Where Facts And Controversy In The News Come Together In Truth

Friday, February 20, 2009

Are School Board Officials & The State Department Covering Up Its Knowledge Of Abuse Within The Foreign Exchange Student Program

PART TWO….There Are Heroes Among Us by, Jack Swint

According to Wikipedia, The literal meaning of the word hero is a"protector," "defender" or "guardian." In a sense, we are all victims to this on going problem because the majority of society has been unaware of the facts. Most people have no clue of how these pedophiles are using the exchange program as their new playground for sex games. We only read about the "warm & fuzzy" side of the program with pictures of smiling kids and great experiences.
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But, once we are made aware of the real problem that exists, and do nothing about it, we are no longer innocent victims. We are accessories, for not screaming out for reform and justice for those kids who have already fallen prey, and for the ones who will continue to do so unless things drastically change. Everyone who learns of this scandal is appalled and wants justice, but at what point do they become so enraged that they take a vocal & visible stance. For some of us, it takes a tragic event to one of our loved ones before we scream out for justice.
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Bottom line, we need to be pro-active instead of re-active! Case after case of sexual abuse to these teenage students is coming to light every day. How both men and women are preying on the unsuspecting innocence and trust that all kids place in us to not only acclimate them into the ways of our free society, but, more so to protect them from harm. In its current state, we are just allowing the delivery of these young students right to the pedophile & predators front doorsteps. In all, 3.3 million children are molested and or raped each year in this country! A large majority are foreign exchange students.
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Sometimes A Story Has To Be Told No Matter The Fallout
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As we stated in last weeks story, Danielle Grijalva, founder of the national group, “Committee for Safety of Foreign Exchange Students, or, more commonly known as “CSFES,” is definitely a hero in her plight against abuse to exchange students. Her group of 1500 volunteers are the leaders in not only being the clearing house for compiling data on abuse cases, but for also working with these exchange students and their families abroad.
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Her day after day relentless involvement has presented such a thorn in the side of the State Department and exchange student industry on abuse that these companies like, ASSE, AISE and AYUSA, have sought injunctions and even attempted to obtain injunctive relief to force CSFES to provide them information she receives from alleged students as they occur. According to Danielle, “this is nothing more then their attempts to quickly learn who is complaining so that child can be swiftly “re-patronized” (deported) back to their own country before anyone can investigate.
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Grijalva went on to explain the difficulty of tracking these incidents and or any problems within the exchange program. “Therein lays the problem. There is no reporting agency keeping track of this information; there isn't a place for the student placement agencies to document this info, thus no agency for natural parents to research this information to make an informed decision.”
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Recent Students Speaking Out Across America
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These students risked retaliation from their host parents and sponsors for taking a stance to come forward and expose the abuse they received. Up to and including being mentally & physically abused, deported and worse. If these teenagers can find the strength to come forward and put their own selves at further risk, why can’t we as adults intercede and ensure their safety at any cost….
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Hero’s like 16 year old student Jay Satos, of Thailand, who came forward with sordid details of first arriving in the US and learning he had no family sponsor or anywhere to live. Instead of the promise of a home and family, he was met with the horrible prospect of being abandoned. Jay explained in his complaints that for the first 4 weeks of his time spent in America, he was being starved, locked in a basement and his mental & physical condition quickly eroded. His abuser,? The area supervisor for the foreign exchange student sponsor! Jay was threatened with deportation for speaking out.
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“SK” of Taiwan, was an exchange student in Kentucky who notified authorities and was rescued from the home of Paul Stone, 54, who later plead guilty to sexually abusing the 15-year-old foreign exchange student. Allyson Hodge, from Australia was delivered to the home of her “host dad” in Oregon who tried routinely to groom her as his sex slave. He was never convicted of a crime. Nicklaus Rassing, from Denmark came to California and was raped and molested by his Host Dad who was eventually convicted.Christian Fetscher of Germany ended up in Rhode Island where he was being groomed for sex by his Host Dad.
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Jae H. L. of South Korea was molested by his Kansas Host Dad who had multiple prior charges of sex crimes. Sixty eight year old High School Coach Richard Young had taught for the last 47 years in several Kansas schools; he had hosted as many as a dozen foreign-exchange students in his home since 1997, including students from the Netherlands, Bolivia, and Germany. The criminal investigation of Young began after then 16-year old Jae's sponsorship was terminated from the exchange program at Young's request.

