WRITER: Mackenzie Clark

Lawrence massage therapist who had contracts with KU Athletics bound over for trial in child sex crime case

A Lawrence massage therapist who had contracts with multiple University of Kansas women’s athletics teams was bound over for trial Tuesday in connection with alleged sexual abuse of a girl. Shawn P. O’Brien, 49, was initially charged with one count of aggravated indecent liberties with a child based on a girl’s report that he had sexually abused her multiple times when she was 9 or 10 years old. The ...

Man bound over for trial in alleged sexual abuse of Lawrence girl

A man was bound over for trial Monday in connection with a woman’s allegations of repeated sexual abuse that she said began about six years ago, when she was a teenager. Joseph Christopher Hess, 36, was charged in June 2019 with two counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, three counts of criminal sodomy and one count of attempted aggravated indecent liberties with a child. The woman said she ...

Prosecutor withdraws from Rontarus Washington Jr. murder case

The former chief assistant district attorney who has been prosecuting a high-profile Lawrence murder case for several years has withdrawn from the case, court documents show. CJ Rieg left the Douglas County district attorney’s office in March and is now an assistant attorney general at the state level. However, she has stayed on as a special assistant district attorney in the case against Rontarus Washington ...

Douglas County’s first responder assistance coordinator steps down; position won’t be filled

After talks of cutting the position to part-time, Douglas County’s first responder assistance coordinator has stepped down, according to the sheriff’s office. Paul Taylor’s last day with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office was Friday, said Jenn Hethcoat, public information officer. He has also resigned from Chaplain Services, a volunteer program that offers chaplain support to first responders and ...

Lawrence man sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexually abusing young girl for years

Updated at 2:15 p.m. Wednesday: A Lawrence man was sentenced Wednesday to just more than 10 years in prison for sexually abusing a girl he babysat for four years, starting when she was 4 years old. Johnie L. Saluto, 32, entered a plea in March to two counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, both level-3 felonies. He had initially faced seven charges, including four felonies that were punishable ...

Man sentenced to prison for sexual assault of teen after judge rejects agreement for probation

A Lawrence man was sentenced Monday to three years in prison after pleading guilty to indecent liberties with a child. Jimmy E. Scott, 45, pleaded guilty to the charge, a level 5 felony, in March. He had previously been charged with aggravated indecent liberties, a slightly more severe level 4 felony. As the Journal-World reported, Scott’s charges stem from a 15-year-old girl’s report in March 2018 about ...