[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]
We’ve come across plenty of horrifying stories over the years. But of the ones we just cannot wrap our heads around, this is right up there around the top. Child sexual abuse is deplorable enough, but to hear a mother was involved? And it was for profit??
But those are apparently the facts in the case of Walquiria Cassini. Per WPBF, the Florida resident was taken into custody, along with her adult son Matthew Cassini and her boyfriend Ryan Londono, after an FBI raid of her Boca Raton home on Tuesday. Per authorities, the three have been sexually abusing children for years — and livestreaming it to paying customers!
The feds had been investigating Cassini for nearly four months, starting back in November when two boys from Ocala reported having been abused while away from home on Thanksgiving. The criminal complaint, obtained by multiple outlets, is heavily redacted — and not just of the most graphic acts committed against children. It also hides the children’s identities by covering up the names of the people they live with — who apparently sent them to this house?? WTF…
Related: Harmony Montgomery’s Stepmom Granted Parole — Despite Helping Hide Body!
Walquiria, 38, is facing capital charges. The seven counts include sexual assault of a victim under 12, sexual assault by a custodian, cruelty towards a child, and criminal conspiracy. Her boyfriend Londono, 42, is facing six counts. They’re both accused of molesting very small children — the youngest was 5 years old when the alleged abuse began — and specifically of doing this on camera, streamed to various platforms. The FBI found Ring cameras, tripods, and other equipment, as well as evidence of financial transactions such as Venmo. Amazon, Microsoft, PayPal, and Zelle are all cooperating with feds. We hope this means they’ll catch the creeps who paid for the CSAM they produced next.
20-year-old Matthew is not charged with filming any of the abuse, just one charge of sexual assault of a child under 12. But, as prosecutors pointed out, “He’s charged with actual intercourse with the child.” Horrific.
Her lawyer tried to wriggle Walquiria out of some of the allegations, pointing out in a court appearance this week that there were no videos found in the search. However, Judge Donald Hafele wasn’t having it. He noted there was evidence 33 videos were deleted the day after the investigation began. Sounds like they heard about the kids talking to the authorities and tried to erase the evidence?
No bond was offered to the defendants facing capital sex charges. Judge Hafele was disgusted by the their alleged crimes and let everyone know it. He told the court:
“For the past 25 years, I’ve seen just about everything, so to shock the court’s conscience is frankly a difficult proposition at this point in the court’s career.”
He added that due to the fact the victims were very young children, “the extent of this is probably never going to be known.” Just awful.
If you have sincere cause to suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org.
[Image via Palm Beach County Jail/Walquiria Cassini/Facebook.]