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Subscribe to RSSMore than $105,000 in reward money is sitting, waiting to be handed out to the person who helps bring those who allegedly abducted and raped a 5-year-old Cobbs Creek, Pa., girl to justice.
After enduring what investigators called an “unspeakable experience,” the girl assisted police in their investigation. She met with experts who worked to recover her memories, was questioned by detectives and even took three walks through the neighborhood where she was allegedly held.
A day after the last neighborhood visit, police executed a search warrant at a home along the 6200 block of Walton Avenue. The next day, they questioned four people living in that home -- eventually charging 19-year-old Christina Regusters with the crime a week later.
“She's been a big help to us. She's gone through a lot of trauma, but she was still able to provide some information that proved to be very helpful to us," Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said. He also called the girl “incredible.”
As Regusters sits behind bars, police say their investigation is still ongoing. Several representatives involved with raising the reward money say they’d think about giving at least some of the cash to the girl.
“I think it would be worth considering,” said Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 5 President John McNesby. “She really did go through hell.”
Police Deputy Commissioner Richard Ross sits on the panel that helps decide where rewards are directed. He says he hadn’t thought about rewarding the victim -– adding the move is not typical.
Pennsylvania state Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams, D-Pa. 8th, brought $30,000 to the pot and encouraged community leaders to donate. Williams says he and other donors have been wrestling with where the money should go.
Related stories at NBCPhiladelphia.com
- Lawyer claims kidnapping suspect is innocent
- Abducted girl had 'unspeakable' experience
- Neighborhood rocked by abduction
“The most obvious participant in this is the child, who has been quite extraordinary in terms of what she’s been able to maintain, information she’s been able to share, but most importantly how she’s been able to keep her dignity intact,” he said.
“So obviously there are those of us who are participating in the reward process who feel that a significant portion of the reward, if not something else … should be supporting that family and that child going forward.”
Williams grew up near the community and lives less than a mile from William C. Bryant Elementary -– the school where the girl was taken. He credits the girl and her participation with helping take “a predator, if not a pedophile” out of the neighborhood and increasing “the safety and well-being of frankly everyone who was concerned about what was going on.”
The state senator says the girl has a long recovery ahead of her and should be given support for counseling and possibly putting her in a different academic climate.
“If I have any message, that I would like to most affirm … going forward, those of us involved will be talking about how we can support above and beyond just a simple reward,” he said.
All three men say it’s important to wait until the police investigation is finished before deciding how to disburse the reward.
Leave a Comment:
It's a little known fact that unless they've been convicted of a felony, sex offenders can acquire firearms legally in most jurisdictions. Perhaps even less well known is the NRA's implicit support of this status quo. The NRA has been known to defend some indefensible positions in the past, but I'd love to see them weasel out of this one. Will they rise up to defend the right of sex offenders to own guns?
Al Kyda aka "genius"
A five year old girl getting raped is not an appropriate platform for you to push your anti-gun agenda. Let me guess, you have been waiting all night in your mother's basement for the chance to tell the world guns are bad... This is a story of an innocent child being raped, and how the municipality would rather keep the donated money for themselves than give it to the victim who's violation created the fund in the first place. Yes, this money should go to the little girl. Period. You bring up the NRA, why? Where is the correlation? You are using the abuse of a five year old to your advantage in order to speak of your distaste for the NRA? How about you show some compassion for the young victim, and say something related to the article. Troll.
psst, hey cory...................... oh heII I started typing before I got to the end of your post.
Captn Curtass
I know, I know. People that hurt children get me fired up...
Al Qaida.............. How about innocent until proven guilty.
By the way, That is the United States Constitution. Not an N R A talking point.
You don't like it, leave.
How much more of the Constitution do you hate?
Christina Regusters........................ Come on down!
You are the next contestant on what depth of hell.
Where you may win Burning pitchforks or boiling oil.
Or the Little Nikki special " Anal Pineapple stuffing.
Blutowski
Sexual assault of a 5 year old girl should result in death. Execute perpetrator one time, things will change. If you cannot find someone to do that, just email me, I will make time....
