Press Releases

MINNEAPOLIS, Feb. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- A unique new legal education program featuring a diverse, high-level faculty will provide practical insights for attorneys litigating claims relating to food, drug and medical device products, according to Tom Hagy, CEO of HB Conferences, the event's producer.  The CLE-accredited program will take place April 23-24, 2012 in Minneapolis and is free to a limited number of in-house counsel.

"Designed to help attendees improve case outcomes, foster earlier resolutions, and limit future exposures, the sessions will be guided by leading litigators, experienced in-house counsel and subject matter experts who have insights relevant to the day-to-day practice of law," Hagy explained.

In addition to the front-line litigators, Hagy said the faculty includes senior in-house counsel from Target; Cook Group Incorporated; Hormel Foods Corp.; Kellogg Company; General Mills, Inc.; Zimmer, Inc.; and Cargill, Inc.  

Additional perspectives will be provided by the Hon. John Tunheim, U.S. District Court Judge, District of Minnesota; Gerald Wilhelm, U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Minnesota; Robert Peck, Center for Constitutional Litigation;  Hon. Janice Symchych, (Retired), JAMS; and Gerald Wilhelm, U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Minnesota.  

Attorneys Sarah Brew with Faegre Baker Daniels; Tara Sutton with Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi; and Stephen Weisbrod with Weisbrod Matteis & Copley are chairing this timely event, coordinated by HB's VP of Development Jaimee Taibi.

Topics include:  Recent regulatory developments; responding to government enforcement actions; resolving claims and mass torts; advertising, labeling and consumer fraud class actions; claims and recalls; recent Supreme Court decisions; crisis management; calculating and presenting damages; judicial insights; and in-house perspectives. 

The program – titled Food, Drug & Medical Device Litigation Forum, will be held April 23-24, 2012, in Minneapolis.   For more information or to register, contact Helen Bokelman at (484) 324-2755 x212 or by email at Info@LitigationConferenes.com.  The latest program details are available at www.LitigationConferences.com.

HB Litigation Conferences is a nationally certified provider of specialized litigation events for tort and insurance practitioners.  Hagy is a former legal journalist and publisher at Mealey Publications Inc. and former VP at LexisNexis, which now publishes the portfolio of Mealey's Litigation Reports.

Contact: Helen BokelmanPhone: (484) 324-2755 x212Email: Info@LitigationConferences.comWebsite: www.LitigationConferences.com

SOURCE HB Litigation Conferences LLC

HARRISBURG, Pa., Feb. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --  Attorney General Linda Kelly today announced the filing of a series of felony charges against a Butler County man accused of using Facebook to operate an elaborate and disturbing false identity scheme that was used to solicit young girls for explicit photos or meetings for sex.

Kelly identified the defendant as William R. Ainsworth, 53, 110 Raupp Lane, Mars.

Kelly explained that the investigation by the Attorney General's Child Predator Unit began in September 2011, after agents received information that Ainsworth had traveled to the home of a 14-year-old girl in Butler County in order to engage in various sex acts. Ainsworth was arrested at that time and held on numerous criminal charges related to that alleged meeting.

"We quickly discovered that there was much more to this case than the sexual solicitation of one girl," Kelly said. "What we found was an intricate web of false Facebook identities that were used to establish online relationships with vulnerable girls, who were then manipulated into sending nude photos to Ainsworth – believing he was a young surfer living in Florida – or physically meeting Ainsworth for sex – under the impression that those sexual encounters would help raise money so the girls could run away to Florida to be with their new online friend."

Kelly urged parents to use this case as a reason to have serious conversations with their children about online social networking sites like Facebook, especially concerning predators who may manipulate these sites to victimize children.

"It is important to emphasize that the people you meet online may not always be who they say, and may actually be looking for something far more than just 'friendship,'" Kelly said. "The things you say, the photos you post and your other online activities may be twisted against you in a sinister manner."

Multiple Fake Facebook Personas

Kelly said that Ainsworth is accused of fabricating the Facebook personas of two young men, "Bill Cano" and "Anthony 'Rip' Navari," who were both supposedly living in Florida as surfers after dropping out of high school and running away from their families.  It is believed that Ainsworth copied numerous photos of young men and surfers from other social networking sites in order to support these fake Facebook profiles.

As part of the scheme, Kelly said that Ainsworth allegedly used "Bill" and "Rip" to initiate online friendships with young people from throughout the greater Pittsburgh area, nearly all of them female. She noted that Ainsworth accumulated more than 600 Facebook "friends" using the bogus profiles (The false accounts were removed at the request of the Attorney General's Office during this investigation).

