In a Los Angeles courtroom, the sister of a 16-year-old victim condemned a high school counselor as “a predator” and “a monster” just moments before the counselor received a sentence of two years probation for sexual abuse.

Julie Tichon faced the court after entering a no-contest plea to two felony charges: engaging in unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor more than three years younger and oral copulation with a person under 18.

The victim, a student at YULA High School—a modern Orthodox Jewish yeshiva—was reportedly sexually abused by Tichon, who served as a counselor there. The alleged incidents took place multiple times between February and March 2024, leading to Tichon’s arrest in August of that year.

The victim’s sister, Sara, delivered an emotional statement, reading five letters—four from her sisters and one from herself—sharply criticizing Tichon for her conduct.

Sara recounted the impact of their mother’s sudden death in 2023, describing how “the family was shattered.” She accused Tichon of taking advantage of “a vulnerable kid at a fragile time” as he struggled through adolescence.

Once the rumors of an inappropriate relationship started swirling through the school the siblings said life was ruined.

“I was isolated and alone. My brother was the victim but they judged me. I hid in the bathroom at school”, the victim’s sister Phani wrote.

The crime rattled the “small religious community” where they lived, she said.

Sara went on to say Tichon “had stabbed us and twisted the knife” before calling the counselor “a monster” “predator” and “dangerous.”

“I hate Julie Tichon. We entrusted you with his safety, she used her time to groom him” she said.

Tichon, in black pants and a black shirt with a grey sweater, listened and stared straight ahead while sitting next to her attorney, Tariq Khero, as Sara read the letters.

After the proceedings, Tichon who attended the hearing with her mother, spoke exclusively with The California Post as Khero looked on. “I’m sorry, I wished it never happened,” she said.

Khero explained that he was the one who told Tischon to plead no contest instead of guilty, something the family had taken issue with in the letters.

“It was absolutely wrong, she made horrible mistakes,” Khero said. He added that Tichon had lost a brother to suicide around the same time the victim’s mother had died, but said its no excuse for Tichon’s action.

“I wanted to be there for (the victim), to get the support I didn’t,” Tichon said.

Khero says Tichon is doing “a lot of work on herself, more therapy, healing and making herself better so no one gets put in this position again.”

The terms of Tichon’s probation include registering as a sex offender, staying in therapy, keeping 100 yards away from the victim, and restitution to be decided at a later hearing. When the counselor was asked if she understood the terms, she said “yes, your honor.”

The victims family looked on, some on the verge of tears, as the terms were read.

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — A man from St. Augustine received a 15-year prison sentence on Thursday after being convicted of assaulting his wife and holding her and their son captive in their residence.

In March, Yuvrajjit Gill faced a jury and was found guilty of several charges, including two counts of armed false imprisonment, aggravated assault with a firearm, improper exhibition of a firearm, domestic violence battery, battery, and tampering with a witness by preventing communication with law enforcement.

This story continues below.

The State Attorney’s Office reported that on May 2, 2025, Gill brandished a gun to threaten his wife, forcibly taking her into their master bedroom where he repeatedly beat her using his fists and a shoe.

As the attack unfolded, their son entered the room. Investigators revealed that Gill confiscated the boy’s phone and forced him to sit beside his mother while the assault continued. According to the SAO, both mother and son were held at gunpoint for more than an hour before they managed to escape to a neighbor’s house.

Gill’s sentence includes credit for just over a year of time already served.

On Wednesday night, Jimmy Kimmel took aim at Spencer Pratt, a candidate for Los Angeles mayor, during his late-night show, delivering a scathing critique.

The 58-year-old host accused Pratt of being a “narcissist seeking attention,” attempting to undermine the campaign of the former star of “The Hills.”

During his monologue, Kimmel, 42, drew parallels between Pratt and former President Donald Trump, despite acknowledging that the current state of Los Angeles under Mayor Karen Bass is far from ideal.

