WRITER: Kim Callahan

Affidavit describes how violent sex offender from New York allegedly targeted Lawrence child online, eliciting thousands of lewd messages, photos, plans to meet in person

A 35-year-old New York man exchanged thousands of lewd messages, including sexually graphic photos, videos and phone calls, with a Lawrence 14-year-old, and made plans to travel here for the purposes of statutorily raping her, according to allegations in his arrest affidavit, which was released Monday morning. The Douglas County District Attorney's Office and defense attorney Hatem Chahine both had asked Judge ...

Lawrence school district says it's not vicariously liable for sex crimes allegedly committed by speech pathologist at grade school

The Lawrence school district is claiming that it is not vicariously liable for the alleged sexual battery of a 6-year-old student in February by a speech pathologist at her elementary school, and is asking the Douglas County District Court to throw out that portion of a lawsuit. The lawsuit was filed against the school district in March on behalf of a student who alleged that she was sexually abused by Mark ...

Defense attorney argues release of affidavit will 'inexorably harm' client accused of child sex crimes, says public 'will be just fine' without it

Updated at 10:32 p.m. Thursday, May 1 A Douglas County defense attorney is asking a judge to keep from public view a document detailing the arrest of an accused sex offender, asserting that “the public will be just fine if the affidavit is sealed.” The attorney, Hatem Chahine, represents Kyle Elder, a 35-year-old man from New York who is facing 11 felony counts of soliciting and sexually exploiting a ...

3 arrested in separate incidents of alleged indecent exposure, lewd behavior

A man was arrested early Wednesday morning for allegedly exposing himself and urinating as police were talking to him about a reported fight in a bar's parking lot. He was one of three men arrested in the past 24 hours arrested on suspicion of indecent exposure or lewd conduct. Lawrence police officers were called just before 2 a.m. to the West Coast Saloon, 2222 Iowa St., for a report of a fight involving ...

Douglas County DA's Office wants judge to seal probable cause affidavit of New York sex offender accused in Douglas County crimes

The Douglas County District Attorney's Office is requesting that the probable cause affidavit of a New York-registered violent sex offender accused of multiple child sex crimes in Douglas County be kept under wraps. Senior Assistant District Attorney Ricardo Leal has asked a judge to seal the document that details the circumstances around the arrest of Kyle Elder, 35, who stands accused of 10 counts of sexual ...

Company wins $50 million grand prize in contest to slow global warming; its chief science officer is a Free State grad

Back in the early 2000s Jake Jordan was doing what a lot of high school kids do — hanging out, participating in sports, feeling angst. In his case, though, the angst wasn't about fitting in or being popular. It was about climate change. "You can go to Free State High School and ask my guidance counselor: I was stressed about this when I was like 14 or 15 years old," he said. Fortunately, it's a stress that ...