Initially, Ainsworth is accused of using the "Bill Cano" profile to identify vulnerable girls. In some cases, Ainsworth's victims believed that "Bill" had attended their school before running away, while in other cases the victims responded to his online invitations because of multiple overlapping friends.

Kelly said that Ainsworth allegedly used Bill to "groom" potential victims: asking about their interests, complimenting them about their physical appearance and discussing problems with school or family members in order to establish an emotional relationship.  "Bill" would then convince the victims to send him nude or sexually explicit photos.

Bill Cano's "death" / Creation of "Rip" Navari

Kelly noted that after establishing connections with many young people as "Bill Cano," Ainsworth enhanced the emotional manipulation of this scheme by orchestrating Cano's death.

Using the persona of Anthony or "Rip" Navari – supposedly a step-brother or fellow surfer/friend of Bill Cano – Ainsworth concocted a story that Cano had been attacked by a group of people, was hospitalized in a coma, and eventually died as the result of his injuries.

"This fake death triggered an outpouring of sympathy and grief within the group of young Facebook users who believed that 'Bill Cano' was their friend," Kelly said. "Ainsworth allegedly fueled this grief with posts on Cano's Facebook page and using it as a mechanism to help his new persona establish even deeper connections with the victims."

"Glenn Keefer" / Meetings for sex

Kelly said that Ainsworth used "Rip" to introduce the girls to another fictitious character, known as "Glenn Keefer."  Keefer was supposedly an adult from the Pittsburgh area who identified himself online as a "Sugardaddy looking for Sugarbabies."

According to the criminal charges, Ainsworth – posing as "Rip" – solicited potential victims to meet with Keefer for anything from stripping to sex.  Supposedly, "Glenn" would send money to "Rip" if the girls would meet him, either to help Rip with his living expenses or to help the girls run away to Florida to be with Rip.

Kelly said that Ainsworth is charged in connection with alleged indecent contact involving seven different victims, ranging in age from 13 to 15.  In five of the cases, Ainsworth requested and received nude photos of the girls and in two of the cases he allegedly met with the victims for the purpose of committing sex acts. 

Kelly noted that some of the intended victims were as young as 12 when they were initially contacted.

Kelly said the criminal charges announced today are the result of an extensive investigation that involved interviews with more than 30 children, the execution of 18 search warrants and the review of thousands of pages of communications between Ainsworth and his alleged victims.

The victims identified during this investigation include girls from Butler, Allegheny and Beaver counties, along with West Virginia (formerly residing in Allegheny County).

Ainsworth is charged with 68 felony counts including involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, criminal attempted unlawful contact with a minor, criminal solicitation to commit unlawful contact with a minor, sexual abuse of children (possession of child pornography), and criminal use of a communications facility.

Additionally, Kelly said that Ainsworth is currently awaiting trial in Butler County on 13 other felony counts related to his initial arrest in September 2011.

Ainsworth will be prosecuted in Butler County by Senior Deputy Attorney General William F. Caye of the Attorney General's Child Predator Unit.

Kelly thanked the Adams Township Police Department, Facebook and Microsoft for their cooperation with this investigation.  

Kelly also offered her sincere appreciation to the children and parents who came forward and provided vital information that enabled this investigation to proceed. 

Online safety

Kelly urged parents to be aware of a number of online safety issues that were identified during this investigation:

• Several of the victims indicated that their parents had little or no awareness of their activity on Facebook or did not closely monitor their online communication with others.
• Many victims regularly accessed Facebook outside their homes, away from any possible oversight by parents, using cell phones and other portable devices.
• All of the victims had been experiencing stresses at home or school, ranging from parental custody disputes to substance abuse and/or harassment by peers.  Those issues appear to have been used by Ainsworth to develop closer online relationships.

Kelly encouraged parents to stress the importance of not sharing personal information online, like full names, ages, addresses, phone numbers and school information.

She added that children should always be especially cautious about strangers who approach them online. 

She also encouraged parents to take time to closely review how their children are using social networking sites and to monitor their communication with others, especially with young teens who may not yet be sensitive to deceptive or predatory behavior involving online "friends." 

Kelly recommended that parents take the time to learn and understand the technology involved in social networking and online communications so they can properly screen these services.

