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Police Officer, Rabbi, Boy Scout Leader and at Least 68 Others Charged in NYC Child Porn Case

The alleged victims range in age from newborn to seventeen.

That’s the first detail that struck us when we heard early news reports about a shocking wave of arrests in New York for child pornography charges. It is because these children were reportedly victimized that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the New York Police Department (NYPD) announced pornography related charges against more than 70 people on May 21, 2014.

The Arrests Shatter Child Porn Stereotypes

Among the 70 men and one woman who were charged were:

A police officer.
A rabbi.
A Boy Scout leader who was also a youth baseball coach.
A nurse.
A paramedic.

Law enforcement officials have not yet disclosed the occupations of all 71 people who were charged. However, the information already released indicates that at least some of those who were allegedly involved in this child porn case held respectable jobs.

A representative from New York’s ICE office has reportedly told CBS New York that child porn, “is not something that is just done by unemployed drifters who live in their parent’s basement….If this operation does anything, it puts the lie to the belief that the people who do this are not productive members of society.”

Can This Case Make a Difference to the Children of NYC, Chicago, and the Nation?

If there is any good to come from this disturbing news, it is that:

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children will be attempting to identify the children in these pornographic pictures and videos so that they can get the help they need.
A large case like this may have a deterrent effect locally in New York City and around the nation. Boy Scout leaders, baseball coaches, nurses, paramedics, rabbis, police officers and others in Chicago, for example, may take this case as a warning and not participate in making, viewing, sharing, or possessing child porn.

We will continue to monitor this case and other cases of child pornography around the country. Please check back often for updates.

Celebrate Memorial Day Weekend Safely With These Easy Tips and Some Great Recipes!

While Memorial Day Weekend is greatly anticipated in Chicago as the beginning of barbecue season, a number of individuals and families each year end up spending the holiday weekend in the emergency room because of grill accidents and unsafe food handling. Whether you’re participating in one of the local barbecue competitions or just getting together with family in your backyard, make sure you kick off the summer right. Here are some fast and simple tips for safe barbecuing— and we’ve also included some delicious recipes from our team at Lane Brown, LLC to help you get started!

Grill Safety Should Be a Priority on Memorial Day Weekend

Burns and grilling mishaps can put a serious damper on summer fun, so the Hearth, Patio, and Barbecue Association urges everyone to pay attention to safety when they barbecue. Here are some of their tips for grilling safely:

Read the owner’s manual for your grill.
Remember that grills are for outside use only and should be used in well-ventilated areas.
Make sure the grill is stable and won’t be accidentally tipped or knocked over—and never, ever move a grill while it is hot.
If using electrical accessories, make sure to follow codes and keep cords taped down or out of the way.
Use long-handled forks, tongs, and other utensils to help avoid hot grease and burns.
Use flame-resistant mitts and towels, and make sure your clothing doesn’t have loose fabric or ties that could accidentally catch fire.
Keep the flames under control, and keep an extinguisher nearby. If you won’t have access to a fire extinguisher, make sure you have water, baking soda, sand, or other materials that can help you put out an unexpected fire.
Never leave your grill unattended while in use.

Paying Attention to Basic Food Safety While You Picnic or Barbecue

Burns aren’t the only danger at the family picnic. Foodborne illness is also a major concern in warm weather, so you need to take steps to make sure no one gets sick. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration offers the following tips on keeping food safe before, during, and after your celebration:

Wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling any food items.
Keep raw food and cooked food separate, and don’t reuse dishes or utensils that have come into contact with raw foods.
Marinate food in the fridge, not on the counter.
Cook food thoroughly, and use a meat thermometer to make sure it is cooked through.
Keep hot food hot and cold foods cold. Don’t just leave food sitting out for hours, especially on hot days.
Refrigerate or freeze leftover food as soon as possible.

Bonus Recipes for Our Readers: Try Some Marinated Flank Steak or BBQ Ribs on the Grill!

Once you’ve gotten safety in order, it’s time to start grilling! Are you looking for some recipes to try out this Memorial Day Weekend? Partner Mark Brown’s wife Traci has given up this awesome recipe for marinated flank steak:

Traci’s Mustard Marinated Flank Steak

Ingredients:

1 flank steak, 2–2½ pounds
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground pepper
2 shallots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh herbs (Traci recommends parsley and basil!)

Directions:

Whisk together all the ingredients except steak. Place the steak in a container and pour the marinade over and under the meat until it’s completely submerged. Allow the meat to marinate overnight for best flavor. Also, to let the marinade really soak into the meat. you can lightly score the meat in a diagonal crisscross prior to marinating, if desired.

When ready to grill, take the meat out of the refrigerator and let sit for a half hour prior to grilling. Turn the grill to medium high and cook for five minutes per side for medium rare. Immediately following, place the steak on a clean plate and tightly seal it with aluminum foil for 10 minutes. Cut the steak on a diagonal with the grain. Enjoy!!

Are you excited about firing up the grill yet? Here’s another wonderful recipe—this time, for ribs—from our receptionist Carolyn Torres:

Tinsey Rose (a.k.a Carolyn Torres) BBQ Ribs

Cut your slab of ribs in half.

Clean the meat and lay it out on the counter. With a sharp knife, slice multiple cuts across all of the bones, on both the top and bottom. Season your slabs top and bottom with seasoning salt, onion powder, and black pepper.

In a large pot, add enough cooking oil to just cover the bottom of the pot. Add the meat and just enough water to cover the slabs.

Cut up an entire onion and add to water. Boil for 30 to 45 minutes. Remove ribs and put on grill.

Add a half bottle of regular barbecue sauce to the broth to thicken up the sauce a little. Add a tad of vinegar and brown sugar to broth.