Efforts to reach Pratt’s representative for a statement have been made.

The attacks on the registered Republican on Jimmy Kimmel Live come after he managed to put politics aside earlier on Wednesday to pay tribute to his longtime friend and former Man Show co-host, the conservative comedian Adam Carolla, when his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was unveiled.

Though critical of Pratt, Kimmel began his segment by describing the challenging conditions currently facing the city.

Jimmy Kimmel had his sights set on LA mayoral hopeful Spencer Pratt in a blistering rant on Wednesday night’s episode of his eponymous late-night talk show

The 58-year-old comedian accused Pratt of merely being a ‘narcissist looking for attention’ as he tried to crater the former Hills star’s campaign – despite admitting in the same monologue that Los Angeles under incumbent Mayor Karen Bass ‘is a mess’; Pratt seen Thursday in NYC

‘Here in Los Angeles, we have a very LA race for mayor on our hands here,’ Kimmel said. ‘This city, let’s be honest, this city is a mess. That is something that became especially obvious during the fires. 

‘But the people running the city, when you say this place is a mess, they go, “No, actually it isn’t. We’re doing a lot,”‘ he continued. ‘And then we look around and go, “I’m not seeing it.”‘

Kimmel added that many Angelenos were frustrated to see that ‘nothing seems to change’ with the city.

‘So then you get a guy who is on a reality show, who’s on a lot of reality shows. His profession is to be the screaming jerk on reality shows, and his house burns down,’ the host continued, before mocking Pratt for failing to consider the safety of his own home.

‘And even though he had no private insurance on his house and doesn’t believe in climate change, he is understandably upset about his house burning down. And since he’s a moderately famous person, he gets attention,’ Kimmel said.

He joked that Pratt, who has no experience with politics, only got the idea to run for mayor of LA after people started agreeing with him ‘for the first time in his life.’

‘If you believe the polls, 22 percent of them are going, “You know what? You should be mayor,”‘ Kimmel continued, before mocking Pratt for using campaign money to stay in a luxury hotel, despite claiming that he was living in far more spartan conditions.

‘And not only are they telling him he should be mayor, they’re even going so far as to give him money for his campaign, some of which he immediately spent on moving into a $1,500-a-night room at the Hotel Bel-Air,’ Kimmel seethed. ‘He’s living at the Hotel Bel-Air at the same time he’s running a video claiming he lives in a trailer on the burned-out lot where his house was, which he is not.’

Kimmel said many Angelenos were frustrated to see that ‘nothing seems to change’ with the city. ‘So then you get a guy who is on a reality show, who’s on a lot of reality shows’

‘His profession is to be the screaming jerk on reality shows and his house burns down,’ the host continued, before mocking Pratt for failing to consider the safety of his own home by not investing in home insurance; Pratt is pictured May 20 in LA

The late-night host went so far as to suggest that Pratt might not even want to be LA’s mayor.

‘You think this guy wants to sit through city council meetings all day talking about zoning?’ he mused. ‘No, he wants to be a star again. And guess what? It’s working.’

Kimmel went on to mock Pratt for his alleged similarities in style and politics to Donald Trump, though he joked that the difference between the LA mayor hopeful and the current president was that Trump ‘had a job before he was on a reality show.’

‘He wasn’t good at the job. He got all the money for it from his dad. And the only thing he was good at was promoting himself,’ Kimmel said. ‘And it turned out that was enough. And as a result, we are now going to have to spend the next three decades digging out of this giant hole he put us in. 

‘But this hole now has given birth to Spencer Pratt, who is running for mayor, another narcissist looking for attention,’ he added.

As Kimmel urged Los Angeles residents not to vote for Pratt, he asked if they were ‘really going to risk repeating that mistake.’

‘Mayor should not be your first job. The mayor of LA is in charge of a $14 billion annual budget. Spencer Pratt is not the person who should be in charge of [it],’ he said.