So you don't believe in having trials?
You just want to blow away anyone accused of a graphic crime?
I would prefer to stick with our justice system. If you don't like it, you can try Iran.
Yeah, you are right. Child molesters are NEVER repeat offenders.... I will stay here, and exercise my " freedom of speech." If you do not agree, be grateful you live in a country that grants you the ability to do so. Or cast everyone that does not agree with you to Iran. But I'm the commie...
You are a liar Al and it's wrong for you to use this little girl to further your liber frog focker agenda!
I hope this girl will get the reward, tax free, but look what happened to the reward in the Dorner case.
It appears that some people on this thread support the right of sex offenders to own firearms. I do not. We will just have to agree to disagree on that.
@Al Kyda--- I don't know about the guns,but they shouldn't have dicks.
Mary - your statement - I don't know about the guns,but they shouldn't have dicks
I think Christia Regusters would not meet your criteria. However, she still meets the legal definition of rape and will pay for the crime after being convicted.
Al,
Anything and everything you can throw out there for your anti-NRA agenda.
You're hopeless man. You along with a few other people spewing out the same ol' same ol' are simply hopeless. You look totally ridiculous to everyone... Notice how you're collapsed by the community 99 out of 100 times?!
See you on the next vine where you're going to post anti-NRA crap on a story that has absolutely nothing to do with it.
a 19 year old girl would rape a 5 year old girl? plus this is PA? something tells me wrongly convicted. i wasnt there so i cant judge but i dunno about this story. i know way to often they find the wrong ppl in these types of case and it doesnt make much sence but if its true then this chick really loves them young girls. and i mean young. very young.
I note that you have not commented about your position on the right of sex offenders to own firearms.
Your name alone shows what you will bring to conversations. First off child molestation and rape are felonies and as such that bars them from owning firearms. What you are so vilely trying to twist into your sad little argument is that those who are convicted of lesser sex crimes, ie consensual non violent ones like statutory rape are not felonies but are still considered sex offenders. And secondly, you damn well know that the NRA doesn't support rapists and child molesters having guns so instead of making things up try articulating what you don't like about them and also please stop with your clearly deceptive "facts" and try posting things that are actually relevant to the conversation and not just politically motivated diatribe. It's pretty sad that you would use this tragedy as a spring board for your political opinions.
Al Kyda
You know you could help your anti-2nd Amendment cause by blowing your small brain out with a GUN!
lee,
Fortunately for him, he won't know how to use it. LOL "Hopeless".
I have no position on that right. It has absolutely "nothing" to do with the story dude....
You're the one who always drifts away from "any" story and into your little world of Anti-NRAism....
Ridiculous man... Really....
Al doesn't believe in anyone's right to own a firearm. Not just sexual predators awaiting trial.
This is amusing to you, eh? When you were young, did you pull the wings from flies or burn ants with a magnifying glass?
That's a nice way to evade an answer, but it's sort of like a guilty defendant taking the Fifth. Everyone knows the real story.
all though this was a tragedy I fear a second tragedy my be on the way
the ramblings of a 5 year old can easily be misinterpreted and the police are not trained to interview a victim correctly.....IE: " worked to recover her memories".....a 5 year old will say what ever it thinks you want to hear just to stop the questioning.
I fear for any one that lives on or near that street {give me an hour with a 5 year old and I can have them say any thing about any one}......so lets be careful
This whole story should be a secret, not that the creeps involved shouldn't be caught, they shouldn't know how they got caught and neither should we..
Al kyda
You're a loon of the highest order.
Reguster claims she's innocent yet her DNA was found on the child's T-shirt. Philadelphia is a cess pool.
Al:
When you were young did you watch your father & his friends stone their unarmed wives and young girls?
