Delaware Probation Officers keeping sex offenders off the streets this Halloween

Dover – Registered sex offenders on probation in Delaware are being kept off the streets this Halloween in the interest of public safety as a condition of their supervision by the Department of Correction, Commissioner Robert M. Coupe announced today.

Each year on Halloween night, the Department of Correction imposes special conditions on all high risk sex offenders and sex offenders with child victims who are under the supervision of Probation and Parole, requiring them to remain inside their home with outside lights turned off beginning at 6 p.m. Friday.

“Probation and Parole Officers will be out on the streets on Halloween night to help ensure that sex offenders on probation keep a safe distance from children and to provide an extra measure of protection to parents and kids who are out trick-or-treating,” Commissioner Coupe said.

In addition to requiring these designated offenders to remain inside their home, they are also prohibited from distributing candy, participating in Halloween-related activities, or displaying Halloween decorations. Designated homeless sex offenders under the supervision of Probation and Parole are required to report to the Probation and Parole Office in their county at 5:30 p.m., where they will remain until 9:00 p.m.

Teams of Probation and Parole officers will be out on the streets in each county tomorrow night conducting residence checks at the homes of designated sex offenders to ensure that they comply with these special Halloween conditions. Last year, teams of probation officers made more than 430 residence visits on Halloween night, and those checks resulted in 6 offenders being taken into custody for violating the terms of their probation.

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Child Predator Task Force Investigation Results in 44-Year Sentence for Kent County Man

DOVER – A Kent County man was sentenced Thursday to spend the next 44 years in prison for his sexual crimes against children, Attorney General Beau Biden announced.

Stephen M. Parsons, 26 of Vineyard Lane in Felton, pled guilty in September to one count of first-degree rape, one count of sexual exploitation of a child and two counts of dealing child pornography. He was initially arrested and charged with child pornography offenses in March by the Child Predator Task Force. The Task Force continued its investigation, and a few weeks later arrested Parsons again after discovering evidence that Parsons had sexually abused a young child in his care and taken pornographic pictures of his victim.

“This predator is the worst of the worst,” Biden said. “He will no longer be able to harm children. This case shows why Delaware needs police and prosecutors working side by side to track down and stop those want to hurt our kids.”

Parsons was sentenced by Kent County Superior Court Judge Robert B. Young. Parsons faced a minimum of 21 years in prison.

Since Biden worked with the General Assembly and the Delaware law enforcement to establish the Child Predator Task Force, the task force’s work has led to more than 200 convictions and the rescue of at least 120 children from abusive situations.

“This case is exactly why the Child Predator Task Force was created,” said Deputy Attorney General Abigail Layton, who is the head of the Task Force and prosecuted Parsons.

A booking image of Parsons is available upon request.

Multi Agency Underage Drinking Enforcement Yields 145 Arrests, Additional Charges Pending

October 29th, 2014

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SUBJECT: Multi-Agency Underage Drinking Operation Yields 145 Arrests, Additional Charges Pending

On Saturday, October 25th, 2014, officers from the Newark Police Department, University of Delaware Police Department and Delaware Division of Alcohol & Tobacco Enforcement (DATE) initiated an Underage Drinking Enforcement Operation in the City of Newark. During the operation officers observed a loud party in the unit block of Continental Avenue and, after an undercover investigation, officers determined that alcohol was being provided to minors at that location.

Officers executed a search warrant at the residence just after 3:00pm finding a large number of individuals. Officers identified 145 underage subjects (including 3 who were under the age of 18), at the home who had consumed alcohol. All were arrested and released pending future court appearances. The juvenile subjects were turned over to the custody of their parents.

Newark Police continue to investigate this incident and have identified three residents of the home that will be arrested on the following charges:

145 cts – Providing Alcohol to a Minor
2 cts – Possession of Marijuana
3 cts – Noise Violation
3 cts – Underage Consumption of Alcohol
3 cts – Failure to Obtain Event Permit for Gathering over 150 people
3 cts – Conspiracy to Provide Alcohol to Minors

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact Cpl. Greg Micolucci at 302-366-7110 ext 412 or greg.micolucci@cj.state.de.us. You can send an anonymous text message tip by texting 302NPD and your message to TIP411. Information can also be provided anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333 or via the internet at www.tipsubmit.com where a reward may be available.

The Newark Police Department affirms that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Media Contact: Lt. Mark A. Farrall, Public Information Officer, 302-366-7110 ext 125 or mark.farrall@cj.state.de.us.

Delaware Update on Ebola Prevention and Preparation

Dover, DE – Joined by the State’s top health officials, along with infectious disease and emergency response experts, Governor Markell today provided an update on ongoing statewide efforts in response to the Ebola virus epidemic.

“We are facing an unprecedented situation with the Ebola virus, making prevention and preparation efforts vital,” said Governor Markell. “While the risk of transmission in Delaware is low, the State has been preparing for the potential of any Ebola cases for months to ensure we are in the best possible position to keep the public safe.”

While there are no cases in Delaware and the risk of transmission is low, the Division of Public Health (DPH) in the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) is working to ensure the appropriate screening tools and disease prevention strategies are used to further reduce any chance of transmission. These tools and strategies are based on the best currently available science, which tells us that Ebola virus is only transmitted by infected patients who have symptoms. The risk of getting the disease through normal, everyday contact is extremely low.

DPH is working closely with hospitals, medical providers, EMS companies, and many other partners to prepare, coordinate care, and provide advice and guidance. Issues being addressed by this group include how to screen for the disease, safe ambulance transportation of potential Ebola patients, personal protective equipment guidance and availability, hospital readiness, infectious disease monitoring, and protocols for any doctor’s office that might see a case.

