Yes, He Did: Another Democratic Darling Exposed as Serial Sex Pest

Say it ain't so. The Democratic Party lost another iconic figure to reputational disgrace this week as Cesar Chavez, the late union organizer and Latino civil rights leader, was exposed as a serial sex abuser. The New York Times on Wednesday published an investigation that "uncovered extensive evidence to support" the accusations of several women who said that Chavez groomed them as children before sexually abusing them as teenagers. Dolores Huerta, a longtime Chavez ally, revealed that she secretly had two of Chavez's children after a series of nonconsensual encounters in the 1960s.

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'Party mom' who officials say 'coordinated' sexual assaults at secret, alcohol-fueled teen parties hears from jury



A California woman — dubbed the "party mom" by local authorities — has been convicted on dozens of charges related to hosting alcohol-fueled parties for young teens. The district attorney's office determined that the mother "endangered" teens and "coordinated" sexual assaults during boozy parties involving her 15-year-old son.

On Wednesday, a jury convicted 51-year-old Shannon O'Connor of 48 charges — including two felony charges of sexual penetration — stemming from hosting parties for teens that included alcohol and sexual conduct, the Santa Clara District Attorney's Office stated in a news release titled, "Party mom convicted: Faces long prison term."

'This defendant not only didn't protect these children, she endangered their safety, coordinated their sexual assaults, and she tried to get them not to tell.'

The Mercury News reported, "The sexual penetration convictions were the most serious, as prosecutors argued that O'Connor sexually assaulted the two girls by enabling them to become so intoxicated they could not legally consent."

KTVU-TV reported, "After the verdicts were read, the parent of one of the victims called O'Connor a 'predator,' a 'stalker,' a 'groomer,' and a 'harasser,' who was 'very good at what she did.'"

O'Connor could face more than 30 years in prison, according to the Mercury News. Plus, she must register as a sex offender. Her sentencing is scheduled for March 26 in Santa Clara County Superior Court.

The district attorney's office said in the statement that O'Connor, also known as Shannon Bruga, hosted "drunken parties for young teenagers where she bought alcohol and egged on sex acts — some with teens too drunk to consent."

The announcement noted that O'Connor purchased vodka and whiskey for the teenagers and even provided them with condoms.

The DA said O'Connor "discouraged the teens from telling their parents or police about the parties or calling for help when one of the victims passed out in their own vomit."

The district attorney's office pointed out that the children at these boozy parties were "mostly 14- and 15-year-olds."

Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen said, "This defendant not only didn't protect these children, she endangered their safety, coordinated their sexual assaults, and she tried to get them not to tell."

Rosen added, "These brave kids came forward to tell the truth about what happened and to put a stop to it."

RELATED: Teens testify they saw mayor having sex with 16-year-old boy during boozy pool party at her home. Now verdict is in.

As Blaze News reported in October 2021, O'Connor organized secret parties for teens, purchased "copious amounts of alcohol" for the underage attendees, and even encouraged them to have sex.

An investigator for the DA's office said in court records that O'Connor "supplied excessive amounts of alcohol to her son and his minor friends to the point where minors would vomit, be unable to stand, and fall unconscious," according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

The Mercury News previously reported that the parties took place at O'Connor's $4.7 million home in Los Gatos.

The Santa Clara District Attorney's Office said in October 2021 that the "child abuse charges outline a long line of O'Connor's drunken and destructive house parties for young teens lasting from 2020 to earlier this year."

O'Connor warned the teens to keep the boozy parties secret, according to authorities.

"She would warn the teens not to disclose the parties, or she could go to jail," the DA's office stated.

What's more, the DA's office said O'Connor even "handed an underage teenager a condom and pushed him into a room with an intoxicated minor."

"During a New Year's Eve party at her home with about five 14-year-olds, the defendant watched and laughed as a drunk teen sexually battered a young girl in bed," the DA stated.