Al Kyda is a bottom feeding piece of trash that has no understanding of the constitution. Since this acne ridden, teenager who lives in his momma's basement and eats Doritos all day and probably has no job totally took this off subject, I'll have to reply to it. OK moron, the second amendment says something to the effect of the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed and then there is the militia charge. Now I have heard certain idiots say "See this only says militia and national guard should only possess arms." WRONG. The people back during the founding of the country were considered the militia so they mean the people. So on the Federal level, if you follow the Constitution, a scumbag pederast would be able to keep and bear arms, however there is also the tenth amendment (which by your picture and handle I take it, you hate) the states can pass their own gun control laws, by the Constitution the Federal government actually can't regulate guns. But of course you probably hate the constitution and would like to see a tyranny set up here like the one they have down in Venezuela, the one where they throw the opposition in jail without and trial and don't let them speak. So you people can collapse this if you want and the moron Al Kyda can reply because I am not coming back. I said my piece.
A name like Al Kyda and a picture of Hugo Chavez as an avatar says it all.
The kid should get the money placed in a college fund so the family can't squander it.
A guy named Christina? He'll enjoy prison.
I love how these women on the boards think a woman couldnt have possibly done it. While it is rare, there have been many cases of female child rapists.
Not restoring comment # 1, don't derail please.
Start a trust fund for the child. Therapy and college will be covered, and those of you who contributed to the reward won't look like nitpicking cheapskates.
I'm with you, sweetie! Set the $$ up into a trust fund to pay for this poor baby's medical and psychological care and anything that is left by the time she turns 18, can help pay her way thru college.
A 19 year old girl, sexually assaulting a 5 year old girl??????
Lesbians are trying as hard as they can to be as disgusting as men.
I miss the old days.
Remember when men were the big gross pigs and women were soft and pretty?
Seems like just the opposite is starting to happen.
Women are big gross pigs and men are soft and pretty.
Did I wake up in the Bizzarro Universe?
Remember when people had restraint and discipline? If you are so messed up to where you want to hurt a child, go get help. Otherwise, get bailed out and face the people who are going to force you to move. Those blue squares are a target to me...
Yeah, good idea. Child molesters are NEVER repeat offenders...
I hope they NEVER let her out of jail
But they will and sadly she will not get as much time in jail as a man would!!
A 19 year old female sexually assaulting a 5 year old little girl is not about the sexual orientation of the abuser; it is about pedophilia. I am so tired of uneducated people making derogatory commrnts about gay people. Homosexual does not equate with pedophilia.
This little girl should receive the reward, tax free. Hope it isn't like the Dorner reward.
Mary - your statement #1.12 - I don't know about the guns,but they shouldn't have dicks
I think Christia Regusters would not meet your criteria. However, she still meets the legal definition of rape and will pay for the crime after being convicted.
The perpetrator might not actually be a pedophile in the true sense of the word... she might be a child pornographer or a procurer for a pedophile. We don't know the details of the case.
But yes, for heaven's sake give the reward money to the victim! She's just a little girl but she did her part to apprehend the scum who molested her and has thereby saved others from the same fate.
A trust fund should be established for her to help with counseling and educational expenses. I can't imagine a better use for the reward money.
How ignorant are you, Al Kyda & Blutowski o.o!!!!!!!!!! You talk about guns & gays/lesbians when neither had anything to do with this...DUMBA$$es. A poor little girl was raped & helped the authorities catch this person...This little girl is one of the bravest people in the world!!!! Yes she should get the reward $$$$$$$$$.
G-Morning guys...
In earlier stories, they said that this girl kidnapped the 5 yr old and when brought back to the house, she was raped by her brother and some older guy like, 38yrs old or something like that. The investigation into that is ongoing.
Yes,...you did wake up in a bizarre universe however, not because of this story. Because the universe simply "is" bizarre...
I hope she does get the reward, and as a bonus I hope they give her his nutts mounted on a plaque.
O K Creek dog. I'll believe you. You usually are right on target. If that is true why did they leave it out of this story. All I got from this version was a 19 year old female was arrested for raping a 5 year old girl.
So she was an accessory to rape and a kidnapper?
Thank you. She is still a monster.