“Delaware’s hospitals know that the best way to address Ebola is to prevent its spread. The Division’s approach to doing that is sound, science-based, and will help protect both Delawareans and the health care professionals who care for them,” said Wayne Smith, President and CEO of the Delaware Healthcare Association.

In addition, the Governor has directed engagement from all cabinet-level agencies to ensure statewide efforts are coordinated and comprehensive.

“If a case is confirmed in Delaware, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rapid response team would be on the ground to assist us,” said Secretary Rita Landgraf. “They would support the Division of Public Health to trace any potential contacts who might need to be monitored, have activity restrictions or, although unlikely, be quarantined. The CDC also would work with the State and the hospitals to determine if the ill patient should be moved out of state for treatment.”

In coordination with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), DPH is receiving notice of all travelers from the three West African countries, Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia.

DPH is in daily contact with those persons to check their status and health, and will remain in daily contact throughout the 21-day period following their last potential Ebola exposure. If anyone shows symptoms of illness or a fever, they will be taken to the closest hospital for evaluation, and, if needed, isolation and testing. Currently there are 11 individuals in Delaware who are considered low risk that are being monitored. Eight live in New Castle County and three live in Kent County. “Low risk” is defined as having no known direct contact with a person infected with the Ebola virus.

Delaware is also designating “high risk” and “some risk” categories for those who have had direct contact with a person or people symptomatic with the Ebola virus. (See attached) These individuals will receive direct active monitoring for the 21-day incubation period by Division of Public Health staff, including daily visits. “High risk” individuals must also be quarantined at home and “some risk” individuals must limit their activities, including avoiding public transportation and large gatherings, and seeking approval from DPH to travel.

DHSS urges people not to make assumptions that someone might be infected based on their accent, background or skin color, and it is important to remember how hard the disease is to transmit.

If you wish to discuss a suspected case, you may contact DPH 24/7 at 888-295-5156, including weekends and holidays. If you have general questions, the CDC has a 24/7 line available for information on the Ebola virus at 800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636).

Photos from Ebola Briefing

Video from Ebola Briefing

Ebola Monitoring Fact Sheet

For further Ebola information and resources visit the Delaware Public Health homepage.

A person who is deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind, or speech-disabled can call the DPH phone number above by using TTY services. Dial 7-1-1 or 800-232-5460 to type your conversation to a relay operator, who reads your conversation to a hearing person at DPH. The relay operator types the hearing person’s spoken words back to the TTY user. To learn more about TTY availability in Delaware, visit here.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware’s citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations. DPH, a division of DHSS, urges Delawareans to make healthier choices with the 5-2-1 Almost None campaign: eat 5 or more fruits and vegetables each day, have no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time each day (includes TV, computer, gaming), get 1 or more hours of physical activity each day, drink almost no sugary beverages.

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Biden Warns Delaware Consumers and Investors About Ebola Scams

WILMINGTON – Attorney General Beau warned Delaware consumers and investors today to be on guard against Ebola-related charitable and investment scams.

Sadly, scams regularly pop up to take advantage of the latest tragedy that’s in the news, such as a natural disaster or a school shooting. The national Better Business Bureau is reporting this month that fraudulent Web sites have been created that claim to be soliciting charitable donations and that scams have been reported in New York that involve phone calls from a fake charity that claimed to be raising money to help Ebola victims Africa.

For investors, the Biden’s Investor Protection Unit and the North American Association of Securities Administrators are warning against requests for financial support from companies claiming Ebola preparedness kits or vaccines. The federal Food and Drug Administration has not approved an Ebola vaccine.

Investors should approach with caution any unsolicited Ebola-related investment opportunities, especially those that come through the Internet, the Delaware Investor Protection Unit and the NAASA warned. The NAASA, which includes Delaware’s Investor Protection Unit, recently found 184 Ebola-related Web sites that the association suspects are fraudulent. Many of those sites have words such as “fund,” “invest,” “stock” or “futures” in their titles.

For consumers who may be the target of Ebola-related charitable scams, Biden and his

Consumer Protection Unit recommend the following tips:

· Make sure a charity is legitimate by visiting the Better Business Bureau at www.bbb.org, Charity Navigator at www.charitynavigator.org, or the American Institute of Philanthropy at www.charitywatch.org where you can view lists of verified charities. Ensure that the solicitation website and the purported charity match and that the website is secure.

· Hang up on aggressive cold callers and delete unsolicited e-mail. Fraudulent solicitors will do their best to appeal to your emotions; legitimate charities will inform you of their charitable mission and the ways your donation will be put to good use.

· Ask whether your donation is tax-deductible. You have a right to know how your donated funds are used and you are entitled to ask questions and get answers about the charity that will be receiving your money.

· Avoid clicking on links received via email or online pop-ups and do not provide any personal information to anyone you suspect is attempting to fraudulently solicit you. Providing even your address or zip code may allow fraudsters to take advantage of you. • Do not give cash donations and do not supply your credit card number or other personal financial information. If you wish to make a donation, you should pay by check and make the payment out to the charity’s full name. Avoid using initials or abbreviations in making out the check and do not make it payable to anyone except the legitimate charity you want the funds to go to.

Anyone who suspects they have been scammed or have received a suspicious solicitation, Biden said, should immediately call the Attorney General’s toll-free Consumer Hotline at 1-800-220-5424 or email the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Unit at consumer.protection@delaware.gov. Investors can contact the Investor Protection Unit at 302-577-8424 or investor.protection@delaware.gov.