Renowned storyteller Jack Dalton
charged with child sex abuse
Jerzy Shedlock
Jack Dalton introduces his play "Assimilation" at the Dena'ina Civic and Convention Center on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2015. The play deals with racial discimination and child abuse in boarding schools.
Loren Holmes / ADN
Prominent Alaska Native storyteller Jack Dalton is accused of having sex with a teenager he met on Craigslist
Dalton, 43, faces two charges: second-degree sexual abuse of a minor and second-degree attempted sexual abuse of a minor. The state added the latter charge against Dalton on Wednesday, said Assistant District Attorney Daniel Shorey.
The charges say Dalton visited the home of the 14-year-old boy, who in an online post claimed his age was 19, in March. Dalton allegedly tried to meet up with the boy again in late April, and he admitted in a text that he knew he was underage.
Dalton, born in Bethel, has toured widely with his stories and plays rooted in Alaska Native culture. His works had elevated him to a position of mentorship in the community and he has spent time in villages teaching kids how to write stories. He most recently performed in the play “Our Voices Will Be Heard” in Anchorage, which centers on trying to overcome sexual abuse.
Now that's heart-breaking! The demons of child sex abuse are not easily gotten rid of.
An Anchorage Department Police detective from the Crimes Against Children Unit started investigating the potential sex abuse of the 14-year-old in late March after the teen’s mother found sexually explicit photos and texts exchanged between him and two adult men, according to the charges.
The teen “explained to (his mother) that he had represented himself as a 19-year-old male on Craigslist to solicit sexual encounters with other males,” the charges say.
Detective David DeLesline wrote in the charges that two men responded to the online posting. The first man who responded to the post has not been charged with a crime, according to online court records.
Prosecutors say Dalton was the second man to reach out to the boy. They initially communicated over email but switched to texting before Dalton went over to the boy’s house for sex, according to the charges.
Police tied Dalton to the texts through his cell phone number. They did the same for the other man, according to the charges. The teenager told police he ignored both men after his encounter with Dalton.
“He said they texted him about coming over again, but he did not respond,” the charges say. “He said he did not discuss age with either male.”
Then, on April 15, DeLesline used a search warrant to pose as the alleged victim in text messages to Dalton, according to the charges. Dalton allegedly acknowledged he remembered the boy and agreed to “hookup sometime soon,” the charges say.
DeLesline continued the conversation by telling Dalton he (posing as the boy) was not 19. “I kinda figured. But I’m still talking to you,” Dalton allegedly responded.
Dalton correctly guessed that the boy was 14, according to the charges. He suggested they meet at his place so there wasn’t concern about being disturbed. Dalton eventually arranged a meeting for April 26. On that day, when Dalton went outside his apartment to meet the boy, he was met by Anchorage police officers, the charges say.
During a subsequent interview, Dalton allegedly admitted knowing he planned to have sex with a minor. He also told police he'd had sex with another underage male he’d met on the internet five to six years earlier.
He additionally stated that he didn’t know if there were child pornography images on his computer but that he used software to view such material, according to the charges.
Dalton appeared for a bail hearing at the Anchorage jail on Wednesday morning. His mother Linda Dalton was approved as a third-party custodian, Shorey said. He has since posted bail, he said.
Assistant district attorney jumps to his death after police raid his Salt Lake City home during child sex abuse image investigation
By DARREN BOYLE FOR MAILONLINE
Chad Platt, pictured, was found dead near his office on Monday morning just three days after his home was raided by Salt Lake City Police
An assistant district attorney jumped to his death three days after his Salt Lake City home was raided by police investigating child sex abuse image complaints.
Chad Platt, 46, was found on the sidewalk near the Salt Lake City County District Attorney's office shortly after 5.30am on Monday.
Platt, who had worked as a prosecutor at the DA's office for 17 years was the subject of an operation.
Heavily armed officers stormed Platt's house on Friday morning and spent seven hours searching the property.
Salt Lake City police Detective Greg Wilking confirmed the victim was Chad Platt, and that "it was a suicide," due to a "fall from height."
Forensics officers spent several hours searching the house removing evidence in a large truck.
Salt Lake County District Attorney Slim Gill released a statement about Platt's death.
He said: 'Chad was a valued colleague and friend. We were heartbroken to learn of his death Monday morning.
'It would be highly inappropriate and disrespectful, both to him and his family, to speculate on whatever Chad may or may not have been thinking.
'Our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time. He will be greatly missed by this office.'
It is understood that Platt was never married and did not have any children.
Jury finds former Orange Beach cop guilty in child sex abuse case
By Hal Scheurich, FOX10 News
Timothy Gavin (Photo: Baldin County Jail)
ORANGE BEACH, ALABAMA (WALA) -
A Baldwin County jury of 12 has found former Orange Beach Police Officer Timothy Gavin guilty on six counts, including three charges of child sex abuse.
Gavin was arrested in August of 2014 on charges of possession of child pornography and sexual abuse of a child less than 12.
The jury began hearing testimony on Monday from the victims, some of whom are now adults, as well as the victims' family members. Testimony concluded on Tuesday with Gavin taking the stand in his own defense. He was the only witness called by the defense.
The jury deliberated for four hours before returning the guilty verdict of guilty of two counts of sex abuse of a child less than 12, one count of sex abuse second degree, one count of enticing a child and two counts of possession of pornographic material of a child under 17.
There were two questions by the jurors. First regarded the definition of what it meant to knowingly possess pornographic material and the second was a bit more dramatic. Jurors told Judge Floyd they’d reached a verdict on four of the charges, but were stuck on the final two.
The judge gave them what’s called a dynamite charge, which essentially tells the jurors that another jury would not likely come to a different decision given the same evidence and asked them to try to work through their differences to come up with a verdict. After another 30 minutes, they did just that.
The defense declined to comment after the verdict, but prosecutors said justice was finally served.
All six victims in this case were already known to Gavin at the time of the crimes. Judge Floyd set the sentencing for June 16th. If given the maximum sentence on all charges, Gavin could face up to 71 years behind bars.
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