Riverton, UTAH

Remember that Ricin scare in Las Vegas?

October 23, 2008 - U.S. District Judge Tena Campbell sentenced former East High School art teacher Thomas Tholen, 54, to 24 months probation for repeatedly lying to investigators. For a week he denied knowing his cousin was making the deadly toxin ricin at a time when the FBI and Las Vegas police were desperately searching for the source of the ricin.

Tholen knew his cousin Roger Von Bergendorff possessed ricin and had a cookbook on how to make the substance. He kicked his cousin out of the house because he feared for his family's safety but later told police and FBI agents he knew nothing about Bergendorff's involvement with the toxin.

Bergendorff moved to a house across the street from Tholen, then to Las Vegas where he was found in critical condition in a motel room.

Tholen pleaded guilty in August to knowing a biological agent had been illegally produced and lying to conceal the offense. He had been free pending resolution of his case.
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TT - The CNN story makes no mention of Tholen's occupation.

Salt Lake City, UTAH

July 19, 2007 - Marco Herrera, 51, a West High School guidance counselor, was arrested and charged with two first-degree felony counts of rape; two first-degree felony counts of forcible sodomy; and five second-degree felony counts of forcible sexual abuse.

The victim is a 14-years-old female student. The school fired Herrera. Herrera had been a counselor at Salt Lake City's West High for 24 years.
Full Name: Marco Rutlelco Herrera

Salt Lake City Police believe that Herrera may have victimized additional juveniles. If parents have reason to believe that their child may be a victim, they are asked to call Salt Lake City Police at 801-799-3000.

GUILTY PLEA April 17, 2008 - Herrera pleaded guilty to three second-degree felony counts of forcible sexual abuse. In exchange for his pleas, seven other felonies, including one count of rape, were dismissed. He will be sentenced June 18.

Between April and June 2007, Herrera had sexual intercourse with the girl at least three times, and they engaged in other sexual acts on seven other occasions, according to charging documents.

Prosecutors claim Herrera met the girl in November 2006 in his capacity as a counselor. Herrera would "pink-slip" the girl to take her out of class, and at least one episode of touching occurred at Herrera's school office, according to statements made during a September 2007 bail hearing.

SENTENCED September 3 - Herrera was sentenced to three consecutive one-to-15 year terms in the Utah State Prison.
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NOTE: A 16-year-old girl who testified against West High School teacher Jose Bernardo Fanjul, also accused Herrera of sexual abuse. TT entry for Fanjul.

Salt Lake City, UTAH

He was led out of the school in handcuffs.

September 9, 2008 - Jose Fanjul, 45, described as " an award-winning teacher" at West High School, was arrested at the end of the school day Tuesday. He was led out of the school in handcuffs.

He is accused of having sexual relations with a 17-year-old female student. He was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on multiple counts of forcible sexual abuse and forcible sodomy. The Salt Lake Police Department’s Special Victims Unit worked with a 17-year-old victim and her father.

Full Name: Jose Bernaf Fanjul
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Earlier this week, Marco Herrera, 53, a West High School guidance counselor was sentenced to serve three consecutive one-to-15-year terms at the Utah State Prison after he admitted to having a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old female student. TT entry for Herrera.

PRELIMINARY HEARING October 28 - A preliminary hearing today will determine whether there is enough evidence to go to trial. (For more information, see the video report at the link.)

The judge ruled that there was sufficient evident to take the case to trial. Fanjul pleaded not guilty. Arriangment is scheduled for Nov 10.

Salt Lake City, UTAH

August 2, 2008 -

A 19-year-old man who police say took a 12-year-old girl to his high school prom is wanted in the investigation of rape of a child.

Detectives say the case is disturbing not only because of the sexual assault but also because the man took the young girl to his prom and no one at the dance seemed bothered by it. Salt Lake City police detective Jeff Bedard said Friday he didn't have an explanation as to why not one student or teacher from the school where the prom was held contacted authorities.

"That's a question we just don't have any answers for. It's very alarming for us that you can have a 12-year-old go to a prom with a 19-year-old and nobody notices," he said.