As evidence, Kimmel recalled how Pratt once admitted that he and his wife Heidi Montag spent an astonishing $10 million before December 21, 2012, in the mistaken belief that ancient Mayan calendars indicated the world would come to an end in the year 2012.

He joked that Pratt, who has no experience with politics, only got the idea to run for mayor of LA after people started agreeing with him ‘for the first time in his life,’ and Kimmel suggested Pratt may not even want the job, just the publicity that comes with it

Kimmel went on to mock Pratt for his alleged similarities in style and politics to Donald Trump, though he joked that the difference between the LA mayor hopeful and the current president was that Trump ‘had a job before he was on a reality show’; Trump is pictured Wednesday in Washington, DC

‘We made and spent at least $10 million,’ Pratt said in a 2013 interview with OK! magazine. ‘The thing is, we heard that the planet was going to end in 2012. We thought, we have got to spend this money before the asteroid hits.’

‘Here’s some advice, definitely do not spend your money thinking asteroids are coming. But the world didn’t end,’ Pratt said in the same interview, before revealing how he spent the eye-popping sum. 

‘I would give my friends $15,000 for their birthday. Just cash. I would buy people cars. Every valet I met got a couple of hundred [dollars] tip. I would pay people $200 just to open doors for us,’ the reality star admitted at the time.

Looking back on Pratt’s spending spree, Kimmel said, ‘That’s the guy 22 percent of you want to be mayor of Los Angeles when the Olympics come to town. You’ve got to be kidding me with this.’

Although Kimmel was sympathetic with voters who might not want to reward Bass with a second term, he warned that ‘you better find somebody else to vote for, and preferably somebody who isn’t wasting our time and money to get himself back on television.’

‘And for the rest of the candidates running for mayor, I hope you are paying attention to why you are currently trailing this person,’ Kimmel concluded.

While Pratt is attacking Bass from her right and courting other celebrities to publicize his campaign, LA City Councilmember Nithya Raman is running to Bass’s left on an affordability platform reminiscent of the one Zohran Mamdani used in his successful campaign to be elected New York City mayor. 

Following Kimmel’s monologue, Pratt appeared to defend himself against claims that he lacks experience in a post on X.

Following Kimmel’s monologue, Pratt appeared to defend himself against claims that he lacks experience in a post on X

Early on Thursday morning – as he went to New York City to appear on Fox & Friends – Pratty roasted Kimmel, writing on X that ‘Jimmy’s secretly voting for me’

He also shared a photo of his parents’ incinerated home after it was destroyed in last year’s LA fires as he painted an apocalyptic portrait of the city’s future

‘When people criticize me for not having experience, I’m a lifelong Angeleno who’s seen my home city waste away under poor leadership. THAT is my experience. Just like you. Vote for LA. Vote today,’ he wrote.

Early on Thursday morning – as he went to New York City to appear on Fox & Friends – Pratt roasted Kimmel, writing on X that ‘Jimmy’s secretly voting for me.’

He also shared a photo of his parents’ incinerated home after it was destroyed in last year’s LA fires.

‘This is my parents’ house. This is why I’m running,’ he wrote. ‘This is coming for your home. It’s coming for your industry. If not by fire, then by blight, addicts, fraud, and the slow rot created by corrupt politicians like Karen Bass. Wake up and VOTE.’

Content Warning: This article contains descriptions of sexual assault that may be distressing to some readers.

Anna Kepner, an 18-year-old whose life was tragically cut short, spent her last moments desperately gasping for air as her assailant relentlessly squeezed her throat. Prosecutors have described this heinous act as “barbaric, intentional, and thoughtful,” painting a grim picture of the events that unfolded aboard a cruise ship.

Recently unsealed court documents reveal the prosecution’s case against Timothy Hudson, the 16-year-old stepbrother of Kepner. Hudson stands accused of murdering her within the confines of their shared cabin on the Carnival Horizon in November 2025. The charges he faces could lead to a life sentence if he is found guilty.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alejandra Lopez detailed the chilling moments in court, stating, “While she struggled to breathe for minutes, he continued to hold her neck in that manner so that she would die from lack of oxygen.”