Additionally, Kelly urged parents to frequently discuss Internet safety and security issues with their children, including the importance of telling a trusted adult if someone engages in inappropriate online activity, such as:

• Sexual discussions.
• Sending or requesting nude photos or explicit videos.
• Sending pornography or links to pornographic websites.
• Trying to arrange face-to-face meetings.

Suspected Internet predators can be reported to the Attorney General's Office by using the "Report a Predator" link, located on the front page of the Attorney General's website, at www.attorneygeneral.gov, or by calling the toll-free Child Predator Hotline at 1-800-385-1044.

(A person charged with a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty.)

Editors' Note: A photo of the defendant and copy of the criminal complaint are available by contacting the Attorney General's Press Office at 717-787-5211.

Contact: Nils FrederiksenActing Director of Communications717-787-5211(Cell: 717-319-2252)nhf@attorneygeneral.gov

SOURCE Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General

OAKLAND, Calif., Feb. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Grants totaling $29.4 million were awarded by Kaiser Permanente in the fourth quarter to 725 organizations that are bringing meaningful and timely solutions to the communities they serve. This brings total grantmaking to $68 million for 2011.

"There is a deep connection between Kaiser Permanente and the communities where our members, physicians and employees make their homes," said Raymond J. Baxter, senior vice president, Community Benefit, Research and Health Policy. "We are proud to work with a diverse group of credible organizations in these local areas to make better health a reality."

Kaiser Permanente awards grants in distinct categories including, but not limited to: promoting healthy communities, expanding access to health care, and developing and disseminating knowledge.

Kaiser Permanente ContributionsThis is a sampling of the grants awarded by Kaiser Permanente in the fourth quarter of 2011.

A $330,000 grant has been awarded to The Coalition of Orange County Community Health Centers to bring resources and opportunities for member clinics to enhance the quality of clinical care delivered to their patient populations and to strengthen operations as they prepare for the impact of health reform.

United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta received a $500,000 grant from Kaiser Permanente of Georgia to provide access to care for underserved people through partnerships with community-based organizations, clinics and health centers. The project supports issues identified through strategic health assessments, including increasing the number of babies born full-term; reducing homeless individuals' reliance on emergency rooms; providing care to uninsured people living with HIV/AIDS; establishing new primary care access points; and providing care coordination in safety-net clinics.

The Marion County Health Department near Portland, Ore., received a $170,000 grant to establish healthy corner stores in the Northern Marion County cities of Gervais, Hubbard, Mt. Angel and Woodburn, where there are a high percentage of families living in poverty.

ALL PHASE, an initiative that utilizes low-cost and generic medications and clinical interventions to reduce heart attacks, will be implemented at Community Clinic, Inc. in Rockville, Md., through a $143,949 grant. The project will benefit CCI patients age 55 and older with diabetes, and select diabetic patients ages 40 to 54 who are also high risk for heart attack and stroke.  With patient involvement, the project will develop care management plans and enhance care coordination. A team-based approach, comprised of three components: treatment, psychosocial solutions and patient personal goals, will be implemented.

In support of the collaboration between the Hawaii Dept. of Health and Hep Free Hawaii, a $40,350 grant was awarded to raise awareness and encourage active participation in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of viral hepatitis and liver disease in Hawaii.  Together, the two entities will coordinate with local Asian and Pacific Island populations and community groups to develop culturally appropriate and accessible educational materials.  Hawaii has the highest liver cancer rate nationwide and Hepatitis is seen as a major contributing factor, affecting mostly API populations of which Hawaii has a high-concentration.

In Northern California, grants totaling $335,000 were awarded to five community clinic consortia across the region to help enroll patients in subsidized health insurance programs — and keep them enrolled— by incorporating new processes into clinic systems. The grants will help strengthen clinic capacity to keep individuals continuously enrolled in health coverage, a critical step in the successful implementation of health reform.

In Ohio, a Thriving Communities grant of $25,000 will support the Cleveland Foodbank's Children's Nutrition Initiative.  CNI is designed to meet the needs of children at risk of hunger.  Through the BackPacks for Kids, Kids Cafes and Summer Feeding Programs, Cleveland Foodbank ensures that participating children do not go hungry in the evenings, on weekends, or over summer vacation.

For more information about Kaiser Permanente's Community Benefit programs visit www.kp.org/communitybenefit.

About Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, our mission is to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We serve approximately 8.9 million members in nine states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: www.kp.org/newscenter.

SOURCE Kaiser Permanente