Teachers and administrators at the girl's elementary school were sufficiently worried enough when they saw the prom pictures to contact the Division of Child and Family Services in May which led to an investigation.

Police have not identified the high school. They say the girl looked 12. An arrest warrant was issued for Everardo Diaz-Sandoval.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts can call Salt Lake's Tips For Cash hotline at 799-INFO. All calls can remain anonymous. Tips with information leading to an arrest and conviction are eligible for a cash reward

Garland, UTAH

Puzzling.

August 1, 2008 - Jami Lish, 27, a teacher at Bear River High School, was charged with first-degree felony rape after an investigation that began last year. The boy was 17 at the time.

Lish is in the middle of a divorce with her husband. His relatives tell us he went to authorities after finding text messages between Lish and the student on her cell phone. They say that's when Lish quit her teaching job.

Prosecutors say she will receive a summons to appear in court on Sept. 15.

"The reason she was not arrested, from our standpoint, is because we wanted to conduct a very thorough investigation and be sure the evidence supported the allegations, pretty serious allegations," Hadfield said.

The victim's mother says the allegations aren't true. She says her son, who is now 18, and Lish are just friends.
Box Elder County

Payson, UTAH

Well, this was predictable with so many 30-something teachers having sex with teenage boys. You actually have to shoot the student to get on Good Morning America or the View, though.

April 1, 2008 - A husband and wife were arrested recently after police say the man found the woman -- who is a junior high school teacher -- together with a teenage boy.

Jennifer Gonzales, 32, was arrested for having sex with a minor. She is a teacher at Mount Nebo Junior High School in Payson but authorities said the teen boy was not a student there.

The woman's husband, Richard Gonzales, was also arrested after police say he began chasing his wife and the boy with a gun. He was charged with aggravated assault.

April 3 - Gonzales found his wife topless with the teenager. The boy was 16 years old. He told police that he gave Jennifer Gonzales a massage. She teaches children with behavioral problems.

April 4 - New, sordid details are emerging.

According to the affidavit, the woman's husband, Richard Gonzales, returned home early from work to find his wife and the boy downstairs with candles and oils. When Gonzales stormed into the room, he witnessed his wife dressing herself and the boy running out of the room pulling his pants up.

The husband and wife argued about the incident, and according to the affidavit, Richard Gonzales retrieved a 9 mm handgun and waved it at the boy, telling him to get out of the house. He also allegedly pointed it at his wife and threatened to kill her. Gonzales admitted to the allegations during a police interview.

GUILTY PLEA (HER) June 5 - Gonzales pleaded guilty to the two two felony charges of attempted forcible sexual abuse - third-degree felonies. She is scheduled to be sentenced July 28.

GUILTY PLEA (HIM) June 14 - Richard Gonzales pleaded no contest to a class A misdemeanor of using or displaying a dangerous weapon in a fight.

Gonzales came home to Payson one evening in March to find his wife, Jennifer, and their 16-year-old proctor son in the basement, both scrambling to put their clothes back on.

Proctor parents take temporary care of troubled youths in state custody until they can be reunited with their families.

He will be sentenced July 10.

SENTENCED (HER) and (HIM) July 29 - Jennifer Gonzales was sentenced to 180 days in jail - not prison. She was also sentenced to three years of probation and ordered her to complete a sex offender treatment program.

The victim had been in a youth detention center and was placed with the Gonzales family for support. Richard Gonzales filed for divorce after the charges were filed. He was sentenced earlier in the month - on the reduced charge of a class A misdemeanor of using or displaying a dangerous weapon in a fight - to 20 days in jail, which can be served out in the community while wearing an ankle GPS monitor. He also required a nearly $800 fine, plus 18 months of court probation

Roy, UTAH

CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES DISMISSED IN DISTRICT COURT

Jan 26, 2007 -
Kamron Klitgaard, 42, described as a "popular" drama teacher at Roy High School, was arrested on child pornography charges. He was booked on suspicion of sexual exploitation and distributing pornographic material. He faces two felony and 10 misdemeanor counts.

