Donna Reed

Recent Charges of Sexual Abuse of Children in Hollywood Just Tip of Iceberg, Experts Say

If a spate of recent allegations proves true, Hollywood may have a hideous epidemic on its hands.

The past two weeks have brought three separate reports of alleged child sexual abuse in the entertainment industry.Martin Weiss, a 47-year-old Hollywood manager who represented child actors, was charged in Los Angeles on Dec. 1 with sexually abusing a former client. His accuser, who was under 12 years old during the time of the alleged abuse, reported to authorities that Weiss told him "what they were doing was common practice in the entertainment industry." Weiss has pleaded not guilty.On Nov. 21, Fernando Rivas, 59, an award-winning composer for “ Sesame Street ,” was arraigned on charges of coercing a child “to engage in sexually explicit conduct” in South Carolina. The Juilliard-trained composer was also charged with production and distribution of child pornography.Registered sex offender Jason James Murphy, 35, worked as a casting agent in Hollywood for years before his past kidnappin...

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