How Could You? Hall of Shame-Wade Russell UPDATED

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 Provo, Utah, “A man accused of sexually abusing two teens at a group home for troubled youth in Spanish Fork has been bound over for trial.

At a preliminary hearing held Monday, a judge found there is enough evidence for Wade Russell to go to trial on 15 of the 17 charges brought against him. Russell will stand trial on seven counts of forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony; three counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child, a first degree felony; two counts of dealing in materials harmful to a minor, a third-degree felony; and one count each of forcible sodomy, sodomy on a child and attempted rape of a child, all first-degree felonies.

One count of forcible sexual abuse and one count of forcible sodomy was dismissed after the preliminary hearing.

Russell was arrested and charged in November when a 14-year-old at the Extended Family Services youth center told her state worker that Russell had touched her inappropriately and told her case worker another 14-year-old had also been touched inappropriately.

Both girls were interviewed at the Utah County Children’s Justice Center. One the girls told interviewers that in early November, Russell entered her room and touched her inappropriately over her clothing, according to police records.

The other girl told interviewers that she had been assaulted by Russell on multiple occasions. According to police, security footage from the center shows Russell entering the girls’ rooms and the laundry room but there is no video in the private rooms or the laundry rooms. One video shows that Russell entered one of the girl’s rooms and emerged nine minutes later.

According to police records, an employee evaluation done on Aug. 13 shows that Russell was told not to have any contact with female residents alone or out of the view of security cameras. Police records also indicate that prior to one of the girls’ arrival at the center on Oct. 30, staff was told that the girl has a history of sexual activity with older men and that no male employee was to be alone with her.

Police reports state that Russell agreed to be interviewed by police and told officers that he “showed poor judgement” in going into the girls’ rooms, but denied any touching.

One of the girls also accused Russell of showing her pornography, according to police records.

Russell will be in court again on May 29 for a scheduling conference.”

Man accused of sexually abusing teens at group home bound over for trial[Herald Extra 5/6/14 by Paige Fieldsted]

REFORM Puzzle Piece

Update:“A trial date has been set for a man accused of sexually abusing two teen girls at a group home for troubled youth in Spanish Fork.

Wade Russell, 60, will stand trial beginning Sept. 29. The trial is scheduled to last six days.

Earlier this month, Russell was bound over for trial on 15 charges including three counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child, a first-degree felony; one count each of forcible sodomy, sodomy on a child and attempted rape of a child, all first-degree felonies; seven counts of forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony; and two counts of dealing in materials harmful to a minor, a third-degree felony.

Russell was arrested and charged in November when a 14-year-old girl at the Extended Family Services youth center in Spanish Fork told her state worker that Russell had inappropriately touched her and another 14-year-old girl.

According to police reports, one of the girls told interviewers that in early November, Russell entered her room and touched her inappropriately over her clothing. The other girl told interviewers she had been assaulted by Russell on multiple occasions. One of the girls also accused Russell of showing her pornography.

Russell will be in court again Aug. 28 for a pre-trial conference. ”

Trial date set for man accused of sexually abusing teens at group home[Herald Extra 5/29/14 by Paige Fieldsted]

“Charges filed in 4th District Court allege that Wade Russell, 60, committed the crimes while employed at Extended Family Services.

One girl said that on Nov. 3, 2013, her third night at EFS, Russell went into her room, lay down next to her bed and fondled her over her clothing, according to charging documents. She said she knew of another girl who also had been abused.

Security camera footage from that time shows Russell’s feet “sticking out of the doorway as if he is lying down,” court documents claim. The girl’s roommate confirmed that Russell was lying close to the victim, prosecutors say.

The other victim said Russell sexually abused her on multiple occasions after she arrived at EFS in June 2013. She said that on Nov. 2, Russell asked her to join him in the laundry room because he could turn off the lights and escape the security cameras. Video from outside the laundry room allegedly shows Russell entering the laundry room and turning off the lights before the girl followed him inside.

She claimed that Russell molested her then, and later the same day in her room.

The second victim said Russell also used his cell phone to show her pornography.

A job evaluation for Russell by EFS in August shows he was told not to have “any contact with female residents alone or out of the view of the camera,” and that he was told to stop “hugging the young girls,” according to charges.

Charging documents do not indicate why those instructions were given.

Russell denied to police touching either of the girls sexually and said the events recorded on camera amounted only to poor judgment on his part. When asked for his cell phone to search its browser history, he said he lost the phone, police reported.”

Sex abuse alleged at Utah youth home [The Salt Lake City Tribune 5/29/14]

Update 2:”A former employee at a group home for troubled teens pleaded no contest Thursday to multiple counts of abusing a 14-year-old girl.

Wade Russell, 60, pleaded no contest to 12 counts of forcible sexual abuse, all second-degree felonies. Each count carries a potential sentence of one to 15 years in prison. Russell was scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 16.

By pleading no contest, Russell avoids a six-day trial that was scheduled to begin at the end of the month.

Russell worked for Extended Family Services, which houses troubled teens who are in the custody of the state, according to court documents. Between February and November of 2013, Russell inappropriately touched a 14-year-old girl on at least 12 different occasions, according to court documents.

As part of the plea deal, Russell acknowledged in court records, “I know that if I enter a no contest plea, a judgment of conviction will be entered by the court and I will be sentenced the same as if I had entered a guilty plea.””

Former group home employee pleads no contest to sex abuse[Deseret News 9/4/14 by Pat Reavy]

Update 3:“A former employee of a Spanish Fork group home for troubled teens was sentenced to prison for up to 15 years Thursday for sexually abusing four teenage girls at the facility.

Wade Russell, 60, had pleaded no contest in September to 12 counts of second-degree felony forcible sexual abuse.

On Thursday, 4th District Judge James Taylor sentenced Russell to one to 15 years on each count, but ordered the sentences to run concurrently.

The judge also fined Russell $228,396.

Russell sexually abused the girls, ages 13 to 16, while employed at Extended Family Services between February and November 2013.

According to court documents, one girl said that on Nov. 3, 2013, her third night at EFS, Russell went into her room, lay down next to her bed and fondled her over her clothing, according to charging documents.”

Former Utah youth home employee sent to prison for sexual abuse[The Salt Lake Tribune 11/7/14 by Stephen Hunt]