Use the broth along with your favorite beer to “baby” the ribs on both sides as they cook. As ribs are just about done, cut slab into servings of two rib bones each.

Add more barbecue sauce to your broth mix until thickened and douse the ribs on both sides. Watch carefully so the ribs won’t burn! Remove ribs and ENJOY!

Let us know if you decide try out some of our favorite recipes!

Do you have your own tips for safe barbecuing? Do you have a favorite picnic recipe you can’t wait to share with us and our readers? Leave us a comment below, or get the conversation started by connecting with Lane Brown, LLC on Facebook.

A Hidden Camera Was Found in a Funeral Home Bathroom. Chicago Police Continue to Investigate.

On Monday March 24, 2014, the Chicago Police Department received a call from employees at the Smith and Thomas Funeral Home on West Madison. The employees said that a hidden camera was found in a single-stall unisex bathroom primarily used by funeral home employees. The police responded to the call and reportedly found the camera in the wall of the bathroom, to the left of the toilet at ground level. At the time, the owner of the funeral home told the media that an internal investigation would be conducted. The Chicago Police were also carrying out an investigation.

An Update on Both Investigations

On Thursday April 3, 2014, the Chicago Police were back at the West Side location of the Smith and Thomas Funeral Home for several hours, and they allegedly removed more items from the facility. WGN reported that the camera found in the employee bathroom on March 24 may have been connected to something else in the building.

The brother of the funeral home’s owner told the media that the internal investigation by the funeral home is ongoing and that family members are in the process of questioning employees.

We Are Conducting Our Own Investigation

Current and former employees of Smith and Thomas Funeral Homes have retained our firm to represent them in this workplace privacy case. We are conducting our own investigation and will do everything in our power to obtain justice for these employees.

Please follow us on Facebook and sign up for our monthly newsletter to stay up-to-date on this important topic.

It can be disconcerting to know that you are being watched. You may be doing your job well, but still feel uncomfortable at the thought of people watching you. In some cases, there may be little, if anything, that you can do about it. Employers have a legitimate interest in keeping tabs on their workers. They have a legitimate interest in making sure that you, and all of the other employees, are doing the jobs you are paid to do.

Your Employer’s Rights May Not Be Unlimited

Despite your employer’s interest in watching what is happening, that right may not be unlimited. For example, your employer may not have a legitimate interest in placing cameras in workplace bathroom stalls, showers, or locker rooms. Cameras that are used to watch you in intimate settings where you have the right to expect privacy may violate your rights.

You Shouldn’t Have to Accept It

If you believe that a camera has been used to watch you in a workplace bathroom, it is important to stand up for your rights. That is what some brave employees of the Smith and Thomas Funeral Home are doing now. After discovering a hidden camera in a unisex bathroom primarily used by employees, one worker contacted the Chicago Police Department, and others contacted the lawyers at Lane Brown, LLC. Currently, we are working hard to protect their rights.

To learn more about this important case of employees’ right to privacy in Chicago, please visit the links shown on this page and check our website regularly for updates.

A Person Who Is Sexually Abused as a Child May Suffer Health Problems as an Adult

Child sex abuse can cause serious long-term consequences for a child’s mental health, and a new study now suggests that the long-term health effects may not be limited to the child’s emotional health. Instead, the study suggests that physical consequences of childhood abuse or neglect may last well into adulthood.

What Is the Risk?

According to the study, which is scheduled to appear in the June issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, individuals who suffer abuse as children, including children who suffer sexual abuse, may have trouble regulating their hormones in adulthood. More specifically, the individuals in the study who suffered the most severe abuse as children had:

Higher leptin levels. Leptin regulates appetite and is linked to fat levels.
Higher irisin levels. Irisin regulates energy metabolism.
Lower adiponectin levels. Adiponectin reduces inflammation.

Together, the effect of these hormone imbalances could lead to obesity or diabetes in adults. While the study found a link between childhood abuse and obesity and related complications in adults, it did not prove that childhood sexual abuse caused these future health problems. Instead, researchers hope this information can lead to better interventions to prevent health complications for adult survivors of childhood abuse.

What to Do If You’ve Been a Victim of Child Sex Abuse

If you are the victim of childhood sexual abuse, we encourage you to talk to your doctor about your risk of future illness. We also encourage you to learn more about your legal rights by watching our free videos and contacting us for a free and confidential consultation.

There are many potential ways to prevent a car accident, pedestrian crash, or bike wreck. One way is to prevent driver negligence. Another way is to improve our roads and infrastructure to prevent confusion and encourage safety. While we typically focus on driver behavior, today we are going to think about what can be done by the Chicago Department of Transportation, or other government agencies, to prevent serious accidents, injuries, and deaths.

Active Transportation Alliance Identifies Safety Priorities

Earlier this year, the Active Transportation Alliance released its 2014 priority list for the Chicago Department of Transportation. More specifically, the organization shared its top 10 priorities to improve safety for bikers, walkers, and mass-transit users in our city.

The organization’s list included:

Expanding the Divvy bike-sharing program
Connecting gaps existing between bike lanes
Building protected bike lanes with concrete curbs and building more Neighborhood Greenways
Maintaining bike lanes and unmarked bike routes to fix faded paint lines, potholes, and rough spots
Securing dedicated funds for pedestrian infrastructure and safety
Completing final designs for the Ashland rapid transit line
Developing an online crash database
Championing policy changes to increase secure bike parking in high-occupancy buildings
Retrofitting the most dangerous intersections and street crossings
Launching the Central Loop Bus Rapid Transit service

What Would You Add?

Are you concerned about the safety of Chicago’s roads for bikers, walkers, mass transit users and motorists? What advice would you give the Chicago Department of Transportation? Please leave a comment in the space below and tell us what you think.