Kansas Priest Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child Pornography
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas priest pleaded guilty in federal court to possessing child pornography. U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said 46-year-old Christopher Rossman pleaded guilty Friday. He was pastor at Annunciation Catholic Church in Baldwin City and St. Francis of Assisi Church in Lapeer until he was suspended. McAllister said monitoring software installed on Rossman's electronic devices reported he visited adult and child pornography websites. The archdiocese contacted law enforcement in September 2016 and suspended Rossman from the ministry. He was charged last week. When investigators sought Rossman in Baldwin City, they learned sister had tried to run over her brother's Galaxy tablet. A forensics examination found files depicting young females engaged in sexual activities. The archdiocese said in a statement Friday that the process of removing a man from the priesthood, called laicization, will begin against Rossman.
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Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Announces Retirement
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Lawton Nuss plans to retire in December, giving Democratic Governor Laura Kelly a second appointment on the court. Nuss announced Friday that he plans to step down December 17th after serving on the court since 2002 and as chief justice since 2010. He was an appointee of moderate Republican Governor Bill Graves. During the 66-year-old Nuss' tenure as chief justice, the seven-member court came under increasing criticism from conservative Republicans for rulings that overturned death sentences in capital murder cases and directed legislators to increase spending on public schools. And the court ruled in April that the state constitution protects abortion rights. Nuss' announcement the same month Justice Lee Johnson announced plans to retire September 8th. Johnson was appointed by Democratic Governor Kathleen Sebelius.
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Ex-KU Assistant Coach Found Guilty of Stealing Underwear
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A former University of Kansas volunteer assistant volleyball coach has admitted stealing underwear from women on the team. 24-year-old Skyler Yee pleaded no contest Friday to two felony counts of burglary, in exchange for prosecutors dropping 13 other charges. Judge Peggy Kittel found Yee's crimes were sexually motivated. He must register as a sex offender for the next 15 years. The Lawrence Journal-World reports Kittel granted Yee's request to serve his sentence in Oregon, where he lives. However, Oregon must accept him, which may require him to serve part of his sentence in Kansas. Yee was charged in February with 15 counts, including four felonies. The charges include burglary, property damage and theft between December 2017 and January 2019. He was the women's volleyball assistant coach from August 2016 until resigning in mid-January.
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Ex-Kansas Band Instructor Sentenced for Sexual Exploitation
WELLINGTON, Kan. (AP) — A former Wellington High School band instructor has been sentenced to 16 months in prison for sexual exploitation of a child. 31-year-old Ben Olson was sentenced Thursday in Sumner County District Court. He pleaded guilty in March after admitting that he had a nude photo of a 17-year-old girl. KSNW reports Olson apologized in court for his actions. He said he was recently admitted to a center to address his mental health. The victim and the mother also spoke in court. They said Olson had betrayed their trust after the girl looked up to him as a friend and "father figure." Olson was suspended from the Wellington district in November and fired in April. As part of his guilty plea, Olson must register as a sex offender.
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Motorcyclist, Passenger Found Dead 42 Hours after Crash
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a Topeka man who crashed his motorcycle after a birthday celebration at a Topeka bar was found dead in a ditch about 42 hours later with the body of his passenger. The Kansas Highway Patrol says 59-year-old Kenneth Barsch went off the side of U.S. 75 around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday. Patrol Lt. Bryce Whelpley described the ditch that Barsch and 49-year-old Kimberly Hollis crashed into as "very steep" and deep. A search party made up of relatives and friends came across the scene around 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Barsch had last been seen early Wednesday morning riding away from the bar in northern Topeka. His birthday had been Tuesday.
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16-year-old Killed in Apparent Drive-by Shooting in Topeka
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a 16-year-old has been killed in Topeka in what appears to be a drive-by shooting. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that the shooting happened around 3:40 p.m. Thursday. Lt. Andrew Beightel says the teen was rushed to a hospital, where he died. Beightel says police didn't currently have suspect information but believe they were looking for a small, blueish four-door passenger car that left the scene in an unknown direction. Gunfire also was reported in another location.
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9-year-old in Critical Condition after Lifeguard Rescue
DERBY, Kan. (AP) — Officials say a 9-year-old girl is in critical condition after a lifeguard rescued her from a swimming pool near Wichita. The Wichita Eagle reports that a Sedgwick County dispatch supervisor says emergency crews were called Thursday evening to a near drowning at the Rock River Rapids Aquatic Park in Derby. Emergency radio traffic indicated she was unresponsive in the ambulance on her way to Wesley Medical Center's emergency room, and that it was unknown how long she had been in the water.
