A Texas court has sentenced former middle school teacher Adriana Rullan to 33 years in prison for the continuous sexual abuse of a 13-year-old student, following a two-day trial in which prosecutors presented text messages, photographs, and video recordings. The jury in Webb County also handed down concurrent sentences of 10 years for indecency with a child and 13 years for an improper relationship between an educator and a student, along with $20,000 in fines. The victim testified that the abuse cost him his friendships and nearly his life, while his mother described the emotional toll on the family.

In Western Australia, music teacher Naomi Tekea Craig has pleaded guilty to 15 charges, including sexual penetration of a child under 13, and is due to be sentenced on 17 November after giving birth to the victim’s child. Prosecutors there have indicated that some additional charges will be discontinued as part of ongoing discussions with the defence. Meanwhile, British prosecutors have charged former pop star Gary Glitter—already serving a 16-year sentence for abusing three schoolgirls—with unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 13 and three counts of indecent assault, linked to alleged offences between 1978 and 1981.

The cases have relied heavily on digital evidence and, in one instance, the involvement of a self-described vigilante. In Perth, paediatrician Chia Liang Saw faces 53 charges, including sexual penetration and indecent recording of children. His lawyer told the court that 20 of the electronic communication charges involve a third party who posed as a child online and later handed messages to police. The magistrate noted that the individual was not a police agent, while prosecutors confirmed the investigation remains complex and further charges are expected. Saw, who has not entered pleas, is awaiting a bail decision after a home detention report was ordered.

Across these jurisdictions, authorities are also contending with offenders who breach supervision conditions. Notorious paedophile Bradley Pen Dragon was returned to custody in Perth last month after allegedly violating his release order six times, including by using gym equipment to access the internet. In the UK, Glitter was recalled to prison in 2023 for breaching licence conditions shortly after his release. The next procedural steps include Saw’s bail hearing on 10 July, Craig’s sentencing in November, and Glitter’s court appearance on the new charges, as legal systems on three continents continue to process a wave of historic and recent abuse allegations.