The DA's office said O'Connor also "brought one drunk teen into a bedroom at her home where an intoxicated 14-year-old girl was lying in the bed."

After the underage girl allegedly was sexually assaulted, the juvenile female asked O'Connor: "Why did you leave me in there with him?"

The DA's office revealed that O'Connor also used the Snapchat social media platform or text messaged teens to "leave their homes in the middle of the night" to "drink at her home."

"In another case, she let a minor drive her SUV in the Los Gatos High School parking lot while two other teens held on to the back," the DA's statement reads. "One fell off and was knocked unconscious."

The Mercury News reported in October 2021 that O'Connor was "apparently known as 'the cool mom' since the older son was in middle school and had raised eyebrows among some parents for her chumminess with her sons' friends."

Citing prosecutors, Fox News previously reported that O’Connor pressured teen girls to engage in sexual acts with boys — including her then-15-year-old son.

"If the girls did not consent, the 47-year-old mom would allegedly pull them aside for 'a private conversation' until they each went into a room with a boy," according to Fox News.

The Washington Post, citing court documents, reported in 2021 that "when O'Connor suspected one teen was telling outsiders about her secret parties, she threatened to spread rumors about the girl and persuaded other teens to harass her."

Court documents also state that the girl "suffered mental and emotional turmoil," including panic attacks, and subsequently needed to sleep in her parents' bedroom.

In October 2021, O'Connor was arrested at her home in Ada County, Idaho. O'Connor was extradited to the Santa Clara County Jail.

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Nurse lied about patient sexually assaulting her to hide what actually were consensual trysts. Now she's paying a big price.



A Wisconsin nurse who accused a patient of sexually assaulting her is headed to prison after investigators discovered she fabricated the accusations and repeatedly engaged in consensual sexual intercourse with the patient, according to authorities.

The Monroe County District Attorney's Office announced Monday that Melissa R. Knutson of Readstown pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office and obstructing an officer.

'Not only did she violate the sacred trust between a patient and a nurse, but she compounded that by falsely accusing the patient of sexual assault.'

Juneau County Circuit Court Judge Paul Curran sentenced Knutson to 18 months of initial confinement in state prison, followed by two years of extended supervision for the conviction of misconduct in public office.

Knutson also received a concurrent 180-day jail sentence for obstructing an officer.

The district attorney's office said Knutson was a nurse assigned to a drug court participant with whom she "repeatedly engaged in sexual intercourse."

"When the facts of her intercourse with a patient/participant were reported to the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services, Knutson responded by falsely accusing the patient of sexual assault," the district attorney's statement read.

However, investigators determined that Knutson "fabricated that allegation to avoid consequences for her sex acts with the patient/participant," the DA's office stated.

Knutson later confessed to lying about being sexually assaulted by the patient in a letter and with her guilty plea, according to the district attorney.

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Monroe County District Attorney Kevin Croninger declared that Knutson caused "deep and significant" harm.

"Not only did she violate the sacred trust between a patient and a nurse, but she compounded that by falsely accusing the patient of sexual assault," Croninger said.

The DA noted, "This situation is particularly egregious given the patient in this situation was a participant in drug court."

Croninger said all of the officers who worked on the case "demonstrated a tremendous commitment to seeking the truth, through evidence."

"All involved take every sexual assault very seriously," Croninger said in the press release. "When Ms. Knutson reported she was sexually assaulted, that allegation was taken seriously."

Croninger praised the officers for being "highly professional in investigating that allegation and determining that Ms. Knutson was lying."

"Officers then completed an extremely thorough and effective investigation, which uncovered a plethora of evidence that Ms. Knutson was in fact the perpetrator, not the victim," Croninger continued.

Croninger warned that investigators' commitment to seeking the truth prevented a possible "unjust result."

"Instead, the truth was discovered, and justice was served," Croninger proclaimed.

Judge Curran described Knutson's actions as "despicable" and stressed that she was "an embarrassment to nurses everywhere."