STEPBROTHER OF ANNA KEPNER FACES HOMICIDE CHARGES: COURT DOCUMENTS REVEALED

Prosecutors details Anna Kepner’s final moments after her killer strangles her to death in her cruise cabin. They described her murder as “a barbaric, intentional, thoughtful act.” Timothy Hudson has been charged with first-degree murder and sexual assault. (Matthew Symons for Fox News Digital | Anna Kepner/Instagram)

Instead of letting up, Lopez said, Kepner was killed by mechanical asphyxiation after she was sexually assaulted inside cabin 8343 while the ship was sailing back to Miami from Cozumel, Mexico.

“That is a barbaric, intentional, thoughtful act…”

“Not an accident, not some sort of brief, weird moment where it sort of happens like an accidental shooting. He made the decision to do that… and he continues to do that until she had breath no more,” Lopez said.

Prosecutors said Kepner returned to the cabin alone around 7:38 p.m. on Nov. 6 after telling her family at dinner that she had an upset stomach and that her braces were hurting her.

NO CAUSE OF DEATH FOR CHEERLEADER FOUND DEAD ON CRUISE SHIP AS REPORT REVEALS REMAINS FOUND HIDDEN UNDER BED

Her stepbrother had entered the room minutes earlier, according to surveillance footage described in court.

Her 13-year-old brother briefly entered the cabin around 7:51 p.m. and saw Kepner alive, prosecutors said.

After that, Lopez argued, Kepner and Hudson were alone for roughly three hours, which she said was enough time for him to assault her, strangle her and hide her body.

TEEN FOUND DEAD ON CARNIVAL CRUISE SHIP DIED FROM MECHANICAL ASPHYXIATION, RULED HOMICIDE: REPORT

Timothy Hudson arrives at the James Lawrence King Federal Justice building in Miami, Fla., on May 27, 2026. (Matthew Symons for Fox News Digital)

Her body was discovered the next morning by a cabin attendant, wrapped in a blanket and shoved partly under a bed. Prosecutors said a box of life vests had been moved to help conceal her.

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The medical examiner found bruising on her neck and significant bruising near her left

“At any time T [Timothy] could have let that hold go,” Lopez said. “He could have allowed the victim to breathe. But instead, for minutes he held that position in order for her to die.”

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The 16-year-old stepbrother, identified as T.H. in court documents, is accused of sexually assaulting 18-year-old Anna Kepner and intentionally killing her on Carnival Cruise Line’s Horizon ship. (Shauntel Kepner/Facebook)

Prosecutors also pointed to DNA evidence, saying swabs from Kepner’s vaginal canal showed “very strong support” for Hudson as the male DNA contributor.

The medical examiner, prosecutors said, concluded the evidence was consistent with a sexual assault before death.

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Anna Kepner was identified by her family as the passenger who died onboard the Carnival Horizon. (Facebook)

Investigators also discussed Kepner’s missing cellphone, which her family mentioned that “she was never without it.” The phone was later found smashed in a trash bin near the rear of the ship, prosecutors said.

FBI WEIGHING STATE OR FEDERAL CHARGES AGAINST 16-YEAR-OLD IN ANNA KEPNER CRUISE SHIP HOMICIDE CASE: LAWYER

Surveillance footage and ship Wi-Fi router data allegedly showed Hudson moving through areas of the ship where the phone was also connecting to routers, including near the trash bin where it was later recovered.

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Prosecutors said a rape kit collected during Kepner’s autopsy included vaginal swabs that tested positive for male DNA, and one swab also tested positive for sperm.

According to the transcript, FBI lab testing excluded another sexual partner, and found “very strong support” for Hudson as the male DNA contributor. Prosecutors said FBI lab testing found the DNA mixture was 120 sextillion times more likely if Kepner and Hudson were the contributors than if Kepner and an unknown, unrelated person were contributors.

