How Could You? Hall of Shame-Jimmie Sturgill 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 West Point, Kentucky, 64-year-old foster father Jimmie Sturgill ” is being charged with unlawful transaction with a minor. Police said he sent sexually explicit messages to his foster child through social media sites,”according to WLKY.

The foster daughter was placed in his care in July 2010 but did not share the Facebook and Yahoo messages with her biological father until one month ago prior to a custody hearing.

The News-Enterprise reports, “According to the arrest warrant, Jimmie Sturgill, 64, “knowingly attempted to induce or cause a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity with him.”

WLKY reports, “Her father said she showed him a Facebook conversation between Sturgill and the 15-year-old girl, which included the following messages: “You are so … sexy-looking,” “Are you wearing any panties?” and “You know how bad I want you.” The News-Enterprise adds that he said ““You know I want to make love to you,” according to the warrant.”

WLKY reports, “Police said Sturgill sent similar messages between last October and June of this year, when the 15-year-old girl was given back to her father. He said the experience has left deep emotional scars.

“Even now, there’s times she starts to cry, and walks away, and just goes in her room and hides her face,” he said.

He said he also worries about other children who had been in Sturgill’s care — including his own son and two stepdaughters.

“He foster cared for over 100 kids. What about these other kids? What about what they’re going through, too?” he said.”

The News-Enterprise reports “According to court records, Sturgill has a history of alcohol-related misdemeanors dating from 1996-1999 but has no recent charges. This is his first felony charge.

He was arraigned via video Tuesday and posted 10 percent of a $50,000 bond, according to court records. He is not allowed to have contact with children younger than 18.

The charge is a Class C felony. If convicted, Sturgill faces up to 10 years in prison. His next court date is scheduled for 9 a.m. July 20 in Hardin District Court.”

Police: Man Tried To Have Sex With Foster Child
[WLKY 7/15/11 by Steve Tellier]

West Point man arrested on child sex charges
[Wave 3 7/14/11 by Charles Gazaway]

West Point man charged with illegal sex act with a minor
[The News-Enterprise 7/14/11 by Sarah Bennett]

Update: “Although a foster parent has been accused of sending illicit Facebook messages to his young foster child, state officials insist that background checks performed on potential foster parents are extensive.

“We are a public agency. We are accountable to the public,” said Marcus Haycraft, recruitment and certification supervisor for the district office of the Department of Community Based Services.

Cabinet workers perform criminal and protective service checks, Haycraft said. Examples of “red flags” raised during these background checks are convictions for drug use, wanton endangerment, assault or domestic violence, he said.

“Violent crimes toward another human being, or if you have ever harmed a child, those are big no-nos,” Haycraft said.

Jimmie Sturgill of West Point, the 64-year-old man accused of sending sexual messages, was charged with fourth-degree assault in 1998, according to Hardin County court records. However, the charge was dismissed without prejudice.

Sturgill also has a series of alcohol-related charges from 1996-1999, according to court records.

In 1996, he was found guilty of driving under the influence of alcohol. He was charged twice in 1998 with alcohol intoxication in a public place and was convicted once. The other charge was dismissed.

His most recent charge was in 1999 for a second DUI, which was amended to reckless driving, according to court records.

Haycraft said an alcohol-related offense alone does not rule out a potential foster parent.

“If they’ve completed treatment and a period of time passes, they can provide a certificate of some kind showing that they’ve completed treatment, we can consider them,” he said.

Haycraft added that if someone was convicted of a DUI a year ago, that person will not be allowed foster-parent certification, even if he or she can prove completion of counseling.

Kentucky State Police and the FBI assist in performing background checks of potential foster parents, Haycraft said, and workers check for criminal records in Kentucky and other states.

Haycraft said DCBS now has finger-printing capabilities, which allows investigators to retrieve some information “instantaneously.”

The background checks are not limited to the state’s foster service, Haycraft said. Private foster services send potential parents to the state for screening and the state sends results directly back to them.

