Pell City, ALABAMA

(Story dated) June 26, 2007 - Anthony Tollison, 27, a special education teacher's aide, was arrested for the second-degree rape of a female student age between 12-16. He was indicted on the charges two weeks ago. No other details available.

Arraignment is scheduled for July 30.
Full Name: Anthony Eugene Tollison

ARRESTED (AGAIN) September 27, 2008 - Tollison was arrested Friday for allegedly selling drugs within 3 miles of an elementary school after being indicted indicted for the unlawful distribution of a controlled substance and the unlawful distribution of a controlled substance near a school campus.

Tollison has been free on bond in the first case. District Attorney’s Office filed a motion to revoke the bond, contending the defendant violated his bond agreement with the new indictment charges.

After his 2007 arrest, he was not fired but transferred to the School System’s maintenance shop, away from students.

GUILTY PLEA & SENTENCING October 22 - After pleading guilty to second-degree rape and the distribution of a controlled substance, Tollison was sentenced to five years in prison for each charge with the sentences to run concurrently. He was allowed to remain free until his Dec. 11 probation hearing.

Goffstown, NEW HAMPSHIRE

September 26, 2008 - Jennifer Simard, 24, a substitute teacher's aide in the Goffstown School District, was arrested yesterday. She was charged with two counts of prohibited use of computer services for sexually explicit IM conversations with a boy. Both are Class B felonies.

A indictment handed up by a Hillsborough County grand jury Sept. 19 cites two sexually explicit conservations Simard allegedly had with the boy in August and September. She also is accused of talking with the boy about how he could keep his parents from finding out about them, the indictment alleges. The boy is a student in the Goffstown district, according to the administration. Because he is younger than 16, he is considered a child, according to the indictment.

Simard was told before the new school year, that her services would no longer be needed. She is being held without bail pending arraignment.

Bennington, VERMONT

Headline: Charges may prompt SVSU policy changes
The "may" is the scarey part.

September 23, 2008 - Shawn R. Pratt, 36, a paraprofessional at Mount Anthony Union High School, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to two counts of aggravated sexual assault against a minor and two counts of lewd and lascivious conduct with a child.

When he was hired in 2005 Pratt had several criminal convictions, including driving with a suspended license, possession of marijuana and domestic assault. He was retained even after he was convicted in 2007 of simple assault and domestic assault. Employees are not required to notify the school district when they are arrested.

On Sept. 5, Pratt was convicted of violating his probation and sentenced to serve 24 days in prison, which was to begin on Oct. 5. Four employees, including MAU Principal Sue Maguire, math teacher Mike Canavan, science teacher Charles Moses and Marge Collins, a special education aide, were listed in court records as witnesses for Pratt for the Sept. 5 hearing.

Moses, who teaches chemistry, said he knew Pratt in the classroom and also played basketball with him.

"I believe he's an incredible asset to the school," Moses said. "To put him in an institution would be taking an asset to society and making him somebody we would have to take care of."

Canavan told the court that Pratt was a "very kind and nurturing person," who was "perfect for kids" and a "definite asset to the school." Canavan testified that he was aware of some of Pratt's convictions, but does not believe that Pratt is a violent person.

"I personally think that that's not him," he said.

Canavan also said he did not think it was unusual that a person with Pratt's criminal record would be allowed to work at the school.

Collins said she has served as a mentor to Pratt. Pratt "made poor choices in his teens and 20s," but he has had "a real desire to change."

School employees who testified in Pratt's favor did so as private citizens, not school employees. According to Bennington County State's Attorney Erica Marthage, teachers at the school appeared at the hearing to testify on his behalf, trying to have the charge downgraded from a felony to a misdemeanor, because Pratt would lose his job if convicted of a felony.

The board will look into changing the policy, possibly requiring school employees to report to the board if they have been arrested.

ARRESTED - Pratt was arrested September 18 after a 10-year-old female told her mother on Sept. 14 that Pratt had been "rubbing my thigh and he rubbed my privates." The incident brought forward other memories of sexual contact with Pratt that she said occurred when she was "2, 3 or 4," Bennington Police Detective Lawrence Cole wrote in the affidavit.

Mesa, ARIZONA

NOT GUILTY VERDICT

ARRESTED May 25, 2007 - Kyle Hite, 25, a teacher's aide at Westwood High School, was arrested, accused of sexual abuse.

The 16-year old victim told police that Hite started brushing his hand against her breast during class. She says the abuse started in February, continuing until last week. When she told him to stop after the second time, she says, he told her to "cut the attitude". She complained to the assistant principal.

According to police, Hite admitted to touching the girl inappropriately during class. He allegedly told police he continued to do it because he thought the teenager found him attractive.

