Many incidents of abuse reported at Boys & Girls Clubs across country
By Hannah Dellinger Greenwich Time
GREENWICH — The alleged sexual abuse that five men say went unchecked for years (7th story on link) at the Greenwich Boys’ Club would not be an isolated case.
A survey of court documents and media reports revealed more than 30 cases involving similar claims of child sexual abuse at chapters of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America across the nation in recent years. Many of the cases have involved civil litigation, and some have seen criminal convictions.
In several cases, chapters apparently ignored alleged abuse or failed to report it to law enforcement. In one case, a club is accused of lying to the public about its prior knowledge of allegations against an employee.
Attorneys who represent alleged victims of abuse at Boys & Girls Clubs say the national organization has shown a tendency to distance itself from local chapters when alleged abuse comes to light. This happens, attorneys say, even though Boys & Girls Clubs of America advertises its local clubs as having access to all the resources of the national organization, which serves 4 million children a year at 4,300 facilities.
“They make statements about all their efforts to protect kids, but also try to take the position that the local clubs are independent entities and they don’t have the ability to control everyone that happens to be at those clubs,” Oregon-based attorney Peter Janci said this week. “My view is that if Boys & Girls Club of America wants to present (local) clubs as (being a part of the national organization), they need to do everything within reason to protect kids in all of their clubs.”
Reports of abuse
Reports of sexual abuse have recently surfaced at Boys & Girls Clubs in Connecticut, New York, New Hampshire, Virginia, Illinois, Oregon, Nevada, California and Hawaii.
One lawsuit claims a string of sexual abuse has occurred at Boys & Girls Clubs across the nation since 2000 and accuses the national organization of failing to uniformly implement safeguards against abuse at all of its facilities.
Among the cases alleging flagrant disregard for protecting children is pending litigation against the Boys & Girls Club of Sonoma Valley in California.
“It’s one of the most egregious cases I’ve seen and I’ve handled a lot of them over the past 25 years,” said Dave Ring, one of the attorneys representing the plaintiffs. “The Boys & Girls Club had an incredible number of complaints over many years and did nothing about it.”
The lawsuit alleges a former coach at the club, Paul Dwayne Kilgore, sexually abused at least four boys, including some as young as 6, for a decade. Officials at the club allowed Kilgore to keep working despite indications of problems, did not intervene when he began working at another club, and lied to the public that there were no indications of abuse after the coach eventually was arrested, according to the lawsuit.
“It’s disturbing and it needs to come to an end soon because there’s been a lot of victims as a result of their cover-up,” said Ring. “One day I hope they will finally learn they need to protect children instead of their organization and the organization’s reputation.”
Among the “red flags” the complaint says the club ignored was Kilgore’s failure to answer correctly any questions on a sexual harassment test in 2006.
In 2007, a fifth-grade boy told club employees Kilgore forced him and several other boys to undress in front of him and made inappropriate comments about their genitalia, the lawsuit alleges. Nothing was done in response to the complaint, court records say, and the same boy reported the incident again in 2010. When the boy was asked why he didn’t report it earlier, he said “[I] did but no one believed me,” according to the complaint.
From 2007 to 2010, employees saw Kilgore take his victims off club premises during program hours, court documents say, and some began to complain. During that same time period, the lawsuit says Kilgore was assigned to teach a sexual health class to boys, which he allegedly used to groom his victims for abuse.
In 2010, Boys & Girls Club of Sonoma Valley CEO Dave Pier discussed Kilgore’s conduct with board members, saying that they needed to “set boundaries” around his relationships with kids, the complaint says. “The discussions never materialized, and Pier did not enact any parameters or boundaries,” the lawsuit reads.
The club opened an internal investigation into Kilgore in November 2012 after it learned he took boys on an overnight trip, court records say, which lasted a month and revealed the coach slept naked in the same bed with children. The club did not contact law enforcement.
Pier wrote letters of reprimand for himself and other administrators for their failure to “set boundaries” for Kilgore, the lawsuit says, and he filed the letters with the national nonprofit.