Curran said Knutson's purported remorse was "a mile wide and an inch deep."

According to the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services, Knutson has had her nursing license suspended.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services describes drug courts as alternatives to incarceration and places to "help participants recover from use disorder with the aim of reducing future criminal activity."

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Sexual assault by men in women's prisons: 'Cruel and unusual punishment'



Civil rights attorney Harmeet Dhillon is sounding the alarm on human rights abuses that the left pretends aren’t happening — including the assaults on female inmates in prison by men pretending to be women.

“Mass. women’s prison ‘a haven for sexual predators who pretend to be transgender,’” reads the title of an article in the Christian Post. In the article, women who claim to have been raped by men in a Massachusetts prison are also reporting being punished for speaking out about it.

“I saw the news story about Massachusetts, and we’ve opened up a federal civil rights investigation into that fact pattern. We have an active civil rights investigation under our prison reform laws into Colorado for prisoner conditions ranging from transgender violence to abuse of the elderly prisoners and heating and cooling conditions and others,” Dhillon tells BlazeTV host Allie Beth Stuckey.


“There’s some horrific stories out there. And like, look, it’s my perhaps bleeding-heart view that no one should be raped in an American prison. Male or female. You are serving your time for a crime you committed that should not include unreasonable violations of cruel and unusual punishment, which certainly would include being violently assaulted or raped,” she says.

“Or being forced to share an intimate space with a man. That is cruel and unusual,” Stuckey chimes in.

“I’m very concerned about the transgender issue in prisons, and you know, you’ve got a lot of people, people who identify as Christian, obviously a lot of progressives, who you know, they feel like they’re taking up the cause of the most vulnerable,” she says.

However these progressives refuse to speak up about vulnerable populations like unborn children inside the womb or imprisoned women who are doing their time but have no ability to advocate for their own safety.

“I mean, the progressives are total hypocrites, and you’ve seen some voices on the left break from that progressive movement. J.K. Rowling is a great example of that in the U.K., where she’s I think said in the last 24 hours, I saw online, that you know, you shouldn’t be raped in a prison or forced to subordinate your human dignity,” Dhillon says.

“That would seem obvious, and yet, there’s this total hypocrisy on the left on this issue, and it’s as if the feminist movement has completely abandoned its original premise,” she adds.

Want more from Allie Beth Stuckey?

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Ex-teacher who dodged conviction for allegedly asking teen lover to kill husband learns fate for sexually assaulting student



A former teacher in Kentucky — who was accused of asking her underage lover to kill her husband — has learned her fate for sexually assaulting a jailed minor.

In April, 28-year-old Elena Bardin was arrested and initially charged with three counts of sexual abuse, solicitation of murder, and distribution of obscene material, according to a court records citation People magazine obtained. Following her arrest, Bardin was hit with three counts of unlawful transaction with a minor.

'I know you say you'll take care of him, but shouldn't someone else do it so suspicion is miles away from you?'

Kentucky State Police said in an April statement that Bardin "solicited a male juvenile at the Adair Juvenile Detention Center to kill her husband."

But a jury acquitted Bardin of the charge of soliciting the teen to murder her husband.

However, in September, Bardin was convicted of one count each of first-degree sexual abuse, unlawful transaction with a minor, and distribution of obscene material to a minor.

People said the defendant's estranged husband, Michael Bardin, and the alleged victim both testified against Bardin for the prosecution.

Last week, a judge sentenced Bardin to four years in prison for first-degree sexual abuse, 10 years for unlawful transaction with a minor, and 12 months for the distribution of obscene material to a minor; the sentences are to be served concurrently. Bardin also was ordered to register as a sex offender for 20 years, according to Court TV.

During sentencing, Circuit Judge Samuel Spalding noted there were 193 pages of "letters, pictures, and everything else," which he described as "juicy."