His contract expired with the end of the school year Thursday.

May 30 - Mesa school officials say they made a mistake in hiring Hite in an e-mail sent to the Arizona Republic.

According to the district, Hite had no record of criminal activity in Arizona. However, he did have "previous police involvement" outside of Arizona but no criminal convictions, district spokeswoman Kathy Bareiss said in an email.

They overlooked information that would have raised concerns about the applicant in the second report.

INDICTED June 5 - Hite was indicted Monday by a Maricopa County grand jury on three counts of sexual abuse. He is scheduled for his arraignment June 13.

Dec 16 - A hearing is scheduled for Dec 17. (Source: East Valley Tribune database)

NOT GUILTY VERDICT August 27 - A jury found Hite NOT GUILTY of three counts of sexual abuse. The allegations prompted the Mesa Unified School District to revise its criminal background checks because an internal investigation found Hite had had “prior police involvement” from another state that had gone unnoticed when he was hired.

Bayside, CALIFORNIA

August 8, 2008 - Andrew Belant, 25, a second grade teacher's aide at Jacoby Creek Elementary School , pleaded not guilty at a preliminary hearing on Thursday.

He pleaded not guilty to 20 charges stemming from accusations he molested four boys, ages 9 to 13, between January 2007 and March 2008. He met them while working at a Eureka church and afterschool programs. He was arrested March 4.

Belant also worked at Lafayette Elementary School, the Humboldt Child Care Council and the Triumphant Life Camp. He was also a youth pastor.

Testimony at the preliminary included William Honsal, a district attorney investigator with the Child Abuse Services Team who interviewed the children.

Honsal told the court he traveled to Belant's Cutten residence to serve a search warrant the day after receiving reports of abuse. After knocking, Honsal said there was a long wait before Belant answered. He said Belant was detained on his couch while he began a cursory sweep of the home.

Honsal said inside Belant's room, he found two laptop computers running -- one of which was running what he called “Department of Defense grade” data destruction software, effectively wiping clean Belant's hard drive.

Full Name: Andrew Brian Belant

Camarillo, CALIFORNIA

The judge criticized letters of support for the defendant — letters that downplayed the theft, particularly one that called it "an unfortunate incident."

"This is predatory criminal conduct. It's not an unfortunate incident," the judge said.

Nov 20, 2007 - Kristen Santoyo, 37, a para-professional (teacher's aide) at Camarillo High School, was arrested for stealing lunch money from a special needs student. She was arrested on suspicion of burglary and petty theft with a prior conviction.

Once campus security got word that someone was taking lunch money from a student's bag, they set up a camera in the area.The mother of the little girl says she began getting worried when her child returned home hungry.

A review of the videotape showed that Kristen Rene Santoyo stole money from the student's property in a classroom on at least one occasion. Santoyo possessed a glass smoking pipe and was under the influence of a controlled substance when arrested.
Full Name: Kristen Rene Santoyo

SENTENCED March 5, 2008 - Santoyo was sentenced to six months in jail - not prison - for stealing lunch money from a disabled student at Camarillo High School, followed by four years' probation. In addition, Santoyo was ordered to pay $285 restitution to the student and to attend at least one year of weekly child abuse counseling sessions.

Santoyo was charged with stealing the victim's lunch money on 57 separate occasions between September and November. Her attorney said that Santoyo suffered from a drug abuse problem that resulted in bad judgment. Santoyo pleaded guilty Jan. 16 to felony petty theft and misdemeanor cruelty to a child by inflicting injury

CRIMINAL RECORD School officials said Santoyo, who worked for the district for about 12 years, was fingerprinted and underwent a background check before she was hired in 1996.

One year later, a new electronic database called "Live Scan" went online to keep track of employee fingerprints and alert school officials to any new criminal charges. So although Santoyo was convicted in 2001 of theft at a Mervyn's department store and sentenced to 15 days in jail, the district never learned of the criminal record because she was not in the system, said Roger Rice, a district official.

Natrona Heights, PENNSYLVANIA

"It was terrible, driving all night, looking for my daughter," the mother said. "I didn't know if she was dead or alive."

Feb 24, 2007 - The mother who, along with police, searched all night eventually found the 15-year-old girl in a hotel room, with teachers' aide Abbie Jane Swogger, 34, along with several other teenagers, beer, marijuana, an open condom wrapper.

Police said the girls cut class on Thursday and walked to the home of one of the boys in Natrona, where Ms. Swogger picked them up and took them to the hotel room. Charges are pending against Swogger.

She's an aide at Highlands Senior High School.