Further investigation revealed additional molestation accusations from Young's three former stepsons, who are now adults; all three testified against Young at his trial. He received 13 years in prison. The list goes on and on into the hundreds. Other complaints range from mental abuse to starvation, battery and assault. Student complaint reports tell a story of living in cock-roach infested basements with nothing more then a mattress as furniture to sleep, sit, eat and live on.
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Speaking Out In WV
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Casey King, (pictured to the left) brother of Thomas Scott King, is definitely a hero. He was the first who came forward with a complaint alleging his now 60 year old brother Scott, had repeatedly raped and molested him beginning at the age of 7. From that moment forward, and with Casey’s help, we began to learn that Scott Kings alleged sexual molestation of children went deeper then first thought.
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In a short amount of time, more people began to come forward with startling information how this former teacher-principal was also sexually abusing teens in the foreign exchange student program. All while working in the WV school system. We then learned that Scott King had been transferred from school to school around the state each time an incident occurred involving him and a student.
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Finally, after a 1996 conviction in Fayette County WV for contributing to the delinquency of a miner, the Board of Education had no choice but to force Thomas Scott King (pictured to the left) to resign and relinquish his ability to ever teach again in this state. But, the school administration failed to take that final step and report him to authorities.
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At least two confirmed complaints against Scott King were made to the board of education and or other officials: Timo Beinhorn claims that Scott King took him and another boy to a ballgame and afterwards spent the night in a motel. Timo went on to allege he awoke to find himself naked, while Scott was standing over him taking pictures.
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German foreign exchange student and victim, Ben Vinzraff, claims Scott King tried to molest him while living with the principal. Vinzraff states that King came into his bedroom on several occasions and tried forcing himself on the student. Finally, one night, the boy had to run naked from the house and seek refuge at a friend’s home.
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WV Citizens Beginning To Take A Stand
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Former Matewan school counselor, Hester Keatley, has years of training in both helping abused children and in recognizing the signs of an abuser. Ms Keatley is so well respected in the school system that she is still asked to train new counselors. She worked for Thomas Scott King when he spent a short time as Principal there in 1989-1990. What did her training and instincts tell her??? “He knew that I knew what he was doing to those boys.” And, "He always had a foreign exchange student in his home. He constantly had groups of boys with him at all times.
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"I knew he was an evil man." Her observations became more then just suspicions; enough so that she went to the school board. But, they took no visible official action. Soon afterward, Scott King was moved to another school district.
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Hester said that she worried about Kings then teenage son Justin, who was a sophomore when he came to Matewan. “He displayed signs of a child who may have been sexually abused himself.” Does that seem so hard to believe? Scott Kings own brother, Casey, is the person who first came forward with the accusations his older brother Scot raped and molested him at the age of 7. “I hope and pray he pays for the damages he has done to all the innocent boys. I hope he is hung by the balls.”
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Amanda B. came forward and asked that we not use her last name. She was a student at Lewis County High School while Scott King was principal. Amanda claims that at first, she just thought he “was weird.” Then in a short amount of time, she realized the principal was far more interested in boys then he should be. She told us how Principal King was the first in the county to have exchange students come and live with him, even though he lived alone because his wife divorced him. And, that Scott King targeted more then just foreign exchange students. She said King was also over the schools ROTC program.
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She admitted knowing about the alleged incident where Ben Vinzraff claimed King had abused him. She recalls after the alleged incident that involved Vinzraff, and another exchange student, Principal King just disappeared. “One day he was there, the next day he was not.” Reportedly Scott King tried to molest Vinzraff who escaped into the night.
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Then there is the prominent local attorney from Charleston WV, who has to be commended, and called a hero for coming forward with information he says must be told. This officer of the court is definitely a hero in the eyes of every child who has ever been abused. On February 11, 2009, Attorney Anthony Serreno contacted Casey King by phone to share crucial information he claims is personal knowledge about a pedophile network operating within WV. Anthony says he had known this information for a short time, and that he wants to bring it all out into the open.
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He also claimed that a well known Judge, and another attorney, who is possibly a former assistant county prosecutor, can both corroborate and or also want to share information they have knowledge of. In the interest of justice, and over Casey King’s objection, we elected to proceed with the information that Casey provided us in regards to their conversations.
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In closing, we all know someone who has at one time or another been abused in their life. Looking back we can’t stop what happened to them. Looking forward, we can make a difference by taking a stance to stop any further abuse to children around the world who come to America.
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End Of Story……
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Jack Swint-Publisher
West Virginia News
Twitter: @WVNewsOnline
LinkedIn: Jack Swint