A two-month police investigation and a computer forensic examination revealed that computers he used at Roy High School and a computer at his home contained images of child pornography. He was put on unpaid leave on Jan 4. Parents and students were told it was because of an illness.

The Weber School District planned to fire Klitgaard on Feb. 1, after giving him 30 days' notice.

Klitgaard has a wife, three young daughters and a newborn son.
Photo is a police booking photo.

CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES DISMISSED July 25, 2008 - Prosecutors have asked to dismiss child pornography charges against Klitgaard. They made the decision "in the interests of justice."

Harrisville, UTAH

An earlier story reported that two school districts in Mississippi have new policies that prohibiting text messaging and and online social network communication between faculty and students. Two very recent cases illustrate the necessity.

Harrisville, UTAH
July 9 - Despite being warned about boundaries and a discussion of "texting with kids," Brandon Fessler, 26, an Orion Junior High School teacher, sent 5,000 text messages to a 13-year-old girl.

The parents got stalking injunction against the teacher last August after begging Fessler to stop communicating with their daughter. He violated the order not to contact the girl.

The judge sentenced Fessler to a year in jail - not prison - for two counts of misdemeanor stalking. The State Board of Education revoked his teaching license for a year. If he wants to teach again, he'll have to ask for a reinstatement hearing.
Full Name: Brandon James Fessler

Prescott, WISCONSIN
Anne Knopf, 39, a middle school teacher, was sentenced to nine months jail - not prison- and five years probation for sex with a 13-year-old male student. The relationship between the two allegedly commenced via e-mail and messaging activities. She will be a registered sex offender for the rest of her life. Entry

Washington, UTAH

June 12, 2008 - Gabriel E. Carlin, 34, a teacher at the East Harbor Christian Academy, pleaded guilty in March to two counts of third-degree attempted child sex abuse of an 11-year-old girl.

During a court appearance, Carlin said that he kissed the young girl during a ride home and attempted to touch her chest and rear end. He will be sentenced in September.

The school is no longer in business.

SENTENCING DELAY October 21 - Sentencing was delayed for at least 90 days while Carlin recieves a court-ordered diagnostic evaluation.

"After the diagnostic, based on our agreement with the state, if the sentencing recommendation includes the possibility of prison time then he has the option to withdraw his (guilty) plea," said defense attorney Larry Meyers

Sentencing was set for Jan. 27, 2009.

Riverton, UTAH

Mandatory reporter charged for failure to report child sex abuse.

June 4, 2008 - Shelley Nordick, 46, Rosamond Elementary School principal, was charged with failing to report child sexual abuse in connection with a teacher convicted of molesting students at her school.

The abuse was perpetrated by teacher Frank Laine Hall, who last year admitted to molesting 11 of his first-grade students and was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.

Failure to report child abuse is a class B misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in jail. Nordick, 46, is scheduled for arraignment in Riverton's Justice Court on June 17 before Judge Gregory Bown. Hall committed his crimes between July 2005 and March 2007, according to 3rd District Court documents.

Deseret News (June 4): Principal in teacher abuse case charged
The date of Nordick's non-reporting was listed in court documents as "March 13, 2008." Hall was arrested by police near his house on March 15, 2007.
Nordick will be arraigned June 17.
-------------------
TT Entry for Frank Laine Hall.

From Susan K. Smith's website on Mandatory Reporting:

All states require certain professionals and institutions to report suspected child abuse, including health care providers and facilities of all types, mental health care providers of all types, teachers and other school personnel, social workers, day care providers and law enforcement personnel. Many states require film developers to report.

There are links to reporting laws in every state.

We recently came across a 2005 paper by Daniel C. Swinton, "Criminal Liability, Failure to Report Child Abuse, and School Personnel:An Examination of History, Policy and Caselaw" that concludes that "the criminal liability affixed to mandatory reporting statutes for school personnel is hardly more than window dressing, or a vague, unrealized threat."

He also notes that teachers have consistently reported a lower percentage of cases than other professionals.
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MORE THAN ONE COMPLAINT June 5 - Nordick received complaints reports about Hall's behavior in August 2006 and again in March 2007. Hall was not removed from the classroom until seven months after the first complaint.