“They have the same standards we do,” he said.

Background checks are not the only stipulations placed upon potential foster parents, Haycraft said.
There are numerous safety and cleanliness standards regarding the parents’ home, he said. He also mentioned that children are not allowed to share beds.

Once a child is placed in a home, a social worker will check on the house once a month to ensure requirements continue to be met and the child is safe, Haycraft said. The worker also interviews the child.

“We interview the children separately in rooms by themselves,” he said. “The foster parent is not allowed to be there.”

If, during an interview, a child indicates a safety threat, Haycraft said the worker would notify supervisors. While foster parents are investigated, the child is placed temporarily in a respite home.

A home is checked every three months when a foster child is not living there, he said.

Sturgill is charged with one count of first-degree unlawful transaction with a minor.

Investigating officer Samuel Ennis of the West Point Police Department said Sturgill had criminal intent to engage in sexual activity with the child.

At Wednesday’s probable cause hearing, Ennis said he was first contacted by a social worker, who was going to interview the child regarding allegations. The child had been returned to the custody of her parents before bringing the allegations.

District Judge Kim Shumate found probable cause Wednesday in Sturgill’s case. However, because evidence is being processed at the Kentucky State Police crime lab in Frankfort, the case may not go before a grand jury within 60 days.

Sturgill is out on bond and is not allowed to contact children younger than 18.”

State Requires Extensive Background Checks of Potential Foster Parents
[The News Enterprise 7/22/11 by Sarah Bennett]

Update 2/June 22, 2012

A search of Kentucky Hardin county records shows an entry with no other information for Commonwealth vs Jimmie Sturgill

REFORM Puzzle Piece

Update 3: “A West Point man arrested for allegedly sexually abusing one of his 26 foster children was indicted by a grand jury, but now it’s not just for one child.

“I was very happy. I just hope the law does their job this time,” said the father of one of the alleged victims.

The man said he was relieved but skeptical about the indictment of 65-year-old Jimmie Sturgill, a former foster parent of 26 children.

“These kids have suffered bad,” the victim’s father said.

A six-page indictment charged Sturgill with two counts of first-degree sexual abuse and 16 counts of unlawful use of electronics, like a cellphone or computer or social media site, to induce a minor into sexual acts.

Police said they found texts and Facebook correspondence from Sturgill to one of the alleged victims in 2011, which led to his arrest.

But an extensive state and local investigation, interviewing social workers and 25 of the 26 foster children in Sturgill’s care, led to another alleged victim, and there could be more.

The indictment said the sexual acts with both victims occurred from July 2009 to May 2011.

The man had five children in Sturgill’s care, and the two minors are his children. All five have been released back to his care, and he says they’re talking. [Why weren’t they released back into his care before? All of a sudden after abuse claims, Kentucky realizes that the bio dad is just fine?]

“They’re letting it out little by little. It’s hard to keep up with. There’s so much of it,” said the victims’ father.

The father also said the children are acting out.

“My daughter quit school, another wants to because they don’t want this out. Kids at school are teasing them. Now they’re fighting. It really messed them up,” said the victims’ father.

The father said his children stayed quiet for years because they didn’t want to be separated in foster care.

But now, he wants his children’s voices heard, even though Sturgill has since moved away from Hardin County.

Hardin County authorities believe Sturgill is in the Ashland area with family. But they expect him to be in a Hardin County courtroom on Aug. 14 to answer to the indictment charges.

The grand jury set Sturgill’s bond at $50,000. He paid 10 percent earlier this week, and is not in custody.

The indictment considered Sturgill a low flight risk.'” [But 1st degree child sex abuse is not a concern for public safety risk, eh?]