I wonder if the Philly cops have checked out Senator Menendez (D N.J.) yet? The Porto Rican Pedophilia
Blutowski, why don't you start and write articles and when people jump you about why did you only write half an article you will know.
Basics of journalism. Who, what, when, where, why and how.
Doesn't sound so hard to at least try that method.
Instead of taking out previous information or trying to spin each story to fit a biased agenda.
Rreward money? Is that the best phrasing for that? For being really good at being a sex abuse victim you get money. While I believe this child should be compensated financially, because they will need it. I think too often in all the rush to condem the perpetrators of these crimes the victims are forgotten or ignored. It is important to remember that often times these victims have in store for them a lifetime of emotional or mental problems. Also it is not unusual that victims of repeated abuse often grow up to be abusers themselves if they don't get the proper treatment.
Making a college fund is fine, but the stress the girl then gets from maybe only having an IQ of average 100, and then most likely only 33 % will actually go to a real college. But normal non stressing Psyc help must be done, but I am not happy how it is done in USA, since they then "make" the girl "a problem child" in her mind, since she had to get help by more or less force---It unfortunately is a very bad situation--forever damaged, no amount of money is going to correct her mind completely ever.
I love people on these forums, all anonymous trolls claiming to be more than they are. I especially love cory, the big brave pedo hunter, probably is child molester himself.
OF Course this Victim should get the money---the pain she went through and the help she gave adds up and she alone should receive that money.
Please consider that her internal reproductive system may be damaged and she may never to have babies. SHE WAS RAPED AND IS ONLY 5 YEARS OLD< YET THE POLICE CANNOT DECIDE WHAT TO DO WITH THE MONEY-----YOU GIVE IT TO HER! No one else deserves these funds but HER!
This is the little girl that was abducted by a woman in Musim garb awhile back.
For more on this story see the Philadephia Inquirer : http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/20130217_Questions_remain_about_abduction_of_girl__5.html
Thanks Ron. Of course NBC leaves out major details.
Agenda.
So, it turns out the kidnapper dressed as a Muslim. But she may have just done that to impersonate the mother. Hard to tell.
It's unbelievable there would be any debate or discussion. It was the little girl, who provided the information which resulted in the arrest.
Unless there were asterisks attached to the recovery of the reward, she is the rightful person who should receive it.
I think it is strange that money was even an important part of this story. This girl was raped and they are talking about who gets the money. Fine, set her up and make sure she has every opportunity in life, but money dose not make things better, it is not even really worth anything. Why make worthless money an important part of a story about a 5 year old rape victim?
Thats the real twilight zone in this reality. Making money out to be something to be talked about when a human life might have been scared for the next 80 years.
al maybe they will defend the rights of the father if he blows that pos head off i would certainly would.as a matter of fact if he needs one of those evil ar's i'll lend him mine.
I agree. Give the money to this poor child. Put it in trust for whatever her needs may be. After all, it sounds like she did a lot to help the authorities find this perpetrator. Why shouldn't she get the reward? As the article says, the money is sitting there waiting to be handed out to the person who helps bring those who perpetrated this crime to justice. Well, she was the one who helped them find this predator. My prayers are with this little child and her family. I pray that she can go on and work through this trauma and live a normal life.
I agree. Without that child, they would have nothing. NOTHING. The money,every dime of it, needs to be put in a "use-specefic" trust so the parents can't get it and waste it on bling.
My only concern is that the little girl helped them and they didn't tell her what to say. Some times in bringing someones memories back you actually implant your own ideas of what happened.
That crossed my mind, too. Hopefully, some horror stories from the past have taught the professionals how to handle these situations.
Being a former victim myself I can relate to what happened to this child. She was mentally traumatized and it led to Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) infliction. DID is referred as the mother of all Dissociative Disorders (DD) meaning it possesses all of the types of DD. This child has Dissociative Amnesia and with the proper doctors amnesia can be lifted and the real events that happened can be remembered. The treatment is grueling. Brain convulsions, dizzyness, vertigo, coma, etc are the side affects.
