How Could You? Hall of Shame-Todd Mortensen

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 Farmington, New Mexico, 47-year-old foster and adoptive parent and respite care provider, Todd Mortensen was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the rape of a 12-year-old girl in his care. He was facing up to 128 years in prison. Though referred to as his foster daughter, this was not a formal foster care arrangement, but a respite care/private arrangement. He was accused of prior sexual abuse of a girl in respite care but those charges were dropped by former Prosecutor Lisa Kuykendall, who was accused of being lenient on sex offenders when she was in office.

“The earliest Todd Mortensen, 47, can be released on parole is 2035.Mortensen pleaded guilty Feb. 2 to three counts of second-degree felony criminal sexual contact against a minor under the age of 13.A San Juan County prosecutor credits the 12-year-old victim with the courage and foresight of setting up a video camera to catch her abuser.Mortensen’s wife spoke Tuesday in court before sentencing and characterized her husband as a good Samaritan, but added her words will not minimize or diminish the error in her husband’s judgment.”

Foster Father Sentenced In Foster Daughter’s Rape
[KOAT 7/20/11]

Previous Reports on this Story

“Investigators in San Juan County said a 12-year-old girl set up a secret video camera to prove the man who was supposed to be taking care of her, was molesting her instead.

The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office said they arrested Todd Mortenson, 45, Thursday night after he admitted to committing sex crimes against a 12-year-old girl who was staying with his family.

The crimes allegedly took place late last month.

“The 12-year-old girl advised an older girl of what was going on and the older girl provided her with a video camera, the victim set the video camera up in her bedroom and videotaped an assault,” Captain Tim Black said.

Mortenson is charged with six counts of sexual contact of a minor and he’s been in this kind of trouble before.

“He was arrested in 2004 by the Farmington Police Department for similar crimes, criminal sexual contact and also criminal sexual penetration of a juvenile, I believe there was about 85 counts,” Black said.

All 85 counts were dismissed by the former district attorney. The current district attorney is looking into why that happened.

Farmington Police said they believed there was enough evidence to prosecute Mortenson in the 2004 case.

Three years after the charges were dropped, Mortenson went to work as a nurse at San Juan Regional Medical Center.

He quit on Thursday, just hours before his arrest.

Investigators think more victims could be out there because of his job and prior allegations.”

“Mortenson faces 58 years in prison if convicted on all counts.

Late Friday night the Sheriff’s Office removed two 16-year-old girls from his home and placed them in CYFD custody until they can figure out why there were living there.

The girls are not related to Mortenson and the sheriff’s office does not believe they are victims at this time.”

SJCSO: Video shows man molesting girl
[KRQE 4/2/11]

From the Pound Pup Legacy Files :

“A foster father who previously faced 85 counts of criminal sexual penetration against a minor has been arrested on six counts of the same crime after a different alleged victim videotaped one of the incidents…He was being held on a $58,000 cash bond…Mortensen was charged in 2004 with 65 counts of first-degree felony criminal sexual penetration and 20 counts of third-degree criminal sexual contact of a minor after a 15-year-old foster child alleged he had sexual intercourse with her, according to police records.

All 85 charges were dismissed by the prosecutor, and no information was available late Friday on why they were dropped….She said the 12-year-old girl was not fostered through the department and that she believes the arrangements were conducted privately with another family.

Preliminary reports indicate the girl told an adult who used to live in the home about being assaulted. The adult gave her a video camera, which she set up in the bedroom to capture footage of the alleged molestation, Black said.” [Daily Times 4/3/10]

“Todd Mortensen, 45, faces two additional charges after San Juan County Sheriff’s deputies on Monday interviewed the 12-year-old victim and amended the arrest warrant to include two charges of first-degree criminal sexual penetration, Sheriff’s Capt. Tim Black said. The victim caught an assault on videotape with the help of an adult family member.

Mortensen, who along with his wife, Lisa, fostered as many as 50 children during the last decade, faced 85 counts of criminal sexual penetration against a minor in 2004 when a different foster daughter made allegations of sexual abuse. Those charges were dismissed in 2005…

Mortensen is not facing the previous 85 counts dismissed by prosecutors in 2005, but the District Attorney’s Office is reviewing the case to determine whether it will be reopened.

“The question is largely, can the case be resurrected based on what the (2003) victim is able to do,” O’Brien said.

The case was dismissed without prejudice, meaning charges could be filed at a later date, because of the vulnerable mental state of the victim.

“At the time it was coming up for trial there were some issues, personal and private issues with the victim,” former prosecutor Lisa Kuykendall said. “The parents and I met and talked extensively and felt like it would be more detrimental to try to force her to testify.”

Kuykendall no longer works in San Juan County.

Mortensen was accused of repeatedly raping a 15-year-old foster daughter between March 1 and May 30, 2003. The girl was placed in Mortensen’s home in 2002 after her adoptive family encountered some problems, according to police records.

He also was accused of threatening the girl with a gun.

Police believed Mortensen used his membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to influence the girl. He allegedly told her intercourse was allowed because he was mistakenly listed as her spouse on her baptism certificate, according to police records.

Kuykendall was uncertain if Mortensen was licensed as a foster parent with the Children, Youth and Families Department when he was arrested in 2004.

While DNA evidence retrieved from semen found in the victim’s underwear indicated the perpetrator was Mortensen, it did not point to him conclusively, making the victim’s testimony even more vital to the case, Kuykendall said….

Mortensen is being held at San Juan County Adult Detention Center. His bond was raised from $58,000 to $500,000 cash-only after the new charges were added.

If convicted on all eight charges, Mortensen faces as many as 128 years in prison, with 18 years mandatory for each of the first-degree charges” [Daily Times 4/6/10 by Elizabeth Piazza]

REFORM Puzzle Piece