Kilgore quit after he was told he couldn’t take boys off-site in September 2013, court documents say. A few months later, he was hired at Boys & Girls Club of Petaluma, just a few miles away.
It wasn’t until August 2016, when a teacher reportedly saw Kilgore inappropriately talking to and touching young boys at a health club, that the man was arrested. He eventually was convicted of six counts of sexual abuse of a minor and sentenced to 150 years in prison (2nd story on link).
After Kilgore’s arrest, Boys & Girls Club of Sonoma Valley issued statements to the media claiming it had no prior incidents or complaints regarding Kilgore, according to the lawsuit.
The Sonoma case might stand out as flagrant, but it is not alone.
A $5 million lawsuit, settled in October 2018, claims the rape of a 7-year-old girl with severe disabilities by a teen at a Boys & Girls Club in Oregon was part of a string of sexual assaults at Boys & Girls Clubs across the nation since 2000 that happened because of the national organization’s failure to safeguard against abuse.
The club was aware the teen had sexually assaulted at least one minor before the rape of the 7-year-old, the lawsuit states. Her abuse came to light after she disclosed it to her parents, according to court documents.
The examples continue:
A Massachusetts district attorney said a club in Arlington, Mass., didn’t notify police after firing swim coach Paul Collins, who fled after being confronted with allegations of raping a child in the 1970s, according to reports in local media. Collins was arrested decades later and pleaded guilty to assault and battery on a child.
Victoria Satoafaiga was criminally charged for allegedly sexually assaulting a preteen girl when she was assistant director of Boys & Girls Clubs of Maui last summer in Hawaii. Before she was arrested and fired from the organization, Satoafaiga won the 2016 Pacific Region Native Spirit Award for her work with Native Hawaiian youth from the Boys & Girls Club of America, Native Services Unit, according to The Maui News.
A lawsuit filed in 2017 in Tacoma, Washington alleges a man named Charles Richard Patrick Urlacher sexually abuse a boy at the Boys & Girls Club of Puget Sound in 1984. According to reporting by the News Tribune, the lawsuit says that when an unnamed “manager” at the local club learned about the abuse, he didn’t stop it — he participated in it.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland Metropolitan Area was accused of failing to ban a 15-year-old volunteer from participating in its programs after it knew he allegedly assaulted a 5-year-old girl, The Oregonian reported, and the teen went on to abuse a 10-year-old girl the next year at another club location.
MINNESOTA MAN SENTENCED FOR CHILD SEX ABUSE
Posted By: Mike Bunge KIMT3
AUSTIN, Minn. – Years of sexually abusing a child is sending a man to prison for years.
Ruben Montoya Carbajal, 40 of Austin, was sentenced Thursday to 14 years and four months behind bars, with credit for 290 days already served. He was found guilty of two counts of 1st and two counts of 2nd degree criminal sexual conduct after a two-day trial. Prosecutors say Carbajal had sexual contact with a girl from the time she was 12 until she was 14.
After his prison sentence, Carbajal will spend 10 years on conditional release.
NY State male Girl Scout troop leader
charged with child sex abuse
By Marcus Solis
VALHALLA, Westchester County (WABC) -- A male Girl Scout troop leader in Valhalla has been charged with sexual abuse and forcible touching in a case that involves at least two minors.
Albert Orjuela, 43, appeared in Mount Pleasant Town Court Thursday morning.
Police began their investigation in January after the Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson referred allegations of misconduct pertaining to a male troop leader.
They arrested Orjuela after interviewing witnesses and executing a search warrant at his home.
It's unclear how many alleged victims are involved.
The Girl Scouts say Orjuela has been a troop leader and volunteer for the last few years and had passed a background check.
"We are currently working in close collaboration with law enforcement to aid in their investigation, and determine if any of these alleged crimes took place during official Girl Scout activities, or during private events among the girls of the troop," Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson CEO Marie Reger said in a statement. "Our focus is to provide care and assistance to the families impacted. We ask the public to please respect the privacy of our girls and their families during this difficult time."
Orjuela has been charged for forcible touching, endangering the welfare of a child, and sexual abuse.