But with unprofessional treatment other side affects can occur which will lead to false memory. DID possesses a mental symptom called Dreams which in words are false memories. Dreams are mother nature's way to soothe the victim's mind before real traumatic memories become exposed. In words Dreams wade the victim before the plunge. If the doctor doesn't know what he is doing Dreams will take over and the memories will basically become false. Another form of unprofessional treatment would be to feed the victim theories to what may of had happened. This will produce false memories and is called gaslighting.
There are good professionals out there who know what they are doing and I do believe this child recieved the proper help. The next stage this child victim is going to have to endure is approximately ten years or more of PTSD.
A Phyciatrist, that is honest, will tell you it is not an exacting Science.
Dissociate,
I'm so sorry that you had to experience this type of trauma and hope you are doing well. Just keep in mind that not everyone reacts in the same way. If this child is believed, as she has been, and gets help immediately, she may be able to work through this trauma and lead a normal life. She also has been able to help the police find this perpetrator which may also give her a sense of control and fighting back. Of course, this is a process and it will take as long as it takes. There is no way for us to know how things will go, but she sounds extremely resilient. However, as you know, sexual abuse is a horrific crime that can impact every aspect of a person's life. I certainly pray that she gets the appropriate help and learns to move on from this terrible experience. You are also in my prayers.
WTF is wrong with these people???? just disgusting
I don't believe in God but it's hard not to believe in demons.
Good point.
However, it is nature, unfortunately. The idea that people that commit crimes of this nature can be rehabilitated is tough, tougher than to believe that a "god" protects youth.
Believe in God, and believe all will be held accountable.
Gee, psychos have come out of the wall
There is no question that this reward money should go to this child! Come on, people!! She'll need that money to help pay for her therapy, which she will undoubtedly need, and besides, after she all that she went through, the poor child deserves it...every cent. I would, however, make sure it was put in a trust fund so no one could touch it.
People that donate the money get to decide. That's how its always been. Since they gave the money to find her in the first place, I dont think they'd have any problem giving her the money. It'll pay for her college, counseling, healthcare, etc.
apparently she is the only one who's given enough information to capture the criminals. the reward should go to her.
i am glad the girl was caught. but that girl deserves a lot more than 105,000 dollars.
Hmm, let me see, reward for any information leading to the capture and conviction of the person responsible. Child leads police to the location and guides them through what happened and that leads them to the house of it turns out the criminal. Call me stupid but it sure sounds to me that if this f**KHead is found guilty, this girl did exactly what the reward says it is to be paid for. Therefore, it should not matter if it was the victim or not, she did lead them to the criminal and got the conviction so she should get the money. When I say, "she" I mean she, not her family, not anyone else but HER. As someone else stated, put it in a trust fund or something similar where it can build and it takes a court order for anyone else to touch it until she reaches age 18 and then she has sole possession of it.
Poor Baby . May god give her the strength to overcome all this and grow up to be a great human being . The people who did this heinous crime must be muslims and not reading Bible. they cannot be one of us as we all are good christian,s and blame quran as the book of all evils ??
@ Milton.....You had me with the first 2 sentences & then you lost with the rest of your dribble.
You realize Milton is a troll right?
As long as they are real memories and not ones that are imagined because police can be forceful and she could be scared straight into remembering who did this horrible act to her.
WAIT A MINUTE! Make that Biatch WORK hard labor in jail to pay for that dear child's psychological care, and allow the child to grow up with that money as a college fund! The care will be needed obviously due to this POS's sick acts-so why should the child pay for that???
The story here is not who gets the reward, the one who helped catch Christina gets the reward, the story here is that the assult was carried out by a woman. This happens far to often and just like this story not many see it and it falls under the radar. This really needs to be front page news and everyone needs to be aware that woman are very capable and are more often then not quilty of sexual assult.
This precious little child should get the reward money period. I can't imagine what she endured. I am more than happy that she's alive and her assailant caught. I will keep you in my prayers. And may God continue to watch over you.
If the girl (victim) provided information that lead to the capture of the perpetrator, then she should be legally deserving of the reward money, not to mention morally deserving. Either way, I wish her continued strength with her long and difficult recovery.