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“Someone doesn’t accidentally fall into someone’s vagina with their sexual organ. He clearly made the clear, conscious decision…,” Lopez said. “That is not a spur-of-the-moment act and it is not an accident. It is a clear and conscious decision that violates the body of another person.”

Timothy Hudson appears in a court sketch during a hearing in Miami federal court on May 27. He is accused of murdering his stepsister, Anna Kepner, and sexually assaulting her. (Lothar Speer/Unknown)

The teen was released to his uncle’s custody under strict conditions, including GPS monitoring, home detention, no unsupervised contact with minors and removal of firearms from the home.

On Wednesday, prosecutors once again fought for Hudson to remain behind bars until his September trial.

But the judge ruled that Hudson can remain out of jail and on bond before his trial, with certain restrictions. The U.S. Marshals Office will explore housing options for Hudson in the Tampa area.

CENTER POINT, Ala. (WIAT) — Authorities have pinpointed a juvenile suspect in relation to a blaze that erupted at the Lovelady Thrift Store this past Wednesday.

The fire ravaged two trailers brimming with donated items. Center Point Fire Chief Brandon Dahlen disclosed that the fire was deliberately ignited by a young individual, whose identity remains confidential due to their minor status. The Center Point Fire District, in collaboration with partner agencies, has been diligently gathering evidence pertinent to the case.

“The Center Point Fire District is grateful to the community for their valuable input in advancing the investigation,” Dahlen remarked in a statement. “We also wish to commend the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) for their invaluable assistance and backing throughout this investigation.”

Those wishing to contribute to Lovelady Thrift Store can drop off donations at 7720 Ludington Lane in Irondale or 2402 Old Springville Road in Center Point.

In a shocking turn of events, former NBA player Terry Rozier has been accused of accepting a $100,000 bribe to leave a game prematurely as part of a betting conspiracy, according to a recent indictment by federal prosecutors. The filing, made public by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York on Thursday, implicates the ex-Hornets and Heat guard in a gambling scheme during the 2023 NBA season.

The indictment claims that Rozier conspired with Deniro Laster, informing him that he would exit the Hornets’ game against the Pelicans on March 23, 2023, during the first quarter. Laster allegedly relayed this insider information to bettors, facilitating the scheme.

Rozier now faces charges of bribery in sports contests and conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, adding a new layer of controversy to his career.

The NBA and the Charlotte Hornets have been identified as the victims in this case, while Rozier has adamantly denied any involvement in the illicit betting activities.

Prosecutors argue that Rozier used a legitimate leg injury, which hampered him during the latter part of the 2022-23 season, as a pretext to withdraw from the game. In return, he allegedly stood to gain $100,000, while wagers exceeding $258,700 were placed on the underperformance of Rozier’s stats for that matchup.

Rozier played a little more than nine minutes before he exited the game, finishing with five points, four rebounds and two assists.

The indictment indicated that he took a smaller bribe of $70,000 since the four rebounds he pulled down during the 2023 game caused some bets to lose, according to ESPN. 

The new indictment came on the same day that Marves Fairley pleaded guilty to charges connected to the conspiracy, and alleged that he had paid Rozier as part of the scheme. 

“I agreed to pay a player to change their game performance,” Fairley said in the Brooklyn federal courthouse on Thursday, per The Athletic. 

Rozier was one of six individuals indicted last year on conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering charges in the NBA-related investigation.

A 21-year-old man from Kentucky, who allegedly targeted homeless individuals with a rifle, was fatally shot by SWAT team officers, authorities confirm.

Michael Hristov was shot by police at his residence in Louisville on May 14 after he reportedly fired at the officers, according to a statement made during a police press briefing.

Hristov had been a suspect in the gruesome murder and dismemberment of Michael Howard, an incident that occurred on December 24 of the previous year.

