A retired Marine Corps captain was sentenced today in Los Angeles to 210 years in federal prison for the violent sexually abuse of young girls in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Michael Pepe “destroyed or permanently damaged seven young lives,” U.S. District Judge Dale S. Fischer said. “He has absolutely no remorse.”
Pepe, 60, was prosecuted under a federal law meant to punish people who engage in child sex tourism. He was convicted in May 2008, but sentencing was postponed after defense allegations arose that an interpreter was having an affair with the government’s case agent and evidence could have been tainted as a result.
“He went to Cambodia because it was easy to molest little girls there,” Fischer said. “He raped and tortured them … while maintaining the facade of being interested in the education of Cambodian children.”
Such lengthy sentences are rare in federal court. But Fischer said that in imposing the maximum 30-year stretch for each of Pepe’s seven felony convictions, to run consecutively, the penalty was deserved.

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“Despite the sincere efforts of defense counsel, the court finds no justification that would allow Mr. Pepe ever to be released from prison,” the judge said.
Fischer also awarded restitution of $247,000 to the organizations Agape International Missions and Hagar International, which house and cared for the victims.
According to prosecutors, Pepe receives $4,000 per month from the U.S. Department of Defense for his military retirement and disability compensation. The judge indicated she would order that those payments be garnished to pay the restitution.
“As far as I’m concerned, every last dime of it should go to the children,” Fischer said.
Pepe, whose U.S. address was listed as Oxnard, was working part-time as a professor at a Cambodian university when he was arrested by the Cambodian National Police in June 2006.
The investigation into Pepe began when a victim reported that she and several other children had been abused by the man. During a search of his Phnom Penh villa, police found three female victims, aged 9, 10 and 11, as well as hundreds of pornographic images, various drugs, children’s clothes, and rope and cloth strips, which victims said Pepe used to bind and gag them, according to court filings.
Further investigation in Cambodia located additional minor victims, ranging from 10 to 14 years of age.
Cambodian police arrested Pepe in 2006 and he was extradited to the United States the following year.
All seven of Pepe’s victims testified at his trial.
In arguing for a 15-year sentence, Deputy Federal Public Defender Charles Brown said Pepe’s life will be in jeopardy when he is moved from the downtown federal lockup to prison.
“I don’t know how long he will survive, knowing these allegations,” Brown said, adding that his client has a history of mental illness. “These are the acts of someone who’s sick.”
Pepe, chained at the ankles, wrists and waist, stood impassively during the hour long hearing in the nearly empty courtroom.
In a brief statement, Pepe said he had spent 20 years in the Marine Corps and suffered from organic brain damage and “psychotic effects” from withdrawal from psychiatric medication.
As for the victims, Pepe offered an apology, of sorts, to “the girls, if you believe that I have harmed you. I … wish you good luck in the future.”
Fischer said she would recommend that Pepe be sent to a federal prison that has a sex offender management program.

A Lexington gas station was robbed early Sunday morning, and authorities are still searching for the man responsible.

According to police, just after 1 a.m. a man entered the Thorton’s gas station on South Broadway asking the clerk and two contract workers for money, gun in hand.

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The man was described as a black male wearing a tan Carhartt-style jacket. He did get away with an unknown amount of cash.

It is currently unknown as to whether he is related to any other recent robberies in the area.

Deputies with the Madison County sheriff’s department are searching for a 2-year-old girl last seen at her house.

Authorities say Myra Lewis, 2, was last seen Saturday by her mother at their house on Mount Pilgrim Road in Camden. Ericka Lewis, the child’s mother, said she last saw Myra when leaving to go to the grocery store. Myra and her sister were outside playing, and Ericka Lewis told them to go inside.

“I saw her walk back into the house with her sister,” Lewis told WLBT.

Ericka Lewis left about 10:30 a.m. She said the child’s father was in the house when she left. A newborn was also allegedly in the house at the time.

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None of the other children are missing, and authorities have not released information about the father.

Myra Lewis is approximately three-feet tall and weighs about 25 pounds. She was last seen wearing khaki pants, a turquoise sweather with a black bear on the front and pink shoes with glitter.

Authorities are asking anyone with information about the girl’s whereabouts to contact the Madison County Sheriff’s Department at (601) 859-2345.

Fourteen people are facing child porn and exploitation charges after an undercover investigation involving more than three dozen law enforcement agencies.

Georgia Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Sherry Lang said in a release Sunday that the investigation, called “Operation Broken Heart” was focused on arresting people who use the Internet to solicit children for sex. Lang says the suspects ranged from 21 to 64 years old, and traveled from across northern Georgia with the intent of meeting a child for sex.

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Some of the people arrested included a 56-year-old elementary school principal from Villa Rica, a 22-year-old software developer from Atlanta and a 52-year-old Engineer from Johns Creek.