NOT GUILTY PLEA June 15 - Nordick was scheduled to have an arraignment Tuesday in Riverton Justice Court. Instead, she and her attorney, Blake Ostler, have submitted a not guilty plea in writing to the court. A pre-trial hearing is scheduled for July 15.

COURT APPEARANCE July 15 - Nordick appeared in court and pleaded not guilty.

Also in attendance at the hearing were numerous teachers at Rosamond Elementary who believe Nordick is being unfairly targeted."We are all angry that the city is bringing these charges," said Jennifer Brown, a kindergarten teacher at Rosamond.

"She is a remarkable principal," added Christine Mackerell, a 3rd grade teacher at Rosamond.

Officials say that Nordick got wind of sex abuse allegations involving Mr. Hall at some point, and preliminarily investigated the reports by talking to various people and observing the teacher's behavior -- but she did not contact authorities.

After Tuesday's hearing, Ms. Nordick left the courthouse through a side door -- where she appeared visibly upset and frightened.

The Salt Lake Tribune (July 17) Riverton principal denies not reporting teacher's sexual abuse of students
Subhead: Teachers, parents angry city is making case against her, call it 'witch hunt'

TT - No attempt by these newspapers to educate the public, parents, or students about mandatory reporting laws.

TRIAL SCHEDULED September 1 - Nordick's trial is scheduled for November 20. This, reported by The Salt Lake Tribune, the story beginning in this fashion:

Rosamond Elementary School Principal Shelley A. Nordick - who some say is a pawn in a feud between the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office and the Jordan School District over the district's child-abuse reporting policy - will take her case to a jury.

TT - Who the "some say" who think it's a feud? Oh, wait, it's The Salt Lake Tribune. See What the hell is vague about ... (TT Link)

Hurricane, UTAH

A presentencing report recommended 180 days. Judge gave her 30 days in jail - not prison - and 30 days probation. She will have to register as a sex offender.
And the 30 days will be served on weekends. Go figure.

ARRESTED Oct 24, 2007 - Cris Morris, 29, a social science teacher at Hurricane High School, was arrested on five counts of rape, a first degree felony, for allegedly having sexual intercourse with a juvenile male student.

"Under Utah law, a juvenile student is incapable of consenting to sexual relations with a teacher," the Hurricane Police Department said in a statement released late Wednesday afternoon. "Under the law, sexual intercourse without legal consent constitutes rape."

Criminal charges have not yet been filed against Morris.
Full Name: Cris Lynn Morris

Oct 30 - Morris made a court appearance and waived a reading of the charges against her.

PRELIMINARY SCHEDULED Jan 24, 2008 - A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Mar 5. Morris resigned in October.

GUILTY PLEA March 5 - Morris pleaded guilty Wednesday to having sex with a 17-year-old boy who was one of her student aides. Originally charged with five counts of first-degree felony rape, she pleaded guilty to three lesser counts of third-degree felony unlawful sexual conduct with a 16- or 17-year-old. She will be sentenced May 8.

SENTENCED (Sorta) May 15 - Morris was sentenced to three to five years - SUSPENDED - with 30 days in jail - not prison - and 30 days of probation. She must register as a sex offender. A presentence report recommended 180 days.

Morris has three young children, according to her attorney. He pointed to 12 letters from letters from family, friends and colleagues. "The victim states that one of his focal points is allowing the parties to move on and that jail should not be a compelling focus for the court," McKay said.

---- Sentenced clarified. Morris will serve 30 days at Purgatory Correctional Facility over a 15-weekend period.

Judge judge Rand Beacham said serving on the weekends will allow her to continue to work and contribute in providing for her young family of three children.

"She (Morris) will also complete sex-offender therapy and is required to register as a sex offender," he said.

Adult Probation and Parole did an investigation on Morris and submitted the report and recommendation of sentencing to the court. The AP&P report recommended that Morris serve 180 days in jail and supervised probation

OUTRAGE OF THE DAY

April 28, 2008 -

A certified teacher and a substitute teacher assigned to upper grades at the rural Tabiona School have been reprimanded for saying a teenage rape victim should not object to profane material in a reading assignment.