Investigators revealed that Howard’s lifeless and mutilated body was discovered in a homeless camp situated near Interstate 65, a day after Christmas.

The victim’s body had been subjected to horrific mutilations, including the severing of eight toes and genitalia, alongside carvings of satanic symbols. Only seven of the removed toes were recovered at the scene.

Police said Hristov also stabbed another homeless man on December 25, but that victim survived the attack.

Homicide detectives linked Hristov to the case through surveillance footage and a Reddit post warning of a ‘possible serial killer in Louisville’ which it turned out he had penned.

Police said Hristov had a known fascination with serial killers, a history of torturing animals, idolized mass shooters and had made statements about wanting to hunt homeless people. 

Michael Hristov, 21, was indicted for murder, abuse of a corpse and assault on May 13

Police say he brutally killed Michael Howard and dismembered his body on December 24 last year. His remains were found in a homeless encampment near I-65

Hristov was shot dead by SWAT officers outside his Louisville home on May 14 as they were trying to carry out a warrant for his arrest

As officers tried to serve the warrant, Hristov shot at them from inside his residence

Police identified Hristov as their suspected killer after tracing surveillance footage from the Christmas Day stabbing.

They tracked his location to a home in Louisville where he resided with his mother.

Detectives obtained a search warrant for his home, scooter and technology, which they carried out on March 7.

During the search, police recovered a backpack that contained Howard’s missing toe and his blood, officials revealed.

Examination of his computer also determined that Hristov had written the eerie Reddit post before he carried out his crimes.

The post, published on December 21, warned that a killer was targeting ‘unhoused people’ near I-65 and ‘supposedly drew a symbol near the bodies.’

He was subsequently indicted for murder, abuse of a corpse and assault on May 13. 

Officers tried to serve his arrest warrant on May 14, but the killer responded by shooting at them from inside his home. 

Hristov penned an eerie Reddit post on December 21 warning of a ‘possible serial killer in Louisville’

Police identified Hristov as their suspected killer after tracing surveillance footage from a separate stabbing on December 25

Hristov seen in the December 25 surveillance footage. The victim in that incident survived

Some of his bullets struck nearby homes and cars.

While the residence was surrounded by police, Hristov called 911. He told the dispatchers he was armed with a gun and had 150 rounds of ammunition.

Hristov was shot dead by Officer Beau Gadegaard on May 14 this year

‘I am not here to shoot at SWAT officers, I am here to be shot by them,’ he told the 911 operator, according to recordings published by police.

The SWAT team tried to resolve the incident peacefully and even deployed a drone inside the home, but were unable to get Hristov to surrender.

About 20 minutes later, Hristov came outside armed and wearing a helmet and a ballistic vest. 

Officers ordered him to drop his weapon, but he refused to comply and was shot dead by Officer Beau Gadegaard. 

Gadegaard has been employed by the Louisville Metro Police Department since 2014. 

He was previously suspended in 2016 for not turning on his body-worn camera during a deadly police shooting, local media reported at the time. 

The SWAT team tried to resolve the incident peacefully and even deployed a drone inside the home, but were unable to get Hristov to surrender

The killer responded by shooting at officers from inside his home. Some of his bullets struck nearby homes and cars

About 20 minutes later, Hristov came outside armed and wearing a helmet and a ballistic vest. Officers ordered him to drop his weapon, but he refused to comply and was shot

Investigators are working to determine if Hristov can be linked to any other attacks on homeless people.

‘This is scary to know that there are people in our community, or there was somebody in our community, that was walking around daily with us and and had these intense ideas,’ Deputy Chief Emily McKinley said during the press conference.

‘You know, if you looked at him and saw him riding the scooter, you wouldn’t think that he was out to commit murder or to attack homeless individuals.’

She urged anyone with information about potential crimes committed by the killer to report them to authorities.

McKinley also confirmed that Hristov had been investigated for threats by federal officials.