(11/29/008 - Initial BadBadTeacher.com Report)

Dan Hegarty, 39, a seventh and eight-grade math teacher at Browne Academy, a private school in Alexandria, Virginia, has been charged with taking indecent liberties with a child.

On November 10th, around 8:30 pm, an eight-year-old boy who had been swimming at the Spring Hill Recreation Center went to the locker room to change clothes.

Reportedly, while in the locker room changing clothes the boy was approached and subsequently fondled by a naked man. The boy who was not injured and reported the incident to his parents.

Police were contacted and a composite sketch of the man who allegedly molested the boy was prepared and released to news media and in the form of flyers seeking the identify of the alleged child molester.

Reportedly the composite sketch resulted in tips identifying Hegarty.

On November 25th, Hegarty turned himself in at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.

Although Hegarty is initially charged with only the single alleged incident investigators are concerned there may be other victims and are asking that anyone with information pertaining to other incidents contact them at (703) 691-2131.

Hegarty who has reportedly been placed on administrative leave by the school is also a coach and referee for boys hockey in Montgomery County.

(09/17/08 - Initial BBT Report)

Thomas Filion, 68, a former teacher at various schools in the Saratoga Springs, New York area has pleaded guilty to charges arising from the sexual assault of a teenage boy.

In November 2007 Filioin was arrested on allegations that he sexually assaulted a 15-year-old boy in the shower in the Saratoga Springs YMCA by approaching the teen and grabbing the boy’s genitals.

Filion pleaded guilty to first-degree sexual abuse, second-degree unlawful imprisonment, forcible touching, and endangering the welfare of a child.

Sentencing for Filion is set for November 17th and he faces a sentencing range from probation to up to seven years in prison.

The prosecution has indicated that it intends to seek the surrender of Filion’s teaching certificates, a lifetime registration as a sex offender and an order of protection for both the boy and the YMCA.

11/25/08 - Sentencing

Thomas Filion has been sentenced to three months in jail to be followed by 10 years of probation.

In addition, Filion must surrender his teaching license, register as a sex offender and is prohibited any contact with the victim.

Saratoga County District Attorney James A. Murphy III said he is “troubled” that an admitted sex offender has been sentenced to county jail time instead of a prison term.

11/28/08 - Judge and Prosecutor Dispute Sentence

The judge and district attorney are locked in a debate over who is responsible for the lenient sentence that Thomas Filion received.

Reportedly the judge says the idea of a no prison time sentence originated with the District Attorney’s Office and the DA says that is not true.

References:

Abuse sentence sparks dispute (11/28/08)

Saratoga County Court ruling panned by DA (11/25/08)

Jail for man in teen sex case (11/25/08)

Former teacher admits to grabbing boy in YMCA shower (09/17/08)

(07/03/08 - Initial BBT Report)

Joshua Edward Hoffman, 26, a teacher at Manzanita Elementary School in Redding, California has been arrested on allegations that he molested three of his former students.

Hoffman has been charged with six counts of child molestation and reportedly was initially being held on a $500,000 bail.

Hoffman came to the attention of authorities in June after two girls told school officials about having been inappropriately touched by Hoffman and school officials called police. The other girl alleged she had been touched inappropriately the same day and in previous incident a few weeks earlier.

Reportedly Hoffman, then 19, was arrested by Glendora police on suspicion of touching an 11-year-old girl in 2001. The case was dropped by the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.

Reportedly Hoffman passed all background checks required to be performed prior to beginning working for the school.

11/03/08 - Guilty Plea

Joshua Hoffman pleaded guilty this morning to having molested three of his former students.

Reportedly Hoffman will to undergo a psychological evaluation to determine whether he is an appropriate candidate for probation.

According to the prosecutor, if the judge find’s Hoffman suitable for probation he would receive a 12-year suspended sentence and would be placed on probation for seven years and would have to complete a sex offender treatment program.

If the judge finds Hoffman to be unsuitable for probation, he would be sentenced to eight years in prison.

Hoffman remains in custody in lieu of $500,000 bail.

11/24/08 - Case Update

A Shasta County prosecutor said today that a psychological evaluation of Joshua Edward Hoffman does not seem to support probation.

“It wasn’t very positive for Mr. Hoffman,” said Deputy District Attorney Ben Hanna.

The decision is in the hands of Superior Court Judge James Ruggiero with a decision expected on January 6th.

11/28/08 - Results of Psychological Evaluation Revealed

The Record Searchlight has published a report revealing contents of the psychological evaluation perform on Joshua Hoffman and reports that “he may be a dismal candidate for probation and has a long history of inappropriately touching and fondling young girls.”

The Record Searchlight goes on to indicate that Hoffman may have molested other young girls.

See the referenced report for further details.

References:

Teacher’s psychological evaluation reveals more alleged molestations (11/28/08)

Teacher who molested students may face prison (11/24/08)

Former teacher pleads guilty to having molested students (11/03/08)

Manzanita teacher taken into custody in molestation case (07/03/08)