Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

A former Mount Jewett resident already serving 42 ½ to 85 years in state prison on child sex charges has now been sentenced in federal court on child pornography charges. 46-year-old Johnnie Gale Lee received and possessed computer images depicting minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, according to information presented to the court. He was sentenced to five years in prison on those charges. Lee is asking for a new trial in McKean County in part because findings of forensic nurse Rhonda Henderson, who worked on his case, have been called into question. http://www.justice.gov/usao/paw/pr/2010_november/2010_11_17_06.html

Two McKean County men convicted of sexually assaulting children were in McKean County Court today for post conviction relief action hearings because evidence presented in their cases came from a forensic nurse who is under investigation. A jury had previously found Johnnie Gale Lee of Mount Jewett guilty of 12 counts of rape, and related charges, in two child rape cases. Michael Fanning of Bradford was accused of raping a child in Lewis Run. Authorities allege that nurse Rhonda Henderson’s medical findings were incorrect and, in some cases she identified injuries that did not exist or overstated evidence of injury. McKean County District Attorney Ray Learn says Senior Judge William White did not render a decision in either case today. The records are to remain open until additional documents are submitted. Briefs are due in 30 days. White will render a decision after that.

Two McKean County men found guilty of sexually assaulting children are in McKean County Court for post conviction relief action hearings because evidence presented in their cases came from a forensic nurse who is under investigation. A jury found Johnnie Lee Gale of Mount Jewett guilty of 12 counts of rape, and related charges, in two child rape cases. Michael Fanning of Bradford was accused of raping a child in Lewis Run. Authorities allege that nurse Rhonda Henderson’s medical findings were incorrect and, in some cases she identified injuries that did not exist or overstated evidence of injury. Senior Judge William White is hearing the cases, according to the weekly court scheduled faxed to WESB and The HERO.

An Erie County judge has scheduled a hearing to determine how much information county prosecutors and child welfare workers must reveal about child sex abuse findings by a forensic nurse that have been called into question. Prosecutors in Erie, McKean, Warren and Crawford counties are reviewing at least 42 child sex cases investigated by forensic nurse Rhonda Henderson. She's denied wrongdoing, but a panel of experts says Henderson repeatedly overstated injuries on victims that weren't supported by video evidence. Judge Ernest DiSantis Jr. scheduled a hearing Friday to review Henderson's work in the case of a 39-year-old man accused of raping a 3-year-old girl. The findings in that case might affect how much information defense attorneys in other cases can get about Henderson's work.

An Erie County sexual assault nurse examiner accused of falsifying reports has worked on some sexual assault cases in McKean County, and the district attorney’s office is now reviewing all cases she was involved in. Authorities in Erie say they found erroneous information in 11 cases handled by former St. Vincent Forensic Nurse Rhonda Henderson. McKean County District Attorney Ray Lean says, in a news release, that Henderson has been used in “some sexual assault cases by our office over the last fews years” and they understand the seriousness of the allegations. His office is now reviewing all cses she was involved in to determined what effect, if any, these inconsistences may have on the integrity of the criminanl justice system in McKean County. Learn says once this determination has been made victims, defense attorneys and/or defendants will be notified of any case in which they are affected. His office has also contacted McKean County Children and Youth Services, though solicitor D...