"The letters you sent ... they were juicy, they were things you'd see in a triple-X movie, and completely inappropriate, obviously, and I think you know that, for a young man that age," Judge Spalding stated, according to WKRC-TV.

Spalding continued, "And for an educator, it was incumbent upon you to set a better example. I will say, though, the 193 pages of letters, pictures, everything else, it depicts a very intelligent and articulate young woman who was clearly articulating her thoughts and desires to this kid."

RELATED: Ex-middle school teacher — guilty of 21 counts of sex crimes against daughter's underage babysitter — learns her fate

Bardin — a reported mother of a 5-year-old girl — had been an English teacher at the Adair County Juvenile Detention Center, where the victim was detained.

The Kentucky State Police said, "Evidence also revealed that Ms. Bardin had subjected the juvenile to illegal sexual contact and provided him with sexually explicit images of herself."

Citing testimony from Bardin's supervisor at the juvenile detention center, the judge added that the former teacher had been warned to end the relationship and stay away from the teen. Judge Spalding reportedly stressed that the student had been moved to another section of the detention center.

"And, ma'am, not only did you not heed that advice and stop, it looks to me like you actually doubled down on the behavior after that, and that is concerning," Spalding alleged.

Prosecutors accused Bardin of having a sexual relationship with the 17-year-old student who was detained at the juvenile facility.

The Kentucky State Police stated, "On March 27, 2025, the Adair Juvenile Detention Center conducted a routine search of juveniles' living units where letters and explicit material were found in a male juvenile's possession sent by an Adair County School teacher assigned to the facility."

The Union-Bulletin reported, "According to prosecutors, in one of the letters confiscated by investigators, Bardin talks about oral sex and having sex in the boy's cell."

"I hope you enjoyed that. I did," Bardin reportedly wrote in a letter to the minor, according to the Union-Bulletin.

Another letter written by Bardin allegedly said, "I know you say you'll take care of him, but shouldn’t someone else do it so suspicion is miles away from you? IDK, I'm going to miss you so (redacted) bad tonight. You look so handsome today, love. I love you."

In April, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported that the Adair County school district listed Bardin — with her first name spelled "Elana" — as a teacher at the Adair Learning Academy, which is part of the Adair Youth Development Center.

The youth development center operates in conjunction with the regional juvenile detention center, the Herald-Leader said, citing the Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice. Adair Superintendent Jason Faulkner told the paper that Bardin was an employee of the district and that she had been terminated.

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Creep with violent past allegedly gropes store customer, threatens to kill others — so woman in store shoots him dead instead



A 42-year-old man followed another customer into the Pink Beauty Supply store in Compton, California, on Sunday afternoon and "groped her once inside" the store, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Lieut. DeJong told KCBS-TV.

When employees told him to leave, the man allegedly refused and began to verbally assault them and some customers before he started throwing objects inside the store, KCBS added.

'In this day and age where there are no boundaries and everyone believes that they can do whatever they want, without fear of prosecution or penalty, this is the proper way to handle it. Good for her.'

Employees and customers noted that the male had an object in his hand that they believed was a knife, the sheriff's department said, adding that the male made verbal threats that he was going to kill and harm everyone in the store.

With that, one of the customers — not the one he allegedly groped — pulled out a gun, KCBS said.

Fearing for the store employees, herself, and other customers, the sheriff's department said she fired a warning shot at the male. But the male turned toward her, officials said — and fearing she was going to be attacked, she fired a second shot, striking the male.

DeJong noted to KCBS that "he went down."

RELATED: Gun-toting woman opens fire on career criminal amid alleged home burglary. Now crook's career is over.

The sheriff's department said the shooting took place just before 3:30 p.m. and that Compton Fire Department personnel responded and pronounced the male dead at the scene.

Investigators noted to KCBS that the woman who pulled the trigger was a customer at the store, and she remained at the scene to cooperate with officials.

Detectives added to the station that parking lot surveillance video indicates the man was loitering in the area and drinking alcohol.

