Archive for the ‘High Profile Cases’ Category
(01/21/10 – Initial BadBadTeacher.com Report)
Robert A. “Pete” Peterson, 65, a former middle school social studies teacher at Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C., has reportedly been arrested and charged on allegations of the sexual abuse of a 14-year-old male student.
Reportedly, Peterson is charged with sex abuse of a minor and two counts of fourth-degree sex offense.
It is alleged that Peterson befriended a male Sidwell student and repeatedly invited him to his Silver Spring home. It is further alleged that Peterson showed the student pornography and touched him inappropriately
Following his arrest, Peterson was released on $250,000 bond.
Reportedly, Peterson has been on administrative leave since shortly before the beginning of the 2009-10 school year.
News reports indicate that Sidwell Friends School, attended by President Obama’s daughters, fired Peterson on January 14th, the same day that charges were officially filed against Peterson. Reportedly, a White House spokesperson has declined to comment on the case.
Peterson also faces charges on the Eastern Shore, where he was the director of Camp Corsica, the school’s summer camp. The charges in Queen Anne’s County stem from an incident last summer. It’s not known whether the victim is the same boy.
08/12/10 – Guilty Plea
Reportedly, Robert A. “Pete” Peterson has pleaded guilty to one count of child sex abuse.
According to Peterson’s attorney, Peterson will be required to register as a sex offender and abide by other conditions. However, with the approval of the state and the victim’s family no jail time will be imposed.
I would like to thank a reader who provided us with info on the conclusion of this case. – webmaster
(8/02/07 – Initial BBT Report)
The trial of Albert Scerbo, 45, of Clay, New York has concluded with a split verdict. The jury found him guilty on 2 of the 19 charges he still faced.
Scerbo was found guilty of one count of sexual abuse in the first degree and guilty one count of endangering the welfare of a child in a case that started with 17 alleged victims and 35 alleged crimes.
Scerbo a former music teacher at the Onondaga Indian Nation School was arrested in December of 2006 on allegations that he had sexual contact with two girls, ages 7 and 8.
As the police investigation continued additional girls ranging in age from 7 to 14-years-old made allegations that Scerbo touched them improperly through their clothing as they sat on his lap in the back of a darkened room while he showed movies or videos to the class.
Initially Scerbo was indicted on a total of 35 charges, alleging 17 female victims. All alleged victims were students at the Onondaga Indian Nation School. The alleged sexual abuse occurred between September 2002 and December 18, 2006 when Scerbo was arrested.
Prior to the start of trial, Judge William Walsh dismissed seven counts against Scerbo, dropping four victims from the case because of insufficient or contradictory evidence. Scerbo went to trial on 28 counts.
(3/13/08 – Initial BBT Report)
Stephanie Marie Ragusa, 28, a former teacher at Davidsen Middle School in Tampa, Florida has been arrested and charged with five counts of lewd and lascivious battery on allegations of having sex with a 15-year-old boy.
It is alleged that Ragusa had a sexual relationship with the boy and that she had sex with him five times between Oct. 1, 2006 to May 4, 2007.
The alleged victim was never a student of Ragusa, although he attended Davidsen Middle School when Ragusa taught there.
Ragusa who currently works as a math teacher at Martinez Middle School in Lutz, Florida has been placed on paid administrative leave.
In the wake of her arrest, Ragusa was being held without bond at the Hillsborough County Jail. A bond hearing has been set for March 19th.
Investigators now say that Ragusa performed oral sex on the boy twice, and allegedly had intercourse with him three other times. It is further alleged that the victim was also able to describe tattoos located on either side of Ragusa’s groin, tattoos which could only be seen if she wasn’t wearing clothes.
(04/16/09 – Initial BadBadTeacher.com Report)
Ollie Van Shepherd Jr., 31, a physical education teacher and girls basketball coach at Monroe High School in Monroe, North Carolina has been arrested on allegations of a sex offense involving a student.
Reportedly, Shepherd turned himself in Wednesday afternoon after learning an arrest warrant had been issued for him.
Few details of the allegations against Shepherd are available other than that the alleged incident is said to have taken place at school and during school hours.
Reportedly, Shepherd has been suspended with pay by the school system.
03/16/10 – Guilty Plea and Sentencing
Ollie Van Shepherd Jr. has pleaded guilty to one count of sexual act with a student and one count of indecent liberties with a student.
Shepherd will serve up to five months in jail and will be required to wear a GPS tracking device for 30 years. Reportedly, Shepherd may petition to have the GPS requirement reviewed after 10 years.
There was no word Tuesday as to Shepherd’s current status with the school system.
