Richard Foster
Posted by: Webmaster in Elementary Schools, Hall of Shame, ME-CP, ME-MV, Teachers - Misc, Vermont
(9/16/07 - Initial BBT Report)
Richard Foster, 51, a sixth-grade teacher at Bradford Elementary School, in Bradford, Vermont has been arrested on allegations of sexual assault on a minor, lewd and lascivious conduct with a minor, possession of child pornography, use of a child in a sexual performance and luring a child for sexual exploitation.
Foster came to the attention of authorities on Friday when a juvenile who formerly lived in Vermont told investigators at the Coral Springs, Florida police department about multiple incidents of alleged sexual contact between the juvenile and Foster.
Authorities in Vermont obtained search warrants for Foster’s home and the school on Saturday. After the search warrants were executed Foster was arrested on multiple felony charges.
Following his arrest, Foster made $30,000 bail on Saturday evening and was released from jail.
On Sunday, a state police received a 911 call from Foster’s home during which a male caller asked police to be sent and hung up. When police arrived at Foster’s home they found him injured from an apparent suicide attempt. Foster was taken to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H., in stable condition.
Foster will be arraigned Monday in Vermont District Court in Chelsea, if he is well enough to leave the hospital.
Update 9/17/07:
One of the alleged victims is an 11-year-old boy, whose mother found text messages Foster allegedly sent to his former student that included sexually explicit photos of him touching himself.
Foster after leaving a suicide note and slashing his wrists this weekend remains hospitalized and did not appear at an arraignment on sex charges.
Excerpts from alleged suicide note:
Dear Tropper (sic), I am sorry to start your day off this way. You will find me in the bathroom.
To my family, friends + students past and present. I am sorry for the pain I am putting you through. I have been weak and made bad choices. I do not wish to put anyone through a long drawn out affair, but wish to end it here and now. Please forgive me and move on with your lives. I hope you will be able to remember some of the good things about me and not just the bad.
To his alleged victim: I love you too and I am sorry for putting you through this. Please don’t let it scar you. Bounce back and move on. My bad — not yours.
Update 9/18/07:
Richard A. Foster remains hospitalized today.
Reportedly, as soon as he is well enough to be discharged, Foster will appear before a New Hampshire judge.
The latest information regarding the victims is that there are three boys that were victimized. All of the alleged sexual abuse is said to have taken place at Foster’s home, and none of it at the school or at school activities.
Reportedly Foster had hired the boys to work for him in his “video production business”, which he ran on the side. Police armed with warrants say they seized professionally-edited porn tapes Foster made of himself with one of the boys.
Also it is being reported that police have recovered a videotape that showed a third young person engaged in a sex act. At this time police are not ready to file additional charges.
Reportedly, school officials were attempting to reach former students of Foster’s to see if there were other victims.
Update 9/19/07:
Reportedly, as soon as Richard Foster was released from the hospital he immediately arrested by the FBI on new, federal child pornography charges.
The U.S. Attorney’s office in Burlington, Vermont in a statement indicated that Foster appeared Wednesday in U.S. District Court in New Hampshire to answer a charge of production of child pornography and was ordered removed to Vermont for further proceedings.
Update 9/27/07:
The U.S. Attorney’s office says a grand jury today indicted 51-year-old Richard Foster on a
federal child pornography charge.
Foster is due to appear before a federal magistrate tomorrow in Burlington to answer the new charge.
Update 9/28/07:
Richard Foster was ordered held without bail until trial on federal child pornography charges.
Also the feds are seeking to seize his Bradford home, saying it was used in the filming of sex acts with a child.
Update 10/19/07:
Months before Richard Foster was arrested, the grandmother of one of the children he allegedly abused says she raised questions about whether the teacher was spending an inappropriate amount of time with her grandson.
12/20/07 - More Child Sex Charges
Richard Foster has been charged with seven more child sex charges.
He has entered not guilty pleas to six counts of sexual exploitation and one count of luring children.
Foster continues to be held without bond.
09/19/08 - Guilty Plea
Richard Foster reportedly pleaded guilty to two federal charges that could send him to prison for 25 years.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office handling the case has indicated that Foster pleaded guilty today to two counts of production of child pornography involving children under 12.
The prosecution has indicated that it will ask for a sentence of 25 to 27 years in prison at Foster’s sentencing currently set for December.
References:
Mesa teacher who had lesbian relationship with student sentenced (09/19/08)
Former teacher pleads guilty to sex crimes (09/19/08)
Teacher Faces More Sex Charges (12/20/07)
Questions About Accused Teacher Failed to Trigger Inquiry (10/19/07)
Teacher Jailed (9/28/07)
Accused teacher pleads innocent to federal child porn charge (9/28/07)
Bradford teacher indicted on federal child porn charges (9/27/07)
Accused Teacher Now Faces Federal Child Pornography Charge (9/20/07)
Teacher released from hospital, faces federal charge (9/19/07)
Sense of betrayal emerges in Vt. (9/19/07)
For school, community, a sense of betrayal (9/18/07)
Teacher Accused of Molesting A Young Boy (9/17/07)
Excerpts from suicide notes left by teacher accused in sex case (9/17/07)
Accused teacher wrote suicide notes before slashing wrist (9/17/07)
Bradford teacher accused of sexual assault (9/16/07)
Teacher charged with sex crimes hospitalized after suicide try (9/16/07)
Teacher charged with sex crimes hospitalized after suicide try (9/16/07)
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Entries (RSS)
September 19th, 2008 at 8:09 pm
I live in the town where this happened, it took place 5 days after my children came out with what my now ex had been doing to them in the 4 years we lived as a family. They had been sexually abused.
When this about Richard Foster hit the news , all the kids were devastated in the area. All were in shock.
These monsters walk among us , acting as if they care for the ones that are going to be our future someday .
I am still waiting for the court case against my ex to be resolved. He was charged with 4 counts of lewd and lascivious w/ a child and 1 count of lewd and lascivious….with more charges possibly pending .
I am glad that this is close to over for the victims and their families. May God be with each of them and let them heal from this nightmare that this monster created for them …and as for the monster himself, may he rot ! I hope he lives everyday with what he did to these kids and I hope he himself knows the violations that these innocent children felt !
September 21st, 2007 at 2:09 pm
Thanks for the correction.
Our bad.
We have now updated our report to reflect reality and apologize for our mistake.
September 21st, 2007 at 1:34 pm
Correction: The Florida Police Department involved in the investigation was Coral Springs Police Dept. Broward County not Coral Gables Police Dept. which is in Dade Co.