The substitute teacher, Gayla Hamilton, reportedly admitted telling the 16-year-old Duchesne County girl she had "been around the block" and shouldn't be disturbed by harsh language and sex scenes in "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult. The novel was assigned to a group of eight juniors and seniors at the one-building K-12 school in Tabiona.

Hamilton also reportedly admitted revealing the identity of the girl's rapist to a classroom of the girl's peers after the girl said she did not wish to discuss the matter.

Before and after principal Robert Park pulled the novel out of the class for review by the Duchesne County School District two weeks ago, the English teacher who assigned the novel, Glenda Norviel, made statements to reporters saying the girl had "supposedly been raped" and "If she's been through all this, why can't she be allowed to read a little suggestive matter?"

She also said the girl "is not an innocent" and "If she just had a baby six weeks ago, is reading the F-word going to cause her emotional trauma for the rest of her life?"

The girl's attacker was arrested, confessed to committing aggravated rape, and was sentenced to prison. He will not be considered for parole until 2017.

The girl was removed from class after she objected, told to write an essay about her personal history and forced to sit in the hallway while other students continued reading and discussing the novel.

The Duchesne Schools Superintendent said he had given Norviel a letter of reprimand and had forwarded statements from her, the girl and others to Carol Lear, an attorney with the Utah Professional Practices Commission.
------------
TT - The comments at the story are insightful.

Sex Offenders

One thing missing from teacher ethics training classes is the reality of what a conviction means. A lot of former teachers are now registered sex offenders. Some for life. Being on a sex offender list isn't a fun experience.

March 19, 2008 - In part IV of their series on sex offenders, the Deseret Morning News looks at what it means to be under supervision in Secret shame: Keeping watch — Sex offenders face lots of supervision.

Link to the series.

TT - A teacher is no different than a tattooed rapist after conviction. And that ought to be a point made more often in teacher training sessions.

Junction, UTAH

Feb 16, 2008 - Lawson Sweat, a teacher and coach at Piute High School, was booked and charged with two counts of raping a 16-year-old girl that attended the school in 2005.

RESIGNED Sweat resigned his position in October after police launched an investigation about sexual misconduct.

His first court appearance will be Feb 25.

An attorney with the State Board of Education said Sweat’s license has been “flagged.” “If he tries to apply for another teaching job in Utah or in another state they will know about these charges,” said Carol Lear.
Full Name: Lawson Rashad Sweat
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ONLINE RESOURCES: There is a public employee salary database online from the Salt Lake Tribune.

At Utahsright.com link You can also search for court cases.

UTAH PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES ADVISORY COMMISSION (UPPAC) newsletters contain teacher disciplinary actions.
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FIRST APPEARANCE Feb 26 - Sweat made his first appearance in Junction's 6th District Court Monday morning to face two counts of rape, a first-degree felony. He is accused of sexually assaulting a then-16-year-old girl in 2005. Sweat was a 27-year-old teacher at Piute High School at the time. Piute County sheriff's deputies continue to investigate. A preliminary is scheduled for March 24.

PRELIMINARY June 16 - Sweat pleaded not guilty during a June 2 preliminary hearing. Prosecutors had added a charge of forcible sodomy, a first-degree felony. That charge is in addition to a pair of first-degree felony rape charges Sweat is already facing.

----------
The Utah Board of Education permanently revoked Sweat's license. (see Sidebar)

Permanent Revocation

LEGISLATION WATCH

In Utah, the House Education Committee voted unamimously passed HB286, which would permanently revoke the license of any teacher who molests a student or any other child. The bill was an outgrowth of the conviction of Frank Laine Hall, a Riverton teacher, who was convicted of molesting his students and his license was revoked for 25 years. TT entry

Text of the bill
Tracking the bill
You can also sign up for e-mail notification to be alerted for changes in the text or the status of the bill.

