How Could You? Hall of Shame-Sgt. Jason M. Harrod, foster parent

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Fort Sill, Oklahoma, foster parent Sgt. Jason M. Harrod “has been convicted after impregnating his foster child.
A military judge sentenced Sgt. Jason M. Harrod to reduction in rank to  private, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, a dishonorable discharge and 28  years of confinement.

The abuse occurred between April and June 2011.

Harrod and his wife were approved as foster parents in October 2010 after  undergoing criminal background checks, a home inspection, interviews and  training, a DHS spokeswoman said. The department closed the Harrod’s home to  foster children Aug. 22.

The Harrods cared for four foster children, but it’s unclear how many were in  the home at one time. DHS would not disclose when children were placed in or  removed from the household.

The state pays foster parents different rates based on the age of a child,  ranging from $365 a month for those 5 years old and younger to $498 for those  age 13 and older.

“Sadly, background checks and a myriad of safeguards are not fail-proof  predictors of human behavior,” DHS spokeswoman Sheree Powell said. “In these  situations, DHS faces the same difficulties as schools, day cares, nursing homes  and other entities where adults are responsible for children or vulnerable  adults.”

In the last 12 years, DHS placed 75,032 children in foster care. Of those, 97  experienced some form of sexual abuse by their foster parent. In 32 cases, the  abuse was by a family member serving as a foster parent.

Powell said the agency has made several changes in those years to emphasize  the safety of children in foster care. More changes will continue after approval  of a reform plan last month that resulted from a federal lawsuit that exposed  failures in the state’s child welfare system.

“We will continue to do everything we can to ensure no child suffers abuse or  neglect in our system,” Powell said.

The trial

In November, Harrod went absent without leave from Fort Sill, which is about  85 miles southwest of Oklahoma City. The victim was five months pregnant.

He returned to his hometown in another state, where he was arrested by local  authorities in March and returned to military control. In addition to aggravated  sexual assault of a child and being AWOL, Harrod, a member of 2nd Battalion, 5th  Field Artillery, was convicted of adultery and indecent liberties with a  child.

A DNA test identified him as the father of the baby.

At last week’s court-martial, the Army prosecutor told how Harrod portrayed  himself to the victim as “her knight in shining armor who was going to take her  out of the system.” The catch was that the victim had to have sex with him.”

““He manipulated her,” the prosecutor said.

A caretaker of the victim testified that the girl has spent the majority of  her life in foster care. She described the victim, who will be a high school  sophomore, as having few friends and being behind in her class work and  uninvolved in extracurricular activities.

She said the girl is doubtful of her skills as a mother and fears her baby  will be taken away. “The only way I can describe her is broken,” the woman said. “She doesn’t view herself as normal. She’s a teen mom with the stigma of being a  teen mom.”

The victim did not testify.

Large segments of the trial testimony were inaudible to spectators because of  a poor courtroom sound system. The fort’s command staff also did not respond to  several post-trial requests for information, including the names of the  prosecutor and judge and Harrod’s age and military occupation. Testimony  indicated that Harrod was 31 at the time of the assault.

Soldier’s testimony

Harrod, his shaved head often bowed, told the judge that he was the son of a  single mother and that he had been sexually abused when he was young.

He said he acknowledged his responsibilities and planned to financially  support the child.

He said he had a job waiting for him whenever his sentence ended and that he  would work toward redeeming himself for the rest of his life.

A prior enlistee who rejoined the Army three years ago, he wore his dress  green uniform with three rows of ribbons across the chest in the courtroom.

His defense lawyer, Capt. Michael Townsend Jr., argued that Harrod deserved  credit for not making excuses for his actions, being honest and not contesting  the charges.

He asked that Harrod be sentenced to no more than six years and that he not  forfeit his pay so that it could go toward raising his daughter.

Harrod had faced a maximum sentence of more than 37 years.

Under a pretrial agreement, he pleaded guilty in return for the possibility  of a lesser sentence.

In arguing for a long sentence, the prosecutor said Harrod’s childhood  history should not be a mitigating factor.

“He knows the effects on someone who has been abused in the past … knows  exactly the kind of effect it has on the abused,” she said.

“Allow these children to grow up before this man becomes a free man again,” the prosecutor said.

The sentence imposed by the military judge must be approved by Major Gen.  Mark McDonald, Fort Sill’s commanding general, who could lessen the sentence.”

Fort Sill soldier convicted of sex with foster child

[The Oklahoman 8/3/12 by Phillip O’Connor]

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