Feb 25 - Abbie Jane Swogger was arrested on Friday. She resigned Monday morning. Police said they are continuing their investigation and charges are pending against Swogger.

Tarentum Police say they were unable to file charges in this case because it didn't fall under this jurisdiction, but they say they fully expect that both New Kensington and Harrison Township Police will file at least narcotics and corruption of minor charges.

Meanwhile, the parents of the students involved in this situation say they also would like to press charges.

ARRESTED Feb 26 - Police arrested Swogger on on felony crack cocaine possession charges and corruption of minors. Police said they found 9.5 grams of crack cocaine and drug paraphernalia in the Clarion Inn room registered to Swogger. Three teens were also present.

Feb 27 - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: Charges include possession of crack and powdered cocaine, and drug paraphernalia, including a digital scale, and corrupting the morals of minors.

Police said there was about a third of an ounce of cocaine in the room, all told, some in plain view, some hidden.

Swogger did not immediately answer the door of her rented house Tuesday despite police pounding on the door and windows. Only after police threatened the knock down the door did Swogger let them in.

Police also escorted a 17-year-old boy outside. Police said the youth, who hasn't been charged, is not related to Swogger and was at the hotel room party, too. The boy was turned over to his mother at the Harrison police station.

Swogger was a one-time stripper.

ARRESTED AGAIN Feb 27 - Swogger was arrested again when she was found at the home of another teacher's aide. One of the conditions of Swogger's bond was that she not leave her home. Swogger is in the Westmoreland County Jail and will have a bail hearing on March 6.

The school is offering counseling to students. It is also asking that students who say they have nude pictures of Swogger to destroy them.

PHOTOS Feb 27 - Police say they have at least two photos featuring Swogger in inappropriate behavior with area youths.

Inappropriate photos of a stripper who until Monday was a Highlands High School teacher's aide continued to surface Wednesday as the police investigation widens.

As a result of at least one of the photos, police confirmed they are investigating whether 34-year-old Abby Jane Swogger, of State Street, Harrison, will face additional criminal charges allegedly involving boys as young as 14.

A photo of Swogger, naked and cradled in the arms of six males -- several of them high school age -- is posted on the Internet site MySpace.com. The photo also is circulating extensively on cell phones and via e-mail. Police say they also have another photo that allegedly shows Swogger in unspecified inappropriate behavior with a 14-year-old boy.

BAIL REVOKED Feb 27 - The judge has decided that Swogger will remain in jail until the March 6 hearing date. You won't believe what a 15-year-old said at the hearing.

CURIOSITY Feb 29 - Pittsburg Tribune-Review's Valley Laurels & Lances wonders about repercussions. Pondering, "the first red flag is why Swogger didn't have the state-required clearances for all school employees in her personnel file. Did she know a school board member who helped get her the job? Unfortunately, in many of our school districts it is all too easy for friends of board members to get jobs. " They also wonder about that internal investigation.

HEARING POSTPONED March 6 - Because prosecutors plan to file additional felony charges, the judge postponed a hearing for Swoggert. Dozens of witnesses, many of them minors, were in the courtroom for the hearing, preparing to testify against Swogger.

A hearing on all the charges will be held in March. Until then, the judge ruled Swogger must remain in jail.

SEX and DRUG COUNTS ADDED March 28 - City police filed additional charges against Swogger, adding delivering cocaine charges, and three felony sex charges.

In the new charges, police allege Swogger "asked or encouraged" two 15-year-old runaway girls to have sex with her.

Swogger also is accused of asking the girls, one from Tarentum, the other from Brackenridge, to have sex with Swogger, a 17-year-old boy and another youth.

And it gets worse:

One of the 15-year-old girls told police Swogger tried to touch her breasts, told the girl she was bisexual, and suggested a "threesome" with the other 15-year-old girl. But the first girl told police she said no, even as Swogger undressed and told the girls how much she enjoyed having sex with the 17-year-old boy.

According to police, the 17-year-old boy said he saw a man have sex with one of the runaways in the hotel room. That man later said he knew she was 15 and that he had sex with her twice.
The 17-year-old also claimed he saw Swogger sell cocaine -- $20 worth to a Harrison woman and $100 worth of cocaine to a Brackenridge man -- in the hotel room.

April 24 - The preliminary scheduled for yesterday was postponed. Additional charges have been filed against Swogger. It was not clear yesterday whether the new charges stemmed from that party or another incident.

PRELIMINARY HEARING May 16 - Five teenagers testified in the preliminary hearing today for Swogger. She was held for trial on 40 charges accusing her of sex, drug and corruption crimes involving numerous minors in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties.

Queens, NEW YORK

Do you get the feeling that without sex offender registration laws these people would be hardly inconvenienced for their crimes?

