Police Fail to Investigate Pedophile at Group Home
Local police and officials at nationally renowned school for disadvantaged children in Pennsylvania failed to follow up on an allegation of molestation in 1998. This failure allowed the pedophile to continue visiting the school and molest at least 17 more children before finally being arrested in 2008.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, pedophile Charles Koons, whose mother was an employee of the school, was allowed to frequently visit the Milton Hershey School in Hershey, PA for over 20 years before his arrest in 2008. He first came to the attention of Hershey police in 1998 when the mother of a student said he had revealed in therapy that he had been molested by Koons in 1989. The boy was 8 at the time of molestation. Hershey police investigated the case and notified school officials, but the case was closed without an arrest and the school officials did not take any action against Koons or his mother.
The case lay dormant until 2008, when police in a neighboring town arrested Koons on 17 counts of molestation that occurred between 2002 and 2008. Koons pleaded guilty earlier this year to the 17 counts and is serving a 35- to 100-year prison sentence.
The Milton Hershey School is a prestigious and nationally renowned boarding school for disadvantaged youth. It was founded 100 years ago by Hershey Company founder Milton Hershey and his wife. The campus houses 1,800 students in 145 family-style group homes.
This case demonstrates why is it important for family members of residents in nursing homes, group homes, and assisted living facilities to be diligent in looking for and reporting suspicions of abuse and neglect. Many people think that police and state and local licensing agencies will protect their loved ones from such egregious acts as sexual abuse, but these agencies cannot catch every act of abuse.
If you believe your loved one is being abused, it is always a good idea to contact an attorney who is experienced in these types of abuse cases, who can help get justice for your loved one and prevent others from being abused. For more information on group home abuse, visit Solomon & Relihan's Group Home Abuse website.