"He alleged he was a gang member, and LASD says it appears he was a gang member; unknown if still active," DeJong told KCBS while adding that the male had a lengthy criminal history that included assaults, robberies, thefts, and disturbing the peace.

The station said it's unclear whether the woman will face any charges for the shooting, and it hasn't yet been determined whether it was done in self-defense.

KNBC-TV said the woman is in her 50s, that she surrendered the gun, and that no one was arrested.

RELATED: Stalker shows up at woman's workplace, begins punching her, cops say. But victim has a gun — and she uses it.

The sheriff's department is asking the public for information about the shooting, noting that individuals can contact the sheriff's Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Those who prefer to provide information anonymously can call "Crime Stoppers" by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477) or use their smartphones by downloading the “P3 Tips” Mobile App on Google play or the Apple App Store or by using the Crime Stoppers website, officials said.

Nearly 5,000 comments have rolled into a Los Angeles Times story about the shooting, which Yahoo News republished. The latest reactions reflect strong support for the woman's actions:

  • "Firing a WARNING SHOT was pure genius!" one commenter wrote. "Unfortunately, this criminal made a fatal decision by ignoring it! One less criminal on our streets! Congrats!"
  • "Another person [who] deserves to never pay for any alcohol in their area," another commenter said. "Good job following through on the reason you carry in the first place. I know that was a very hard decision, but if it's you or them, always choose them. She is a HERO and deserves a hero's welcome."
  • "In this day and age where there are no boundaries and everyone believes that they can do whatever they want, without fear of prosecution or penalty, this is the proper way to handle it," another commenter noted. "Good for her."
  • "Unfortunately, citizens are having to defend themselves more frequently these days, [and] her response was appropriate for the situation," another commenter opined. "Given our legal system, he would have been out in hours and recommenced doing the same…"
  • "Justice can come swiftly and in different forms; he got his," another commenter said. "Offenders beware: Many people [nowadays] are armed."

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Former Wall Street star, ex-Soros financier 'tortured' women in secret soundproof BDSM 'sex dungeon': Feds



A former famed financier with money ties to George Soros is accused of torturing women at a secret BDSM "sex dungeon," according to authorities.

Howard Rubin, 70, used to be a high-profile money manager at Salomon Brothers, Bear Stearns, and Merrill Lynch.

'The defendants allegedly exploited Rubin’s status to ensnare their prospective victims and forced them to endure unthinkable physical trauma before silencing any outcries with threats of legal recourse.'

On Friday morning, FBI agents arrested Rubin at his home in Fairfield, Connecticut.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York said in a Friday statement, "A 10-count indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging retired New York-based financier, Howard Rubin, also known as 'Howie' and 'H,' along with his personal assistant, Jennifer Powers, with sex trafficking and transporting women in interstate commerce for sex acts with Rubin."

Federal authorities said Powers became Rubin's personal assistant around 2011 and "managed the logistical aspects of their commercial sex operation."

Federal officials added that Rubin additionally was charged with bank fraud in "connection with misrepresentations made to a bank in the course of financing Powers' mortgage for the Texas home of Powers and her husband."

Powers also was arrested Friday at her home in Southlake, Texas.

The alleged sexual abuse crimes occurred between 2009 and 2019 when Rubin and Powers "recruited multiple women to travel to New York City to engage in commercial sex acts with Rubin involving bondage, discipline, dominance, submission, and sadomasochism, referred to as 'BDSM' sex, and some of the women were trafficked."

ABC News reported that Rubin "lured dozens of women, including former Playboy models, to be sexually and physically assaulted during encounters in his Central Park penthouse in a soundproofed room described in court papers as 'The Dungeon.'"

The feds said the alleged sexual encounters took place at luxury hotels and at Rubin's two-bedroom penthouse apartment in midtown Manhattan, where one of the bedrooms was converted into "what they referred to as a sex 'dungeon' that was painted red, soundproofed, and furnished with BDSM equipment and devices, including a device to shock or electrocute the women."

