Humiliating walk of shame by alleged child abuse ring
Several alleged members of a child sex abuse ring in Alabama were humiliatingly marched to court in front of TV cameras.
Eight accused pedophiles - a mix of women and men - bowed their heads as they shuffled from police cruisers to the courthouse on Thursday.
One member of the group also held a piece of paper in front of his face to shield his identity outside Bibb County Circuit Court, close to the city of Brent.
The group has been charged with several felony offenses, including rape, sodomy, human trafficking, kidnapping, sexual torture and aggravated child abuse.
Police allege they abused at least 10 children, ranging in age between two and 15 years old, in an underground bunker.
One member of the group, Rebecca Brewer, made an eleventh-hour confession to nine counts of first-degree kidnapping and one count of sexual torture.
She pleaded guilty to the crimes on Thursday.
Several alleged members of a child sex abuse ring in Alabama have been caught on camera doing a walk of shame to the county court in their prison slacks
Rebecca Brewer made an eleventh-hour confession to nine counts of first-degree kidnapping and one count of sexual torture
According to the court, Brewer entered the guilty pleas as part of an agreement.
However, the details of the arrangement have not been released because the other defendants, two more women and five men, are still set to face trial.
Brewer will be sentenced after her alleged accomplices have had their day in court.
Under Alabama law, she could be sentenced to 10 years up to life in prison for the crimes she has admitted.
The remaining seven defendants have denied all the allegations against them.
Some pleaded not guilty, while others entered pleas of not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.
Three of the defendants appear to be related, sharing the same surname - Sara Terrell, Ricky Terrell Sr, and Dalton Terrell.
Eight accused pedophiles - a mix of women and men - bowed their heads to avoid media scrutiny as they shuffled from police cruisers to the courthouse on Thursday
Brewer will be sentenced after her fellow alleged accomplices have had their day in court
The others have been named as William Chase McElroy, Andres Trejo-Velazquez, Timothy St John Jr, and Olivia Elam.
The female defendants wore lime green prison jumpsuits, while the men wore the same in orange.
They were each handcuffed, and Sara Terrell attempted to cover her face with her cuffed hands as she entered the courtroom.
A trial date is yet to be set, but the judge has ruled that their cases could take place concurrently in separate courtrooms.
Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