Lang says 37 local, state and federal law enforcement agencies participated in the investigation.

A Portland woman went missing Saturday along a rural stretch of the Klamath River about 8 miles east of Interstate 5, authorities said.

A deputy from the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office found 27-year-old Grace Elan Sabots’ abandoned light blue 1989 Toyota Corolla near Skeahan River Bar Access area at about 8:30 a.m. Saturday, according to Allison Giannini, a spokesperson for the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office.

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Upon examining the area, the deputy found evidence that Sabots may be injured or in danger, Giannini said.

“I don’t know if she was just staying there or what she was doing,” said Giannini, who would not elaborate on what evidence led the deputy to believe Sabots is injured or in danger.

“We’re just not releasing that at this time,” she said.

Giannini said a deputy made contact with Sabots on Friday and she appeared to be in good health and was alone.

Sabots has blue eyes, blond hair, weights about 130 pounds and is 5 feet, 3 inches tall, according to the press release distributed by Giannini.

The Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Team and a California Highway Patrol helicopter were deployed Saturday to search for Sabots, the press release said.

Sabots was still missing at about 6 p.m., Giannini said.

The owner of Quigley’s General Store, in nearby Klamath River, said there were several reports Saturday from passersby of sheriff’s deputies working inside crime scene tape around the area of Skeahan Bar, just off Highway 96.

The Skeahan River Bar Access area is popular for camping and offers river access to boaters.

Giannini described the missing person incident involving Sabots as “fairly uncommon.”

Anyone with information about Sabots’ location is being asked to contact the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office dispatch center at 530-841-2900.

The Danville Police Department is investigating a missing person, Charde Pearson (pronounced “Sharday”).

Pearson had been staying at the Candle-Lite Motel in the 3600 block of North Vermilion Street in Danville. She had been staying at the motel for the past several months and was last seen there approximately three weeks ago.

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Pearson is 22 years old, approximately 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighs 120 pounds. She does not have a vehicle.

It is unknown who she may be with.

If anybody has information regarding Pearson’s whereabouts, they are encouraged to contact the Danville Police Department at 431-2245 or Vermilion County Crime Stoppers at 446-TIPS (8477).

Cops are searching for a former NYIT student who has been missing since Monday.

Nassau County Police released the above picture of Jasmine V. Joseph, 22, of Syosset, who has not been seen or heard from since Monday.

Jasmine was last seen leaving her home in a gray 2012 Nissan Altima and was assumed to be heading for the Old Westbury college campus for class, cops said. Jasmine’s parents last heard from her Monday at 2:45 p.m. when she told them she was studying in the library, police reported.

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NCPD confirmed that Jasmine was not enrolled at NYIT for the current semester and that her parents were not aware of that fact.

NYIT released the following statement:

“The NYIT Old Westbury community has been in contact with and is cooperating with the family of a former student, whom the family has reported as missing. Many students and staff members are actively helping to spread the word and share photos, in the hopes that the public will recognize this young woman and contact her family or the authorities. The young woman has not been a student enrolled at NYIT since May 2013; as such, we are unable to provide any current information. Our thoughts are with her loved ones.”

Jasmine is described as an Asian-Indian woman, 5 feet 4 inches tall, 120 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair. She was last seen wearing white and black sneakers, black jeans, and a green sweater.

Detectives are asking anyone who has seen Jasmine to call NCPD’s Missing Persons Squad at 516-573-7347 or call 911.

The Hartford Police Department has issued a Silver Alert for a missing teen who hasn’t been seen since Feb. 18.

Chance Baker, a 15-year-old from Hartford, was last seen wearing black or tan cargo pants, a black hooded sweatshirt and blue Nike sneakers. He is believed to have run away from home, although increasing concern for his well being led to his classification as an endangered runaway.

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A Silver Alert was issued for Barker on Friday by Hartford police. Connecticut’s silver alert system is commonly used to spread the word about runaways and endangered runaways, as well as missing persons with dementia and other cognitive impairments.

Baker is described by police as a dark-skinned bi-racial male, standing 5-feet, 10-inches tall, weighing approximately 150 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with information on his disappearance or whereabouts is asked to call the Hartford Police Department at 860-757-4236.

The family of a 36-year-old San Mateo man who went missing on Feb. 16 only wants one thing — for him to come home.

Brian Butler’s vehicle was found abandoned on Highway 1 and had recently been feeling depressed because of the breakup with his girlfriend of 14 years in September and other stresses. Butler’s friends reported him missing late Sunday, Feb. 16 after they found his unoccupied vehicle parked along the side of Highway 1 south of the Tom Lantos Tunnels. Friends and family say he wasn’t suicidal.

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“We all love Brian and we all want him home,” said Wyatt Fields, who has been friends with Brian since third-grade. “I know the detectives can only do so much, but we just need more information. Something is not adding up; I believe someone out there knows something they’re not saying. Someone needs to come forward.”