"During many of these encounters, Rubin brutalized women's bodies, causing them to fear for their safety and/or resulting in significant pain and injuries," the statement says.

"Rubin also used force, fraud, and coercion to traffic another woman in 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada," the statement reads.

Rubin and Powers are accused of requiring the women to sign nondisclosure agreements, which would "require the women to assume the risk of the hazards and injury of the BDSM encounters with Rubin, prohibit the disclosure of information about the BDSM sex with Rubin, and require the payment of damages in the event of a breach."

Federal investigators said Rubin used the NDAs to intimidate the women, warning of legal action and public humiliation if they pursued legal recourse.

RELATED: DOJ preparing probes into Soros' Open Society Foundations following bombshell exposé by Ryan Mauro, Glenn Beck

Joseph Nocella Jr. — interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York — stated, "As alleged, the defendants used Rubin's wealth to mislead and recruit women to engage in commercial sex acts, where Rubin then tortured women beyond their consent, causing lasting physical and/or psychological pain, and in some cases physical injuries."

Christopher G. Raia — assistant director in charge of the FBI — revealed, "For many years, Howard Rubin and Jennifer Powers allegedly spent at least one million dollars to finance the commercial sexual torture of multiple women via a national trafficking network."

"The defendants allegedly exploited Rubin’s status to ensnare their prospective victims and forced them to endure unthinkable physical trauma before silencing any outcries with threats of legal recourse," Raia said. "The FBI will continue to apprehend any trafficker who sexually abuses others for twisted gratification."

Harry Chavis — acting special agent in charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation of the New York Field Office — noted that the alleged sexual abuse "was not a one-man show."

"While Rubin dehumanized these women with abhorrent sexual acts, Powers is alleged to have run the day-to-day operations of the enterprise and got paid generously for her efforts," Chavis said. "IRS-CI and FBI partnered to see fit that all the facts are detailed in this case and ensure that this pair realizes the full consequences of their ghastly behaviors."

If convicted of sex trafficking, Rubin and Powers each face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years' imprisonment. Rubin and Powers face a maximum sentence of 10 years' imprisonment if convicted of transporting women to engage in commercial sex acts.

Rubin faces a maximum prison sentence of 30 years if he is convicted of bank fraud.

Rubin pleaded not guilty in a federal court in Brooklyn.

Rubin's lawyer did not immediately reply to a request for comment from Reuters.

Rubin is a former high-profile Wall Street trader and hedge fund manager who became notorious for making unauthorized trades.

CNBC said of Rubin, "He first gained public notoriety in 1987 for making unauthorized trades at Merrill Lynch, which the firm at the time said contributed to a massive $250 million loss from mortgage securities. Rubin's action at Merrill, which led to his termination, is detailed in Michael Lewis' Wall Street memoir 'Liar's Poker.'"

"Liar's Poker: Rising Through the Wreckage on Wall Street" was written by best-selling author Michael Lewis, known for penning popular books such as "Moneyball," "The Blind Side," and "The Big Short."

The premise of "Liar's Poker" as per Goodreads:

Michael Lewis was fresh out of Princeton and the London School of Economics when he landed a job at Salomon Brothers, one of Wall Street’s premier investment firms. During the next three years, Lewis rose from callow trainee to bond salesman, raking in millions for the firm and cashing in on a modern-day gold rush. 'Liar's Poker' is the culmination of those heady, frenzied years — a behind-the-scenes look at a unique and turbulent time in American business. From the frat-boy camaraderie of the forty-first-floor trading room to the killer instinct that made ambitious young men gamble everything on a high-stakes game of bluffing and deception, here is Michael Lewis's knowing and hilarious insider's account of an unprecedented era of greed, gluttony, and outrageous fortune.

Bloomberg reported that Rubin was described in the book as a "young trader who studied behavioral research into which homeowners were likely to prepay their mortgages."

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