FOLLOWUP June 4, 2008 - The bill was substituted in the Senate. The new bill is HB 286 Substitute. The bill was signed into law March 17, 2008.
Text of the substitute bill

West Jordan, UTAH

"You effectively made her a prostitute," said 3rd District Court Judge Terry Christiansen.

ARRESTED Mar 15, 2007 - Rodrigo Garza, 35, a Copper Hills High School baseball coach, was arrested for having sex with a student. He is charged with first degree felony rape of a child and two third degree felony charges of having unlawful sexual relations with a 14 or 15-year-old.

Garza is facing the more serious charge of "rape of a child" because sexual relations took place when the girl was 13 years old and the lesser charges took place after the girl had turned 14. Statutory charges apply when the minor is 13 years old or younger.

Investigators say the charges stem from an 18-month sexual relationship Garza had with a girl from another school in the area. The investigation is ongoing.
Full Name: Rodrigo Humberto Garza

Apr 27 - According to the Deseret News, Police say he paid a young girl for sex for more than a year, starting when she was 13. He is charged in 3rd District Court with first-degree felony rape of child and two third-degree felonies.

GUILTY PLEA AND SENTENCING Jan 15, 2008 - Garza was sentenced to one to 15 years in prison. He pleaded guilty to two second-degree felony charges of sexual abuse of a child in November. Garza paid the girl $300 on at least one occasion. At the sentencing, the judge admonished Garza.

This girl is young enough to be your daughter, not your girlfriend," Christiansen said. " . . . If you had a 13-year-old I would almost guarantee you you would be appalled if someone did that with your daughter."

TT - Registration as a sex offender would have been nice, but maybe it is automatic.

Taylorsville, UTAH

Sept 17, 2007 - Robert Alan Stovall, 22, a swim coach at Taylorsville High School, was sent to prison for a 90-day pre-sentence evaluation.

Stovall pleaded guilty in July to forcible sodomy and the rape count was dismissed as part of a plea deal.

The 15-year-old victim told police that on Nov. 20, 2006, Stovall forced her to perform oral sex in his office at the high school and then had intercourse with her, according to charging documents.

Granite School District spokesman Randy Ripplinger said Stovall - an hourly employee hired to assist with the swimming program, and not a teacher - was fired the day the crime occurred.
Sentencing is scheduled for for Dec. 11.

SENTENCED Dec 14 - Stovall was sentenced to prison for up to life.

Riverton, UTAH

Sentenced to 15 years to life.

ARRESTED Mar 15, 2007 -
Frank Hall, 36, was arrested this afternoon and booked into the Salt Lake County jail on allegations of 3 counts of sexual abuse of a child.

Hall is a first-grade teacher at Rosamond Elementary School. He is accused of inappropriately touching at least three girls in his current class. Department of Child and Family Services spokeswoman Carol Sisco said five more children are being interviewed, and more victims may be identified.

Bail is set at $500,000. (From County Jail Prisoner Information Center)
Full Name: Frank Laine Hall
Also Known as: Laine Hall

Mar 16 -[Date corrected.] Deseret News provides further information: A student who witnessed the touching reported the incident to his parents, which lead to the investigation. The students in his class are 6 or 7 years old, and Court documents state Hall, "participated in various activities involving teaching children outside the public school."

Mar 24 - [Date corrected.] Eleven new sex abuse charges have been filed. The victim count is up to 9. The additional charges were filed Friday. Hall now faces a total of 14 counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child, all first-degree felonies. The new charges represent six additional victims.
Next court date is April 2.

Mar 28 - News story - Experts encourage Parents to Talk to Children About Sexual Abuse. Bizarre: Three girls came forward after watching t.v. story about an arrested teacher.

Carol Sisco and her employees at the Department of Child and Family Services can not remember this ever happening.

"That is really unusual," Sisco said. But if abuse did occur, she is glad one of the three girls came forward after watching a news story on Frank Laine Hall, a teacher in Riverton arrested and charged with sexual abuse against some of his students. "Anything that gives the little child the courage to say someone hurt me is really important," Sisco said.

