How Could You? Hall of Shame-Carl Benedict Guerin 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 Santa Cruz, California, foster parent and Girl Scout Troop Leader Carl Benedict Guerin, 51, “has been accused of lewd acts with six children, according to prosecutors.

Carl Benedict Guerin was arrested in January but bailed out of jail, said Santa Cruz County prosecutor Michael Gilman. Wednesday, he was taken into custody during a court hearing in which Judge Paul Burdick raised his bail from $50,000 to $550,000.

Guerin is now charged with lewd acts with six girls and trying to dissuade a witness — all felonies, according to prosecutors. He also faces a special allegation of aggravated circumstances, which essentially accuses of him of molesting more than one child. Guerin faces life in prison if convicted.

Gilman said in court that Guerin’s alleged molestations happened in an eight-year span. None of the alleged lewd acts happened when he was out on bail.

The alleged victims included one of his foster children and a girl he knew through a Girl Scout Troop, prosecutors said. Prosecutors have not said which troop Guerin worked with. A representative of the Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast did not return a call seeking comment on Monday.

Prosecutors said many of the girls are friends, and Guerin is accused of massaging some of them inappropriately and forcing them to touch him — mainly at his Live Oak home. Prosecutors have not alleged that he had sex with minors.

Guerin worked in information technology for Scotts Valley School Unified District, but his duties did not involve contact with students, district officials said. None of the allegations involve the Scotts Valley students, authorities said.

Guerin remained in Santa Cruz County Jail on Monday. He is due back in court Sept. 6 to confirm a preliminary hearing, which will determine if there is enough evidence for a trial.

The Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office asks anyone with information to call Gilman at 831-454-2516.”

Live Oak foster parent faces more accusations in lewd acts case

[Santa Cruz Sentinel 8/26/13 by Stephen Baxter]

REFORM Puzzle Piece

 

Update:”Santa Cruz County prosecutors added another charge of child molestation Friday against a Scotts Valley Unified School District employee who is accused of 16 other related charges.

Carl Benedict Guerin, 51, of Live Oak was arrested in January on suspicion of felony lewd acts with a child under 14. Guerin was out on bail when he was rearrested in February on additional child molestation charges.

Friday’s charge is in light of a girl who recently reported to sheriff’s investigators that she had been molested by Guerin, prosecutor Michael Gilman said.

He faces 16 charges of child molestation and one charge of attempting to dissuade a witness, all felonies.

The charges involve seven victims and date back to 2002, Gilman said.

If convicted, Guerin faces life in prison.

Before his arrest, Guerin was the director of technology for the Scotts Valley Unified School District but was placed on leave in light of the arrest, district officials said. In his role, Guerin did not supervise, teach or have access to children. Investigators believe he knew the victims through a nonschool capacity. Guerin also has served as a foster parent, prosecutors said.

He is being held on $550,000 bail and is scheduled for a preliminary examination Nov. 11 to determine if there is enough evidence for a trial.

Anyone with information on the case should call Santa Cruz County sheriff’s detectives at 831-471-1121.”

Additional charge added against SV School District employee accused of child molestation[Santa Cruz Sentinel 9/27/13 by Calvin Men]

“A 51-year-old former Live Oak foster parent and former Girl Scouts troop leader was held to answer on 17 child molestation related charges.

After a three-day preliminary hearing, Santa Cruz Superior Court Superior Court Judge Paul Burdick ruled Thursday that there was enough evidence against Carl Benedict Guerin.

Guerin was arrested in January and was released on $50,000 bail. He was arrested again in August after prosecutors brought additional charges of child molestation and trying to dissuade a witness. His bail was raised to $550,000 at the time and he remains in jail.

Guerin allegedly molested seven victims from 2002 to 2012, according court documents. The victims include one of his foster children and a girl he knew through a Girl Scouts troop, prosecutors said.

While Guerin worked for the Scotts Valley Unified School District in the information technology department, district officials said he was not in direct contact with students.

If convicted, Guerin faces life in prison.

Guerin is set to appear in court Dec. 11 to set a date for jury trial.”

Former Live Oak foster parent, girl scout leader held to answer on child molestation charges[Santa Cruz Sentinel 11/22/13 by Calvin Men]

“A  TRIAL  DATE  HAS  BEEN  SET  FOR  A  51  YEAR-OLD  LIVE  OAK  FOSTER  PARENT  CHARGED  WITH  CHILD  MOLESTATION.      CARL  BENEDICT  GUERIN  FACES  16  CHARGES  OF  CHILD  MOLESTATION.     HIS  TRIAL  IS  NOW  SLATED  TO  BEGIN  APRIL  4TH,   IN  A  SANTA  CRUZ  COUNTY  SUPERIOR  COURT  ROOM.      IF  CONVICTED  ON  ALL  OF  THE  CHARGES  AGAINST  HIM,   GUERIN  COULD  FACE  THE  POSSIBILITY  OF  LIFE   IN  PRISON.”

Carl Benedict Guerin trial[KSCO 12/11/13]

Update 2:”A new trial date will be set this month after allegations of a new victim disrupted court proceedings for a former Live Oak foster parent, Girl Scouts troop leader and Scotts Valley Unified School District technology director accused of molesting children, according to court documents.

Carl Guerin, 56, faces 16 felonies in connection with lewd acts with children and attempts to dissuade a witness, according to court documents.

Guerin is a large man of 6-feet, 4-inches, weighing more than 300 pounds, according to court records. He has been in Santa Cruz County Jail for more than three years on allegations of molesting seven girls from 2002 to 2012 and trying to dissuade a witness, the Sentinel reported in 2013.

The girls include one of Guerin’s foster children and a child he knew through a Girl Scout troop, authorities said. Many of the girls were friends. Guerin is accused of massaging some of them inappropriately and forcing them to touch him. The allegations include encounters at his Live Oak home, authorities said.

As technology director, Guerin’s duties did not involve contact with students and there were no allegations involving Scotts Valley students, district officials previously said.

On Jan. 31, Santa Cruz Superior Court Judge Stephen Siegel excused jurors on the fifth day of proceedings and defense attorney Doug Fox, who was hired, sought a continuance amid new allegations, according to court documents.

A trial date will be considered 8:15 a.m. Wednesday in Superior Court.

Court documents do not specify the new allegations. On Feb. 1, the court received records by subpoena from Harbor High School.

Assistant District Attorney Steven Moore said the case will advance to trial as soon as possible. He declined to detail the nature of the new allegations.

Guerin was arrested in January 2013. He posted bail that month, the Sentinel reported.

Guerin pleaded not guilty to 16 charges at hearings in September and December 2013. He faces a special allegation of aggravated circumstances, which accuses of him of molesting more than one child.

Guerin faces life in prison if convicted.

Some court documents provide elements of detail in the case. Fox filed a motion to continue the case in 2015, advising the court the defense would call an expert witness in child development and memory regarding the reliability of a 7-year-old girl’s claims against Guerin from when she was 3 years old.

Fox wrote that newspaper accounts compelled the child’s aunt to ask the 5 year old whether Guerin did anything inappropriate. The child did not make claims against Guerin until she was 7, Fox wrote.

Bail was set at $550,000.”

Former Live Oak foster parent, scout leader faces new allegations

[Santa Cruz Sentinel 2/8/18 by Michael Todd]