Against All Enemies Foreign and Domestic

Example Seven

New molestation charges are filed

By GLENN PUIT and K.C. HOWARD
REVIEW-JOURNAL
 

A substitute teacher charged with molesting a boy also has been charged with molesting a juvenile family member, a Clark County prosecutor said.

And, according to court records obtained by the Review-Journal Friday, both school administrators and a bishop in the Mormon Church were previously notified that Robert Stevenson, 33, was acting inappropriately around young boys by hugging them or holding them in his lap.

However, court records do not indicate that school and church leaders were informed of actual sexual misconduct allegations. Stevenson, who also is a Boy Scout volunteer in the valley, was allowed to continue in his position at Bass Elementary School as a substitute teacher, where he has worked since October 2001.

This week, Stevenson was arrested on suspicion that he molested an 8-year-old boy, who is a student at the school and an acquaintance of Stevenson's two sons. The boy and his parents have told police that two attempted sexual assaults occurred during sleepovers at Stevenson's house.

On Friday, Clark County prosecutor Doug Herndon confirmed that authorities filed new charges against Stevenson, stemming from allegations that he molested a 12-year-old family member. Herndon said authorities learned of the second boy Thursday night.

Stevenson already was charged with attempted sexual assault and lewdness in the attack on the boy. The new charges include three counts of lewdness with a minor.

Herndon said the new allegations were the result of a report that the family member of Stevenson's had attempted to sexually assault two children, ages 4 and 5.

When police confronted the boy, he said the incident with the two younger children had occurred, but that he had been molested by Stevenson.

"He said the defendant had been molesting him for a while now," Herndon said.

The new charges surfaced as court records were filed providing information about how colleagues of Stevenson's at Bass Elementary and a bishop at his church were suspicious about his behavior.

According to the declaration of arrest, the 8-year-old confided to his mother that Stevenson had twice pulled down his pants and touched his penis and that the boy had touched Stevenson's penis. Stevenson also had climbed into a bunk bed with the boy and placed his genitals against the boy.

The next day, the mother told her son's teacher at Bass Elementary.

The teacher said other instructors had complained of Stevenson's interactions with boys he had in his class and that it had been brought to the administration's attention.

That behavior included paying too much attention to male students, hugging them and holding them on his lap.

The bishop of Stevenson's church, the Serene Ward, also complained about the amount of physical contact that Stevenson had with male guests at his home. The bishop could not be reached for comment.

"That in and of itself does not constitute abuse," said Edward Goldman, the Clark County School District's Southeast Region superintendent. "Lots of teachers give hugs, and kids like hugs. There is nothing wrong with appropriate hugs."

District officials plan to question the former principal at the school. Teachers began complaining about Stevenson's behavior 20 months ago, Goldman said.

"She definitely should have questioned the kids and followed through," Goldman said.

The elementary school also sent letters home to parents Friday, telling them to speak with their children about inappropriate touching and informing them that Stevenson will never work in the district again.

Stevenson, who might have worked at other district schools, was a long-term substitute working toward becoming a full-time teacher, district officials said.

Police are investigating a report that Stevenson took pictures of boys while they were sleeping at his house.

Stevenson was able to post $50,000 bond on the charges stemming from the 8-year-old boy. However, no bail amount had been set on the new charges as of Friday, meaning Stevenson is expected to remain in custody at the Clark County Detention Center through the weekend.