He has been suspended by the Girl Scouts and is free on $50,000 bail.
His next court appearance is March 28.
Why? Why would anyone choose a man to be in charge of a Girl Scout troop, or any group of young girls. Use your heads people. Men who want to be around little girls should immediately be considered suspect.
Montana man accused of having sex with minor,
planning her runaway
MIKE SMITH The Montana Standard
Prosecutors say a 30-year-old Butte man had sex with a 14-year-old girl multiple times before she was reported as a runaway and later found hiding under a headboard at his house.
They initially charged Cody Allen Eaton with sexual abuse of children (4th story on link) for allegedly sending sexually explicit photos of himself to the girl. But on Thursday, a judge entered not guilty pleas on his behalf to three additional felony charges, including sexual intercourse without consent.
The other charges are one count of custodial interference for allegedly withholding the girl from her mother and an additional count of sexual abuse of children for having pictures of children engaged in sex on his cell phone.
Eaton’s attorney, Kaitlyn Lamb, has requested a mental exam of her client to determine his fitness to understand the legal proceedings so she had District Judge Kurt Krueger enter not guilty pleas to all four charges.
Sexual intercourse without consent, when the victim is under 16 years old and the defendant is at least four years older than the victim, carries a minimum sentence of four years in prison and up to life or 100 years. The same maximums apply in the two charges of child sex abuse in this case. Custodial interference has a 10-year maximum.
The girl was reported as a runaway on Jan. 12 and her mother believed she might be with Eaton, prosecutors said in a charging document. Police went to his house on South Excelsior Street in Butte but did not find her there.
Eaton told police he was in the process of moving out and was home alone with his children, and he had not seen the girl in question in three weeks. One of Eaton’s children told a school official that her parents were breaking up because Eaton had sex with the 14-year-old girl.
On Jan. 15, police learned of a Facebook Messenger conversation between Eaton and the girl that indicated she might be hiding in the basement of his house.
Police returned there and found a mattress in a crawl space with a backpack that was full of clothes and the girl’s Montana ID card. Eaton was questioned again and ultimately said the girl was in his house, and police found her hiding under the headboard of his bed.
According to prosecutors, Eaton admitted to helping plan the runaway said she had been at his house the entire time. He also admitted to previously sending her an image of his private parts.
During subsequent interviews, he admitted being attracted to the girl and having sex with her twice. But police say Facebook conversations between the two detailed numerous sexual encounters and one included a picture of the girl completely naked.
Prosecutors say Eaton initially felt he could be a “father figure” to the girl but “eventually developed a physical and sexual attraction to her.”
“He said that he understood the law made it illegal to have sex and a relationship with a 14-year-old but he ‘looked at her’ as if she was older,” prosecutors said in an affidavit. When asked how old she looked to him, he said “early 20s.”
During Thursday's arraignment, the only thing Eaton said was, "Yes, your honor" to several questions Krueger asked about understanding the charges. After the not-guilty pleas were entered, the judge remanded Eaton to jail with bond set at $250,000 pending further proceedings.
Baltimore Man Charged With Child Sex Abuse
Tyler Waldman, WBAL NewsRadio 1090 and FM 101.5
Anne Arundel County police say a Baltimore man sexually abused a young child in Severm.
Police arrived at around 3:17 a.m. on Wednesday to an address in Severn. The alleged victim told police that her child was sexually assaulted on Tuesday evening at a Severn residence.
Police identified the suspect as Christopher Richardson Sr., 49, of the 1600 block of North Smallwood Road. An arrest warrant charged him with attempted first- and second-degree rape and related charges. He was arrested without incident in the 11000 block of York Road in Cockeysville at around 10:15 p.m. Wednesday. He is being held without bond at Anne Arundel County Detention Center.
Online court records do not list an attorney for Richardson. A bail review hearing is set for 1:30 p.m. Friday.
Police believe the incident was not random. Any other victims or anyone with information is asked to call police at 410-222-4733. Callers can also remain anonymous through the police tip line at 410-222-4700.