Father of children allegedly abused by foster parent speaks out

[WLKY 7/16/12 by Ann Bowden]

Update 4/September 6, 2013

“The jury trial in the case against a former West Point man facing 19 felony sex charges was scheduled to begin Monday but has been continued for two months.

immie Sturgill, 65, was indicted last year on two counts of first-degree sexual abuse and 16 counts of unlawful use of electronic means to induce a minor to engage in sexual or prohibited activities. Last month in separate case he was indicted on first-degree sodomy.

All of the charges involve minors who were younger than 16 at the time of the alleged offenses. Three of the girls were foster children and a fourth was a neighbor, according to police.

Thirteen days before the trial was set to begin in the 2012 case, Sturgill’s attorney, Eric Bates, filed a motion to reassign the jury trial date, according to records.

Bates stepped in as defense counsel in February after Sturgill’s former attorney, Steve Mirkin, moved, Commonwealth’s Attorney Shane Young said.

According to Bates’ written motion, there are more than 500 pages of documents to be shared in the 2012 case in addition to the new indictment in March.

The attorney’s limited amount of time to prepare for trial would “compromise” Sturgill’s ability to present a defense, according to the motion.

“The long list of indicted offenses and multitude of potential witnesses has made it extremely difficult to investigate possible defenses,” the document reads. “More time is needed to pursue these defenses.”

Young said the commonwealth objected to the motion. Hardin Circuit Court Judge Ken Howard ultimately approved the motion April 4 and a new trial date has been assigned for June 3.

Sturgill is released on a partially secured $50,000 bond.”

Jury trial continued for former West Point man

[The News Enterprise 4/12/13 by Sarah Bennett]

“The trial in the case against a former West Point man accused of sending sexually themed electronic messages to two minor girls began Monday with juror selection.

One of the girls was a foster child who lived in Sturgill’s home.

Jimmie Sturgill, 65, of Catlettsburg, faces 19 sex-related felony charges in Hardin County. However, the jury trial that began Monday concerns 16 of those charges.

According to police, Sturgill sent sexually charged messages via Facebook to two minor girls between September 2010 and May 2011.

Before jury selection began Monday, a hearing was held concerning a defense motion to suppress Sturgill’s initial interview with West Point Police Officer Sam Ennis.

According to Ennis’ statements in court, Sturgill voluntarily stopped by the police department July 2, 2011, to find out why police seized his computers.

The conversation led Ennis to advise Sturgill of his rights, he said. The officer then showed Sturgill eight pages of messages exchanged between him and one of the girls.

When asked if he sent the messages, Sturgill confirmed he had, Ennis said. According to the officer, the communications in those eight pages account for four counts in the indictment.

The encounter lasted less than 30 minutes, according to the officer. Sturgill was not arrested and left the police department with his son.

Despite the initial confession, Sturgill since has denied the charges, Ennis said.

Hardin Circuit Judge Ken Howard ultimately denied the motion to suppress because the statement was the “product of a free, voluntary, knowing and intelligent statement” by Sturgill, who was not under arrest and arrived at the police department in a personal vehicle.

The jury trial is expected continue at 9 a.m. Wednesday in Howard’s courtroom with testimony from witnesses.

Unlawful use of electronic means to induce a minor to engage in sexual or prohibited activities is a Class D felony, which is punishable by one to five years in prison if found guilty.

Sturgill also faces charges of first-degree sodomy and two counts of first-degree sexual abuse, which will go to separate trials.”

Jury trial begins for Sturgill

[The News Enterprise 6/4/13 by Sarah Bennett]

“Former West Point resident Jimmie Sturgill was found guilty on 12 of 16 charges against him Thursday afternoon for sending sexually explicit messages to two females under the age of 16.

One of the girls was his foster child.

The trial for Sturgill, 65, started Tuesday with jury selection. On Thursday morning, the accused took the stand.”

Sturgill guilty on 12 of 16 counts

[The News Enterprise 6/4/13

A search of the Hardin County Kentucky court records shows that his sentencing is scheduled for September 24, 2013.

Update 5/ September 1, 2014: A search of the Kentucky offender information says that he received 5 years.