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According to local news source channel 9, authorities in Douglas County Colorado are looking for children who may have had contact with a former youth volunteer accused of having a sexual relationship with a child at his church.
Sheriff's deputies say William "Bill" McLaughlin, 45, was arrested in December 2009 and charged with multiple felony counts including sexual assault on a child by one in a position of trust.
"It is very tragic to hear about these types of cases, especially when it involves someone who is put in a position to care for and guide our youth. It is a great reminder for parents to talk to their children about issues involving these types of cases and how important open and honest communication is," Douglas County Sheriff Dave Weaver said in a news release.
Detectives believe McLaughlin, who was a youth volunteer at Denver Church of Christ, might have taken advantage of other children. During his time with Denver Church of Christ, which has satellite churches across Colorado and the country, McLaughlin had contact with hundreds of children and traveled extensively.
John Lusk, a senior minister with Denver Church of Christ says the church has about 600 adult members and its main church is in Arvada.
Lusk says McLaughlin volunteered with the church's youth from 1999 to 2006, but was "taken out" of the youth volunteer program four years ago. Lusk says he didn't know why McLaughlin was removed, but added McLaughlin has not been involved with the youth for four years.
According to Lusk, McLaughlin volunteered with teens from the church's high school group. His job was to attend activities and serve as a mentor. The idea, Lusk says, was "to be a spiritual guide to them."
"We typically do background checks," Lusk said. He was unsure whether a background check was done on McLaughlin.
During the ongoing investigation detectives have learned that McLaughlin lived in several locations within Douglas County, where some of the crimes took place, as well as multiple places in the Denver metro area.
McLaughlin declined to talk on-camera with 9NEWS.
McLaughlin's ex-wife, Cathy Jones, who does not live in Colorado, was in disbelief over the charges.
"I'm shocked. I don't believe it, can't believe it," Jones said. "I don't think it's true. He's a good man."
Jones and McLaughlin have been divorced since 1995.
In 2006, McLaughin was charged with a misdemeanor for sexual contact without consent, but in exchange for pleading guilty to harassment, the first charge was dismissed.
Pam Russell, a spokeswoman for the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, says in the 2006 incident, a 14-year-old son of a friend told deputies McLaughlin was constantly around. One day, in the family's kitchen, deputies say McLaughlin tried to put ice down the boy's pants. The teen repeatedly told McLaughlin no, but deputies say he persisted and eventually did put the ice down the boy's pants.
Deputies say when McLaughlin put the ice down the boy's pants, he touched the 14-year-old's private parts. The incident was reported after the fact, and McLaughlin was charged with a misdemeanor.
The Denver Church of Christ issued the following statement after McLaughlin's recent arrest:
"The leadership of Denver Church of Christ was informed in late December by the Douglas County Sheriff's Office that a former youth volunteer of the church was arrested and charged with an offense against a young man. The Church leadership is very concerned by these allegations and the harm these actions bring to all involved. The Church leadership has been cooperating with the Sheriff's investigation since the initial arrest.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to this victim, his family, as well as all others concerned and affected by these events. As we wish to protect the privacy interests of the persons who have raised these concerns, we cannot comment any further on the case, or the investigation. We ask that all of those involved with these events and the investigation appreciate the seriousness of the claims and fully cooperate with the Sheriff's investigation."
Anyone with information about McLaughlin, additional victims or inappropriate conduct by McLaughlin should contact the Douglas County Sheriff's Office Investigations Division at 303-660-7548 or its tip line at 303-660-7579.
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While many types of identity theft cases have been duly reported on this website, a unique story from New Hampshire tells of an identity thief who allegedly committed identity theft while awaiting sentencing on a conviction for identity theft.
According to SeaCoastOnline.com, Ramie Marston, 40, who was waiting to be sentenced for stealing her nanny's identity to make over $60,000 in fraudulent purchases, allegedly committed identity theft using a businessman's credit card, checks, and debit card to purchase $8,000 in unauthorized goods that included a diamond ring, a puppy, and music downloads.
Marston is also being investigated by police in several areas for a string of alleged identity thefts committed after her guilty pleas in June to three felonies related to identity theft, SeaCoastOnline.com reports. She is scheduled to be sentenced in October.
Identity theft is committed by all types of people. As a result of identity theft cases like this, consumers should be far more wary about protecting their personal information. This particular case shows that some “serial” identity thieves will possibly keep committing identity theft even after prior convictions.