That said, we're pretty much experiencing the early days of the next "fall of Rome" complete with unfettered debauchery, perversion, political corruption, and environmental decay, with Mother Nature waiting in the wings to take revenge on us all, so the girl unfortunately won't have much time left to spend that money.....
The little girl should get ALL of the reward money since she helped them catch the pervert. Not only did she go through hell but then she had to go through it again and again trying to find the assailant and she'll have to go through it again for court. She's going to need a lot of therapy and that reward money will help.
she deserves this money and then some. Contemplating what? Give her the friggin money- she will need it, her life will NEVER be the same.
YES! The little girl should get it all! The crime happened to her and she has a long road ahead of her. Thank God she is so young and hopefully her age will help her in healing. Certainly, the money will help with therapy too.
So, if I understand this correctly, Amerika thinks that the suffering, that this five year-old girl has endured and will continue to endure for the rest of her life, can be assuaged with a $100,000 reward.
How magnanimous!
You didn't understand this correctly. Not remotely. The issue here is the unusual situation in which a crime victim is also the person who most fits the criteria for the reward fund set up to entice the public's help in catching the criminal.
And America-spelled-with-a-c is far more magnanimous than you realize, Snarky One. We'd give that child untold riches and enough love to last two lifetimes, if we could.
To summarize, bite me.
I don't recall reading anything about the victim being "assuaged" with a 100-G reward. That's your interpretation of events, and it sounds like a very biased one, at that.
And while I won't belittle the suffering this child has had, there's no reason, if she's loved and gets good therapy, why she should have to suffer the rest of her life. Not all human beings are that fragile, or the human race wouldn't have survived this long.
I totally agree that this brave, little survivor should get every dime she can; although no amount of money will ever give her back her innocence. Predators like this should be charged with murder, for they have killed the child. They may not have killed them physically, but they killed their innocence, childhood, trust and faith and that is worse than physical death.
I'd have to disagree with the content of your post. Human beings get their trust and faith destroyed constantly throughout life, but there's always the possibility that tomorrow might be better. But with physical death, as you call it, nothing will ever get better. Once you're dead, all potential is permanently lost.
I just think your emotion clouded your reason when you said what you did, and don't think for one moment that I'm denying the harm that was done to this young victim.
You make a valid (and comforting) point. It's a sliding scale, of course, but people are resilient.
Your name alone shows what you will bring to conversations. First off child molestation and rape are felonies and as such that bars them from owning firearms. What you are so vilely trying to twist into your sad little argument is that those who are convicted of lesser sex crimes, ie consensual non violent ones like statutory rape are not felonies but are still considered sex offenders. And secondly, you damn well know that the NRA doesn't support rapists and child molesters having guns so instead of making things up try articulating what you don't like about them and also please stop with your clearly deceptive "facts" and try posting things that are actually relevant to the conversation and not just politically motivated diatribe. It's pretty sad that you would use this tragedy as a spring board for your political opinions.
I'm pro gun control but I agree with this. Look up your facts first so people can have an honest and beneficial debate. Also, she's absolutely right. A story about a brave little girl helping to hunt down her abusers is no place for a political debate. Not that I'm standing up for sex offenders, but not all of them are horrible rapists. Sleeping with a consensual 17 year old as a 19 year old can land you on the sex offenders list if the 17 year old or their family decide to prosecute. Weeing in public also gets you on the list and that could happen on a crazy drunken Saturday night. Those aren't malicious acts but you still end up on the list. Anyways, I agree with the idea that a trust fund should be set up for this girl. If nothing else she'll need a lot of therapy throughout her life to cope with this.
I assume the family is not really well to do. Perhaps give half to the family to help make a better life, and put the other half in a trust fund for this childs future. God knows that she is the one that has to live with those memories for the rest of her life. The reward was for anyone that could help solve the case. It seems that the child is the only only one that helped.
Why do you assume the family is "not really well to do"? And, what does that have to do with anything?