Live streaming video is unedited - and some testimony may contain graphic language that may be offensive or upsetting.  There may be times when a witness asks not to have his or her video or audio used.  During these times, the live streaming video will go black.  You can also review the case using the links to our previous coverage on Jodi's Murder on the left.

An inmate at the Sedgwick County jail says a deputy handcuffed and raped him in his cell earlier this month. Two Wichita lawyers are now investigating the claim from June 3rd. “What is going on is an absolute abuse of authority,” says attorney Mark Schoenhofer. Schoenhofer says he and Kurt Kerns plan to file a "notice of claim.” That's the first step needed before a civil lawsuit can be filed. Schoenhofer says it's unclear whether criminal charges will be filed, but he thinks there is enough evidence to prove the abuse happened.

A pastor in northeast Kansas is drawing national attention for comments he made about gays during a recent sermon. Curtis Knapp is the pastor of the New Hope Baptist Church in Seneca, Kansas. In audio posted online, he says the following: "Oh, so you're saying we should go out and start killing them? No, I'm saying the government should. They won't, but they should. " Click to Listen to Sermon In an interview on Wednesday, Knapp compared homosexuality to the sexual assault of children.

A Haysville father has pleaded guilty to setting his step daughter on fire.  Chris Newberry also pleaded guilty to one count of rape and five counts of arson.  Prosecutors added the new count of rape today. Newberry was charged with one count of Attempted Murder in the fire in March of 2009.  His 10-year-old step-daughter was badly burned in that fire.  She is now recovering.  HEr grandmother said the girl now wants to be an Olympic runner.  "She loves school, she loves riding her bike.