(07/10/07 – Initial BBT Report)
Roberta Walter, 61, known in the 1970′s and 1980′s as Roberta Blackwell, a former art teacher at Beaumont Junior High School in Fayette County, Kentucky has been arrested in Nashville, Tennessee and charged with third-degree sodomy of a then 15-year-old girl and third-degree rape of a then 15-year-old male student.
The alleged sexual abuse began in the late 1970′s when Blackwell was a teacher at Beaumont Junior High School and the alleged victim, a student there, was babysitting for Blackwell.
Also charged in the case is former science teacher Jack Russell Hubbard who was arrested in Johnstown, Pennsylvania and is charged with third-degree rape and four counts of first-degree sodomy. The rape charges against Hubbard allege the rape of the 15-year-old female victim. The sodomy charges stem from alleged sexual abuse of Thomas “Beau” Goodman who told police he was sodomized by Hubbard 30 times between ages 14 and 15.
The female victim’s name is Carol Lynne Maner and she came forward with her accusations in August 2003 and has accused the school district of concealing evidence of a clear pattern of sexual abuse by four teachers, a guidance counselor and an assistant principal at Beaumont and Lafayette High School in the late 1970s and 1980s.
Carol Lynne Maner, now 44-years-old, has sued the Fayette County Board of Education saying that Roberta Blackwell and Hubbard traded her back and forth for sexual abuse.
The civil trial is currently on-going.
Thomas “Beau” Goodman has also sued the Fayette County Board of Education.
Update 7/13/07:
Roberta Walter (Blackwell) made an appearance in a Lexington, Kentucky courtroom today and entered a not guilty plea to all charges.
Update 7/27/07:
A hearing in a sex abuse case that was originally scheduled for today has been rescheduled for August 17th.
Roberta Blackwell Walter Withdraws Guilty Plea
Roberta Blackwell Walter who had previously pleaded guilty to two charges of sexual misconduct in a three-decades-old case involving a student has withdrawn that guilty plea after the judge insisted that she serve jail time even though the prosecutor recommended probation.
The original charges were reduced in exchange for her testimony against another teacher who was convicted of rape and sodomy.
12/07/09 – Sentencing Put Off
Attorneys in the case of former teacher Roberta Blackwell Walter — accused of molesting a 15-year-old student 30 years ago — will return to court in a month to continue discussing a possible plea and punishment in the case.
Fayette Circuit Judge James Ishmael asked the defendant’s attorney and the prosecutor to come back with more information so he can hand down a sentence that is fair to all parties.
02/05/10 – Plea and Sentencing
The judge has accepted an amended plea deal between Roberta Walter and prosecutors, a deal under which she pleaded guilty to sexual conduct rather than sodomy charges.
Walter was thereafter sentenced to one week in jail to be followed by ninety days of house arrest.
References:
Former Teacher Sentenced For Role In 1970′s Student Sex Case (02/05/10)
Ex-teacher’s sex-case sentencing put off (12/05/09)
Former Fayette Teacher Withdraws Guilty Plea In Sex Case (10/30/09)
Delay in sex abuse case (7/27/07)
Ex-Teacher Enters Sex Abuse Plea (7/13/07)
2 ex-teachers named in lawsuit arrested (7/11/07)
Two arrested, charged in Fayette schools sex-abuse case (7/10/07)
Former teachers arrested ; sex abuse lawsuit begins (7/10/07)
Former Teachers Arrested as Sex Abuse Lawsuit Begins (7/10/07)
Former teachers arrested as sex abuse lawsuit begins (7/10/07)
Two arrested, charged in Fayette schools sex-abuse case (7/10/07)
Former Student Testifies in Sex Abuse Case against Schools (7/10/07)
View BadBadTeacher.com Coverage of Jack Russell Hubbard
(07/10/07 – Initial BBT Report)
Jack Russell Hubbard, 60, a former science teacher at Beaumont Junior High School in Fayette County, Kentucky has been arrested in Johnstown, Pennsylvania and charged with third-degree sodomy of a then 15-year-old male student and third-degree rape of a 15-year-old female student.
The alleged sexual abuse began in the late 1970′s or early 1980′s when Hubbard was a teacher at Beaumont Junior High School and the alleged victims were students there.
Also charged in the case is former arts teacher Roberta Walter, then known as Roberta Blackwell, who was arrested in Nashville, Tennessee and who is charged with third-degree sodomy and third-degree rape of a then 15-year-old female student.
The rape charges against Hubbard allege the rape of the 15-year-old female victim. The sodomy charges stem from alleged sexual abuse of Thomas “Beau” Goodman who told police he was sodomized by Hubbard 30 times between ages 14 and 15.