Oregon man sentenced to 50 years in prison
for child sex abuse
FOX 12 Staff
WASHINGTON COUNTY, OR (KPTV) - A Washington County man has been sentenced to prison following a child sex abuse investigation.
The Washington County District Attorney's Office said Jose David Satey-Sanchez, 41, was convicted of 13 counts of sexual abuse related charges in February.
Satey-Sanchez was sentenced to 50 years on Tuesday.
The investigation began in 2014 when a 9-year-old girl told her mother about the sexual abuse. According to the district attorney's office, the mother did not believe the allegations and never reported them.
However, a teacher overheard the victim talking about the abuse and immediately told authorities.
The victim was placed in foster care after the mother refused to make Satey-Sanchez leave the home, according to the district attorney's office.
How pathetic when a mother puts her boyfriend above her own daughter. And, unfortunately, it happens all the time.
OMG!
The district attorney's office said the victim recanted the allegations in 2015 at the encouragement of her mother and returned to her mother's custody.
Satey-Sanchez was ordered to not have contact with the victim, but continued to sexually abuse her.
In 2017, Satey-Sanchez raped the victim for the first time and it was immediately reported to authorities, according to the district attorney's office.
A rape kit was collected. Oregon State Police Forensics Laboratory analysis revealed the presence of Satey-Sanchez's DNA.
The district attorney's office said Satey-Sanchez will be turned over to the Oregon Department of Corrections to begin his sentence.
And hopefully, will be turned over to the undertaker to finish it.
Washington Co., Ore
Missouri judge sentences man to life in prison
for child sex abuse
Katie Kull, Springfield News-Leader
A Springfield man will spend the rest of his life behind bars after pleading guilty in October to sexually abusing children.
Authorities say Bruce W. Cagle, 63, sexually abused four children over the course of more than a decade.
And last year, he pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree statutory sodomy for touching an 8-year-old girl around 2009 and sexually abusing another 8-year-old in 2008, according to a Greene County prosecutor's news release.
During the time the case was pending, it was discovered that Cagle had abused two additional children — one nearly 25 years ago when Cagle, a trusted family friend, came into the room where the girl was sleeping.
Another alleged victim came forward in September 2018, stating Cagle had molested her 16 years ago at a youth event, according to the release.
At a sentencing hearing Tuesday, all four victims addressed Cagle about the trauma of his abuse before Judge Thomas Mountjoy sentenced him to life in prison on each of the two counts of child abuse.
"(Greene County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Patterson) thanks the victims for having the courage to come forward to authorities in order to enable this perpetrator to be held accountable," the news release states. "Each victim has waited a long time for justice, and he hopes the significant sentence brings a sense of justice to each."
Once known for silo-farm ideas, Missouri man sentenced to 90 years for child sex abuse
Jackie Rehwald, Springfield News-Leader
The man once lauded for his plans to turn abandoned grain silos in downtown Springfield into chemical-free vertical farms was sentenced to 90 years in prison for child sex abuse.
James Kerns, 50, was convicted last fall of sexually abusing two young girls, both of whom have developmental disabilities.
Judge David Jones sentenced Kerns on Thursday morning. Jones followed the jury's recommendation of three 30-year sentences. Jones ordered the sentences to be served consecutively.
Kerns was convicted of enticement of a child, first-degree statutory sodomy, abuse of a child and attempted enticement of a child.
So, sexual abuse of a special needs child is only an aggravating factor, not a crime in itself?
In 2016, Kerns founded Vertical Innovations, the company that was renovating the former MFA silos into vertical lettuce and mushroom farms. Kerns' innovative farming idea could help feed the world, his defense attorney once said, with crops of pesticide-free, chemical-free vegetables.
Around the same time he was pitching those ideas, Kerns was abusing his two victims, who were ages 13 and 14 at the time. One of the girls has autism. The other has fragile X syndrome. Fragile X is a genetic condition that causes a range of developmental problems including learning disabilities and cognitive impairment.
The victims' mother addressed the court before Jones handed down the sentence. She said the girls are "appreciative that this is almost over."
