WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Florida authorities have opened a criminal investigation into the sexually explicit computer messages that former Rep. Mark Foley sent to former male congressional pages. Foley resigned Sept. 29 after being confronted with the lurid communications. Florida law prohibits seducing or attempting to seduce a minor. However, authorities have said the term “seduce” is open to interpretation. “It was a preliminary inquiry before, but we found the basis to open up a criminal investigation,” a spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said Thursday.
Kentucky: 90 years in rape, murder
A soldier was sentenced Thursday to 90 years in prison with the possibility of parole for conspiring to rape a 14-year-old Iraqi girl and kill her and her family. Spc. James P. Barker, 23, one of four Fort Campbell soldiers accused in the March 12 rape and killings, pleaded guilty Wednesday and agreed to testify against the others to avoid the death penalty. Under the plea agreement, Barker got a life sentence but will not serve more than 90 years in prison, officials said. He will be eligible for parole in 20 years.
Hawaii: Tougher limits on smoking
Thousands of signs posted everywhere in Hawaii make its new law clear: “Smoking Prohibited By Law.” The Smoke-Free Hawaii Law bans smoking in all public places including restaurants, bowling alleys, malls and from curb to cabin at airports. It also updates strict county no-smoking policies by making it illegal to light up in partially enclosed areas, bars and less than 20 feet from doorways and windows. Individual violators of the smoking law may be fined up to $50 plus court costs.
D.C.: Activist gets appointment
The Bush administration has appointed a new chief of family-planning programs at the Department of Health and Human Services who worked at a Christian pregnancy counseling organization that regards the distribution of contraceptives as “demeaning to women.” Eric Keroack, medical director for A Woman’s Concern, a nonprofit group based in Dorchester, Mass., will become deputy assistant secretary for population affairs in the next two weeks, a department spokeswoman said Thursday.
Maryland: Homeless sex offenders
Homeless sex offenders are exempt from laws requiring them to register a change of address with state officials, Maryland’s high court has ruled. The Maryland Court of Appeals said Wednesday in a pair of unanimous rulings that it would be impossible for the homeless to comply with that provision of the state sex offender registry. The rulings overturned the convictions of two sex offenders in Montgomery County for failing to update their addresses.
California: Jesus dolls OK for tots
The Marine Reserves’ Toys for Tots program has decided to accept a donation of Bible-quoting Jesus dolls, reversing course after saying earlier this week that it couldn’t take them. “The talking Jesus doll issue has been resolved,” the organization announced on its Web site Wednesday. “Toys for Tots has found appropriate places for these items. We have notified the donor of our willingness to handle this transaction.” Earlier this week, the program declined a suburban Los Angeles company’s offer to donate 4,000 of the foot-tall talking dolls.
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