ANOTHER VICTIM Apr 5 - Another victim has come forward. At this point, Hall faces 15 counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child.

Paul Jaroscak, with the Salt Lake County Sheriff's department, said, "We are certainly not out there fishing or trolling for, victims but as they come forward we will certainly interview them and present those cases to the DA office and that has in fact happened."

PLEADED GUILTY Sept 20 - Hall pleaded guilty to reduced charges of 10 counts of attempted aggravated sex abuse of a child, all first-degree felonies, and second-degree felony sex abuse of a child. In exchange, five other counts of aggravated sex abuse of a child were dismissed. He will be sentenced Nov 14.

SENTENCED Nov 29 - Laine was sentenced to 15 years to life. The judge imposed a sentence of three-years-to-life for each of 10 counts of first-degree felony attempted aggravated sex abuse of a child. Hansen also sentenced Hall to one-to-15 years in prison for one count of second-degree felony sex abuse of a child.

The judge also recommended to the Board of Pardons that Hall get a mental health evaluation and sex abuse treatment; have no contact with victims, their family members or any minors; and register as a sex offender.

Tooele, UTAH

Pedophile sentenced to 8 consecutive terms of 15 years.


ARRESTED: Apr 27, 2007 -
Christopher Burton, 25, a teacher at Tooele's East Elementary School, was arrested and booked into jail for suspected aggravated sexual abuse of a child.

A probable cause statement alleges Burton inappropriately touched "multiple third-grade students" between Jan. 2 and March 30. The case remains under investigation. ABC4 reported that he was fired.

TT - Other Tooele teachers who were in the news: Leslie Baird, 42, was sentenced to 1 year in jail and 2 years probation and registration as a sex offender for sex with a 17-year-old student. Baird is the daughter of Grantsville Mayor Byron Anderson TT entry.

And then there was Cameo Patch. (Included in entry above.) Patch got off on probation.

More Information from KSLtv5: The Tooele County School District suspended Burton on March 31st, and fired him on April 20th.

UPDATE May 8 - BAIL HEARING A judge refused to reduce the $200,000 cash bail set for Burton. He will likely remain in jail until his trial. The Tooele Transcript Bulletin online reports that Burton was arrested April 26 at his sister's Tooele residence after police got a tip that he was packing to leave town.

Burton underwent an evaluation late last week. The results of the evaluation have been sealed by the court & as has been any identifying information on the alleged victims. So far eight students have alleged that Burton touched them inappropriately.

The Deputy District Attorney argued that Burton was a danger to the community.
"We have eight 7-year-old victims who courageously came forward and talked to police," Cundick said. "What message [would reduced bail] send to them? He is a danger to the community. He's a danger to the victims."

A preliminary is scheduled for May 30.

PRELIMINARY: May 21 - Three third-graders testified against Burton in the preliminary hearing. Prosecutors say that if the boys' testimony isn't enough to take the cases to trial, they have at least 16 more witnesses they can put on the stand to testify to the abuse

UPDATE June 22 - A judge ordered Burton should stand trial on eight counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child. An arraignment has been scheduled for July 10.

GUILTY PLEA: August 21 - Burton pleaded guilty to eight counts of molesting boys in his classroom as part of a plea bargain.

Burton, 26, originally was charged with eight counts of first-degree felony aggravated sexual abuse of a child. As part of the plea agreement, he entered guilty pleas to eight counts of second-degree felony sexual abuse of a child.

Defense attorney Tara Isaacson said as part of the plea, prosecutors have agreed to recommend to the judge that Burton serve five sentences consecutively and three concurrently. That means he faces a potential prison term of five to 30 years.

He will be sentenced November 6.

SENTENCED Nov 2 - Burton was sentenced to eight consecutive terms of up to 15 years in prison.

At an emotional hearing today, parents tearfully spoke of the Burton's betrayal and the aftermath of pain suffered by their children that has continued in the months following his arrest.

Many parents said their children have been incessantly teased and ridiculed at school, being called things such as "Mr. Burton's lap puppy" and "gay."

