(05/16/08 - Initial BBT Report)

Sanford Kaplan, 57, a soccer coach at Northeast High School in Lincoln, Nebraska as well as a a youth soccer coach for the Capitol Soccer Association and an adjunct professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has been arrested in connection with the alleged abuse of teenage boys.

Quoting from the Omaha World-Herald:

Six youths ages 13 to 15 have alleged that over the past seven years they were bound, gagged and blindfolded, then videotaped or photographed trying to escape, in a strange “rope trick” game Kaplan concocted for his sexual gratification.

Investigators say that Kaplan admitted to doing these things to several teenage boys in order to “fulfill a sexual need.”

According to sheriff’s officials, the events were “portrayed as a game,” and the boys were challenged to escape their bindings.

Investigators believe at least three more young men have been victims of similar treatment and are looking for other victims who have not yet come forward.

On Wednesday Kaplan was arrested on suspicion of 14 felony charges, including two of third-degree sexual assault, which alleges inappropriate sexual touching. However he was charged with only 7 felony counts consisting of six counts of child abuse and one count of false imprisonment.

Reportedly Kaplan no longer works as an adjunct professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, he has been suspended as a coach of select club teams for the Capital Soccer Association and his contract to coach boys soccer at Lincoln Northeast High School was not being renewed.

References:

Charges stun coach’s circle (05/16/08)

Court Documents Detail Extent of Lincoln Man’s Suspected Abuse (05/15/08)

Soccer coach faces 14 felony charges (05/15/08)

Lincoln soccer coach held in sex case (05/15/08)

(2/15/08 - Initial BBT Report)

Thomas Gellatly, a teacher at McMillian Magnet Middle School in Omaha, Nebraska has been arrested after German investigators allegedly linked him to an Internet child pornography site.

Gellatly made an appearance in federal court Friday afternoon and was released after his court appearance. He is charged with possession of child pornography and distributing child pornography.

Allegedly federal agents found several images on Gellatly’s computer featuring young boys who were nude from the waist down.

Gellatly has been suspended from his duties at the school and Omaha Public Schools has begun steps to terminate his employment.

References:

Omaha Teacher Arrested for Child Porn (2/15/08)

Teacher Appears In Federal Court On Child Porn Charge (2/15/08)

(8/20/07 - Initial BBT Report)

John Monetti, 38, a former principal and substitute teacher at various school systems on Long Island, New York has pleaded guilty to two counts of travel with intent to engage in a sexual act with a juvenile.

As part of the plea bargain other federal charges were dismissed including sexual exploitation of a juvenile and computer enticement of a minor.

Monetti told a federal judge in an Omaha courtroom that he made four 2,600-mile, round-trip flights to have secret sexual encounters with a girl from Washington County, Nebraska.

The girl who reportedly has low-level autism was 14-years-old when the relationship began with internet chats in December 2005.

Monetti eventually bought the girl a cellphone and in April 2006 traveled from Long Island to Blair, Nebraska, for the first time, where he had sex with the girl in a motel room and in a van.

Monetti was arrested on a later trip to Nebraska in late May when a deputy sheriff pulled Monetti’s rental van over and found the girl in pajamas in the passenger seat. Initially Monetti and the girl both told the officer than Monetti was her uncle. Authorities contacted the girl’s parents who said that they were not aware she was gone from home and that they knew no one by the name of John Monetti.

Monetti was originally arrested on state charges and held on $2.5 million bond. His family put up $250,000 cash to bail him out of the Washington County Jail. Eventually the state charges were dropped and replaced with federal charges owing to the interstate aspects of the case.

U.S. District Judge Joseph Bataillon told Monetti that he likely will spend 12 years in a federal prison and asked Monetti if he agreed to that sentence to which Monetti reportedly replied, “Yes I do”.

Reportedly Monetti last worked for the Commack School District on Long Island having previously been employed as as principal at the Dickinson Avenue Elementary School in the Northport-East Northport School District, and at William Floyd Elementary School.

Formal sentencing is set for November 9th.

11/09/07 - Sentencing

John Monetti has been sentenced to prison for 12 years.

He was also ordered to pay $31,000 for counseling for the victim and other fees.

References:

Former New York principal sentenced to 12 years in prison (11/09/07)

Ex-principal pleads guilty in sex case (8/20/07)

Ex-New York principal pleads guilty to sex charge (8/20/07)

Ex-New York principal pleads guilty to teen sex charge (8/20/07)

Background:

Accused child molester is out of jail (7/12/06)

Bond Set In Blair For N.Y. Man Charged In Sex Assault (6/14/06)

New York Man Charged With Sex Offenses Is Teacher (6/01/06)

Assault Case Outlined (6/01/06)

Brandy Reynolds, 25, a former teacher at Omaha Baptist Academy in Fremont, Nebraska who last month entered a no contest plea to a charge of attempted first-degree sexual assault of a male student has been sentenced to prison.

Reynolds allegedly had a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old male student beginning in December 2004 and lasting through May 2006.

Reynolds was originally charged with with first-degree sexual assault but in a plea deal pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree sexual assault.

As part of the plea deal between Reynolds and the state prosecutors agreed to make no sentencing recommendation.

District Judge John Samson of Dodge County sentenced Reynolds to four to eight years in prison.

References:

Former Omaha Teacher Will Serve Jail Time For Having Sex With Student (9/24/07)

Former teacher gets prison for sex with teen student (9/24/07)

View previous BadBadTeacher.com posts regarding Brandy Reynolds

Mike Govig, 44, a popular former softball coach at Papillion-La Vista High School in Papillion, Nebraska has been arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) which says the coach had hundreds of images of child porn on his computer.

ICE agents and other law enforcement agencies raided Govig’s house in La Vista, Nebraska on Tuesday confiscating his laptop computer. It is alleged that Govig admitted to federal agents that he had downloaded the video files, and said the girls in the videos were about 12. Federals authorities say that one movie file shows a 6 to 10-year-old girl performing oral sex on an adult male. They say a second movie shows a 6 to 10-year-old touching herself.

Govig’s attorney, Mike Fabian, said today that Govig turned himself in to authorities Thursday evening and that he remains in federal custody. Govig was arraigned today on one count of receipt of child pornography and a second count of possession of child pornography.

It is expected that Govig will be released from federal custody next week, at which time he will have to wear an electronic monitoring device and must not have contact with children, he can’t go on-line or use the Internet and will have to stay away from schools, parks and playgrounds.

In August Govig was hired as an assistant coach at Creighton University. In the wake of Govig’s arrest and arraignment on child pornography charges he was fired by Creighton University late Friday.

References:

Softball Coach Arrested on Federal Child Pornography Charges (9/1/07)

Creighton Terminates Coach Arraigned On Child Porn Charges (9/21/07)

Former P-LV coach charged with possessing child porn (9/21/07)

Creighton Softball Coach’s Home Raided By ICE Agents (9/18/07)