To help protect against identity theft, “personal” background checks – where people perform background checks on themselves – can ensure that personal information is current, accurate, and secure. While many background check firms only service businesses, MyBackgroundCheck.com – a pioneer in consumer requested background checks – offers individuals affordable “personal” background check services. Over one million individuals have purchased background checks through MyBackgroundCheck.com. For more information about personal background checks, visit www.mybackgroundcheck.com, email info@mybackgroundcheck.com, or call 1-800-503-2364. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MyBackgroundChk.
tahearn@mybackgroundcheck.com
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A story from Macon.com tells of a bill currently pending in the Georgia state Legislature that would require employees who work inside the homes of other people – also known as “In-Home Services” workers – to have pre-employment background checks performed on them by their employers.
According to Georgia General Assembly web site, House Bill 263 provides that “any person offering in-home services shall conduct a criminal background investigation of each employee” and that “such persons shall not employ individuals who have been convicted of certain crimes” that would include rape and murder uncovered through the required background checks.
The bill requiring employers to perform background checks on people who work inside other people’s homes was prompted by a 2008 sexual assault of a nanny who was watching a 3-year-old girl at the time of the attack, according to the Macon.com report, and that the accused rapist – Rudolph Valentino Smith, 44, who was released from prison in 2006 after serving 12 years for fatally stabbing a man – worked for a house cleaning company that cleaned many homes in the central Georgia neighborhood, including the one where the alleged crime took place. The nanny escaped further harm by locking herself and the toddler she was watching in a bedroom closet, Macon.com reported, and Smith was later arrested by police and charged with rape.
The bill requiring background checks for workers who enter the homes of others tries to strike a delicate balance between allowing rehabilitated criminals to re-enter the workplace while at the same time protecting the safety of residents through background checks of in-home services workers, Macon.com reported.
MyBackgroundCheck.com is a leading supplier of consumer requested and applicant supplied “personal” background checks for individuals, including background checks for In-Home Services workers. For more information about background checks, visit www.mybackgroundcheck.com, email info@mybackgroundcheck.com, or call 1-800-503-2364. Follow MyBackgroundCheck.com on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MyBackgroundChk.
tahearn@mybackgroundcheck.com
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A recent story about a suspected scam artist who posted non-existent babysitter jobs on the online classified ad site Craigslist and asked applicants to pay for a background check that would never be done serves as a reminder to jobseekers – even babysitters – that in this tough economy criminals and identity thieves will try anything to make money illegally off the search for gainful employment.
According to a report from Fort Wayne, Indiana’s News-Sentinel.com, Fort Wayne Police have arrested a man – 30-year-old Randy A. Hatter from Flint, Michigan – that they believe is behind a multi-state scam that used the online classifieds site Craigslist to post babysitter jobs as a ruse to lure unsuspecting applicants into providing personal information on forms before paying $25 to run background checks that were never performed.
Hatter – who was convicted in 2006 for identity theft and was out on parole at the time of this arrest – was caught in a sting operation by Fort Wayne police, the News-Sentinel reports, after two local victims who happened to know each both responded to the same babysitter job posting on Craigslist, were contacted by Hatter, and then asked for money for a background check. When the victims realized that they both never heard back from Hatter after giving him money for the background checks, they contacted police.
According to News-Sentinal.com, detectives then answered the babysitter job posting on Craigslist and two female detectives posing as respondents to the ad met Hatter, gave him the $25 for the background check, and police arrested him on three preliminary counts of theft and one of deception.
With the number of unemployed people reaching 15 million according to latest figures, jobseekers need to be wary of scammers who use the search for employment as opportunity to make illegal money. To gain protection in these uncertain times, prospective employees can perform “personal” background checks on themselves to show to potential employers during pre-employment background checks.
While most background check companies focus only on employers, MyBackgroundCheck.com offers jobseekers – including babysitters, nannies, and au pairs – the opportunity to perform background checks on themselves to use to find employment. For more information on personal background checks, visit www.mybackgroundcheck.com, email info@mybackgroundcheck.com, or call 1-800-503-2364. To follow MyBackgroundCheck.com on Twitter, visit www.twitter.com/MyBackgroundChk.
NOTE: If you think you were a "Craigslist Babysitter Background Check Scam" victim, call Detective Casey Furge or Detective Joe Lyon at the Fort Wayne Police Detective Bureau at 260-427-1201.
tahearn@mybackgroundcheck.com
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