Several parents said their children wonder if they themselves are gay, adding they are concerned if their children will ever be able to live a normal life.

Burton apologized (sorta.)

Burton himself offered an apology to the parents and said he was sorry for being a sex offender and that he was "once a great teacher," with a gift of making children learn.

TT - One overriding characteristic of a pedophile is their inability to feel guilt because they can see no wrong in their acts. He's a sex offender because the law says he is, but, otherwise, to the pedophile, teaching a child about sex, exposing a child to sexuality no matter how young, isn't about self gratification. It's sharing. That it is also delusional, evil, and profoundly harmful to a child just does not register with them.

Teacher Misconduct

Oct 20, 2007 - Part of a three-day series on sexual misconduct by teachers in American schools by the Associated Press.

From Salt Lake City Tribune -
(Trib story)
"Utah ranks 16th in the nation for teachers losing licenses for sexual misconduct"

Utah Education Association general counsel Michael McCoy estimates about a third of allegations against teachers aren't true. McCoy said he has worked on such cases for more than 30 years.

"Students are big time into fabricating things to get back at a teacher," McCoy said. Sometimes students are trying to take vengeance and other times they are being abused but not by the teacher. Accusing a teacher, however, can be a cry for help, he said.

TT - Students do NOT lie about sexual misconduct. They might claim a teacher hit them or pushed them or some other physicial action, but not about sexual abuse. We have not found one documented case of student fabrication. An AP story in the series says, if anything, the crimes are vastly underreported.

(AP story)
"Legal loopholes keep some teacher misconduct records secret"
TT - Sealing teacher records is more likely to be to protect the school, the district, or the state education agency than it is to protect the teacher's privacy.

( Trib story)
"Utah teachers charged with sex crimes"

(AP story)
"Count of educator sexual misconduct took months of reporting"

(AP story)
"'I don't trust anybody now': A family and a community crushed by a teacher's sexual abuse"

Though experts who deal with sexual abuse say victims tell the truth more often than not, the ordeal is often worsened when the community around them is drawn in, and people take sides.

Often, victims and their families face uncooperative administrators, disbelieving neighbors and an agonizing legal journey.

"Immediately after news of Sperlik's arrest hit in January 2005, people began questioning the girls' motives: Why didn't they come forward sooner? Were they really telling the truth? "

(AP story)
"Sexual misconduct plagues US schools: Study finds more than 2,500 teachers punished in 5 years"

There are 3 million public school teachers nationwide, most devoted to their work. Yet the number of abusive educators, nearly three for every school day, speaks to a much larger problem in a system that is stacked against victims.

Most of the abuse never gets reported. Those cases reported often end with no action. Cases investigated sometimes can't be proven, and many abusers have several victims.

AND,

The AP discovered efforts to stop individual offenders but, overall, a deeply entrenched resistance toward recognizing and fighting abuse. It starts in school hallways, where fellow teachers look away or feel powerless to help.

School administrators make behind-the-scenes deals to avoid lawsuits and other trouble. And in state capitals and Congress, lawmakers shy from tough state punishments or any cohesive national policy for fear of disparaging a vital profession.

[TT - More likely they fear disparing potential campaign contributors and workers.]
"Another problem: Because teachers are often allowed to resign without losing their credentials, many never show up on the list."

(AP story)
"Abuse accusations don't keep teachers from classrooms"

Five pages of complaints cite "sexual or inappropriate behavior" and "immoral conduct."

But rather than report him to the state, the district accepted his resignation and paid him a severance worth more than $16,000. Officials agreed not to tell future employers the real reason why Crowley left.

Oct 19 (AP Story)
"Patchwork laws, inattention have allowed teacher sexual misconduct to flourish"

TT - The story that they missed is the one that is most tragic.

The 2003 conviction of Arielle Beck, 28, has been overturned by the Utah Supreme Court as they upheld Utah Court of Appeals decision that jurors may have been "influenced" by questioning by the judge.

Beck was convicted of sexual abuse of Kelly Sowell, then 14. The girl committed suicide by hanging herself two years later. Her brother committed suicide two months after that.

Our post on the story.