Contact:

Casey King - (843) 450-6482 or mbsingledad@aol.com

Danielle Grijalva – (760) 295-0716 or dgrijalva@csfes.org
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Want to know if PEDOPHILES and other sex offenders live near you?
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http://www.familywatchdog.us/
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Helpful Links

http://www.csfes.org/home.php

http://www.child-safe.org.uk/

http://www.childhelp.org/

http://www.rainn.org/

http://www.findcounseling.com/journal/child-abuse/pedophile.html

http://www.wvstatepolice.com/
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11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Doesn't it stand to reason that if Hester brought this to the Board of Education's attention and nothing was done, then members were and are involved in the alleged group of molestors that permeates this state? Why in God's name won't anyone do anything about this?

Anonymous said...

Good job on the article! These people need to be recognized for coming forward and taking a stand against this evil in the state of West Virginia. As a victim of molestation myself, I applaud the attorney, counselor and former student for what they've done. These represent real heroes in our state.

Anonymous said...

Mr Swint and Webber should also be applauded for the research and development of both stories on pedophiles in the school system.

Hats off to everyone who came forward, from attorney Serreno to the exxchange students.

Anonymous said...

Mr. Serreno: Can't wait for you to proceed and seek legal action against any and all groups of people who are hurting innocent children. Anyone who has information, you are encouraged to be responsible and forward your knowledge to Mr. Serreno. We all really need to work together in putting these people away. Mr. Serreno is to be commended for this fine work.

Anonymous said...

Once again West Virginia News website is bringing out the truth. It appears that investigative reporting is still alive, just not in mainstream media!

Anonymous said...

For too long exchange students have been invisible victims not afforded the protections of American children such as exchange industry employees and volunteers being categorized as "mandated reporters" These foreign teenagers are victimized by sexual predators and don't know where to turn.The U.S. Department of State needs to tighten its child protection measures - thanks for a shining a light on the need for protection of foreign exchange students.

Anonymous said...

Round of applause for everyone who has come forward with their own story and or new information.

Now its time for law enforcement to stand up at the plate and investigate this low life scum bag named Scott King. And his pedophile network of pervs!

Anonymous said...

Jack Swint, if you are correct in what you have stated in this story,and it is true?? You have done a good thing in exposing this terrible problem.

Anonymous said...

Does the pedophile network extend to Nitro?????

Anonymous said...

Any abuse of children is of course a crime, and as a survivor of abuse by a relative, I know personally how devastating and lasting the damage. But this article is sensationalized and lacks facts. It makes sweeping statements about exchange programs that are unfounded. What is the purpose here? To end cultural exchange programs or to prosecute Scott King? Certainly Casey King is to be applauded for coming forward.

Anonymous said...

SCOTT KING was my supervisor at the post office. He wouls always stare at us in a daze with his mouth wide open. Imagineing god only knows what . He would also try and staff our machine whith males only. His wierdness caused my attendance to drop. I knew somthing was odd about him. And then he made some comments to me that was sexual in nature. I quit going to work. I lost my job and he got a retirement . go figure.

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Charleston, WV, United States