How Could You? Hall of Shame-Dillard Duane Henline Jr 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 Barboursville, West Virginia, a “foster dad is in jail, accused of sexually abusing two young girls in his care.

Dillard Duane Henline Jr., 50, of Barboursville, is charged with 10 counts of sexual abuse, a felony.

He is in the Western Regional Jail on $140,000 bond.

The Children’s Advocacy Center in Charleston contacted West Virginia State Police on July 19 about two young girls. The kids, ages 7 and 11, told investigators they were sexually abused and assaulted in their foster home.

The girls identified their attacker as Henline.

Court records described the alleged abuse in details too graphic to share.

The 11-year-old told officers Henline called the abuse “special treatment.”

Troopers say the girls were able to give important details, but seemed upset and embarrassed about what happened.

Both girls said the alleged crimes happened at Henline’s home.

According to court records, the victims were in Henline’s care for a little less than two months.Dillard Duane Henline Jr

Cpl. Marlene Moore with the WVSP Crimes Against Children Unit says cases in foster care are rare.

“They disclosed in great detail however there’s thousands of children in foster care, there’s thousands of foster homes in West Virginia and there’s a lot of good people that reach out that want to take care of these children that need a good home,” Cpl. Moore said.

The DHHR released a statement in regard to the abuse allegations:

“The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, Bureau for Children and Families takes the safety and well-being of each child in West Virginia very seriously; however, due to privacy policies, we are unable to discuss a particular case.”

They added that all foster parents must go through a process that includes a criminal background check and Child Protective Services check. [That’s not good enough! One tool to use in this self-assessment found here and also the need for consensus found  here. We covered the need for consensus way back in 2012 here]

It is unclear how long Henline has been a foster parent but troopers say they believe this abuse was an isolated incident.”

Foster dad accused of sexually abusing young girls

[WSAZ 8/28/18]

REFORM Puzzle Piece

Update:“A judge has set a trial date for a Barboursville man accused of sexually abusing two minors who were in his custody as a foster parent from May to July 2018.

During an arraignment hearing Friday, Cabell County Circuit Court Judge Gregory Howard set Aug. 20 [2019] as the trial date for Dillard Duane Henline Jr., 50. Howard also set an Aug. 7 pretrial hearing, asking lawyers to be prepared to argue any motions on that date.

Henline was indicted by a Cabell County grand jury earlier this month on 38 total charges – eight counts of first-degree sexual assault, 19 counts of sexual abuse by parent, guardian or person in a position of trust to a child and 11 counts of first-degree sexual abuse.

According to the criminal complaint filed in Cabell County Magistrate Court, two girls, ages 10 and 7 at the time of the alleged crimes, told representatives from the Children’s Advocacy Center in a forensic interview they were sexually abused and assaulted while in the care of foster parents.

Both victims disclosed the incidents occurred at Henline’s residence on Lucky Lane in Barboursville while they were under his care as a foster father and while the foster mother was out. The victims described several incidents of forced sexual contact, which they said Henline described as “special treatment,” according to the complaint.

Henline is being represented by Cabell County public defenders Michelle Protzman and Russ Cook. The case is being led by Cabell County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Joe Fincham.”

Trial date set for foster dad accused of sex abuse

[AP News 3/23/19 by Travis Crum]