Accusation
The Little Rascals Day Care Center was run by Betsy Kelly, with help from her part-time plumber and golf pro husband, Bob. In January, 1989, a parent accused Bob Kelly of abusing her son at Little Rascals. The allegations were investigated by police officer Brenda Toppin and members of the Department of Social Services. In February, three additional children made accusations, and Kelly was arrested in April, 1989, charged with child sexual abuse. The police department suggested local parents have their children assessed for possible abuse, and provided a list of recommended therapists. After repeated questioning by police and their parents, a small number of children made disclosures of abuse; other children made disclosures only after long periods of therapy, some lasting up to ten months. Ultimately a total of 90 children made allegations of physical and sexual abuse, which was claimed to have occurred between September and December 1988. The allegations involved dozens of people in the town, but ultimately only seven were arrested: Bob Kelly in April and six others in September 1989. These included Betsy Kelly; the day care center's cook (Dawn Wilson) and two teachers (Robin Byrum and Shelly Stone); Scott Privott, the son of a local judge, owner of a video store and personal friend of Bob Kelly; and Darlene Harris who ran a nearby Head Start center. The trial was moved 60 miles away from Edenton due to polarization in the town leading to difficulties in finding an unbiased jury. Defense attorneys claimed they were hampered in preparation of their case due to lack of access to files and the child witnesses, as well as the extensive preparation of the children by the prosecuting attorneys.
Read more about this topic: Little Rascals Day Care Sexual Abuse Trial
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