How Could You? Hall of Shame- Martin Thomas Passey 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 Riverton, Wyoming, “a 66-year-old Lander man has been accused of sexually assaulting two children about seven years ago while he was their foster father.

Court papers say one child was 9 or 10 years old and the other 8 years old when they lived with the man from August 2007 to July 2008.

Identifying information about the children has been redacted from court documents, and identifying the man could identify the victims.

The Fremont County Attorney’s Office has charged him with two counts of first-degree sexual abuse of a minor. The maximum penalty for each is 50 years in prison.

Circuit Court Judge Robert Denhardt has decided there is enough information to send the case to District Court for trial.”

Former Fremont County foster parent faces sexual assault charges involving kids in his care[Casper Star Tribune 3/11/15 by Associated Press]

REFORM Puzzle Piece

Update: “The alleged crimes occurred seven years ago.

A Lander man pleaded not guilty to two charges  of sexual abuse of a minor Thursday at an arraignment in Lander District Court. His trial is set to start July 13.

Investigators think he sexually assaulted two children about seven years ago while he was their foster father.

One  child was nine or ten years old and the other eight years old when they lived with the defendent, who is now 66, from August 2007 to July 2008, an affidavitin the case said.
The Northern Arapaho Tribal Department of Family Services placed th children in the foster parent’s home, the document said.Identifying information about the alleged victims was redacted from court documents.

The adult was named in the records, but it is Ranger policy not to publish information that could tend to identify juvenile sexual assault victims.

The Fremont County Attorney’s Office has charged him with two counts of first-degree sexual abuse of a minor. The maximum penalty for each is 50 years in prison.

An arraignment allows the defendent to enter a plea.If he pleas not guilty, a trial is scheduled.

If a defendent has reached a plea agreement with prosecutors before the arraignment date, he sometimes will enter a guilty plea.

Defendents rarely enter a “cold plea” that is a guilty plea without the protection of a plea agreement to limit their sentence. If they do, they could be sentenced to anything up to the maximum penalty for their charges.”

Man Pleads Not Guilty to Assault of Two Foster Children in his Care [The Daily Ranger 3/29/15 by Eric Blom]

He has been identified as Martin Thomas Passey. “A 67-year-old Lander man pulling an oxygen bottle with one hand and dressed in jail orange tried to plead no contest on two counts of first degree sexual assault of a minor today, but Ninth District Court Judge Norman Young refused that plea. Speaking directly to Martin Thomas Passey, Young said “I do not accept a no-contest plea in this court, you will have to plead guilty.”

He is charged with raping two foster children under his care.  Deputy County Attorney Dan Stebner recounted the charges filed against Passey, noting that the state’s case was predicated on witness statements from the two female victims, who were eight and ten years of age at the time of the crimes  in 2007 and 2008. Stebner said Passey had admitted to the crimes.

A pre-sentence investigation was ordered and Passey’s bond was continued at $100,000 cash.”

Foster Dad entered Guilty plea today to first degree sexual assault of foster children [County 10 6/30/15]