(6/28/07 – Initial BBT Report)
Mark Allen Boster, 46, a Columbus, Ohio Public Schools teacher has been arrested and charged with unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and importuning for attempting to have oral sex with a 14-year-old boy.
Boster was caught in an internet sting when the 14-year-old boy with whom he thought he was going to have oral sex turned out to be sheriff’s deputies waiting for him at the prearranged meeting place.
According to media reports Boster has been with the school system for over 20 years and has worked in several schools with problems reported along the way.
The issues included watching boys urinate in the restroom, improper physical contact with students, allegations of twisting a boy’s breast, rubbing a boys legs and similar acts.
In spite of the various problems reportedly occurring with Boster he was never fired and apparently never disciplined in any way. At the time of his arrest he was working at a Columbus Public Schools distribution facility after being diagnosed with “health problems”.
6/29/07 – Released on Bond
Mark Boster has been released from jail on $100,000 bond and reportedly over the course of the years 1997 through January 2004 had a total of five foster sons that lived with him at various times and was investigated twice by Franklin County Children Services. Both complaints appear to originate with Columbus Public Schools.
Dawn Phillips, a mother whose son was allegedly abused by Mark Boster in 2002, says not enough action was taken when allegations about his behavior first surfaced 16 years ago.
6/30/07 – Adopted Son Taken From Boster
The 13-year-old adopted son of Mark Boster was taken from his custody yesterday by law officers and child-welfare workers who met the boy before he could return to his Grove City home following a summer-recreation program.
Police have been called to Mark Boster’s home at least 115 times in the past decade for incidents including fighting, theft, runaway children and suicide threats.
A former neighbor of Boster’s says that the children were often dirty and neglected, and she suspected physical abuse and called Children Services but was told her concerns were not cause for investigation.
Since 2004 when he received a “letter of direction” owing to his questionable behavior at Avondale Elementary, he moved to Mifflin Middle School, to Dominion Middle School, to Moler Elementary where some parents threatened to pull their kids from school if Boster taught there to the district book warehouse, where he was working when arrested.
2/26/08 – Guilty Plea
Mark Allen Boster pleaded guilty today to one felony count of importuning for soliciting sex from an undercover officer posing as a 14-year-old boy on the Internet.
Sentencing is set for April 21st and Boster faces the possibility of up to one year in jail.
04/21/08 – Sentencing
Mark A. Boster was today sentenced to the maximum permitted by law, one year in prison, on his guilty plea to importuning.
Boster will also be required to register as a sex offender for 15 years.
Judge Michael J. Holbrook in sentencing Boster left no room for doubt when he said, “He was the gatekeeper of our society to these students. It is a most egregious situation. I need to send a message to the community this type of behavior is getting out of control.”
08/25/08 – Boster Denied Early Release
A judge has denied Mark Boster’s request for early release from his one year sentence.
Reportedly the request was denied since Boster has served only four months of his sentence.
References:
Ex-Teacher Convicted On Sex Charge Denied Early Release (08/25/08)
Ex-Teacher Sentenced In Online Sex Sting (04/21/08)
Judge sends former Columbus teacher to prison for sex crime (04/21/08)
Former teacher pleads guilty to sex-with-a-minor charge (2/26/08)
Suspect in sting loses custody of son
Mother Claims Teacher Abused Son In 2002
Teacher charged with seeking boy for sex had foster sons
Entries (RSS)
What a sick-o!!! 12 months?!? Again where is the justice? It looks like the cops and the schools did a terrible job in protecting our children from freaks.