The mom described one of the victims as "angry all the time. She is so angry. It affects her at school. It affects her at home."
The logo for Vertical Innovations was placed on the former MFA silo in downtown Springfield. (Photo: Andrew Jansen/News-Leader)
The other victim has been admitted to Cox North and sometimes cuts herself.
"(That victim) thinks that this is all her fault because she told," the emotional mother said. "She thinks she should have kept her mouth shut."
"They will carry this for the rest of their lives, and I don't know how to make that better for them," she said.
Prosecutor Nathan Chapman reminded the judge about how the girls appeared fearful during the trial, facing a courtroom full of people and with Kerns nearby.
Imagine "what he could do when he had them alone," Chapman said.
Chapman also talked about Kerns' refusal to accept responsibility. "It's been a constant mix of denials, arrogance and truly seeing himself as the victim and blaming everyone else," Chapman said.
The children are particularly vulnerable victims, Chapman said. "He picked children that had developmental disabilities," Chapman continued. "He picked children that had difficulty communicating, which made it easier to commit his crimes ..."
Defense attorney David Smith disputed Chapman's claims that Kerns was not remorseful. "The state makes it sound like he is just a cold-hearted pedophile that has years of horrible sexual abuse against two children that are different," Smith said. "That is not the case here."
Smith asked for a 10-year sentence. "I think 10 years is appropriate. That incarcerates Mr. Kerns for a sufficient amount of time and allows him to regain a position in the community," Smith said. "He has many things he can add to our community."
Kerns, too, addressed Judge Jones. "I'm innocent of the crimes I've been convicted of," Kerns said.
He expressed frustration and disappointment with his attorney, David Smith. Kerns said he did not have a chance to view all the evidence until his trial.
Jones asked Smith if he felt he was ready for trial, and if not, why didn't he ask for a continuance. "I believed I was ready," Smith said in part. "I'm not going to stand here and say I was a perfect attorney."
Following his sentencing, Jones said he assumes Kerns will be appealing and explained that process.
"I watched this trial. I know Mr. Smith," Jones said, then added that he believes Smith provided "tremendous" counsel.
"There is no probable cause to believe you received ineffective counsel," Jones said.
What happened
According to the probable cause statement, Kerns allegedly told a mentally challenged 14-year-old that she "needed" to have sex and "learn" how to perform oral sex.
The abuse is described in a probable cause statement filed by a Greene County Sheriff's deputy.
The statement said Kerns touched the 14-year-old's genitals and also raped her on several occasions beginning in the summer of 2016.
According to the statement, a 13-year-old girl told investigators that she also was being abused by Kerns. The girl said it started in 2016 when Kerns became angry, grabbed her by the arm and threw her against a wall. The statement said Kerns choked her and she felt as though she couldn't breathe.
Around that time, the statement said, Kerns began molesting her. The girl told investigators that Kerns touched her genitals on about five different occasions.
Kerns was interviewed by a deputy, the statement said, and said he "felt like a piece of s---."
According to the statement, Kerns said he was having trouble in his relationship and it was causing him to do things he wouldn't normally do.
When asked if there was a reason the girls would say he had sexual contact with them, Kerns allegedly said, "Quite possibly, yes."
27-year-old Nebraska man accused of
sexually assaulting child
Lincoln Journal Star
A 27-year-old man faces child sexual assault and child abuse charges after Lincoln police say he molested and raped a young girl, according to court documents.
Michael R. Fisher was arrested at his home Wednesday and charged Thursday with first-degree sexual assault of a child, third-degree sexual assault of a child and intentional child abuse.
In January, a girl younger than 10 told a staff member at her school she was molested, a Lincoln police investigator wrote in an affidavit to jail Fisher.
Investigators believe the girl, who knows Fisher, was abused over a four-year period, according to the affidavit.
And she is under ten?
Thursday, a Lancaster County judge appointed the Public Defender's Office to represent Fisher and ordered him not to contact the girl or anyone younger than 16.
Fisher remained in the Lancaster County jail on $250,000 bond.
If convicted, he faces up to life imprisonment.
No comments:
Post a Comment