May 18, 2007 - Lois Enden, 55, a school aide at P.S. 196, was arrested and charged with the statutory rape of an 11-year-old boy more than seven years ago. She is being held, pending arraignment on five counts of second-degree rape and two counts of second-degree sodomy. If convicted, she faces up to seven years in prison.

It is alleged that she had sexual intercourse with him at both of their homes at various times between 1999 and June 2000, when he graduated from fifth grade and left the school. The district attorney said that an investigation began approximately four weeks ago when the victim, now 19, met the Enden by chance and told a friend what had allegedly occurred while he was a student at P.S. 196 . The friend, in turn, convinced the victim to report the incident to police.

1010WINS: Because of a law passed in 1996, there is no statute of limitations in this case, only a five-year limit of prosecution from the date of disclosure of the incident, not from the date of occurrence.

May 19 - New York Post reports that as part of the police investigation, the victim wore a wire recorded Enden apologizing for her actions. She told the teen she "regretted it all these years," and that she was abused herself by her sixth-grade teacher, and perhaps was "mirroring" that experience, according to Assistant District Attorney Ken Applebaum.

GUILTY PLEA July 23 - Enden pleaded guilty to second-degree rape. She will be sentenced August 20. The likely sentence is six months in jail and five years probation.

SENTENCED Oct 29 - Enden was sentenced to six months in jail - not prison - for raping an 11-year-old boy. She was also sentenced to ten years of probation and must register as a sex offender.

At the time of her arrest Enden was married and the mother of two adult children.

"The abuse continued until he finished fifth grade and left the school." Charming.

Oneonta. NEW YORK

May 19, 2007 - James L. Buzon, 22, a teacher's aide at St. Mary's School, was arrested May 16 for endangering the welfare of a child After being arraigned, he was released on his own recognizance.

Buzon was arrested after City Alderman Sean Farrell who went to to pick up his daughter asked Buzon to quit yelling at another teacher's aide. When Buzon started using inappropriate language, Farrell told Buzon to leave the room, Buzon attempted to throw a punch. Farrell said he wrestled him to the ground. He then took Buzon outside to wait for troopers.

The aide, Dawn Nowhitney, 38, is on unpaid leave while the school investigates. Buzon was fired after the incident. His father is a fifth-grade teacher at the school.

Big Stone Gap, VIRGINIA

Mar 27, 2007 - Darlene Blagg, 36, a teacher's aide at Powell Valley High School, pleaded not guilty after being indicted on nine counts of taking indecent liberties with a juvenile under 18 while serving in a custodial or supervisory.

She is accused of accused of having an improper relationship with a 17-year-old student. The mother of the male student contacted police on Mar 13. The lead investigator said that Wise County school division was informed of alleged improprieties some time before the sheriff's department was made aware of the allegations.

A school administrator said Blagg resigned last week. Prosecutors and investigators were under the impression she had been dismissed before they knew about the case.

She is married and the mother of two children, ages 5 and 2.
A jury trial date is scheduled for June 26.

Mar 24 story (before arraignment) The male student's mother reported the allegations to the sheriff's department on March 13, about two weeks after complaining to school division authorities. The Sheriff's Co investigator said Blagg was "dismissed" from her job by school officials a week before they were notified of possible wrongdoing and began their investigation.
A school division official said that Blagg resigned last week.

May 27 - The Kingsport Times News: "A plea arrangement is also about to be tendered to Darlene Blagg, a former teacher’s aide at Powell Valley High School charged with an illicit relationship with a male student earlier this year. Elkins said a plea deadline is Wednesday in the Blagg case."

May 30 - Blagg was sentenced to three years, suspended except for 30 days. She must serve two years of supervised probation and one year of unsupervised probation and is required to register as a sex offender. For life.

[Whacked out reporter portrays the teacher spared jail by her victim by his agreement to the plea deal. He's 13-years-old. WAS THERE NO ADULT IN THAT COURTROOM?]

Janesville, WISCONSIN

Mar 23, 2007 -
Christopher Hurst, 29, a Craig High School teacher's aide, has resigned. He was arrested Mar 12 when he went to meet what he thought was a 15-year-old girl. He had worked as a special-education aide in the district since 2004.

He is charged in Columbia County Court with using a computer to facilitate a child sex crime.

School officials had suspended Hurst without pay after confirming the arrest. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for Apr 12.
Full Name: Christopher J. Hurst

WCLO link August 21 - Conditions of his bond have been modified to allow contact with children to accomodate his employment. Hurst is scheduled to appear in court Oct. 18 for a preliminary hearing.
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A jury trial is scheduled for 10-02-2008 at 9:00 am