“HERE, TRY THIS BROWNIE,” SAID THE (accused) SERIAL MOLESTER.
Summary: Jeffrey Barton, the former Head of Schools at the Army/Navy Academy in Carlsbad arrested for child molestation, has now been brought up on additional charges of molestation from the boarding school. In other news, the D.A.’s announcement comes right before her re-election bid in next week’s primary election.
For those unaware of the current case regarding accused molester Jeffrey Barton, there are some updates to the case. Today, Barton will be new criminal charges in addition to the 16 felony charges he faced upon his initial arrest last October while serving as the Head of Schools at the Army and Navy Academy in Carlsbad, California. The highlights of his charges include oral copulation and sodomy of six boys both on and off campus, and giving his victims drug-laced brownies to incapacitate them prior to abusing them.
If that last part wasn’t revolting enough, consider this; Barton has worked in Carlsbad since 1995 and had access to an estimated 1,500 students over that time. Also, Barton worked at schools in the states of Tennessee and South Carolina, meaning he had access to even more children. It’s disturbing just to think about the culture at the school if the children (and parents) had known an alleged predator was lurking on the campus for so long.
The charges, announced by San Diego District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, are being delivered with curious timing. Dumanis is slated to run for re-election on Tuesday; a fact pointed out by Barton’s past and present lawyer, who claim that Dumanis is publicizing this announcement to bolster her re-election credentials.
If we’re talking just politics here, it’s a savvy move by Dumanis – she certainly won’t get fewer votes because of her decision to tighten the screws on an accused molester. However, we aren’t just talking politics – we’re talking about six alleged molestation victims who gain nothing by this move. If Dumanis’s move was political in nature, then she has selfishly used the victims’ plight to advance her own career. If the timing of the additional charges was simply an oversight, then it’s a distraction. Our stance is this; if it doesn’t help the alleged victims in the healing process as they try to move forward with their lives, then it’s a hindrance – an unwanted distraction that prevents them from recovering.
Sources:
Former School Administrator Accused of Molesting Boys
Indictment Unsealed in Student Molestation Case
Teacher Accused of Molestation Gave Victims Drug-Laced Brownies: DA