Brian’s brother Richard Butler believes Brian just needed space. Brian had recently searched “Is it a crime to run away” on his computer, his family says.

“My theory is he ran a diversion,” Richard Butler said. “I don’t care how not right he was thinking. He wouldn’t have went up there and jumped off any cliff. He just wanted to get sleep and rest.”

Brian’s brother Kevin Butler says Brian’s friend Mike Murtha was the last person to see him before he went missing.

“Brian told him, ‘Don’t believe what they say, I just need to get off the grid for a while,’” Kevin Butler said.

So far, Brian’s family and friends have created a Facebook page called “Find Brian Butler” and have raised $4,000 to help find him. They are currently trying to figure out what to put the money toward and are considering hiring a private investigator. They said they’ve put up fliers everywhere from the Peninsula down to Santa Cruz and have volunteers out searching for Brian.

Brian worked from home doing Internet security sales for a company called FishNet Security. Richard Butler said Brian was feeling overwhelmed, didn’t want to have to worry about sales and wanted a normal job. Brian had recently invested about $10,000 in a rap production, acting and helping produce a video, Richard Butler said. Ultimately, the rapper didn’t like the footage and Brian felt like he had wasted his time, Richard Butler said.

“He wanted to get out of it (Internet security sales) do something he was more passionate about,” Fields said. “He was kind of trying to purge himself. … He was a comedian. He’s been through so much, but he always wanted to know how you were doing and that’s why I think Brian might be out there.”

Brian attended Half Moon Bay High School and then Hillsdale High School. His family and friends say the disappearance of Brian is taking its toll on them.

“This has been devastating,” Kevin Butler said. “I was staying over there with him a lot; he just wanted somebody to take care of him. … He was so positive. He always took it upon himself to be the rock of the family, especially after our mom’s death and he always trying to get our dad healthy.”

Brian Butler is described as standing 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighing 155 pounds and having brown hair and eyes. He was last seen wearing a blue T-shirt and jeans.

“We just want you to come home, Brian,” Richard Butler said. “You’re not in trouble.”

For updates on the case and to get in contact about helping the family, visit facebook.com/findbrianbutler. Anyone with information or who sees Brian should contact Detective Lisandro Lopez at 363-4055 or the Sheriff’s Office Anonymous Tip Line at (800) 547-2700. The Sheriff’s Office is still actively searching for Brian, but there is no new information on the case, said Rebecca Rosenblatt, public information officer at the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office.

A man who police say plays a major role in a large identity theft ring has been arrested at an abandoned house in northwest Detroit.

Special agents with U.S. Homeland Security Investigations took 59-year-old Larry Pearson into custody earlier this week for allegedly using the identity of several metro Detroit residents to withdraw cash from area banks. He was turned over to the Grosse Pointe Farms Police Department and arraigned Wednesday in 32B District Court on identity theft charges.

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Lt. Rich Rosati said feds who had been investigating a sophisticated identity theft ring gave his department a tip that broke the case open.

“When they saw that they had another complainant in our town, they contacted us,” Rosati told WWJ’s Russ McNamara. “They tracked a phone number that was calling on our complainant’s account, and they tracked it to an individual, which started a manhunt.”

Rosati said their manhunt was actually for another person, but it led them to Parsons, who is related to their original suspect.

“So basically, in looking for one person, we ended up finding the one who actually made the transactions at the bank, the guy who was in the video photos,” he said. “The federal agents I was working with caught up with him on Monday, and he was finally found.”

The investigation is ongoing and other arrests are likely, Rosati said, as the ring has victimized several people in metro Detroit.

“This group here has probably netted over $100,000 in identity theft so far. My complaint only lost $8,500, but if you consider all of what they’ve been doing around the metro Detroit area, we’re talking about over $100,000,” he said.

Investigators believe some members in the identity theft ring are working on the inside, which is how they obtain personal details about their victims.

“Usually, information is garnered from financial or even medical institutions because, you know, you have to fill out all that information. And then you have people who work within those organizations who are not on the up-and-up, and they end up getting that information and selling it to others,” Rosati said.

The criminals then use the information they purchased to counterfeit state ID’s and other documents, such as social security cards.

“So, Pearson for instance, he went into a bank with an ID that had my complainant’s name and address and all that, so there was no reason for the bank teller not to believe that it was that person. So, they wouldn’t be going to a bank, say, in Grosse Pointe because the tellers might be familiar with the victims. Instead, they’ll go to a bank in Clinton Township, like Parsons did, where the tellers don’t know who so-and-so is from anybody else,” Rosati said.

Anyone who might think they’re a victim in the case or who has any information is urged to contact investigators at 313-226-0500, or www.ICE.gov/tips.